A Word For Today: Don’t Follow the Crowd

July 25, 2018 By Leave a Comment

DON’T FOLLOW THE CROWD

READ PSALMS 53:1 THROUGH 56:13; ACTS 19:23–41

Paul’s preaching at Ephesus had led many people to Christ; and Demetrius, a silversmith who crafted idols, wasn’t happy about it. He gathered a group of fellow craftsmen together and told them Paul was bad for business because he was dishonoring their temple goddess. Soon, the group of men became an angry crowd that shouted for two hours. Confusion reigned.

The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there (Acts 19:32).

The city clerk finally quieted the crowd and advised them to handle their grievances in a legal manner. He warned them they were in danger of being charged with rioting. Some of the people had just followed the crowd and now could find themselves in trouble.

Christians should be cautious about following the crowd. God’s people should not be confused about what they believe or what they’re fighting for. Christians will not honor Him by following the voice of the world.

Challenge for Today: Determine to live your life in a God-honoring manner.
Filed Under: Columns

Editorial: Republicans are now the pro-Israel party, as Democrats distance themselves from the Jewish state

July 25, 2018 By Leave a Comment

From the time Democratic President Harry Truman granted diplomatic recognition to the Jewish state of Israel on May 14, 1948 – the day the state was formed – support for Israel was widespread and bipartisan among American elected officials. In fact, it was taken by most as a given on both sides of the aisle.

Here’s a link to the editorial at FOX News.

Filed Under: Columns

FCN Daily Bible Verse

July 25, 2018 By Leave a Comment
A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends.
Proverbs 16:28 (Read all of Proverbs 16:28)
New International Version
Filed Under: Columns

Pastor Rick Warren: Financial Blessing Requires Careful Planning

July 25, 2018 By Leave a Comment

By Rick Warren

“Plan carefully and you will have plenty” (Proverbs 21:5 GNT).

If you want to be financially strong, you need to start writing down what you spend until you know where it’s all going. This is the principle of accounting. You’ve got to keep track of your finances!Proverbs 21:5 says, “Plan carefully and you will have plenty” (GNT). If you don’t have enough, you’re not planning carefully. You don’t have anybody to blame but yourself.

You may say, “But I had this emergency!” Everybody has emergencies. Everybody gets laid off or has unexpected expenses. The difference between the people who make it through and those who don’t is how they planned for those emergencies. If you don’t expect them, of course you’re going to be devastated by them.

Have you ever made it to the end of the month and wondered, “Where did all my money go?” Ignorance of your financial condition plus easy credit equals disaster. You’ve heard that phrase “Money talks.” It does not. It just walks away quietly, and it doesn’t tell you where it’s going. So you have to keep good records so you know where your money is going.

Here are four things you need to keep good records of: what you own, what you owe, what you earn, and where it’s going. There are several ways to budget, and you need to figure out which one is best for you. You need to get online, get into your bank, get to your accountant’s office, get into your books — whatever it takes to get on track and understand your money so that it works for you and not against you.

Proverbs 23:5 says, “Your money can be gone in a flash, as if it had grown wings and flown away like an eagle” (GNT). That’s a pretty descriptive picture. If you don’t know where your money is going, it’s just going to fly away like an eagle.

Fortunately, the U.S. government is kind enough to remind us by putting an eagle on every dollar bill. So every time you look at that bill, let it be a reminder that it’s going to fly away unless you tell it where to go.

Talk It Over

  • If you’re married, are you and your spouse on the same page when it comes to your finances and how much you both know about them? Why is it important that your finances are a joint effort?
  • What steps do you need to take today to be able to better track and allocate your money?
  • How do you want God to bless you financially? How are you being faithful to him with your finances?

Give hope, prayer, and encouragement below. Post a comment & talk about it.

Filed Under: Columns

REO is best band in the state’s best for Illinois’ 200th birthday

July 25, 2018 By Leave a Comment

REO Speedwagon, the band behind “Can’t Fight This Feeling,” “Taking It On The Run,” and “Time For Me To Fly,” is the state’s best for Illinois’ 200th birthday. 

Here’s a link to the story at Illinois News Network.

Filed Under: Featured

Illinois bicentennial voters pick REO Speedwagon as state’s best band

July 25, 2018 By Leave a Comment

Filed Under: Slider

Government announces $12 billion stimulus for farmers impacted by tarrifs

July 25, 2018 By Leave a Comment

President Donald Trump’s administration is going to send a portion of $12 billion directly to farmers’ pockets as a way to soothe the sting of the tariff battle he’s waging against foreign importers of American farm commodities.

Here’s a link to the story at Illinois News Network.

Filed Under: Featured

Rauner says taxpayers could save $3.5 billion if consolidation recommendations enacted

July 25, 2018 By Leave a Comment

Illinois taxpayers could save more than $3 billion a year from government consolidation and mandate relief, according to Gov. Bruce Rauner.

Here’s a link to the story at Illinois News Network.

