Former President Donald Trump took to the pulpit of First Baptist Dallas in Texas to discuss America's need for a savior and to clarify that Savior is not him. "More than 2,000 years ago, an angel of the Lord appeared … to humble shepherds and proclaimed the reason for our Christmas joy. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord ...[O]ur country needs a Savior right now. And our country has a Savior, and it’s not me,” Trump declared. Click the image to read more and watch the YouTube video in full.

New research from the Institute of Family Studies suggests that religious marriages are slightly less likely to end in divorce because these relationships are less likely to lead to pre-marital cohabitation, which is a known risk factor for divorce. The research brief, which utilized data from more than 53,000 women collected via a national survey from 1995 to 2019, also observed how factors such as age influenced marriage and divorce outcomes.

The final 12 of the 17 Christian Aid Ministries missionaries who were kidnapped in Haiti on Oct. 16 executed a daring escape plan that led them to freedom, the organization has revealed. After "much discussion and prayer," they made their move on the night of Dec. 15, stacking their mattresses in a corner, finding a way to open a blocked door, and slipping away from the hostage camp. Click the image to continue reading about their escape and return to the U.S.

In this episode of "The Briefing," Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Albert Mohler Jr. suggests that Christian parents shouldn't treat Santa Claus as an imaginary figure but instead focus on the historical figure of Saint Nicholas. "There is something you're able to say to a child which is, ‘you know, there was an early Christian who lived long ago who was very kind to children and gave gifts,'” Mohler explained, going on to state that Christians should love children, and rather than talking about not believing in Santa Claus, they should focus on talking about how much they "do believe in Jesus."

South China Morning Post shared a video on Twitter of people in Sweden having a COVID-19 passport microchip implanted under their skin, leading some Christians to speculate whether this could be in fulfillment of a biblical prophecy about the Mark of the Beast. The Swedish government recently announced that a vaccine passport will be mandatory to participate in an in-person event with more than 100 people, though the number of individuals who have opted for the passport implant is unclear.

The governor of New York encouraged a Baptist congregation to get vaccinated against COVID-19 via a video message shared on Sunday. "[D]uring this holiday season, I have one request. We don’t want to spread COVID. We will spread love and we will spread friendship and spread the love of Christ during this holiday season,” the politician told Bethany Baptist Church in Brooklyn. Hochul, who was wearing a necklace with the word "vaxxed," also advocated vaccinating children and discussed her 1960s upbringing in a "social justice Catholic family."