Ardent gospel minister, singer, and songwriter Joshua Adedeji has returned with a deeply intimate and spirit-stirring worship single titled “Orun Si (Open Heavens)”, featuring none other than renowned worship leader Dunsin Oyekan.
This powerful collaboration between a spiritual father and son transcends mere music, carrying the weight of impartation, revival, and divine alignment. The single is now available on all major digital platforms.
Joshua Adedeji shared heartfelt gratitude to his mentor Dunsin Oyekan in a moving Instagram post, describing the collaboration as more than a musical feature:
“This sound is so dear to me. It carries a moment. A marking. A memory. For the very first time in my journey, I had the rare honour of featuring my boss and mentor @dunsinoyekan on a sound that will be dropping soon: Òrun Sì (Open Heavens). But this wasn’t just a feature. It was an encounter. A divine convergence. A moment of impartation, alignment, and awakening. Something broke in me. Something rose in me. Something eternal was deposited.”
Over the years, Joshua Adedeji has faithfully served under the ministry of Dunsin Oyekan, learning, growing, and carrying the mantle of revival. This release marks not just a milestone in his musical journey but also a spiritual turning point that reflects his obedience and dedication to the call of God.
Sensational gospel artist and worship leader; Nosa has released his brand-new single titled “Who Is Like the Lord”, a dynamic collaboration featuring Afro-gospel powerhouse Greatman Takit and acclaimed trumpeter Uwana Etuk.
The song is a bold declaration of faith, combining the sound of worship and spiritual warfare in one powerful expression of praise.
What you feed your mind forms your faith. Christians can anchor in God’s truth while navigating technology. Guarding our hearts has never mattered more.
In the hit song “O Be Careful, Little Eyes,” by Cedarmont Kids, we read these words: “O be careful little eyes what you see. O be careful, little eyes, what you see. For the Father up above is looking down in love, so be careful little eyes what you see.” Similarly, Matthew 6:22-23 and Luke 11 tell us that the eye is the body’s lamp and that whatever we “see” will influence our lives for the worse or the better.
This tendency to watch what we “see” has recently gone viral. OpenAI has rolled out new parental controls for ChatGPT, allowing families to filter content and set usage limits for children. With good intentions, this move responds to growing concerns about young people’s exposure to inappropriate or misleading content in AI tools. Talk about learning to watch what our eyes take in! While safeguards are helpful, experts note that no filter replaces the need for parental involvement, wisdom, and discipleship in navigating technology. Filters can serve as protective measures; however, children still need direct guidance—lives modeled by example. But it’s not just children at risk- AI will be further regulated in the future, so it doesn’t give bad mental health counsel.
Growing concerns are arising not just with young people’s exposure to harmful content online, but with all of us. I don’t have to tell you that AI is virtually becoming the next Google, and everyone is using it. The role of AI is quickly shaping and transforming thoughts, but as Matthew 6 references, are these thoughts and information for the worse or the better? Again, these pressing trends are increasing the need for regulation to protect our mental states. While filters and safeguards are tools, they cannot substitute Godly wisdom, discernment, and face-to-face discipleship.
Today, this raises a bigger question for Christians: As AI grows more powerful in shaping thought and imagination, how can we guard our hearts with filters, truth, presence, and a vision rooted in Christ? How do we guard our minds in a digital age where screens and algorithms influence much of our thinking?
The Power and Peril of the Digital Age
Sadly, while technology is invaluable, it’s rapidly shaping imagination and mental health. According to Harvard Medical School, while information is more readily accessible and available at our fingertips, “It’s not how long we’re using screens that really matters; it’s how we’re using them and what’s happening in our brains in response.” Yes, most of us have a problem spending too much time scrolling on Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram, but the deeper issue stems from what information we’re receiving. At the top of these concerns is misinformation, comparison culture, and doomscrolling.
Not only that, but recent studies show AI and algorithms are acting as friends, counselors, and parents—“discipleship machines”—forming us, often without us realizing it. The Conversation notes that “AI systems are already too much like humans. ” While good social skills can be learned, robots are not replacements for human interactions.
Romans 12:2 speaks to this concept with these words: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (NIV). This verse doesn’t speak against using modern-day technology or advanced technology, but it warns us: Guarding our minds is not optional; it’s essential to Christian discipleship. And human flourishing must be based on and formed through and with something more profound than a screen.
What Filters Can and Can’t Do
In terms of AI regulation, filters are valuable tools for monitoring content or reducing the amount of time kids spend using them. Parental controls, content settings, and screen time limits are helpful. But they cannot replace presence, wisdom, and truth.
From the beginning, Genesis reminds us that we were not created to do life alone. Regarding technology, we must remember that while it’s a helpful tool, it’s not and should never replace human interaction; even the most introverted of us need human companionship. In a study conducted hundreds of years ago, two samples of babies illustrated this point. One group was given human touch and affection in addition to their basic needs, and the other was not. The study was quickly halted when the babies of the no-affection group were dying. While this example is horrifying and disturbing, it raises a valid point: parents, mentors, and the church community should walk alongside kids (and anyone) as they navigate life. Technology is not a replacement.
Second, AI is not a valid source of truth. It can help us find research (but always fact-check), but we must not allow it to think exclusively for us. If we lose the power of critical thinking, this will prevent us from anchoring ourselves in God’s Word, not just human hearts. Proverbs 4:23 warns against this well: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (NIV).
Biblical Ways to Guard Your Mind
We know the facts, but what can we as Christians do about this problem practically?
First and foremost, we must learn to anchor ourselves in Scripture daily. Psalm 1:2-3 says, “but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers” (NIV). This is a beautiful reminder, reflection, and parallel of Colossians 3:16—to let the Word of Christ dwell richly in us and formulate how we live our lives.
Second, we must learn to think for ourselves by practicing discernment. Hebrews 5:14 tells us that mature faith discerns good from evil. ChatGPT and AI can be helpful, but we must remember they are tools, not the Gospel truth. This is why 2 Corinthians 10:5 tells us to take our thoughts captive. No matter where we get our information, we must bring every emotion, fact, and thought to the Lord and His authority.
Third, one of the best ways I’ve found to use AI without overuse effectively is by limiting input wisely. I’m not saying you can’t use OpenAI at all, but put time limits and restrictions into effect. At the end of the day, we need to focus on what is true, noble, and pure, as Philippians 4:8 references. This could include embracing rest and silence into your practical rhythms (Mark 1:35, just like Jesus) and choosing in-person community over isolation or online companions (Hebrews 10:24-25).
Beyond Filters to Formation
Friends, Christian formation is more potent than any algorithm could ever provide. Beyond filters, we must seek and strive for soul-deep formation. Together, parents, leaders, and believers must go beyond tech solutions to holistic discipleship. If this is something you, your family, or kids struggle with, try asking these reflective questions:
-What am I allowing to shape my imagination?
-Do I go to AI first, or the Lord?
-Does my time online draw me closer to Christ or away from Him?
-Am I seeking wisdom from Scripture or worldly trends? After reflecting on these questions, set one intentional “digital Sabbath” this week to reset your heart and mind. Ask the Lord for wisdom on addressing these issues, and speak to your heart clearly.AI safeguards are helpful, but only Christ can truly guard our hearts and minds.
A Prayer for Digital Protection
Dear Jesus,
In a digitally advancing world, please guard our hearts and minds. Protect us and help us discern your truth. As we seek your presence, root our vision in you and your Word. May our thoughts be renewed as we seek to become more like you. Let us not be transformed by the world around us but by you within us. We love, praise, and thank you, Lord.
Amen.
Amber Ginter is a teacher-turned-author who loves Jesus, her husband Ben, and granola. Growing up Amber looked for faith and mental health resources and found none. Today, she offers hope for young Christians struggling with mental illness that goes beyond simply reading your Bible and praying more. Because you can love Jesus and still suffer from anxiety. You can download her top faith and mental health resources for free to help navigate books, podcasts, videos, and influencers from a faith lens perspective. Visit her website at amberginter.com.
Edward von Valseck was born into a Catholic family in Poland. When he became a Lutheran, his outraged father disinherited him and forbade him to use the family name any longer. And so Edward took the name Baierlein, “Little Bavarian.” If you’ve heard of him at all, it is almost certainly by that name.
Edward was a soul-winner. On this day, September 6, 1849, he was ordained and installed by his denomination as a missionary to America. Originally Edward had planned to go to India, but sickness kept him from sailing at that time. Instead, he was reassigned from the Mission House in Leipzig, Germany to work among a different Indian race on the other side of the world: the Chippewa (Ojibwa) Indians, not far from today’s little city of St. Louis, Michigan. (You can find it on a map near Alma, about 45 miles west of Saginaw.)
At his first meeting with the Chippewa on their home ground, Edward (whom the Indians called Black Coat) promised two things: to teach the tribe about eternal life and teach its children reading, writing and arithmetic, so they could read the Bible for themselves and so that they could keep accounts and no longer be cheated by traders. He also asked two things: that they send their children to his school and that they appear in church each Sunday. The Indians thought about it and agreed, shaking his hand so long and hard that his arm ached for days afterward!
Unlike most missionaries, Edward and his wife (a cousin) didn’t expect the Indians to adopt white ways. On the contrary–the pair went to live in a bark hut with the Indians. They ate the Indians’ food and shared their own supplies with the red men. His idea was that if he lived with the Indians, he could demonstrate at first hand what it meant to be a Christian and draw them into a Christian atmosphere. This attitude was so different from the normal white snobbishness (as expressed, for instance, by the critical attitude of Marcus and Narcissa Whitman in Oregon) that they were deeply loved by the Indians, who inducted them as members of their tribe.
Edward quickly learned Chippewa and translated and printed parts of the Lutheran catechism in the language. He also taught the Indians practical skills, such as how to build log cabins. He cleared land at a place he named Bethany, and built a cabin, but it had only one room to live in; the other room was for church use. He set apart part of the cleared land as “God’s acre.”
Michigan’s climate undermined Edward’s health. After working with the Indians for five and a half years, he had to leave. Now he fulfilled his original plan and went to sunny India, where he labored for many years. The man who replaced Edward had little sympathy for Indian ways. He made his home ten miles from the tribe which was suffering a great deal because of hard times. Edward would have shared his resources with them, but the new missionary did not, saying they were just “bread Christians” (that is, people who pretended to be Christians just so that they could get food). The tribe had to scatter to hunt for food and many died. The mission work closed.
