TRENDING

As hurricanes and tornadoes and crazy storms continue to hit the U.S., we're confronted with more and more heavy headlines of people facing tragedy and uncertainty. And along with that, wars continue to rage overseas, and we're only days away from a political election that will almost certainly be contentious. Today happens to be World Mental Health Day, so in a world so heavy and complex, how can...

This week marked the deaths of two sports icons, Pete Rose and Dikembe Mutombo. Both of them achieved incredible accomplishments and accolades as athletes, but they also have drastically different things they'll be remembered for. Despite his amazing baseball career, Rose will mostly be remembered for unfairly gambling on baseball games, while Mutombo is being praised for his humanitarian work. Le...

This week on Trending: The White Sox are setting records in baseball... for all the wrong reasons. Their team is historically bad, but their social media team is taking advantage of the opportunity and injecting some levity, humility, and fun to an otherwise embarrassing situation. What can we learn from this, and are there any biblical parallels? Humility and fun are attractive to everyone, and m...

Last week star NFL quarterback Tua Tagovailoa got knocked out of a game after a scary injury. Now that he has experienced multiple concussions, some experts are encouraging him to retire from the game of football for the good of his health. Tua is a young superstar, so a career cut short due to injury was not part of his plan. The Bible is full of characters in a similar predicament, so today Past...

The Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) recently released a new study with 2023 data about trends in American religious life. The religious and denominational demographics have shifted fairly significantly since 2006, which includes an overall decline in Christian affiliation (particularly among younger Americans), and an increase in the religiously "unaffiliated." So, what does this mean fo...

The U.S. surgeon general recently published an advisory warning saying today's parents are too stressed--so much so that it is becoming a public health concern. With the pressures of social media, a difficult economy, school violence, and increased mental health awareness, parents today constantly have a lot on their plates and on their minds. Given that reality, how can the church help provide an...

In this "Solo Joe" episode of Trending, we take a moment to celebrate the 2024 Paralympic Games. A foundational element to Christianity is the belief that all people are created in the image of God, so in this special branch of the Olympics, what a cool opportunity we have to highlight and feature people from a variety of backgrounds facing a variety of challenges. This week Joe reminds us of the...

It's rare for a day to go by where the economy and rising costs of living *aren't* featured in the news. Housing and education and food prices continue to be on the rise, and most of us are feeling it in our wallets and in our budgets. This week on Trending Matt and Joe got a question from a Ridgepoint attender about how to tithe in such a tight economy. When budgets are already stretched by neces...

By now you've likely seen video clips or memes of Raygun the b-girl, the Australian breakdancer who drew a lot of attention during the Olympics. Her breaking routines were... unique, and left many people questioning if she was legitimate and how certain athletes get selected to perform on such a high stage. This is a strange and comical story, but even HERE, there are lessons we can pull from the...

X (formerly known as Twitter) is getting ready to release an app update. We're not sure what all changes will be made (if any) but rumors have spread that X might start limiting or hiding post "like" counts, reposts, and comments from the main timeline. This is mainly a reaction from backlash that visible like counts can cause anxiety and depression among users when they compare their profiles to...

Many people were surprised and offended during the Olympic Opening Ceremonies last week when a group of performers seemed to reenact da Vinci's famous "Last Supper" painting in a way that felt offensive and disrespectful. The Olympic committee and the art director in charge of the evening came to its defense, saying the performance was meant to reference a different piece of art featuring the Gree...

After the tragic assassination attempt last week and as our divided politics continue, both major political parties are calling their followers to come together in unity to advance their causes. Unity is a great thing, but it often isn't achieved naturally or easily. In this crazy time in our culture, how can we move together in unity? How can we elevate diversity while moving in the same directio...

This week Matt and Pastor Joe are joined by special guests Paul & Sara Raugust from France! Paul and Sara share a brief update on their work in Montbéliard, and we also toss a topic to Joe for a quick devotional thought. We're so grateful for the opportunity for our team to partner with the Raugusts, so thanks to all of you back home supporting us!

