Articles and videos about the United States, America, and American Christianity Copyright https://www.crosswalk.com 2026, Crosswalk.com Thu, 08 Jan 2026 03:59:11 -0500 https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/breakpoint-daily-commentary/america-drowning-debt.html https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/breakpoint-daily-commentary/america-drowning-debt.html John Stonestreet and Glenn Sunshine https://www.crosswalk.com/author/john-stonestreet/ A right vision of the Gospel of the Kingdom is the better path to forge. Tue, 21 Oct 2025 08:45:00 -0400 2026-01-08T03:59:11-05:00 https://www.crosswalk.com/headlines/contributors/guest-commentary/the-spirit-of-tribalism-causing-division-in-america.html https://www.crosswalk.com/headlines/contributors/guest-commentary/the-spirit-of-tribalism-causing-division-in-america.html Dr. Dennis Sempebwa https://www.crosswalk.com/author/dr-dennis-sempebwa/ The loudest voices want loyalty to a side. But the gospel calls us to something far deeper and far more costly. Fri, 10 Oct 2025 17:00:00 -0400 2026-01-08T03:59:11-05:00 https://www.crosswalk.com/family/parenting/how-to-sensitively-talk-to-your-children-about-mass-shootings.html https://www.crosswalk.com/family/parenting/how-to-sensitively-talk-to-your-children-about-mass-shootings.html Brent Rinehart https://www.crosswalk.com/author/brent-rinehart/ How we engage with our children on difficult subjects like mass shootings is critical to their development; it’s vital to shaping in them a godly worldview. Thu, 11 Sep 2025 10:00:00 -0400 2026-01-08T03:59:11-05:00 https://www.crosswalk.com/special-coverage/america/verses-that-help-us-remember-the-painful-events-of-nine-eleven.html https://www.crosswalk.com/special-coverage/america/verses-that-help-us-remember-the-painful-events-of-nine-eleven.html Lynette Kittle https://www.crosswalk.com/author/lynette-kittle/ As we once again mark the anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks, let us turn our hearts to prayer. Today, there are more and more folks who were either too young to remember that day, or were not yet born. Whether you remember or not, these 10 verses can help you pray for our nation, for peace, and for the world to know Jesus. Tue, 09 Sep 2025 08:00:00 -0400 2026-01-08T03:59:11-05:00 https://www.crosswalk.com/special-coverage/america/a-prayer-to-remember-911.html https://www.crosswalk.com/special-coverage/america/a-prayer-to-remember-911.html Meg Bucher https://www.crosswalk.com/author/meg-bucher/ In memory of tragedy, we often ask where God is in all of it. Everchanging and Almighty, God certainly has the power to stop these things from happening. How can the same people God specifically created to love become conduits of pure evil? Mon, 08 Sep 2025 08:00:00 -0400 2026-01-08T03:59:11-05:00 https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/bible-verses-that-remind-us-where-freedom-really-comes-from.html https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/bible-verses-that-remind-us-where-freedom-really-comes-from.html Janet Thompson https://www.crosswalk.com/author/janet-thompson/ Americans commonly talk about the freedoms the Constitution and Bill of Rights afford us citizens. These are freedoms that many other countries don’t enjoy but wish they did. Americans even have the freedom to protest what they don’t like in our government, as long as it doesn’t involve violence or a criminal act, without fear of being persecuted or prosecuted. Many of us have come to take freedom for granted, but on holidays like Memorial Day and Veterans Day, we recognize and honor the service and sacrifice that men and women paid on the battlefield to keep us free from domination by an adversary. On July Fourth, we celebrate winning our freedom from England to become a sovereign nation, the United States of America.As Christians, we have freedom from the satanic adversary of sin and death because of the sacrifice Jesus Christ made for us on the cross. When we make Jesus our Lord and Savior, we willingly submit freely to His sovereignty over our lives.The Bible has a number of verses to describe the gift of both physical and spiritual freedom. Here are twenty verses to pray over with gratefulness as we acknowledge the freedoms we enjoy as Americans and as Christians, to remind us that freedom is never free; someone always pays a price for it.Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Red Goldwing  Wed, 02 Jul 2025 16:30:00 -0400 2026-01-08T03:59:11-05:00 https://www.crosswalk.com/slideshows/8-lessons-from-the-founding-fathers-we-need-to-hear-today.html https://www.crosswalk.com/slideshows/8-lessons-from-the-founding-fathers-we-need-to-hear-today.html Britt Mooney https://www.crosswalk.com/author/britt-mooney/ The Founding Fathers get a bad rap sometimes. They had their flaws, as we all do, and yet they accomplished a world-changing revolution, one that men realized would be a process, which continues to have an impact today. The new constitutional republic system has been imitated across the world, with almost 90 countries having a similar system based on the ideals of individual rights and liberty. The American Founding Fathers were the leaders who influenced and led the American Revolution against Britain and shaped the birth of the United States. They included people like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and others. These men debated, compromised, and built the foundation of a new nation, which resulted in a legacy in America and in the world. Despite their flaws and personal struggles, these leaders have important lessons to teach us today.Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Alondra Oliva Wed, 02 Jul 2025 11:00:00 -0400 2026-01-08T03:59:11-05:00 https://www.crosswalk.com/special-coverage/america/are-we-as-passionate-about-christs-freedom-as-we-are-americas.html https://www.crosswalk.com/special-coverage/america/are-we-as-passionate-about-christs-freedom-as-we-are-americas.html Amber Ginter https://www.crosswalk.com/author/amber-ginter/ Even those who deny His existence know deep down our nation is just that—under the freedom Christ gave and continually gives to those who believe. Wed, 02 Jul 2025 10:25:00 -0400 2026-01-08T03:59:11-05:00 https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/ways-to-reflect-on-liberty-through-a-biblical-lens.html https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/ways-to-reflect-on-liberty-through-a-biblical-lens.html Whitney Hopler https://www.crosswalk.com/author/whitney-hopler/ Many people value liberty, since God has given us free will and a natural desire to live with freedom. But what does true liberty look like? Liberty is much more than just the freedom to choose what we want. The Bible can help us understand the many important aspects of liberty from God’s perspective.As we learn what the Bible says about liberty, we can enjoy living with freedom in the fullest sense of the word by lining our lives up with our Creator’s design for us. Let’s explore seven ways to reflect on liberty through a biblical lens. 1. Liberty to LoveGod is love at his core, and God is the source of all love. One of the most wonderful ways God gives us liberty is the liberty to love purely, unconditionally, like he does. Our natural human tendency is often to love conditionally, based on what we receive or how others treat us. However, Jesus models a radically compassionate love that liberates us from the limits of selfishness and opens us up to closer relationships with people.The Bible tells us in 1 John 4:18: “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” This verse connects love with freedom by pointing out that true love liberates us from fear. When we’re not afraid to put love into action, we’re set free from any kind of fear, so we don’t have to worry about how others react to us. God’s complete and unconditional love for us gives us the confidence to love others as God calls us to, and that sends God’s love flowing through our lives freely.Loving with liberty helps us build strong relationships with people, builds up communities, and brings glory to God. Jesus says in Matthew 22:37-39 that loving God and loving our neighbors as ourselves is what’s most important, beyond anything else. Romans 13:10 says, “Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law.” When we love with liberty, we honor God, bless others, and experience blessings ourselves in the process.Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/cla78 Wed, 02 Jul 2025 10:00:00 -0400 2026-01-08T03:59:11-05:00 https://www.crosswalk.com/family/parenting/founding-fathers-whose-faith-influenced-the-nation.html https://www.crosswalk.com/family/parenting/founding-fathers-whose-faith-influenced-the-nation.html Whitney Hopler https://www.crosswalk.com/author/whitney-hopler/ The U.S. Founding Fathers were a diverse group. While their beliefs differed significantly, faith played a role in shaping their vision and decisions as they brought the new nation to life together. Sometimes they succeeded in living their faith well. But sometimes the Founding Fathers struggled with sin. Despite their failures, they kept trying to grow spiritually.Here’s a look at what faith the Founding Fathers had, focusing on 7 of the most influential Founding Fathers, whose beliefs influenced the creation of the United States of America.1. George Washington – a faith in God’s providence.George Washington, the first president of the United States, often spoke of “providence,” which was a term he used to describe God’s guidance for making decisions. Psalm 33:12 declares: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.” Washington seemed to believe strongly that God had a special plan for the new nation. He was widely known for his strong trust in God. During the harsh winter at Valley Forge, Washington was seen praying alone in the snow, asking God to help his troops. One report from a man named Isaac Potts, who saw Washington praying on his knees there, said: “I heard him pray for his country, for Congress, for the army, and his voice rang strong and sincere.”But Washington sometimes struggled with sin, despite his strong faith. He owned slaves, had anger issues, and had to work hard to control his temper, and sometimes drank excessive amounts of alcohol. Washington was a member and vestry leader in two different Episcopal churches that were close to his Virginia plantation, Mount Vernon. He helped manage church operations, such as financial contributions, helping people in need, and caring for the church properties.Washington also participated in Freemasonry, serving as the Worshipful Master of a Masonic lodge in Alexandria. The Masonic order at that time emphasized a belief in God, morality, and public service. Many lodge meetings began with prayer, and Washington saw no contradiction between his Christian beliefs and his Masonic role. One important part of Washington’s leadership was his emphasis on religious tolerance. He once wrote in a letter to Benedict Arnold: “While we are contending for our own liberty, we should be very cautious not to violate the conscience of others.”Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Vernon Lewis Gallery/Stocktrek Images  Tue, 01 Jul 2025 12:00:00 -0400 2026-01-08T03:59:11-05:00