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        <title>Christian Daily International | Arts & Media</title>
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        <description><![CDATA[Follow Christian arts and entertainment worldwide, from music and film to creative expressions of faith. Explore how artists and churches use creativity to share the gospel and inspire communities through culture.]]></description>
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            <title>Christian Daily International | Arts & Media</title>
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        <lastBuildDate>Mon, 10 Aug 2026 00:33:31 -0400</lastBuildDate>
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                                                        <item>
                <title><![CDATA['Amazing Grace' film seeks to inspire new generation with Wilberforce's faith]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/amazing-grace-film-seeks-to-inspire-new-generation-with-wilberforce-s-faith</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/amazing-grace-film-seeks-to-inspire-new-generation-with-wilberforce-s-faith</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[The Christian Post]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Amazing Grace film seeks to inspire new generation with Wilberforces faith]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Walden Media ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Thu, 06 Aug 2026 05:03:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Bob Beltz hopes a new generation of Christians will discover the story of William Wilberforce as an example of faithful cultural engagement at a time when many believers feel discouraged about their ability to make a difference. ]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Bob Beltz hopes a new generation of Christians will discover the story of William Wilberforce as an example of faithful cultural engagement at a time when many believers feel discouraged about their ability to make a difference. 
As Walden Media marks the 20th anniversary of “Amazing Grace,” the acclaimed 2006 film chronicling Wilberforce's decades-long fight to abolish the British slave trade, the pastor, author and film producer weighed in on why the British statesman's example is more urgent than ever.
"This new generation of believers ... have never heard the story," Beltz told The Christian Post. "The film is 20 years old. Some of these folks weren't even born yet, and yet the film is so evergreen. It's so relevant that I think people will be watching this for years to come. Our hope is that it's an inspiration and an encouragement to people to get engaged."
The anniversary rollout coincides with the birthday month of Wilberforce, who was born Aug. 24, 1759. Rather than returning to theaters, “Amazing Grace” is being reintroduced through digital platforms as Walden Media works toward making the film as widely accessible as possible. 
The film, rated PG, is streaming exclusively on Angel Studios through Oct. 31 and is also available for digital purchase or rental on platforms including Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play and Fandango at Home. A DVD release is also planned for August.
Produced by Walden Media, “Amazing Grace” stars Ioan Gruffudd as Wilberforce and follows the Evangelical parliamentarian's nearly 20-year campaign to end Britain's transatlantic slave trade, a fight driven by his renewed Christian faith.
Beltz, an ordained minister in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church and president of the Telos Project, served as an associate producer on “Amazing Grace” after spending decades helping develop faith-based films, including “The Chronicles of Narnia” series, “The Bible,” “A.D. The Bible Continues” and “Son of God.” He also authored Real Christianity, a modern adaptation of Wilberforce's 1797 classic exploring the faith that shaped the abolitionist's public life.
Before joining Walden Media, Beltz pastored churches for nearly 50 years before unexpectedly entering the film industry after a friend asked him to evaluate a potential movie adaptation.
"I've had the great privilege not only of pastoring churches for 50 years, but for 25 [years] being able to be a part of Walden Media," he said. "Anything with a faith element ... I probably play a larger role in making sure that the theology and spirituality of the film really are on track."
Although Wilberforce is widely recognized today as the leader of Britain's abolition movement, Beltz said he was surprised to learn many Christians were unfamiliar with him when production on “Amazing Grace” began.
"Outside of a small arena of people that were very familiar with him, most people didn't know anything about him, maybe never heard of him," he said. "Yet here was a man that literally changed the world in such a significant way that ... what he did 200 years ago still impacts us today."
Central to Wilberforce's enduring influence was his belief that Christian faith should shape every area of life, including public service, Beltz added. 
After experiencing a spiritual renewal, Wilberforce considered leaving Parliament to enter ministry. Instead, he sought counsel from Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger and former slave ship captain-turned-Anglican minister John Newton and the author of the hymn "Amazing Grace." Both men encouraged him to remain in politics.
"Newton said, 'You need to stay in politics. God needs you there,'" Beltz said. "He's a great example for a young person today that's trying to figure out, 'How does my faith impact the world in which we live?'"
According to Beltz, that decision would define Wilberforce's life. In 1787, he introduced his first bill to abolish the slave trade in Parliament. Though it failed, nearly every year for the next two decades, he introduced similar legislation, enduring repeated defeats before Parliament finally passed the abolition bill in 1807.
"I can't imagine fighting for something for 20 years," Beltz said. "I think it's a big example to people, particularly young folks in our generation that are so used to things happening quickly. What does it look like to persevere and hang in there and fight the good fight?"
One of the film's most memorable moments recounts how Wilberforce believed he had enough votes to secure victory, only to watch opponents derail the effort by distributing tickets to a popular comedy performance, luring away members of Parliament who planned to support the bill.
"It was a crushing blow to him," Beltz said. "Yet he turned it back around. He spent another 10 years after that fighting for this until finally, again in 1807."
Wilberforce's accomplishments also extended far beyond ending the slave trade; in addition to championing abolition, he pursued what he called the "reformation of manners,” an effort to reform English society by confronting poverty, vice and other social injustices.
"We remember him for the slave trade, but he took on almost every social evil and injustice in England and helped form over 90 different societies, which we would call nonprofits today," Beltz said. "All of that was based upon him having a sense of call."
Reflecting on what Wilberforce might say to Christians navigating today's cultural divisions, Beltz said the British statesman would likely begin with prayer.
"I would encourage young people today to really pray and ask God, 'What do You want me to do?'" he said. "You might not be William Wilberforce, but whatever God shows you to do, you do it, and you're making a difference."
"This isn't a picnic. This is a battle that we're engaged in," he added. "It's a little scary, but it's also the only way to be really fulfilled in life, to find out what your purpose is that God created you for, and to take it on."
Originally published by The Christian Post.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[South Korean church leader urges Christians to become 'AI media missionaries']]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/south-korean-church-leader-urges-christians-to-become-ai-media-missionaries</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/south-korean-church-leader-urges-christians-to-become-ai-media-missionaries</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[An Jong-bae, chairman of the International Futures Studies Association, says the Korean church must neither fear nor blindly embrace AI, but use it as a tool for the gospel.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ An Jong-bae ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ An Jong-bae, chairman of the International Futures Studies Association, says the Korean church must neither fear nor blindly embrace AI, but use it as a tool for the gospel. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Wed, 05 Aug 2026 08:01:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[A South Korean futures scholar and church leader is calling on Christians worldwide to treat artificial intelligence as a gospel tool rather than a threat — and to train ordinary believers to use it for cross-cultural mission.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
A South Korean futures scholar and church leader is calling on Christians worldwide to treat artificial intelligence as a gospel tool rather than a threat — and to train ordinary believers to use it for cross-cultural mission.
An Jong-bae, chairman of the International Futures Studies Association and co-representative of the Jeju AI World Mission Center, told Christian Daily Korea that the church must move beyond both fear and uncritical acceptance of AI and develop biblically grounded standards for its use.
"AI is ultimately a tool, humans are the subjects, and God is the sovereign," An said. "Whether AI becomes a blessing or a curse for humanity depends not on the technology itself, but on the values and faith of the people who use it."
An's central proposal is what he calls "AI media missionaries" — a vision in which pastors, Sunday school teachers, youth, worship leaders and laypeople alike use AI to produce and distribute gospel content across languages and cultures. He described it as the most urgent task facing the Korean church in the AI era.
"Good gospel content is not created simply by learning how to use AI tools," he said. "Conviction about the gospel, a biblical worldview, sound theology, and an understanding of people and culture are all needed together."
Field mission and digital mission
An told the Korean outlet that AI will not replace traditional field mission but expand it. He envisions a future in which missionaries physically present in a region are complemented by digital outreach that overcomes barriers of language, geography, time and cost.
