The Anti-Progressive “Vibe Shift” Happening Right Now in American Culture
As Trump begins his second term, we have to name the obvious. There has been a significant “vibe shift” in American culture away from the Biden-era progressivism.
Culture & Public Square
Culture & Public Square helps Christians think biblically about life in society and engage today’s issues with conviction and compassion. Explore articles on current events, ethics, justice, race, technology, public life, and cultural trends—grounded in Scripture and shaped by Christian wisdom. You’ll find guidance for faithful witness, thoughtful dialogue, and making disciples in a complex world, while keeping the gospel at the center. Whether you’re navigating challenging conversations or seeking clarity for ministry and daily life, these resources equip you to live and speak with grace and truth in the public square.
Modern Israel and the Church
A recent interview with New Testament scholar Jon Weatherly on how we should view modern Israel.
March 2, 2025
Facing the Changing Face of Culture
Insight into how we might help ministry leaders in the U.S. and abroad remain faithful in their vital vocational roles, ensuring ministry leaders in the church worldwide produce deeply rooted kingdom fruit.
February 11, 2025
Keeping Up With Forty-Five Executive Orders
The perpetual onslaught of breaking news is numbing. It makes us care more … at least at first. But over time we get fatigued with the world’s chaos every second of every day, and we lose our ability to care.
January 27, 2025
The State of Our Union
The observance of Communion each Lord’s Day should remind us that the strength of our union, the glue that holds it together, is not in us—far from it. It’s in Jesus and Jesus alone.
January 13, 2025
Transfer of Power
Just as the repeating of the presidential oath of office takes only a few seconds, it takes only seconds to take the emblems of Communion and to reaffirm our loyalty to Jesus.
January 7, 2025
I Binged Joe Rogan This Week …
After binge listening to the Joe Rogan podcast, Tyler McKenzie offers a few insights he gained from his listening experience.
October 30, 2024
Who is More Religious, the Left or the Right?
The problem with political religion should be obvious. Politicians make big promises but are bad saviors. Political parties make fanatical communities but bad churches. When politics become religion, Christian unity is poisoned and our more meaningful relationships die.
September 1, 2024
Escaping the Echo Chamber
An echo chamber is an environment where the same opinions are repeatedly voiced and promoted, so that people are not exposed to opposing views. Echo chambers also extend to online groups where people with similar opinions on any topic share their voices and validate each other.
September 1, 2024
Political Engagement that Honors Jesus and Unifies the Body
There is something right and beautiful about grateful, healthy patriotism, as long as it is always subject to our greater citizenship and its responsibilities.
September 1, 2024
Honoring Christ in an Age of Outrage
In a time when so many are drunk with rage, Christians—and leaders in particular—must be sober-minded. Don’t forget that we’ve got essential and eternal kingdom work to do.
September 1, 2024
Political Engagement in the Restoration Movement: An Historical Perspective
Alexander Campbell encouraged Christians to refrain from getting too involved with governmental affairs, but he also encouraged them to use their available political means to promote Christian values in society.
January 26, 2024
YouTube Presenter Profiles Independent Christian Churches
Ready to Harvest, which conducts denominational research, has released a 27-minute video via YouTube profiling and explaining Independent Christian Churches and Churches of Christ. “What Are Independent Christian Churches?” was posted early this week and is being generally well received. . . .
January 1, 2024
A Society Sick Off Freedom
If you’re looking for relief from anxiety, depression, or something else, stopping the right thing can move you toward the right results.
September 18, 2023
‘I Can’ Movie to Premiere Nationwide on Friday
"I Can," a movie about Katelyn Pavey, a one-armed athlete who became an All-American softball player at Kentucky Christian University, will premiere in theaters nationwide on Friday. Katelyn’s home church, First Capital Christian Church in Corydon, Ind., produced the film. . . .
July 25, 2023
Start-up AI Platform Aims to Help Pastors Make the Most of Their Sunday Sermons
Some laud the potential of artificial intelligence to make life easier for everyone. Some fear how AI could be misused. But like it or not, it’s here—and one company is looking to bring it to the church. Michael Whittle, a California entrepreneur and lay pastor, is the founder of Pulpit AI, a soon-to-be-released platform designed to help pastors make the most of their weekly sermons. . . .
July 1, 2023
What the Restoration Movement Should Learn from Bud Light
By Jerry Harris Earlier this year, it seemed the whole country was caught up in the cancellation of Bud Light, America’s best-selling beer. The turmoil resulted from a promotion that connected the brand to Dylan Mulvaney, a transgender TikTok influencer; Bud Light sent personalized beer cans to Mulvaney celebrating both March Madness and Mulvaney’s yearlong transition to identify as a woman. Mulvaney’s videos on social media triggered a backlash that caused many Bud Light beer drinkers to reject the iconic brand. In just a few weeks, Anheuser-Busch lost $5 billion in market value, 17 percent in sales, and 21 percent
January 1, 2023
Are You a Truth-Teller?
By Kent E. Fillinger A January 2021 Lifeway Research survey found 49 percent of U.S. Protestant pastors say they frequently hear members of their congregation repeating conspiracy theories about something happening in our country. Around 1 in 8 pastors (13 percent) strongly agree their congregants are sharing conspiracy theories. WHAT THE RESEARCH SHOWS An October 2020 research report found that Facebook users engage with misinformation 70 million times per month on average. Though far fewer than the 2016 peak of 200 million monthly fake news engagements, it still is no small figure. On Twitter, people share false content 4 million
November 4, 2022
‘Mr. OCC’ Meredith Williams Uses Facebook Like Barnabas (and Barney Fife)
Among the 15,000 Ozark Christian College alumni, Meredith Williams is a legend. During his 46 years at OCC, Meredith wore many hats, including admissions director, alumni director, and many others. Nicknamed “Mr. OCC,” he’s been the college’s single best cheerleader, and when he retired in 2013 at age 73, his ministry didn’t stop. He just moved it to Facebook. . . .
November 1, 2022
Peace for All Seasons
By Douglas Redford (This article, reprinted here with minor updates, first appeared in Christian Standard on December 22, 1985.) During the Christmas season in 1984, an event occurred which served as a revealing commentary on the times. Bishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, an Anglican church leader, was in Oslo, Norway, to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. But the presentation was held up for more than an hour after an anonymous telephone caller told an Oslo newspaper that a bomb had been placed in the reception hall and would explode in 10 minutes. Although a careful search turned up nothing,
