Today, we dive into an ongoing conversation about “white evangelicalism.” For those of us who are white, we don’t often realize how much our culture shapes our faith expression. And as a result, non-white evangelicals have not felt at home within our predominantly white evangelicalism. How do we positively respond to what is being called the “reverse exodus”? Here are a few articles to read on this topic:

* John Piper: 116 Been Real

* Open Letter to John Piper on White Evangelicalism and Multiethnic Relations

* The Urgency to Reform White Evangelicalism

We then look at some other news headlines of the week. Yesterday’s shooting in California is an all-too familiar story line. A man who was known to be unstable and angry lashed out violently taking lives.

There are a million things that can steal our joy on a daily basis. Candace Payne is most well known for the hilarious, viral video as the “Chewbacca mom.” But today she gives us more insight into her own life and what it looks like to have a deep well of joy and to cultivate a kind of strong, defiant joy in each of our lives.

Her book is: Laugh It Up!: Embrace Freedom and Experience Defiant Joy

We survey the headlines and walk through some very big news of the week:

* Security Breach and Spilled Secrets Have Shaken the N.S.A. to Its Core

* Surveillance Cameras Made by China Are Hanging All Over the U.S.

The world is getting the first look into sanctuary turned memorial at FBC Sutherland Springs. This is a redemption story spread across the biggest news networks of our day. Be prepared to interpret this story to a watching world.

Get more insight on the news of this week with our weekly round-up and commentary: Must Read Monday

Our guest today is Tim Keller is founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, which he started in 1989 with his wife, Kathy. Dr. Keller tells us how Proverbs takes the great, big principles of God’s moral law and works them into every “nook and cranny” of your life. This ancient book of wisdom still applies for us today and is a wise guide for faithful living today. A life informed by Proverbs will set you apart and make your life attractive to others and glorifying to God. Isn’t this the call of Christian, to live in a way that causes people to ask, “What makes your different?”

GOD’S WISDOM FOR NAVIGATING LIFE: A Year of Daily Devotions in the Book of Proverbs

Excerpt: Solving the Puzzle of the Proverbs

 

The Bible has a new platform! And it’s right on the National Mall in Washington, DC. Read more about the opening of the Museum of the Bible.

Every day is full of judgement calls. For the voters of Alabama the judgement call is about who is telling the truth and then whom to trust as their next Senator. Is this a smear campaign as he alleges or are the women telling the truth? How do we make that kind of judgement call and how much does it matter in terms of who serves in the U.S. Senate? 

Our guest Tricia Goyer is author of over 70 books, including her popular works of Amish fiction, contemporary fiction, and non-fiction titles. Recently God has laid on her heart what it really means to live out God’s Word. She is passionate about sharing 

Walk It Out: The Radical Result of Living God’s Word One Step at a Time

The psychology of social media: Let’s talk for a moment about why you click what you click and how Facebook is making money by making you less actually human (socially speaking) – doing it knowingly and on purpose. One of the original creators of Facebook, Sean Parker, spoke out on some the unintended, and intended, consequences of the social network. To know that social media is exploitative, does it matter to you or change how you view it?

Listen to our interview with Tony Reinke on how our phones are changing us.

Our guest today is Staci Thomas, Family Program Director for Chosen, an organization which supports and trains adoptive and foster care families to provide safe and permanent homes for children who need them. There are many things we each can do to help families flourish through adoption and foster care. Even if you are not called to foster or adopt, you can become a respite care provider to give help relieve parents when needed. Listen to find out  more ways to get involved. (Update to this interview: After our conversation the House restored the Adoption Tax Credit into the tax reform bill).

Today, we have a special conversation with Evan Owens, Executive Director of REBOOT Combat Recovery, combat trauma healing course designed to make a lasting difference in the lives of service members and their families, based out of Ft. Campbell, Kentucky, home of the 101st Airborne Division. Through REBOOT Combat Recovery, combat veterans and their families are experiencing breakthrough in their war against PTSD.

We know not every person serving in the military sustains physical wounds. But many wounds are not physical- they are soul wounds. Evan helps us understand wow does combat wound the soul and what exactly is PTSD. He also brings insight into how Christians and the Church are uniquely situated to help bring healing to struggling veterans.

