The World Cup presents a ministry opportunity to those who will attend from various countries, and a selected number of players themselves see it as a platform through which they can testify to the presence of Christ within them. 1st Corinthians 10:31 (ESV) states: “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 

God has made it possible for us to have a relationship with Him through our acceptance of His one and only Son as the Savior of our lives. We can come to Him, we can know His presence, and we can experience the community of believers who have also made that profession of faith in Him. In an era in which there is widespread loneliness and isolation, God tells us that He will be with us.

We can be careful to make sure that we dedicate ourselves to the Lord and to what is important, according to His principles. We can consider ourselves stewards to the days that God has given to us, that we might be about the business of the Kingdom; as Jesus said, His “Father’s business.”

It’s been some 10 years since the Obama administration issued a “Dear Colleague” letter to protect the so-called “rights” of transgender students in public schools.  It opened the floodgates to all sorts of damaging ideas with regard to sexuality, launching a permissive culture in which students could explore these ideas.  It’s going to take some time to excise this ideology from various sectors of our culture. It didn’t happen overnight, and I submit progress has been made.

Here is this week's edition of "3 Stories," featuring three stories of relevance to the Christian community:
* 4 states pass legislation to protect houses of worship
* Federal health agency restructures to include religious freedom protections
* OH home for girls and women victims of human trafficking wins settlement over government agency that rejected its services.

We should be very careful to make sure that we are acting like who we say we are:  in other words, if we claim the name “Christian” or “Christ-follower,” our actions and our words should reflect Christ.  We are His representatives, and the way we behave should draw people to Him.

No matter what occupation or what platform to which God has called us, we can be careful to give glory to Him.  We should always take care to preserve our sense of dedication to Him, and realize that every day, in the words we speak and the actions we take, that we are placed in a position through which He should receive the glory.

The Bible teaches us not only about our individual prayer life, as well call upon and commune with God, but it also provides direction on corporate prayer.  Jesus spoke about two or more coming together to agree together.  And, the people who are closest to us, our families, can be incredible prayer partners for us, and we can recognize how God has placed them in our lives.  

It seems that so many in our society, in positions of authority, don’t understand that people of faith should be treated fairly, not excluded from programs just because they are faith-based, because of a phony fear of violating the so-called “separation of church and state.”  A Biblical faith perspective should always be a net positive, not a disqualifying negative.  

There have been numerous attempts in a variety of states to protect life.  And, last year, there was a measure built into a large piece of legislation that would prevent federal funding of the nation’s largest abortion provider - for one year.  That’s a far shorter period of time than pro-life advocates would have liked, but it was a small step forward.
A step that had an expiration date of July 4, 2026 - the 250th anniversary of a document that described the right to life as “unalienable,” given by our Creator.

This week's edition of 3Stories, with three stories of relevance to the Christian community, includes:
* Colorado teen prevented from reciting pro-life poem
* Lifeguard suspended for Christian beliefs headed to court for refusal to fly LGBT “Pride” flag
* 2500+ people are baptized in the Atlantic Ocean.

Where there is trouble, where the Church has been suffered persecution, where God’s people have encountered isolation and despair, we have seen instances in which the Lord is moving to bring people to Himself.

That includes the Middle East.

As over a hundred thousand people filed into Kyle Field at Texas A&M recently, a man said this on the PA system, according to Movieguide: “…I pray that the people walking in who feel lost and alone, that they might find community and that they might experience for themselves the soul-satisfying peace that only comes through knowing in Jesus Christ.”

The Bible directs us to seek and exercise Godly wisdom, and leads us to its source.  Now, there is certainly a fascination these days with this “shiny object” called artificial intelligence, which is ultimately a creation of human wisdom, the wisdom of this world, that has grown in popularity.  But, there is a cautionary aspect of these technological entities.

The Southern Baptist Convention meets in Orlando next week, representing millions of Christians across America and around the world.  Throughout the nation and around the world, God’s people are making their mark. In the lives of individuals, through various churches, church organizations, and ministry efforts, the Spirit of God is working through His people to mobilize them for the sake of the gospel. And, while there are massive efforts underway, we can still be challenged to consider how we can do more. 

We have been called to honor God in all that we say, think, or do, and we should live our lives according to His principles.  Our faithfulness as believers can spill out into the culture at large.  The light of truth is a powerful force and when the light is shone, blinders can be removed from eyes and clarity can be found.

This edition of "3Stories," features three stories of relevance to the Christian community. Here are this week's topics:

• Good news on potential foster parents’ rights out of WA State
• Male athlete still allowed to compete against females in H.S. track-and-field in CA
• Study shows abortion pill providers violate FDA regulations

This year, the Tennessee Legislature passed, and Governor Bill Lee signed, a resolution declaring June to be “Nuclear Family Month.”  A CBN article quotes co-sponsor, Rep. Bud Hulsey, who “defines the nuclear family as ‘one husband, one wife, and any biological, adopted, or fostered children’ and declares it ‘God's design for familial structure.’"