Edward wrote an informative little book titled In the Wilderness with the Red Indians. He died in a retirement home in France on October 12, 1901.
Bibliography:
Baierlein, E. R. In the Wilderness with the Red Indians. Translated by Anita Z. Boldt. Detroit: Wayne State University, 1996.
When one of my daughters was a little girl, her favorite thing in the world was a balloon. And her favorite restaurant was Red Robin because they gave out free balloons.
So, for her 3rd birthday, I thought I would be super-awesome Dad and cover the whole kitchen floor with balloons. And not just a little, but deep. Several layers of balloons deep. That many balloons don’t cost a ton of money. But blowing them up isn’t quick. It took me more than four hours to do it. Honestly, I think it was the most loving thing I had ever done for anyone in my life.
You might say, “Why didn’t you use one of those little pumps to blow them up?” I don’t know. Maybe I didn’t know about them. Maybe this felt more meaningful. Either way, I had the whole kitchen covered three feet deep with balloons. It was epic.
I hid in the corner, and when she came in, her eyes got really wide, and I burst out from the balloons, saying, “Surprise!”
Her response? She picked up a balloon, dropped it, and said, “Daddy, these balloons are broken.”
I said, “What do you mean?”
She said, “They don’t float. I like the Red Robin balloons that float.”
I tried to salvage the situation: “Yeah, but these balloons are better. We can play games with these balloons, like ‘See who can keep the balloon afloat the longest.’” She didn’t buy it. (On Bluey, Bandit was able to make this fun; apparently, I’m no Bandit.)
You see, there are two ways to keep a balloon afloat. If a balloon is filled with your breath, you have to keep smacking it to keep it off the ground. That’s how many people are with their generosity. They need someone, once or twice a year, to “smack” them into giving. All of a sudden, they give out their money left and right, but it only lasts for a short time—that is, until they’re “smacked” again.
There’s another way, of course, to keep a balloon in the air. It’s the Red Robin method: Fill it with helium, and it soars on its own, no smacking required. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 8 that what he wants for his fellow believers is for their love to be so genuine that they don’t need his, or anyone’s, commands to give. He doesn’t want them to give reluctantly or hesitantly but cheerfully and freely, without any compulsion, because an abundance of love overflows in their hearts.
The focus of Paul’s writing isn’t money, it’s grace. Grace that stirs up the kind of instinctive generosity in the hearts of all who experience it. And from that, we get the seven essentials of grace-based giving.
The gospel is not about a God who approaches us with needs. We were unimaginably poor; he was indescribably rich. He’s the giver; we’re the receiver. It is by grace you have been saved through faith, and even that is not of yourselves—it is the gift of God. Christianity is not God asking something from us; it’s about God giving something indescribable to us. Banish from your mind any thought that Christianity consists of God asking things from you, and it will change how you think about generosity.
It’s never about the amount of money we give, as if God has projects he’s trying to fundraise for. Paul says directly in 2 Corinthians 8:12 that if the readiness to give is there, our attitude before God is acceptable. It’s not about the amount. We give according to what we have, not according to what we do not have.
A lot of people feel guilty that they don’t have much to give. Maybe you hear people tell these stories about giving and you think, “Well, I can’t give like that. I can’t even dream about giving like that. I’m so poor that even my dreams are on a budget. I’m so poor that the first item on my bucket list is, ‘save enough money to buy a bucket.’” God couldn’t care less about that. For him, it’s about the heart. Give God your firstfruits, flowing from a generous heart.
2. You Give to the Point of Sharing in Suffering (2 Corinthians 8:13–14)
Paul continues by saying that when you love someone, you will want to share in their needs. Again, this isn’t motivated by compulsion. It’s motivated by love.
Love-based giving is giving to the point that you share the pain of someone else’s need. Think of it like emotionally ministering to someone you love who is hurting. Love feels the pain of need and wants to share in it. When I’m in emotional pain, I don’t need someone with the right answers; I can get those from books. I need people around me who hurt when I hurt because they love me.
This concept inspired what C.S. Lewis called “the only safe rule of giving,” which is giving more than you think you can spare. Because only then are you sharing in someone’s pain, which is the essence of love—taking some of the pain of the need into yourself.
3. You Stop Thinking Like an Atheist (2 Corinthians 8:15)
Back in Exodus 16, we find the story of how God provided manna for the children of Israel in the wilderness. The Israelites were in a place in the wilderness where they couldn’t procure food for themselves, so every night, God miraculously rained down from heaven this stuff called “manna.” The people then were just like us, so they wanted to stockpile it, just in case it didn’t show up one morning—in case God overslept or something. But God caused whatever excess they stockpiled to rot, breed worms, and stink. He wanted them to trust him to provide every single day.
When you hoard and refuse to share what God has given you because you’re afraid that tomorrow there won’t be a God to provide for you, functionally, you’re thinking like an atheist. But when you trust that the God who provided for you today will be there to provide for you tomorrow, you can use whatever excess he’s given to you to meet needs around you today.
4. You Grasp That Giving Is the Gateway to Greater Graces (2 Corinthians 9:6, 10–11a)
Paul says that obedience in giving is the means by which God grows and multiplies the richness of grace in our lives. Giving is like a seed that you put into the ground, and it multiplies into enrichment. You ask, “What kind of enrichment are you talking about?” Paul says, enrichment in every way.
God uses generosity to enrich you in every way—contentment, spiritual anointing, and prayer are only a few examples. And when you realize that, Paul says, you’ll go from “What do I have to give?” to “What do I get to give?” because you’ll be asking: “Where do I want to experience the blessing of God?”
I love the image of sowing a seed here. The fruit of many seeds looks wildly different from the seed itself. For example, have you ever seen a peach seed? It’s this hard, ugly thing you’d never want to eat—it looks like a little rat brain—but from it comes these luscious fruits. Money is like a seed you plant that harvests in multiple fruits, much better than itself.
5. You Understand Why God Prospered You (2 Corinthians 9:11b)
Ponds that just collect water and have no outlet become stagnant and dead. Think of the Dead Sea or the Great Salt Lake. Beautiful … but dead. That’s some of you, which is why you’re not happy. You’ve had so many streams of income, but you’re like the Dead Sea. God didn’t create you to be a stagnant pond; he created you to be a river, and that’s when you’ll be truly happy.
You say, “Well, I’m not rich.” Listen: If you make more than $45,000 per year in total household income, you are in the richest one percent of people in the world. Some of you dream about winning the lottery; just by the fact that you were born here, in America, means statistically, you won the lottery!
With that prosperity comes the responsibility to use it for his kingdom: You are enriched in every way to be generous in every way. Greater financial capacity ought not just to lead to an increase in your standard of living; it ought also to increase your standard of giving. Why does God enrich you? So that you can be even more generous. He blesses you to be a blessing!
6. You Love Seeing God’s Work in People More Than You Do Collecting Stuff (2 Corinthians 9:14)
One of the ways you become a joyful giver is when the thanksgiving toward God that your giving produces in others thrills your heart more than anything else you could do with your money. The writer of Hebrews, urging the Hebrew Christians to keep pressing forward in their journey of faith, said, “[Keep] looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame …”
What drove Jesus to pour out his life on the cross? Duty? “Oh, I better do this or the Father will curse me?” No. JOY. And what joy was that? What was Jesus thinking about as he went to the cross that brought him joy? You. The joy set before him was the thought of you saved and with him forever in heaven—the thought of you giving thanksgiving to God—that joyful thought is what moved him to make that sacrifice on the cross.
Now you, go and do likewise. The secret to soaring-balloon, no-smacking-required generosity is when the joy of seeing lives changed exceeds any superficial tingle you get from shiny toys or new purses.
7. You Just Can’t Get Over What Jesus Did for You (2 Corinthians 8:9)
Paul writes in 2 Corinthians, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” This is the secret of the heart of the Christian who soars in generosity. You just can’t get over what Jesus has done for you.
I’ve had people say to me, “Well, Pastor J.D., this is the problem. I’m a Christian, but I just don’t love Jesus like you do. I don’t feel it. You tell us, ‘Fall in love with Jesus,’ and that kind of frustrates me because I’d love to be as in love with Jesus as you are.” Ah, but don’t you remember? The way God produces that love in you is through giving. Giving is the gateway to greater graces.
Through giving, God makes all grace abound to you, so that you are enriched in every way—which includes your love of Jesus. It’s the same thing Jesus said in Matthew 6:21: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Wherever you put your time, talent, and treasure, your heart will follow.
Where do you want your heart to be? Put your time and treasure there, and your heart will follow. If you don’t love missions, go on a short-term trip, and you’ll learn to love it. If you want to love heaven more, to love Jesus’ mission more, give sacrificially and watch how it transforms your heart! The Holy Spirit uses your obedience of giving as a means of pouring grace out in your heart, so that you are enriched in every way!
Photo Credit: SWN Design
J.D. Greear is the pastor of The Summit Church, in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. He hosts Summit Life, a 30-minute daily radio broadcast and weekly TV program as well as the Ask the Pastor podcast. Pastor J.D. Greear has authored many books, most notably Gospel, Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart, and Gaining by Losing.
Pastor J.D. completed his Ph.D. in Theology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Chick-fil-A, serves as a Council member for The Gospel Coalition, and recently served as the 62nd president of the Southern Baptist Convention. Pastor J.D. and his wife Veronica are raising four awesome kids.
GRAMMY, Billboard Music, DOVE, and Stellar Award-winning singer, songwriter, and worship leader; Naomi Raine has released her much-anticipated live album “Jesus Over Everything.”
Speaking about the project, Naomi Raine explained:
“A live album that centers fully on Jesus and the glory of God, captured in the heart of a city known for everything but Him. Rooted in traditional praise and worship, this project blends purity of devotion with genre-spanning sounds that reflect my heart, creativity, and call to make Jesus the focus again.”
More than just a live recording, this 16-track project captures a defining worship moment that blends heartfelt praise, musical excellence, and raw spiritual intimacy.
