Good News for Today

Residents of Florida, Georgia and Alabama need your prayers today as they deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. The storm quickly intensified before coming ashore in the Florida panhandle on Thursday afternoon before zipping north into Georgia and Alabama overnight.Disaster relief crews are on standby as first responders do their work and assessors move into the area. Despite the tragedy, it’s a blessing to know that people who care are quick to rush to the help of others facing dark days.--You are learning every day. You don’t need a scientific poll to realize that. Some sort of media or influence is affecting your thinking and view of the world every day.An election season billed as the most important of our lives lends itself to stories where falsehoods outpaced the truth, at least for a time. Southwestern Seminary Professor Malcolm Yarnell says this is why Christians should stay tethered to the truths of Christ.“Let’s not turn our politicians into messiahs [and] political parties into a church,” he said. “That is where we begin to confuse the Kingdom of God with the kingdom of this world.”--For the past two and a half years Baptist Press has had the privilege of bringing you Good News for Today. We’ve tried to find a way to report news accurately and fairly with a biblical and Christ-centered perspective. Due to some changes at Baptist Press, unfortunately, today marks the end of our radio and podcast feature.Thank you for listening. We do not take our readers…or listeners for granted. Thank you for the opportunity to share news and content with you over radio stations across North America.After 76 years, the work of Baptist Press will at our website. We hope you’ll read our stories there.--The world’s greatest problem is lostness. You can help share the light of Christ. Learn how at IMB.org.

Millions of elementary through college students gathered at flag poles on their campuses yesterday file in the U.S. and 63 other countries to pray in the student-led “See You at the Pole” initiative in its 33rd year.The early sunrise, clouds and rains variously served as the backdrop for social media photos attesting to student participation.The event is designed to spark a continual prayer movement and lifestyle change, with resources available through the partner ministry Claim Your Campus, and was preceded in some communities by prayerwalks and student ministry events, organizers said.Held annually on the fourth Wednesday in September since 1991, See You at the Pole grew from a DiscipleNow weekend in Burleson, Texas, in early1990. Compelled to pray, a small group of teenagers drove to three area schools, stood under flagpoles and prayed for schools, leaders and friends.Word of the Burleson event spread, drawing 45,000 students in prayer under flagpoles in four states in September 1990, and a million at school flagpoles in September 1991, according to event promoters. Today, events are held in Canada, Korea, Japan, Turkey, the Ivory Coast and beyond, with students “responding to God and taking seriously the challenge to pray,” promoters said. --Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris told an interviewer Tuesday (Sept. 24) that she would be in favor of eliminating the filibuster for votes on abortion-related legislation in the Senate. That, in essence, would clear the way for abortion legislation to pass the Senate with a simple majority rather than the 60 votes needed to overturn a filibuster.Harris has made abortion a centerpiece of her campaign, pledging to sign any bill that “restore[s] reproductive freedom nationwide,” according to her website.Ethics & Religious Liberty President Brent Leatherwood said it appears such abortion extremism is a hard sell for many Americans.“I’ve often found that calls to end the filibuster are the result of an inability to win consensus on an issue. It means you are losing,” Leatherwood told Baptist Press in written comments. --The world’s greatest problem is lostness. Learn how you can help at IMB.org. 

Words are important.Southwestern Seminary professor Malcolm Yarnell says, “Christians ought to have a leavening influence on their society.” “But when we forget our primary allegiance to Jesus Christ [in favor of] political parties, movements or leaders, we begin to run into trouble.”An average of Gallup polls in 2023 found that 68 percent of Americans identified with the Christian religion. However, that reflected a consistent drop from the high point of 96 percent in 1956.Christians are being educated by something, he added. That can be the culture, social media, mainstream media or the church. All have a way of affecting our worldview to some degree. Yarnell spoke of C. Gardner Taylor, a preacher and contemporary of Martin Luther King Jr. Very concerned with social issues, Taylor’s wife would at times comment on her husband’s sermon “thickness.”“Sometimes she would tell him that his sermon was a bit ‘thin’ to let him know he was getting too much into political and social issues,” Yarnell said. “Those issues need to be addressed, but if it was his primary proclamation, it was robbing from the emphasis on the Gospel.”--Feeling overwhelmed? Tennessee pastor Abraham Creemens encourages you to look to Jesus.“The first step on this journey of hope is to recognize that there is only one Savior, and it is not you. It is not me, or your pastor or the most spiritual person in the world. It is Jesus. We turned the world upside down and Jesus turned it right-side-up. Paul explained this in 2 Corinthians 5:21: He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. “Creemens says when life is too much, you can look to the empty tomb where Jesus overcame the grave.“See the beauty of the resurrection. Jesus died a real death. But the grave was not strong enough. The invitation is to lean into the person, purpose and promises of God every day and lay your concerns at the entrance of the empty tomb.”Read the full piece at Baptist Press.--More than 2 billion people are facing food insecurity. Learn how you can help at IMB.org.  

