Christian News That Keeps the Church Informed, Inspired, and Connected.

Competing forces will contend for the place of authority in your life. You cannot serve two masters (Matt. 6:24). Romans 13 encourages you to subject yourself to the authorities of this world, but to do so mindful of Who has the ultimate authority. Our guiding passage as The Equipped community, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, reminds us it is the authority of scripture that holds highest priority in our life. It is that authority to which we ultimately and resolutely yield.

Is there something long unresolved you need to be free of? Your God is slow to anger (Ps. 103:8) and ready to forgive (Ps. 86:5). Don’t carry it any longer. 

What categories are you creating in that powerful God-fashioned brain of yours? What things are your Reticular Activating System learning to flag and highlight for you? In addition to Kia Souls, Costco plaids, and John Deere mowers, are you meditating on things that feed your soul or rob your joy?

Change is an inevitable part of life and creation. God knit together an incredible creation that can adapt and grow throughout its life. It is amazing to see it in action. We don’t have to be afraid of change, but we should have an idea about how to handle it well.

Two innocent young people serving their country were tragically gunned down. That is the reality of this story. There are many competing narratives aimed at pointing blame in one direction or another, but the most important point for The Equipped community is to acknowledge those who have been harmed and are grieving, and to look for ways to come to their aid.

We want to accomplish a solution for suffering when God’s plan all along has been to send His power through us into that suffering.

To be candid, at first blush this sounds like an awful trade! Who in their right mind would want to shift from aiming at solutions to aiming at association with the problem? On a human plane, this is a laughable proposition.

But when Jesus chose to associate with our sin and suffering, it proved to be the very mechanism by which our redemption was secured, and we are called to follow His example!

As for you as a Jesus follower, there will be every temptation to take a default position in favor of whichever political official you are more naturally inclined. Instead, proactively decide to walk out Proverbs 18:17. As always, remember to aim for flourishing and ask yourself how to personally achieve an impact toward that end.

The United States Supreme Court has clearly and unmistakably established parents’ right to freely exercise their religion, including the right to “direct the religious upbringing of their children.” Nonetheless, a Maine district court has issued a custody order prohibiting a mother from taking her daughter to church.  In December 2024, the court prohibited Emily Bickford, the parent with primary custody, from bringing her daughter, Ava, to Calvary Chapel in Westbrook, Maine.

Looking inwardly before blaming outwardly is vital. Are you holding a grudge over a past issue, or disagreement? Are you trying to make your spouse an “idealized” version that is impossible to attain? Are you making your spouse responsible for your own joy, satisfaction, and comfort? Above all other things, love each other well. The model for your love is Christ Himself and His self-sacrifice on the cross.

We as Jesus followers should strive for civility and endeavor to love our enemies as ourselves (Matt. 5:44). It is easy to interpret that command as an admonition to avoid disagreement, but in fact we are called to embrace the refining process of weighing various perspectives (Pr. 18:17, Pr. 27:17, Pr. 11:14). Taken together, those three passages encourage us to hear both sides, to onboard a variety of counsel, and then to submit to the refining input of others.

The recent spate of attacks on churches and schools in Nigeria continued on Friday when 303 schoolchildren and 12 teachers were abducted from a Catholic school. Fifty of the 303 managed to escape over the weekend but the remainder are still in captivity. The attacks are the latest in a long string of violence carried out on religious minorities—particularly Christians—in Nigeria. Two people were killed and 38 briefly kidnapped at a church on Tuesday in what has been a sustained targeting of churches.

It is a wonderful thing to be used by God! In fact, it is the only way to truly live! But if you dash out into that hostile mission field with your spiritual slippers on, your readiness is going to explode out from underneath you. Your mad dash will end with a crash to the ground!

Apparently, those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it, and those who understand history are doomed to watch others repeat it. Mistake after mistake, humans lumber on as they fall prey to forgetfulness that reflects the absence of direct contact with previous generations.

The issue of in-laws isn’t one limited specifically to the parents of your spouse, but the entire family. There is the possibility of grandparents, uncles, aunts, siblings, and more. At marriage, two people leave their families to unite into one family. But, in a way, two different families also unite to become one as well. And that makes all sorts of room for friction.

