In a newly released video, Joanna Gaines talks about her vision for her new coffee shop “Magnolia Press,” which opened in October in Waco, Texas.

“Something about a coffee shop, this good cup of coffee, sitting there with your family and friends,” Joanna says. “I can’t wait for this whole place to really come to life.”

Watch the Gaineses take you through turning a CrossFit studio into a welcoming shop with subtle tones of green paint and artsy font. Joanna’s husband Chip encouraged her throughout the process.

“This coffee’s great,” Chip tells Joanna. “You look like a little coffee shop owner. You look adorable. … Cheers. You did it; I’m so proud of you, I’m speechless.”

SOURCE: Charisma News

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Another city in the United Kingdom has rejected an appearance by Franklin Graham to preach the gospel because of his views on homosexuality. However, this has not deterred the evangelist who’s still looking forward to his eight-city tour of the country. 

Wales Online reported that Graham, the eldest son of American preacher Billy Graham, has spoken widely of his view that homosexuality is a “sin” and was booked to speak at the International Convention Centre Wales, Newport, in June, but the event has been canceled.

The Wales event was the fourth of the evangelist’s planned appearances to be canceled. As CBN News reported, the UK cities of Liverpool, Glasgow, and Sheffield earlier canceled their contracts with Graham. 

While one venue in Liverpool has denied Graham access, the BGEA tells CBN News a Liverpool outreach will still take place at a different venue that’s still to be determined.

Over the weekend, Graham, 67, posted on social media that he’s looking forward to “preaching the Gospel across the UK in late May & June.”

“I’m looking forward to preaching the Gospel across the UK in late May & June. Hundreds of churches are praying & planning to be a part of these evangelistic outreaches,” he wrote on Twitter. “People everywhere are searching for something to fill the void in their lives. Jesus Christ is the answer.”

I’m looking forward to preaching the Gospel across the UK in late May & June. Hundreds of churches are praying & planning to be a part of these evangelistic outreaches. People everywhere are searching for something to fill the void in their lives. Jesus Christ is the answer.

— Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) February 1, 2020

Graham has responded to what he considers the continued effort to bar him from preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ in the UK.

“For some time I have been planning to come and preach the Gospel in eight cities across the UK in 2020,” he told Newsweek magazine. “Hundreds of churches are working with the Graham Tour UK and praying for these events.”

“Some people have said I am going to bring hateful speech to the UK, but this couldn’t be further from the truth,” he asserted. “I’m coming to the UK to speak about God’s love through His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus didn’t come to condemn the world – He came to save it. The Gospel is timeless, and Bible-believing Christians in the UK have proclaimed it for centuries.”

Conservative commentator Todd Starnes took to Twitter, writing: “If the LGBT activists are permitted to silence @Franklin_Graham – they will eventually silence all of us. #FightBack

If the LGBT activists are permitted to silence @Franklin_Graham – they will eventually silence all of us. #FightBack READ: https://t.co/xzN9y9vDjv pic.twitter.com/TxnuHvy7dF

— toddstarnes (@toddstarnes) January 30, 2020

On his website, Starnes also noted the UK’s LGBT community is enraged over Graham’s appearances in their country.

“They say Graham should not be allowed to speak in public venues – citing his belief that homosexuality is a sin and that marriage is between one man and one woman,” Starnes wrote. 

“They said his message that Jesus Christ can changes lives might incite hate and put the gay community in danger. So they launched a campaign to bully and badger government leaders into silencing the American evangelist,” he continued. 

“The rub, I think, comes in whether God defines homosexuality as sin. The answer is yes,” Graham explained in a Facebook post. “But God goes even further than that, to say that we are all sinners – myself included. The Bible says that every human being is guilty of sin and in need of forgiveness and cleansing. The penalty of sin is spiritual death – separation from God for eternity,” Starnes noted. 

Starnes also had a warning for American Christians mentioning that LGBT activists have already conquered the nation’s public schools and gained a foothold in some conservative websites and cable news channels. 

