Category: Faith

Faith: Verse of the Day for Monday, June 5

Dana Hunsinger Gill
Tennessee Star - Verse of the Day

  VERSE OF DAY Be blessed and be a blessing June 4, Monday Proverbs 3:21-35 My child, don’t lose sight of common sense and discernment. Hang on to them, 22 for they will refresh your soul. They are like jewels on a necklace. 23 They keep you safe on your way, and your feet will not stumble. 24 You can go to bed without fear; you will lie down and sleep soundly. 25 You need not be afraid of sudden disaster or the destruction that comes upon the wicked, 26 for the LORD is your security. He will keep your foot from being caught in a trap. 27 Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it’s in your power to help them. 28 If you can help your neighbor now, don’t say, “Come back tomorrow, and then I’ll help you.” 29 Don’t plot harm against your neighbor, for those who live nearby trust you. 30 Don’t pick a fight without reason, when no one has done you harm. 31 Don’t envy violent people or copy their ways. 32 Such wicked people are detestable to the LORD, but he offers his friendship to the godly. 33 The LORD curses the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the upright. 34 The LORD mocks the mockers but is gracious to the humble. 35 The…

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Faith: Verse of the Day for Sunday, June 4

Dana Hunsinger Gill
Tennessee Star - Verse of the Day

  VERSE OF THE DAY Be blessed and be a blessing June 4, Sunday Matthew 5:13-16 13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

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Montreat College Defends Asking Faculty To Commit To Being Pro-Life And Pro-Traditional Marriage

Wendy Wilson

A small Christian college in North Carolina long supported by the family of evangelist Billy Graham is defending a new requirement that faculty and staff sign a pledge saying they are pro-life and for traditional marriage. The Montreat College statement says that faculty and staff will “uphold the God-given worth of every human being, from conception to death, as unique image-bearers of God” and “affirm chastity among the unmarried and the sanctity of marriage between one man and one woman.” The statement also addresses aspects of personal character, such as being a person of integrity and avoiding immodesty, and expects signers to regard the Bible as “the infallible Word of God, completely inspired and authoritative, and is to govern Christians in every aspect of life and conduct.” Located in the town of Montreat near Asheville, the college has only 876 students. It was run for many years by an association affiliated with the mainline Presbyterian Church (USA) but became nondenominational more than a decade ago. The school is a member of the conservative Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. Billy Graham and his late wife Ruth were married in the college’s chapel, which now bears their name, according to the Charlotte Observer.…

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Faith: Verse of the Day for Wednesday, May 31

Dana Hunsinger Gill
Tennessee Star - Verse of the Day

  VERSE OF THE DAY Be blessed and be a blessing May 28, Sunday Isaiah 41:10 “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, yes, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” John 16:33 “I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.”

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Tennessee Pastors Network Calls for Protection of Sermons in Tennessee As Now Provided in Texas

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  The Tennessee Pastors Network announced today that they are encouraging Tennessee legislators, and candidates for Governor, to embrace legislation signed into law in Texas on May 19, 2017 which shields pastors sermons from subpoenas issued by state courts. “Religious freedom is one of our most cherished rights, and pastors in Tennessee should be assured that they will not be targeted for government interference, threats or intimidation for what they prepare and deliver from their pulpits,” said Tennessee Pastors Network President Dale Walker in calling for Tennessee to follow Texas’ lead The Texas bill was authored by state Sen. Joan Huffman (R-Houston) and signed into law by Republican Governor Greg Abbott after passage in the Texas legislature. Texas Senate Bill 24 provides that a government cannot “compel the production or disclosure of a written copy or audio or video recording of a sermon delivered by a religious leader during religious worship … or compel the religious leader to testify regarding the sermon.” “President Donald Trump made protection of our religious liberties a centerpiece of his campaign and he carried Tennessee by a huge margin on that platform, including carrying all but one of Tennessee’s 95 counties,” Walker noted. “I would hope…

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Faith: Verse of the Day for Friday, May 26

Dana Hunsinger Gill
Tennessee Star - Verse of the Day

  VERSE OF THE DAY Be blessed and be a blessing May 26, Friday Matthew 6:9-13 9 … Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

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Faith: Verse of the Day for Monday, May 22

Dana Hunsinger Gill
Tennessee Star - Verse of the Day

  VERSE OF THE DAY Be blessed and be a blessing May 22, Monday Acts 4:31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. 1 Thessalonians 2:13 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.