"The greatest change in the AI era is that more Christians can participate in world mission, transcending barriers of language, region, time, and cost," he said.
Real-time multilingual translation and locally adapted content production, he said, are the areas where AI can most immediately serve mission work. He also pointed to global online discipleship training and mission administration support as areas of growing potential.
But An stressed that human oversight remains non-negotiable. "AI can transfer language, but it does not perfectly understand culture and emotion. Multilingual content must always be reviewed by local language specialists and church leaders."
Limits on AI in ministry
On the growing use of AI in sermon preparation and Bible study, An drew a clear line. AI should function as a research assistant — helping with historical and cultural background, original language comparison, compiling illustrations and statistics, producing Bible study materials, multilingual translation, church administration and gospel video production — but must not substitute for preaching, pastoral care or spiritual discernment.
"AI should be used as a professional assistant that helps with preparation and research — not as a substitute for preaching, Bible study, pastoral ministry, or mission," he said.
He warned against a growing dependency that could erode pastoral integrity. "If the habit of using AI-written sermons or prayers without sufficient meditation and verification becomes normalized, a pastor's spirituality, creativity, and accountability can be weakened."
He argued that well-used AI should free up pastors for what matters most, not crowd it out. "The time saved through AI should be devoted more to meditation on the Word, prayer, fellowship with God, caring for congregants, and discipleship training."
'The standard is love, not efficiency'
An outlined a set of principles he believes should govern Christian engagement with AI: acknowledging God's sovereignty, protecting human dignity, prioritizing Holy Spirit guidance and human responsibility, centering use on gospel and love, and maintaining truthfulness and accountability.
"In Christianity, the standard for AI use must not simply be 'Is it technically possible?' or 'How fast and efficient is it?'" he said. "We must first ask: 'Is it in accordance with God's will?', 'Does it uphold human dignity?', 'Does it spread the gospel and love?'"
He was equally direct about what AI must never become. He said it must not be used in ways that harm human life or expand surveillance, control, discrimination, hatred, falsehood or greed. The guiding question, he argued, should not be "what is possible?" but "what is right, what is beneficial to humans, and what is in accordance with God's will?"
He described the ultimate measure as "not efficiency, but love; not success, but God's glory."
What AI cannot do
As AI reaches the point of providing answers at near-human levels, An said questions about the essence of ministry and mission are sharpening — and the answers point to what no technology can replicate.
"AI can explain information about the Bible and provide counseling-like answers. But AI cannot worship God, cannot repent in faith, and cannot receive the Holy Spirit's guidance to fulfill a calling," he said.
He told Christian Daily Korea that the core of ministry lies not in the transfer of knowledge but in love for souls and relationship. AI can compose comfort, he said, but it cannot sit beside someone in suffering, weep with them and hold their hand. It can write a prayer, but it cannot hold a soul in its heart and intercede through the night.
He argued that this reality makes the character and spirituality of pastors and missionaries more important, not less, in the AI era. "What only humans can do in the AI era is build a spiritual and personal relationship with God, discern the leading of the Holy Spirit, share in the pain of the congregation, and build up the church community."
A call for the Korean church to lead
An called on the Korean church to play a directing role in the AI era rather than a reactive one. He framed this in terms of what he called "AI humanism" — the conviction that AI must be developed and used in ways that elevate human dignity, freedom, creativity, responsibility and the common good.
"AI is the means, humans are the subjects, and human happiness and the common good must be the purpose," he said.
He urged the Korean church to move beyond declarations and apply ethical principles in actual education and ministry — building a gospel content production ecosystem that includes not only clergy and missionaries but youth, media professionals, cultural artists and laypeople across generations.
"The Korean church must not be a community that refuses or merely follows AI technology, but one that sets the direction — serving as salt and light — so that AI technology serves humanity, life, and the common good," he told the Korean outlet.
Citing Martin Luther's use of the printing press to distribute the Bible, An argued that today's church faces a comparable technological moment — and a comparable opportunity.
"Using AI, even an ordinary Christian can participate in world mission," he said. "A gospel song made by one person can be translated into multiple languages and sung around the world; a short mission video made by one person can cross borders and bring someone to their first encounter with the gospel."
"AI is ultimately a tool, humans are the subjects, and God is the sovereign," he concluded. "I hope the Korean church and all Christians will, grounded in a biblical worldview and Christian AI ethics, make good use of AI to fulfill the calling of sharing gospel- and love-filled content with the world."]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA['Joy and suffering will always coexist': Veteran mission leader calls Arise Asia to surrender without reserve]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/joy-and-suffering-will-always-coexist-veteran-mission-leader-calls-arise-asia-to-surrender-without-reserve</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/joy-and-suffering-will-always-coexist-veteran-mission-leader-calls-arise-asia-to-surrender-without-reserve</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Patrick Fung, Chair of the Global Board of Directors of Arise Asia and Director Emeritus of OMF International, addresses delegates during the morning session of the Arise Asia 2026 Congress in Manila, Philippines, July 29, 2026.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Christian Daily International ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Patrick Fung, Chair of the Global Board of Directors of Arise Asia and Director Emeritus of OMF International, addresses delegates during the morning session of the Arise Asia 2026 Congress in Manila, Philippines, July 29, 2026. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Wed, 29 Jul 2026 21:18:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Patrick Fung, Chair of the Global Board of Directors of Arise Asia and Director Emeritus of OMF International, opened the third morning of the Arise Asia 2026 Congress in Manila on Wednesday with an address that pressed delegates to reckon with a truth he said modern Christianity tends to avoid: that joy and suffering do not stand in opposition but always accompany each other in the life of a faithful follower of Christ.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Patrick Fung, Chair of the Global Board of Directors of Arise Asia and Director Emeritus of OMF International, opened the third morning of the Arise Asia 2026 Congress in Manila on Wednesday with an address that pressed delegates to reckon with a truth he said modern Christianity tends to avoid: that joy and suffering do not stand in opposition but always accompany each other in the life of a faithful follower of Christ.
Speaking to approximately 4,000 young Christians from 50 countries gathered around the conference theme "For the Joy," drawn from Hebrews 12:2, Fung explored the day's theme of "Joy of Surrender, Holiness and Sacrifice" through the early chapters of Acts, warning that the greatest threats to the church have never come from outside.
A forgotten theology
Fung opened by acknowledging that the conference had spoken extensively about joy over the previous two days. He wanted to add what he called an inseparable companion.
"For followers of Jesus, joy and suffering always coexist," he said. "Jesus did not want his disciples to follow him without realizing that there is a cost involved in doing so."
He pointed to the breadth of Scripture's testimony on joy — more than 80 references in the Old Testament, 31 in the Psalms alone — before turning to a passage he said should stop readers cold: Acts 5:41, where the apostles left the Sanhedrin "rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name." They had just been flogged. The juxtaposition, Fung said, is not incidental. It is the point.
Many Christians instinctively treat suffering and joy as opposites, he said — one displacing the other. Scripture, he argued, does not. He drew delegates to James 1:2-4, where the apostle writes that trials of various kinds should be considered pure joy, because the testing of faith produces steadfastness. The logic is not that suffering ceases to hurt, but that something else is also true simultaneously.
Fung quoted a Sri Lankan theologian who described the theology of suffering as "a forgotten treasure," one largely displaced in contemporary Christianity by what he called an overemphasis on the therapy for suffering rather than its meaning. The problem, Fung suggested, is not that Christians seek comfort — it is that they have been taught to expect that comfort and faith move in the same direction. "The happiest people in the world are not those without suffering," he said, "but those who are not afraid of it."
He was careful not to minimize fear itself. Fear, he said, is real, and it can paralyze. The early church in Acts 4 was not fearless — the threats against them were real. Faith does not make fear disappear. What it does is hold joy and fear in the same hand.
