Brett Baranic

Christ follower, Pastor, Dad, & Concord D-line Coach... Wannabe Chef, Average Golfer... giver of under-dogs.

[Concord HS Athletics @cminutemen]

Congrats to Donovan Arnold on his sixth place finish in Discus at Boys Track State Finals.

[Concord HS Athletics @cminutemen]

Good luck to Donovan Arnold in the discus at state finals this weekend. Full details for the state meet may be found on our website here: https://t.co/ODvtGYBwSs

[Justin Perdue @justin_perdue]

In seeking to preach the whole Christ (the gospel), it's been helpful for me to think in terms of preaching:

His person--who he is...
His work--what he has done for us...
His heart--what he's like toward us...

And to hold him out in these ways as ours, even as we are his.

[Concord HS Athletics @cminutemen]

Congratulations to Donovan Arnold, Bo Brunner, Alejandro Gonzalez, Jacob Hernandez, Jaxson Meyer, and Jack Yoder for being named to the 2026 Northern Lakes Conference Boys Track All Conference Team! Deangelo Lucas received honorable mention.

Details: https://t.co/T0HKJZxHL9

[Wes Huff @WesleyLHuff]

So apparently I’m embroiled in some sort of controversy. Let me set a few things strait:

1. I don’t know Sam Allberry personally. We've met in-person a total of once — back in January while I was in Nashville when I did the Shawn Ryan Podcast, where I ran into and took a picture with Sam. When I saw the news initially about his removal from leadership I took that picture down. I had already started to see people commenting that by keeping it up I was implicating myself in his sin. I do not think they were correct. But ironically, said comments were then replaced with ones telling me that by taking it down… I was hiding something and implicating myself in his sin. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.

2. I believe the language in the current public statements to be potentially unhelpfully vague. From my (brief though not uninformed) understanding of the details of the situation, what Sam did that disqualified him from leadership was not due to sexual or even a romantic impropriety, but what could best be described as a sinful emotional attachment. This is not to justify it or say that it wasn't disqualifying (I think it probably was). But the lack of clarity has left room for those who desire to gossip, defame, and sinfully speculate online to run wild — which they have.

3. I am genuinely saddened with the internet’s desire to tear down and jump to harsh judgements regarding another Christian’s failing. When someone falls into sin, those who are spiritually mature should work toward their restoration, approaching them with a spirit of gentleness (Gal. 6:1-2). The motivation for restoration carries spiritual weight. Bringing someone back who has wandered from truth saves their soul from death and covers a multitude of sins (James 5:19–20). This isn’t merely about correcting behaviour, it’s about spiritual rescue. The desire to gossip and breed quarrels, which is so obviously warned against in scripture (Proverbs 17:19; 26:17; 2 Timothy 2:14, 23-24; Titus 3:9-11; James 4:1-2) is, to say the least, lamentable and disappointing to see.

4. Sam Allberry is being labelled as “Side B,” this is genuinely confusing to me. To quote Sam in his own words: “Same sex attraction is not a good thing. It is... a consequence of the fall. ...This kind of attraction is not something God designed for us, and it contradicts his design” (Is God Anti Gay, 63). Sam has expressed in multiple places throughout his written work and public talks that he holds to the biblical position of marriage, that homosexual relationships are sinful, and that identifying as a “gay Christian” is incompatible with scripture. To be clear, I don't agree with Sam on all the nuances of how he discusses the issue. But I can only conclude that this attempt to make him into an LBGT advocate comes from either shear ignorance of his public work or some sort of internet-level frothing of the mouth to jump on whoever “we don’t like this week.”

But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. - Heb 3:13.

[Clint Teeples @TeeplesCY]

"If I told you there was one free thing you could do every Sunday that would make your kids happier, healthier, smarter, and closer to you, you'd think I was selling something."

Take your kids to church regularly. I don't care if you believe. The data is so lopsided that skipping it is the parenting equivalent of refusing vegetables because you don't like the taste.

Grades. Religious teens get As at almost twice the rate of nonreligious teens. In a class of 100, that's 24 A-students instead of 14. Church gives a kid the same academic boost as being born rich instead of poor.

College. Working-class religious kids earn bachelor's degrees at double the rate of their nonreligious peers. Middle-class kids do it at 1.5x the rate. For families without a trust fund, this is one of the most powerful forms of upward mobility social scientists have measured.

