Even in the shadow of the decline of cultural and nominal religion, the future of vibrant Christianity in America is all around us. The future of Christianity in America is not extinction but clarification that a devout faith is what will last. Christianity in America isn't dying, cultural Christianity is. I am glad to see it go.

Indeed, the reference in Acts 15:22 to “the apostles and the elders, with the whole church” suggests that leaders from various congregations came together in the Jerusalem Council to make decisions for the wider body. This is the heartbeat of Presbyterian polity and reason to think “church” can mean in effect, “a subset of leaders who represent the whole.”

Peter’s failures put him in touch with God’s grace, and God’s grace is where a leader’s real strength comes from. In fact, it is a church leader’s most valuable resource to help others in need. You can only pour God’s grace into others when you are filled with it yourself.

The book and lyrics for Scandalous were written by Kathie Lee Gifford, who is controversial in her own right, not because she is guilty of any of the sins associated with Aimee, but because she is a Christian who tries to live a life pleasing to the One she follows.

And in the age to come, our appropriation of sports will finally be gloriously dialed in to its perfectly Jesus-exalting place, free from our sinful tendencies to either make sports an idol or downplay their goodness as God’s gifts.

The surveys showed that science and engineering majors had a significant advantage because they were more likely to find consistent, full-time employment. Students that graduated with more popular majors - such as the visual and performing arts, communications, education, literature, languages and psychology - earned an average of $55,000 a year and 50 percent suffered from seasons of unemployment

What I did say is she needed to know a common way God is at work in the lives of all Christians, regardless our age. God teaches us some amazing lessons when we suffer. We may not see them now, but we will see them clearer when some time has passed. I believe this smart little girl as well as other children can begin to understand this merciful quality about our sovereign God.

It's tempting to focus on one aspect of church involvement closed to women rather than rejoice over the hundreds of ways we can and should be serving. If I am not a pastor, does that mean my service means less? Not so, according to Paul, who teaches us to take joy in working hard for God in every way he has gifted us, for the benefit of the body and to God's glory.

What about the fellowship fall-out at Rome, the moral problems in Corinth, the confusion in Galatia, the disagreement among the women of the church in Philippi, the misunderstanding of the Christian life at Colossae, the difficulties in Thessalonica? These were the churches Paul loved, because these were the churches Jesus loved.

As prayerful reflection on the truths that we find in Psalm 17 brought divine perspective to Isaac Watts, it did so for David and for countless others Soldiers of the Cross. So let it bring optimistic hope to you in Jesus Christ our Lord. For this Psalm is about Him, anticipates Him, and follows the Gospel pattern of seeing that the things that come against us are really the things, like the Cross brought Resurrection, the things that lead us home.