Pressure from outside
Turning to Acts 4, Fung examined how the early church responded to external persecution, specifically the moment Peter stood before Jewish leaders and declared that salvation is found in no one else than Jesus Christ and no other name under heaven saves. Peter, he noted, was described by those same leaders as unschooled and unqualified. That, Fung said, was precisely the point.
"God often uses the unschooled, the uneducated, the unexpected to bring breakthroughs in gospel ministry," he told the congress. "God is not calling the able. God is calling the available."
When the early church faced its own crisis of persecution, Fung noted, it did not pray for the threats to be removed. The congregation in Acts 4 raised their voices together — the Greek word is homothumadon, appearing 11 of its 12 New Testament occurrences in Acts, he pointed out — and addressed God as sovereign over creation, revelation, and history. They asked not for relief but for boldness. "Nothing surprises God," Fung said.
He referenced the 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians killed by ISIS on a Libyan beach in February 2015, their lips moving in prayer in the moments before their deaths. The image, he said, brought revival to the Egyptian church and arrested the attention of many who did not share their faith. He also recalled the China Inland Mission's decision during the Boxer Rebellion of 1900, following the killing of 58 missionaries and 21 of their children, to refuse any government compensation — a response that moved a provincial governor to write a public letter commending their example to his people.
"Persecution has never killed the church," Fung said. "But a compromised gospel will." An assertion he would return to later in his address.
The weight of surrender
Fung then described his own experience of counting the cost. When he and his wife, Jenny, left careers in medicine to serve as missionaries in Pakistan, his father struggled deeply to understand the choice. For years he could not reconcile what he saw as a waste of his son's training and prospects.
Over time, what he could not explain away was the joy he observed in them. He eventually testified to noticing something he couldn't account for, and 20 years after they left for the mission field, Fung’s father became a Christian.
Fung also shared a conversation with a woman whose husband was imprisoned for preaching the gospel. When asked how to pray for him, she did not ask for his release or for the suffering to end. "Fear is real," she told Fung. "Fear can be contagious. But joy is even more contagious. Pray that he will be filled with joy, and that joy will spread across the prison."
The danger within
In the second half of his address, Fung turned from external pressure to what he called the more fatal threat: internal corruption. The structure of Acts, he argued, is deliberate. Chapter 4 shows Satan attacking the church through persecution from outside. Chapter 5 shows Satan changing tactics.
"When persecution doesn't work," Fung said, "he tries another method — to destroy the church through corruption, through falsehood, through deception from within."
That is the context, he said, for understanding the account of Ananias and Sapphira, the couple who sold property, secretly kept part of the proceeds, and presented the rest to the apostles as though it were the full amount. Fung paused on the precise charge Peter brings in the passage. The Greek word translated as "kept back," he explained, carries the sense of embezzlement — of taking what was not one's to take. Peter does not merely say they withheld money. He says they stole it.
The theological weight of that distinction matters. The money, Fung noted, was theirs. They were under no obligation to give any of it. The sin was not the amount. It was the pretense.
"It was a show," he said. "People thought they had given everything. They had not. The gravity of their sin is hypocrisy."
And hypocrisy, he argued, is not a private failure. It is a threat to the whole body. Great fear fell on the church following the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira not because of the punishment itself but because the community understood what was at stake. A church that performs its devotion rather than living it becomes something other than the church. "Persecution can lock you up in prison," Fung said. "But hypocrisy destroys you — and it will destroy the church. It is more fatal than persecution."
He drew a direct line from that passage to the present moment. "Perhaps you have made promises to God in the past," he told the delegates. "You may appear to people as godly, spiritual, and sacrificial. And yet deep down, you know in your heart you have not fulfilled your vow before God."
"Have we surrendered to God with a pure motive?" he asked. "Not a show. Not a performance."
The antidote he named was not more effort or resolve, but a posture toward God: holy fear. Where Ananias and Sapphira feared the opinion of the church more than the eyes of God, Fung called delegates to reverse that order. "We need to be true before God. We need to be authentic before God."
No reserve, no regret, no retreat
Fung closed with a call to full surrender: no reserve, no regret, no retreat. He quoted Dixon Hoste, one of the Cambridge Seven, who served in China from age 25 to age 85, on the danger of spending spiritual energy fighting colleagues rather than the powers of darkness. "Choose your battle," Fung said. "Often we fight the wrong one."
He asked the delegates to examine the authenticity of their own commitments before God, and he prayed that what Arise Asia becomes — not in Manila this week but across Asia in the years ahead — would look like the early church of Acts: united, prayerful, proclaiming, and spirit-filled, going to places where the gospel has not yet been heard.
At the close, he returned once again to the theme he had pressed throughout the morning. "Joy and suffering will always coexist. But may the joy of the Lord be our strength — and that is God's promise to us."
Follow Christian Daily International's full reporting on Arise Asia 2026.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Practicing Christians use AI more than most Americans, Barna finds]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/practicing-christians-use-ai-more-than-most-americans-barna-finds</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/practicing-christians-use-ai-more-than-most-americans-barna-finds</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[The Christian Post]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Practicing Christians use AI more than most Americans, Barna finds]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Getty Images/Exkalibur ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Wed, 29 Jul 2026 06:05:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Practicing Christians are using artificial intelligence in both their work and personal lives more than most Americans, and nearly half of them say they would trust the technology with their spiritual growth, according to a recent survey from Barna Group.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Practicing Christians are using artificial intelligence in both their work and personal lives more than most Americans, and nearly half of them say they would trust the technology with their spiritual growth, according to a recent survey from Barna Group.
The findings come from a survey of 1,514 U.S. adults conducted in November 2025 and another of 442 Protestant pastors conducted in December 2025. Researchers found that even though practicing Christians already use AI more than their pastors, they still want their guidance on engaging with the technology. Only a minority of pastors, around 12%, feel prepared to give guidance on using AI.
About 44% of practicing Christians say they use AI “very often” or “often” in their personal lives. This share is 13 percentage points higher than the 31% of U.S. adults overall who fall in the category of AI engagement. Only 29% of non-practicing Christians reported the same engagement.
When it comes to AI use on the job, 39% of practicing Christians reported using the technology often compared with just 26% of U.S. adults nationwide.
Only 16% of pastors say they use AI “often” personally and 5% said they engage AI for personal matters “very often.” Some 45% said they used AI “not very much” or “not at all.” About a third said they use AI only “sometimes.” Even for work purposes, 24% of pastors said they used the technology very often compared with 39% of practicing Christians.
Nearly half of practicing Christians say they would trust the technology with their spiritual growth. However, the data shows that spiritual growth isn’t the top priority for engagement.
Most Christians use AI for learning, getting advice or improving their writing much more than for interpreting Scripture or spiritual guidance.
“Ask people yes-or-no whether they use AI, and the average pastor and the average American look about the same,” Daniel Copeland, Barna’s vice president of research, said. “It’s frequency of use where the difference actually shows up.”
Research produced by Barna earlier this year suggests that about a third of practicing American Christians say the spiritual advice they get from artificial intelligence is just as good as that from a pastor, with practicing Christians more likely to agree with this notion than non-practicing Christians and non-Christians.
The findings come as advocacy organizations like Tech Justice Law, a public-interest litigation firm, push to ensure that “artificial intelligence products are safe by design, subject to oversight, and transparent to their users.”
“Our work is grounded in a simple, yet important premise: if it would be illegal, exploitative, or dangerous for a human actor to engage in certain conduct, it should not be immunized simply because the harm is mediated through software,” Tech Justice Law states on their website.
“This principle animated why, in fall 2024, we filed the first wrongful death case on behalf of Megan Garcia, against an AI chatbot company, Character.AI, its co-founders Noam Shazeer and Daniel DeFreitas, and Google.”
