Our culture deals with the pervasive sin of sexual immorality to the point where many people just view sex outside of marriage (in every way possible) as “normal.” It’s a serious problem, and the root of a lot of the current cultural chaos. At Illinois Family Institute’s 2023 Worldview Conference, Dr. John Diggs spoke on “The Consequences of Sexual Immorality.”

Over the last several years there has been a growing movement to normalize pedophilia. In fact, using the term, pedophile, is beginning to be seen as outmoded. Instead we are being urged to use “minor attracted person.” I expect it will not be long until we will be required to add MAP to the already cumbersome 2SLGBTQQAI+.

Ask a man how he is doing and frequently the answer will come back, “Stressed!” Our lives are filled with all kinds of pressures that can easily produce anxiety. Fathers are especially vulnerable to anxiety and worry. Amy and I have been blessed with seven children, and one grandchild. The eldest two are married, and the next two are in college. I find the pre-college time, the high school “launch years” to be especially stressful.

The city of St. Louis takes great delight in its "Pride" events. Every year, the midwestern metropolis hosts a "PrideFest," which has been dubbed one of the city's "signature events." As it attempts to draw awareness and support to the "historically marginalized" LGBTQQIA+ community, the fest is set to feature locally, nationally and internationally recognized performers, dancing and music, and a sizable collection of vendors, etc. ExploreStLouis.com explains, "it's a time when we can celebrate, support and uplift each other."

Propaganda has rather negative connotations. Because it is generally used in pursuit of an agenda, truth may be irrelevant or even an obstacle. Whether you agree with the terminology, it is considered propaganda when a country prepares its citizens and military for war. Because it is not generally acceptable to want to kill another person, the military mostly trains its soldiers to hate the enemy.

There is a research article from a professor of sociology and family studies, writing for the Institute for Family Studies, that looks at the social contagion of the LGBT movement. Professor Nicholas Wolfinger investigated the National Survey of Family Growth regarding sexual identity. As you may know, the percentage of people who identity with the LGBTQIA+ movement is growing, particularly among the young, but there is perhaps an overstatement within these numbers.

Sometimes our pro-life arguments can become overcomplicated by statistics, rabbit-trails, and long rebuttals to straw-man arguments from the other side. We want to defend the pro-life position with everything we can muster, but sometimes it seems like we must have an answer to every argument from a pro-abortionist to properly defend life.

In 2019, the Lord put it on my heart to post a billboard in Springfield with a Biblical response to the day’s changing moral conditions and cultural issues. The idea of a billboard stating “The Rainbow Belongs to God” was inspired by Genesis 9... In recent years, we have seen in our nation a movement to use the rainbow as a banner of pride when in fact, it represents something God forbids. Our society may have redefined marriage and gender, but God has not.

New technology tends to follow a cycle. When it's first introduced, it's only for the elite (or the geeks) that are rich enough (or nerdy enough) to buy it. Then, as everyday people begin to notice the ways it benefits their elite or geeky friends, they start to jump on the bandwagon. As the technology gains widespread acceptance, it's commended as "trendy" by its supporters and denounced as a "fad" by its opponents.

Americans are big on choice. We can choose restaurants, automobiles, our clothing, and even where to live. We can make good choices and bad choices. Our prisons are packed with those who’ve chosen the wrong path. Leaders in government often make us wonder, “What were they thinking?” One of the saddest of choices millions of Americans have made is the decision to terminate a human life through abortion. In bizarre fashion, we even call this a “pro-choice” decision. Frightening.

Our future depends on our children. It has for all of time so you would think that everyone would agree we need to protect them at all costs. While some people are indifferent, most are not, although there is a wide divergence of opinion on the meaning and method of protecting them.

In a recent episode of TAKEAWAYS, Kirk Cameron spoke with journalist and author Alex Newman about the importance of parent involvement in their child’s education. “I think if we continue on the path that we’re on it’s going to inevitably lead to disaster,” Newman said. “Parents right now really need to be considering this very seriously.”

Did you know a lot of people on the left now deny wokeism exists? They are saying that it can’t be defined and just means whatever you want it to mean. Therefore, they say, wokeism is merely another conservative mantra for whatever policy one disagrees with. Politicians in Illinois have been saying that a lot these days in order to pass (you guessed it) woke legislation.

Parenting is tough. Aside from having to keep little people (often with sizeable attitudes) alive, parents are also entrusted with the responsibility of training their child in the way he (or she) should go - so that they love the Lord and live it out. That last one is difficult and can easily fall by the wayside. So whether you’re a new parent who’s struggling, or a confident experienced parent, this sermon by Dr. Rob Reinow from Visionary Family Ministries is a must-see.

I grew up as a “Cashew.” For those who are unfamiliar with that term, a "cashew" is a person with one Catholic parent and one Jewish parent. Though in my case, neither of my parents practiced their respective faiths very often. I distinctly remember when I was a child, my mother taking me to church a couple of times on Christmas Eve for midnight Mass. On Jewish holidays, I’d sometimes go over to a cousin’s house the day after Yom Kippur to “break the fast” (even though we never actually fasted…but that was not brought up).