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Faith: Verse of the Day for Sunday, May 21

Dana Hunsinger Gill
Tennessee Star - Verse of the Day

  VERSE OF THE DAY Be blessed and be a blessing May 22, Sunday 2 Corinthians 6:14-16 14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial ? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”

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Gubernatorial Candidate Bill Lee Meets With Franklin Graham At Clarksville Event

Wendy Wilson

  Bill Lee, a Republican businessman running for governor of Tennessee, met briefly with Franklin Graham in Clarksville on Thursday to thank him for being an inspiration in his life. Lee and his wife, Maria, met with Graham on a tour bus for about 10 minutes to talk and pray. The Christian evangelist was in Clarksville as part of his Decision America Tennessee Tour. Lee told The Tennessee Star that he was moved last year when he heard Graham speak in Nashville. Graham encouraged Christians to become involved in politics and for Lee, already contemplating a run for governor, it was just what he needed to hear. It is Lee’s first run for political office. Lee said he is impressed with the whole Graham family and twice heard Billy Graham, Franklin Graham’s father, speak in Nashville. The family has a powerful message, Lee said. “It’s a legacy that impacts lives,” he said. Lee is chairman of Lee Company, a facilities and home services company. He also has a background in agriculture and continues to be involved in a cattle farm run by his family. He lives in Franklin and attends Grace Chapel, a nondenominational church in Leiper’s Fork. Faith is a…

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Franklin Graham Warns Clarksville Gathering About Compromised Christianity

Wendy Wilson

  Our country is in trouble, and so are our churches. That was the message Franklin Graham delivered Thursday evening in Clarksville. He pulled no punches in describing how Christians have compromised with a corrupt culture instead of adhering to Scripture and being a godly influence. A pilot for many years, Graham compared Christians who trust their feelings more than God’s word to pilots who trust their senses instead of their instruments, which can lead to a crash. “Many Christians in today’s churches are in a spiritual fog,” he said. “But they don’t know it. They’re being blinded by this godless corrupt culture of tolerance and political correctness.” The elder son of famed evangelist Billy Graham, Franklin Graham is president and CEO of Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. He was in Clarksville as part of his Decision America Tennessee Tour. Graham is Southern Baptist but reaches across denominational lines. While he does not endorse candidates and is critical of both major political parties, Graham encourages political involvement and is seen as sympathetic toward conservative politics. He has spoken out against Islam and in defense of President Trump’s efforts to restrict immigration from some Muslim-majority countries, positions that…

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Clarksville Crowd Eager Thursday To Hear From Franklin Graham

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

  Larry Rye remembers going to tent revivals when he was growing up in Clarksville. There aren’t many tent revivals anymore these days, so when he heard that Franklin Graham was coming to town, he jumped at the chance to hear the Christian evangelist speak. Rye and his wife, Nece, are pastors for youth and children at Clarksville First Assembly of God. Their church heavily promoted Graham’s appearance Thursday evening at the Liberty Park amphitheatre. Rye and his wife were among those arriving early to the event. “We love America and would love to bring back the fire and desire for Christianity the way it used to be,” Rye said. If Rye and others were hoping for something that would bring back memories of tent revivals, Graham likely did not disappoint with his fervent warnings about sin, prayers of repentance and calls to accept Jesus. Rebecca Keene wasn’t sure what to expect. The Clarksville homemaker wasn’t very familiar with Graham, but came at the invitation of her mom, who drove from Knoxville for the event with a friend. “I figured I’d come out and see what it is about,” said Keene, who also was with two of her sons, ages…

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Evangelist Franklin Graham Addresses Crowd of 2,000 in Chattanooga

