He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.
— Colossians 1:15-18
The Hinge Podcast
By Corey Markum and Drew SokolFrom hingepodcast.org
 |
The Hinge podcast, which debuted in December, explores the question, "Who, exactly, was Jesus of Nazareth?" It has earned rave reviews. The men who launched the podcast — an atheist and a pastor, who are good friends — say that the show is "about doubt, identity, and the search for the real Jesus." Podcast episodes feature a wide range of experts and are marked by outstanding production quality. In an era when less-than-civil dialogue seems to be the norm, listeners will enjoy a tremendous example of what healthy, respectful disagreement should look like. |
Why Doctrine Matters
By Tucker Else
From Christian Union
|
Published in 1952, Mere Christianity is one of the most influential books of the 20th century. In it, C.S. Lewis gives a baseline apologetic (or, defense) of the Christian faith, yet it contains an impressive depth of what we call doctrine. In spite of its influence, there has been in the years since its publication a jettisoning of orthodoxy (or, right doctrine) within the Church, at least in the West. Many of our churches are not a whole lot different from any other civic organization whose purpose is to, generally, “do good.” |
A Brave New World of Transgender Policy
By Ryan T. Anderson
From Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy
 |
Ryan T. Anderson, Senior Research Fellow at the Heritage Foundation, friend of Christian Union’s, and a Princeton graduate who went on to earn a Ph.D. from Notre Dame, will release his newest book on February 20, entitled When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment. This article, adapted from the final chapter of the book, was published in the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy. |
Waking Up to an Incoming Ballistic Missile Alert
By Kelly Minter
From KellyMinter.com
|
Writer, musician, and Bible teacher Kelly Minter happened to be in Hawaii on January 13 when the now infamous false alarm about an imminent missile attack was sounded. Her reflections on the day — and on life — are worth your time. |
Challenges Facing the Church in 2018
By John Stonestreet
From Breakpoint.org
 |
Our friends at Prison Fellowship recently published an excellent BreakPoint Symposium that invited a range of writers and thinkers to answer the question: "What are the most pressing cultural issues facing Christians in 2018, and what will Christian faithfulness look like in light of those issues?" |
Prayer Requests
UNIVERSITY MINISTRIES
Please pray for Nexus 2018, the Christian Union conference for students at the universities where we have established ministries. Pray for the speakers and breakout session presenters as they prepare, and for God to move powerfully in the hearts of all who attend. Please also pray specifically that God would direct undecided students to attend, even in the midst of their busy campus schedules. We will be requesting your prayer for Nexus in each issue between now and the conference, which will be held in late February.
CITY MINISTRIES
This month’s CU New York salons have been remarkable examples of thoughtful engagement. On January 19 we held a salon on faith and real estate — how we understand it, how space shapes us, and how we use it. The January 23 salon addressed the topic of transforming business for good, or how we look at our economic bottom line. The ideas were rich and informed, and the discussion substantive in seeking understanding of how we engage the world redemptively. Thank you for praying for these initiatives, and we hope you will join us at subsequent salons and forums.
CHRISTIAN UNION DAY & NIGHT
Praise God for the wonderful testimonies we’ve received from some of the 750+ participants in our 10-day fast which ended last week. “Heroes of Fasting” featured ten days of original videos encouraging those fasting to find motivation in the examples of godly men and women from Scripture who fasted.
Talk Back
We would love to hear your thoughts and feedback about this newsletter or about any of the articles above. Please use this Contact Us form to share your thoughts >
