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Joe Thorn is the founding and Lead Pastor of Redeemer Fellowship in St. Charles, IL, which is a part of the Southern Baptist Convention. The author of the books Note to Self: The Disciple of Preaching to Yourself and Experiencing the Trinity, he has contributed articles to the ESV Men’s Devotion Bible, The ESV Story Bible, and The Mission of God Study Bible. Along with writing at Joethorn.org, he’s been a regular contributor to For The Church and Ligonier, and has been featured on Founders Ministries and The Gospel Coalition. This past summer, Thorn’s daughter, Katherine, ‘married’ her lesbian partner...

The former resident Worship Leader of the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum was sentenced to one count of sodomy and 28 counts of sexual abuse after being found guilty of repeatedly raping a young teen over a period of four years. Michael Howard, 36, was one of the founding members of TrueSong, a worship collective formed in 2022, whose Tell Someone album was nominated for the 2024 Inspirational Album of the Year at the Dove Awards. The band held concerts Monday through Friday at the Ark Encounter and on select days at the Creation Museum, along with singing most nights...

16 January 2026 Friday of week 1 in Ordinary TimeBlessed Joseph Vaz Church, Mudipu, IndiaReadings at MassLiturgical Colour: Green. Year: A(II).First reading1 Samuel 8:4-7,10-22The people of Israel demand a kingAll the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. ‘Look,’ they said to him ‘you are old, and your sons do not follow your ways. So give us a king to rule over us, like the other nations.’ It displeased Samuel that they should say, ‘Let us have a king to rule us’, so he prayed to the Lord. But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Obey...

CHRISTMAS BIBLE-ART EPISODE #33 of 33 YOUNG JESUS TEACHING IN THE TEMPLE L U K E CHAPTER 2 Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom. After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find...

15 January 2026 Thursday of week 1 in Ordinary Time St. Ita Church, ChicagoReadings at MassLiturgical Colour: Green. Year: A(II).First reading1 Samuel 4:1-11Israel is defeated and the ark of God is capturedIt happened at that time that the Philistines mustered to fight Israel and Israel went out to meet them in battle, encamping near Ebenezer while the Philistines were encamped at Aphek. The Philistines drew up their battle line against Israel, the battle was hotly engaged, and Israel was defeated by the Philistines and about four thousand of their army were killed on the field. The troops returned to...

CHRISTMAS BIBLE-ART EPISODE #32 of 33 YOUNG JESUS TEACHING IN THE TEMPLE L U K E CHAPTER 2 Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom. After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find...

14 January 2026Wednesday of week 1 in Ordinary TimeSt Mungo's Church, Dearham, Cumbria, EnglandReadings at MassLiturgical Colour: Green. Year: A(II).First reading1 Samuel 3:1-10,19-20'Speak, Lord, your servant is listening'The boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli; it was rare for the Lord to speak in those days; visions were uncommon. One day, it happened that Eli was lying down in his room. His eyes were beginning to grow dim; he could no longer see. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying in the sanctuary of the Lord where the ark...

‘I accept Jesus Christ as my lord and savior, and I look forward to spending an eternity with him,’ Adams declared in the message, adding that he hoped he was ‘still qualified for entry’ into heaven upon his death. Scott Adams, the creator of the long-running Dilbert comic strip whose art satirized the typical American workplace, died on Jan. 13 at 68 years old after a battle with cancer. “I accept Jesus Christ as my lord and savior, and I look forward to spending an eternity with him,” Adams declared in the message, adding that he hoped he was “still...

A new report from Students for Life of America’s Demetree Institute for Pro-Life Advancement has found that 114 Christian colleges and universities in the United States — more than one in seven — are supporting abortion in some way. The report found these Christian universities either backing abortion or maintaining some type of relationship with Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion company. The investigation, conducted for the fourth consecutive year during the 2024-2025 academic year, examined 725 institutions affiliated with Christ-centered denominations that publicly claim a historical Christian faith in their founding. Schools from denominations embracing a pro-abortion stance, such...

CHRISTMAS BIBLE-ART EPISODE #31 of 33 JESUS GROWS INTO ADULTHOOD M A T T H E W CHAPTER 2 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.” So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was...