David Tulis

By David Tulis / Noogaradio 1240 AM 92.7 FM CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Evangelist Franklin Graham spoke Monday in Chattanooga to a crowd of 2,000  that rallied in a park along the river as part of his Decision America tour through Tennessee. The son of famed evangelist Billy Graham presented the enthusiastic audience with a biblical analysis of the U.S. cultural decline, the fruits, he argued of de-Christianization of the country. Graham proposed Godly remedies for the country. Graham will be in Clarksville May 18, Jackson May 19 and Memphis May 21.  A rock band, the Afters, gave a popular flavor to the gathering with its thundering technical effects and appeals to emotion. The raising  of hand in the air, palms open to the sky, during the musical prelude indicated nearly everyone present was a practicing Christian. “Father, I pray that you would forgive the sins of our country, that you would heal our country, that you would bring us together spiritually, morally, politically at every level. But Father, it’s not going to happen unless we repent of our sins as a nation and turn to you and to your son, Jesus Christ,” Graham said. He prayed for “this community, the political…

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Faith: Verse of the Day for Thursday, May 18

Dana Hunsinger Gill
Tennessee Star - Verse of the Day

  VERSE OF THE DAY Be blessed and be a blessing May 18, Thursday Ephesians 6:10-18 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God,so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

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Pentecostal Church in North Carolina Town Converted to a Mosque

Wendy Wilson

  A former Pentecostal church in the small North Carolina town of Smithfield became a mosque on Saturday. Mosque organizer Ali Mohammad told the Raleigh News & Observer that there are plans for a worship and community center and a school. Smithfield is located in a rural county in the center of the state that is predominantly Christian. 1950s American film star Ava Gardner was born near Smithfield, which is now the location of the Ava Gardner Museum. Local Christian leaders were invited to a ceremony at the new Islamic Center of Smithfield on Saturday, where mosque organizers planned to give them crosses removed from the building’s steeple and facade. “We want to be friendly with all our neighbors and let them know we’re there,” said Mohammad, describing Islam as a “peaceful” religion that “teaches us to love our neighbor and be friendly with everyone.” As in most mainstream news stories featuring similar claims about the nature of Islam, Mohammad’s description was left unchallenged by the News & Observer despite continuing acts of violence around the world committed in the name of Islam and the persecution of Christian communities in the Middle East to the point of near extinction. Pastor Jim Melnyk…

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Arkansas Approves Final Plans For Ten Commandments Monument At Capitol

Wendy Wilson

An Arkansas commission has approved a privately-funded display of the Ten Commandments on the grounds of the state Capitol. The Capitol Arts and Grounds Commission voted Thursday to approve the monument, which weighs more than 6,000 pounds and is more than 6 feet tall, according to the Associated Press. Last week’s approval was largely a formality. In 2015, the Arkansas General Assembly passed legislation allowing a display of the Ten Commandments to mark their influence in American law, but at no expense to the state. The Arkansas-based American History and Heritage Foundation raised more than $26,000 for the monument, which is set to be installed next month. “This is part of who we are, it’s history,” Republican state Sen. Jason Rapert told reporters at the Capitol. Rapert sponsored the 2015 legislation in the General Assembly. The monument is a replica of one at the Texas Capitol that was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2005. Even so, the American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas has threatened to sue.

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Franklin Graham To Host Event In Clarksville On Thursday

Wendy Wilson

Christian evangelist Franklin Graham will be in Clarksville on Thursday as part of his Decision America Tennessee Tour. He kicked off the tour Monday in Chattanooga and after stopping in Clarksville, will be in Jackson on Friday and Memphis on Sunday. “Thousands of churches and tens of thousands of people are excited to come together this May to pray for their communities in the Volunteer State,” said Lawrence Swicegood, director of Decision America Tennessee, in a story on the website for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Franklin Graham is the son of Billy Graham. Each event will feature a time of praise and worship as well as special musical performances. Dove Award-winning singer-songwriter Jeremy Camp will join the tour in Clarksville, Jackson and Memphis. Each stop will also include worship music from guitarist and singer Dennis Agajanian, who has traveled the world alongside Billy Graham and Franklin Graham. This fall, Franklin Graham plans to tour Texas, stopping in seven cities. Last year, he traveled to all 50 state capitals as part of his Decision America Tour that encouraged people to pray, vote and engage in the political process. His new efforts are aimed at reaching people in smaller and mid-sized cities.…

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Faith: Verse of the Day for Tuesday, May 16

Dana Hunsinger Gill
Tennessee Star - Verse of the Day

  VERSE OF THE DAY Be blessed and be a blessing May 16, Tuesday Isaiah 40:26 Lift up your eyes on high And see who has created these stars, The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, Not one of them is missing. Psalm 139:2-3 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.    