What if instead of critiquing from a distance, I led with curiosity? What if I assumed the best? What if I looked for what God was doing in them instead of immediately measuring it against myself?

Because when I lead with curiosity, I almost always find something worth celebrating. I discover a part of the body of Christ I needed but didn’t know I was missing. I see a different gift, a new perspective, or a unique approach that expands my own understanding.

The Philippines was struck by not one but two typhoons in recent days. Last week, Typhoon Kalmaegi killed more than 230 people in the country before also claiming at least five lives in Vietnam. On Monday, Typhoon Fung-wong killed at least 18 in the Philippines and now threatens Taiwan. Both storms contained intense wind, torrential rain, and widespread flooding. More than a million people are displaced, and many of them are facing a prolonged rebuild or permanent relocation.

Tragedy strikes in a moment. It is a reality of life on Earth and a clear reminder to set your eyes on that which is eternal. Just as certain as the fragility of earthly life is the certainty of eternal heavenly life. By setting your eyes and your focus on the latter, you will dramatically improve both your peace and your effectiveness in the former.

The question for you this week is this: Are you where you are supposed to be, and doing what you are supposed to be doing?

The task at hand might feel small. It might even feel somewhat pointless in light of eternity. The truth is your current task may have more eternal value than you can fathom. In addition, it may also be precisely where Jesus expects to find you when it is time to call you to the next mission.

It may feel like a married couple in love should never fight. That just isn’t reality. Disagreements are inevitable. The impact they have on your relationship is up to you both.

I invite you to consider today: Are you already living a miracle? Look around. Does your life already speak of the One who created you and sustains you? Does it already testify to miracle upon miracle and in fact point to an assurance of power capable of delivering on that one miracle for which you are holding out?

If you stop and do an honest assessment, I think you will find the honest answer is yes.

If the Court finds that a president has sweeping authority on tariffs, you should go and make disciples.

If the Court finds that Congress must specifically speak before tariffs are deployed, you should go and make disciples!

The U.S. government is poised to re-open after the longest shutdown in U.S. history. An end to the prolonged closure is in sight after eight U.S. Senators who caucus with Democrats (seven Democrats and one independent) voted with all but one Senate Republican to approve a bill that extends all government funding through January 30, 2026 and funds a handful of agencies (veterans’ affairs, military construction, legislative branch, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture) through the end of the fiscal year on September 30, 2026.

What if, instead of rushing to fix what’s right in front of you, you slowed down long enough to ask what’s underneath — and even more, who you’re becoming and who you’re helping others become in the process?

We at Gideon Law recently received questions from several clients here in Tennessee regarding their obligations to admit service animals to their churches. Their concerns involved how to ensure their church is a welcoming place for visitors who use service animals, while also following the law and protecting all people and property involved.

We were glad to provide this guidance to our clients. If you or your church have a similar question, please contact us today. We’d love to begin working on your behalf – for the good of your church and the Church. 

The political, social, and cultural battles ahead are likely to become increasingly challenging. Christian churches, schools, and academic institutions that refuse to face this gathering storm will reap a political, social, and legal whirlwind. If Christian institutions wish to remain Christian, being nice is not enough.

There will be those who are hungry in your midst this week. Feed them! It is so straight-forward it almost sounds flippant, but our instruction in this environment really is that simple, and we are reminded of it repeatedly in scripture (you can start with Pr. 25:21-22, Matt. 25:35-40, Is. 58:10, and Jam. 2:15-17).

The systematic and mass slaughter of human beings made in the image of God specifically for their faith in Jesus is an atrocity that demands the world’s attention.

As you continue to heed the instruction to reject anxiety about speaking before kings, consider your time in your prayer closet. Consider both the quantity and the quality of your time with the King. If necessary, make the adjustments needed such that, when called into the great assembly, you will be able to say,

“I’ve been here before.”

What I Learned This Week: What If No One’s Actually Thinking About You? What if we worked from the approval of God rather than for it—and for the benefit of others rather than their applause?