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FIRST PERSON - Religiously correct prayer: The secular left goes berserk By R. Albert Mohler Jr. LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)--As expected, the inaugural ceremonies for President George W. Bush opened and closed with prayer. Unexpectedly, the prayers have ignited controversy and unleashed a firestorm of histrionics…

You may see, if you go down the Kennington Park Road, a row of young trees planted by the road. How are they kept up while they are still slender? Why, small posts of dead timber hold them up. Even so, a dead Sunday school teacher may yet be useful to a really Christian child, and a dead deacon may be…

I know an old friend who used to tell me that for 60 years he had never known a day’s illness. A splendid healthy old man he was, but about three months ago he took typhoid fever. I went to see him, and when he got better he came to see me. He said, “Well, sir, you see I am not the man I was, but I have…

# Philippians 1:3–8 ## Opening: Paul’s Thanksgiving As we move on this morning in our study of Paul’s letter to the Philippians, we find Paul following his normal pattern of thanksgiving and prayer. This week we will look at his statement of thanksgiving about the Philippians, and next week we will look…

A study from the University of Central Florida found that keeping a gratitude journal for two weeks decreased gossip in the workplace. The participants in the study spent a few minutes each day writing about people they were grateful for. Writing for Psychology Today, Christopher Bergland said, “After…

When the novel coronavirus caused business to plummet, Johnny Perri decided to close the jewelry store his father had founded decades before. Rather than offer the remaining inventory at reduced prices, Perri created a statewide treasure hunt. He and his wife buried items across the state and let searchers…

Officials at Guinness Book of World Records confirmed that San Jose Del Monte in Bulcan set a new record for the largest number of living figures participating in a Nativity scene when 2,101 people dressed for roles in the scene in 2019. The previous record had been 1,254 people who participating in…

As America struggled with political turmoil, a pandemic, and division, the response of Lean Brinker brought peace and hope to her neighbors. Brinker said she had experienced the loss of both grandparents and she wanted to show her neighbors that they did not need to live in fear. The prayer march in…

The Chinese government is requiring all recipients of government payments to give up their worship of God. “The participants were ordered to remove crosses, religious symbols and images from the homes of people of faith who receive social welfare payments and replace them with portraits of Chairman Mao…

The Chosen, a new streaming series about the life of Jesus used a unique marketing approach by releasing a concept pilot on social media to gauge public interest and asking for viewers to help fund it. 15,000 people responded. The Director, Dallas Jenkins expects the story of Jesus to be binge-watched…

Howard Mullen graduated from high school in 1946 and has dedicated his life to serving the community of Pomeroy, Ohio. In 1952 he received his EMT certification and joined the local fire department and then became a sheriff’s deputy in the county. He continued to serve for decades and has never really…

The owner of a restaurant in southwest China has an unusual offer for patrons. He offers a discount to customers who can make him laugh. The owner said his discounts range from 10 percent for jokes that make him smile all the way to 50 percent for a hearty laugh. Several residents came to participate…

The Institute of Labor Economics found that both males and wealthy people are more likely to pretend to know what they’re talking about, when they really have no clue. In the study the participants were asked to discuss nonexistent mathematical concepts such as “proper numbers” and “declarative fractions.”…

Though most people already thought contact with animals lowered stress, researchers from Washington State University have found objective proof that petting animals reduces anxiety. Patricia Pendry, who authored the study, said their research found spending time with dogs or cats incites a measurable,…

Evidence from a study conducted at Ohio State University suggests the best way to discover a person’s true nature is to put them in a time-critical situation. Researchers found that an individual’s traits become more noticeable when they are forced to make a quick decision. Results of the study revealed…

# Philippians 1:9-11 ## Opening — Paul’s Prayer This morning we conclude our look at the opening section of Paul’s letter to the Philippians. In verses 1–2, we have the opening salutation which identifies the author, Paul, and with him Timothy—The young man he has mentored. It also identifies the recipients—all…

Research from the University of Dundee suggests that it might be a good practice to avoid making important decisions on an empty stomach. Director of the study, Dr. Benjamin Vincent said they discovered that hunger alters people’s decision making process, because they become more impatient and more likely…

Research in Germany and Switzerland has investigated a possible link between generalized anxiety and seasonal allergies. The study recruited over 1,700 people and examined the link between the allergies the people suffered and mental health conditions. Participants were divided between those who were…

“Problem gamblers make up about 10 to 15 percent of lottery participants, but are responsible for 80 percent of the $73 billion in sales of state lotteries. The higher the poverty rate in an area, the higher the sales of lottery games. It is the desire for money they don’t have that lead those struggling…

In the article, “Why did Wikipedia succeed while other encyclopedias failed?” Megan Garber writes about certain factors led to Wikipedia’s success, including familiarity, user-friendliness, and an easy access to participation. Unlike other professional encyclopedias, Wikipedia depends on its users for…

Two California drivers were willing to spend part of their evening vying for a parking spot and their struggle was captured and narrated by a neighbor who watched the events unfold. Mariah Flores saw the parking battle and dubbed the participants, the black car and the silver car. The battle began as…

A new scientific study shows how much sleep people need and how the brain suffers with too little or too much sleep. The study focused on real life conditions in participants’ lives for a three-day-period. Analyzing the data from 132,000 nights of sleep found the idea amount of sleep is between 7 and…

In September of 2015 witnesses of a mass baptism held after school at an Atlanta area high school posted footage online, drawing criticism. These critics claimed, “Holding team baptisms at football practice with coaches participating is a clear Constitutional violation (the Establishment Clause of the…

Ali Demirkaya is a very devoted soccer fan. Perhaps the Turkish man was even a little too devoted. He was banned from the soccer field for excessive enthusiasm. With an important game coming up he hired a crane to lift him high enough he could watch the game over the stadium wall. By way of explanation…

Sarcasm is often viewed as something bad, but a new study suggest that it may actually boost productivity and thought processes in both the user and the receiver. To examine their theory, researchers assigned volunteers to dialogues that were sarcastic, sincere, or neutral, and then assigned the participant…