Joyce Meyer Changes Her Views and 'The Good Place' Goes to Heaven

[bannerad]( JANUARY 22, 2019 [RELEVANT THIS WEEK]( THE BEST OF RELEVANTMAGAZINE.COM [Hero-5.jpg]( STORY OF THE WEEK [Everything My Church Taught Me About Sex and Marriage Is Wrong]( [rn-x.png] Chances are you've heard a pastor introduce his "smoking hot wife" to a congregation. It might be a light laugh moment, but it perpetuates a damaging culture within the church that communicates sex is about gratification and meeting physical standards. We can be more Christ-like than that. [READ NOW]( WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW [• Study: Young People Are Leaving the Church Due to perceived Hypocrisy and Judgment]( We have some numbers for you, and the concern is real. LifeWay's research team asked young adults aged 23 to 30 if they've stopped going to church, and two-thirds said they've left for at least a year as adults. Their reasoning? It varies, but answers include problems with social issues and shortcomings with young adult ministry programs. [• In Netflix's 'Springsteen On Broadway,' the Boss Wrestles With His Faith]( Bruce Springsteen is timeless because he refuses to stay put in any one period. In his Broadway show, taped for Netflix, he puts his entire life in perspective, interrogating his own relationships and career with rare precision and critique. Beyond that, he grapples with his faith, too. It's another essential experience from the Boss. [• The Real Problem With That Gillette Ad Isn't the Message]( Gillette made waves last week with a moving ad about toxic masculinity, playing off its "best a man can get" slogan. Some people, however, took issue with the commercial's message, saying it was anti-men. That wasn't an issue—not even the issue. If we want to criticize this ad at all, we should look at its form. [• This Texas Church Paid Off the Lunch Debts of an Entire School District With Its Christmas Donations]( Maybe your church was one in the past few weeks to boast a giant number in recognition of all the generous donations made by the congregation around Christmastime. The question might remain: What are they going to do with that extra cash? Less transparent churches take note: This is one way to do it right. [• Harvest Bible Chapel Fires Pastor For Not Wanting James MacDonald to Preach During Sabbatical]( A couple weeks ago, pastor James MacDonald announced he was taking a sabbatical from Harvest Bible Chapel following reports of misconduct, though the church has said he might continue preaching. One pastor took issue with that, but now, he's been fired. Here's the full story. [• If Your Church Doesn't Have a System of Wires to Make the Pastor Fly, Is it Really Church?]( This week in churchgoing insanity, we invite you to lay eyes on the unbelievable sight of a pastor using a Vegas-esque wire system to float above his congregation for a sermon illustration about the Second Coming of Christ. Feeling insecure in your own church body yet? [• Watch John Crist Imagine What It Would Be Like If Bible Characters Had iPhones]( Why did Jesus enter Jerusalem on a donkey when he could've just called an Uber? This question, plus many more, are raised by comedian John Crist as he investigates an alternate universe where people in the Bible have smartphones at their disposal. MOST SHARED [Hero-17.jpg]( GOD [Faith Involves Your Brain, Too]( [bible.png]( LIFE [10 Truths You Need to Know About Calling]( [Hero-4.jpg]( CULTURE [Watching the World Grapple With a Virgin ‘Bachelor’]( [rn-logo.png]( © 2019 RELEVANT Media Group. All Rights Reserved [Cover-96.png]( [SUBSCRIBE]( This email was sent to {EMAIL} [why did I get this?](    Don't want to receive these emails anymore?  [unsubscribe from this list](    [update subscription preferences]( RELEVANT Media Group · 55 West Church St. · Suite #211 · Orlando, FL 32801 · USA