Character. Religious teens are far less likely to lie, cheat, or do things they hope their parents never find out about. They're more likely to care about racial equality, the elderly, and the poor. They reject the idea that morality is whatever works for you in the moment. That kind of kid doesn't happen by accident. It's built.

Closeness. 60% of parents of religious teens say they feel "extremely close" to their kid, compared to 50% of nonreligious parents. The kids report the same thing back. They get along better with their parents, talk about hard stuff, and actually want to spend time with their family.

Despair. Religious teens are dramatically less likely to be depressed, anxious, lonely, or feel that life is meaningless. 90% of devoted religious teens never binge drink, compared to 41% of the disengaged. Economists named the modern epidemic "deaths of despair." Regular church attendance is one of the strongest known buffers against it. Parents are spending fortunes trying to solve teen mental health. The most evidence-backed intervention is free.

Purpose. Religious young adults report higher purpose, gratitude, life satisfaction, and resilience. These are the exact traits every parent says they want their kid to have.

Here's why it works. Affluent families already surround their kids with networks of stable, accomplished adults through neighborhoods, schools, and parents' colleagues. Working and middle-class families usually don't. A congregation is often the last institution in American life that puts your kid in weekly contact with dozens of stable, employed, sober adults who know their name. It used to be called "a village." Now it barely exists outside of churches.

"But I don't believe." Your kid doesn't need your theology. They need you to show up.

"But church is boring." So is sitting through a kindergarten music recital. Parenting is the deliberate choice to be bored on purpose for someone you love.

There's a church within 15 minutes of nearly every American home. You don't need money, connections, or credentials to walk in. Nothing else in this country will surround your kid with engaged adults, teach them moral seriousness, and give them a stable weekly rhythm at zero cost.

You already drive them to practices that produce far less. The free thing on Sunday produces more, on more dimensions, than almost anything else you do as a parent.

You don't have to believe anything. You just have to take them.

[Trevor Sheatz @TrevorSheatz]

You honor Christ at your job by:

• Arriving early and ready
• Working hard without grumbling
• Being a person of your word
• Treating coworkers with patience
• Avoiding all forms of gossip

[Joel Rainey. ن @joelrainey]

For any of us who would listen, Former Senator Ben Sasse is teaching us all how to suffer to the glory of God, how to truly live, and how to die well.

“There’s not one maverick molecule in the universe.”

[Brett Baranic @BaranicBrett]

@Sean_McDowell God allows suffering in the lives of His children because He loves them too much to leave them in their sin. In His grace, He uses suffering to turn us away from self-righteousness & self-reliance… exposing the idols that can never satisfy our souls longing. (Cf. Pet 2:20)

[Brett Baranic @BaranicBrett]

@WesleyLHuff But I have really really good news for you… the ark was pointing somewhere better.

[Christopher Yuan @christopheryuan]

I thought I knew who I was.

I built my life around my identity, chasing relationships, "being gay," and anything that felt like life could satisfy. It didn’t.

I lost everything. I ended up in prison…and that’s where everything started to change. I began to see sexuality, identity, and truth differently, and learned what it means to pursue holy sexuality.

This is the short version of my story.

Watch the full testimony: https://t.co/PzM75cgd4E

#HolySexuality #Identity #Gender #Jesus

[Mark Hallock @MarkHallock]

The Lord increasingly convicts me of this reality:

Genuine, Spirit-empowered church revitalization won’t happen without deep humility…and that humility shows up through real repentance. True repentance.

We can change methods, but unless hearts are changed, nothing truly lasts. Nothing. What does real repentance look like in a church that longs to be renewed? At least 3 things:

1. Honesty before God.

We stop pretending and start asking, “Lord, where have we drifted?” No excuses. No comparison. Just humble honesty.

2. Owning our part.

Not blaming the culture or the past. Leaders go first, saying, “It starts with us.” A shared brokenness and heart-ache over our sin that points us to our great need for God’s mercy. There is no place for finger-pointing toward others, only self.

3. A clear change in direction.

Repentance isn’t just talk…it is action and movement. Prayer deepens. The Word becomes central to everything. Priorities shift. The mission matters deeply once again, namely a godly grief over lost souls.

