For many years, I have stated that a major reason America is so messed up is that much of the American Church is also messed up. And a major reason that so much of the American Church is messed up is that so many Christian leaders are also messed up. The domino effect is quite real.

Many people question if the Bible is truly sufficient for all things, especially in our modern world that repeatedly throws new innovations, ideas, and beliefs at us. While many people have set the Bible to the side, claiming it’s “irrelevant”...

In one of the most famous passages in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said to His disciples (and, by extension, to His followers today), “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” (Matthew 5:13; He followed this by saying that we were the light of the world.)

The disciples of Jesus once came to Jesus and asked him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” It is in this context that Luke shares the prayer of Jesus that we often call the Lord’s Prayer. Jesus gave a beautiful summary for how we should pray. Moreover, the instruction that Jesus gave is a beautiful summary of what we find in the rest of Scripture.

The BIG news of the week has been confirmed by Chief Justice John Roberts -- the U.S. Supreme Court is poised to overturn Roe v. Wade in the very near future, possibly by the end of June. In a news release from the High Court, however, they were careful to point out that, although the leaked draft opinion by Justice Samuel Alito is authentic, "it does not represent a decision by the Court or the final position of any member on the issues in the case." In other words, the ruling is not official yet.

To some extent, we are all familiar with the persecution of Christians around the world. The first places that come to mind are countries in the Middle East, maybe even the oppression inn China in recent years. But barely anyone would suggest that it is going on in places like Canada or the United States, right? I want to preface this with saying that I am not underplaying Christian suffering in places where the persecution is harsh and severe, nor am I saying that we have it worse in America. In fact, we are beyond blessed to be living in America where we are able to freely practice our religion and faith.

In Part 5 of IFI’s interview with theologian Dr. Peter Leithart, Pastor Derek Buikema asks him to explain what the Theopolis Institute, which Dr. Leithart co-founded, is. In this brief segment, Dr. Leithart shares the ultimate goal of the Theopolis Institute and what is needed by the church to attain it.

In Part 4 of Illinois Family Institute’s interview with theologian Dr. Peter Leithart, Pastor Derek Buikema asks what God is revealing to us in this “apocalyptic time.” Dr. Leithart briefly discusses contemporary ideas about the self and self-actualization that have the appearance of liberation but have led to diverse pathologies. And Dr. Leithart shares the problems long “percolating” under the surface in churches that are now being revealed.

A harmonious and happy marriage requires many ingredients, not the least of which is the number of things which the husband and wife have in common.  Wise couples understand that each of them will need to let some things go, and also learn to appreciate the things their spouse appreciates.  They understand that change will be essential for harmony.

Anyone not on life-support realizes we are in a dangerous place as a state despite the glowing ads about how Pritzker has solved all our problems. Violence is out of control in Chicago and other urban centers. Abortion enjoys the highest level of protection and promotion throughout our state. In November of 2021, it was reported that the total pension shortfall in Illinois passed $500 billion. That is a debt burden on average of $110,000 per Illinois household.

In this third excerpt from an interview with theologian Dr. Peter Leithart, Pastor Derek Buikema begins by acknowledging that not only are there no secular institutions that support Christians but also that increasing numbers of Christian institutions are failing to support Christians. Dr. Leithart explains the reasons for these failures of the contemporary church, which include cowardice in the face of public pressure and the exaltation of “toleration” as an unalloyed good within Western churches, which is turning churches into “allies of the persecutors.”

In this second segment from IFI’s interview with theologian Dr. Peter Leithart, Pastor Derek Buikema asks Dr. Leithart to share the ways Dr. Leithart sees unfaithfulness in the church today. Dr. Leithart specifically mentions unfaithfulness as manifest in the church’s willingness to “accommodate” homosexuality, transgender issues, and abortion. He views accommodation to those issues as symptoms of unfaithfulness rather than root causes.

IFI is pleased to offer these interviews in short savory segments for your edification beginning with Peter Leithart, president of Theopolis Institute and teacher at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Alabama. Dr. Leithart is a prolific writer who has authored many books and writes a regular column for First Things Magazine.

Many of us were deeply troubled and/or surprised by the news that Russia started a more active invasion of Ukraine a couple of weeks ago. With this tragic news came the call to prayer. If you are honest, it seems...