13 January 2026Tuesday of week 1 in Ordinary TimeSt. Hilary of Poitiers Catholic Church, Raceland, LAReadings at MassLiturgical Colour: Green. Year: A(II).First reading1 Samuel 1:9-20The Lord is mindful of Hannah and she gives birth to SamuelAfter they had eaten in the hall, Hannah rose and took her stand before the Lord, while Eli the priest was sitting on his seat by the doorpost of the temple of the Lord. In the bitterness of her soul she prayed to the Lord with many tears and made a vow, saying, ‘O Lord of Hosts! If you will take notice of the...

CHRISTMAS BIBLE-ART EPISODE #30 of 33 KING HEROD SLAUGHTERS THE INNOCENTS M A T T H E W CHAPTER 2 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are...

12 January 2026 Monday of week 1 in Ordinary Time Mass for the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord at the site of the Baptism (Al-Maghtas)Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: Green. Year: A(II).First reading1 Samuel 1:1-8Hannah's rival taunts her for being barrenThere was a man of Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the highlands of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. He had two wives, one called Hannah, the other Peninnah; Peninnah had children but Hannah had none. Every year this man used to go up from his town...

Sunday 11 January 2026 The Baptism of the Lord Feast Saint Paulinus Catholic Church, Syracuse NebraskaReadings at MassLiturgical Colour: White. Year: A(II).First readingIsaiah 42:1-4,6-7Here is my servant, in whom my soul delightsThus says the Lord:Here is my servant whom I uphold,my chosen one in whom my soul delights.I have endowed him with my spiritthat he may bring true justice to the nations.He does not cry out or shout aloud,or make his voice heard in the streets.He does not break the crushed reed,nor quench the wavering flame.Faithfully he brings true justice;he will neither waver, nor be crusheduntil true justice is established...

CHRISTMAS BIBLE-ART EPISODE #29 of 33 THE HOLY FAMILY FLEES TO EGYPT H O S E A CHAPTER 11 “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and OUT OF EGYPT I CALLED MY SON. But the more I called Israel, the further they went from me.” M A T T H E W CHAPTER 2 When [the Magi] had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for...

10 January 2026Saturday after Epiphany Sundaysaint Pietro I Orseolo church, VeniceReadings at MassThe readings shown here are for places where the Epiphany is celebrated on Sunday 4 January.If you are celebrating the Epiphany on Tuesday 6 January this year then these are not the right readings. To see the right readings, you need to set this web site to use your own local calendar. On this web page, find the list of dates. After the last date there is a heading which says “Calendar Used”. Click on the calendar name below this heading, and choose your local calendar from the...

9 January 2026 Friday after Epiphany SundayThe Order of St Hadrian of Canterbury Readings at MassThe readings shown here are for places where the Epiphany is celebrated on Sunday 4 January.If you are celebrating the Epiphany on Tuesday 6 January this year then these are not the right readings. To see the right readings, you need to set this web site to use your own local calendar. On this web page, find the list of dates. After the last date there is a heading which says “Calendar Used”. Click on the calendar name below this heading, and choose your...

CHRISTMAS BIBLE-ART EPISODE #28 of 33 THE HOLY FAMILY FLEES TO EGYPT H O S E A CHAPTER 11 “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and OUT OF EGYPT I CALLED MY SON. But the more I called Israel, the further they went from me.” M A T T H E W CHAPTER 2 When [the Magi] had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for...

Polish schoolchildren have protested a teacher’s removal of a Christian cross from a classroom and putting it in a bin, spurring a demonstration in front of the school. At the same time, the justice ministry is drafting legislative changes to reduce penalties under Poland’s blasphemy legislation, sparking criticism that the government is reducing the protection afforded Christians. The pupils’ demonstration came yesterday over an English language teacher who had demanded on December 15 the removal of the cross from a classroom she was teaching in. When the schoolchildren protested, she threw the cross into a bin. The teacher’s behaviour in...

CHRISTMAS BIBLE-ART EPISODE #27 of 33 ADORATION OF THE MAGI M A T T H E W CHAPTER 2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” The star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming...