Breakpoint

Dr. Andrew Newell explores the songs of the Advent season with Kasey Leander.

This month, China exploded in protests against President Xi Jinping's three-year "Zero-Covid" policy.

Today, we do not wait for the Messiah to bring salvation. We wait for the Messiah to return, when He will reveal Himself fully as King and restorer of all creation.

A few weeks ago before their contest against Papua New Guinea, the Fijian rugby team took the field and lifted their voices in honor of God.

Throughout history, Christians have fought for the protection and wellbeing of children, quite often from sexual exploitation and abuse.

The case of a web designer in Colorado is argued at the Supreme Court as the Justices go to great lengths to find loopholes. And John and Maria discuss former President Donald Trump's call to terminate the US Constitution.

According to Britain's Daily Mail, lawyers in the United Kingdom are being told to no longer address judges as "Sir" or "Madam" but only, "Judge."

Tomorrow, December 10, is the anniversary of the birth of a man regarded as the father of modern fantasy literature, someone who profoundly influenced writers such as G.K. Chesterton and C.S. Lewis.

In this case, it will be impossible for the Court to neglect the issue of free speech. The question is whether the state of Colorado (or any state) can compel speech in order to advance the state's message.

We should all agree that the mission of science is to seek the truth about our world, but that requires a working definition of "truth."

As British commentator Peter Hitchens recently pointed out, being "schooled" isn't the same as being "educated."

On Monday, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in 303 Creative v. Elenis, a case with significant implications for the future of conscience rights and free speech. Please pray for Lorie Smith of 303 Creative, and for the Alliance Defending Freedom, who is providing her defense. Please consider making a year-end gift to support the Colson Center. Breakpoint is listener-supported, and if these daily commentaries help you think biblically about this confusing world, please consider supporting us financially at colsoncenter.org/december.

Today, December 6, is the anniversary of the death of St. Nicholas in 343, a leader in the ancient Church in the city of Myra in Asia Minor, or modern-day Turkey.

In this time of Advent, as we look back to Christ's first coming and await His second, we should recall the prophesies that pointed to His forerunner, John the Baptist.

On December 5, we remember poet Phillis Wheatley, on the day of her death in 1784, at just 31 years old.

God has called us to this moment, not another. Chuck Colson founded the Colson Center and this daily commentary Breakpoint to help Christians develop confidence in the truth of a Christian worldview so they could face the challenges of life today with courage and a clarity that can seem elusive. To all of you who support Breakpoint and other Colson Center programs with your prayers and financial generosity, be encouraged that God is at work, and thank you for joining with us in this calling. To give a tax-deductible gift to support Breakpoint and the Colson Center, please go to colsoncenter.org/december.

We're seeing protests in China over Covid lockdowns not seen since the days of Tiananmen Square. And a new phrase has been introduced into civil debate: Stochastic Terrorism. What is it and where did it come from?

More than 700 authors and publishing agents have signed an open letter to Penguin Random House demanding the publisher cancel a book deal with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett.

In a culture so captive to a "critical theory mood," the only right and loving response to the hijacking of language is to oppose falsehood and advance truth. This will mean, among other things, refusing to accept or use words and phrases like "stochastic terrorism" which assume all kinds of false and dangerous ideas about who we are.

Recently, a Massachusetts boarding school banned smartphones because the devices stunt kids' attention and make them more emotionally volatile.

Our call as Christ followers at this moment is not to resign ourselves to some inevitability, even for a mess of religious freedom pottage. No, we must continue to embrace and promote the truth and beauty of marriage as it truly is.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, desperate to reverse his nation's population woes, has announced plans for a national pro-birth policy, and local officials are already encouraging bigger families.

Neither cultural darkness nor theological apathy is new. Still, this season is uniquely full of songs proclaiming that hope, and articulating the theological realities that ground that hope.

Generosity reflects God who generously created the world and, in Christ, generously gave Himself for us. So, please, on this Giving Tuesday, give. To support the Colson Center, visit colsoncenter.org/givingtuesday2022. And wherever you give, give generously.

Each and every Christian should be clear on this point: Antisemitism in any and all forms is a despicable evil.

Every year, our sister organization Prison Fellowship offers a way to spread some Christmas cheer to the children of those incarcerated. It's called Angel Tree.

Wherever you choose to invest, remember that this Giving Tuesday is an incredible opportunity. Because God has given us everything, generosity is part of the Church's living testimony of what God has done for us. Who will you give to this Giving Tuesday? If Breakpoint and other Colson Center resources have helped you make sense of this culture, we invite you to join us in this work. Go to colsoncenter.org/givingtuesday2022.