Alongside the album, official live visuals of the title track “Jesus Over Everything” have been made available, as well as colorful and energetic visuals for “Always Been You” featuring Anike.
International gospel music minister and worship leader; Evans Ogboi has released his highly anticipated single “Hallelujah”.
The new song is a spirit-filled anthem designed to usher believers into deep encounters of worship and adoration.
Evans Ogboi known for his passion for creating life-transforming worship experiences, delivers a global sound that exalts the King of kings and resonates across cultures and nations.
How can we reclaim marriage, fatherhood, and godly leadership from a culture that’s distorting them?
Peyton Garland
Contributing Writer
As a Millennial, I have a unique, dichotomous perspective regarding technology. Riding my bicycle was still a quintessential piece of my childhood, but as a teen, I was introduced to Facebook, Instagram, smartphones, etc.
I often reminisce about the simple games I played on our family’s early 2000s chunky computer. I giggle at just how fascinated I was by my little Nokia cell phone’s infamous game, Snake 1 (though Snake 2 was my favorite). While the nostalgic side of me wishes I’d never been introduced to the overbearing world of social media, the realistic piece of me recognizes such a wish is impossible.
Social media was designed to be addictive, to pull us into a digital world where we are near-instant victims to anything from cyberbullying to consumerism’s deceptive tricks. The World Wide Web and all its apps and digital communities are often dark, but one undeniable bright side to social media is the recent call-out regarding men who want a wife and kids but don’t want to be a husband and father.
Instagram and TikTok have recently ignited conversations around the sad truth that many men want the labels without the responsibilities. They are comfortable with this superficial reality so long as it plays out in a good, white-picket-fence life.
Unfortunately, the Church isn’t immune to this epidemic that infects men and kills commitment. Thus, it’s not only fair but necessary to ask: Are we teaching young men to pursue godliness in leadership—or just the idea of family without the cost of commitment?
The Danger of Digital Definitions
Social media doesn’t know how to not place people in boxes, and these boxes are never without aggressive opposition. Hashtags, pronoun labels, and the nauseating algorithm quickly peg who and what they think you are, funneling one-sided information to your home feed, but this content “you want to see” is loaded with nasty commenters and typically ignorant debates.
Social media has subconsciously made us addicted to the drama, the fallout, the tension, and the need to have an enemy. It’s almost as if we have decided that who we are is rooted in who we don’t like.
I’ve found this to be undeniably true as social media has become marriage and parenthood’s ultimate shredding machine, stripping their meanings into so many pieces that no one can ever rediscover their most basic principles. Worse yet, the Church willingly plays the game, screaming into virtual megaphones to elevate their spiritual status and social media popularity.
I believe this is a lethal way we have destroyed men and their concept of marriage and family. We’ve allowed other people’s perceptions and the wars they ensue to define leadership and familial love. We’ve spliced fatherhood, marriage, and leadership into five-second reels that offer little more aid and support than the video creator’s desire to be seen and followed.
In short, we are teaching young men to honor the trend, which is forever changing and hinges on people often motivated by self-interest and political wars. We aren’t offering them digital resources to grow in their faith and with their families. We are manipulating them into clickbait biters more connected to their social media trends than personal betterment.
The Reason for Relational Disconnect
This is why it shouldn’t be a surprise when the man of the house seems distant from his family. When the Church doesn’t proactively guide, support, and celebrate Christian men as they grow as husbands and fathers, who are their mentors? Where are they turning for guidance and wisdom?
Wives certainly don’t want their husbands finding mentors at the bar or in a club. They often don’t want them to be mentored by men whose lives are engulfed by golf, sports betting, or some other surface-level pastime. But where else can they go, and who else can they lean on, if other men—Christian men in the Church—aren’t willing to come alongside them and challenge them to become everything the Lord has called them to be?
The answer is simple. Their mentor becomes a phone, which offers less spiritual conviction and more addictive content centered on disagreements, hate, purchase bait, or the opportunity to zone out.
Is it any wonder we believe so many of today’s husbands and fathers, even in the Church, often battle anger, spending problems, and disassociation from their families?
Unfortunately, it seems many churches are more concerned with growing their digital presence than teaching young men the respectful way to engage in today’s technological world so their minds remain pure and their hearts steadfast in being present with their families, committed to tackling whatever problems arise.
Reclaiming the Marriage Narrative
I don’t claim to have an overarching, flawless answer to the issue concerning men and their ability to “check out” from their roles as husbands and fathers. Furthermore, as a wife and mother, I certainly can’t pretend to be inside the mind of a man and fully understand his perspective and the challenges he faces. But I do believe I have an idea for where our culture could take the first step forward in holding men accountable, while supporting them, as they become the leaders God called them to be.
It starts with the men of the Church shifting the narrative and changing their tone where marriage and parenthood are concerned. Too often, in the name of lighthearted moral release, I’ll hear a man say:
“Happy wife, happy life.”
“I just do what I’m told.”
“You don’t have kids? Keep it that way if you ever want to sleep again.”
“It hasn’t been about me since I said, ‘I do.’”
“Oh, you want marriage advice? Don’t get married. That’s my advice.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever get a moment to myself ever again.”
These things, often said in jest, are emotional releases that fall on sensitive ears. Young men considering marriage or starting a family don’t need to hear from godly men that it’s all downhill once you’ve said your vows and had a few kids. Of course, there is a time for healthy vulnerability where you share trying times and seasons, but if your tone concerning marriage and parenthood is always negative, always sounding as though you’re a miserable pawn, why would men enter into these institutions excited to lead? Why even try if it’s not going to work?
The narrative we place on being a husband and father is what defines it in the hearts and minds of impressionable men. Social media knows this, and it’s already quick to offer its doom-and-gloom and divisive definitions. So why shouldn’t the Church step in to defend the beauty and honor of having a wife and growing a family?
For nearly fifteen years, social media’s sound bites have not only been louder but also more real than the hands and feet of Christ.
Church, we owe it to our men and their wives and children to take back the power social media snatched and elevate truth once more, sharing that God honors marriage and blesses a man and woman with the gift of children.
How will we ever truly love others, regardless of their relationship status or gender, if we refuse to adhere to the inspiring, hopeful narrative God has written and sealed for the Christian family?
Peyton Garland is an author, editor, and boy mama who lives in the beautiful foothills of East Tennessee. Subscribe to her blog Uncured+Okay for more encouragement.
How can we raise children with grace and truth, reflecting how God disciplines those He loves?
The Crisis in Modern Parenting
In today’s cultural landscape, parenting feels more complicated and urgent than ever. A growing number of children are growing up in broken homes, raised by single parents doing their best with limited support. Many mothers are told that their career must come first, that motherhood can wait, or shouldn’t happen at all. Some children are labeled “inconvenient” before they’re born, pressured out of existence by a world that values productivity over life itself.
Meanwhile, fatherhood is increasingly diminished, and men, especially those seeking to lead with biblical conviction, are portrayed as harmful or outdated. Confusion around identity and gender roles leaves children unsure of who they are and where they belong. Without moral grounding, many parents, overwhelmed by guilt or exhaustion, swing toward permissiveness, hoping to preserve peace by avoiding conflict.
The result? A generation of children craves structure, truth, and love, and a generation of parents is unsure how to provide it.
Is the Parenting Pendulum Swinging towards “FAFO?”
In this environment, debates around parenting styles have intensified. On one side is “gentle parenting,” which emphasizes empathy, connection, and emotional safety. On the other hand, a cultural counter-swing is emerging, championing firmer boundaries and quicker consequences, summed up in the viral acronym “FAFO” (F*** Around and Find Out). The pendulum swings from one extreme to the other.
But Scripture shows us a better way, reflecting the heart of God, who disciplines those He loves not with rage or rejection, but with purpose, grace, and truth. It’s not about choosing between gentleness and discipline. It’s about embracing both, anchored in a love that shapes character, not just behavior.
Understanding Gentle Parenting’s Appeal and Limitations
The rise of “gentle parenting” over the past decade offered a refreshing alternative to harsh, authoritarian styles. Influenced by Dr. Jane Nelsen’s 1981 work Positive Discipline and later popularized by authors like Sarah Ockwell-Smith in The Gentle Parenting Book (2016), this approach emphasizes understanding, empathy, respect, and boundaries while explicitly rejecting punishment-based methods.
The Strengths of Gentle Parenting
To be fair, gentle parenting holds value. It teaches us to slow down, validate our children’s emotions, and build connection instead of relying on fear or control. It mirrors aspects of God’s gentleness and long-suffering patience. As Paul writes, “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love” (Ephesians 4:2).
Where Gentle Parenting Falls Short
However, many parents have discovered that when empathy lacks structure, things fall apart. Children become unsure of boundaries. Respect erodes. Parents grow frustrated. And eventually, a loving home can become a chaotic one.
Dr. Nelsen’s well-known statement—”Where did we ever get the crazy idea that to make children do better, we must first make them feel worse?”—suggests that any discomfort in discipline is inherently damaging. But this mindset often leaves parents unsure of how to maintain authority or implement consistent consequences. Scripture is clear: “Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them” (Proverbs 13:24).
Grace without truth leads to confusion. Truth without grace leads to rebellion. The key is biblical balance.
The Heart of Biblical Discipline
God doesn’t discipline out of anger or rejection, but out of love. Hebrews 12 tells us plainly: “The Lord disciplines the one He loves… No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace” (vv. 6,11).
Discipline isn’t punishment, it’s discipleship. It’s intentional training for maturity, not an emotional reaction to misbehavior. From the earliest pages of Scripture, we see God’s desire for families to teach His ways consistently and wholeheartedly:
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments…are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” (Deuteronomy 6:5–7)
This isn’t a one-time lecture; it’s a way of life. Parenting is an ongoing conversation that teaches children to love, fear, and follow the Lord.
4 Purposes of Biblical Discipline
1. Maturity, Not Control
Biblical discipline is not about exerting control—it’s about cultivating character. God disciplines us not to shame or break us, but to shape us into people who reflect His strength and holiness.
Children raised without consistent correction may struggle later in life, not just with authority, but with perseverance, self-control, and delayed gratification. Loving discipline helps them grow into adults who don’t crumble under pressure but stand firm with integrity.
