by ThinkingWest Christianity is no stranger to the great books of the West and stands out among the great books as the inspiration for many of the foundational works of philosophy, literature, and science. Thus, there are a subset of great books in the West that aim to study Christianity…
by Rory Feek, Plain Values April is my birthday month, which is always interesting for me. Each year, although I physically turn another year older, my mind never seems to age. The voice inside my head seems to stay forever young and stuck in another time, convinced that time stands…
by Pastor Andrew Isker There is currently no verse in the evangelical world more abused than Galatians 3:28. Only recently did this newcomer knock off the decades-long world champion, Matthew 7:1 “judge not, lest ye be judged.” But today, in the context of intense propaganda that seeks to demonize those…
Recent events involving Twitter and Elon Musk complying with the Turkish government’s request to censor political content during their elections have raised concerns about the potential consequences for free speech. Late Friday evening Twitter released a statement noting “In response to legal process and to ensure Twitter remains available to…
by ThinkingWest Perhaps no other topic has been written about in the West more than Christianity. In the past 2,000 years, tomes on the faith have been written by kings, monks, prophets, and laymen alike. One might conclude that no other faith has inspired, and been inspired by, great literature…
By Shawn and Beth Dougherty, Plain Values There’s no time like spring for seeing how bountifully God provides for His creatures, and that’s especially true here in central Appalachia, where young, green grass and blossoming fruit trees are everywhere we look. Our seven dairy cows put gallons of rich, creamy…
by Joel Salatin, Plain Values Last month I introduced the concept of the carbon economy for soil fertility and the numerous ways God designed soil fertility and development to run on sunbeams converted to biomass. From bison on the prairie to wildebeests on the Serengeti, perennial prairie polycultures pruned by…
by Ivan Keim, Plain Values This Month’s Question: The balance between the blessings and pit-falls of modern-day technology can be hard to find. How do we balance using technology with staying connected to our community? Answered by: Ivan Keim, a minister in his local Amish church “How do we balance…
How evolution evolved from the minds of men… by John Heers, First Things Foundation In this edition of Heavy Things Done Lightly, the plan is to take a walk through history to discover something like antecedents. Where does Darwin’s evolutionary theory come from? Is it a scientific discovery, or is…
This week Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida made a trip to Israel to sign HB 269, a bill that makes it a felony with up to five years in jail for passing out “offensive” flyers or pamphlets. This move has been widely criticized by free speech advocates and legal experts…
by Pastor Andrew Isker One of the most commonly held ideas within conservative evangelicalism is that “cultural Christianity is bad because it produces nominal Christians.” Nearly everyone has heard this from evangelical pulpits at one time or another. The former head of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty…
by Rory Feek, Plain Values Here in the middle of Tennessee, the arrival of March signals the return of spring. The long-awaited blooming of yellow daffodils that encircle our family cemetery here on the farm lets us know that winter is wearing thin and that warmer weather will soon be…
In 1519, the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés arrived in the New World with a mission to conquer the Aztec Empire. He arrived with a small army of 600 men, but he faced a significant challenge. His men were afraid and they were not sure that they could succeed in their…
1 Samuel 29:1-11 by Pastor Andrew Isker Introduction Jesus Christ is the king of kings and ruler of this world. And He has brought His people into His kingdom to rule with Him. Believers are saved from sin, death, and hell, and saved to rule as kings under King Jesus.…
By Ferree Hardy, Plain Values “Oh, I don’t mean to be talking over and over about me,” worried the widow sitting next to me. “I don’t know why I find myself telling you all this.” I assured her she was fine. “It’s what I do. I let people talk to…