Last week Pope Francis invited 100 of the world's most popular comedians to visit the Vatican. The unique meeting was certainly a first, but Francis wanted to commend and highlight their ability to spread peace, smiles, and laughter in the midst of our divisive and gloomy culture. "Joy" is one of Ridgepoint's five key values. Of all the things WE could elevate, why is joy a priority? The Bible com...

Two celebrities are in the news today due to struggles in their marriages. Rory McIlroy and his wife decided to scrap plans for divorce to stay together, while Billy Ray Cyrus and his wife are splitting up after seven months of marriage. What are defining characteristics of couples whose marriages last, and what are warning signs we need to be aware of? How can we model the practices of Jesus in o...

This week marks the end of Pat Sajak's historic run as the host of "Wheel of Fortune." At the same time, the hosts of TNT's "Inside the NBA" are waiting in limbo to learn the future of their show as NBA contracts are about to expire. Facing the end of something special is very difficult. It can be easy to become bitter, blame others, or fall into depression and self-pity. What are some *healthy* w...

This week we saw a few high-profile commencement addresses cause controversy on college campuses. As the clips continue to make the rounds on social media, what can we learn from this? What are some healthy, alternative ways we can honor graduates, and is it a good idea to bring in outsiders for these speeches? Plus, the Apostle Paul is one of the most famous communicators to ever live, so how did...

This week brought the highly-anticipated debut of basketball phenom Caitlin Clark in the WNBA. On today's episode of Trending, Matt and Pastor Joe draw some spiritual lessons and takeaways based on Caitlin's success so far, like the importance of mentoring the next generation, how to handle fame with humility and grace, and what Caitlin appears to have in common with Barnabas in the New Testament.

Two unique cultural events this week shared a common theme: public conflict. Many music fans are following the back-and-forth fued between rappers Drake and Kendrick Lamar, and Tom Brady was the focus of a recent Netflix "roast." Why are humans so quick to tear others down? How can we model healthy conflict resolution in a culture that seems to elevate anger and division? Pastor Joe shares words f...

This week the Catholic church released a new 3D AI "priest" who could answer basic theological questions for people researching Catholic beliefs. After some backlash, they made some changes to "Father Justin," but you can still talk with him today on their website. What should we take from this? Is this taking AI too far? Is it ok to use AI as a "theological search engine"? But then where do we dr...

This week two prominent UFC fighters exchanged some interesting Bible verses to each other through a X/Twitter thread. If we're honest, we have probably all been guilty of quoting a single verse out of context to help make a point we agree with. This can be dangerous and potentially hurtful, so how can we avoid this practice as mature believers? How can we hang on to a holistic view of the Bible w...

Tax day is just around the corner, and recent surveys shows that Gen Z feels very ill-equipped to handle the confusing and stressful task of doing their own taxes. Whatever brings stress to your life, we all know what it's like to face anxiety. The Bible has a lot to say about worry and stress and weariness, but how can we *really* find rest and comfort in today's busy world? What does an "easy bu...

In recent years, American Christians have (sadly) seen many prominent church leaders and Christian celebrities struggle with sin, have public downfalls, and denounce their religion--including Kanye West over the past few weeks. This practice of putting Christian leaders on pedestals clearly isn't healthy or helpful, but we're all drawn to charismatic leaders we can follow and aspire toward. Is it...

This week on Trending, Matt and Pastor Joe look at Justin Timberlake and other prominent figures who seem to be wrestling with getting older. They explore our culture's glorification of youth and offer biblical wisdom for embracing each stage of life with purpose, rather than forcing misaligned identities.

This week Super Tuesday and the State of the Union address are on a lot of people's minds as this political season is ramping up. Divisive politics, war, a difficult economy--most of what we see or read in the news isn't necessarily encouraging or good news. How can Christians remain informed about the world around us without becoming overwhelmed? If we're sad or anxious about the state of current...