Filed Under: Featured

Doomed Missouri duck boat set out in near-hurricane winds: NTSB

July 23, 2018 By Leave a Comment

The early investigation into what caused a tour boat in Missouri to capsize Thursday, killing 17, has found that the vessel set out despite winds approaching hurricane force, according to a National Transportation Safety Board official.

Here’s a link to the story at FOX News.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

JODY ADAMS-BIRCH NAMED WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ASSISTANT COACH

July 23, 2018 By Leave a Comment

 

CARBONDALE, Ill. — Bringing an impressive coaching background that spans 25 years and includes three head coaching stints, most recently at Wichita State, Jody Adams-Birch is set to join the Southern Illinois women’s basketball coaching staff as an assistant coach.

“I am thrilled about the opportunity to have Jody join our staff at SIU,” sixth-year head coach Cindy Stein said. “She is a WINNER! She has been successful as a player, assistant and head coach. The experience and knowledge that she will bring to an already outstanding staff is invaluable. Jody will enhance every facet of our program but will be very focused on the areas of recruiting, strength and conditioning and defense. She is an excellent teacher which will be impactful for our player development.”

During her distinguished coaching career, Adams-Birch spent nine seasons as a collegiate head coach at Wichita State, where she compiled a school record 161 wins with three Missouri Valley Conference championships and a trio of NCAA Tournament appearances.

“We’re excited to bring Jody back to Carbondale,” SIU Director of Athletics Jerry Kill said. “Everyone I have talked to has had nothing but good things to say about her. I spoke with (Wichita State head men’s basketball coach) Gregg Marshall and he said she was as good a women’s coach that he has ever been around and that we are lucky to get her. Any one that has worked under Pat Summit knows a lot about basketball. She is a coach I’m very familiar with who comes from a great pedigree and is a proven winner.”

Most recently, Adams-Birch spent a season as an assistant coach at Derby (KS) High School, where the Panthers went 23-1 and won the Kansas 6A state title.

Before joining the staff at Derby, Adams-Birch spent nine seasons as head coach of the Shockers. Adams-Birch took over a program that had won 20 games just once prior to her arrival and had never made an NCAA Tournament appearance.  Wichita State had an unprecedented run of success under Adams-Birch, as the Shockers posted four-straight 20-plus win seasons and made six-straight postseason appearances from 2009-15, which included three-straight MVC Tournament titles from 2013-15. Adams-Birch recruited and coached Alex Harden, the most decorated women’s basketball player in Shocker history. Harden was chosen as the 18th pick by the Phoenix Mercury in the 2015 WNBA draft after a collegiate career in which she broke Wichita State’s career points record and became the program’s first-ever honorable mention All-America selection.

“I’m excited from the standpoint that I love working with people who morally and ethically I line up with,” said Adams-Birch. “I love and admire how Cindy does life. And then when I heard Coach Kill is back- he’s another person I really admire. I watched Coach Kill when I was the associate head coach (at SIU) and it was the way he carried himself, held his players accountable and his team’s played football the right way. I’m very blessed to be able to work alongside two people that I consider mentors.”

Before taking over the reigns at Wichita State, Adams-Birch spent the 2007-08 season as the head coach of the Murray State Racers. The Racers went 24-8 under Adams-Birch and defeated Eastern Illinois in the 2008 Ohio Valley Conference title game to secure the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament berth.

Adams-Birch arrived at Murray State after serving as the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator under Dana Eikenberg at Southern Illinois for three seasons (2004-07). During her time at SIU, Adams-Birch helped Southern claim its first-ever MVC regular season title in 2006-07.

Prior to her first stint at SIU, Adams-Birch was the associate head coach at UMKC under Eikenberg from 2000-04 and was named a 2003 AFLAC National Assistant Coach-of-the-Year after she helped UMKC sign some of the best talent in the Kansas City area. Among those recruits was Carlai Moore, who was named to the Mid-Continent Conference All-Freshman team and earned the league’s Sixth Woman-of-the-Year Award. Moore followed Adams-Birch and Eikenberg to SIU, where she won the 2006 MVC Newcomer of the Year award, and the following year, secured a spot on the All-MVC First Team. 

From 1997-00, Adams-Birch served as an assistant coach at the University of Minnesota. She was the Gophers’ recruiting coordinator and helped Minnesota sign a top-5 national recruiting class prior to the 2000-01 campaign, a class that included current Minnesota head coach Lindsay Whalen. 

Before coaching at Minnesota, Adams-Birch worked as an assistant coach at Wake Forest for one season. Prior to that, Adams-Birch was an assistant on Joe Ciampi’s staff at Auburn for two seasons that included a trip to the Elite Eight in 1996.

A 1993 graduate of Tennessee, Adams-Birch played four seasons for the Lady Vols under legendary head coach Pat Summitt, and was the starting point guard for three Southeastern Conference Championship teams. The Lady Vols advanced to the NCAA Tournament in each of her four years and captured the NCAA’s ultimate prize with a national championship in 1991. She began her coaching career as a student assistant with the Lady Vols in 1993.

Filed Under: Sports
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