In A World Of Chip And Joanna Gaineses, Be A John MacArthur
The church needs far fewer celebrity Christians like Chip Gaines and a lot more willing, third-level galley slaves like John MacArthur.The church needs far fewer celebrity Christians like Chip Gaines and a lot more willing, third-level galley slaves like John MacArthur.Chip And Joanna Gaines’ Compromise Is A Warning To Us All
The place where we are seeing the most disappointing compromise from Christians today is on matters of sex, gender, and marriage.The next Christian revolution won’t be livestreamed on TikTok
Ronald Reagan famously cited the Roman maxim, “If it was not for the elders correcting the mistakes of the young, there would be no state.” That wisdom rings hollow when you’re on the mistake-making side.
Generation Z hasn’t exactly earned a reputation for excellence. As we wrote this, professional activist Greta Thunberg was in Paris, pausing her carbon-shaming campaign to weigh in on the war against Hamas. Here at home, Gen Z Democratic influencer Olivia Julianna is trying to rebrand her party’s image among young men by championing abortion access and highlighting its supposedly deep, hidden love for groups like Black Lives Matter.
Being ‘Christian first, conservative second’ isn’t political surrender. It’s the basis for cultural authority.
That barely scratches the surface.
A quick scroll through X reveals countless under-30 users with enormous followings and the “influencer” label — despite having little real influence. Their mistakes aren’t just frequent. They’re embarrassing.
So what’s a Christian Zoomer supposed to do?
The extreme of ‘influencerdom’
At a high level, the answer is simple: Build systems that reflect Christian values, and challenge the ones that don’t. But real influence won’t come by copying the warped incentives pushed by our generation’s loudest voices.
The skills needed to go viral online rarely match the skills needed to drive real-world change. In fact, they often clash. Posting about the dangers of corporate diversity, equity, and inclusion is one thing; using influence to force lasting change in corporate policy is something else entirely. Both matter — but they aren’t the same.
The other extreme: Apathy
But political “influencerdom” isn’t the only problem. Gen Z also suffers from a serious apathy problem. Between the aftershocks of the COVID economy and apocalyptic climate narratives — why bother thinking seriously about policy if the sun’s going to explode in 10 years? — Zoomers have earned a reputation as, in the Wall Street Journal’s words, “America’s Most Disillusioned Voters.”
We’ll show up to vote — maybe. But posting on Instagram takes less effort, so we’ll do that instead. One analysis summarized the challenge this way: “Campaigns must focus on converting robust online advocacy into real-world voter turnout.” That’s the kind of strategy you get when no one really cares.
RELATED: Church is cool again — and Gen Z men are leading the way
A Christian Zoomer response
As Christians, our duty is the opposite of apathy. We’re called to care. Rejecting our generation’s default indifference is just the beginning. “Christ is King” isn’t a license to coast — it’s the foundation for action.
Here are some practical ways Christian Zoomers can avoid the traps of both performative activism and total disengagement.
Seek wisdom from the right sources. Don’t look to influencers for answers. The people most worth learning from probably don’t have a million followers on X. Avoid the echo chamber of “onlineness.” Instead, find expertise from unglamorous sources: people with “lived experience,” technical know-how, and hard-earned wisdom.
Join a local church. Every Christian needs the weekly rhythm of worship, sound teaching, and community. But for young believers navigating a secular world, the church is especially vital. Find a congregation that preaches the gospel clearly and offers intergenerational support. This isn’t about socializing — it’s about growing in conviction and courage through regular contact with people who live by “Christ first, culture second.”
Vote locally. You don’t have to be a political junkie, but you should know what’s happening in your county. Local and state policies affect your daily life far more than most federal debates. National politics is often a circus; local politics is where things actually get done. Caring about what happens five miles from home is a Christian habit worth cultivating.
Think before you post. Virtue-signaling comes in all forms — left, right, and “based.” Whether it’s a black square or the latest meme, pause before jumping in. Ask: “Am I actually doing something about this issue in my community?” If the answer is yes, then post away. If not, maybe start with action before broadcasting your opinion.
Keep a few friends who disagree with you. Yes, surround yourself with faithful Christians — but don’t retreat into an ideological bunker. Having friends with different views helps you resist tribalism. You may not see eye to eye on politics, but they probably aren’t your enemies. Humanizing your opponents is a discipline, one that fights against the hyperfixation and outrage that dominate our age.
Serve somewhere. Whether you care about the unborn, the incarcerated, or victims of trafficking, find a local organization doing the work — and show up. It’s easy to have strong opinions about cultural decay. It’s much harder to give your time. But service grounds us. It reminds us of God’s blessings and our call to be His hands and feet.
Our generation veers between two extremes: obsessive political engagement and total apathy. Both reflect a flawed attempt to wring meaning from a system designed only to support human flourishing — not define it. And both fail.
The politically apathetic pride themselves on floating above the fray, looking down on those who care enough to engage. The hyper-engaged believe their passion sets them apart — morally superior to the so-called “normies” who sleepwalk through civic life.
Both attitudes are wrong.
If we, the rising generation of Christians, want to engage the culture meaningfully, we must refuse to measure our success — or define our mission — by worldly standards.
Being “Christian first, conservative second” isn’t political surrender. It’s the basis for cultural authority. It doesn’t excuse disengagement. It demands engagement.
We act because we believe every person bears the image of God. That truth drives our pursuit of justice, mercy, and truth. Our theology shapes our politics, not the other way around.
And if pagan, anti-Christian values fall in the process? So much the better!
John MacArthur was a bold voice for Christ in an age gone soft
Los Angeles megachurches often resemble their Hollywood neighbors — grand stage sets with top-tier lighting and sound, carefully produced services complete with scripts, soundtracks, and a live audience. They usually plant themselves in the “nice parts of town” — Hollywood Hills, Santa Monica, Pasadena. Perfect if you’re after a Sunday pep talk and a little feel-good music to carry you through the week.
But that was never Grace Community Church with John MacArthur at the pulpit.
MacArthur never chased applause or tailored sermons to flatter the mood of the age.
Unlike many pastors leading congregations of similar size, MacArthur, who died Monday at the age of 86, didn’t preach to people hoping to make them “feel better” about themselves. He preached to dying souls, convinced he held the only message that could save them: the gospel — the real, unvarnished gospel of Scripture.
An unapologetic truth-teller
“Being a pastor means you’re a truth-teller,” MacArthur once said. And the truths proclaimed from his pulpit often rubbed people the wrong way, both inside and outside evangelical circles. Statements like, “The whole purpose of the Christian message is to confront the sinner’s sin so you can call the sinner to repentance and forgiveness,” or, “The true gospel is a call to self-denial. It is not a call to self-fulfillment,” clash with a world that prizes non-judgment, self-indulgence, and endless comfort.
But for those who’ve discovered how hollow those things truly are, MacArthur’s words struck hard — painfully, yet like cool water on the cracked lips of a wanderer lost too long in the desert.
He stood nearly alone in the upper echelon of church notoriety, refusing to bend on the bedrock truths of the Christian faith for the sake of publicity, celebrity congregants, TV slots, or social praise.
MacArthur cared about one thing: reaching lost souls with the only message that could rescue them. It either turned you away like an offensive painting or drew you in, like peering into a dense, bristling forest from the window of a climate-controlled, sterile cell.
My family was among those drawn in.
It took us years to find a church home after moving from rural Virginia to Southern California. Until we settled into a small local congregation in northwest L.A., we often trekked to Sun Valley for one reason: the teaching at Grace Community Church. My parents had listened to MacArthur’s sermons for years back east. Amid the chaos of starting over out west, they knew they could rely on him for a feast of biblical preaching — the kind that made the gospel, not man, the focus.
Ministering in their neighborhood
As a kid, I never noticed much about Grace’s neighborhood. My 10-year-old eyes skipped past the barred windows, the tiny houses jammed with large families, the rows of homeless encampments along Wilshire Boulevard. Only when I returned as an adult did I grasp just how far Grace was from Beverly Hills. This was the hood. And Grace Community Church didn’t just happen to be there — they chose it.
Across the street stood Wat Thai, a historic Buddhist temple serving Sun Valley’s Thai, Vietnamese, and Cambodian communities. Just down the road, the Hilal Islamic Center ministered to the area’s Muslim residents.
The church building itself preached its own sermon. Unlike so many of L.A.’s glittering megachurches, Grace displayed a simple cross, adorned only with a wreath at Christmas. No fog machines, no laser shows — just a traditional choir and orchestra. Even after we found our local church more than an hour away, we never missed Grace’s Christmas concert. Just Google it, and you will get a glimpse into how special the church’s worship is.