On Tuesday, Tech Justice Law was also one of several organizations that sued OpenAI and its co-founder and CEO Sam Altman on behalf of former Florida pastor Scott Winters, alleging he nearly died after ChatGPT-4o gave him inaccurate medical advice during several months of what he says were manipulative conversations.
Among other things, Winters’ lawsuit accuses OpenAI of engaging in the unauthorized practice of medicine and exploiting sensitive information about his religious beliefs to increase his engagement with the product. His medical struggles and increased dependence on the technology led him to leave his job as a pastor.
Originally published by The Christian Post.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA['Digital mission is a battlefield': Asian influencers tell Arise Asia the gospel has no borders]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/digital-mission-is-a-battlefield-asian-influencers-tell-arise-asia-the-gospel-has-no-borders</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/digital-mission-is-a-battlefield-asian-influencers-tell-arise-asia-the-gospel-has-no-borders</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Ricky Kim addresses some 4,000 young delegates at the Arise Asia 2026 Congress in Manila, challenging them to examine whether Christ shapes what they consume — and what they share.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Christian Daily International ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Ricky Kim addresses some 4,000 young delegates at the Arise Asia 2026 Congress in Manila, challenging them to examine whether Christ shapes what they consume — and what they share. ]]>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Christian is Christ with an IAN — and the IAN is I Am Nothing. I am nothing without Christ. — Ricky Kim, Asia Pacific Digital Ministry Director for One Hope, speaks at the Arise Asia 2026 Congress in Manila.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Christian Daily International ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ "Christian is Christ with an IAN — and the IAN is 'I Am Nothing.' I am nothing without Christ." — Ricky Kim, Asia Pacific Digital Ministry Director for One Hope, speaks at the Arise Asia 2026 Congress in Manila. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Tue, 28 Jul 2026 22:22:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Two back-to-back sessions on the second day of the Arise Asia 2026 Congress on July 28 pressed some 4,000 young Christians toward the same question from different directions: what does it mean to share Christ in this generation, and are you actually doing it?]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Two back-to-back sessions on the second day of the Arise Asia 2026 Congress on July 28 pressed some 4,000 young Christians toward the same question from different directions: what does it mean to share Christ in this generation, and are you actually doing it?
The first, a personal testimony from a Korean-American actor who left a two-decade entertainment career to work in digital missions, turned on a single question about identity: what is a Christian? The second, a panel of influencers and platform leaders from across Asia, examined how digital spaces have quietly become one of the most active mission fields in the world.
'What you consume is what you share'
Ricky Kim started his address by pointing to a few human inventions, starting with a water bottle cap. He held up the cap and asked the delegates what it was for. When someone in the crowd answered "to grip the top and keep the water in" he nodded. It has a purpose, he said, and a creator. A robot that waved its fingers drew a stadium-wide "wow" in the year 2000 as people marveled at the progress of human engineering at that time. A fancy Dyson vacuum comes with an owner's manual that tells you how to fix it when it breaks.
"In Genesis 1:26-27 it says you're made in God's image," Kim told the congress. "There is an owner's manual that shows you what you do in life."
Having spent more than 20 years acting and modeling in Korean television before leaving the industry in 2015 to work in missions, Kim now serves as Asia Pacific Digital Ministry Director for One Hope, a global missions organization. Before that, he said, his life was shaped by loss. His mother left when he was six. His father died in an accident when he was 14, placing him in foster care. By college, he was preparing for law school — until his stepfather told him he had never once seen him read a book.
"I was challenged. I was upset. It was the truth," Kim said. He picked up a book and kept going. One day, reading alone, a single word stopped him: mathematician.
He paused on this for several minutes, asking how many delegates were mathematicians, then musicians. A person who has studied math for 20 years but doesn't absorb it into who they are, Kim said, would not call themselves a mathematician. A guitarist who has played for 22 years but never moved past a few basic chords — "I still play E minor, G, C, and D," he said, drawing laughter — would not claim to be a musician.
"What about this word: Christian?" he said. "The question is, what is the IAN?"

He returned to Matthew 22:37-40, where Jesus answers the question of the greatest commandment: love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself. He traced the verse back through Deuteronomy 6, where Moses commands the Israelites to keep these words written on their doorframes and wrists, to pass them to the next generation without interruption. The people who received those commands, Kim reminded the delegates, had already seen the Red Sea split, manna fall from the sky, and enemies defeated without a battle. And still they turned to a golden calf.
"They're in love with the world. They're in love with culture. They're in love with everything that God said to stay away from," Kim said. The question Deuteronomy asks — and the question Jesus was asking the disciples — is whether the people standing before God were actually formed by what they claimed to believe, or merely adjacent to it.
Kim turned the question on the room. He asked how many of them would hand over their phones without hesitation. The phone, he said, carries a record of what you consume. And what you consume is what you share.
"If you guys gave me your phone right now, I could kind of guess," he said. "On your phone, it shows you how much data you consume and where you consume it from." He described the experience of waking up to find a phone under your back because you fell asleep watching a video, and the family that turned the car around on the way to church — not to retrieve a forgotten Bible, but a forgotten phone.
He is not, he said, accusing the delegates of not being Christians. He is asking whether the content of Christ is so present in their daily lives that it becomes what naturally comes out of them.
"Christian is Christ with an IAN," Kim said. "And the IAN is ‘I Am Nothing.’ I am nothing without Christ."
He left the entertainment industry after realizing that even while loving Jesus, he was consuming what he called "glorified" content — building a life around a platform rather than around Christ. After 2015, he spent years in Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Brazil, and Guatemala, sharing the gospel across Latin America. He now works across Asia helping local churches develop digital ministry strategies.
Kim closed with a challenge. He said he is regularly asked whether he is a missionary or a pastor, and regularly conflicted by the question. His hope is that the delegates leave Manila in a condition where such labels are unnecessary.
"By the way your light shines, by the salt that you are sent to be — that your life lives out a flavor of Christ, a shining of Christ — your DNA will carry the mission and the power and the message of Jesus from Jerusalem, where you are today, to the ends of the world."
'Digital mission is a battlefield'
The panel that followed brought together four influencers from across Asia — from South Korea, South Asia, Nepal, and Indonesia — to discuss how social media, streaming, and Bible apps have become some of the most active evangelistic spaces in the world.
The panel was framed around the question how God is using digital spaces to bring people to Jesus, and how can every believer be part of that?
The most striking data point was that more people now open the Bible as a mobile app than attend church in any given week. One panelist representing a major digital Bible platform said the figure reflects a shift in where people are searching for God — particularly in restricted regions where public religious life is surveilled or prohibited.
"If people can start a Bible reading habit four times a week, they can make better choices," he said. "Our hope is to make sure they open the app every day, because no one installs an app by accident."
He shared three stories. In a village in central Arabia, a missionary working with an oral-learning community could not get his congregation to engage with printed Scripture. The platform connected them with an audio New Testament in their language — already available, simply not yet deployed. In South Asia, a 65-year-old woman who had answered a call to return to village ministry after 20 years working abroad began contributing devotional content in three languages. When her material went live, it reached more than 500,000 people. She has continued producing content through her husband's death. A third story involved a young woman in a restricted country who searched for a free book in an app store, downloaded the Bible, read it out of curiosity, found a church listed under a "Churches Near Me" feature, attended, and was baptized within months.
"Leverage whatever you have," the panelist said. "If you can't leverage what is free, you won't be able to do ministry in the digital space at all."
A Korean influencer on the panel described using The Chosen, the multi-season drama series about the life of Jesus, as a gathering tool. He said he watches it with his own children every Wednesday rather than preaching at them. He told the story of a pastor's son who had drifted from faith, and whose friends persuaded him to watch what he assumed would be another forgettable Christian film. He came back to church through it. A woman with no prior faith watched episode after episode, each time telling herself she was not a believer — until she was.
"When that emotion is in the most amazing and most inspiring story of the most amazing person, Jesus Christ, and it comes alive on screen, people are taken on an emotional journey," he said. He added a caution: posting without follow-up is not ministry. "If you're just doing post, post, post and not following up, you should maybe pause."
An influencer from Nepal described realizing during COVID-19 lockdowns that social media was a mission field. Isolated from family and working through her own fear, she started sharing Bible verses on Instagram. The messages and comments began coming in. "I started explaining: this is good news from God," she said. "In 2020, I realized this is the best field for me."
The panelist from Indonesia had the most visceral story. After surviving a fall from a 40-meter cliff in November 2022 — he was one of only two people ever to have survived that particular location — he asked God what to do with a second chance at life. He began live-streaming devotional sessions from a wheelchair, then from crutches. People sent him messages around the clock. "One of the funniest moments: I did counseling for someone for three hours," he said. "And then I listened to 10 people per day. It's so exhausting, but there's a big joy."
Through a chain of introductions that began with a follower recognizing him in public, he ended up praying with a Buddhist man who was suffering from multiple serious illnesses and who had declared he hated Christians. After prayer, the man slept through the night for the first time in months. After a follow-up medical check, his test results had improved. Later, he gave his life to Christ.
"Our responsibility is very simple," the panelist said. "To love Jesus and to love people."
The panel closed on a challenge to the assumption that digital mission requires a large platform. One panelist noted that true influence is not about follower counts. Another observed that he lost 80,000 social media followers after his first post declaring his faith in 2017 and had some of his accounts removed in a certain country. "Do you want to be an influencer?" he said. "The question is: are you called to the influence of social media? Because the influence of Christ is that they will throw stones at you."
All four agreed that the hardest part of digital mission is not gaining an audience — it is what you do with one. "You may be the sole voice that can take the gospel in your language," said the panelist representing the Bible platform. "Don't be worried whether the internet will come. They'll get the internet to your place. Be ready with the content."
Arise Asia 2026 continues through the week in Manila.
Follow Christian Daily International's full reporting on Arise Asia 2026.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Austrian church to broadcast pop-style worship service live on national TV]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/austrian-church-to-broadcast-pop-style-worship-service-live-on-national-tv</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/austrian-church-to-broadcast-pop-style-worship-service-live-on-national-tv</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[A Schlager singer performs alongside Pastor Friedrich Eckhardt during the service at Christuskirche in Graz, Austria.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Christuskirche Graz ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ A Schlager singer performs alongside Pastor Friedrich Eckhardt during the service at Christuskirche in Graz, Austria. ]]>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Congregants clap and raise their hands during a Schlager Gottesdienst at Christuskirche in Graz-Eggenberg.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Christuskirche Graz ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Congregants clap and raise their hands during a Schlager Gottesdienst at Christuskirche in Graz-Eggenberg. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Fri, 24 Jul 2026 07:22:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[A Protestant congregation in Austria is set to hold its third worship service built around German pop music on Aug. 23, with national television and radio broadcasting the event live for the first time.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
A Protestant congregation in Austria is set to hold its third worship service built around German pop music on Aug. 23, with national television and radio broadcasting the event live for the first time, according to German Christian news site Jesus.de.
The Christuskirche in the Graz-Eggenberg district will open its doors at 10 a.m. for the service, titled "Here is a Person." Austrian public broadcaster ORF III and ORF Radio will carry the event live.
The service centers on the Gospel of John's account of Jesus and the woman caught in adultery. Pastor Friedrich Eckhardt has structured the program around Schlager songs — a genre of melodic, often nostalgic German-language pop music — drawn from the 1960s through 1980s. Titles include "You Lied to Me a Thousand Times," "You Are Not Alone," and "The Sun Rises Again and Again."
"The Bible and Schlager meet exactly where life is most real," Eckhardt said, as reported by Jesus.de. Schlager singer Helmut Hussler will lead the music.

The congregation has presented the series as an attempt to draw people who would not normally attend church. "We want an open door for everyone, including those who have not felt addressed by traditional worship services until now," Eckhardt said.
The television broadcast marks a significant step up in reach for the format, which the church has held twice before without live TV coverage. Eckhardt told Jesus.de that when familiar music draws people toward faith, "that is already a piece of the Kingdom of God in the middle of everyday life."]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Brian Doerksen, Canadian worship songwriter, dies at 60]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/brian-doerksen-canadian-worship-songwriter-dies-at-60</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/brian-doerksen-canadian-worship-songwriter-dies-at-60</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Brian Doerksen and his wife, Joyce]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Brian Doerksen Facebook ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Brian Doerksen and his wife, Joyce. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Thu, 23 Jul 2026 06:40:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Brian Doerksen, the Canadian worship leader and songwriter whose songs shaped congregational singing in churches around the world for decades, died July 21 following a brief battle with stage 4 cancer. He was 60.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Brian Doerksen, the Canadian worship leader and songwriter whose songs shaped congregational singing in churches around the world for decades, died July 21 following a brief battle with stage 4 cancer. He was 60.
Doerksen died at 6:45 a.m. at his family home in Abbotsford, British Columbia, "peacefully in his sleep," surrounded by family, according to a statement posted to his social media page.
He is survived by his wife, Joyce, and six adult children. All six have Fragile X syndrome, one of the most common inherited causes of intellectual disability; two require full-time care.
Doerksen rose to prominence through the Vineyard Music Group, writing songs that became standards across denominational lines. "Come, Now Is the Time to Worship," "Refiner's Fire," "Faithful One" and "Your Love Is Amazing" have been sung at weddings, funerals, church services and conferences across generations.
His health had been declining since February, when severe pain confined him to bed. What initially appeared to be a prostate condition progressed to a stage 4 cancer diagnosis, with a mass found in his pelvis and spots on his liver, lungs and near his heart, according to a fundraising campaign organized by friends and family to help cover medical costs. He had been receiving care from a specialist team at a Vancouver hospital.
Despite his illness, those close to him say he remained focused on others. "Till the very end, Brian continued to love those around him, encouraging them in who they are, and shared incredible gratitude to those in the medical field who tried their best to help him," his family wrote. "He was a beacon of light even in his final moments to his close family and friends, and loved well right to the end."
Vineyard Worship honored him in a statement Wednesday as "one of the fathers of Vineyard Worship," whose music gave language to the faith of countless believers.
"Those who knew him speak of a man marked by humility, kindness, generosity and deep faith," the organization said. "He was a worshipper before he was a songwriter, and his life reflected the One he so faithfully sang about."
Friends who organized fundraising support described Doerksen's decades-long purpose as singing "love over people, inspire hope, comfort the grieving, and bring peace amongst the chaos in a hurting world."
Vineyard Worship said his songs "will continue to lead people into God's presence for generations to come," and quoted Matthew 25:23 in tribute: "Well done, good and faithful servant."]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[George Washington's prayer life, private struggles take the spotlight in New Museum of the Bible play]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/george-washington-s-prayer-life-private-struggles-take-the-spotlight-in-new-museum-of-the-bible-play</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/george-washington-s-prayer-life-private-struggles-take-the-spotlight-in-new-museum-of-the-bible-play</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[The Christian Post]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[George Washingtons prayer life, private struggles take the spotlight in New Museum of the Bible play]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Museum of the Bible ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ James Denton in "A General's Prayer." ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Wed, 22 Jul 2026 18:10:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[As the United States marks its 250th anniversary, the Museum of the Bible is inviting audiences behind the scenes of the American Revolution with “A General's Prayer,” a new one-person play exploring George Washington's faith and resolve during the darkest days of the war.]]></description>
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As the United States marks its 250th anniversary, the Museum of the Bible is inviting audiences behind the scenes of the American Revolution with “A General's Prayer,” a new one-person play exploring George Washington's faith and resolve during the darkest days of the war.
