People sin on a regular basis because humans are innately fallible, but is merely being tempted to sin wrong in it of itself?

That’s the question that Denny Burk, a professor of biblical studies at Boyce College, sought to answer in a lengthy article on his website.

After co-writing a piece for The Public Discourse, titled “Learning to Hate Sin without Hating Ourselves,” with Rosaria Butterfield, Burk said that he has received many questions, including those from readers who are wondering if temptation is sinful.

Burk, who is president of The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, clarified that he is sharing only what he knows and understands and that he expects others will have their own takes on the matter.

According to Burk, every temptation is made up of a trial and the enticement to sin.

The trial is the element that tests people and puts them in the mindset where they may be more inclined to sin, while the enticement is the part that shows how giving in can provide them with freedom from the suffering brought about by the trial.

Burk then noted that temptation can come from different places.

Sometimes, temptation can originate from an external source, something or someone enticing the person to give in to desire and…

Greg Laurie, senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship, described in an end times message on Sunday what the antichrist will be like when he comes on earth.

“He is sent by Satan himself,” Laurie said in his sermon, titled “America, Antichrist, and the End of Days,” as he preached from the books of Daniel, 2 Thessalonians and Revelation.

“Satan is effectively an imitator, he always copies. Whatever God has, the devil will have his imitation,” the California megachurch pastor continued.

“There is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, and there is Satan who wants to be in the place of God, and if Satan had a son, that would be the antichrist.”

He went on to describe the antichrist in more detail, saying, “When this man emerges on the scene, he may not be what you would expect. He will not be dressed in head to toe in black, with glowing red eyes and steam coming out of him, and the Darth Vader theme song playing when he walks into a room.”

The Episcopal Church’s General Convention, led by Bishop Michael Curry, passed a resolution last Friday that expanded the right for gay couples to marry in all dioceses even where local bishops theologically object to same-sex marriage.

At its triennial convention in Austin, Texas, the Episcopal Church’s House of Bishops and House of Deputies voted to approve resolution B012, allowing gay and lesbian couples to be married by clergy in eight dioceses that had previously not allowed marriage rites for same-sex couples.

As the General Convention had previously voted in 2015 to allow clergy to marry same-sex couples, it also gave bishops who opposed gay marriage the right to forbid priests in their diocese from performing same-sex marriage ceremonies.

Although the new resolution still gives clergy the right to decline gay marriage ceremonies, bishops who oppose of same-sex marriage rites will have to call on another bishop who does not oppose to provide pastoral support for the couple and the clergy member that will be involved in the ceremony.

The move directly impacts dioceses in Albany, New York; Central Florida; Dallas; Florida; North Dakota; Springfield, Illinois; Tennessee and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The new policy will go into effect…

Pastor Chris Conlee had an emotional final Sunday at Highpoint Church, just days after he announced his resignation from the church he founded following the sex abuse scandal of former teaching pastor Andy Savage.

“It’s hard to put into words what you want to say on a day like today,” Conlee said from the stage, as he stood with his wife, Karin, according to a recording posted on Facebook. 

“As we thought about what we want to say to you, the first thing that came to our mind is that we love you,” he said emotionally to applause from the Memphis congregation.

With no mention of the scandal, Conlee and the trustees chose to focus on the high points of the 16-year-old ministry overall though they admitted it was a difficult day.

Highpoint trustee Erick Martin said ahead of Conlee’s farewell, “I’m coming to you on this stage from a place of hurting. It’s a difficult day for me. My wife and I have been plugged in at Highpoint Church and called this church family since 2005.”

“You may be confused. You may be frustrated. A lot of us have sadness and you may be angry. We are not perfect … we’ve made mistakes. As a church we’ve made mistakes. With the best of intentions we are making mistakes right now we don’t…