That the American family is in crisis is a given in this Postmodern, Post-Christian culture. Conservative columnist David Brooks provides a salient summary of the profound change in the American family: “If you want to summarize the changes in family structure over the past century, the truest thing to say is this: We’ve made life freer for individuals and more unstable for families. We’ve made life better for adults but worse for children. We’ve moved from big, interconnected, and extended families, which helped protect the most vulnerable people in society from the shocks of life, to smaller, detached nuclear families (a married couple and their children), which give the most privileged people in society room to maximize their talents and expand their options.

In the daily battles of spiritual warfare, rely on God’s resources–the Whole Armor of God.

More biographies have been written about Jesus than any other historical figure. The book that defines His nature, His character and His mission—the Bible—is annually the number-one-seller. No one’s teaching has had a deeper impact on culture, politics, morality, justice, philosophy, and human character than Jesus. He is habitually quoted, even by secular world leaders. Indeed, in a recent book by British historian, Tom Holland, Jesus and His movement called Christianity, are characterized as “the most subversive revolution in human history, whose legacy is the ongoing disruption of settled patterns of life.”

Central to biblical theology is the axiom of human depravity—that humans are born sinners and are capable of profound and confounding evil. The existence of such darkness affects human optimism, hope and certainty about the future. Furthermore, the current embrace of Postmodern autonomy has deteriorated into the famous refrain from the book of Judges: “Every [person] is doing what is right in his/her own eyes.” There is no longer an acceptance of absolute truth, universal ethical standards or a serious commitment to human dignity.

Being filled with the Spirit creates a work ethic honoring to and blessed by God.

The French Republic has experienced egregious acts of terror over the last decade and the government of Emmanuel Macron and the French Parliament have decided to be proactive in dealing with Muslim separatism, which the government declares is a factor in terroristic violence. A bill now being debated throughout French society intends to enforce the country’s principles of secularism by gaining greater control over Muslim and other religious organizations and by restricting home and private schooling. Central to this debate and to this bill is the French commitment to laicite, a term loosely defined as secularism, the bedrock of the country’s political system for more than a century.

Paul discusses the role responsibilities within marriage, only possible through the filling of the Spirit (5:18).

The intersection of digital technology and the church is a profoundly important issue in the 21st century. The COVID pandemic has resulted in an explosion of livestreaming church services, with Zoom being the preferred platform for board meetings, Bible studies, mentoring sessions, etc. Digital technology has therefore enabled the church to continue its various ministries during this deadly pandemic; we must be thankful to the Lord for this manifestation of His grace. But digital technology that accesses the various forms of social media has had a deleterious impact on the “flock” of the typical church. I want to address both aspects of the digital revolution and its impact on the church.

The walk of wisdom includes redeeming opportunities, seeking God’s will and being filled daily with the Spirit.

The darkness of Postmodern, post-Christian American culture permeates our thinking about two fundamental axioms of the Christian faith—the sanctity of marriage and the sanctity of life. Both axioms of our faith are being challenged and both confront our consistency as Christians as we proclaim the infallible truth of God’s Word to a culture that is not listening.