Should We Use Generative AI Chatbots for Ministry?
Editor’s Note: Is generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) a morally neutral tool helpful for generating sermon outlines and small group discussions? Or is it something attractive on the surface but deceptive in its core—which we should avoid in our ministries? As with other issues not directly discussed in Scripture, navigating GenAI calls for a lot of […]
Why I Chose To Preach on Sexuality and Gender (Part 2)
My wife and I are blessed to have raised four children. I remember when we just had two. It seemed manageable at that point. We could play man-on-man defense. Then we had our third child and everything changed. All of a sudden, we had to fall back into zone defense and it didn’t seem to […]
Bible Sales are up 22%. What Does That Mean?
I recently saw some good news in a Wall Street Journal article explaining that, according to book tracker Circana Bookscan, Bible sales have increased 22% since last fall, and signs are that it will go higher. Man, that is good news! What is driving it? The author of the article suggested that “worries about the […]
Why I Chose to Preach on Sexuality and Gender, Part 1
It is no secret that one of the most explosive topics of our day is sexuality and gender. For many decades, there has been a concerted effort to change the narrative about the norms regarding sexuality and gender. Those efforts have been largely successful in silencing Christians, and especially preachers, from speaking with clarity on […]
How Should Christians Think About Nuclear War?
*Editor’s Note: The following is a thoughtful Christian perspective on a difficult topic. There isn’t one, official Christian view on war in general, or on nuclear war in particular. This article makes for a helpful response in that it articulates a well-grounded Christian perspective but makes room for differences of opinion. The question of nuclear […]
5 Questions for Church Leaders to Ask About Generative AI
With the rise of generative AI, are we closer to Clippy, your old animated friend from Microsoft Office 97—or to the Terminator? Are we closer to Buzz Lightyear or to the AI-run jet from the movie Stealth? Here are some snapshots of where we are: An AI-generated work took first place in a Colorado state […]
Review of ‘The Anxious Generation’ by Jonathan Haidt
The title of Jonathan Haidt’s new book is not remotely controversial or debatable. That Gen Z is a uniquely anxious generation is demonstrated time and time again both in anecdotal experiences and in survey data. And this book has plenty of both. In fact, one of the most helpful things about The Anxious Generation was […]
Top 10 RENEW.org Articles in 2024
“Yes, but . . .” It can be annoying to hear someone say “Yes, but . . .” to correct something you’re saying. It’s like when a parent says, “Yes, he was wrong to take your toy, but it was also wrong of you to hit him.” Yet the “Yes, but . . .” approach […]