Grace’s surroundings and the sanctuary delivered the same message: The gospel doesn’t belong to a single ethnicity, culture, or political camp. It doesn’t need to be repackaged or softened to reach the world. It simply needs to be proclaimed, boldly and without apology.
And that’s exactly what John MacArthur devoted his life to doing.
The gospel for all audiences
He never ducked controversy when conviction demanded courage. During the COVID lockdowns, when Los Angeles banned in-person worship, MacArthur stood behind his pulpit and delivered his landmark sermon “Christ, Not Caesar, Is Head of the Church,” in which he boldly declared, “We cannot and will not acquiesce to a government-imposed moratorium on our weekly congregational worship or other regular corporate gatherings. Compliance would be disobedience to our Lord’s clear commands.”
That Sunday, I sat in the congregation. For the first time in more than a year, after countless Zoom services, I worshiped shoulder to shoulder with fellow believers as the choir and orchestra swelled. Tears filled nearly every eye in the room. It was a moment I’ll carry forever — the last time I heard, and now will ever hear, John MacArthur preach in person.
RELATED: John MacArthur refused to compromise. Gavin Newsom learned the hard way.
MacArthur’s ministry outlasted the snares that took down so many other pastors with similar reach. He never chased applause or tailored sermons to flatter the mood of the age. Yet he could speak just as powerfully on Ben Shapiro’s stage as he did on Larry King’s. That’s because he never shifted his conviction. The gospel he preached to a conservative Orthodox Jew was the same gospel he preached to liberal Hollywood skeptics and suburban churchgoers.
Long after the lights fade on L.A.’s big productions, the legacy of that quiet, sturdy pulpit in Sun Valley will endure. It reached me. It reached countless others. It stands as proof that when you preach Christ — not entertainment, not cultural trends, not political hobbyhorses — the gospel still does exactly what God promises it will do: save sinners and transform lives.
Big shoes to fill
We lost a giant of the faith this week. Just as we’ve grieved R.C. Sproul, Tim Keller, and other pillars over the past decade, the church will deeply miss John MacArthur’s steady, trustworthy voice. Being an uncompromising Christian is only growing more difficult in today’s climate, even in the so-called Christianized West. MacArthur’s passing widens the void left by those who went before him, and younger voices who might fill it seem few and far between.
I hope I’m proven wrong. I hope many pastors rise with the same fearless conviction. If they do, they likely owe that spirit in part to the influence MacArthur had on believers across decades of faithful service to the Lord and his church.
Thank you, Pastor MacArthur, for ministering to the hearts, minds, and souls of countless people — including my family. Thank you for urging us to cultivate awe for the beauty of Scripture, reverence for the holiness of God, and a deep love for our Savior, Jesus Christ. May you rejoice now in His presence, after a life faithfully stewarded for His glory.
John MacArthur refused to compromise. Gavin Newsom learned the hard way.
Pastor John MacArthur has gone home to be with the Lord.
A pastor and theologian, MacArthur preached the gospel to millions. He faithfully served as pastor of Grace Community Church in Southern California for nearly 60 years. He founded "Grace to You," a media ministry, and the Master's Seminary. His impact on American Christianity is undeniable. He influenced generations of American pastors and Christians.
'That's just a straight question: Do you believe the Bible is the authoritative word of God?'
But what stands out most about MacArthur's legacy is that he refused to compromise. He always defended biblical truth — and he refused to apologize for it.
In a culture of confusion and compromise, MacArthur was uncompromising.
He not only pastored his flock and exposited the Bible line by line, but MacArthur helped millions of Christians navigate our increasingly anti-Christian culture. He did not back down from conflict — especially if it meant proclaiming God's truth.
When news broke over the weekend that MacArthur's health had declined, an old video of MacArthur debating none other than Gavin Newsom — then the mayor of San Francisco — went viral. The clip, which aired on CNN in 2004 (practically ancient in the age of social media), embodies MacArthur's faithfulness to Jesus and the Christian witness.
As mayor of San Francisco in 2004, Newsom ordered the city-county clerk to begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Newsom later appeared on CNN, identifying as a "practicing Catholic," and defended the LGBTQ agenda.
But his anti-Christian justifications were no match for MacArthur, who needed only one question to unravel Newsom's logic.
"I would just like to ask the mayor: As a practicing Catholic, do you believe the Bible is the word of God?"
Newsom clearly hated the question.
"Pastor, I'm not going to get into a theological debate with you," the Democrat huffed.