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Faith: Verse of the Day for Sunday, May 14

Dana Hunsinger Gill
Tennessee Star - Verse of the Day

  VERSE OF THE DAY Be blessed and be a blessing May 14, Sunday Happy Mother’s Day to all women that have mothered a child or have shown motherly love to a child! You are a blessing to God’s Kingdom! Proverbs 31:25-31 Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. 26 She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. 27 She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. 28 Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: 29 “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.” 30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. 31 Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.

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The Smearing Of Mark Green And What It Means For Christians

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

  In today’s climate, the vitriol that Tennessee state Senator Mark Green faced for his orthodox Christian beliefs while being considered for Army secretary would surprise few. But there also was a conspicuous lack of a vigorous defense from his fellow Republicans and even his fellow Southern Baptists. With few exceptions, there was little in the way of significant pushback against the torrent of rage against Green’s past statements on LGBT issues, Islam and other topics of concern to biblically-minded Christians and other conservatives. Under intense pressure, Green withdrew his name from consideration May 5. “Green’s nomination drew immediate backlash from Democrats, and even some Republicans,” reported McClatchy DC Bureau. “His support was lukewarm at best, and few in Washington showed an appetite to defend his controversial comments.” Raymond Baker, a Franklin resident and retired Republican political consultant, told The Tennessee Star that what really hurt Green was that Tennessee’s two Republican U.S. senators, Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander, did not fight hard enough on his behalf when the going got tough. Corker and Alexander, along with other “so-called Republican leaders” long ago sold their soul to liberal interest groups, Baker said. After President Trump nominated Green for the post,…

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Faith: Verse of the Day for Friday, May 12

Dana Hunsinger Gill
Tennessee Star - Verse of the Day

  VERSE OF THE DAY Be blessed and be a blessing May 12, Friday John 14:1-17 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” 8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip?…

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Faith: Verse of the Day for Thursday, May 11

Dana Hunsinger Gill
Tennessee Star - Verse of the Day

  VERSE OF THE DAY Be blessed and be a blessing May 11, Thursday John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

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Christian Governor of Jakarta, Indonesia Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison ‘For Blaspheming the Quran’

Tennessee Star Staff

“An Indonesian court sentenced the minority Christian governor of Jakarta to two years in prison on Tuesday for blaspheming the Quran, a jarring ruling that undermines the reputation of the world’s largest Muslim nation for practicing a moderate form of Islam,” the Washington Post reported on Tuesday. In announcing its decision, the five-judge panel said Gov. Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama was “convincingly proven guilty of blasphemy” and ordered his arrest. He was taken to Cipinang Prison in east Jakarta. At the court, supporters of the governor wept and hugged each other amid shouts of jubilation from members of conservative Islamic groups. Photos quickly appeared online of Ahok, who still commands immense popularity in Jakarta, the capital, being warmly greeted by prison staff. Ahok said he would appeal, but it was unclear if he would be released once that process is underway. By early evening, hundreds of angry supporters had gathered at the high-security prison, some pushing hard against a tall metal gate and others setting a tire alight. “Brothers and sisters, justice has died in this country,” said a man addressing the crowd with a megaphone.   The stunning sentence flies in the face of recent claims by some Indonesian…

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Faith: Verse of the Day for Tuesday, May 09

Dana Hunsinger Gill
Tennessee Star - Verse of the Day

  VERSE OF THE DAY Be blessed and be a blessing May 9, Tuesday Matthew 9:35-38 35 Then Jesus went to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness. 36 When He saw the crowds, He felt compassion for them, because they were weary and worn out, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples,“The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. 38 Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”

