Below are this week's Articles of Interest as compiled by Mr. Van Baker. This collection of articles is cultivated by Mr. Baker with the goal of highlighting some of the trends, upheavals, and things to watch for in our society. These articles are not necessarily the express views of the United Church of God, Mr. Baker, or me as the pastor, but they are informative of what is occurring in our nation and culture. In accordance with Christ's warning to correctly discern the times (Matthew 16:1-4), it is wise to be aware of what is going on around us. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Obituary of former pastor, Mr. Jack Pyle, whom WCG-Peoria brethren will remember – Jackie Merle "Jack" Pyle, 84, of Cabot, Arkansas, passed away Wednesday, December 3, 2025. Born January 2, 1941, in Conway, Arkansas, to Norvel Vernon Pyle and Alvah Ivon Ott Pyle, Jack grew up surrounded by the quiet beauty of rural Arkansas. Those early years in Arkansas and his time at Imperial High School in Big Sandy, Texas helped shape the steady, thoughtful man he became.
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/jackie-pyle-obituary?id=60267294

The reality behind the ‘religious revival’ headlines – There’s been a disconnect between stories I’ve been hearing from priests and pastors about religion today and what survey data show. Leaders of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and nondenominational churches report record numbers of converts, full pews and thriving religious education programs. But researchers tell a more measured story — overall religious trends in the U.S. show little major change. Sure, the stories behind the headlines are real, but they’re largely exceptions to broader trends.
https://www.deseret.com/faith/2025/12/09/religious-revival-pew-young-adults/

Nigerian Persecution [of Christians] Horror – “It is a persecution issue,” Brad Brandon, CEO of Across Nigeria said. “I mean, you’ve got over 50,000 Christians that have been killed since 2009; 18,000 churches have been destroyed.” Additionally, he said there are “internally displaced persons camps” with millions of people being housed there. The majority of these individuals are reportedly Christian. “Their communities and their villages are being destroyed, and they have nowhere else to go,” Brandon said. “So there is an issue of Christian persecution going on, no doubt. Christians are being targeted. They are second-class citizens all throughout northern Nigeria.”
https://www.faithwire.com/2025/12/04/nigerian-persecution-horror-expert-dismantles-disturbing-media-narrative/

Myths About Slavery [in the Bible] – Few topics are more distorted in public debate than slavery— especially its relationship to Scripture and Western history. When viewed through the lens of Scripture and credible historical research, the picture becomes far more complex— and, in many cases, radically different from the cultural narrative promulgated by ... "progressives." Here are seven myths that need to be challenged, each grounded in biblical truth and supported with historical data.
https://stream.org/6-myths-about-slavery/

Majority of pastors now using AI to prepare sermons amid rapid embrace of technology – Nearly two-thirds of pastors who write sermons are now using AI tools in preparation.
https://www.christianpost.com/news/majority-of-pastors-using-ai-to-prepare-sermons-study.html

Biblical Time Keeping – BC and AD Versus BCE and CE – The practice of dating time before and after Jesus's birth began in the 6th century and was established by the monk Dionysius Exiguus. His “Anno Domini,” Latin for “in the year of our Lord,” connected the calendar to Christian belief. However, it was not until the 800s that the before-and-after Jesus's birth time stamp was adopted across Europe. Later, through colonization and global trade, it spread worldwide.
https://townhall.com/columnists/myrakahnadams/2025/12/07/a-quick-bible-study-vol-297-biblical-time-keeping-bc-and-ad-versus-bce-and-ce-n2667481

Baptismal Site “Bethany Beyond the Jordan” Added to UNESCO World Heritage List – In 2015, UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee added the archaeological complex at Al-Maghtas, Jordan— dubbed the Biblical “Bethany beyond the Jordan” (John 1:26-28) — to its World Heritage List. The site has been venerated as the place where John the Baptist baptized Jesus since the late Roman–early Byzantine periods, when early Christians began making pilgrimages to the area. UNESCO’s addition of Al-Maghtas to its World Heritage List is not without controversy, however. Another tradition places the baptismal site on the west bank of the Jordan River- in Israel.
https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/news/baptismal-site-bethany-beyond-the-jordan-added-to-unesco-world-heritage-list/

Learning to Love God’s "Rules" – The Bible tells us in 1 John 5:3, Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome (NLT). How many of us have viewed the Bible as a bunch of rules that seem impossible to follow? Much like ... unruly students, we may be tempted to shout in anger, stomp our feet, or stick out our tongue. Because of our sinful nature, our hearts are stubborn, and we often don’t consider the consequences of our actions. But we also have a Teacher who keeps us under His protective wing.
https://cbn.com/devotions/learning-love-gods-rules

University of Notre Dame Walks Back Decision to Water Down Catholic Values After Huge Backlash – The University of Notre Dame is fully walking back changes to its "staff values" after major backlash over the school watering down its historic Catholic mission. The Catholic university on Nov. 10 replaced staff values that required employees to understand and accept “the Catholic mission of the university” with generic concepts such as “treat every person with dignity and respect” and “work together.” Notre Dame is now reaffirming its “commitment to our Catholic mission” by adding an entirely new value centered around faith, saying that they received “constructive feedback” indicating the decision [to "water down" Catholic values] was confusing.
https://www.lifenews.com/2025/12/03/university-of-notre-dame-walks-back-decision-to-water-down-catholic-values-after-huge-backlash/

Study Reveals Surprisingly Obvious Reason Why Exercise Reduces Cancer Risk – There's a lot of evidence that more exercise helps reduce cancer risk – but why are the two connected? According to a new mouse study, it may be down to a metabolic shift that appears to give muscle cells more fuel to burn, while 'starving' cancer cells of energy to grow.
https://www.sciencealert.com/study-reveals-surprisingly-obvious-reason-why-exercise-reduces-cancer-risk