TRENDING

In recent years, American Christians have (sadly) seen many prominent church leaders and Christian celebrities struggle with sin, have public downfalls, and denounce their religion--including Kanye West over the past few weeks. This practice of putting Christian leaders on pedestals clearly isn't healthy or helpful, but we're all drawn to charismatic leaders we can follow and aspire toward.

Is it possible for us to follow public figures and even admire their faith without it coming back to hurt us--and them? Who are we actually disciples of, and how can we make sure OUR church stays healthy in this culture so drawn to celebrity?

Pastor Joe has some wise insight for us to consider in this week's episode of Trending.

This week on Trending, Matt and Pastor Joe look at Justin Timberlake and other prominent figures who seem to be wrestling with getting older. They explore our culture's glorification of youth and offer biblical wisdom for embracing each stage of life with purpose, rather than forcing misaligned identities.

This week Super Tuesday and the State of the Union address are on a lot of people's minds as this political season is ramping up. Divisive politics, war, a difficult economy--most of what we see or read in the news isn't necessarily encouraging or good news.

How can Christians remain informed about the world around us without becoming overwhelmed? If we're sad or anxious about the state of current events, how can we acknowledge those things while also thinking about "whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable" as Paul instructs us in Philippians? Can we find an anchor to keep us centered in the sea of division and bad news?

Yes, yes we can. :) Pastor Joe shares some wise advice for us all in this week's episode of Trending.

Happy Leap Day! Today is a rare and unique day on our calendars for more than one reason, since today also marks national Rare Disease Day. Living with rare health conditions can be a difficult and heavy path for individuals and families, and it's important for us to recognize and support them through the unique struggles they face.

Today on Trending, Pastor Joe looks at a familiar passage in Mark 5 where Jesus heals *two* women who both faced rare health issues on the same day. Jesus sought these two very different women in unique ways, and His interactions are good reminders for us--especially on this rare and special day.

If you or your family are living with rare diseases or illnesses, we see you today, we remember you in our prayers, and we trust God has good plans in store for you. 🙏

This morning thousands of people across the country woke up to no cell reception because of a widespread outage. No text messages, no calls, no internet. People are understandably upset, but this does raise some interesting questions...

Are we TOO reliant on our phones and technology? Is it too late to reverse that trend? Could you live without your phone? And is this an issue worth getting angry about?

Matt and Joe do their best to share some insight on this interesting story!

This week Disney made a sizable investment in Epic Games, the company behind hit video games like Fortnite. The Disney CEO recognized how popular the platform is and realized his company needed to be there to reach new audiences.

Similarly, Ridgepoint recently built our own Game Center so we could host esports tournaments in our community. Video games are huge in our culture today, so should the Church have a presence in the gaming world? What does it look like to honor God through gaming, and what potentials may be on the other side for Disney, and for the Church?

Pastor Joe and Matt discuss this and our Super Bowl predictions in this week's episode of Trending.

Earlier this week a tweet went viral from someone you might not expect in 2024... Good ol' Elmo from Sesame Street. A seemingly simple question clearly hit a nerve, and thousands of people around the world started pouring out their heart and soul publicly online... to a puppet?

What does that say about our culture today? Why are we so touched by simple characters from our childhoods? And if our friends around us are carrying heavy burdens, how can we help them direct those toward Jesus?

Pastor Joe and Matt unpack this strange but heartwarming headline on today's Trending.

Two of the biggest trending stories in the news today happen to pair nicely with our current teaching series!

This week the LA Chargers hired a new coach and The Daily Show announced a (kind of) new host. Their choices of Jim Harbaugh and Jon Stewart seem to highlight a strategy of mentoring young leaders around them, which is a strategy we're also passionately pursuing.

Pastor Joe and Matt pull out some other similarities and lessons to consider in this week's episode of Trending.

This past Sunday was the Golden Globes, and actor Bradley Cooper seemed visibly disappointed to lose several awards this year.

We all face disappointment, and sometimes it's probably appropriate for us to grieve difficult life situations. How should we handle disappointment as Christians, and what can we learn from the Apostle Paul's frustrations he wrote about in his letters?

Pastor Joe and Matt discuss this and more in this week's episode of Trending. (Keep your head up, Bradley!)

The latest craze to take over crazy shoppers is a limited edition Stanley water bottle. Customers camped overnight and fought in lines to snag a special pink cup sold exclusively in Target stores.

The pink cup may be new, but this behavior is not. Why do we yearn and become envious of things so easily, what about that desire makes us act out in such ways? Pastor Joe has some Scriptures for us to consider and advice to remember next time we experience similar emotions.