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Faith: Verse of the Day for Sunday, May 07

Dana Hunsinger Gill
Tennessee Star - Verse of the Day

  VERSE OF THE DAY Be blessed and be a blessing May 7, Sunday John 3:19-21 19 “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

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Faith: Verse of the Day for Saturday, May 06

Dana Hunsinger Gill
Tennessee Star - Verse of the Day

VERSE OF THE DAY Be blessed and be a blessing May 6, Saturday John 4:23-26 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”

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FACT’S David Fowler: Religious Liberty Executive Order “A Good First Step”

Wendy Wilson

The Family Action Council of Tennessee is calling President Trump’s signing of a religious liberty executive order on Thursday “a good first step.” But more is needed to shore up protections for people of faith, said FACT President David Fowler in a statement. Fowler said the executive order “addresses in a limited way the Johnson Amendment that has been used by the IRS to intimidate conservative ministers, but we call on the president to provide the leadership Congress needs to repeal it.” “We also join others in calling on the president to now take those additional steps necessary to fulfill the promise made during his campaign to fully protect religious liberty, particularly the liberty of those who believe in the sanctity of life and marriage,” Fowler said. Trump received widespread support from evangelicals in the November 2016 election and many have followed this issue closely to make sure he follows through on his campaign promise. In February, FACT joined with the Family Policy Alliance and its network of 40 state-based family policy councils in sending a letter to Trump asking him to reverse the tone set by the Obama administration. “We write to request that you firmly reject the systemic bullying…

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Christian Leaders Give Bibles To First Responders In Goodlettsville

Wendy Wilson

Church leaders have been giving Bibles to firefighters and police officers in Goodlettsville this week in a show of support. Some firefighters received their Bibles on Thursday – the National Day of Prayer, reports WKRN News 2. Fire Chief Kenneth Reeves told WKRN that his firefighters appreciate the support. “They get a real boost,” he said. “They get strength from being acknowledged every now and then.” Seven organizations are involved in distributing the pocket-size Bibles, which are imprinted before they are handed out. “We wanted to make sure that every policeman and every fireman gets a Bible with their name on it so it is something they can take with them,” said Pastor Joe Marlar. “We just simply want to say thank you for protecting our community.” Marlar said he also wants first responders to know that Christians are praying for their safety.

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Faculty at Samford University Votes in Favor of LGBT Student Group

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

  The faculty at Samford University in Alabama has voted to give official recognition to a pro-LGBT student organization. The full faculty at the Baptist school voted April 27 to recommend approval of Samford Together, a student group that would offer a forum for discussing sexual orientation and gender identity in “an open-minded and accepting environment,” reports Baptist Press. The recommendation could have “serious implications” for the ties between the university and the Alabama Baptist Convention, according to a joint statement by the convention president and the executive director of its state board of missions. The statement said approval of such a group would go against Scripture. Meanwhile, Samford President Andrew Westmoreland is trying to find middle ground. He told the faculty before the vote that he holds to the biblical view of marriage between a man and a woman and said many of Samford’s constituents believe the same. Yet he did not take a position on Samford Together, according to the Baptist Press. “As you hear me today, some of you may be disappointed by my unwillingness to completely embrace contemporary views of human sexuality and the theology that is used to undergird them,” Westmoreland said in his remarks…

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United Methodist Church Top Court Rules Against Gay Bishop But Future Unclear

Wendy Wilson

  The top court of the United Methodist Church has ruled that the consecration of an openly gay bishop violates church law but the bishop for now still has her job. In a somewhat convoluted decision, the judicial council, convening in Newark, New Jersey, said that Karen Oliveto “remains in good standing” pending the completion of another administrative or judicial process, according to a UMC news story. The decision, made public on Friday, said, “It is not lawful for the college of bishops of any jurisdictional or central conference to consecrate a self-avowed practicing homosexual bishop.” Oliveto was consecrated in July 2016 by officials in the Western Jurisdiction. She is the episcopal leader for an area covering Colorado, Montana, Utah, Wyoming and one church in Idaho. A church lay member from Kansas in the South Central Jurisdiction formally challenged Oliveto’s elevation to bishop. The denomination’s high court rejected an argument from the Western Jurisdiction counsel made during an oral hearing last week that Oliveto’s same-sex marriage in 2014 to another woman was not a public statement about her sexual practices. “A same-sex marriage license issued by competent civil authorities together with the clergy person’s status in a same-sex relationship is a public…