“If we do nothing they will be successful in silencing Christians in the public marketplace. And once that happens – you’d better believe they will come for our church houses,” he wrote. 

Graham is not the only preacher to be banned in the UK. The Times reports Larry Stockstill, a Louisiana-based evangelist, also had his appearance in Edinburgh, Scotland canceled after complaints were received over his biblical views on homosexuality. 

CBN News contacted the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association for comment on this story and they replied with the following emailed statement:

“The planned Graham Tour is going ahead and is certainly not canceled in any of the cities as some press reports have indicated. The momentum for the Tour is growing throughout the UK by the day.

We are continuing to finalize sites for the Tour to determine where the events will take place. In the meantime, all of the preparation events and training programs are continuing as planned.

Since the original venues have broken our legal contract with them, we are pursuing appropriate actions based on grounds of religious discrimination and freedom of speech. The Gospel always faces opposition, so we will prayerfully and boldly continue to press forward so that the Good News of God’s love and forgiveness will be proclaimed in all of the cities we have planned to visit.”

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A Minnesota congregation has approved the development of a tiny house community on their church’s property to house homeless veterans.

Faith Lutheran Church of Forest Lake recently voted to approve the project, with the hope that the tiny house community, known as “Sacred Settlement,” will be completed by 2021.

Faith Lutheran Church Senior Pastor John Klawiter told The Christian Post that the concept of the Sacred Settlement “matches the values of our congregation in many ways.”

“We have a lot of members who have served or are actively in the military. We have a newly established veterans committee that will walk alongside any of the veterans that live in the Sacred Settlement,” Klawiter said.

“Faith Lutheran also has a long history of helping support homeless ministry, which includes the establishment of a family shelter in nearby Hugo.”

A developmental team at the church will be working alongside an architect to determine the proper location on the church property for the community, Klawiter added.

“This community will be well designed and intentional in how the houses are configured to be aesthetically pleasing and to provide a sense of community within our community,” he continued.

SOURCE: Christian Post, Michael Gryboski

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The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of BCNN1. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author(s).

Like many, I’m perplexed by the divide in the Christian community over President Trump — but I’m not surprised. The media is fueling lies, and the world is listening. This was demonstrated in a worship song by Daniel Deitrich (talk about the wrong place to express political views). Deitrich’s song was written in response to the 81% of white evangelical Protestant voters who supported Donald Trump in 2016. Here are the lyrics: They started putting kids in cages. Ripping mothers from their babies. And I looked to you to speak on their behalf.

This, of course, is in response to what is “perceived” as happening at the border. I assume that Mr. Deitrich is sincere and his heart truly wants to help people, but we must get our facts from reputable sources or first-hand experience. God willing, I’m touring the border with other California pastors very soon and hope to gain that perspective personally (look for that op-ed in mid-February).

Some say, “How can you follow Jesus and Donald Trump?” We are not following a man, we are shaping a movement. A better question to be asking, though, is What direction is the country heading? If a leader lacks Christian character but is pointing the nation back to God, is that a bad thing? If they are minimizing murdering babies and maximizing godly values, is that a bad thing? If they are being a terror to terrorists and making America secure, is that a bad thing? If they are honoring hard work and minimizing free handouts, is that a bad thing? God doesn’t judge a nation based on the character of one man; He judges it based on the spiritual health of her people. Never forget that.

I regularly say that we Christians love refugees and immigrants and are eager to help with food, lodging, and jobs. But at the national level, the president is to put the safety and provision of the American people first. When an airplane loses cabin pressure, parents put on their oxygen masks first to better assist their child. This isn’t selfishness; it’s wisdom. Opening the borders parallels cabin pressure falling and a limited supply of masks. Our law enforcement officers could not sustain the load, nor could our nation. Let’s streamline the process and welcome God-fearing immigrants and have them contribute to society so everyone benefits. The truth is, kids are not being put in cages and ripped from their mothers, as the song accuses.

The majority of news outlets spin everything (yes, everything) to put President Trump in a bad light. Their hatred for him trumps the truth. Their agenda is simple and clear: remove him from office at any cost! And I hope you realize this: they are really coming after you, me, and our  Christian values.

