Mauricio Ruffy proclaims the gospel after his UFC White House win
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Jesus saved my life, he wants to save your life too. Give your life to Jesus" ✝️
The lusted-after woman or man in your head, or on the screen, or on the street is dishonored — not treated as a sacred, precious, eternal person made in the image of God.
And the only way this dishonor can be carried out is by disregarding God while we are in the sway of our lust. Therefore, the way the Spirit produces self-control in the believer is by revealing the beauties of Christ to our souls as supremely beautiful and supremely satisfying.
From John Piper’s message “You Can Say No to Porn: A Pleasure Greater Than Lust.”
A different gospel?
The LDS gospel and the Christian gospel sound similar, but we ultimately mean different things.
Mormon apologist Jacob Hansen and I each present what we believe is the true Good News:
On Easter morning, April 5, nearly 20 protesters gathered in the green space on Summit Avenue in front of the entrance to Cities Church. They held signs with obscenities and yelled harassing comments at families and individual worshippers. Among them was a speaker blasting music and amplified sound, and at least one protester who used a voice-amplifying device to harass people.
After the St. Paul Police Department issued several warnings related to the noise, they arrested one individual. I am grateful for SPPD’s measured response and their efforts to protect the congregation’s ability to gather and worship peacefully. While similar protests have continued in recent weeks, the people of Cities Church have sought to respond with patience and kindness.
I am disheartened that the charges against the individual arrested yesterday have been dropped. State law protects the right of people of faith to worship in peace, and I call on state and local officials to enforce the law.
But the most important thing is that the gospel remains unchanged: God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. That invitation is open to all.
This is exactly why Paul writes that the foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of men.
Sometimes I try to imagine how fatal a mistake it would have been if God had given Israel the warrior-king messiah they desperately wanted. That would have been the most amateur move in history. Jesus would have been one of many strong men, and strong men are the most perishable thing on earth.
Strength intrinsically depreciates. Every generation redefines it upward. Improved technology means faster and cheaper ways to kill more people, and there will always be someone more powerful coming behind you. The power model has a ceiling. It always has.
God chose differently. Jesus did not conquer by force. He was executed by the people with the force. And 2000 years later he is still being followed. His teachings still shape ethics, civilization, and the moral imagination of billions of us. He stands in a class of his own not in spite of the non-violence but precisely cos of it.
Juxtapose him against the most vicious warlord in recorded history and he stands out. Juxtapose him against the most peaceful statesman alive today and he still stands out. Nothing touches him on either end of the spectrum.
Durant who Bibi quotes was describing history, not eternity.
Jesus said the meek shall inherit the earth and in doing so he was revealing a logic that runs deeper than any military strategy. The cross looked like defeat and foolishness to everyone watching. But in reality it was the most decisive victory ever recorded. God is amazing in his wisdom!
Are you just using Jesus?
Receiving Christ in a saving way means preferring Christ over everything. It means desiring Christ himself, not just what he can do for you. It means being satisfied with all that God is for us in Jesus.
Message: “Right with God, Right with Man”
“An imperfect sermon from a flawed preacher, derived from a perfect text, is the means that God is pleased to use to lead His children to glory.” —Paul Twiss #ShepCon2026
The LORD is king! He is robed in majesty. Indeed, the LORD is robed in majesty and armed with strength. The world stands firm and cannot be shaken. Psalm 93:1
The total freedom of unconditional grace.
“It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you. But it is because he loves you” (Deuteronomy 7:7–8).
He loved them because he loved them.
“I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy” (Exodus 33:19).