Saturday, February 21, 2026

Saturday Lagniappe: 'Church Turnarounds And The Rewards Of Longevity' And More


Church Turnarounds And The Rewards Of Longevity
Church turnarounds are more about the direction you’re heading than the speed you’re going.

Generations Together for the Glory of Christ
The church isn’t a collection of age-based silos. It is a Spirit-wrought community of young and old, redeemed by Christ and bound together in covenant love. The church’s beauty isn’t in its sameness but in its holy diversity. And one of the clearest demonstrations of that kingdom diversity is when generations walk together in Christ.

Fewer Britons giving something up for Lent as cathedrals invite deeper reflection
The number of Britons giving something up for Lent has fallen sharply over the past decade, according to new research highlighting a significant shift in how the season is observed.

Witchcraft in the Church
There is another form of witchcraft afoot in the church. This type is closer, more subtle, and a greater danger than God's people recognize.

Sacred mysteries: The warrant for making the sign of the cross
On Ash Wednesday this week, many people had ashes imposed on them, in the form of a little cross made on their foreheads. This small sign of the cross is an even more ancient ritual than the large one made from head to breast and from shoulder to shoulder.

How Is AI Shaping You? Three Principles for Wise Use
In this brief article, I want to offer a few diagnostic tests for thinking about, relating to, and using AI in a Christian way. My goal is neither to confirm the goodness of artificial intelligence nor to speculate about its worst potential dangers. Instead, my goal is to synthesize what I believe Scripture teaches about human nature and ultimate truth with a “tech-realist” perspective that listens attentively to how tech affects us as embodied people.

Scientists found AI’s fatal flaw—the most advanced models are failing basic logic tests 
In a new paper that’s making waves, scientists from Stanford, Cal Tech, and Carleton College have combined existing research with new ideas to look at the reasoning failures of large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT and Claude. Those who rely on LLMs for intellectual labor often cite the models’ reasoning ability as a major draw, despite the evidence that this ability is limited, even when dealing with simple questions. So, what’s the truth of the matter?

The US spent $30 billion to ditch textbooks for laptops and tablets: The result is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents
Earlier this year, in written testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, neuroscientist Jared Cooney Horvath said that Gen Z is less cognitively capable than previous generations, despite its unprecedented access to technology. He said Gen Z is the first generation in modern history to score lower on standardized tests than the previous one.

Professors sounding the alarm as Gen Z arrive to college unable to even read a sentence
With Gen Z facing a literacy crisis, some colleges are being forced to water down their standards.

Rural high school students are more likely than city kids to get their diplomas, less likely to go to college 
How are rural high school students' experiences unique?

Embrace Your Life by Enjoying Quiddity
What if real life is found in receiving and pondering . . . real life?

Spiritual practices are leading people to Jesus
This order of giving it a go before believing or understanding isn’t a new idea; for many people that’s their story. But I do think it provides us with some unique evangelistic opportunities and maybe even insight into some additional ways we can share our faith.

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