SOURCE: Christian Post, Shane Idleman

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Pastor Lawan Andimi was a peace-loving man. He was affiliated with the Church of the Brethren in northern Nigeria, and he served as chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in his local district in Adamawa State. But a few weeks ago the soft-spoken church leader was abducted by Islamic militants affiliated with the ruthless Boko Haram terrorist group.

A few days later Andimi appeared in a video that was widely distributed inside and outside Nigeria. In his message he asked church and government leaders to negotiate his release. But he also said that he was prepared to die if necessary.

On Jan. 20 he was beheaded by his captors. Sources said Andimi refused to renounce his faith in Jesus.

He paid the ultimate price.

Nigeria’s president, Muhammadu Buhari, denounced the murder as “cruel, inhuman and deliberately provocative,” according to The New York Times. But press releases will not stop the killings. Just days after Andimi’s death, another Islamic terrorist group in a different region of northern Nigeria killed nine Christians and two other captives. The group released a video showing a hooded child, probably 9 years old, executing a Christian man with a pistol.

What can we do about this senseless violence? It seems so far removed from our isolated world. Most Americans are too preoccupied with the Super Bowl or the Oscars to care about religious violence on the other side of the world. But those of us who follow Christ cannot remain passive when our brothers and sisters are suffering.

On the political side, we can demand action. Write your senators and representatives in Washington and ask them to pressure Nigeria to end Boko Haram’s reign of terror. Islamic militants are already spreading their influence beyond Nigeria into neighboring countries, and America must stand for religious freedom and demand that Mr. Buhari’s government take military action against the terrorist groups.

You can also pray during this time of emergency. The Christian Association of Nigeria has called for three days of prayer and fasting beginning this Friday, Jan. 31 to Feb. 2. Never underestimate the power of united prayer. Gather your church together to pray for all believers living in nations where Christians are persecuted.

Here are six biblical ways you can pray:

SOURCE: Charisma News

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COMMENTARY

It’s a question that pastors often wrestle with as they seek to follow God’s calling on their lives: How do we reach more people in our community? With church attendance on the decline, at times, pastors can feel as though they’re grasping at straws when it comes to impacting their community and expanding outreach. 
 
In my many years of ministry, one thing has proven true time and time again: you must meet people where they’re at. To meaningfully engage with unchurched individuals and families, it’s essential to find some kind of common ground to form the basis of a connection that is rooted in genuine concern. And while there are countless ways of doing this, I’ve found sports to be one of the best. 
 
While it’s certainly true that not every American enjoys watching or participating in athletics, the vast majority do. Seventy-three percent of American men and over half of American women watch NFL football, and nearly three-quarters of American kids play some kind of team or individual sport. Sports are often woven into the fabric of families – allowing them to connect over the shared joy of watching their kids have fun on the field, and creating teachable moments for valuable lessons like teamwork, humility, and  persevering through challenges. 
 
Some might argue that adding sports to a church’s strategic ministry plan distracts from its core mission of preaching the Gospel and praying for the needs of the world. However, in my experience, it actually creates greater opportunity for transformational impact. We can’t overlook the realities of the society that we’re living in. The church’s influence on American culture today is far less  than it was fifty, twenty or even ten years ago. Many people don’t even know what goes on inside the walls of a church or why they should set foot inside. But a mission-driven, community centered sports ministry has the potential to become a consistent bridge that enables us to develop relationships with unreached families who might otherwise look at the church as irrelevant or unnecessary to their daily lives. 
 
I don’t have to tell you how popular sports is to American culture. Even though sports participation is declining in America, the share of children ages 6 to 12 who play a team sport on a regular basis was nearly 40 percent in 2017, according the Aspen Institute. 
 