If a church desires to experience true revitalization and renewal, it must begin with getting low before God, willing to surrender everything, eager to acknowledge and name sin, and turn to Christ and Christ alone with sold-out faith.

[David Schrock🌲 @DavidSchrock]

The Old Testament is filled with stories, events, and institutions that terminate on the third day. Here is a wide sampling.

(This is found in today's @Christ_OverAll essay. Link below.)

✝️Abraham receives Isaac back alive. (Genesis 22:4)
✝️Jacob makes a safe escape from Laban. (Genesis 31:22)
✝️Simeon & Levi avenge the sin against their sister. (Genesis 34:25)
✝️Joseph releases his brothers from prison in Egypt. (Genesis 42:18)
✝️The plague of darkness in Egypt is lifted on third day. (Exodus 10:22)
✝️Pharaoh’s army is destroyed and Israel is delivered at the Red Sea (Exodus 12:6, 29, 14:20, 27)
✝️The Lord met with his people on Sinai. (Exodus 19:11)
✝️Sacrifice completed on third day. (Leviticus 19:6–7, 7:17–18)
✝️Aaron’s staff sprouts buds, blossoms, and almonds. (Numbers 17:8)
✝️Part of the process for purification. (Numbers 19:19; 31:19)
✝️God’s people possess the Land. (Joshua 1:11; 3:2)
✝️The spies escape from enemies in Jericho. (Joshua 2:22)
✝️Treaty with the Gibeonites confirmed. (Joshua 9:16)
✝️Israel cleanses sin in its midst (cf. Sodom). (Judges 20:30)
✝️On the third day (Heb. “three days ago”) Ruth met her “redeemer.” (Ruth 2:11)
✝️David escapes Saul’s death plans. (1 Samuel 20:19)
✝️David saves the life of the Amalekite slave. (1 Samuel 30:1, 11)
✝️Relief from judgment of pestilence. (2 Samuel 24:13)
✝️Extension of life and healing for Hezekiah. (2 Kings 20:5–6)
✝️Bad news for those who serve an evil king. (2 Chronicles 10:12)
✝️The temple was finished. (Ezra 6:15)
✝️Esther, Israel’s advocate, is received by the King. (Esther 5:1)
✝️Healing and restoration are given. (Hosea 6:2)
✝️Escape from death and life for prophet Jonah. (Jonah 1:17)

Can you think of others?

[Christopher Yuan @christopheryuan]

You may have heard the claim that the Bible didn’t condemn homosexuality until the word “homosexual” was added in 1946. That claim is repeated often, but it isn’t historically or biblically accurate.

In this Naked Truth video, Dr. Christopher Yuan explains why the 1946 argument fails, and why the absence of a modern word does not mean the absence of a biblical concept.

Watch the full video: https://t.co/CJt9UKPGpL

#lgbtqcommunity #holysexuality #biblicaltheology

[Josh Howerton @howertonjosh]

Coming to believe ~90% of the political differences among Christians boil down to a failure to distinguish between the Biblical roles of the individual, the church, and the State.

No, God did not command governments to forcibly redistribute wealth.

Yes, God commanded Christians as individuals to practice charity.

Individual Christians in Acts “gave willingly and not under compulsion.”

Christians in Acts did not vote for the Emperor to increase the marginal tax rate and call that “generosity.”

[NCAA March Madness @MarchMadnessMBB]

Yaxel Lendeborg signing off ✍️

#MarchMadness

[Michigan Athletics 〽️ @UMichAthletics]

HAIL TO THE VICTORS!

[ESPN @espn]

DUSTY MAY WINS IT ALL IN ONLY HIS SECOND YEAR AS MICHIGAN’S HEAD COACH 😤

He’s just the fifth coach in NCAA history to become a champion in his first two seasons at a school 👏

[Alistair Merryman @AlistairMerrym1]

A few years ago I watched this girl's testimony about her experience during a YWAM DTS. A DTS is the training YWAMers receive before they hit the mission field.

What she describes here is basically what Bethel calls Sozo and IHOPKC practiced under a different moniker. It's all the same kind of stuff and it lives under the banner of "Inner Healing" in the Charismatic Church.

There are many testimonies like this from YWAM.

[Michigan Men's Basketball @umichbball]

The Kings of College Basketball 〽️