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Author Archives: Dwight Widaman

Why Mr. Beast’s humanitarian efforts actually work–and why his critics hate him

mr beast

James Stephen “Jimmy” Donaldson, better known by his professional moniker “Mr. Beast,” has made a name for himself — and hundreds of millions of dollars for humanitarian causes — by leveraging his ...

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St. Francis of Assisi created first Nativity scene 800 years ago

nativity

The familiar Nativity scenes that decorate many homes, churches and public spaces turn 800 years old this year. St. Francis of Assisi arranged the first manger scene in 1223 and included live ...

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‘I sinned:” IHOPKC founder Mike Bickle admits to “inappropriate behavior”

bickle allegation ties misconduct

Mike Bickle, the founder of the International House of Prayer, on Tuesday admitted to past sins and misconduct that caused “pain, confusion and division in the body of Christ.” The statement can ...

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Do atheists attend church on Christmas?

atheists

The country seems more and more divided between people of faith and those who consider themselves agnostics and atheists. Many people who are nominally religious and even agnostic may still celebrate the ...

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Missourians, Kansans list favorite Christmas songs

christmas songs

“It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” is the most popular Christmas song in Missouri, while Kansans prefer “Jingle Bells.” FinanceBuzz recently used Google trends to find the most popular song ...

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Doug Emhoff, husband to the Vice President, gets Chanukah story wrong

emhoff chanukah

Douglas Emhoff, the Jewish husband of U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris whom the Biden administration often tasks with representing it at Jewish events, is being mocked on social media for a post ...

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Missouri attorney general investigating Media Matters for America

media matters

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced on Monday that his office is investigating Media Matters for America for allegedly fraudulent solicitation of donations from Missourians during its efforts to target Twitter. “We ...

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Up to 300 million Christians face persecution: report

million christians

Despite dire statistics about rising persecution, Christians are facing down terrorists and moving ahead with Christmas celebrations. After multiple attacks on a village in northcentral Nigeria’s Plateau state from Fulani militants, a ...

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Even Kevin McCallister from “Home Alone” would feel squeezed by current inflation

mcallister

In a scene from the 1990 holiday movie “Home Alone,” 8-year-old Kevin McCallister went grocery shopping by himself. He purchased a number of grocery and household items for less than $20. Times ...

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Switching to whole grains a good choice for winter

winter

When the weather turns cold, people naturally are drawn to comfort foods such as  casseroles, soups, stews and noodle dishes, among others. They often are familiar foods that people may have grown ...

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Professor sues after firing over tweet on sexuality

professor tweet

A theology professor in England is suing his Methodist college after being fired for a tweet that defended biblical sexuality. Last spring, Cliff College in Derbyshire dismissed Aaron Edwards for allegedly bringing ...

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New allegation emerges against IHOPKC founder Mike Bickle

bickle allegation ties misconduct

The investigation of Mike Bickle, the founder of the International House of Prayer Kansas City, is facing a new allegation. A woman identified only as Jane Doe this week alleged that from ...

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Red Cross to hostage families: “Think about the Palestinian side”

red hostage

The Red Cross is facing increasing criticism for its actions in Gaza. Now, hostage families say the organization scolded them, saying, they need to “think about the Palestinian side.” The families were ...

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REVIEW: ‘Prince of Egypt: The Musical’ movie

prince egypt

When people make lists of the best faith-based films of all time, particularly from my generation, they almost always include Dreamworks’s animated film “The Prince of Egypt.” A feature animated film based ...

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Many pastors still hurting in wake of pandemic

pastors pandemic

Although the pandemic is over, the human toll on pastors is still being felt. “At the height of the pandemic, we were losing up to 1,500 pastors a month in this country,” ...

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Global Christian Relief: Chinese church not in decline

global relief

Contrary to a recent report, the number of Christians in China is not declining, despite a government crackdown, the leader of Global Christian Relief said. “A recent Pew Research Report measuring religion ...

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Letter from an Arab to Muslims

muslims

Dear Arabs and Muslims, I just back from Israel, and my life will never be the same. I thought I was going to be met with pure racism, and then came to ...

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Family of young Chiefs fan files lawsuit over racist label

chiefs fan family lawsuit racism

The family of the young Kansas City Chiefs fan who was criticized for his appearance at a recent game is fighting back. Holden Armenta’s parents, Shannon and Raul, have hired a law ...

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Episcopal Diocese of Missouri proactively inspects all 41 churches in state

episcopal churches

Missouri is home to several historic Episcopal churches, and some of them are starting to show their age. “The biggest challenge facing most of our congregations, both now and in the future, ...

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Christians urged to pray for Israel during Hanukkah

christians hanukkah

Hanukkah runs Dec. 7 through the evening of Dec. 15. The Genesis 123 Foundation is asking Christians around the world to pause and pray for Israel. “At these unique and abnormal times, ...

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CNN, ABC, Reuters, AP cited for media bias

cnn abc

Nima Elbagir, chief CNN international investigative correspondent published a piece that represents “activism masquerading as journalism.” The Associated Press and Reuters are “quick to report Hamas’s questionable claims.” And ABC “bizarrely” stated that “Israel was violating a ceasefire that had ...

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Be Inspired with Tina -The Tina Turner Musical

Tina Turner

Tina – The Tina Turner Musical is an inspirational comeback story unlike any other. It This tale of a woman who defied expectations to become the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll opens ...

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Digital global missions empower local churches 

digital missions

The Influence Lab is changing how the church looks at missions in today’s digital age. Investing in digital missions can significantly expand a local church’s reach and impact in a multitude of ...

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Former NFL quarterback Jeff Kemp shows men how to break free in new book “Receive”

kemp

Jeff Kemp completed nearly 500 passes in his decade-long career as a professional quarterback. But regardless of how accurately he threw the football, he was successful only if a teammate received it. ...

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Football player criticized for supporting FCA during NFL’s My Cause, My Cleats game

my cleats

Football players throughout the NFL on Sunday participated in My Cause, My Cleats, in which they promoted their favorite charities on their game cleats. More than 900 players wore special cleats, which ...

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