August 13, 2025

Viewing all things through the lens of the True and the beautiful!

The True

The Crazy Out There

The news will make you crazy. Truly, it seems as though our world gets more and more chaotic every week. In one very real sense, it is true. 1 John 2:17 says, “The world and its desires pass away,” and 2 Corinthians 4:18 reminds us the things we see with our physical eyes are temporary. Simply put, the earthly world is wasting away. So if you fixate on news of the day without properly contextualizing it against eternity, your spiritual and physical health will almost certainly deteriorate. This sobering reality lies at the foundation of why we gather as The Equipped each week.

We gather because the reality outlined above is not the one promised to us! Our promise is one of an abundant life (Jn. 10:10), and we gather to help each other grow in the grace of understanding what that means and how to walk fully in it!

Our family was visiting extended family this week and attended Church 2:14 on Sunday (if you are in the Peoria, IL area, check them out). During the sermon, we were reminded of the scholarly accounting that 39 of the 40 miracles documented in Acts occurred outside the walls of the early church.

My friends, that is why you and I together do this thing called The Equipped. It is because we have a common bond that offers life-changing power to the world, but it is a power that is offered into an intense level of crazy out there!

Our God is able to do immeasurably more than we can even ask or imagine (Eph. 3:20). But in order to be a vessel of that power in a way that is equipped for the crazy out there, you and I must be constantly establishing our footing and preparing to stand on Truth and eternal beauty amid a chaotic world.

We are to fix our eyes on Jesus (Heb. 12:2), and one of the most persistent threats to that objective in our current day and age is the constant deluge of information. You live in a “more is better” world, but more is not always better, especially when that more is a constant stream of news and information curated to keep you scrolling and clicking.

You need a plan for fixing your eyes on Jesus rather than the crazy out there. This is not a call to ignorance, as Jesus himself rebuked the religious leaders for failing to discern the signs of their day. But the crazy out there is not the object of your affection or attention. The object of your affection and attention must be Jesus, the lover of your soul.

As you endeavor to fix your eyes on Jesus amid all the crazy out there, I encourage you to consider the strategy of intermittent news fasting offered by Jason Woodruff from The Pour Over (by the way, The Pour Over is also worth checking out, but just as with The Equipped, do so with a “more is not always better” mindset).

Whether you deploy Jason’s strategy or another, the critical thing is to walk and live intentionally in a way that redeems rather than is captivated by the crazy out there. Do not be deceived—the “news” of this world threatens to make you crazy! But you have the Good News that overcomes the world living within you, and you are invited to posture yourself within the beauty of that Truth!

U.S.

National Guard in the Nation's Capital

The National Guard has been authorized to deploy to the streets of the nation’s capital, Washington, DC. In a memo to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, U.S. President Donald Trump cited violent crime as the reason for mobilizing federal troops to the city. According to the memo, the deployment will last until “conditions of law and order have been restored.” DC Mayor Muriel Bowser called the decision “unsettling and unprecedented,” and stated that violent crime in the city is at a 30-year low.

Analysis and eternal perspective: Washington, DC is unique among American cities in several ways, one of the most significant being it is not part of a state and in fact exists as a “federal district” created by Congress. In 1973, Congress passed the Home Rule Act, which gave the District operational control of most governing functions. However, Section 740 of the Act specifically allows the President to assume operational control of law enforcement in the District if “special conditions of an emergency nature exist.” A president then has 48 hours to explain the rationale of such a move to Congress, and 30 days to utilize that authority unless Congress passes legislation to extend it.

There are many who will find cause to object to the governing structure outlined above (including both those who would prefer DC have full statehood and, conversely, those who would like the federal authority over the District to be permanent). As The Equipped community, it will be important to consider developments in this story through the lens of what is rather than the lens of what we may wish it were.

Further, it is a perfect time for every Jesus follower to pray in accordance with 1 Tim. 2:1-2 for all leaders involved, including both President Trump and Mayor Bowser. This passage reminds us that leaders can pave the way for people to “live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” There are many U.S. cities where major governing decisions require the bipartisan cooperation of leaders, but the residents of Washington, DC are particularly dependent on that possibility. Let’s together pray that all of DC’s leaders, both federal and local, act with the wellbeing of DC residents in mind.

U.S.

Shooting Sprees

There were a number of high-profile shootings this week in the U.S., including:

- Five soldiers were shot at Fort Stewart in Georgia​

- A police officer was shot and killed near Emory University in Georgia​

- Ten people were shot—two fatally—in New York City in one night​

- Three people were shot and killed at a Target store in Austin, Texas​

Analysis and eternal perspective: Violent crime, including shootings, is hardly an irregular occurrence in the U.S.—or around the world, for that matter. This week, however, had more high-profile incidents than usual and gives us reason to pause and reflect how we as Jesus followers should interact with these tragic stories.

First, we should specifically pray for each family involved. It is easy to view these stories collectively and as a result diminish the impact each one has on individuals and families. Take time this week to ask God to be “close to the brokenhearted” (Ps. 34:18).

Next, each of these situations bears the markings of those who need the redeeming power of the Savior in their lives. Let’s be intentional with this story—and every one like it—to reaffirm a commitment to sharing the love and forgiveness of Jesus with those in our path. While there is nothing you can do to rewind time for the victims of this week’s shootings, there may well be a way you can impact the reality of those you encounter this week. Let’s together make a daily decision to be agents of love and healing in our world.

Sports

Kickoff

In a sure sign fall is just around the corner, football is back!

​Week One of the NFL preseason is in the books. There were two ties (including my Chicago Bears with the Miami Dolphins) and a third game suspended after Morice Norris, Jr. of the Detroit Lions suffered a serious head and neck injury.

Meanwhile, the preseason Associated Press Top 25 rankings for college football was released in advance of the first games kicking off August 23. Texas opens the season ranked number one but faces defending champion and third-ranked Ohio State to open the season.

Analysis and eternal perspective: For sports fans, the beginning and ending of the various sports’ schedules marks the seasons as much as any calendar. In my world, it will still be baseball season until early November, but for many, football now takes centerstage from a sports perspective.

The injury to Morice Norris is a reminder of the truth in 1 Timothy 4:8 that healthy bodies are a tremendous blessing for the here and now, but only the things that are eternal will add value to both this life and the one that is to come! As you reflect on that truth, remember to specifically pray for a full recovery for Norris.

The preseason college rankings are a fun way to forecast the future, but as any sports fan will tell you, the final rankings will not be the same as the preseason rankings! That is of course because the teams have yet to take the field! It reminds us of Proverbs 16:9: “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.”

It is wise to plan (Pr. 6:6-11). But remember to trust the God of the universe to make firm the ground beneath your feet (Ps. 37:23)!

Go Bears! Go Illini (in case you were wondering, we are ranked #12, which for us is a tremendous feat)! And since it is really still baseball season, go Cubs go!

The Beautiful

Treasure in Jars of Clay

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us” (2 Cor. 4:7).

The true beauty in your life is that which lives within. It is secure in a way that is beyond the reach of the trials of this world. So this week, when the conflicts around you strain your physical being, rest in the truth that your treasure and true beauty remain.

Don’t forget to check out the broadcast version of The Equipped on Faith Radio or wherever you get your podcasts!