In much the same way that we create the culture everyday by how we live, “We the people of the United States” have the government we create. A year ago, we the people elected Donald Trump to serve as President. Yesterday, voters turned out to re-make things in their image of what the country should look like. 

What can we say about the results? We can certainly say that we live in interesting times, in a nation of diverse individuals, who hold and express a wide variety of worldviews.

Much is made about identity politics and yet for the Christian, the only identity that ultimately matters is the question of whether or not we are in Christ. This it overarching reality to which we must hold fast even as other seek to press, push and draw us into vitriolic debates.

Around one-third of Democrats oppose abortion and support restrictions. However, the party leadership has made it very clear they are supportive of abortion. Today, we talk with Kristen Day, the Executive Director of Democrats For Life of America. Kristen is working to advocate within the party for pro-life policies. She provides insight into the status of pro-life policies inside the party and current issues at stake right now, including the abortion tax credit. (Update to this interview: After our conversation the House restored the Adoption Tax Credit into the tax reform bill).

New information emerges on the 26-year old man who killed 26 people at a small Texas church. And in the aftermath of what one pastor called an “extermination-level” event, how do the people of God respond in the face of these kinds of tragedies? We discuss a few important responses posted recently around the web:

* Article: Why church shootings don’t intimidate the church

* Article: A Small Rural Church Is Hard to Kill

* Resource: How to talk to your kids about the First Baptist Sutherland Springs shooting

In our culture, we are not accustomed to entering into the grief of others. How do we come alongside the grief and sorrow of others? Our guest is Ashleigh Slater, author of  Braving Sorrow Together: The Transformative Power of Faith and Community When Life is Hard. Ashleigh helps us process through how we can pray, listen, acknowledge and comfort those grieving- and how to know when to speak and when to hold back that bit of unsolicited advice. It is very important that we don’t try to rush people through their pain.

 

On Sunday, a man opened fire in a small Baptist church in Sutherland Springs, TX, and killed 26 people and injured 20 more. At least eight of those killed were part of one family. How do we process that? I want to encourage Christians today to lean into these hardest of conversations in ways to bear witness to the goodness and the greatness to God over the evil around us.

Our guest today is Jim Richards. He has served as Executive Director of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention since 1998 and as a local church pastor for 21 years. Jim is on the ground right now and gives us an update on how the SBC is serving the impacted church and community. He also shares how we all can serve and pray for the hurting members of our family in Texas. Together, we hold fast to the one true hope: Jesus Christ.

Related articles and resources:

Must Read Monday

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act eliminates the adoption tax credit. Adoption is not a special interest group, it is a national concern. And for Christians, adoption is a pro-life issue and at the very heart of the gospel. November is National Adoption Month and this is a great opportunity for Christians to be counted on this issue by contacting their representatives and advocating for the preservation of this life changing tax credit.

Internet troll farms in Russia were responsible for 3000 targeted ads designed to sow discord across our country. Facebook has extensive knowledge about and influence on us. What happens when this platform is used for division? It is a good time for us to carefully consider what we click on, share and like – and how we are representing Christ alone through our social media influence.

What’s really happening in the Middle East and why is it critical Christians understand and support Israel? We delve in to the current environment and look ahead as to the significance of Israel in biblical prophecy for end times. Our guest today is Jonathan Bernis, President and CEO of Jewish Voice Ministries International. His book is: Unlocking the Prophetic Mysteries of Israel: 7 Keys to Understanding Israel’s Role in the End-Times

Related articles and resources:

100 Years After the Balfour Declaration, a Commemoration Rekindles Mideast Quarrels

Even as NYC terror city suspect tries to display ISIS flag in his hospital room (as a protected act of free speech), other American Muslims are talking about how the common Arabic phrase for “God is Great” shouted by the terrorist has become understood by many as synonymous with Jihad. Muslim Americans are speaking out that it simply does not square with how they understand the phrase. This is a wider conversation about language and who gets to define what words, particularly when it comes to faith and religion in the public sphere.

Our guest today shares about the unprecedented levels of religious persecution around the world. Kristin Wright of Open Doors USA shares about why they are launching a new campaign to raise awareness and prayer with Christians around the world.  The campaign is called, “One Million Voices of Hope For The Middle East.”

Get involved: Open Doors petition on Hope for the Middle East

Related articles and resources:

Special report, free ebooklet on persecution 

Conversation with Nik Ripken on what we can learn from persecuted Christians