As a gunman opened fire in an LGBTQ bar in Colorado Springs the media quickly blamed Christians and Christian organizations before knowing anything about the shooter. And what do you know about that first Thanksgiving?

Culture is most powerful in what it normalizes, and when lies are normalized, the truth becomes shocking. Thank God for Christian ministers willing to "shock" and speak truth.

We need a theology of being labeled controversial, and a theology of helping each other through the professional, reputational and personal fallout that comes with that label.

This week marks the death of Columbanus, a Christ-follower used by God to nurture education and establish the Christian foundations of Europe.

Rather than falsely maligning that first Thanksgiving, we should look at it as a model of how things should have been and by God's grace one day will be. This Breakpoint was co-authored by Dr. Glenn Sunshine. Listen to his interview with the Strong Women podcasters about the women of Plymouth, or hear how Thanksgiving was declared a holiday.

Tough conversations on controversial topics don't have to be a disaster, even if had over holiday visits and meals. The key to civil and productive conversations is to ask good questions.

Our society largely fails to cultivate young men, to teach them about their fallen natures, and to morally form them to choose love over hate and courage over violence. Thus, the epidemics of addiction, aimlessness, depression, irresponsibility, perversion, selfishness, victimhood, and low expectations continue.

The sexual revolution promised women liberation, but men were the real beneficiaries. Children paid the price for that too.

This week marks the anniversary of both the birth (Nov. 29) and the death (Nov. 22) of C.S. Lewis, one of the most remarkable Christians of the last century.

Fanny Crosby, the "Blind Poetess," wrote hymns such as "Blessed Assurance" and "Safe in the Arms of Jesus" that remain beloved today.

Young people need parents who will have the difficult but thoughtful and gracious conversations with them.

The Respect for Marriage Act is one step away from passage. John and Maria discuss the consequences very few politicians are admitting. And have you considered your motives when you engage on social media?

Our lives are a performance, but only for an audience of One, who indwells us and makes our obedience possible. Paul's advice to "aspire to live quietly" still applies in this age of social media.

If life's purpose is found in the goodness of creation and the ultimate purposes of God's kingdom, dating has a context, as does marriage, work, sex, friendship, procreation, and yes, singleness.

Because a child is more than a "product," procreation without relationship robs children of the right to know their parents.

In a culture that advances state-sponsored death, people granted the "right to die" soon sense it is their duty to die. Ideas have consequences, and bad ideas have victims.

The best stories, Tolkien wrote, acknowledge the seriousness of evil, but give us "a fleeting glimpse of joy… beyond the walls of the world."

There is no "silver bullet" when it comes to navigating tough conversations, changing someone else's mind, or helping those struggling with gender dysphoria. At the same time, to avoid the topic is to not help people at all, which is simply not an option for followers of Christ. Focus on the Family has compiled a list of resources on gender identity and transgender ideology, and the Restored Hope Network also has compiled a helpful list of books, articles, and other resources. And remember, God promises wisdom to those who ask for it. Let's ask for it. Note: If you have examples of Christians walking through transgender issues faithfully, we'd love to hear about them. Email us at [email protected].

Despite the fact the vast majority of OB-GYNs do not perform abortions, the message from the American College of Nurse-Midwives is "embrace the culture of death, or choose another career." AAPLOG is constantly confronting actual misinformation about abortion. Learn more about them at www.aaplog.org.

The "Respect for Marriage Act" would firmly root marriage in the United States in nothing more than abstract desires, redefining it from the institution that offered a bedrock for civilization to thrive. People of faith and conscience must act. The best next step with the short amount of time we have on our hands is to call your senators, especially if they are Republicans, especially if they have not been clear on where they stand on the Respect for Marriage Act. If you are in a state with Sens. Blunt (MO), Burr (NC), Cassidy (LA), Capito (WV), Ernst (IA), Fischer (NE), Grassley (IA), McConnell (KY), Romney (UT), Sullivan (AK), or Toomey (PA), make especially sure to contact them.

Killing inconvenient babies has long been framed as an issue of "rights," not what is right.

Today, November 14, marks the 306th anniversary of the death of Gottfried von Leibniz, a German polymath, committed Lutheran, and one of the most wide-ranging intellects in all of history.

John and Maria examine how the expected "red wave" fizzled and why the pro-life position in the abortion debate is losing at the cultural level.