MacArthur fired back, "That's not a theological debate. That's just a straight question: Do you believe the Bible is the authoritative word of God?"
When Newsom affirmed the Bible as the authoritative word of God, MacArthur quickly exposed the contradiction between Newsom's support for the LGBTQ agenda and Christianity.
"Then the Bible says when God created man, He said 'one man, one woman, cleave together, for life.' That's a family. Jesus, in the New Testament, reaffirms that. All of the writers of the Old and New Testament affirm it. Adultery, bestiality, homosexuality was punishable by death according to the Old Testament law because it was so serious in those early years because it literally shattered the hope of civilization," MacArthur explained. "The New Testament offers us, of course, grace — those sins, our sins, they are forgivable. Jesus died to redeem us from those sins. We're all sinners."
MacArthur was not only concerned about declaring God's truth in the face of lies. He also cared about Newsom's salvation.
In 2022, MacArthur wrote a letter to Newsom, then and now governor of California, rebuking him for "rewarding evildoers and punishing the righteous." Newsom's policies, the pastor warned, reflect an "unholy, upside-down view of honor and morality." Politics aside, the goal of the letter was to plead with Newsom to "hear and heed what the Word of God says to men in your position."
The letter, indeed, warned Newsom about his responsibilities as a leader and God's judgment. But it also called Newsom to repentance and offered him the gospel.
"One day, not very long from now, you will face that reality. Nothing is more certain," MacArthur wrote, referring to the judgment of God.
"You will stand in the presence of the Holy God who created you, who is your Judge, and He will demand that you give an account for how you have flouted His authority in your governing, and how you have twisted His own Holy Word to rationalize it. As you look over the precipice of eternity, what will your answer be?
"My plea to you, Sir, is ... that you would not go to that day of judgment apart from receiving forgiveness and righteousness through faith in Christ alone," he went on to write.
"So there is salvation for those who repent. Christ purchased full redemption for all who will turn from wickedness, forsake their evil thoughts and actions, and trust fully in Him as Lord and Savior.
"Our church, and countless Christians nationwide, are praying for your full repentance. Please respond to the gospel, forsake the path of wickedness you have pursued all your life, turn to Christ, ask for forgiveness, and use your office to advance the cause of righteousness (as is your duty) instead of undermining it (as has been your pattern)," MacArthur pleaded.
Uncompromising. Bold. Full of truth. A lion of the faith. This is MacArthur's legacy. A faithful servant of his Lord, Jesus Christ, now home for eternity.
Carjacker abandons infant on sidewalk — but Good Samaritan having a frustrating day ends up in the perfect spot to help
A real-life nightmare took place July 3 in Chicago when authorities said a 15-time convicted felon named Jeremy Ochoa carjacked an SUV, allegedly dragged the female motorist, and drove off with the victim's 7-month-old daughter still strapped inside the vehicle, CWB Chicago reported.
Police tracked the stolen 2011 GMC Acadia using license plate reader alerts and pings from a cell phone that had been left inside the vehicle, the outlet said, adding that cops eventually found the SUV several miles southeast of the scene of the carjacking. But the vehicle was unoccupied.
'I just kept praying.'
So where was the baby?
That same day, Earl Abernathy was sitting in traffic on his way to work, WBBM-TV said. Plus, he was dealing with non-operational air conditioning in his car as temperatures hit the 90s — so he was forced to keep his windows down, WBBM said.
Amid those frustrations, along with getting an earful of all the street noise amid Chicago's unforgiving summer heat, an unnerving sound caught Abernathy's ear.
It was a baby crying.
Abernathy told WBBM he put his hazard lights on, got out of his vehicle, and ran over to the infant, who was all alone in a car seat.
Prosecutors told CWB Chicago that the baby was found "abandoned on the sidewalk."
Police said Ochoa — the accused carjacker — had gotten rid of the baby who had been strapped in the stolen SUV and left her in front of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in the 800 block of West Roosevelt Road, which is about four miles from the BP gas station where the carjacking went down, WBBM noted.
After coming to the infant's rescue, Abernathy called 911 and even went on Facebook Live to see if anyone could identify her, WBBM said.
"I just feel like that's what a normal person would do," Abernathy added to WBBM. "I just felt like it was just a bogus situation. Everybody I saw was riding past."
As you might expect, the little girl's family was heavy on the hunt for her.
"We were panicking. We panicked," the baby's grandmother, Karen Fuller, later told WBBM. "We didn't know, and I just kept praying."