2. Preparation for Reality
If children are never lovingly challenged in the home, they may be crushed by challenges outside it. Life doesn’t coddle. The world won’t adjust for their sensitivity. When parents fail to prepare their children for hardship, they unintentionally handicap them.
Training isn’t always comfortable, but it’s always loving. And the times it seems challenging, we remember the Sacred Book says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6 NKJV).
3. Self-Control Over Self-Expression
Discipline teaches children to master their impulses rather than be ruled by them. When parents bypass the simple use of “no”—fearing it might damage self-esteem—children miss out on learning the value of boundaries and the necessity of restraint.
Loving discipline provides a safe arena where children can practice impulse control, exercise appropriate decisions, and grow to trust consistent limits. In a culture that exalts self-expression over self-control, biblical discipline offers something countercultural: anchored, peace-producing strength. The ability to withstand criticism becomes not a threat to self-esteem, but a vital part of it.
4. Security in Love
We often forget discipline isn’t a sign of rejection, it’s a powerful affirmation of belonging. Scripture says, “The Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in” (Proverbs 3:12). In other words, correction isn’t rooted in anger or annoyance, but in deep delight and commitment. Loving discipline doesn’t push children away–it pulls them in. It says, “You are seen, valued, and worth the effort to guide–too precious to be left untrained.”
This kind of guidance shapes not just obedient children, but secure, confident adults who know how to stand in a challenging world. As Proverbs 29:17 promises, “Discipline your children, and they will give you peace; they will bring you the delights you desire.”
Building a Peace-Filled Home with Structure
While structure is essential, so is security. God’s vision for the home isn’t one of tension or shouting, but of “righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17). As partakers of His divine nature, parents can rest in the promise that we have “everything we need for living a godly life through our knowledge of Him” (2 Peter 1:3).
Paul’s exhortation in Colossians 3 sets a beautiful tone for the home: “Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility… and let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts” (vv. 12, 15). In a world that so often chills us to the bone, a peaceful home becomes a refuge of warmth and rest. As Proverbs 17:1 reminds us, “Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife”—because even the richest table cannot warm the soul like peace can.
4 Practical Principles for Biblical Discipline
1. Be Consistent
Lead by example daily—not just when correcting. Teach God’s character through your actions (Deuteronomy 11:18–19). Expect honesty? Model it. Make a mistake? Apologize. Involve your children in church and youth groups to anchor them in a faith-filled community.
2. Be Present
Discipline holds weight only when grounded in a relationship. Talk, play, pray, and truly listen. In the end, we won’t take our careers to heaven—but we may bring our children. Time invested in shaping their character and faith outlasts any earthly success.
3. Be Wise
You don’t have to parent on guesswork. Ask God for wisdom daily, and He will give it generously (James 1:5). His guidance anchors you when emotions run high and answers feel out of reach. Lean into His Word and let His wisdom shape your every response.
4. Be Assured
Faithful instruction doesn’t always bear fruit overnight, but it plants seeds that grow over time. Proverbs 22:6 reminds us that when we “train up a child in the way he should go,” we can trust that, even if they wander, they will not depart from it in the end. God honors intentional training—especially through seasons of struggle—and brings lasting fruit in His time.
A Story of Faith: The Tebow Example
Sometimes the greatest stories of godly parenting begin with the hardest decisions. When Pam Tebow was pregnant with her son Tim while serving as a missionary in the Philippines, she became very ill. Doctors urged her to have an abortion, believing the pregnancy would endanger her life. But Pam and her husband trusted God—and chose life.
Today, Tim Tebow is known not only as a Heisman Trophy winner and athlete, but as a man of faith and compassion. Through his public witness and humanitarian work, he’s showing the world what it looks like to live with purpose.
“I’m so grateful that my mom trusted God rather than the medical advice to end my life. I’m here today with a story to tell because of that faith,” Tim Tebow has said.
Pam Tebow didn’t just make one courageous decision—she went on to raise a son who would honor God with his life. It’s a powerful reminder that choices made in faith, even when costly, shape destinies.
The Call to Biblical Balance
As believers, we don’t have to guess at the right approach to parenting. God Himself is a parent—a perfect one. Scripture shows us what it looks like to raise children with both grace and truth, always with the outcome of redemption in view (being saved from sin, error, or evil).
We need not swing between the extremes of permissive, gentle parenting and harsh authoritarianism. Instead, we can follow God’s model: discipline rooted in love, correction that builds character, and training that prepares our children not just for this world’s hard knocks of life, but for eternity.
The goal isn’t to raise compliant children, it’s to raise godly adults who can stand firm in truth, love deeply, and reflect the heart of their Heavenly Father.
In a culture desperate for direction, may our homes become training grounds for godliness—places where grace and truth meet, where discipline and love dance together, and where the next generation learns what it means to follow Christ with both tenderness and strength.
Related Resource: Raising Resilient Kids: Practical Ways to Instill a Christian Worldview
If you’re not intentionally teaching your kids a solid Christian worldview, someone else is shaping their beliefs for you. In this episode of Christian Parent/Crazy World, Catherine sits down with Elizabeth Urbanowicz—elementary educator, apologist, and founder of Foundation Worldview—to equip parents for the immense challenge of raising resilient, truth-loving kids in a culture determined to shape their values. If this episode helps you be a more thoughtful parent, be sure to subscribe to Christian Parent, Crazy World onApple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
Parenting with gentleness can feel Christlike, but does it always lead to the kind of discipline Scripture calls for? How do we mirror God’s grace while still setting healthy, biblical boundaries? Join the conversation on Crosswalk Forums!
Judy McEachran is a passionate worshiper and seasoned pastor who brings together her love for music and ministry to inspire and uplift others. An ordained pastor and accomplished musician, she has spent years encouraging believers through her heartfelt sermons and soul-stirring music. After serving congregations in the Midwest, she and her husband, who was also a pastor, relocated to Arizona upon retirement. Deeply moved by God’s unwavering love and His faithfulness through the years, Judy writes from a pastor’s heart to encourage and strengthen faith in a believer’s walk with Jesus. With the support of her husband, sons, and their families, Judy continues to use her gifts to glorify God. Her YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/@JudyMcEachran, features music that invites listeners to experience the Lord’s presence in a profound and personal way.
If there is one gift that is misunderstood, mis-taught, and often misused, it is the gift of speaking in tongues. The denominational divides on this topic cut right between charismatic Christians and non-Charismatic Christians. How do you approach this topic with biblical and doctrinal clarity while identifying some challenges that exist on both sides of this debate? That is my objective today. While I can’t say I will settle this debate today, hopefully you can walk away thinking differently about this topic while finding more grace for those who have an opposing view.
Some Background: What Is Speaking in Tongues?
Speaking in tongues is a supernatural gift that comes from the Holy Spirit, who gives you the ability to speak in another language that you have never studied or learned. The word for tongues in the Greek is Glossai, which in this context means languages. Therefore, anyone who is speaking in tongues, as enabled by the Holy Spirit, is speaking in a human language. This does not mean you will understand what you are saying, because the only way that can happen is if the Holy Spirit gives you the ability to interpret it.
Biblical Instances of Speaking in Tongues
For as much conversation as there is about speaking in tongues, there are only three brief instances in the Bible where we see this gift in practice.
The day of Pentecost – “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” (Acts 2:4)
At Cornelius’ house – “The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles.For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.” (Acts 10:45-46)
Paul and the believers in Ephesus – “When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.” (Acts 19:6)
Outside of these three instances, there is no other place in the Bible where we see people engaging in the activity of speaking in tongues. However, we know this activity took place in the Corinthian church because Paul writes about it. Clearly, this was a gift that was active in this church, and Paul instructs the believers there on the proper way to exercise this gift.
Is Speaking in Tongues for Today?
An enormous area of debate over speaking in tongues revolves around the question of: Are tongues for today? Your answer to this question probably depends on whether you are charismatic. If you are, your answer is probably yes. If not, then your answer is probably no. So, who is right? Those who argue against tongues will probably say that all the sign gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians were temporary and meant for the early church. These gifts ceased with the death of the apostles. This is known as cessationism. However, there are issues with this belief. I can’t cover all those now, but with tongues, I discover many of the arguments are not really against speaking in tongues. Their concerns usually center on how people exercise the gift. Here are three common arguments you may hear from those who do not believe tongues are for today, which show what I mean.
1. Biblical tongues were known languages while modern tongues sound like unintelligible syllables.
Being in charismatic circles my entire church life, there were moments when I heard people speaking in “tongues” that sounded like repeating syllables and not a known language. While there is some truth to this argument, there is one question I have not heard anyone pose. When you say known languages, the question is known to whom? There are over 7,000 known human languages, and there is nowhere in Scripture that says tongues must be in a common language known to much of the world. For this reason, you cannot ignore the possibility that someone speaking in tongues is speaking in a known language. It is just one that you don’t know.
2. Tongues when spoken in the church must always be interpreted, but rarely are.
If this is your argument, you are correct. There are many times people speak out in tongues in church or in a gathering of believers and there is no interpretation. This is not the way Paul teaches us to use this gift:
“If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and to God.” (1 Cor. 14:27-28)
By writing this, Paul is addressing a problem that was happening in the Corinthian church. They were not using the gift in a manner that was edifying to the entire body. However, if someone does not use the gift properly, does that invalidate the gift? No. It did not invalidate the gift in the Corinthian church, and it does not invalidate it today.
3. Speaking in tongues is the result of emotionalism.
The argument here is that many modern expressions of tongues are driven by emotionalism (caught up in the moment), peer pressure (everyone else is doing it, so I should too), or imitation (I will just repeat what I am hearing). Sadly, sometimes in churches, these things happen. If this is what people are doing, they are doing something, but they are not flowing in the gift of speaking in tongues. However, even this argument aligns more with the way people teach or use the gift and does not cancel out the gift itself if it is used properly.
A Common Misconception about Speaking in Tongues
There are many in charismatic circles who will tell you that speaking in tongues is the only evidence of being baptized with the Holy Spirit (I used to believe this too). I will agree that speaking in tongues is evidence of being baptized with the Holy Spirit, because you cannot speak in tongues unless he enables you. However, is it the only evidence? Did everyone who was baptized in the Holy Spirit speak in tongues? No. Since this teaching is based on what happened in the book of Acts, you will discover there is an occasion where this did not happen.
“Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 8:17)
We see from this Scripture that these men received the Holy Spirit, but the Bible does not say they spoke in tongues immediately afterward. Could they have done that? Most likely. But the Bible does not mention that. In situations like these, we must be careful not to force a doctrinal position into a narrative where it may not fit.
Two problems when we teach speaking in tongues is the evidence:
There are two problems with teaching people that speaking in tongues is the evidence of being baptized in the Holy Spirit.
1. We pressure people to speak in tongues.
When you make tongues the only legitimate evidence of being baptized in the Holy Spirit, then to validate the experience, people come up with all kinds of ways to “help” people speak in tongues. After all, you have no other way to validate your doctrinal position. This is where you can see many nonsensical things occur to “help” people speak in tongues. Things like telling people to repeat after me or just use one syllable for now. I even had a pastor tell me that since tongues is a language, you learn language by listening and that is how you can develop tongues. None of this is biblical because, in the Bible, when people who were filled with the Holy Spirit spoke in tongues, they did so with no coaching or coaxing from anyone. They simply spoke as the Holy Spirit enabled them. If he wants you to speak in tongues today, he can still do the same thing.
2. We send people after the wrong pursuit.
Because some charismatic circles put so much emphasis on tongues, we miss the real prize of it all, which is the Holy Spirit doing a deeper work in your life. I know Christians devastated by their inability to speak in tongues. Sadly, their devastation results from bad theology. Many have been taught to pursue speaking in tongues when being filled with more of the Holy Spirit is what we should be pursuing. This is what our sole emphasis should be. We need to shift people’s priorities from desiring to speak in tongues to desiring more of the Holy Spirit operating in their lives. When that is your desire, you are growing in your walk with God, and it does not really matter if you speak in tongues.
Before Jesus left, he talked about the Holy Spirit. However, he did not emphasize speaking in tongues. The last thing he said was you would receive power to be my witnesses (Acts 1:8). This is the reason we desire more of the Holy Spirit in our lives, so we can represent Jesus more effectively.
Is the Gift of Speaking in Tongues Given to Everyone Who Believes?
“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them.” (1 Cor. 12:4)
Since tongues is a gift of the Holy Spirit, he controls who receives this gift. Therefore, we should not judge the infilling of the Holy Spirit by whether someone can speak in tongues. Especially because the purpose of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is not to speak in tongues and you cannot just magically make it happen, even though some try. You can be baptized in the Holy Spirit and not speak in tongues. I know some of you will disagree with that statement. However, there is a far better measure of the Holy Spirit working in someone’s life. It is not the gifts, but the fruit.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” (Gal. 5:22-23)
This is the deeper work the Holy Spirit wants to do. His desire is to transform your character, so you can be a more effective witness for Jesus. This is what we all should strive for. If the Holy Spirit enables you to speak in tongues, then wonderful, but if not and you see this type of fruit developing in your life, then you can be certain you are full of the Holy Spirit.
Conclusion: Embracing Spiritual Gifts
I strongly believe that all gifts of the Holy Spirit are in operation today, so I am not a cessationist. I was baptized in the Holy Spirit when I was sixteen, and that night in my kitchen with my sister and mom, I was enabled by the Holy Spirit to speak in tongues. As wonderful as that experience was, that was just the beginning. The more important work was what the Holy Spirit has been doing in working the fruit of the Spirit into my life. The character of Christ flowing in my life has had far greater reach and effectiveness in helping others than the gift of speaking in tongues ever has. For this reason, I encourage you to seek the baptism and infilling of the Holy Spirit. If speaking in tongues or other gifts flow through you as a result, then let them. Most importantly, watch how he will change who you are. When he does, that will have the greatest influence in your life and the lives of those around you.
Clarence L. Haynes Jr. is a speaker, Bible teacher, and co-founder of The Bible Study Club. He is the author of The Pursuit of Purpose which will help you understand how God leads you into his will. His most recent book is The Pursuit of Victory: How To Conquer Your Greatest Challenges and Win In Your Christian Life. This book will teach you how to put the pieces together so you can live a victorious Christian life and finally become the man or woman of God that you truly desire to be. Clarence is also committed to helping 10,000 people learn how to study the Bible and has just released his first Bible study course called Bible Study Basics. To learn more about his ministry please visit clarencehaynes.com.
Afro-fusion Gospel artist, Gaise Baba, fresh off the wave of his viral success No Turning Back II, makes a bold and inspiring return with a latest anthem “We Outside”.
The new single comes as a rallying cry to believers everywhere: the Gospel is not limited to the pulpit, pews, or worship sessions, it is a lifestyle to be lived out boldly in every sphere of influence.
Did the serpent speak out loud to Eve, and was it truly Satan in animal form? Let’s take a deeper look at Genesis 3 and discover more about this life-altering moment for mankind.
Jenna Brooke Carlson
Contributing Writer
Satan is devious. His first, and possibly most well-known, account of interacting with humans is recorded in Genesis 3. Earlier in the book of Genesis, God created the Garden of Eden. This is where he placed Adam. Adam was surrounded by many trees with good fruit. The only stipulation God gave him was not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.
Shortly after, Eve was created. This is who the serpent chose to speak to, tricking her into eating from the tree and therefore causing the fall of man. God tells Adam and Eve that from now on, women will experience great pain in childbirth, and men with toil with much trouble growing food from the ground. Consequently, they are banished from the Garden of Eden forever.
This biblical account may cause us to wonder: How did the serpent speak to Eve, causing her to fall prey to Satan’s evil plan? Did the serpent speak out loud to her, and was it truly Satan in animal form? Let’s take a deeper look at Genesis 3 and discover more about this life-altering moment for mankind.
What Does Genesis Say about the Serpent?
In Genesis 3:1-5, the serpent is described as the most cunning of the wild animals. He asks Eve if God really told her not to eat from any tree in the garden. She responds that they can eat any fruit except from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. She explains that if they touch it, they will die. The serpent claims she wouldn’t die from eating the fruit. He says God doesn’t want her to be like him, knowing good and evil and that is why he forbade them from eating the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.
Was the Serpent a Literal Snake or Satan in Disguise?
Many Christians interpret the serpent as Satan in disguise. We find references to Satan as a serpent in the book of Revelation. This book discusses the end times when Satan will ultimately be destroyed. The beginning of Revelation 12:9 states, “The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray.” In this verse, serpent is used synonymously with Satan.
Satan is referenced as a serpent again in Revelation 20:2, which reads, “He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.” Matthew Henry explains that the serpent was indeed Satan; however, he could have been an actual snake possessed by Satan or Satan in the form of a snake-like figure. Either way, we know the devil tempted Eve. He had a plan, and he knowingly went to the Garden of Eve to carry out his deceit.
How Could a Serpent Speak?
When we think of the serpent as a literal snake, this would imply that a physical serpent spoke to Eve. In this way, Satan would have possessed the snake, causing it to speak. If we think of the serpent as Satan shaped like a snake-like figure, he would have been directly speaking to Eve.
Some may interpret Satan speaking to Eve as symbolic. Perhaps she heard the voice in her head instead of audibly. However, in the original Hebrew, “said” is written as וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙, or way-yō-mer. This phrase is found in many other verses of the Bible, including Genesis 3:9-10. In the New American Standard version, these verses read “Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, ‘Where are you?’ He said, ‘I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.’” In this verse, Adam is implying he heard God audibly speak to him.
In Numbers 22, God enabled a donkey to speak. In this story, Balaam, a highly regarded soothsayer and prophet, was frustrated with his donkey and beat him three different times. Numbers 22:28 says, “Then the LORD opened the donkey’s mouth, and it said to Balaam, ‘What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?’’’ In this story, God opens the donkey’s mouth to speak. While Satan is not as powerful as our God, he is also from the supernatural realm. Therefore, it’s possible Satan opened the mouth of a snake to speak to Eve.
Why Didn’t Eve Seem Surprised That the Serpent Spoke?
Today, people would be completely surprised, and probably terrified, if they heard an animal speak. While the Bible doesn’t tell us how Eve feels about a talking snake, we can infer that she is more interested in the words he is speaking than the fact that he is speaking at all. Before the fall, Adam and Eve lived in harmony with the animals. It’s possible they communicated with them, although that could have been in a variety of ways.
Eve was also living in a world consisting of supernatural events. God had created Adam from the dust of the earth and Eve from one of Adam’s ribs. The Bible doesn’t tell us that Adam and Eve ever had a conversation about their miraculous creations, but we can’t completely discount it either. Living in a world where living beings were created from dust and ribs might make a talking serpent not so surprising.
What Was the Serpent’s Real Goal in Speaking to Eve?
The serpent wanted to destroy humankind, but he couldn’t do that, so he did the next best thing. He made them question their creator, tempting them, and when they took the bait, their actions resulted in separation from God. The serpent also made sure to achieve his goal through subtlety. A direct order to eat the fruit may have caused Eve to notice something was amiss right away, but because of his subtlety, the serpent got Eve to question God, and she decided to act on her own. How often do we want to jump at something someone orders us to do? Aren’t we more likely to take action when we make the decision ourselves?
Satan wanted to craftily lead Eve into temptation. Christianity.com states, “Temptation is the intentional enticement of a person, by some bait—usually pride, always self-gratifying—to disobey God’s revealed Word . . . the object is always the distortion of God’s world.” The serpent intentionally deceived Eve by waving the bait of knowledge. Instead of dying, he told her that eating the fruit would make her more like God. He deceived and tempted her, and she took the bait; this led to the downfall of mankind.
What Can We Learn from Eve’s Encounter with the Serpent?
Satan’s best work can lie in the nuances. When a situation seems black and white, it can be easier to make the right decision; the choice is clearer. However, when Satan uses subtle tactics, the right action may not be so simple. Satan feeds us lies, sometimes closely related to the truth. This makes the falsehood harder to detect.
For example, in Genesis 3:1, the serpent says, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?'” Did God really say? The serpent is causing Eve to second-guess the Word of God. He is planting ideas in her head. Did she hear God right? Does he really mean to not eat from this tree? Would it actually be wrong to try the fruit?
