Quote of the day:

“Till sin be bitter, Christ will not be sweet.”

_{- Thomas Watson}

Today’s Headlines

Republican Debate Tonight

Tonight, 8 Republican Presidential candidates have qualified for the first 2024 primary debate. The candidates are North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former Vice President Mike Pence, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott.

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The Remnant’s Response:

As election events ramp up, particularly the first round of debates, we wanted to get ahead of what we're sure will amount to lots of political news these next 15 months. Students of Scripture understand that while no system on earth is the source of our hope (Psalm 62:1-2), what happens in government is worth praying for (1 Timothy 2:1-2) and participating in (Jeremiah 29:7). It is a mistake to dismiss civic concern or involvement as unimportant; how we organize and what ordinances we support are part of how we honor God and love our neighbor. Good governance causes human flourishing, and God loves when humans flourish (John 10:10). It also involves the wise selection of rulers and wise establishment and enforcement of rules. To not participate in conversations about civics is to abdicate our roles as those called to be salt and light (Matthew 5:13-17). As we evaluate and ultimately vote for candidates, we should be keenly aware of the temptation to become overly focused on a person or party to bring our desired peace (Jeremiah 17:5-8). You may not want to watch debates, but there is no debate about whether we will be held accountable for how we serve our King by advocating for good in this time of evil (Ezekiel 33).

The Problem with the Unconditional Conference

An Atlanta Mega Church, North Point, pastored by Andy Stanley, is hosting The Unconditional Conference at the end of September. The conference's stated goal is to help equip and encourage pastors or parents of LGBTQ+ members and children. Notably, two of the conference speakers are in same-sex marriages.

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The Remnant’s Response:

The desire to bring hope to families where children are same-sex attracted or struggling with gender dysphoria is admirable and Christlike. How it seems this conference intends to offer that hope is off to a concerning start. It is right for Jesus’ church to speak into, disciple, and support families navigating children facing temptation, mental illness, and sin, but there is a right way to do it. Elevating speakers in same-sex relationships or affirming that the LGBTQ lifestyle has no conflict with obedience to Christ is not just problematic - it is wrong. Grace and truth are never at odds (John 1:14), but it is odd that more and more professing Christian leaders are acquiescing to culture instead of informing it (Romans 12:2). While to our knowledge, Stanley has not explicitly become affirming of the LTGBQ+ worldview it is concerning that he, as a celebrated leader in the church, has not expressly made it clear he is not. We agree that the church has recently failed when it comes to protecting a biblical view of marriage (see the divorce rate among those who identify as Christians and proportionately less concern about heterosexual sin and cohabitation), but this is especially so when it comes to relating to, understanding, and loving those who are same-sex attracted. But past mistakes cannot become justification for new ones. Declaring the unconditional love of God without clearly reminding people of His absolute commitment to judge sin and rebellion (Exodus 34:6-7) is unconditionally wrong. Let us pray that the speakers at this conference, and especially the elders of North Point Church, make that clear before, during, and after they gather to serve these families.

Coach Kennedy Is Back In Action

After an eight-year hiatus and a $1.7M settlement, high school football coach Joe Kennedy has returned to coaching at Bremerton High School in Washington. In 2015, Kennedy's tradition of post-game prayers on the 50-yard line, often joined by students, resulted in his suspension and eventual termination due to alleged insubordination and perceived unconstitutionality, according to the school district. In response, Coach Kennedy argued that his religious liberty was violated. The case reached the Supreme Court in 2022, where the majority ruled in his favor in a 6-3 decision. The ruling asserted that his "quiet, personal prayer" was protected by the First Amendment. The majority opinion, written by Justice Neil Gorsuch, deemed Kennedy's actions as constitutionally protected. The Bremerton Knights' first game of the season is set for next Friday, September 1st.

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The Remnant’s Response:

Every believer can be thankful for Coach Kennedy's willingness to stand up against the unconstitutional suspension he received in 2015. Kudos to our friends at First Liberty for making sure his voice was heard and garnering one of the most significant religious liberty victories in decades for all of us. It's crucial to recognize that our nation's founding document makes clear that teachers and coaches don't have their constitutional liberties stripped at the schoolhouse gate. Coach Kennedy's ruling not only brought justice for him, but it also overturned what has been commonly called the Lemon test, taken from the Supreme Court decision in Lemon v. Kurtzman (1971), which made it easy for people to claim they are "offended" by any religious display and file a lawsuit to have it removed. For five decades, this "test" has caused countless public school administrators to believe they had to suppress religious expression and infringed upon the rights of believing teachers and students around the country. Thankfully, in the Kennedy decision, the Court reversed Lemon and affirmed that the government cannot censor private religious expression.

Christians everywhere should be heartened to take advantage of our restored freedom and be encouraged to reach out to First Liberty for opportunities to join and support them as they stand up for and defend our faith.

By daring to live out his convictions with humility, Coach Kennedy modeled courage to his players and the rest of us (1 Corinthians 16:13). While Christians must be wise in exercising their liberty (Galatians 5:13), we must also be bold not growing weary in doing good (Galatians 6:9). May Coach Kennedy's story inspire the remnant to unashamedly follow Christ, be ready to pay the cost (1 Corinthians 15:58) and live gratefully for the ease with which most of us do it today (Hebrews 12:3-4).

Other news you should know

🚠 All 8 passengers safely rescued from a Pakistani chairlift hanging 900ft. in the air.

♟️ 18-year-old Indian Chess prodigy competing for the World title. 

🏃🏾‍♀️ Dallas native, Sha’Carri Richardson is the worlds fastest woman.

🚔 Trump to turn himself in to Fulton county jail tomorrow.

📱 All the deets on apple iOS 17.

🍺 Young American’s are drinking less.

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