The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas ended Friday as Israeli forces resumed airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, marking a significant escalation after a weeklong pause in hostilities. The United States blamed Hamas for the breakdown, citing its failure to provide a list of hostages for release. "The onus is on Hamas to be able to produce a list of hostages that they can get out so that we can try to get this pause back in place," John Kirby, the U.S. National Security Council’s coordinator for strategic communications, told USA Today. Read more.

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Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that nearly 50,000 Americans committed suicide last year, the majority of whom were men. Once the report is finalized, researchers believe the final figure will be the highest number ever recorded in the U.S. Read more.

Transformation Church reportedly would not allow Bishop Yvette Flunder to speak at Carlton Pearson's service on Friday due to a dispute over inclusion. Flunder, the presiding prelate of The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries, told RNS that church organizers said speakers could not use the word "inclusion" in the service. Read more.

Televangelist Mark Barclay's son-in-law, the Rev. James Randolph, has been charged with several counts of criminal sexual conduct, including one allegedly involving a person younger than 13. Randolph, a minister with Living Word International Church in Michigan, was arrested and charged last week for crimes allegedly committed in 2011. Read more.

Seventy-four congregations in Florida have left the United Methodist Church amid its schism over homosexuality. Forty-three of those churches were part of a 2022 lawsuit against the UMC Florida Conference that claimed that the disaffiliation process was unfair to congregations seeking dismissal. Read more.

God used a season of uncertainty to grow Brendon and Nina’s faith. It was through some of the stormiest days of their infant daughter’s medical crisis that Nina most felt His presence. It’s also a time fellow Samaritan members came alongside them to help ease their burdens through prayer, encouragement, and financial support for their medical bills. Read More

In order to understand the story of Christmas, we have to go back. Not back just a few thousand years to the birth of Jesus, but all the way back, back to our first parents, Adam and Eve. God placed them in the lush and perfect garden of Eden. They had everything they needed. It was perfect. Then they sinned. Continue reading.

Catholic prayer app Hallow has teamed up with Liam Neeson and "The Chosen" actor Jonathan Roumie for an Advent prayer challenge that features readings from the works of C.S. Lewis. However, the app has received blowback for working with Neeson, who has advocated for the legalization of abortion in Ireland. Read more.

From "Max Lucado's Because of Bethlehem" to Candace Cameron Bure's "My Christmas Hero," check out this list of seven family-friendly faith-inspired films to watch this Christmas season. Read the list now.