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What do you consider your “Sunday Best?” Maybe you’re a fan of a nice suit, a freshly ironed dress shirt, and your grandfather’s watch. Or maybe your Sunday best is a flannel shirt paired with one of your nicer pairs of jeans. In today’s message, Pastor Chris teaches that your outward appearance does not reflect your status with God… your heart does. It doesn’t matter what your past looks like, what your wardrobe looks like, or where you’ve been. If you allow God to use you, you’ll do incredible things.

Why is there so much hatred in the world? Why is anti-Semitism so virulent? Learn today about the coming Final Battle as Rabbi Schneider shares from the Scriptures about preparing for Jesus' return and how God is deeply connected to Israel. You'll also learn the signs and to recognize false teaching. Don't make the mistake of thinking everything supernatural is from God. Deception on the earth is increasing. We must be aware of demons masquerading as light to seduce us away from God's voice. Stand with Israel because God does love Israel.

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Today, Pastor Jack teaches that our giants may not look like Goliath. The giant may be fear, or insecurity, it may be past failures, or sickness under overwhelming odds. But, God will not fail us. He gives us the victory, even when we see our problems as too big, and our faith as too small.

Navigating the teen years can sometimes mean facing invisible walls — barriers of isolation, anger or uncertainty about how to let others in. Today, Mark sits down with two young men from Heartlight who share honest accounts of what shut them off from their families and peers. For Harry, the struggle was with isolation and the challenge of making real-world connections after a hard move and ongoing depression. For Jacob, mounting anger and hurt from family wounds led him down a path of rebellion and risky choices. What ties their stories together isn't just what pushed them away — it's how they're learning to let genuine connection in. 

Interested in learning more about the Heartlight residential program? Go to heartlightministries.org today!

Parenting Today's Teens is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be, visit parentingtodayteens.org. 

Questions in this episode:

Text LIVE to 90398 to be notified when Pastor Mike broadcasts live on the radio answering your call in questions.

Text ASK to 90398 to submit a Bible question to Pastor Mike.

New tax laws are on the horizon—and they could significantly influence the way you give. The recently passed One Big, Beautiful Bill Act (often shortened to the OBBBA) introduces several changes that affect charitable givers today and in the years to come. 

To help unpack these shifts, we sat down with Bruce McKee, attorney and Senior Vice President of Complex Gifts at the National Christian Foundation (NCF).

Despite its cheerful name, the OBBBA carries serious implications for donors. Bruce explains that the bill makes permanent many provisions that were originally scheduled to expire at the end of 2025 under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Key extensions include:

• Higher standard deductions
• Higher estate tax exclusions
• New deduction floors for charitable gifts
• A new limit on itemized deductions
• Extended business deductions
• Updated rules for university endowment taxes

These changes will affect different givers differently, but nearly everyone will feel the impact of the new standard deduction.

This update alone affects roughly 90% of taxpayers.

The OBBBA permanently extends the increased standard deduction and even boosts it for the 2025 tax year:

• Individuals: $15,750
• Married couples filing jointly: $31,500

Because the standard deduction is now higher, fewer people will itemize. And when giving is lumped under the standard deduction, charitable gifts are no longer deductible.

But there’s a powerful workaround.

If you want to maximize your tax benefits while maintaining your giving rhythms, “bunching” can help. Bunching means:

1. Grouping several years’ worth of charitable gifts into a single tax year
2. Itemizing in that year, instead of taking the standard deduction
3. Using a donor-advised fund (DAF)—such as an NCF Giving Fund—to distribute gifts gradually over future years

A giving fund works like a charitable checking account—a powerful tool for strategic, tax-efficient generosity. Bunching is especially impactful when paired with gifts of appreciated assets.

Beginning in 2026, charitable deductions will include a “floor”—a small portion of giving that won’t be deductible at all.

For Individuals

Only the amount of charitable giving above 0.5% of your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) will be deductible. Here’s an example:

AGI = $200,000
0.5% floor = $1,000

Whether you give $20,000 or $40,000, the first $1,000 is not deductible.

For Corporations

A similar rule applies, but the floor is 1% of taxable income.

Why This Matters

This floor means that givers with large AGIs—especially in high-income years—should consider giving earlier, before 2026 arrives. Strategic timing will matter more than ever.

Even high-capacity donors who itemize may benefit from bunching in alternating years.

The OBBBA also introduces a “haircut” affecting all itemized deductions—not just charitable ones.

Because the highest tax bracket (37%) is now permanent, itemized deductions typically reduce income taxed at that rate. But beginning in 2026:

• Deductions in the highest bracket will be valued at 35 cents per dollar, not 37.

It’s a relatively small shift, but it slightly increases tax liability and a

Leading parenting expert and pediatrician Dr. Meg Meeker shares about the masculinity crisis in today’s culture and encourages you as a parent to take an active role in guiding and shaping your son’s character. She says the foundation of any boy’s life is built on three things: his relationship with God, his parents, and his siblings and friends. Dr. Meeker takes a positive view of masculinity as she offers seven secrets to raising healthy sons.

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