Fuller added to WBBM that she's grateful that Abernathy got out of his car to help her 7-month-old granddaughter, who was soon reunited with family, was unharmed, and has been doing well.
"I was so happy," Fuller noted to WBBM. "I went to his page, and I thanked him so many times."
Abernathy told WBBM he wouldn't hesitate to do it all over again: "Of course, any time. It could have ended differently. I'm just glad it ended the way it ended."
As for Ochoa, CWB Chicago said he was arrested just before noon — less than two hours after the carjacking — and was charged with aggravated vehicular hijacking of a vehicle with a passenger under 16 and aggravated kidnapping of a child. Cook County Jail information accessed Friday morning indicates the 39-year-old's next court date is July 29.
Observers very well may say Abernathy — the Good Samaritan in this otherwise nightmarish situation — may not have been able to help in the place and time he did had he not been stuck in traffic and forced to endure blistering heat with his windows down, given his lack of A/C. Indeed, it might be said that his frustrating circumstances seem to have come together to allow a heroic outcome — in front of a church, no less.
Steve Deace — BlazeTV host of the “Steve Deace Show” and a columnist for Blaze News — had the following to say about the turn of events.
"This heroic story is like a metaphor for the era — and what it is lacking," Deace told Blaze News. "An actual man took action that saved innocent life, and he was compelled to by inconvenience. We have too few men, too many conveniences."
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Christo-fascism! Left panics after IRS says churches can endorse politicians
Do you need a reminder that the American left continues to barrel down its deeply delusional path? This random sampling of reactions to Monday's IRS ruling should do the trick:
- “Trump’s IRS hands churches more tax-free political power. What’s next? Watch Handmaid’s Tale!”
- “Religion and state and military have now merged. It is the end.”
- “The supreme court has been compromised. We are in free fall.”
- “The takeover of Christian fascism is now complete.”
- “This is full on Christo-Fascism. There is no pretense anymore. Capitalism and Christianity have joined forces once more to do unimaginable harm to EVERYBODY. This is fascism, add Western Chauvinism and you have got the trifecta of EVIL that WILL DESTROY HUMANITY IF WE CANNOT DEFEAT THEM!”
- “Full-blown Christian theocracy!”
So what finally turned us into Gilead? A new ruling allowing churches to endorse political candidates without losing their tax-exempt status.
But the church itself would do well to avoid endorsing any humans, for a myriad of reasons.
Technically, prior to Monday’s ruling, churches could not make endorsements due to the Johnson Amendment, which took effect in 1954 and barred tax-exempt nonprofit organizations from political speech.
I say technically, because left-leaning churches have never let that stop them, as journalist Megan Basham noted in response to a tweet decrying the new rule.
Quite a few on the left are also making evidence-free accusations that “right-wing” churches have been endorsing candidates for years. That’s definitely the pot calling the kettle black, since even Pew Research showed where the politicizing of church is happening. And this is all without fear of the IRS cracking down, apparently.
That’s why this rule, practically speaking, isn’t really changing much.
While conservative-leaning churches did speak out in 2024 about the evils being advanced by the Democrat ticket, in general, they are not nearly as likely to be involved in electioneering as liberal churches. So Megan Basham is likely on point in diagnosing leftist outrage as all about the newly leveled playing field.
What church is supposed to be
Having spent plenty of decades attending Bible-following Christian churches that were likely pretty Republican, I can personally attest that I’ve never heard a sermon that endorsed a candidate or even endorsed a particular political viewpoint.
I have heard sermons that addressed issues in the context of the biblical passage being preached, as they should.
If your pastor is teaching from Psalm 139, for example, and gets to verses 13-16, he better point out that this passage helps us understand how to think about abortion. (Here’s the passage if you’re not familiar.)
So here’s what should stay the same. Solid Christian churches should teach the Bible. Sunday sermons should work their way through scripture, helping us understand what it tells us about God, what it tells us about how to think about life, what it tells us about ourselves.
If, as in the example above, the scripture in question addresses a political issue, the pastor should absolutely be free to say so.
If, using the same example, there’s actually a current ballot issue for or against abortion, the pastor should absolutely be free to encourage his flock to vote with God’s Word — and the new rule should remove any fear of doing that last part.
I cannot conceive, however, of any instances where the focus of a sermon should move away from God’s Word and into which individuals to endorse.