In north Georgia close to 50 football players on the team at Shorter University made decisions for Christ this year before the season started, and 17 followed through with believer’s baptism.Zach Morrison, in his seventh year as head coach, described what happened after players arrived at the school in early August for preseason training and conditioning camp. “We took them to a couple of local churches,” he said, “and about 150 players visited Life Church.”That Sunday, Morrison recalled, Life Church Pastor Jason Stockton preached and closed with an invitation. Team chaplain Topher Stockton (no relation) said 48 players followed Christ that morning.Morrison says local pastors have been meeting with the players talked through what their decisions meant, and what baptism is and is not. Coach Morrison said in addition to helping the players learn the playbook, he’s making sure these new believers learn the first step in being disciples of Jesus.--There is a sense of loss when people leave a church. There are also times when that loss is coupled with celebration.Christ Fellowship Church Cherrydale, South Carolina began 15 years ago, sent out by another young church, Crosspoint in Clemson, S.C. As church planter in residence at Crosspoint, Matt Rogers learned about looking at the bigger picture and serving in a ministry that remains small even though it is in consistent growth.Christ Fellowship, with attendance of 500-600 each Sunday, is currently in the middle of showing what that looks like.Five families have recently pledged to go overseas and help start new churches, with two of them already on the field. Another will have their last Sunday this weekend. The final two will be gone by the end of the year.Rogers says the families will be missed, but the sorrow is worth the pain to carry the Gospel forward.--The world’s great problem is lostness. Learn how to share hope at IMB.org.   

In 2022, opioid abuse resulted in 82,000 Americans’ deaths, the most ever recorded, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In 2021, an estimated 2.5 million adults in the U.S. dealt with opioid use disorder, while more than 10 million people misused prescription opioids in 2019, according to the CDC. Many churches felt the impact.Lifeway Research found around 2 in 3 pastors (64 percent) say a family member of someone in their congregation has been affected by opioid abuse. Around half (51 percent) say a local neighbor they know or a member of their congregation is dealing with opioids, while 45 percent say a member of their congregation has been personally affected by opioid abuse.Most pastors say their church is currently serving people with opioid addictions, but that support is primarily spiritual. Almost 3 in 4 (72 percent) offer spiritual support including prayer or discipleship. Fewer say they’re providing physical support including food, shelter or clothing (41 percent) or a 12-step program or other support groups for substance abuse (32 percent). --How do you get through the mundane seasons and tasks of life? In a Baptist Press Toolbox, Jacki C. King writes, “Many of us find ourselves in long seasons of mundane tasks and routine responsibilities. There are parts to our jobs and ministries that don’t feel particularly fulfilling or productive. Whether it’s printing handouts, putting in attendance, or setting up and taking down events, these tasks can often feel monotonous and unrewarding.While these mundane tasks may not be glamorous or exciting, they are essential for the health and growth of our ministries. Everyone, from the most seasoned leader to the newest volunteer, has to deal with these less-than-glamorous aspects of their work. It’s how we respond to these seasons that matters.Find joy in the small things: Look for opportunities to praise God in the midst of everyday tasks. Seek God’s graces: God is showing up in big and small ways. Keep a journal or list of how you see Him working. Mix it up: If you hate doing a mundane task, make sure you schedule in between things that fuel you. How you schedule your tasks can play a huge role in working through your day.More than 2 billion people face food insecurity everyday. You can help. Learn how at IMB.org. 

