In this episode, we continue our chapter-by-chapter study of the book of Acts.

Big Idea: The early church carried the gospel throughout the known world in approximately 30 years and transformed an empire in 3 centuries. Now the church seems intimidated, uncertain amidst swift cultural changes. So, what did the early Christians, commanded by Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, do that we are not doing? Here are their acts, and may they inspire our own.

Outline for Chapter 3:

1. The Temple

Key Takeaways:

• The fascinating story of the tabernacle, the first temple, and the second temple (including Herod the Great’s 46-year rebuilding of the 2nd temple) and what that meant for the Jewish religious leaders and the early church.

Christian citizenship is similar to dieting and exercise or budgeting in the sense that it requires ongoing attention and review. That is why we can all use a reminder from time to time about key Biblical principles as we face new challenges or just a new day. Here are 5 key Biblical principles about government we should all remember and apply in public life:

1. Government is God’s Idea.

If you would like to read more about these principles, I address them at length in my book The Good Citizen, which is available in print and audio formats.

The foster care crisis remains a leading (if not the leading) crisis facing state governments and communities around the country. For this reason and because of the clear Scriptural commands to care for vulnerable children (Isaiah 1:17; James 1:27), foster care is a critical opportunity for churches and individual Christians to make a key difference in their zip codes. In this episode, we introduce Every Child, a new, innovative effort to mobilize communities to impact foster care. This effort, which launched in Oregon and Arkansas, is now coming to Indiana. Here are the nuts and bolts of this new effort and how church leaders and other committed Christians will be able to use it (once launched) to impact the foster care crisis.

Takkeem Morgan is a social entrepreneur dedicated to creating a better world for parents and families. As the founder of Mosaic ParentHub, he is committed to putting parents first and creating innovative solutions that restore dignity, promote healing, and help families thrive. As a Foster America Fellow, he is working with organized a broad coalition of public and private stakeholders to work together on a data-driven, scalable program that he created to improve the way child welfare agencies recruits, retains and supports foster parents. For his full story and bio, visit Takkeem’s website.

Key Takeaways:

• Takkeem’s remarkable story and experience in the foster care system.

In this episode, we continue our chapter-by-chapter study of the book of Acts.

Big Idea: The early church carried the gospel throughout the known world in approximately 30 years and transformed an empire in 3 centuries. Now the church seems intimidated, uncertain amidst swift cultural changes. So, what did the early Christians, commanded by Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, do that we are not doing? Here are their acts, and may they inspire our own.

Outline for Chapter 2:

1. The Church’s Birthday

Key Takeaways:

• What is Pentecost? The connection between this event, the Jewish feasts, and how God’s plan for redemption continues from the Old Testament into the New.

In this episode, I hope to accomplish two things. First, I want to address services or Sundays that fall on or near patriotic holidays, such as Memorial Day or the 4th of July. Should churches employ patriotic imagery or sing patriotic songs? Should churches remain silent about such celebrations? How should churches point people to Christ while also exploring Biblical principles concerning citizenship? Here are my thoughts on that ongoing discussion among church leaders. Second, I wanted to share with you a sermon on the Biblical commands to remember. I found these passages moving and wanted to pass them along.

Key takeaways:

• Here’s the link to the article I mention on A Faithful 4th: Patriotism, Nationalism and Christian Citizenship.

Outline

Here are four specific examples or commands in Scripture to remember:

1. Remember His Presence

The fact that we are created in the image of God is or at least should be the foundation for the church’s public witness. But what does the Imago Dei mean, and how should we apply that remarkable principle to Christian citizenship in the United States? Here’s how.

In his book, Dignity Revolution, Daniel Darling shows us how wonderful, liberating and empowering it is to be made in God’s image and how this changes how we see ourselves and all other humans, and how we treat them and advocate for them. Some will feel the call to run for office… others will roll up their sleeves and join the good work of non-profit ministry… and others might simply find little ways to incorporate this vision of human dignity into their everyday lives, and change their community one word, one action, one person at a time. Each one of us can be, and are called to be, part of this new movement – a human dignity revolution that our societies need, and that we are uniquely placed as Christians to join. This compelling book shows you how to join the dignity revolution [note that this section is taken from the book description].

Daniel Darling is an author, pastor and Christian leader. He currently serves as the the Director of The Land Center for Cultural Engagement at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Assistant Professor of Faith and Culture at Texas Baptist College.

Key Takeaways:

• A Biblical definition of human dignity.

Link to the book: Dignity Revolution.

Link to the book: The Original Jesus: Trading the Myths We Create for the Savior Who Is

Link to the Land Center for Cultural Engagement

Why does a good God allows bad things to happen to good people? Why is there so much suffering and evil in the world? This problem of pain, suffering, and evil is an historic and persistent challenge to the church’s witness (including its public witness), and it is often felt as much as it asked. Stated differently, this is a deeply emotional and personal objection to faith much more than it is a rational or intellectual one. For these reasons, I am grateful for Dr. Mark Eckel and this thoughtful and deeply personal response to this difficult question.

Dr. Mark Eckel is President of The Comenius Institute and a professor at a public university, hosts a weekly radio program with diverse groups of guests, and interprets culture from a Christian perspective.

Key Takeaways:

• The answer to the problem of pain, suffering, and evil from the book of Job.

The early church carried the gospel throughout the known world in approximately 30 years and transformed an empire in 3 centuries. Now the church seems intimidated, uncertain amidst swift cultural changes. So, what did the early Christians, commanded by Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, do that we are not doing? Here are their acts, and may they inspire our own.

Outline from a study of Chapter 1:

1. Luke, Part 2

Key Takeaways:

• The early church constantly faced skepticism and persecution, yet responded with boldness and joy. As our culture grows more skeptical and hostile to Christian beliefs, what can we learn from them?

The education of the young has always been a battleground of ideas. And that certainly continues today. Beyond the general teaching of math, language, and science, there is a struggle over America’s past and future and how we should perceive truth and even ourselves. This topic is controversial exactly because it is important—because it affects our children and our future. In this episode, I want to take a closer look at recent cultural developments, the relevant constitutional rights at school, and a plan for engaging these issues moving forward.

#1 Cultural Developments

• Two views of freedom

#2 Constitutional Rights

Students Clubs

• Religious clubs must be treated the same as other clubs.

Community Groups

• Not a recognized club.

Students

• May express their beliefs in an assignment.

Teachers

• May form after-school Bible study groups.

Key legal standards/ cases:

Equal Access Act – 20 U.S.C. § 4071 et seq.

Good News Club v. Milford Central School

Kluge v. Brownsburg Community School Corporation

Ricard v. USD 475 Geary County Schools School Board

Kennedy v. Bremerton School District

Disclaimer: This presentation is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is given with the understanding that the presenter is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional service. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought.

The culture war in the United States has, to a large degree, been a contest between the religious right and a more secular left. No movement is a monolith, and this does not tell the whole story of the struggle for the soul of America. But the religious right/secular left divide has generally and accurately characterized American public life for some time. That is changing now with the rise (or, perhaps, resurgence; see comments below) of the religious left. Here is an analysis of this development and what it means for Christian citizenship moving forward.

1. The religious left is not new.

Key takeaways:

• General definitions of the religious right and the religious left.