Starring "Desperate Housewives" and "Good Witch" actor James Denton, the 80-minute production, which runs through July 19, transports audiences to Valley Forge, where the commander of the Continental Army wrestles with doubt, dwindling supplies and the enormous weight of holding together an army and a nation not yet born.
Inspired by Arnold Friberg's iconic "Prayer at Valley Forge" painting, currently on display at the museum, the play features Washington's documented speeches, letters and writings with immersive projections and sound design to offer an intimate portrait of America's first president.
In an interview with The Christian Post, Denton said the role offered a chance to explore one of history's most revered and often misunderstood figures, though he initially questioned whether Washington would make for compelling theater.
"I would not have chosen Washington. Washington chose me, or the writer did," Denton told The Christian Post. "I said, 'Couldn't it be Ben Franklin or John Adams or somebody with a lot of personality that would be funny?’ I knew it would be a challenge making it interesting for 80 minutes because he was so reserved and so stoic. You want to give people the Washington they expect and still interject enough humor and personality to make it fun."
The production also marked a first for the veteran actor: a one-man show. Before accepting the role, Denton said he tested himself by memorizing the opening pages of the script.
"It's as if someone handed you a novel and said, 'Memorize the first 50 pages,'" he said. "It's 49 pages, just me, and no cues. … It's kind of lonely. Usually in a play you have the whole cast in the dressing room. ... It's weird coming off stage, and it's just me by myself. But at this stage of my life, you don't get to do many things that you're kind of afraid of, so I jumped at it."
The play arrives as the United States approaches its 250th anniversary and amid renewed public interest in Washington's life, fueled in part by recent historical films, like Angel’s “Young Washington,” which already has a sequel in the works, and productions.
"I think there's a sort of focus on U.S. history," Denton said. "Washington really hasn't been done that much."
Rather than presenting the first president as an untouchable icon, the play portrays him wrestling with fear, exhaustion and uncertainty during one of the darkest chapters of the Revolutionary War.
"It was fun to dig into Washington, especially spiritually," Denton said, adding that Washington had a complex faith that is often oversimplified in today's political and cultural debates.
"I think people want to believe what they want to believe," Denton said.
He noted that Washington spent his life in the Anglican Church, served as a church warden and regularly attended worship services while traveling. At the same time, Washington rarely spoke publicly about Jesus, instead referring to God as "Providence," "the benign Parent of the human race," and "the great Architect."
"We know he was a Christian of some sort," Denton said. "He certainly wasn't a Deist, because Deists don't believe that God intervenes in our lives. ... But I think [the Washingtons] were very private. Anglicans specifically were very private about their faith."
The play itself depicts a commander who likely turned to prayer while facing seemingly impossible odds. Using historically documented letters, speeches and writings, the production also portrays a leader desperate for supplies from Congress, worried about the survival of the Continental Army and longing to return home to his wife, Martha.
"At Valley Forge, at the end of his rope, he probably did, knowing his history, get down on his knees more than once because he thought they were dead," Denton said. "We never see that portrait of him because he's always been presented as so stoic. He really was very insecure and wondered if the country was going to survive another month."
The production also features immersive projections, sound design and visual effects that place audiences in the Valley Forge encampment, complete with snowfall, tents and battlefield imagery.
"We knew 80 minutes of just me probably wasn't interesting enough," Denton joked. "It's very immersive."
One of Denton's favorite moments comes near the conclusion, when Washington reflects on his hopes for the nation's future using words drawn directly from the historical record. The speech often prompts audience members to respond with "Amen," Denton said.
"It's about how he thinks our leaders should demonstrate behaviors worthy of emulation, how we should treat people who dwell in other countries that may someday come to our own, how we're known by our love for one another, and we shouldn't be divided," he said. "I get a lot of 'amens,' just like it's a sermon."
Ultimately, Denton hopes audiences leave with a deeper appreciation for both Washington and the complexity of history. More importantly, the actor emphasized he also hopes viewers leave inspired by Washington's enduring call to justice and unity.
"I think maybe that everything is not what you were taught in school," he said. "Don't believe everything you were taught or your preconceived notions."
"I hope this inspiration that's been breathed upon me is somehow transferable," Denton said. "That you take it with you, and that helps the nation."
Originally published by The Christian Post.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA['House of David' renewed for Season 3, to focus on David's years as fugitive]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/house-of-david-renewed-for-season-3-to-focus-on-david-s-years-as-fugitive</link>
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                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[The Christian Post]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[House of David renewed for Season 3, to focus on Davids years as fugitive]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Amazon Prime/Wonder Project ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ A first-look image from "House of David" season 2 ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Tue, 21 Jul 2026 19:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Prime Video has renewed the biblical drama "House of David" for a third season after the series attracted more than 40 million viewers worldwide, the streaming service announced Friday.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Prime Video has renewed the biblical drama "House of David" for a third season after the series attracted more than 40 million viewers worldwide, the streaming service announced Friday.
The series, produced by Wonder Project and Amazon MGM Studios, debuted earlier this year and follows the rise of the biblical King David. Seasons 1 and 2 are available on Prime Video, with Wonder Project also offering the series through its subscription service.
Season 3 will chronicle one of the most pivotal periods in David's life, focusing on his years as a fugitive before ascending to Israel's throne.
"We are incredibly grateful to fans around the world who have embraced House of David," creators and executive producers Jon Erwin and Jon Gunn said in a statement provided to The Christian Post.
According to the official synopsis, the new season follows David's transformation "from outcast shepherd to fierce warrior" as he's forced into exile before ultimately becoming king. The season will explore the sacrifices, betrayals and personal struggles that precede his rise to the throne.
Kelly Merryman Hoogstraten, CEO of Wonder Project, said the renewal aligns with the company's goal of building long-running franchises centered on inspirational stories.
"At Wonder Project, we're committed to building enduring franchises rooted in timeless stories that inspire, entertain and bring audiences together," Merryman Hoogstraten said. "We're grateful to Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios for their continued partnership and shared belief in that vision, and we're excited to continue the journey with a third season of House of David."
Kara Smith, head of drama at Amazon MGM Studios, credited the show's global audience for the renewal.
"House of David has resonated with audiences around the world, bringing this timeless story to life with breathtaking scope and emotional authenticity," Smith said. "With millions of viewers captivated by the series, we are thrilled to continue this journey with our partners at Wonder Project for a third season."
Ahead of Season 2's premiere in March, Gunn told The Christian Post the series' success demonstrated growing demand for faith-based entertainment that has both cinematic excellence and authentic storytelling.
"'House of David' was the show we were building to launch the platform," Gunn said at the time. "And I think it's a testament to the hunger for content that is inspiring and something you can watch with your family."
Gunn said Wonder Project has sought to distinguish itself through what it calls "epic authenticity," stressing that audiences can recognize when stories are driven by conviction and a love for the Scriptures. Both Erwin and Gunn are professing Christians. 
"The purity is what makes it work," he said. "Studios often try to duplicate authenticity, but it doesn't have the soul."
Michael Iskander, who stars as David, told CP that portraying the biblical king was a transformative experience. The actor, who converted to Catholicism last year, said the role deepened his own faith while preparing him for David's journey from shepherd to warrior and future king.
"David is everything to me," Iskander told The Christian Post. "He's changed my life. I don't think that relationship will ever be severed."
The 24-year-old actor said he underwent extensive physical training for Season 2, gaining 15 pounds and learning sword fighting to portray David's growth as a warrior. He also said he hopes viewers see David's flaws and repentance as reminders that "God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called."