When we as a society reject His ways, it results in uncertainty and insecurity.  

When you open the door to special privileges based on the fallacy of “gender identity,” it leads to confusing circumstances like we’re seeing in California.

There are so many things that we encounter, perhaps even on a daily basis, that are unexplained. When confronted with the mysteries of the universe, we might seek an explanation, but find ourselves incapable or insufficient of truly being able to derive an answer. But, in some instances, we can rely on Biblical truth to help us to reason with the mysteries of life.

As students close out the most recent school year, it is a good time to consider the influences on young hearts and minds that prey on this generation, bringing thoughts and ideas to bear that are toxic to them, ideas that are born out of a worldview that is contrary to Scripture, ideas that cut to the heart of basic principles for the structure and betterment of society.

This week's edition of 3Stories, featuring three stories of relevance impacting the Christian community, includes:
* Two more states enact bans on abortion pill
* Christian leaders among those gathering to rededicate nation to God
* Texas hospital to launch first “detransition” clinic

The former President Theodore Roosevelt, said this in 1903: “In the Grand Canyon, Arizona has a natural wonder which is in kind absolutely unparalleled throughout the rest of the world,” adding, “I shall not attempt to describe it, because I cannot. I could not choose words that would convey or that could convey to any outsider what that canyon is.”

That is a quote from a USA Today article about the Grand Canyon.

Memorial Day is full of incredible stories of humans who laid down their lives. We remember Jesus said in John 15:13: “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”

The institution of marriage, which dates back to the first man and woman on this earth, is an essential building block for a society and an example of the love that our Savior has for His bride, the Church.  God provides the resources for marriages to last, to be strong, and to reflect His presence.   In Ephesians 5 (ESV), Paul includes a quote from the book of Genesis, and writes:
31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. ”
32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.
33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Noted marriage researcher Brad Wilcox of the Institute for Family Studies at the University of Virginia posted this on X recently in response to a Wall Street Journal article on rate of divorce and its consequences:

Hey, @WSJ, why not tell your readers that

✔️ Divorce is down
✔️ Most marriages go the distance now
✔️ Great programs exist to help couples navigate marital distress/failure successfully

?

He posted a chart that showed that in 2021, the rate of newly divorced people per 1000 Americans was 13.6 percent.  That is lower than every census year since 1960.  The IFS website noted in an article from last year: "Prior to the divorce revolution, less than a third of marriages ended in divorce. But the cultural transformation of the 1960s and 1970s radically changed the stability of American unions. It’s from such marriages, formed during the heyday of hippies through the MTV era, that we get the idea that 50% of marriages end in divorce. And it’s this picture of marriage that has been pressed into the American understanding of the fate of newlyweds."  The article goes on to say:

Using the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), we found that new marriages are stronger today than every decade since the 1950s. While new marriages in the 2000s initially resembled those from the 1990s, divorce rates slowed down after 5 years into marriage. By 20 years in, marriages in the 2000s were performing similarly to those from the 1960s.

Wilcox and his associates in this IFS article also address what is called "gray divorce:" the phenomenon of older people ending their marriages.  They write: "When 'gray divorce' is analyzed today, it is those marriages formed during the turbulent years of the divorce revolution often being observed. Consider that over half of married adults over the age of 60 wedded in the 1970s and 1980s. When we look at heightened divorce rates among older Americans, we are seeing, in part, the long tail of the 20th-century upheaval. The stability of new marriages suggests this revolution is over."

The same day last summer that this article was released, The Daily Citizen of Focus on the Family released an article about the ministry's report, Marriage Health in America, which said that “74% of marital relationships in the U.S. may be considered as healthy.”  Focus on the Family President Jim Daly noted that “even more significant, the percentage of healthy marriages increases to an amazing 82% when we narrowed down our findings to those who are deeply committed to the Christian faith. Without question, living by one’s Christian convictions makes a difference...”

The study also noted that, “21% of marriages may be considered in a state of crisis — where the couple is pursuing divorce or considering divorce or just have no hope for the marriage. Convictional Christians were found to experience the lowest rate of a crisis state...”

So, for Christian married couples, there is great hope.  When we come together in a relationship that is centered on the love we have for Him and for one another - true, unselfish Christlike love, that can contribute to a marriage going the distance.  

And, the cultural trends concerning marriage that IFS and Focus report show that the conditions for marriage are advantageous for couples in staying together.  The idea that marriages are fragile and temporary and that the divorce rate is skyrocketing can lessen a sense of confidence that a couple can actually stay together.  These trends now show the societal conditions have changed.

When we build our marriages and families on the firm foundation of Jesus Christ, we can be confident that He goes with us and by His love and power, we have the spiritual resources to exemplify Him in our homes.