Even in situations where a church member might be the one running for office, this kind of discussion from the pulpit would take the focus off the One we are there to worship.
I hope no pastors will do that.
There already is nothing preventing groups of church members from discussing who to vote for in a non-worship service setting, of course. Let’s keep doing that.
But the church itself would do well to avoid endorsing any humans, for a myriad of reasons — including the fact that tying the church’s name to a politician is far more likely to end up sullying the church’s name (and God’s) than the politician’s name.
RELATED: Patriotic heresy: 4 examples of tangling faith with the flag
It’s all about the money, or not
A lot of the left-wing angst over this issue seems to revolve around this idea, expressed by the American Humanist Association (unsurprisingly).
Theoretically a billionaire is limited in how much he/she can donate to a politician, but not to a church. So yeah, someone could give a boatload of money to a church.
But they could have done that before this rule change! And I think it’s highly likely that wealthy leftists have supported the kind of churches where people have been rallied to vote for Democrats. I recall photos of Tyler Perry doing a get-out-the-vote event for Barack Obama in a lovely church with stained glass windows.
So what the left is really afraid of is that conservative billionaires will somehow “buy” influence at conservative churches. Give them enough money, and the pastor will have to endorse Trump (or JD Vance, or whoever).
And there may be a few churches where that would work. It might appeal to the small, pathetic, and power-hungry Christian nationalists (the only “Christians” actually advocating some Gilead-like ideas).
Their goal is to take over America anyway. But they don’t have enough power or influence to draw big money, with their revolting takes on women, Jews, and a host of other issues.
As for most conservative-oriented Christian churches — why would our elusive right-wing billionaire spend money getting them to vote for someone they’ll probably already vote for? And that applies on the left, too, despite the political emphases in left-leaning churches. If a group of people is already in your pocket, you don’t need to buy them.
So I don’t think the humanists have a case for this being any more of a problem than it always was. But that doesn’t mean there’s no room for caution here.
Resist the temptation
Some conservative churches have flown a little too close to the political fire, conflating faith with patriotism. I think those churches might be a bit more at risk of taking their focus off the Lord and succumbing to this new temptation to delve into the political.
But as mentioned, church exists for us to worship God and learn how to follow Him. Anything that takes away from that does not glorify Him. Churches — and perhaps especially pastors — should resist the urge to share opinions that are not relevant to whatever they’re teaching.
Make no mistake — philosophically, this is a free-speech victory. But just because we can — does not mean we should. And pastors/churches should not be endorsing candidates from the pulpit or in an official church capacity.
Our proceeding with restraint in this area might also provide a counter to the left’s call, now, to remove tax-exempt status from churches entirely. I would hate to see this status revoked; I don’t think churches should be taxed at all.
Let’s get real
For the most part, we’ve usually known who our pastor might be voting for, because a church is a family of people who live life together and talk about important things. But if he had endorsed someone from the pulpit or in some official capacity, that would have been bringing things into church that distract from worship of a holy God. And that would be a shame. And a sin.
Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. – Hebrews 12:28-29
Watch: Pistol-whipping carjacker picks wrong car — and has instant regrets when pastor gives him shock of his life
New video shows a teen attempting an armed carjacking in crime-ridden Baltimore, but the intended victim — a prominent pastor — fought back and turned the tables on the crook.
Rev. Kenneth Moales Jr. — pastor of Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Bridgeport, Connecticut — was in Baltimore for a funeral in late June.
'I knew my life was at stake.'
Moales parked his car outside a seafood restaurant in the city's Upper Fells Point neighborhood just before 9 p.m. June 29, WBAL-TV reported.
A teen wearing a ski mask approached Moales' vehicle while the pastor was still inside it, the station said, adding that the teenager allegedly asked the pastor for help regarding his dead cell phone.
The teen — armed with a gun — ordered the pastor to exit his vehicle, WBAL said.
"When I looked at him, I knew like something about this wasn't right. I was looking to kind of drive away, and he immediately pulls up his ski mask," Moales told WBFF-TV. "Puts it up over his face, whips out the Glock, points it at the car, like, 'Get out the car.'"
Moales added to WJZ-TV, "He's placed materialism over my life, and unfortunate[ly] for him, he picked the wrong car."
The pastor made a split-second decision to fight back against the young carjacker.
"I immediately got into a fight. So I just punched him in the face. I reach out for the gun," Moales recalled to WBFF.
Surveillance video shows Moales tackling the teen and slamming him on the wet pavement for approximately 20 seconds.