A group of local and national church leaders are working to help the situation in Springfied, Ohio where a relatively small town has become the focus of the national immigration discussion.Tensions rose in the city after the Republican presidential ticket spread claims on social media and during the presidential debate that immigrants in Springfield were eating people’s pets. Bomb threats forced the closure of city buildings, schools and hospitals, and made the city the subject of national and international news for a week or more.Kenny Felix, president of Southern Baptist Convention National Haitian Fellowship and a leader from the Christian Leadership Coalition recently joined with local pastors, elected officials and community leaders to see how they could help.The National Haitian Fellowship has around 500 partnering churches across the U.S.About five Haitian churches serve the migrants in the area.The pastors met with the Springfield Mayor Rob Rue to learn how they could help ease tensions.--Days after an unnamed tropical storm-like system dumped historic rainfall across the Cape Fear region of southeastern North Carolina, disaster response volunteers with N.C. Baptists on Mission are assisting those impacted by the storm.As the region continues to grapple with flooding and other storm-related damage, Baptists on Mission has opened two disaster recovery sites at Beach Road Baptist Church in Southport and First Baptist Church in Leland, where approximately 100 volunteers are expected to serve. According to Tom Beam, disaster response coordinator for Baptists on Mission, volunteers have faced obstacles as flooding has forced road closures throughout the area. Beam said that in spite of setbacks and detours, assessments and recovery assignments are already underway.As much as 12 to 20 inches of rain fell across the region in just two days, with much of it coming during a 12-hour window between 5 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday, weather officials said. Rainfall in excess of 12 inches in a 12-hour period is expected to occur once every 200 years across coastal southeastern North Carolina, officials said.--Medical professionals can use their skills to bring more than physical healing. Learn how at IMB.org.

Each summer thousands of elementary, middle and high school students flock to Lifeway summer camps. In addition to games and ice cream machines, those kids love missions. This week, Lifeway President Ben Mandrell presented $678,283.32 to the International Mission Board and the North American Mission Board. That’s right students across America gave more than $678-thousand to missions. Lifeway camps have been around for 40 years…and the total missions offerings have exceeded $17 million. Lifeway camps give students the opportunity to hear stories of faithful missionaries and God’s work around the globe and you can tell these stories are well received by the campers.--Speaking of missions… MedAdvance has drawn health care professionals across the country since 2007. Doctors, nurses, therapists, nutritionists, pharmacists, fitness instructors, community health workers, other specialists and non-medical attendees gather at the annual event to hear how the IMB is using global health care strategies to reach the lost all over the world. At a conference earlier this September, a doctor who worked with NASA attended to see how she can have an impact on the mission field. A retired hospital administrator attended previous events and came to Houston to reconnect with IMB friends, offering encouragement and prayer. --Kentucky pastor Todd Gray wonders what drives you to pray. In a piece in Baptist Press he writes that family members who don’t know Jesus motivate him to pray.“There are few things more concerning than the awareness that a member of one’s immediate family has rejected the gospel and is living their life in danger of hell. The reality of their spiritually dangerous position must prompt us to passionate prayer as we ask God to bring conviction into their heart and faithful witnesses across their path.”-The world’s greatest problem is lostness. Learn how to share the light at IMB.org.

The financial appropriations decision making process is working its way through Congress.Some of the priorities highlighted by the ERLC in the letter include pro-life issues, religious liberty concerns and opposing taxpayer funding for harmful “gender transition” surgeries.“As a nation, our values and priorities are most clearly displayed through the allocation of our resources,” ERLC President Brent Leatherwood said in the letter. “It is our desire for those resources to be used in a way that promotes life, religious liberty and the flourishing of all our neighbors. It is in light of these core principles that we highlight the areas of concern and support below.”Draft text for nearly all 12 appropriations bills has been released in both chambers, and the bills have passed through both the House and Senate appropriations committees. The deadline for the government to pass the required 12 appropriations bills for the 2025 fiscal year is Sept. 30, but Congress is expected to pass a continuing resolution to extend that deadline at the current funding levels.--While the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the most widely used measure of inflation, grew 6 percent from June 2022 to June 2024, both the average compensation and pay package for full-time senior pastors climbed more than 13 percent, while staff ministers’ grew more than 7 percent and office personnel’s increased by at least 10 percent.“The upward movement in full-time pastor salaries does not make up all the financial ground they lost between 2018 and 2022,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. “Many pastors financially ‘took one for the team’ during the pandemic, and it is encouraging to see many churches responding to begin to close this gap.”For senior pastors, compensation, which includes salary and housing, grew 16.6 percent in the past two years, and pay package, which includes salary, housing, retirement and insurance, climbed 13.9 percent.--More than 2 billion people face food insecurity everday. You can help. Learn how at IMB.org.