Through my work with Upward Sports, I’ve seen over and over how churches can leverage the power of sports to draw families into a faith community and invest in their long-term spiritual health. Kids from all backgrounds and circumstances are able to make new friends and develop mentally, athletically, socially, and spiritually by participating in church-sponsored sports. Likewise, parents find that they feel less isolated as they get to know the other parents cheering on the sidelines. One mom with a special needs child said that the Saturdays she spends watching her son’s games allow her the rare opportunity to feel like a normal “soccer mom.” Much of her time is spent shuttling back and forth between doctor’s appointments, meetings and school – but on Saturdays, she gets to sit back and enjoy watching her son play and have fun just like any other kid. 
 
Sports also give the church countless opportunities to intentionally teach kids about the Gospel. The emotions that inevitably arise in the context of team sports awaken questions of community and self-worth. Christ-centered coaching can model how to be kind in victory and gracious in defeat. It can show kids that, even amidst the highs and lows of the game, their identity is grounded in a love that does not waver, no matter how well or poorly they perform. 
 
It also opens the door to the kind of deep, long-term relationships that generate transformative change. When parents see that their kids are well-cared for and surrounded by people who ask about their week and really listen, they notice a difference. That difference can spark an interest in what happens inside the church not just on Saturday mornings, but on Sunday mornings as well. By equipping churchgoing families involved in sports teams and then deploying them to connect with newcomers and make a point of inviting them over for dinner or out for a post-game ice-cream run, real ministry impact happens on the field, in the gym, and out in the community at large . 
 
And forming these kinds of relationships doesn’t just benefit the unchurched community – it benefits the church as well. It’s easy for many of us in the church to inadvertently hide ourselves away, interacting only with likeminded people while forgetting we are meant to be salt and light in the world around us. Friendships with those who don’t share our worldview gives us opportunities to live out the truth of God’s word in such a way that those interacting with us experience Christ’s love on a very real and personal level.. 
 
In 1 Corinthians, Paul writes to the church about his approach to evangelism. He writes about his willingness to adapt in order to relate to others and ultimately, share his faith in Christ. “For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them,” he writes. “To the Jews, I became as a Jew…To those outside the law, I became as one outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.” 
 
As we incorporate sports into our ministry strategy, it enables us to speak to a culture that gathers around the TV or the soccer field in search of connection and purpose. When used correctly, athletics empower us to share the Gospel with greater poignancy and power to the neighborhoods and nations that are in desperate need of hearing the good news through relationship with Christ-followers who have been transformed by it. 
 
Mark Steinert is the Partner Experience Director at Upward Sports.

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The nondenominational Belmont University in Tennessee will absorb a nearby private art college suffering from low enrollment, creating questions about whether non-Christian faculty can keep their jobs once the merger is completed in the fall. 

The Nashville-based Belmont University, an institution of 8,400 students with a “rich Baptist heritage,” announced it will merge with the Watkins College of Art, a four-year art and design institution founded in 1885 that has less than 200 undergraduate students.

According to a statement released by Belmont last week, the governing boards of both institutions approved a merger agreement that is now pending approval by the accrediting agency for both schools, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

The transition for Watkins’ students, programs and staff to their new home on the Belmont campus will take place by the fall 2020 semester. The two campuses are about 6.5 miles apart.

“For well over a century, Watkins has fostered the talents and honed the crafts of thousands of phenomenal artists,” Belmont President Bob Fisher said in a statement.  “Partnering this legacy with Belmont’s thriving creative community in the arts, music, film and design represents a natural fit and brings incredible synergy to benefit all students.”

Watkins and Belmont are already engaged in an academic partnership in which students at both institutions are eligible to take select classes at the other institution.

But now under the agreement, Belmont will house Watkins’ undergraduate programs.

Watkins students majoring in fine arts, graphic design, illustration and photography will now join Belmont’s fine arts programs under the newly created Watkins College of Art.

Watkins students majoring in interior design will now become part of Belmont’s O’More College of Architecture and Design. Watkins’ film students will join Belmont’s Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business.

The agreement calls for the 13-acre campus where Watkins College of Art is located to be sold. The proceeds from the sale will be used to create an endowment to support scholarships for Watkins students, according to the press release.

SOURCE: Christian Post, Samuel Smith

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