Newsmakers

Actress Jen Lilley is a passionate advocate for adoption and foster care who recently shared her powerful and multifaceted journey with CBN News. "The journey for me started as a child," Lilley said. "My parents were kind of what I call unofficial foster parents. My dad was a judge and my mom was a director of a women and children's charity."

Because of these roles, the family couldn't legally foster children, but that preclusion didn't "stop them from having compassion," she said. "Our home was kind of a rotating door at times for people that maybe just needed help transitioning and bridging in their life," she said. "So, the idea of a child living in my home who wasn't in my immediate family was not scary to me." The actress said her Christian faith motivated her to foster and adopt. "When love is your motive, you have to look at these kids," Lilley said. "You can't look away."

Lilley also spoke out against Vermont allegedly blocking Christian families from adopting over their biblical beliefs — a story that made headlines last year after two families filed a lawsuit. At the time, the actress warned that the decision by Vermont's Department for Children and Family Services to ax two families licenses was a constitutional violation.

"This action not only violates our Constitutional rights but also jeopardizes the well-being of children in dire need of safe, loving homes," she said. "The government is deciding that it's safer for a child to remain in a dangerous and potentially life-threatening situation than to live in a home with Christian beliefs? Make it make sense." In a recent interview with CBN News, Lilley revealed a conversation she had with the Vermont governor’s office last year — a discussion she wanted to pursue to better understand the issues on the table. Lilley approached fairly and with an open mind to understand the state’s position. Listen to her explain.

A persecution watchdog has released a new report that aims to fill a "gap" when it comes to fully reporting on the Christian persecution raging across the globe.

"We found was there needed to be a report that was based entirely on well verified, carefully reviewed sources," Isaac Six, senior director of advocacy for Global Christian Relief (GCF), told CBN News. "These are public sources that are included in a database we've commissioned called the Violent Incidents Database, and the report is built on that database."

One of the issues with some of the other reports in this realm, Six said, is that they are relatively qualitative in nature, relying on interviews and available numbers to essentially "make an estimate." While this is valid and helpful, he said GCF's new "Red List" works a bit differently.

Hear him explain the shocking data.

Is part of America's massive mental health malaise actually rooted in a spiritual crisis? That's what Dr. George Barna, co-founder and director of research at the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, is arguing, noting that some people seeking medication and counseling are actually "treating the wrong problem."

"We're in a situation where the best estimates [are] that we have are that about one out of every four adults [with] some kind of diagnosable mental illness," Barna told CBN News. "There's a wide range. But when we look at it more deeply, we find that those numbers are higher the younger a person is." He continued, "So, as you dig into it to try to figure out things like anxiety, depression, fears, suicidal thoughts, OCD tendencies, addictions, when we look at all of those, what we find is that, often, what may be happening is that it's not that they have some kind of chemical imbalance or physical issue that's causing that what appears to be a mental illness; what's causing it may be their belief structure, their worldview."

Barna, who has frequently researched and spoken about the importance of developing a biblical worldview, said addressing this deficiency and fixing core beliefs would help to potentially alleviate some of the anxiety, stress, and depression that is raging. While some people need prescribed pills, counseling, or even hospitalization, he said there are some who are merely misdiagnosing the core problems.

"I think often what happens is, because counselors across the country — a majority of them don't really consider spirituality and faith as part of a person's mental health — what they do is they just go to what they know, which is, 'We can't figure it out, so let's prescribe pills,' or 'Let's just keep talking about it,' or 'Let's send you to a hospital' — whatever it may be," Barna said. "And a lot of times that's really not the best solution." Exploring data from his American Worldview Inventory report, the researcher explained some of the correlations he found between lack of faith, age, and increased mental struggles. The majority of people (56%) in Generation Z, which includes individuals in their teens and early 20s, struggle with mental health issues, with Barna noting just 1% of these people have a biblical worldview. Hear him explain.

As wildfires continue to rage, some have claimed the California inferno should be interpreted as God's judgment — while others have fervently pushed back on such a notion. Pastor Shane Idleman discusses the issue and shares his take on both arguments.

On today's Newsmakers: Meta changes course, Christian persecution reports, and a mother's grief.

A popular retelling of the Bible in comic book form just hit a major milestone, selling more than 3 million copies in the U.S. "The Action Bible," which was first released in 2010, continues to dominate the Amazon bookselling charts, remaining in the top 100 among all books. Brock Eastman, senior director of The Action Bible brand at David C. Cook, said he believes the project’s success is rooted in its unique approach to bringing the Gospel to young and emerging generations.

“What strikes people that read ‘The Action Bible’ is just the beautiful, full action-packed [presentation] and our illustrations that really bring the story to life,” he said. “And we like to think about … bringing the Bible to life in a different way." Eastman continued, “For this generation, specifically, who is involved with graphic novels, this Bible appeals to them because they like that kind of, ‘Oh, I can see the images of the story moving,’ and there's a narrative, like a paraphrase narrative of the Bible story that's easy to understand and sounds like a conversation.”

This all creates what Eastman called an “inviting” experience that allows young people to fully immerse themselves in this Bible version, which includes 230 stories from Scripture and extends to 830 pages. Eastman said, “The Action Bible” does two important things: it seizes upon the interest of youths in graphic novels while also delivering hope to youths who desperately need it. Watch him explain the Bible's incredible impact.