While the debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris is in the rearview mirror and may be the only time the presidential candidates take to the debate stage, Southern Baptist Convention President Clint Pressley says believers should recognize the “transcendent policy issues of our time,” which he lists as the sanctity of life and marriage, gender issues and religious liberty.“Cling tenaciously to a biblical worldview, and don’t be manipulated,” he said. “Pray for God to give us wise and discerning leaders. Trust that God is sovereign and that Christ’s kingdom is not of this world.”Texas ethicist Dan Darling encouraged church leaders to keep a healthy perspective during a contentious campaign season.“Pastors have an opportunity in this election to help their people steward their citizenship well by weighing the issues, voting, and conducting themselves in a way that honors Christ,” Darling, public policy professor at Southwestern Seminary said. “Even though the partisanship of the election can be wearying, American Christians should be thankful for the opportunity to influence policy, both local, state, and national. This is a privilege many millions of people around the world only wish they had. We can do that while also remembering that our ultimate citizenship is in Heaven.”-- A recent State of the Bible study revealed Gen Z is the least likely to turn to the faith community and medical professionals for help navigating mental health issues, researchers found. Instead, Gen Z is more apt to turn to a trusted family member or social media for help, although only 15 percent of Gen Z would turn to social media platforms for help.Regarding fears, financial stress or hardship strikes extreme fear in 31 percent of Gen Z, compared to 21 percent of Gen X, 20 percent of Millennials and 12 percent of Boomers.Grief and loss? Thirty-one percent of Gen Z are extremely fearful, outpacing 21 percent of Millennials, 19 percent of Gen X and 14 percent of Boomers. Extreme fear of family stress or trauma befalls 29 percent of Gen Z, 20 percent of Millennials, 19 percent of Gen X and 10 percent of Boomers.--Lostness is the world’s greatest problem. Learn you can help at IMB.org. 

Thousands of residents in New Orleans are finally receiving power after Hurricane Francine made landfall across the Gulf Coast late last week.Disaster Relief workers from at least Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas are working in Louisiana. Feeding teams, chainsaw teams and chaplains are work.Thousands of meals are being served as people pick up from the heavy winds and rains.You can learn how to affect those affected by visiting SendRelief.org.--Generation Z, the first to grow up with smartphones and tablets, is the most fearful and anxious of any age, the American Bible Society (ABS) said in its latest release from the 2024 State of the Bible.But regular Bible engagement, a practice that attracts only 11 percent of Gen Z, reduces anxiety by half and can improve other markers of emotional health, study authors said in releasing chapter six of the study Sept. 12.Scripture engaged Gen Z can score just as well as any other group on several measures of emotional health, but the group ranks lowest in Scripture engagement among all generations. As such, all findings regarding Bible engaged Gen Z members are from a comparatively small cohort, study authors said.Extreme fears of grief and loss, family stress or trauma, and financial stress or hardship are chief among their concerns, cited among nearly a third of Gen Z respondents, followed by moderate levels of fears of those matters among 45 percent of Gen Z, study authors said.--Sometimes hardships are caused by holy circumstances and sometimes they are the result of less than circumstance.A Lifeway Bible Study points to Paul’s preaching in the first century and the Bible’s written word that has lasted over the centuries.In Acts 14, Paul challenged the people to turn from “worthless things to the living God” (v. 15). He noted that only the one, true God created everything and as such, was worthy of worship.There are times in our lives when we should take an inventory to see if we’re prioritizing things that would honor God. Read the full piece at Baptist Press.--More than 2 billion face food insecurity. Learn how you can help at IMB.org.