The Rise of Christian Education

Famed reformer Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

This is a feel-good, popular sentiment, and it gives us hope. The problem is, this goes in both directions: the world can be changed for good or for evil. When we look at what a subverted education system – or simply a poor education system – does to the next generation, should we be hopeful? Or should we think that something’s got to give?

Christy-Faith, in her popular book Homeschool Rising, describes the growing skepticism of the current public school system in this way:

“It’s having the courage to truly ask ourselves, ‘This may be normal, but is this “normal” good?’”

Increasingly, the Christian community in America looks at the 200-year-old public school system and says, “No. This is not good.”

The ever-declining test scores, increasingly unhinged political and philosophical agendas, and the behavior and crime problems in public schools are now well attested and documented. But where does that leave the future leaders of our churches, businesses, and governments?

If we abandon the public school system as a failed model, where are parents to turn?

Increasingly, the answer is:…

Rental property owners, beware – squatting is on the rise. Strange as that sounds, it is, unfortunately, true, and causing havoc in many states, such as California, which has a specific set of “squatter’s rights,” making it difficult, expensive, and sometimes impossible to remove an unlawful resident from your property, whether this is a former tenant who stopped paying rent and refuses to leave, or simply a random person who shows up and takes up residence without permission. Often, unlawful tenants can damage the property once the eviction process has begun, and in some states, property owners are not allowed to cut off utilities…

Amid persistent “sideways” inflation, employment data, and a still-hot economy, economists are less certain of Fed rate cuts this year. Gold continued its record-breaking bull market early this week, but experts warn that it is likely to contract soon. In Oil, Brent Crude has climbed past $90/barrel (and West Texas is sitting at just above $86), but it seems to be decreasing now, in part due to a potential ceasefire in Gaza, though Israel’s heightened tensions with Iran and a still-tight supply suggest that prices likely won’t go too low any time soon…

The United States is poised to award Samsung $6.6 billion to expand its chip-making capabilities in Tyler, Texas. It’s a large sum, but still only one-eighth of the amount earmarked for companies to produce computer chips in the United States in the 2022 bipartisan spending package called the “Chips and Science Act.” As tensions continue to mount in the Taiwan Strait, with China always threatening to invade, it has become a priority for the United States to decentralize its semiconductor sourcing – because Taiwan currently produces 60% of the world’s semiconductors and 90% of the advanced semiconductors (the type that is used in our top-secret military technology)…

Your weekly chance to test your Bible knowledge! The answer to today’s question may surprise you:

Q: What does the Hebrew word “Shema” (שְׁמַע) mean?

Answer at the bottom

TIPS & TRICKS

MBA Lessons from an NBA Christian: Jonathan Isaac’s Unique Take on a Lifestyle Brand

Here’s the unfortunate reality – a lot of the time, when a celebrity starts a consumer products brand, the “lifestyle” they try to tie in with its merchandise is something less than admirable. You have Kanye’s Yeezy brand, which historically promotes a sort of aloof solipsism (and now open anti-semitism, such as the infamous “Adidas” shirt they sell). Gweneth Paltrow’s lifestyle brand “Goop” is wasteful and just plain weird (click on that link at your own risk – we did say they were weird). A lot of rapper brands encourage infidelity and promiscuity. A lot of athlete brands encourage arrogance.

Is the concept of “lifestyle marketing” even savable?

Jonathan Isaac,a Christian and a fine defensive player in the NBA, plays forward for the Orlando Magic. Outside of basketball, he is outspoken in his thoughts on politics, culture, and faith, and he is most known for his decision to stand during the National Anthem at a time when every single other player in the league knelt, amidst the BLM protests. He even wrote a bestselling book about the experience titled Why I Stand…

• Blackstone President Jonathan Gray says, “We can see the pillars of a real-estate recovery coming into place, specifically in regards to the multifamily/rental market.

• The Wall Street Journal traces several shifting narratives on the stock market and encourages investors to be clear-headed and eyes-open when placing bets.

• Pew Research Center offers “6 Facts about Americans and TikTok” for those wanting to understand the reach of the social media platform in our country.

• Church Leaders encourages pastors and elders to “fight the urge to make your small church look big,” instead valuing the intimacy and connectedness of a smaller body.