But even in the midst of all the fumbling around we do as moms and dads, I can see the Lord’s faithfulness over seasons as He continues to press the gospel further into our lives, and one of the areas that’s most evident is in the way we parent.

See, once upon a time I thought of the gospel as a moment in time decision that had eternal implications. And while that may be true, if that’s all you ever see the gospel as, then you are falling radically short of approaching the fullness of its implications. Jesus likened believing the gospel to being born again. That is to say, belief in the gospel causes such a profound change in the life of an individual that you can only liken it to starting over, but this time with a new heart. New tastes. New desires. New priorities. And so on. That newness that comes as a result of new birth in Christ trickles down into every area of life, including our parenting.

Reports that Baylor University’s board of regents had voted to fire former Bill Clinton prosecutor Ken Starr due to his handling of a sex assault scandal rocketed around political circles Tuesday, but the allegations were equally big for a different reason: Baylor is the world’s largest Baptist university.

The reports about Starr were explosive among many evangelicals — Baptists in particular — because they tap into a couple of the most basic contemporary debates at religious schools. What is the impact in 2016 of the honor codes many religious schools have around sexual behavior? Secondly, is there a conflict between being a religious school and trying to be a major athletic powerhouse?

Following “believing in God” the four “essential parts” that received the most votes were: “being grateful for what you have,” “forgiving those who have wronged you,” “being honest at all times,” and “praying regularly.”

Obviously, all four of these actions are admirable and should be present in anyone who calls him- or herself a follower of Jesus. Any day of the week I can carry out one of these actions with some success I consider it a good day as far as obedience is concerned.

However, the intrigue in this graph is not so much in what is valued, but rather, what is not valued by a majority of American Christians.

A single criterion -- income -- is insufficient for defining poverty. It labels many people as poor who feel untouched by poverty. It likewise fails to take into account those whose earnings place them above the poverty line, but who must nevertheless suffer depravations to make ends meet. Such depravations can be experienced in many areas: Is the person ill? Jobless? Is the apartment too small or is it in disrepair? Is the person lonely?

Researchers are trying to find more balanced ways to approach the complex issue of poverty by taking into account these and other dimensions. Different concepts are also being explored for providing a multi-dimensional poverty index -- even in a relatively prosperous country like Germany.

In 2014, for the first time in the past 130 years, young adults were slightly more likely to live at home, with their parents, than with a romantic partner, according to a new report.

The report, an analysis of U.S. Census data published by the Pew Research Center, compares the percentage of Millennials that lived at home with parents to the percentage living with spouses or partners, dating as far back as 1880. They found that while living with a romantic partner has historically been the most popular arrangement, by 1960 the percentage of the nation’s 18-to-34-year-olds who were living with a spouse or partner in their own household had peaked at 62 percent. Today only about half as many—31.6 percent—can say the same.