Season 2 stars Iskander alongside Ali Suliman as King Saul, Ayelet Zurer as Queen Ahinoam and Stephen Lang as the prophet Samuel. The ensemble cast also includes Indy Lewis, Yali Topol Margalith, Ethan Kai, Sam Otto, Oded Fehr, Louis Ferreira, Davood Ghadami, Ashraf Barhom and Alexander Uloom.
Originally published by The Christian Post.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Pastor turns Minecraft into a mission field for the unchurched]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/pastor-turns-minecraft-into-a-mission-field-for-the-unchurched</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/pastor-turns-minecraft-into-a-mission-field-for-the-unchurched</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[The virtual Müllheim church, built inside Minecraft by Pastor Florian Hombergers community.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Minecraft ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ The virtual Müllheim church, built inside Minecraft by Pastor Florian Homberger's community. Homberger's Thursday evening devotionals draw about 20 participants to gatherings like this one, where virtual fireworks close each session as a symbol of prayers rising to heaven. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 15:40:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[A Reformed pastor in Switzerland has been running weekly devotionals inside the video game Minecraft, drawing about 20 participants per session — roughly half of whom have no prior connection to the church.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
A Reformed pastor in Switzerland has been running weekly devotionals inside the video game Minecraft, drawing about 20 participants per session — roughly half of whom have no prior connection to the church.
Florian Homberger, 43, leads the Protestant parish of Müllheim in the canton of Thurgau. He began exploring Minecraft after officiating at the funeral of a parishioner who had been an active player, Dienstags Mail reports. Members of the man's online gaming community showed up to say goodbye, and the depth of their bond struck the pastor. Shortly afterward, he created an account himself.
His first night in the game, his avatar died ten times. He kept going, built a virtual city he called Convento, and noticed that churches already existed throughout the game world. The question followed naturally: why not hold a service there?
Minecraft operates like a digital version of building blocks. Players construct landscapes, buildings, and entire settlements out of square blocks in an open world, with no fixed objectives. The game has more than 200 million monthly active users across tens of thousands of public servers. Teenagers and young adults make up a significant portion of its player base.
Homberger discussed the idea with his confirmation class, and in the summer of 2025 they decided to try it. The devotionals run about 30 minutes on Thursday evenings. At the start, the pastor led every session himself; others from the gaming community now take turns leading as well. Some of his four children also participate.
The format is interactive. Participants collect objects tied to the week's theme or help construct in-game structures that illustrate a biblical text. To explore the verse "When you walk through fire, you shall not be burned," the group built obstacle courses over pools of lava, then used a fire-resistance potion to pass through safely — a physical representation, in game logic, of trust during hardship.
Light functions as a recurring motif. Certain creatures in Minecraft can only be subdued using light, a mechanic Homberger connects to the role of light in the Bible, beginning with the creation account. The game's existing religious architecture — temples, rituals, and similar elements — gives him material to work with.
Each session closes with participants gathering in a circle for virtual fireworks. Those who want to pray may do so, then fire a rocket into the digital sky. "The rockets are like prayers rising to heaven," Homberger told the Swiss magazine Beobachter.
He argues the setting removes a barrier that the institutional church has long struggled to clear. "The traditional church is unfamiliar territory for many people," he said. "But Minecraft is their living room, where they feel at home." The virtual service is not meant to replace Sunday worship, he said, but to reach people who would not otherwise attend — including on major church holidays.
A reporter for Beobachter who covered Homberger admitted initial skepticism about a pastor using a game for outreach, but changed her assessment after speaking with him. "He meets young people where they feel comfortable," she wrote.
Homberger has also brought both worlds together physically, setting up laptops in the parish hall so that young people can log on together. He told the Thurgauer Zeitung that he considers Minecraft a genuine social space. "Anyone who claims this is anonymous or superficial has never experienced how intensely connected you can feel," he said.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[From terminal diagnosis to global ministry: documentary to tell young Yong-gi Cho's story]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/from-terminal-diagnosis-to-global-ministry-documentary-to-tell-young-yong-gi-cho-s-story</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/from-terminal-diagnosis-to-global-ministry-documentary-to-tell-young-yong-gi-cho-s-story</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[The launch poster for Young Cho Yong-gi, set for release this September.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ The launch poster for Young Cho Yong-gi, set for release this September. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Thu, 09 Jul 2026 22:02:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[A documentary film examining the early life of Rev. Yong-gi Cho, founder of Yoido Full Gospel Church and a central figure in Korean Protestant history, is scheduled for release this September.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
A documentary film examining the early life of Rev. Yong-gi Cho, founder of Yoido Full Gospel Church and a central figure in Korean Protestant history, is scheduled for release this September, according to Christian Daily Korea.
The film, titled Young Cho Yong-gi, centers on a pivotal period in the pastor's life: a terminal tuberculosis diagnosis he received in 1955, at age 18, and his subsequent path from despair to faith. The story concludes with his early ministry at a 24-pyeong tent church beside a cemetery in the Daejo-dong neighborhood of Seoul.
Cho would later build Yoido Full Gospel Church into one of the largest congregations in the world. He served as chairman of the Assemblies of God Korea and received two South Korean state honors — a Presidential Commendation in 1982 and the Mugunghwa Order of Civil Merit in 1996 — for his role in Korean evangelism. He died in 2021.
The production team spent more than 900 days gathering research materials. Among the findings, Christian Daily Korea reported, are Cho's 1955 handwritten illness diary and a collection of previously unpublished letters, both preserved in an old cloth wrapping. The film also features a restored audio recording of Cho preaching at age 33 — reconstructed using modern technology after roughly 70 years.
Director Kwon Hyeok-man, known for documentary work on KBS programs including Environmental Special and Tracking 60 Minutes, previously directed the Christian documentary Ilsagakoh. The film includes location shoots across ten countries and a recreation of the original Daejo-dong tent church site.
Actor Yang Dong-geun portrays the young Cho Yong-gi. Yang has appeared in a wide range of projects, including the dramas Moving and Squid Game Season 2 and the film King of Kings. Singer Yoo Yeol provides narration, drawing on experience from documentary projects such as Calling and Documentary 3 Days.
The film does not present an idealized portrait, Christian Daily Korea noted. Its aim is to show the inner struggle of a young man railing against God before becoming a preacher — and to place that personal journey within the broader context of mid-20th-century Korean society and the development of the Korean church.
A launch poster for the film carries the tagline: "A young man who cursed God became a bell that tolled for the age."]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA['Gott is ma untakemma': Austrian churches launch faith-story campaign in Burgenland]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/gott-is-ma-untakemma-austrian-churches-launch-faith-story-campaign-in-burgenland</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/gott-is-ma-untakemma-austrian-churches-launch-faith-story-campaign-in-burgenland</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Posters for the campaign Gott is ma untakemma in Austria.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Campus für Christus via Livenet.ch ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Posters for the campaign "Gott is ma untakemma" in Austria. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Mon, 06 Jul 2026 11:04:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Churches and ministries in Austria's easternmost province have begun a media campaign inviting residents to watch video testimonies of personal faith, part of a series of regional efforts that organizers say have drawn millions of online views.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Churches and ministries in Austria's easternmost province have begun a media campaign inviting residents to watch video testimonies of personal faith, part of a series of regional efforts that organizers say have drawn millions of online views.
The campaign in Burgenland is promoted through more than 2,000 posters and advertising on YouTube and social media. A coalition of free churches is running it with regional parishes and ministries, led by Hons Hofer of Campus für Christus Österreich, the Austrian branch of the international Cru movement, formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ.
At the center of the effort are short videos in which residents of Burgenland describe how, in their telling, God became part of their lives. The campaign carries the slogan "Gott is ma untakemma," a phrase in the local dialect that roughly means "God came into my life." Its website, gottkennen.at (English translation: "knowing God"), hosts the videos and offers a live chat for visitors with questions.
