A 'new beginning' for the pro-life initiative; TN church finds hope in sorrow; Taking hold of your calendar

Good News for Today

Monday marked the second anniversary of the Supreme Court decision that overturned the Roe vs. Wade decision… moving the abortion debate primarily to state legislators.

Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission president Brent Leatherwood says the marker doesn’t indicate an end of an era but instead, a new beginning.

“We rejoice knowing the ruling put an end to the Roe regime, but also realize there’s still work to be done on the local, state and federal level to put an end to abortion once and for all. We will continue to work with lawmakers to enact policies that care for and serve both vulnerable mothers and preborn children.”

Currently, 14 states have enacted near-total bans on abortion, with some providing limited exceptions, such as those for cases of rape or incest. There are a few additional states where abortion is legal but with a gestational limit of six to 18 weeks.

Data from the initial months after Roe was overturned indicates abortion decreased throughout the country during that time period. However, the Guttmacher Institute, a pro-abortion research and policy organization, released data earlier this year demonstrating a spike in overall abortions provided nationwide in 2023.

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Hope remains for members of of Springdale Baptist Church in Tazewell, Tennessee after a June 1 fire destroyed their entire church building. A building that dates back to 1882.

A number of church members were at a birthday party when they received the call about the blaze.

Pastor Brandon Christian, who was at the birthday party, arrived as quickly as possible.

“As the church was burning, I told our members that we’d be here on Sunday, holding a service,” he said.

And they were.

Three years ago, the church had been a given one-room log church building that adjoins their property.

Christian said the church refurbished the building and has used it for special events only.

That’s where they’ve been meeting for services.

The church is working to rebuild and the pastor says other churches and the community has come to their aid.

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We’re all busy. Mark Dance offers some tips on how to manage your time.

He writes, “Jesus and His dozen apostles were exhausted from a ministry sprint that included a resurrection (Jarius’ daughter) followed immediately by the execution of John the Baptist. One thing ministry peaks and valleys have in common is that they both leave us exhausted and in need of a recharge.

“I don’t know how many times I’ve experienced the burn of burnout only to look at my calendar and see how long it had been since I’d taken a real break from my ministry routine. If you’ve gone more than three months without taking a break from preaching or teaching, you’ll experience this burn.”