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Friend,
Welcome to the Friday Five! Every Friday we share our top five
articles, stories, and quotes for you to read and share with your
friends and church families. We would be very grateful if you could make a donation of $100, $50,
$25, or $10 today towards our work
producing these Friday Fives and fighting for your values on the
public square!
1. SCOTUSBLOG: Conservative justices seem poised to side with web designer who opposes same-sex marriage"The Supreme Court heard oral argument on Monday in the case of Lorie Smith, a website designer and devout Christian who wants to expand her business to include wedding websites – but only for opposite-sex couples. Smith is challenging a Colorado law that prohibits most businesses from discriminating against LGBTQ customers. Requiring her to create websites for same-sex weddings, she argues, would violate her right to freedom of speech. At the oral argument, Justice Sonia Sotomayor asserted that a ruling for Smith would be the first time that the Supreme Court had ruled that 'commercial businesses could refuse to serve a customer based on race, sex, religion, or sexual orientation.' But Chief Justice John Roberts countered that the Supreme Court has never approved efforts to compel speech that is contrary to the speaker’s belief, and his five conservative colleagues signaled that they were likely to join him in a ruling for Smith.” Earlier this week, we were right outside the steps of the Supreme Court speaking in defense of your religious freedom and your right not to have your speech forced by the government to say or create something you do not believe. Check it out. For more on the case, check out our sister organization’s amicus brief here.
 2. DAILY SIGNAL: 39 Republicans Vote for Radical Same-Sex Marriage Bill“The House of Representatives gave final approval to the Respect for Marriage Act Thursday. The bill, which passed 258-169, is now headed to President Joe Biden’s desk. Every single Democrat voted for the legislation, as did 39 Republicans. Most Republicans (169) voted against the measure, while 1 voted “present” and four did not vote.” For more, check out our last press release on the bill, and our email responding to Sen. Tillis false claims about HR8404's protections.   3. WRAL: In a surprise, NC labor commissioner won't run for re-election“North Carolina Labor Commissioner Josh Dobson, a 41 year old serving his first term in the statewide office, won’t seek a second one, he announced Tuesday morning. Dobson said he’ll finish his current term. He made the announcement Tuesday morning, during a monthly meeting of North Carolina's Council of State, a collection of state government's statewide elected officials. ’After much soul searching I'm announcing that I will not seek re-election ... nor will I be a candidate for any office in 2024,’ Dobson said.” Read more: https://www.wral.com/amp/in-a-surprise-nc-labor-commissioner-won-t-run-for-re-election/20616028/
4. CHRISTIAN POST: American Girl wants to trans your daughter"I am a mom of two real American girls ages 8 and 10. I recently went to the American Girl store with my 8 year old for her birthday and was infuriated to find A Smart Girls’ Guide: Body Image book on their shelves with explicit instructions on how girls can somehow change their sex, which is biologically impossible! The content of this book is unacceptable in a store that serves many families who believe that biological sex is a God-given gift and cannot be changed. What is especially insidious is that the Body Image book actually begins with a noble theme, telling girls how beautiful their bodies are and how they should embrace that beauty. However, the tone changes on the pages marked “Gender Joy” (p. 36ff). Contrary to what the first chapters appear to promote, the book starts teaching girls that they can destroy their girlhood. It causes girls to question the beauty of their bodies and even instructs them on how they can find help to change their bodies, including potentially mutilating their distinctly female anatomy." Read more: https://www.christianpost.com/voices/american-girl-wants-to-trans-your-daughter.html 5. JOCO REPORT: NC Values Coalition Announces Plans To Expand Influence In School Board Races
“NC Values Coalition announced after success of training,
equipping and endorsing school board candidates across the state for
the first time, it will be expanding its reach into other counties
starting in 2023. . . . NC Values provided two school board candidate
trainings, and three Mama Bear Workshops including a Mama Bear Guide
to help the public and candidates identify and confront indoctrination
in schools. For the first time, NC Values also evaluated school board
candidates in select counties along with iVoterGuide, and made
endorsements which candidates have reported as
impactful.”
Read more: https://jocoreport.com/nc-values-coalition-announces-plans-to-expand-influence-in-school-board-races/
 WEEKLY PRAYER: FAMILYLORD, we cry out to you as Father. You are a model of the love, mercy, and authority of the perfect parent. We thank you for modeling for us what every parent should strive for, and for creating this wonderful institution called family. LORD, we thank you for creating us with a basic nature designed to not be alone. You made us to desire the intimacy of relationships, and it is here where we experience joys indescribable: the joys of marriage, the joys of having children; the joys of seeing our children have children. What a blessing and mercy you gave us in the family! In it we find our first teachers, our first guardians, and our first authorities. LORD, we recognize how deeply you love your children, and how deeply it pains you when they go astray. Alongside our adoration and thanksgiving, we pray in confession—as individuals and as members of larger communities—over any sins we may have committed that undermine your beloved institution. Forgive us when we endanger your institution through selfishness and arrogance. Forgive our communities and nation for attempting to redefine some of the most basic and deepest parts of being human—being made male and female, having lifelong marriage vows and responsibilities, and having parental rights over educating one's children. "Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." (Colossians 3:12-17) Amen
Sincerely, Tami & Team
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