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College Journalist Finds Calling Through Faith and Storytelling

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Faith Facts

  • Young journalist joins Christian publication after finding spiritual renewal in Tennessee church community following his father’s death
  • Ephraim Rodenbach serves as managing editor of MTSU Sidelines while interning at The Christian Chronicle
  • Student from Middle Tennessee State University aims to glorify God through journalism that proclaims the Gospel

MURFREESBORO, TENN. — For young people today searching for purpose and genuine connection, one college journalist has discovered both through faith and the power of sharing God’s Word.

Ephraim Rodenbach’s journey began in the rolling hills of Pleasant Shade, Tennessee, where he joined the Bagdad Church of Christ during one of life’s darkest valleys. Following the death of his father, Stacey Rodenbach, the young man found himself welcomed into a faith community that would change his life forever.

“In a season of loss, I found a family that welcomed my mother, Tracey, and me with outstretched arms and countless illuminating smiles,” Rodenbach shared. “That fellowship helped me climb out of a hole, following the passing of someone who shaped who I am now.”

The small wooden church provided something increasingly rare in modern America — authentic Christian fellowship. Every handshake at the door, every shared moment of laughter among believers, created the kind of connection that draws people to Christ.

That experience of genuine Christian community led Rodenbach to The Christian Chronicle, where he discovered stories of faith that resonated deeply with his own journey. The publication became a regular fixture at his family’s dinner table, offering perspectives on how God’s Word impacts daily life.

Yet despite his familiarity with the Chronicle, Rodenbach nearly missed the opportunity to intern there. It took his journalism mentor from Smith County High School, Jason Robert Smith, to point him toward the opening.

Without hesitation, Rodenbach applied, hoping to spend his summer strengthening his faith through meaningful work. What followed surprised him — he became one of two summer interns selected, despite not attending Harding University, where many previous interns had studied.

Instead, Rodenbach attends Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, where he serves as managing editor of the student newspaper, MTSU Sidelines. His experience ranges from covering the university’s club hockey program to photographing campus events.

But his goal at the Chronicle goes far beyond professional development.

“My goal at the Chronicle is to tell stories that glorify God and the good work of the Gospel,” Rodenbach explained. “With this endeavor in mind, I’m blessed to learn from members of the Chronicle staff who proclaim God’s work through storytelling.”

In an age when mainstream media often dismisses or distorts Christian values, young journalists like Rodenbach represent a refreshing commitment to truth-telling grounded in faith. His story demonstrates how God works through tragedy to create new paths of purpose and service.

The young journalist reflects on how unexpected opportunities often reveal God’s greater plans. He didn’t anticipate this path, but recognizes divine guidance in every step.

“I may not have expected this opportunity, but perhaps that’s the beauty of it all,” Rodenbach said. “God often creates paths far greater than the ones we plan for ourselves.”

As he embarks on this internship, Rodenbach hopes the same connection, encouragement, and love that first drew him to the Chronicle will shine through his own work. His commitment to glorifying God through journalism stands as an example for young Christians seeking to integrate faith with professional calling.

In a generation often described as disconnected and searching, Rodenbach has found his anchor in Christ and his calling in sharing the stories of faith that build up the body of believers. His journey from grief to purpose illustrates the transforming power of Christian community and the enduring truth of Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

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Faith

Christian Convert Warns AI Tempts Humanity With Oldest Sin

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Faith Facts

  • A former Muslim who spent nearly ten years studying Christianity has publicly warned that artificial intelligence carries spiritual risks rooted in Scripture.
  • The convert identifies AI’s promise of godlike power as the same temptation the serpent offered in the Garden of Eden.
  • Christian teaching holds that true wisdom and authority come from God alone, not from human-made technology.

A man who left Islam for Christ after nearly a decade of searching says the rapid rise of artificial intelligence revives an ancient spiritual danger.

He argues that AI’s appeal to “become like God” directly echoes the serpent’s words in Genesis 3:5.

“The enticement to become God is the same lie that was in the garden,” the convert stated.

The former Muslim explained that after years of comparing Islam and Christianity he found the gospel alone offered both truth and grace.

Now he sees AI as a modern tool that can draw hearts away from dependence on the Lord.

He urged believers to test every new technology against the unchanging Word of God.

“We must remember that wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord, not with faster machines,” he said.

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Christian AI Engineer Warns of Three Moral Risks

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Faith Facts

  • Christians are called to steward creation responsibly, including the environmental impact of new technologies.
  • Scripture teaches that genuine human relationships reflect God’s design for community and love.
  • Believers affirm that life and moral agency are gifts from God that must not be surrendered to machines.

Artificial intelligence promises remarkable advances, yet its rapid growth raises serious questions for people of faith.

Stephen Jenkins, a Christian AI engineer, has laid out three specific ethical concerns that he believes demand the church’s attention.

Energy demands for training large models already rival the yearly consumption of small nations, threatening the very creation believers are commanded to protect.

At the same time, increasingly human-like chatbots are being marketed as companions, risking the replacement of real relationships with digital simulations.

Artificial Intelligence is everywhere and has enormous potential for good. But how should Christians respond to concerns about its impact on the environment, human relationships and, ultimately, on the survival of the human race?

Jenkins warns that once systems gain the ability to improve themselves, humanity could lose meaningful control over its own future.

He urges fellow believers to bring biblical wisdom into every stage of AI development rather than leaving these decisions to secular engineers alone.

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Pornography as a Spiritual System Threatens America’s Moral Foundation

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Faith Facts

  • Pornography is not merely a personal moral failing but operates as a spiritual system that undermines faith and family.
  • Traditional Christian teaching identifies pornography as both sin and spiritual bondage that requires deliverance through Christ.
  • The Church must confront pornography as a cultural and spiritual threat rather than simply a private issue.

Two responses dominate the Church’s approach to pornography. One says it’s a sin to resist, and the other says it’s a compulsion to treat. Both describe something real, and both fall short, because neither can see what the Church is actually fighting.

Scripture teaches that believers wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers in high places. This biblical framework reveals pornography as more than individual weakness or medical diagnosis. It operates as a coordinated spiritual assault on marriage, purity, and the image of God in humanity.

The traditional Christian understanding of sin recognizes that pornography violates God’s design for human sexuality within the covenant of marriage. This view maintains that individuals bear responsibility for their choices and can find freedom through repentance and the power of the Holy Spirit.

At the same time, many faithful Christians acknowledge that pornography creates patterns of bondage that require both spiritual deliverance and practical accountability. The Church has always recognized that some struggles require ongoing support and community, not merely one-time decisions.

Yet viewing pornography solely through the lens of personal sin or clinical addiction misses its broader spiritual dimensions. The proliferation of pornography represents a systematic attack on the foundations of family life that have sustained American society for generations.

Christian leaders have consistently warned that pornography distorts God’s gift of sexuality and leads to objectification rather than covenant love. This teaching remains as relevant today as when the apostles first addressed sexual immorality in the early Church.

The spiritual system behind pornography promotes values directly opposed to biblical truth about human dignity and the sanctity of marriage. It promises fulfillment while delivering isolation and shame that damage relationships with God and others.

Recovery from pornography’s influence requires both the forgiveness available through Christ and the renewing of the mind that Scripture describes. Churches that address this issue comprehensively offer hope to those caught in its grip while maintaining the truth that freedom is possible.

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