TRENDING

This week Matt and Pastor Joe are joined by special guests Paul & Sara Raugust from France! Paul and Sara share a brief update on their work in Montbéliard, and we also toss a topic to Joe for a quick devotional thought. We're so grateful for the opportunity for our team to partner with the Raugusts, so thanks to all of you back home supporting us!

Last week Pope Francis invited 100 of the world's most popular comedians to visit the Vatican. The unique meeting was certainly a first, but Francis wanted to commend and highlight their ability to spread peace, smiles, and laughter in the midst of our divisive and gloomy culture.

"Joy" is one of Ridgepoint's five key values. Of all the things WE could elevate, why is joy a priority? The Bible commands us to be joyful always, but how can we do that in a world that is so messy and painful? What can we learn from this bizarre meeting of the humorous and the holy?

Pastor Joe and Matt try to pull out some takeaways in this week's episode of Trending.

Two celebrities are in the news today due to struggles in their marriages. Rory McIlroy and his wife decided to scrap plans for divorce to stay together, while Billy Ray Cyrus and his wife are splitting up after seven months of marriage.

What are defining characteristics of couples whose marriages last, and what are warning signs we need to be aware of? How can we model the practices of Jesus in our marriage, and how can we train ourselves to "round up" when we face struggles with our spouse?

Pastor Joe has helpful insight to share in this week's episode of Trending. (Sorry for the shaky video feed today. Feel free to just listen if the choppy video gets too bad!)

This week marks the end of Pat Sajak's historic run as the host of "Wheel of Fortune." At the same time, the hosts of TNT's "Inside the NBA" are waiting in limbo to learn the future of their show as NBA contracts are about to expire.

Facing the end of something special is very difficult. It can be easy to become bitter, blame others, or fall into depression and self-pity. What are some *healthy* ways to face the end of something, and what are some (good AND bad) examples from the Bible?

Pastor Joe has helpful insight to share on this week's episode of Trending!

This week we saw a few high-profile commencement addresses cause controversy on college campuses. As the clips continue to make the rounds on social media, what can we learn from this? What are some healthy, alternative ways we can honor graduates, and is it a good idea to bring in outsiders for these speeches?

Plus, the Apostle Paul is one of the most famous communicators to ever live, so how did Paul communicate in his letters? His style seemed to evolve over time depending on his audience and life experience, so this might be a helpful model for us to follow.

Pastor Joe has wise thoughts about speaking and listening for us to consider in this week's episode of Trending.

This week brought the highly-anticipated debut of basketball phenom Caitlin Clark in the WNBA. On today's episode of Trending, Matt and Pastor Joe draw some spiritual lessons and takeaways based on Caitlin's success so far, like the importance of mentoring the next generation, how to handle fame with humility and grace, and what Caitlin appears to have in common with Barnabas in the New Testament.

Two unique cultural events this week shared a common theme: public conflict. Many music fans are following the back-and-forth fued between rappers Drake and Kendrick Lamar, and Tom Brady was the focus of a recent Netflix "roast."

Why are humans so quick to tear others down? How can we model healthy conflict resolution in a culture that seems to elevate anger and division? Pastor Joe shares words from Jesus and an interesting parrallel to the Old Testament judge Samson for us to consider in this week's episode of Trending.

This week the Catholic church released a new 3D AI "priest" who could answer basic theological questions for people researching Catholic beliefs. After some backlash, they made some changes to "Father Justin," but you can still talk with him today on their website.

What should we take from this? Is this taking AI too far? Is it ok to use AI as a "theological search engine"? But then where do we draw the line?

This technology is evolving so rapidly, so it's wise for us to have these conversations. Pastor Joe and Matt chime in with their thoughts on this week's episode of Trending!

This week two prominent UFC fighters exchanged some interesting Bible verses to each other through a X/Twitter thread. If we're honest, we have probably all been guilty of quoting a single verse out of context to help make a point we agree with.

This can be dangerous and potentially hurtful, so how can we avoid this practice as mature believers? How can we hang on to a holistic view of the Bible while also memorizing comforting and important individual verses? Are we inadvertently teaching this practice to our kids?

Pastor Joe has helpful thoughts to consider in this week's episode of Trending!

Tax day is just around the corner, and recent surveys shows that Gen Z feels very ill-equipped to handle the confusing and stressful task of doing their own taxes.

Whatever brings stress to your life, we all know what it's like to face anxiety. The Bible has a lot to say about worry and stress and weariness, but how can we *really* find rest and comfort in today's busy world? What does an "easy burden and light yolk" look like in 2024?

Pastor Joe has some helpful insight to consider in this week's Trending--whether you're done with your taxes or not!