Organizers describe the campaign as the newest in a sequence that began in Salzburg in 2021 and continued in Tyrol in 2022, Upper Austria in 2024 and Vorarlberg in 2025. Across those editions, the testimonies drew 3.1 million views, according to organizers' figures cited by Livenet. Each provincial version adapts the slogan to the regional dialect.
The Burgenland participants include a recent secondary-school graduate, a nurse, a stay-at-home mother and a university student. They speak about difficult and hopeful periods in their lives and describe, in their own words, how faith reached them in ways they did not expect.
Hofer said he was moved to act by the strain he saw among young people. Many of those around him were under psychological pressure and searching for meaning and stability, he said, which prompted him to share a Christian message of hope.
Matthias Langhans initiated the campaign in 2021, and Hofer now leads it with a team from Campus für Christus, an interdenominational association. Local parishes, churches and ministries across Burgenland are taking part.
Volunteers have put up posters, and more than 70 people the organizers call "hope intercessors" are joining a four-day prayer chain held in four churches of different denominations across the province.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Mel Gibson's 'The Passion of the Christ' gets theater re-release ahead of 'Resurrection']]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/mel-gibson-s-the-passion-of-the-christ-gets-theater-re-release-ahead-of-resurrection</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/mel-gibson-s-the-passion-of-the-christ-gets-theater-re-release-ahead-of-resurrection</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[The Christian Post]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Mel Gibsons The Passion of the Christ gets theater re-release ahead of Resurrection]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ 20TH CENTURY FOX ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Mel Gibson (right) directs actor Jim Caviezel in 'The Passion of the Christ.' ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Sat, 04 Jul 2026 07:33:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[More than two decades after becoming a global box office phenomenon, “The Passion of the Christ” is returning to theaters in a newly restored format as audiences prepare for the release of director Mel Gibson's long-awaited sequel.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
More than two decades after becoming a global box office phenomenon, “The Passion of the Christ” is returning to theaters in a newly restored format as audiences prepare for the release of director Mel Gibson's long-awaited sequel.
Lionsgate and Fathom Entertainment announced Wednesday that Gibson's 2004 biblical epic will return to theaters nationwide Sept. 10-17 in a newly remastered 4K presentation featuring Dolby Atmos sound.
The limited theatrical re-release comes less than a year before the planned debut of “The Resurrection of the Christ: Part One,” which Lionsgate recently announced will arrive exclusively in theaters on May 6, 2027.
Audiences attending the special screenings will also receive an exclusive behind-the-scenes preview of the upcoming sequel, which explores Christ's resurrection and the events following His crucifixion.
The re-release marks the latest step in Lionsgate's effort to build anticipation for Gibson's return to "The Passion." Earlier this month, the studio announced that principal photography on “The Resurrection of the Christ” had wrapped ahead of schedule after 134 days of filming across Italy.
"'The Passion of the Christ' remains one of the most extraordinary theatrical experiences ever created," Kevin Grayson, president of worldwide distribution for the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, said in a statement.
"For millions of people, it was far more than a film — it became a powerful shared cultural and faith experience," Grayson said. "Bringing it back to theatres in a stunning new restoration allows longtime audiences to experience it in an entirely new way while inviting a new generation to discover it in theatres for the very first time."
Starring Jim Caviezel as Jesus of Nazareth, “The Passion of the Christ” chronicles the final hours of Christ's life, culminating in His crucifixion and resurrection. Upon its release in 2004, the film became a cultural phenomenon, grossing more than $610 million worldwide against a reported $30 million budget and holding the title of highest-grossing R-rated film domestically for two decades.
The film also received three Academy Award nominations and helped usher in a new era of faith-based filmmaking in Hollywood.
The sequel, which will reportedly also explore Hell, Sheol, the fall of angels and the origin of Satan, is being positioned as the largest faith-based film production ever released. Lionsgate recently announced that the story will unfold across two films, with the second installment scheduled for release on May 25, 2028.
In a 2022 interview with CP, Gibson revealed he’s drawn to stories that highlight redemption and the need for a Savior.
“I've been taught from a young age that we're flawed, and you’re going to make mistakes,” he reflected. “We're broken, and we need help. Usually, the best way to get help is to ask for it. And well, who do we ask? We're asking something better than us. And the minute you acknowledge that there is something better than you, you might get something that resembles humility, which is really the key to the whole thing.”
Tickets for the restored theatrical engagement of "The Passion of the Christ" will go on sale July 24 through Fathom Entertainment and participating theater box offices.
Originally published by The Christian Post.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA['Mi Copa' (My Cup): Funky's new song carries a message of hope beyond the World Cup]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/mi-copa-my-cup-funky-s-new-song-carries-a-message-of-hope-beyond-the-world-cup</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/mi-copa-my-cup-funky-s-new-song-carries-a-message-of-hope-beyond-the-world-cup</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Lizzie Sotola]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Funky presents Mi Copa, a song inspired by the World Cup atmosphere that uses soccer as a metaphor for a message of hope, grace and victory in Christ.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ YouTube Screenshot ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Funky presents "Mi Copa," a song inspired by the World Cup atmosphere that uses soccer as a metaphor for a message of hope, grace and victory in Christ. ]]>
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                                                                                                                        <pubDate>Thu, 02 Jul 2026 11:01:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Puerto Rican singer, songwriter and producer Funky has released "Mi Copa" (My Cup), a song that draws on the World Cup mood to share a gospel message of hope. Inspired by Psalm 23:5 — "My cup runneth over" — it asks listeners to look past sporting victories to the redemptive work of Jesus Christ.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Puerto Rican singer, songwriter and producer Funky has released "Mi Copa" (My Cup), a song that draws on the World Cup mood to share a gospel message of hope. Inspired by Psalm 23:5 — "My cup runneth over" — it asks listeners to look past sporting victories to the redemptive work of Jesus Christ.
The song arrives amid heavy World Cup attention, but Funky first held it back out of respect for victims of the earthquakes that struck Venezuela.
"Yesterday I decided to postpone this post out of respect and solidarity with my brothers and sisters in Venezuela. Today I share it with the prayer that this song reminds us all that our hope does not depend on circumstances," he wrote on Instagram.
The song's message
That line captures the song's purpose: to affirm that hope holds firm even amid pain and hardship.
Funky draws a contrast between the cups, or trophies, raised for wins on the field and the "cup" he says believers receive through the work of Christ on the cross.
"Since we're in World Cup mode, that reminds me that there are cups (trophies) that are raised for what's done on the field. But there is a cup that we receive for what Christ did on the cross," he said.
That cup, he added, "does not represent a temporary victory, but a life full of His grace, His peace, and His provision," and offers "a joy that remains even when the scoreboard is not in our favor."
"We don't celebrate because everything always turns out well. We celebrate because, at every moment, even amid pain, God remains faithful," he said.
The music video
The music video for "Mi Copa" was made by Luis Marrero Jr., a content creator who specializes in artificial intelligence and audiovisual storytelling. It pairs the song with visuals drawn from sports and the Christian message.
The song is available on major digital platforms and is part of the latest phase of Funky's musical ministry.
Luis Raúl Marrero, known artistically as Funky, is one of the leading figures in Spanish-language Christian urban music. With more than two decades of experience and two Latin Grammy nominations, he has built a career combining hip-hop and reggaeton with a message of faith.
In recent years he released "Rewind," featuring new versions of some of his best-known songs with guest artists such as René González, Alex Zurdo and Alex Campos. He later released the album "Paréntesis," a more personal work with collaborations from JayKalyl, Mr. Yeison, DJ Fleiva, Lilo, Vaes, Fer Ariza and Gabriel EMC.
He then embarked on the Tour Paréntesis, performing in Latin America and the United States.
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