Moales also told WBFF, "I really believe I was fighting for my life and, more importantly, trying to get home to my wife and children."
Citing charging documents, WBAL reported that the carjacker pistol-whipped the pastor in the head.
During the melee, Moales recounted to WJZ that he was able to wrestle the gun away from the teenager.
What's more, the pastor offered the teen an opportunity to get away.
Moales recalled to WBFF, "I realize how young he is, and that's when I tell him, 'Hey, I'm a pastor. Relax, calm down. I'm a pastor. I'm not going to press charges. You know, I'm going to let you go, but you’ve got to get out of here.'"
However, the carjacker didn't accept the offer — and proceeded to steal the pastor's vehicle.
"I told him, 'I'm a father, a husband, and a pastor, and you can just go now, and I won't press charges,'" Moales recounted to WVIT-TV. "But even after all of that — after I had let him go and given him a chance to not face charges — he still drove off in my car."
He added to WBFF, "You would think once I let him know I was a pastor that there would be, in one way or another, some level of remorse, and there was neither, none at all. He [couldn't] care less. And that’s what’s left me hurt — I’m not going to say broken — [but] hurt, concerned, and knowing what my new mission is."
The pastor suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to a statement from his congregation.
WJZ reported that within hours of the carjacking, officers with the Baltimore Police Department located the pastor's vehicle with three suspects inside — ages 15, 16, and 19.
All three teenagers were arrested and charged with auto theft, WBAL said.
The two minors were not identified because they are underage, but WBAL identified the 19-year-old suspect as Mehkai Tindal, according to charging documents. It isn't clear which of the three attacked Moales.
The harrowing experience provided the pastor with an eye-opening perspective — and a new mission.
Moales told WVIT, "I have forgiven the young man — but this violent crime just shows me that I need to work even harder to help young people right here in Bridgeport, because a lot of these kids are hopeless and this problem is not unique to Baltimore."
The pastor added to WBFF, "If we don't commit to educating this generation in a significant way, what happened to me is just a beginning. If they'll, if they'll pistol-whip a pastor, you about know what they'll do to my members."
Moales noted to WBAL, "My prayer today is, 'God, thank you for covering me. Thank you for my life.'"
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Death of 9-year-old girl in Texas floods breaks hearts of Kansas City Chiefs ownership: 'I assure you God is near'
The Hunt family, the owners of the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs, confirmed that they have lost a young family member to the recent Kerr County, Texas, floods.
At least 104 people died as a result of the floods, recent reporting from ABC News showed, including 30 children in Kerr County.
One of the hardest areas hit also included a Christian girls' camp called Camp Mystic, where, as of Tuesday afternoon, five campers and one counselor were still deemed missing. The camp was wrecked by flooded waters from the Guadalupe River that also ravaged the nearby communities before dawn on Friday morning.
Lost in the fray of the disaster have been the personal stories, and the Hunt family's recent revelation is just as sad as any other.
'If your heart is broken, I assure you God is near. He is gentle with your wounds.'
Tavia Hunt, wife of Chiefs owner, Clark Hunt, confirmed the death of their 9-year-old cousin Janie Hunt in a social media post on Sunday.
According to Fox 4, Tavia Hunt explained that their cousin and several of her friends had their lives taken by the storm.
"Our hearts are broken by the devastation from the floods in Wimberley and the tragic loss of many lives — including a precious little Hunt cousin, along with several friend's little girls."
Tavia Hunt's message was even more heartbreaking as she talked about her faith.
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"If your heart is broken, I assure you God is near. He is gentle with your wounds," Hunt wrote on Instagram. "And He is still worthy — even when your soul is struggling to believe it."
With her message, Hunt expressed the sentiment that even though bad things happen, trusting in God does not mean one has to be "over the pain" but rather handling it in a way that is near and dear to their heart.
She concluded, "For we do not grieve as those without hope."
RELATED: Texas Rep. Chip Roy DEBUNKS Camp Mystic Texas flood myths
The Hunt family also opened their wallets to flood victims seemingly just hours prior to losing one of their family members. According to Us Weekly, Tavia Hunt had announced a donation of hundreds of thousands of dollars to emergency services for flood relief just an hour before the post about her deceased cousin.
Noting the "devastation and loss of life" caused by the floods, Tavia said the family was donating "$500,000 to provide immediate resources for rescue, relief, and long-term recovery efforts."