For this reason, we must rely on God’s Word to provide truth. We must study scripture ourselves and not solely rely on the interpretations and teachings of others. Eve chose to believe the serpent instead of trusting God’s Word. To study Scripture, we must spend time in the Word. If we’re not sure about something, we should go to the Bible and read verses in context. When we understand the background of the events, we can better understand the meaning.
Because Eve believed the serpent, she sinned and caused the downfall of mankind. That’s a pretty big consequence. We, too, experience consequences when we doubt God’s Word. We may not have a serpent coming to us with the words “Did God really say?” But we have our world, a world that is broken and full of people believing lies. We may want to believe the lies, for whatever fruit is dangling in front of us, but ultimately God’s Word is true, and following what he says puts us in the best place of living in harmony with him.
Conclusion: Trusting God’s Word Today
The good news is that God didn’t leave us on this earth defenseless to battle the lies. Ephesians 6:11 tells us to “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” He gives us “the belt of truth.” This belt is soaked in the Word of God and wrapped around our entire being, protecting us from the falsehoods coming our way. We also have “the sword of the Spirit.” We don’t have to sit idly by when lies are hurled at us. We can fight with what we know to be true. God’s Word can put us on the offense, battling against the lies of the enemy.
“So the Lord God said to the serpent, ‘Because you have done this, Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.'” (Genesis 3:14-15)
God cursed the serpent, and he has already overcome Satan. The devil may come with his lies, but he is not more powerful than our God. When temptations come, we can secure our belt of truth, pick up our sword of the Spirit, and fight with what we know to be true.
Jenna Brooke Carlson is an elementary dual language teacher in the Chicago suburbs. As a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Word Weavers, she enjoys spending time with other writers and perfecting her craft. Her debut novel, Falling Flat, spreads the message that healing can occur, even after tragedy. Along with writing, she’s pursuing her dreams of creating a community of brave young women, who she can encourage to live out their dreams amid challenges and imperfection. Her days are busy, but she’s determined she can conquer anything with a fuzzy blanket and a hot cup of tea. To find out more about Jenna, visit her website at jennabrookecarlson.com.
Gospel music minister; Moses Bliss comes through with a powerful worship offering that is both tender and faith-igniting “Ebenezer” now available on all digital streaming platforms.
Speaking on the heart behind the song Moses Bliss known for crafting melodies that carry both intimacy and congregational power shared on Instagram;
Some sounds are birthed in tears, prayer and gratitude. This is one of them. Ebenezer official video out now.
Gospel music sensation; Ada Ehi has joined forces with gospel powerhouse Sunmisola Agbebi to release the deeply inspiring single “MA BERU MO (This Is Morning)”.
The new song which translates to “Do Not Fear”, is a heartfelt reminder for believers to trust God completely, knowing He is ever-present through every stage of life.
Speaking on the new song Ada Ehi said;
Ma Beru Mo means Do Not Fear, this is more than a song, it is a message of hope and it is here. The immensely gifted Sunmisola Agbebi joins me in a powerful delivery of this reassuring sound of the never failing love of God. I pray you open your heart to receive your song. enjoy!”
Afro Gospel sensation Limoblaze has teamed up with Barbadian vocal powerhouse Krisirie for the release of a radiant new single titled “Sunshine and Laughter”.
Infused with vibrant Afrobeats rhythms, heartfelt lyrics, and soulful melodies, this track is an exuberant celebration of love, faith, and the beauty found in life’s joyful moments.
The single blends spiritual depth with a feel-good summer vibe, creating a song that uplifts both the soul and the spirit.
The divinity of Christ is an age-old discussion, addressed in the Gospels and debated in the early church. The Jews primarily found offense with Jesus’ self-identification as divine and equal with Father, to the point that they planned to kill him. This central claim about Jesus also met with debate and clarification in the first few centuries after Jesus’ death and resurrection.
While the Gospel of Jesus spread throughout the Roman world, believers faced questions. Was Jesus fully divine, fully human, or both? Was he created or eternal? Teachers like the bishop Arius claimed Jesus was created, while others defended the apostolic declaration of his being fully God.
Church leaders met to address this important element of Christian doctrine, one which threatened to divide them. They examined Scripture and focused on the apostolic teaching. The discussions escalated until the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, where all the leading bishops disagreed with Arius and absolutely stated that Jesus is “of one substance with the Father.” This formed the basis of the Nicene Creed, the first formal declaration of universal Christian belief, which included the reality of Christ’s divine nature.
Unfortunately, the debate continues. Critics and scholars still question whether Jesus was God in the flesh, and further, if he ever claimed to be God at all. Yet Christ’s divinity remains a central truth to the power of the Gospel.
Photo Credit: Created by AI
1. What Old Testament Verses Point to a Divine Messiah Figure?
The Old Testament speaks of a messianic figure, a combination priest and king who would bring an eternal kingdom to the earth. The passages point to someone more than human, a divine being who fulfills these promises.
Isaiah 9:6-7 declares, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given … and the government shall be upon his shoulder … and of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David … from this time forth and forevermore.” This promised child was born, and the son was given. These statements underscore the dual nature of the Messiah. The eternal Son can’t be born; he can only show up in human flesh. Yet the human flesh must be born.
Further, this promised child will usher in an eternal government of endless peace and justice, clearly a heavenly reality. The Messiah also has divine titles: “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” The prophet Isaiah declares a ruler, both human and divine. The Messiah must be eternal if he is to rule an eternal government.
Isaiah talks more about this ruler from Jesse’s line (King David’s father), how he will reign in righteousness and be filled with God’s Spirit. “The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him …” (Isaiah 11:2). The Messiah brings peace, even to creation itself—a singularly divine act showing God’s authority over all things.
King David writes, “The Lord says to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand … You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.’” (Psalm 110:1,4) Melchizedek was this mysterious figure in Genesis, a king and priest combined. David writes about a ruler, a Lord, with an eternal priesthood, connecting to the Messiah who will have this eternal position. We should note how God’s promise to David was to have an ancestor who would establish an eternal kingdom, and how this ancestor will really be God’s son (2 Samuel 7).
The prophet Daniel reveals the “Son of Man” coming with the clouds of heaven (clearly divine) and receiving “dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples … should serve him.” (Daniel 7:13-14) Again, the kingdom is eternal and of God. The Son of Man comes from heaven, not the earth, yet he’s given authority over the earth by the Ancient of Days, God himself.
These verses challenged the Jewish rabbinical thought regarding “one God,” and therefore, when Jesus begins claiming himself to be the Son of Man, they react violently.
2. When Did Jesus Clearly Self-Declare Himself the Messiah and Divine?
Jesus didn’t make his identity a secret or open to interpretation. He clearly claimed to be the Messiah and divine.
John’s gospel records the clearest declarations of Jesus. Christ openly identified himself as the Messiah in his conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4). She said, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” To which Jesus responded, “I who speak to you am he.” Here is the first moment recorded where Jesus directly states his Messianic identity to a person.
Jesus also makes another powerful claim in John 8:58, which many people might miss. He tells the Jewish leaders, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” It might seem strange to us how the Jews immediately tried to stone him. But Jesus referred to the name God has given himself to Moses: I AM (Yahweh) in Exodus 3:14. The crowd clearly understood how he claimed to be God, a human being who says he existed even before the father of the faith, Abraham.
Even more so, Jesus said, “I and the Father are one,” in John 10:30. Once again, the Jews picked up stones to kill him and gave the reason, “Because you, being a man, make yourself God.” (John 10:33) Jesus didn’t correct them or their statements. He was a being fully God and fully human. Instead, he goes on to defend his statement.
Mark’s gospel also records a public declaration before the Jews the night before Jesus’ death. When brought before the Jewish council, the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” Jesus answered clearly, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” Jesus declared himself the godly, divine being from Daniel 7:13 and Psalm 110, which we mentioned above. The high priest tore his robes and accused Jesus of blasphemy, due to Christ’s divine claim.
Photo Credit: Image Created by AI
3. When Did Jesus Indirectly Declare Himself God?
Jesus also revealed his divinity through actions and teachings, referencing Old Testament ideas and history.
In John 6:35, Jesus said, “I am the bread of life,” which referenced God giving manna to Israel in the wilderness, a supernatural provision of bread from the sky or heaven (Exodus 16). The manna provided physical sustenance. However, Jesus claimed God sent him for something more important: eternal life.
Jesus declared himself the “Good Shepherd” in John 10:11. This has several Old Testament connections, many of them to God. Psalm 23 famously states, “The Lord is my shepherd.” As the Son of David, Jesus uses the king’s words to identify himself as God. Further, Ezekiel 34 condemns the false shepherds (leaders, rulers) of Israel, and then God promises to personally show up and be the good shepherd. Jesus reveals himself as the fulfillment of Ezekiel’s divine Good Shepherd.
Jesus also forgave sins, something only God could do. In Mark 2:5-7, he said to the paralyzed man, “Your sins are forgiven.” The scribes got upset and asked, “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Jesus doesn’t argue with this. Instead, he healed the man to prove he had divine authority there, too, both over creation and to forgive sins.
In Matthew 12:6, Jesus shares with the crowd, “I tell you, something greater than the temple is here.” God supposedly dwelt in the temple, the center of worship. Yet in those days, that symbol of God’s presence, the Ark of the Covenant, was missing. In claiming to be greater than the temple, he implies himself as the new meeting place between God and man, rooted in one of his names, Immanuel, God with us (Isaiah 7:14).
Photo Credit: Created by AI
4. What Gospel Narratives Reveal Jesus as God?
The gospel writers also connected many of Jesus’ miracles and actions with things only God could do. They go beyond the supernatural only, proving Jesus as divine.
Mark 4:35-41 records how Jesus calmed the raging sea with the words, “Peace! Be still!” The wind and waves obeyed him. The disciples experienced terror, asking, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” Only God can command the sea, as Psalm 107:29 said, “He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed.”
Jesus walked on water in Matthew 14:22-33. The sea and the ocean symbolized chaos and death in the Old Testament (God parting the Red Sea for Israel, etc.). In Matthew, the disciples saw him walking on the water and cried out in fear. “Take heart: it is I. Do not be afraid,” Jesus told them. The Greek phrase used there for “it is I” is the same “I AM” from Exodus 3:14 (ego eimi). After Peter briefly walked on water with Jesus and they made it back to the boat, the disciples said, “Truly you are the Son of God.” The experience revealed Jesus as God.
In John 11, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead after four days in the tomb. Before doing so, he tells Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me … shall never die.” Jesus didn’t perform a miracle, separate from himself. He is resurrection and life; therefore, with his words, he can bring life to the dead, a role only God can do.
While the gospels have many such stories, the ultimate proof Jesus is God comes when he rose from the dead (Luke 24, John 20). Every other biblical resurrection happens divinely through a person on earth, from the prophets to Jesus. But Jesus rose alone, an independent work of God, proving his divinity and victory over death and sin.
5. What Do the Inspired Apostolic Letters Say About the Divinity of Christ?
The apostles wrote or influenced the gospels, so it shouldn’t surprise us that they continually affirm the divinity of Jesus in their letters. John 1 begins with a clear statement. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The apostle declares Jesus as the eternal Word existing before creation and as the Creator God. This Word becomes human to live with us, pointing to Jesus (John 1:14). Thomas, one of the twelve main disciples, encountered Jesus after the resurrection and said, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). Jesus didn’t rebuke or correct him.
The writer of Hebrews makes radical claims about Jesus’ nature. “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.” (Hebrews 1:3) The author communicates this to the Jews, that Jesus was fully God, fully revealed the nature of God, and continues to act as God by holding the cosmos together with his word, connecting to John 1’s statements about Jesus.
As the apostle to the Gentiles, Paul clearly proclaims Jesus as “the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.” He affirms John’s statements: “by him all things were created … all things were created through him and for him.” Paul writes how Jesus isn’t a created being but the Creator, sustaining all things.
Further, in Titus 2:13, Paul writes to a fellow minister, encouraging disciples to wait “for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” The apostle Peter (who witnessed walking on water and heard God’s words) also refers to “our God and Savior Jesus Christ,” using the same divine title (2 Peter 1:1).
These verses aren’t exhaustive. When the Old Testament speaks of the Messiah, the writers and prophets declared him as divine. From the gospels to Acts to the letters to Revelation, the entire New Testament declares Jesus as fully man and God. As John tells us, any message denying his humanity or divinity comes as a lie, from an evil spirit (1 John 1:1-2, 1 John 4:2). Let us hold fast to this reality, central to truth and the Gospel which saves to the uttermost.
GRAMMY Award-winning artist and celebrated voice of faith, Naomi Raine, has released her moving new single “God Will Work It Out” a song that has already gone viral online and is now officially available.
The track is lifted from her upcoming Las Vegas live album titled Jesus Over Everything. Known globally as a standout member of Maverick City Music, Naomi once again delivers a message of unwavering trust in God, encouraging listeners to surrender their fears and lean fully into His promises.
Anointed Nigerian Gospel music sensation; Dunsin Oyekan has officially released his highly anticipated new album titled “Generation Intimacy (Live),” available now on all digital streaming platforms.
This 16-track project arrives one year after the success of his 2024 release, The Great Commission, and marks a significant milestone in his spiritual and musical journey.
The album is rich with soul-stirring anthems that lead listeners into profound encounters with the Holy Spirit, reinforcing Dunsin Oyekan’s mission to awaken a generation to the power and necessity of intimacy with God.
Off of her personal and genre-blending studio album TASHA, GRAMMY Award-winning gospel powerhouse; Tasha Cobbs Leonard has debuted the official music video for “Church”, the third track on the project, featuring legendary singer-songwriter and pianist John Legend.
The collaboration merges an emotional intensity of gospel with a soulful nuance of R&B. “Church” is not just a song, but a spiritual moment wrapped in melody, reimagining worship as something that transcends a physical building.
Speaking on the song Tasha said;
“When John and I recorded ‘Church,’ we wanted to create something that felt honest and sacred, like a moment of worship you could have anywhere,” Tasha Cobbs Leonard tells PEOPLE. “No lights, no crowd, no distractions, just two voices and a piano, lifting up something bigger than us.”
The three-time GRAMMY winner and Billboard’s Gospel Artist of the Decade; Tasha Cobbs Leonard has released her highly anticipated self-titled studio album, TASHA, today July 25 via Motown Gospel.
Speaking on the album release Tasha wrote;
“This album is the truest expression of who I am right now,” says Tasha Cobbs Leonard. “It’s vulnerable, it’s honest, it’s joyful — and it’s rooted in everything I believe about God meeting us exactly where we are. We didn’t hold back in the writing or the production. Every song is a piece of my journey, and I hope people find their own stories in it too.”
This project marks Tasha’s first album fully crafted in the studio. Teaming up with her husband and producer Kenneth Leonard Jr., she embraced the freedom to push creative boundaries both lyrically and sonically. The result is a 15-track body of work that blends gospel, worship, pop, hip hop, and 80s R&B, all grounded in faith and raw emotional honesty.
A boy born from an embryo frozen since 1994 invites Christians to consider what Scripture says about life, technology, and the image of God.
Judy McEachran
Pastor
In a delivery room on July 31, 2025, parents held their newborn son—a baby who had waited longer for his first breath than many adults have been alive. Thaddeus Daniel Pierce was born from an embryo frozen in 1994, technically older than his birth mother. His story doesn’t just spark curiosity; it raises questions that sit at the intersection of awe and ethical responsibility.
Is God present from the moment sperm and egg unite? If so, what happens to the imago Dei—the image of God—when we place that union on ice?
A Shared Foundation, Diverging Paths
Within the Christian community, views differ. The Catholic Church and some Protestant traditions oppose embryo freezing altogether. Meanwhile, many evangelical and Reformed believers cautiously support assisted reproductive technology, as long as it upholds the sanctity of life and respects the redemptive potential of embryo adoption.
Despite theological differences, one truth unites us: every life has infinite worth. The issue isn’t whether we value life, but how we steward it when science presents possibilities our ancestors couldn’t imagine. And the challenge for Christian parents is not to reject technology, but to seek harmony between innovation and God’s heart.
The Secret Architecture of the Womb
Before we can address the ethics of freezing life, we must first pause to marvel at where life begins.
When sperm meets egg, a zygote forms—a single cell, invisible to the eye but fully seen by God. This moment marks more than a biological process; it is divine orchestration. Life doesn’t wait for a heartbeat or brainwave to be sacred. It is sacred because God breathes identity into it from the start. Psalm 139:13–16 captures this wonder:
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb…Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”
This isn’t clinical language—it’s personal. God doesn’t merely allow life to form—He knits. The original Hebrew describes the “unformed body” as the embryonic stage. From that first cell, the image of God—His imago Dei—is woven into our DNA.
Is it any stretch to believe that the God who is all-knowing, ever-present, and all-powerful—the One who knows our every thought and moment—also has a divine design for each “unformed substance,” the embryonic life described in Psalm 139?
This divine intimacy isn’t new. It echoes back to the very beginning, when God formed humanity from the dust and breathed His own life into us. Genesis 2:7 tells us, “The LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.” That breath—ruach—means both “spirit” and “wind.”
Every life carries the Spirit of God from the start, making each conception a sacred unveiling.
Wrestling with IVF and the Wisdom to Honor God
It’s no wonder that some believers feel uneasy about assisted reproduction. Honoring God’s sovereignty in creating life is a sacred trust. But can the same God who orchestrates natural conception not also guide us through the complex decisions of in vitro fertilization?
The omniscient God is not threatened by science. He provides wisdom for medical advances. Just as we give thanks for antibiotics or heart surgery, we can seek His guidance in reproductive technologies. The question isn’t if we use them, but how, and whether our use reflects reverence and prayerful intent. James 1:5 offers comfort:
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault.”
Couples facing decisions about IVF, embryo storage, or adoption can seek godly counsel—pastors, trusted Christian friends, or organizations with a strong pro-life commitment. Groups like the National Embryo Donation Center, Nightlight Christian Adoptions, and Christian Adoption Consultants help families walk this journey with conviction and care.
Stories of Redemption
The story of Graciela and her daughter Anaya (“God answers”) reflects God’s redemptive power. After years of infertility, Graciela became a mother through a frozen embryo transfer facilitated by a Christian agency.
The McDuffies, another couple, found themselves blessed by their church community as they pursued embryo adoption. Their daughter, Eliza Jane, was born as a living testimony to God’s faithfulness.
And a family working with Christian Adoption Consultants named their son Josiah, confident that the God who knew him before birth would be faithful to his future.
Not every couple is led to or even chooses to pursue IVF. The financial cost, medical burden, and ethical concerns may steer them elsewhere. That decision, too, can honor God. Each couple must walk their path with humility, prayer, and the sincere desire to glorify God in every choice.
This is not about judging those who make different decisions. When hearts are surrendered, there may be no one “right” answer—but there can be peace in the process. Grace is essential.
God’s Calling from the Start
Scripture confirms that life is known, called, and cherished by God before birth.
Jeremiah heard God say, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart” (Jeremiah 1:5).
John the Baptist leaped in his mother’s womb, filled with the Holy Spirit even before birth (Luke 1:15, 41).
Paul recognized that God “set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace” (Galatians 1:15).
These were not “potential” lives. These were people—already chosen, already known.
The Reality of Cryogenic Limbo
Today, more than a million embryos are stored in cryogenic freezers across America. Picture warehouses lined with liquid nitrogen tanks—each straw labeled and stored—not with mere “genetic material,” but with lives bearing the image of God.
Since the 1980s, IVF has become more common and more efficient. Fertilize many eggs, implant a few, and freeze the rest. Financially, it makes sense. Emotionally, it offers a safeguard. But spiritually, it creates a dilemma.
Fewer than 15% of those embryos will ever be implanted. Most remain suspended in time—not because they lack worth, but because the decisions surrounding them are tangled, tender, and often left unmade.
The greater question is not whether science tempts us to “play God,” but whether we will bow before Him as the Giver of life. And our reverence is shown not only in the paths we choose, but in the words we speak, words that should cradle those smallest of souls as bearers of His eternal image.
A Sacred Stewardship
If each embryo carries the image of God, then every decision about their future is holy ground. Whether placed in a womb, entrusted to another family, or left waiting in frozen stillness, these lives are not ours to own, they are ours to steward. And stewardship means seeking God’s wisdom, walking in truth, and holding every choice with both conviction and compassion.
A young couple I know rejoiced at the birth of their child, only to later learn that multiple embryos had been created and frozen—something they hadn’t fully considered. These are real decisions with real spiritual weight.
Before beginning IVF, couples need not just medical facts, but a foundation of prayer. And for those facing loss—whether through miscarriage, failed implantation, or childlessness—God’s presence remains steadfast.
In one congregation I pastored, a couple longing for a child asked for prayer—echoing Hannah’s own cry in 1 Samuel 1:11. God answered their prayer threefold. It doesn’t always happen that way, but prayer is always the place where we place our longing into God’s loving hands.
The Echo of Eternity
Thaddeus’s story reminds us; time does not diminish the image of God. Whether suspended in liquid nitrogen for decades or growing in the womb, each embryo bears God’s eternal imprint.
As Peter wrote, “With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day” (2 Peter 3:8). Time is not the measure of a soul.
And when we see each embryo not as surplus, but as sacred, we align with the heart of the Creator.
Living with Reverence in a Technological Age
At the crossroads of reproductive technology and biblical truth, God doesn’t demand perfection, He calls us to faithful stewardship. That includes how we navigate IVF, embryo adoption, and ethical decisions, all while keeping hearts surrendered to Him. As Paul reminded Titus, “To the pure, all things are pure” (Titus 1:15). What matters most is the motive to honor God.
So whether you’re celebrating a new life, grieving a loss, considering IVF, or choosing a different path—know this: God is with you. His love is unshakable. And the child formed in secret, even frozen for thirty years, is never forgotten.
The image of God doesn’t begin at birth, or viability, or even implantation. It begins at conception.
“When I was made in the secret place…your eyes saw my unformed body.” –Psalm 139:15–16
May we be a people who walk in wisdom, extend grace, and trust that the Author of Life continues His perfect work in every womb, in every heart, and in every decision made with faith.
Photo Credit: Created by AI
Judy McEachran is a passionate worshiper and seasoned pastor who brings together her love for music and ministry to inspire and uplift others. An ordained pastor and accomplished musician, she has spent years encouraging believers through her heartfelt sermons and soul-stirring music. After serving congregations in the Midwest, she and her husband, who was also a pastor, relocated to Arizona upon retirement. Deeply moved by God’s unwavering love and His faithfulness through the years, Judy writes from a pastor’s heart to encourage and strengthen faith in a believer’s walk with Jesus. With the support of her husband, sons, and their families, Judy continues to use her gifts to glorify God. Her YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/@JudyMcEachran, features music that invites listeners to experience the Lord’s presence in a profound and personal way.
When you think of the disciples, those closest to Jesus, which one do you relate to the most? Many would say John, the one Jesus loved, or possibly Peter, who denied Jesus but repented, became the rock on which Jesus built his church. I think, though, truly more of us than we’d like to admit have the most in common with Judas.
Judas was a trusted and close follower of Jesus. He was so trusted that we know he handled the group’s finances (John 12:6). Throughout Jesus’ ministry, he followed him closely, hearing his message and witnessing the many supernatural miracles that Jesus performed. He shared meals with Jesus, asked him questions, met his family, and was considered a friend. Despite this, Judas fills the infamous role of betrayer in the Gospel story.
Judas is a cautionary character for everyone who believes themselves to be followers of Jesus. We must not forget that we are not immune to the temptation of sin and can learn from Judas what not to do as a follower of Christ.
Photo Credit: Chat GPT
1. Judas Sought Financial Security
“Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, ‘What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. From then on, he began looking for an opportunity to betray him.” – Matthew 26:14-16.
Judas Iscariot acted as a spy for the Sanhedrin. He accepted 30 pieces of silver as payment for information he provided that led to the betrayal of his master, Jesus. From the moment that Judas agreed to receive compensation for intel about Jesus’ whereabouts, he began secretly plotting against his leader, becoming a disloyal spy.
Judas was tempted by the promise of what could be gained in this present life. His eyes deceived him into believing wealth would bring him more joy than Heaven. What a tragic miscalculation he made! But how often do we make the same mistake? Choosing comfort, entertainment, wealth, and more all over Kingdom living! Temptation to exchange financial security for our souls is real. We must live continually in the light, or the darkness will quickly creep in.
We may not be asked to betray Jesus, but what other compromises are we making to accumulate wealth?
Have we been disloyal to get ahead?
Set faith aside so we can advance in the corporate ladder?
Given up on being a present spiritual leader in our homes because we are giving all our time to work?
Are we ruthless in the workplace because we are desperate to gain wealth?
These are all ways we choose the love of money over faithfulness to Christ. We must be careful to keep our priorities in line and continually surrender all we have to the Lord. 1 Timothy 6:10 warns,
“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”
Paul, the writer of this text, may very well have been thinking of Judas when we offered this advice to the emerging church. Money can easily become our god; we have to be vigilant to keep our priorities in order so we don’t lose our souls in exchange for finer things.
“While He was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, suddenly arrived. A large mob, with swords and clubs, was with him from the chief priests and elders of the people. His betrayer had given them a sign: “The One I kiss, He’s the One; arrest Him!” So he went to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him. “Friend,” Jesus asked him, “why have you come?” – Matthew 26:47-50
Judas was friends with Jesus. Astonishingly, he greeted Jesus with a kiss at the moment of his betrayal, and this would not have been out of the ordinary, as they would have embraced to show their affection on many other occasions. Judas and Jesus were close. Nonetheless, Judas chose his self over his friend.
Have you ever let a friend down because protecting or making space for them would get in the way of you getting something you wanted? In our dog-eat-dog culture, this behavior is common, even celebrated. We are constantly told to put ourselves first, that sacrifice is for losers, and that the ends justify the means. Judas lived by these principles well before they were trending, and this self-focused road led him straight to his tragic death as well as the death of his friend Jesus.
“There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.” – Proverbs 14:12
All of us can logic our way past our self-interested behavior. We can find ways to justify what we have done and how it costs those we once cared about, but when we are not willing to offer sacrificial love when the going gets tough, there are dire consequences.
Judas thought he was doing the “right” thing in the moment. After all, he was a practical man. He saw the religious elite conspiring against this Rabbi and figured maybe they had a point. Then the prospect for personal gain presented itself, and the deal was sealed. Why wouldn’t he set himself up with some financial security, after all he had given his service to Jesus in hopes of advancing his lot? Jesus hadn’t been the revolutionary he hoped to be, so this was one way to recover some of his investment. Sound human logic brought on his early death.
We must be careful not to let selfish logic guide us, as it did Judas. If we gain something on the backs of a loved one, friend, or community member, we aren’t on the right path. Repent, and God will faithfully show us a better way that leads us towards Him, our only hope for eternal life.
Photo Credit: SWN Design
3. Judas Believed in Himself More Than His Savior
Judas was not the only one who betrayed Jesus from the inner circle of followers. Peter also denied Jesus three times before the sun appeared on the night he was handed over to officials (Luke 22:54-62). Somehow, the fallout of Judas’ betrayal was his giving himself over to death (Matthew 27:3-5), and Peter became the rock on which Jesus built Jesus’ church (Matthew 16:18).
How did these two men, who both made terrible mistakes, end up in such different places?
The answer is in each of their reactions to their sin. Judas believed in himself, and Peter repented and affirmed his genuine belief in Jesus.
How many of us believe first and foremost in our power to control our destiny instead of living surrendered to God’s plan for our lives? Again, our culture shouts out that we can control our lives, that if we just try a few simple life hacks, we can make everything better, and that when things are going wrong, we should start over, no need to go back and say sorry for our mistakes.
A few years back, we walked alongside a friend who had been unfaithful in their marriage. What amazed me as I saw them navigate these murky, terrible waters was that no one else in their life pushed the person who had violated the marriage covenant to repent, take steps to protect their family, and lay down their right for the selfish gain for the sake of their family unit. Ultimately, I lost this friendship as the only one who voiced my concerns. In the end, the marriage and family unit failed because there was no repentance, just a relentless pursuit of personal pleasure.
When we are hard-hearted, unwilling to repent, and ultimately so prideful that we refuse to concede our need for a Savior, we are on a path that leads to destruction. That was the path Judas chose, and it’s one we are all at risk of following if we don’t surrender our great need for control. Proverbs 3:34 says,
“Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor.”
Humility is essential in the pursuit of Heaven. We detract from God’s narrow way when we think our way is better. The ultimate truth of the Christian life is that no matter what mistakes we make on the journey or how much we think we’ve ‘got it’, in the end, His way is always better. This is often uncomfortable, but I’d much prefer my life to be in the hands of the Creator of the universe than my own, wouldn’t you?
GRAMMY Award-winning artist, author, actor, and activist; Lecrae is officially returning with his highly anticipated tenth studio album titled “Reconstruction,” which is scheduled to be released on August 22 and available to Pre-Save/Pre-Order.
This will be his first full-length solo album in three years, and it promises to be one of his most impactful projects to date.
In preparation for the album, Lecrae has unveiled a powerful new single “Bless You” featuring Christian rapper Torey D’Shaun. The song delivers a raw and honest reflection on faith, struggle, and resilience.
Lecrae’s signature boldness is on full display, while Torey D’Shaun complements the message with gritty vocals and spiritual depth. Together, they craft a coming-of-age narrative rooted in the hope found through Christ.
Celebrated worship leader and songwriter; Sinach returns with a deeply anointed new single titled “Yahweh” featuring the powerful and soulful vocals of South African worship minister Mahalia Buchanan.
Known for creating worship experiences that usher millions into the presence of God, Sinach once again delivers a song that is both majestic in sound and profound in spiritual depth.
The song “Yahweh” is a spiritual journey. It is a sacred offering, a declaration of God’s eternal nature and unmatched greatness. This worship anthem is marked by heartfelt reverence and an atmosphere of awe, as Sinach leads listeners into sincere communion with the Almighty.
The rich blend of her distinctive voice and Mahalia Buchanan’s dynamic worship style creates a powerful synergy that draws worshippers into a space of divine connection.