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LGBT Group At Belmont University Upset By Campus Event Promoting Biblical Sexual Ethics

Wendy Wilson

  Members of an LGBT group at Belmont University were upset recently with a documentary shown on campus that promoted biblical sexual ethics, an event also criticized by the university provost. The documentary and a discussion that followed on April 6 were sponsored by University Catholic, another group at the Christian liberal arts college in Nashville. Called “Desire of the Everlasting Hills,”  the film relates the story of three people with same-sex attraction who used to be part of the LGBT world but now practice chastity because of their Christian faith. One member of Bridge Builders, the campus LGBT group, told the student newspaper Belmont Vision, that Belmont “has been very accepting as of late” but that this event made Belmont “look really bad.”Another said, “We were just appalled by the documentary.” Both told the student newspaper that they are Catholics themselves. Several students were also upset with comments made following the film by psychologist Stephen Hopkins who described circumstances in a child’s upbringing that could contribute to same-sex attraction and said homosexual relationships are inherently more unstable than heterosexual ones. Members of the LGBT group were angered that university leaders allowed the film to be shown without first consulting with LGBT…

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Latinos For Tennessee A Conservative ‘Voice of Reason’

Wendy Wilson

  Raul Lopez quickly discovered when he began helping Republicans with Hispanic outreach that he wasn’t working on a level playing field. He was far outnumbered and outspent by Democrats trying to reach the same audience. Lopez tried to make inroads in the Hispanic community for former President George W. Bush and for Tennessee House Speaker Beth Harwell when she chaired the Tennessee Republican Party. The frustrations he experienced prompted him to start Latinos For Tennessee, a conservative political advocacy group. The group champions limited government and free markets, fiscal responsibility, immigration enforcement and traditional values. “We’re a counter voice,” Lopez told The Tennessee Star. Started four years ago, the group was organized as a political action committee with an outreach and educational wing. The group is based in Nashville and plans to expand its presence in other parts of the state. Lopez, a native of Cuba who came to the U.S. when he was five years old, is the executive director. In addition, there is an eight-member board of directors. The board chairman is Tommy Vallejos, a Clarksville pastor and Montgomery County commissioner who has announced his intention to run for state Sen. Mark Green’s vacated seat pending Green’s confirmation…

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Former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue Among Evangelicals In Trump Administration

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

  President Trump swept into office with a broad base of evangelical support and he has made sure that evangelicals find positions in his administration. Among them is former Republican governor of Georgia Sonny Perdue, who was sworn in as secretary of agriculture on Tuesday. A veterinarian by training, Perdue has a background in agribusiness and was a captain in the U.S. Air Force. Perdue has said he believes God has called him to his cabinet post. He is a member of Second Baptist Church in Warner Robins, Georgia, where his son Jim Perdue is the pastor and where he has served as a deacon and Sunday School teacher. The church plans to hold a worship service commissioning the elder Perdue and his wife Mary to their new field of service, Baptist Press reports. “When people ask him, ‘How can we pray for you?’ one of his first responses is, ‘Pray for my obedience.’ He wants to be obedient,” Jim Perdue told Baptist Press, adding that’s what he believes led his father to accept Trump’s nomination. When Perdue was nominated in January, rounding out Trump’s cabinet picks, Charisma News reflected on what once would have seemed an unlikely scenario. “Two years ago,…

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Faith: Verse of the Day for Sunday, April 30

Dana Hunsinger Gill
Tennessee Star - Verse of the Day

  VERSE OF THE DAY Be blessed and be a blessing April 30, Sunday Proverbs 4:18-23 18 The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. 19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble. 20 My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. 21 Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; 22 for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body. 23 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

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