Robert Kagan, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, recently wrote that ?the willingness of the United States to use force to defend its interests and the liberal world order has been an essential and unavoidable part of sustaining the world order since World War II. It is also an essential part of effective diplomacy . . . The question today is finding the right balance between when to use force and when not to.?

Dr. Eckman gives final thoughts on God’s perspective regarding adversity & prosperity in our lives, then begins discussion on the relationship between God’s sovereignty & human character.

In Chapter 7, Solomon tells us that God is the author of both adversity & prosperity, and He mingles them together throughout life. We are encouraged to trust God by being happy in ‘good’ times, and to consider the purpose behind seemingly ‘bad’ times.

Final thoughts on truly enjoying fruits of one’s labor as a Christian, and begin discussion on the Providence of God and Wealth.

According to a recent article in Time magazine, the next dimension of the postmodern sexual revolution, indeed the next civil rights movement, is the transgender one. Kay Steinmetz, author of the Time article writes, ?Transgender people?those who identify with a gender other than the sex they were ?assigned at birth,? to use the preferred phrase among trans activists?are emerging from the margins to fight for an equal place in society.?

Dr Eckman leads discussion on man’s inability to enjoy the fruits of our labors, and how it conflicts with man’s understanding of God’s Providence over all.

The recent Supreme Court decision in the Hobby Lobby case is a momentous and welcomed decision upholding religious liberty in America. But in many ways, the media and many politicians have distorted the case itself and the implications of this Supreme Court decision. First, a review of the case itself and the substantive aspects of the Court?s decision.

We continue discussion of the factors of life that seem to contradict God’s providence in our lives. In today’s study, Solomon addresses labor and man’s inappropriate motivations to work hard.

In a recent article in The Atlantic, Matt Gross and Theodore Ross offer a poignant description of a typical dad on a television commercial: ?The hapless, bumbling father is a stock character in product marketing. He makes breakfast for dinner and is incapable of handling, or sometimes even noticing, a soggy diaper. He tries desperately to hide the crumb-strewn, dirt-streaked evidence of poor parenting before the mother gets home . . .

Genesis 1:26ff explains that humans are God?s dominion stewards over His world. In fact, as this text makes clear, this stewardship responsibility is part of being in the image of God. Humans are accountable to God for this stewardship. It is therefore only common sense that it is not good for humanity to be spewing tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Managing the environment is important and to wantonly destroy or do harm to God?s world is irresponsible and hardly pleasing to God.