Appointment is not approval. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders made headlines this week when she said, “I think that [God] wanted Donald Trump to become president.” Romans 13:1 says in part “there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God.” (NRSV)… Read More
“Roughing the passer,” the referee said. “Fifteen yard penalty.” Falcons fans cheered. Steelers fans jeered. Falcons fans saw T.J. Watt, the sack leader this season for the Pittsburgh Steelers, attempting to tackle their quarterback low. That’s illegal. Steelers fans saw T.J. Watt intentionally trying not to hit the quarterback, and… Read More
In Jonesboro, Arkansas on April 29 a man asked, “Why aren’t there any white kids here?” He was gesturing to the table I stood behind, covered in child sponsorship packets. On the front of every packet is the photo of a real child born into a family that earns less… Read More
Magdalene was not Mary’s last name. It was her hometown. She was a Magdalene like Jesus was a Nazarene – from the city of Magdala where fabrics were dyed and prostitution was rampant (source: Jewish Talmud). But the bible never says or even implies that Mary herself was a prostitute.… Read More
“Are there still Prophets today?” Dr. Randall O’Brien asked. It was at the end of our semester studying Old Testament Prophets together. The room of a hundred students started discussing, buzzing with opinion, finally turning to Billy Graham. One student said Rev Graham was certainly a Prophet. Another disagreed. Dr.… Read More
I’m so thankful that Compassion International is not a political organization and that its leaders will never make the news by taking a political side. I’m an “ambassador” for Compassion – speaking in support of their ministry at colleges, churches, conferences, and concerts. I’m not an employee of Compassion International… Read More
On the first day of class, Ms. Griffin asked us why we study history. (“Because the State of Texas makes us” would have been my honest answer.) “Because it repeats itself.” For instance… Jesus left Heaven to live without honor, wealth, or power on Earth. He admonished his disciples not… Read More
There’s some dispute about who said it first but… “Some people use statistics as a drunk uses a lamppost – for support rather than illumination.” We use scripture the same way. And when we do it’s called “proof texting.” We’re tempted – I’m tempted – to use… Read More
Hundreds of people from all over the world have been studying through 1 Peter with me via Facebook Live at facebook.com/shaungroves. Week 3 of our study of 1 Peter will happen TONIGHT (Tuesday September 26) at 9PM CST. I’m on tour at the moment – sitting in a bus in… Read More
I don’t use exclamation marks unless it is completely called for, so…You are going to love this! You need this! Your church needs this! And it’s FREE! Eyes to See is a FREE six week devotional and video series created by Compassion Canada to help us see God, ourselves,… Read More
“My husband was a Christian when we got married,” Anna began. It’s not the first time I’ve heard this story: An intelligent man, unable to square his faith with his logic, walks away from faith. I was like Anna’s husband once. I told Anna that in college I didn’t become… Read More
“Have you been hacked?” someone asked. “I can’t believe you’d actually post this,” said another. No, I have not been hacked. Yes, I am actually manufacturing a slightly inappropriate card game for kids. And here’s how that happened… I struggle to buy gifts for my nieces and nephews. What… Read More
Starting Wednesday, September 6th, I’ll be teaching through the book of 1 Peter using Facebook Live over on my page at facebook.com/shaungroves We’ll get started at 7PM CST (If I can figure the technology out). If you can’t make it, no problem – the video will be saved so you… Read More
Don’t we all need some good news? It’s so good to see so many neighbors coming together and loving each other well in Texas right now. Courageous first responders, the National Guard, and everyday folks… I’m especially encouraged by all the churches across South Texas that are making… Read More
Last night, millions of people much cooler (and younger) than I stayed up late to hear Taylor Swift’s new song. It’s a catchy, seemingly vengeful rant against her enemies in which she unambiguously declares “I don’t like you” and “I’ve got a list of names and yours is in… Read More
It’s literally my business to understand how Facebook works and hack it. Facebook serves us more of what it thinks we like. If you’re a conservative who shares posts from Fox News, Breitbart, and the Drudge Report, Facebook makes sure more of the same appears in your newsfeed. If you lean… Read More
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God.” – Jesus (Matthew 5:9) We cannot fear conflict more than we desire peace. Peace has to be made. The making process sometimes creates friction, resistance, disagreement, debate. This is the only way some peace can… Read More
The trains pulled into the station after nightfall. Soldiers with machine guns stepped onto the platforms and from there streamed throughout the city, the region, and eventually all of Bulgaria. For eight days the SS soldiers hunted house to house, rounding up Jews, herding them back to the train station… Read More
The penalty for escaping from Auschwitz was steep and cruel. For every man who escaped, ten would be executed in his place. And so it happened that one morning the count came up one man short. The prisoners were called to the yard, standing in rows – bags of bones… Read More
The women kick up red clay dust, dancing with babies tied to their backs. One mother takes my hands in hers, cranes her neck up at me and shouts “dance!” So we dance. Up the drive from the van toward the little pink church. All the mothers are bending side… Read More
We stomp our feet against the red Kenyan clay, dancing arm-in-arm from the van to the church. The women, with babies tied to their backs, sing in Swahili about how good the day is simply because God gave it and gave them visitors. We bend low and the women sing… Read More
“Nothing can seem extraordinary until you have discovered what is ordinary.” ― C.S. Lewis, Miracles This is the sixteenth Compassion Bloggers trip. The very first was in 2008! Man, time flies. Thousands of children have been sponsored since then because hundreds of thousands have read our posts from around the… Read More
Seven years ago, I sloshed my way through the muddy serpentine paths of the Methare slum to meet Eliud. Eliud was a dapper Kenyan teenager then. He was wearing his school uniform, a seafoam green tie and gray sweater. His home was cobbled together from wood and rusting corrugated metal… Read More
I’m headed to Kenya tomorrow with Compassion Bloggers! I was in Kenya 7 years ago. Many of you followed along then. Remember when I met a boy named Eliud? He was 18 then, orphaned, living in a house made of wood and cardboard, in the second largest slum in all… Read More
For years I traveled the world with (mostly) women I met on the internet. I oversaw Compassion Bloggers – taking groups of great writers overseas to see the ministry of Compassion International and then write about it in hopes of seeing thousands of children sponsored. Most of the bloggers I… Read More
Shaun Groves