Current Events Archives

Common Sense Wins in Houston

Election night 2015 brought victories for religious freedom and common sense.

Last night we saw many encouraging signs from around the country that voters are concerned with issues ranging from religious freedom to the expansion of recreational drug use to the safety and privacy concerns of women and children.

Here are some of the highlights:

First, Houston voters overwhelmingly rejected a controversial city ordinance that would have allowed men suffering from gender confusion to use women’s bathrooms and locker rooms around the city.

Topics: Current Events Tags: church, family, news, policy, religious liberty November 4, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Halloween and The Reformation: Thoughts for Today

Many Americans, especially children, eagerly await the arrival of Halloween this Saturday. I understand and respect that some of my readers choose not to participate in the tradition of the day. If that is you, I appreciate your convictions. However, I think equally devoted Christians can respond differently. My wife and I have opted to allow our sons to trick-or-treat over the years.

We do, though, impose one important caveat: We’ve chosen to stay away from any of the gore and horror of the holiday.

Topics: Current Events Tags: church, faith, pop culture October 28, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Why Are Schools Cancelling Recess?

Some elementary schools across the nation are banning recess.

Why?

So kids can have more formal instruction time in class.

Limiting recess is just one example of what’s being done in the interest of giving teachers more time to teach. For example, we’re seeing children being introduced to formal academics earlier and earlier.

One teacher described it like this: “Kindergarten is now first grade, and first grade is now second grade.”

Kids are also coming home with more homework than in years past.

Topics: Current Events Tags: family, kids, parenting, pop culture October 21, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Where’s the Common Sense in Houston?

Few things should concern us more than watching government officials take actions that put political correctness ahead of the safety of women and children.

What’s happening in Houston at the moment is a perfect example of this.

You may remember this ongoing story:

Houston’s Mayor Annise Parker, along with a willing city council, passed one of those laws we see more and more of today, which permits men who are dealing with their own gender identity confusion to use women’s restrooms and locker rooms (and vice versa).

Topics: Current Events Tags: homosexuality, policy, pro-life, religious liberty October 15, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Estimated 100,000 Students Prepare for “Bring Your Bible to School Day” Tomorrow

When we launched “Bring Your Bible to School Day” last year as a way to empower and encourage public school students from kindergarten to college to express their faith freely, we had no idea God was going to do so much with the event in such a little time.

An estimated 8,000 students celebrated their religious freedom and shared God’s hope in the program’s inaugural year. Tomorrow, we’re expecting an estimated 100,000 to participate!

Students all across the nation have already signed up to take part in “Bring Your Bible to School Day.” On our Facebook page, we’re reading story after story of excited students getting ready to stand unashamed for their faith.

Topics: Current Events Tags: events, faith, kids, promos, religious liberty October 7, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Hope in the Face of Violence

The stories and scenes from Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon, have become tragically familiar. Once again, a calm and peaceful setting is disrupted by violent gunfire, a massacre wrought by an individual targeting people of the Christian faith.

From Columbine High School and New Life Church here in Colorado, to churches in Charleston, South Carolina, and Fort Worth, Texas, and now, a school in Roseburg, Oregon, a chilling pattern has emerged. Innocent and unassuming people, many of them young students for whom their love of God frames everything else in life, are increasingly becoming the casualties of a red-hot abhorrence of Christianity.

Topics: Current Events Tags: events, faith, kids, news, religious liberty October 5, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Oregon Community College Shooting

We’re deeply saddened by the tragic news of the shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon. News reports indicate the shooter, who later committed suicide, was asking those he captured to state their religion. If they identified as Christians, they were shot in the head. All others were shot in the leg. In total, 12 people have been reported killed and eight others have been wounded. Today’s massacre, which appears to have been religiously motivated, is reminiscent of the Columbine High School shooting where several students were specifically targeted and murdered because of their Christian faith.

Topics: Current Events Tags: faith, news October 1, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

WATCH: Exclusive Debut of Newsboys Video Kicks Off “Bring Your Bible to School Day”

Last year’s inaugural “Bring Your Bible to School Day” was huge, and this year’s event on Oct. 8 promises to be even bigger.

Just like last year, all 50 states will be represented. But where last year we had about 8,000 students participating, we’re expecting that number to be exponentially higher for the 2015 event.

Think about what God can do through multiple thousands of students, from kindergarten to college, bringing their Bibles to school as a visual way to celebrate religious freedom and share God’s hope with friends!

Topics: Current Events Tags: events, kids, pop culture, religious liberty September 23, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Baseball, Yogi and You

Note: In light of Yogi Berra’s passing last night at the age of 90, I wanted to dust off a piece I wrote about him three years ago. Many will remember Mr. Berra’s Hall of Fame playing career and funny way with words. He was a character, that’s for sure! But I’m most impressed with the love and devotion he exhibited to his wife of 65 years, Carmen, who passed away in 2012. May the Lord bring comfort and peace to the Berra’s three sons and extended family.

Topics: Current Events Tags: news, pop culture September 23, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Call Your Senator and Help Reduce U.S. Abortions

The latest undercover video taking viewers behind the scenes at Planned Parenthood was released this week. As with the previous videos, this one is a glimpse into a world most Americans would rather ignore; a place where abortions are sold, preborn babies are killed and their body parts are harvested for research, allegedly for profit.

If your heart is broken by these videos and you want to do something to help stop abortion, here’s an opportunity to act:

There’s a major pro-life vote scheduled to take place in the U.S.

Topics: Current Events Tags: news, policy, pro-life September 21, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura