Grace to you and Turning Point!

The headline of this blog is about the movements spearheaded by two influential christians whose death shocked christendom in the US. John Mac Arthur was influential by his expository preaching and that he did with great conviction. He pastored the Grace community church , a non denominational church till he breathed his last.

His "Grace to you" programs touched a whole lot of people who were confused and battered with various ideologies that crept in. He was very vocal against charismatic/pentecostal experiences which is debatable. Yet the way he handled the word of God and how he ministered faitfhfully to the congregation week after week, set a great example. Some of his quotes are

On Preaching & Ministry

• “The preacher’s job is to preach the truth, not to be popular.”
• “Faithful preaching is not designed to entertain; it is designed to confront.”
• “A true shepherd cares more for the flock than for his own life.”
• "You take care of the depth of the pulpit, and God will take care of the breadth of the ministry.”

He also fearlessly opened the church when the world was in a lockdown mode during CoVID.

Charlie Kirk was very famous across college campuses and universities as he took on the leftist ideologies head on. His Turning point initiative touched viewers in millions as he engaged the people in open conversations and debates. He gave respect to those who didnt agree his views and raised as a voice for christian family values. Yet he was murdered by a sniper gun shot at the age of 31. This assassination has triggered a massive wave of protests and solidarity across the world. His messages has touched an all time high post the death.We can learn how he stood fearlessly and boldly for his convictions in a hostile environment. The fact that VP JD Vance carried his coffin speaks volumes about his impact. Some of his quotes.

On Faith & Morality

• “Without God, freedom cannot survive.”
• “The decline of faith is the decline of liberty.”
• “You cannot have a moral society without a moral people.”

On Education & Culture

• “Our campuses should be a marketplace of ideas, not an assembly line of indoctrination.”
• “Young people don’t need safe spaces; they need free spaces.”
• “The culture war is the real battle of our time.”

On Personal Responsibility

• “Success is not built on excuses, but on effort.”
• “If you want equality of outcome, you have to destroy freedom. If you want equality of opportunity, you have to protect freedom.”

There might be conflicting views on how these two wonderful people conducted themselves and expressed various viewpoints, yet as Christ followers we can draw inspiration to learn and declare the Word of God with passion and conviction as these wonderful heroes of faith did. May the Lord give us grace!

When we understand "Grace to you"-it becomes a "Turning point"