Clark Hunt has been the chairman of the Chiefs since 2005 and the co-owner since 2006. The team has won three Super Bowls during his reign.
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Trump IRS realizes the president's years-old promise to churches
Church leaders have long been limited in what they can say to their congregations about political candidates and political matters as a result of an amendment introduced in 1954 by then-Democratic Senator Lyndon Johnson, who was supposedly keen on hamstringing his political opponents.
President Donald Trump, making good on a 2016 campaign promise, took action against the so-called Johnson Amendment in his first term, signing an executive order directing his Treasury Department to effectively halt its enforcement.
"Faith is deeply embedded into the history of our country, the spirit of our founding, and the soul of our nation," Trump said at the time. "We will not allow people of faith to be targeted, bullied, or silenced anymore."
Despite numerous attempts, Republicans have been unable in the years since to go the distance and pass legislation repealing the amendment, leaving its enforcement up in the air.
This proved to be an issue for organizations such as Grace Church in St. Louis, Missouri, and New Way Church in Palm Coast, Florida, which were investigated by the IRS during the Biden years for alleged violations of the Johnson Amendment.
The Internal Revenue Service agreed in federal court Monday, however, that church leaders are now free not only to speak to their congregations about electoral politics but to endorse political candidates without worrying about losing their tax-exempt statuses.
The ban
The Internal Revenue Code prohibits churches and other tax-exempt nonprofit organizations "from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office."
RELATED: Wake-up call: This is what happens when Christians are afraid to offend
According to a 2007 IRS publication clarifying how churches could avoid violating the ban and possibly losing tax-exempt status, church leaders can speak for themselves, as individuals, freely on political matters as well as address issues of public policy.
They cannot, however, "make partisan comments in official organization publications or at official functions of the organization."
'First Amendment rights don't end when a pastor, church member, or even a political candidate steps on the platform of a church.'
Progressives have long championed this ban. After all, it serves to attenuate the influence of religious leaders in American politics.
Conservatives, alternatively, have argued that the so-called Johnson Amendment stifles free speech; limits the ability of religious leaders, acting in their official capacities, to become more fully involved in the political process; and creates a legal environment ripe for abuse and biased enforcement.
The win
The National Religious Broadcasters and a pair of Texas-based churches sued the IRS in August, claiming that "churches are placed in a unique and discriminatory status by the IRC" and that the agency "operates in a manner that disfavors conservative organizations and conservative, religious organizations in its enforcement of § 501(c)(3)."
The religious coalition's complaint — which alleged that the Johnson Amendment violated their First and Fifth Amendment rights as well as the Religious Freedom Restoration Act — stressed that churches should have the same freedom of speech as the hundreds of newspapers organized under § 501(c)(3) that are permitted to openly endorse political candidates.
In a joint court filing intended to settle the lawsuit on Monday, the IRS confirmed that endorsing candidates does not qualify as taking part or intervening in a political campaign.
"When a house of worship in good faith speaks to its congregation, through its customary channels of communication on matters of faith in connection with religious services, concerning electoral politics viewed through the lens of religious faith, it neither 'participate[s]' nor 'intervene[s]' in a 'political campaign,' within the ordinary meaning of those words," the filing says.
"Bona fide communications internal to a house of worship, between the house of worship and its congregation, in connection with religious services, do neither of those things, any more than does a family discussion concerning candidates," the filing continues. "Thus, communications from a house of worship to its congregation in connection with religious services through its usual channels of communication on matters of faith do not run afoul of the Johnson Amendment as properly interpreted."
The agency indicated that this interpretation of the Johnson Amendment is "in keeping with the IRS's treatment of the Johnson Amendment in practice," citing Trump's 2017 executive order.
Blaze News reached out to the White House and to the IRS for comment but did not immediately receive responses.
"First Amendment rights don't end when a pastor, church member, or even a political candidate steps on the platform of a church," First Liberty Institute, the legal outfit that represented Grace Church and New Way Church in their battles with the IRS, said in a statement obtained by Blaze News. "The IRS weaponized the Johnson Amendment to silence churches and pastors for decades. This is great news for religious organizations, churches, and religious liberty."
Lloyd Hitoshi Mayer, a law professor at the University of Notre Dame, told the New York Times that this outcome "basically tells churches of all denominations and sects that you’re free to support candidates from the pulpit."
"It also says to all candidates and parties, 'Hey, time to recruit some churches,'" added Mayer.
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