This American Tithe

Society is crying out for answers that only the church has, but it often wants them without the values and faith that make the church what it's called to be.

The term "urban" once described people, places, and things related to the city. Then it became code for anything related to modern "black" culture. Now, according to Regent University religion scholar Antipas Harris, the word needs to be fine-tuned once again.

According to Christian counselor and teacher Michael Emlet, reading the Bible "back to front" can help us better apply it to our lives today. In this excerpt from his new book, CrossTalk: Where Life & Scripture Meet, Emlet shows the importance of reading God's Word in an active fashion. PLUS: Keep reading to find out how you can receive a FREE copy of CrossTalk.

In his latest book, Brian McLaren calls the church to a deeper and broader vision of the gospel that makes room for contemporary issues of justice and reconciliation. But has the controversial author gone too far this time? PLUS: Keep reading to find out how you can receive a FREE copy of McLaren's book, A New Kind of Christianity: Ten Questions That Are Transforming the Faith.

After my 13-year-old's jarring confession, I talked to other youth about their impressions of God, the church, and "Christ vs. Christianity." I quickly discovered that my son was not alone in his doubts about the integrity of adult Christians.

If race, as many agree, is a social construct, why are Christians so good at holding on to it as a way to define, describe, and divide ourselves?

"Integration" and "diversity" do not express God's purpose for reconciliation deeply enough. What we need is a fresh paradigm that declares our new culture in Christ.

As fans get ready for the eagerly awaited Michael Jackson concert film, an African American pastor reconsiders the Black church's dubious embrace of the King of Pop.

But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these."

This week the U.S. Census Bureau released data showing that in 2008, the number of children living in poverty increased by 750,000 to 14.1 million. This is the biggest increase in child poverty since 1992.

When I read this I felt a pit in my stomach. In the wealthiest country that the world has ever seen, over 14 million of its most vulnerable citizens are coming to age in the midst of poverty.

Let me begin by asking a simple question: What Bible translation do you use and why?

As a pastor and wannabe theologian, I own, read, and use countless Bibles and various translations. My bookshelves are filled with everything from the KJV to The Message. A couple years ago, I made the switch to the TNIV (Today's New International Version) as my primary Bible for devotional reading. Prior to that, I was using mostly the NIV and NRSV. My pastoral staff at Quest Church (and even our denominational tribe, the ECC) also began teaching from the TNIV as part of our ongoing commitment to exegetical preaching. So, I was very disappointed to read yesterday that the TNIV will be abandoned and written off as a "mistake" by its publisher, Zondervan.