CBN's Billy Hallowell caught up with Skillet singer John Cooper to talk about a wide range of topics, including what he sees as the ills plaguing America and the solutions to them. 

Matthew Barnett, pastor and CEO of the Dream Center in Los Angeles, California, is seeing incredible spiritual hunger in the wake of devastating California wildfires that have killed at least 24 people and destroyed more than 12,000 structures. Barnett, whose organization is feeding and housing those impacted by the inferno, told CBN News he has seen a massive outpouring of resources and volunteer staff — people from all walks of life who are flooding to his campus to help the Christian nonprofit bring relief.

In the process, these people are hearing — and experiencing — the Christian Gospel. "They're not just open," Barnett said of the spiritual fervor unfolding. "They are telling you stuff that you're not even asking them. I mean, they are volunteering ... their lives ... and, just by listening and asking them questions, and then you say ... 'God is with you.'" Volunteers have been flooding to the Dream Center to help hand out food and resources — people from "every type of demographic you could imagine."

"As people are working 10 hours a day so joyfully ... I'm talking to them as they're serving ... we'll play worship music and ... they'll be like, 'I like the song. I never heard before. What is it?'" Barnett said. "And then we're just talking about God while we're working together with this whole new community." He said prayer has also been on full display, as he and volunteers ask individuals and families coming through the food line if they can pray for them. As it turns out, the spiritual needs are as plentiful as the physical.

"Everybody wants prayer," Barnett said. "It really is kind of a revival in action where people just want to know that God is there, but I'm really seeing it in a very unusual way through a lot of the volunteers rubbing shoulders all day long and asking questions ... like, 'Why do you do what you guys do?'" He said some people go through the food line to be prayed for and to experience the positive, spirit-driven Dream Center staff and volunteers.

Actor Stelio Savante said he was left "seething" after seeing how some California leaders reacted to deadly wildfires that have been ripping through the Los Angeles area. "[It has been] awful, unfathomable, unrecognizable," Savante said of the dire situation on the ground. "I have friends who've lost homes that they built with their children growing up in them that have burned to the ground. So many people have lost so much."

Fires aren't rare in California, but he said the scope of this inferno is unique. Savante, whose new film "Between Borders" hits theaters Jan. 26, expressed frustration over what he sees as ill-prepared leadership. "It's a destruction — I've never seen anything like it," he said. "But I'm also honestly disgusted at the lack of preparation. We prayed for water for so many years in California. It was wasted. We have not been prepared with our firefighter shortages. We haven't cleared our brush."

Savante said he was left infuriated after seeing some politicians' reactions to important questions. "Our politicians are not monarchs," he said. "They're not Kings or Queens. They are public servants. They seem to forget that very easily." As for the actor, he and his family are just miles from the blaze and were scrambling Thursday when a false alarm evacuation call came through. Fortunately, they were able to stay in their home, where they remain amid uncertainty. Despite the chaos, Savante praised the first responders.

Cathy Tenedorio is living a mother's worst nightmare after her son, Matthew, was killed during the New Year's Day terror attack in New Orleans. "He just was a happy kid," Tenedorio told CBN News of her son, reflecting on his attributes as a child and adult. "He was very expressive. He was very particular [and] meticulous." She continued, "He was just a wonderful, wonderful person." Tenedorio and her family have been left grappling for answers after a terrorist drove a rented truck through a Bourbon Street crowd, killing 14, including her 25-year-old son.

Linda Fleck, Matthew's aunt and Tenedorio's sister, told CBN News the family still doesn't have clarity on how Matthew died, as they've reportedly received conflicting reports with no definitive clarity. "We know that the terrorist didn't hit him with the truck," Fleck said. "Because his two friends that were eyewitnesses there saw it. They were there with Matthew." Fleck, who was close with Matthew, said her sister and family deserve to know the truth. They brought a nurse with them to the morgue who said it appeared he was shot but that there might have been additional blunt force injuries. "We want answers," she said. "She, as a mother ... deserves answers. Any mother would want answers."

As for Tenedorio, she said she respects law enforcement and the process but is anxious to know what specifically happened to her son — something she believes will come out as video and other elements are reviewed. "The manner of his death is never going to change," she said. "It's a homicide. ... We just want to know what happened." Even amid the pain, uncertainty, and lack of clarity, Tenedorio, Fleck, and the family are clinging to their Christian faith, turning to prayer, peace, and forgiveness to navigate the turmoil. "My faith is strengthened," Tenedorio said. "My life is going to be forever changed. I'm going to be able to help more people than I already helped, because that's my whole goal in life is to help people. That's all I want to do."

The grieving mother has long been a source of comfort to others and is now receiving the same ministering and care from those who she has assisted in the past — something she deeply values. "It's so beautiful to touch each other's hearts," she said. "That's the most important thing — do what Jesus did. Serve." Ultimately, Tenedorio said her reaction is "always forgiveness," citing her Christian faith for giving her the strength to take that posture. "A man took my son's life, but I have to forgive him," she said. "He has to meet with God. He has to answer for that — not to me, to God. That's how I look at it." Watch her powerful response.