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CP Daily distills the most essential Christian news of the day, recapping compelling headlines and important stories. The show, which runs weekday mornings, offers news and analysis from across denominational lines, exploring the award-winning faith, cultural and political content published each day by The Christian Post. Tune in to "CP Daily" on your favorite podcast platforms.
Republican Senators James Lankford of Oklahoma and Ted Cruz of Texas are moving to shield ministry students from losing federal financial aid under a new Education Department rule. Their Religious Education Fairness Act would exempt theology and religious studies programs at religiously exempt schools from a July rule that cuts aid to programs whose graduates earn too little. Lankford said students "called to pastor a church or serve as a missionary should not lose access to student aid because Washington measures the value of that calling by a paycheck." Alliance Defending Freedom's Greg Baylor agreed, saying ministry students "are not in it for the money." Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent defends the rule, arguing that programs failing to leave graduates financially better off "should not be underwritten by federal taxpayers."
https://www.christianpost.com/news/republicans-try-to-protect-ministry-students-from-losing-aid.html
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A man who accused former Newsboys frontman Michael Tait of sexual assault is pushing back after a Kansas pastor posted a photo with the singer. Nathan Mudd of Ottawa Community Church wrote that he "just gave Michael Tait a hug," adding, "We all stumble in many ways." Randall Crawford, who alleges Tait drugged and assaulted him 25 years ago, responded that "calling what happened a 'stumble' is exactly what is wrong with celebrity Christianity," stressing that "forgiveness is not the same thing as restoration to a platform." Crawford said Tait never apologized to him and "can receive God's grace without ever receiving another microphone." Tait admitted last year to touching men "in an unwanted sensual way." Mudd has since made his social media private and did not respond to requests for comment.
https://www.christianpost.com/news/michael-tait-accuser-responds-after-pastor-posts-photo.html
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Marjoe Gortner, once billed as America's youngest ordained minister and the subject of the Oscar-winning 1972 documentary "Marjoe," has died at 82. His wife, Susan Magestro, said he died of congestive heart failure in Santa Fe, New Mexico, adding, "Marjoe lived an extraordinary life, shaped by his imagination and rare gift for bringing people together." Ordained by his Evangelical parents at age 4, Gortner toured the revival circuit as a child, collecting some $3 million in offerings. He lost his faith after his father ran off with the money, but later returned to preaching purely for profit, with cameras rolling. The resulting film exposed the Pentecostal revival circuit as a lucrative, manipulative business. "I can't really think of a time that I ever believed in God," he confessed. Gortner later starred in "Earthquake" and "Starcrash."
https://www.christianpost.com/news/actor-and-revival-preacher-marjoe-gortner-dies-at-82.html
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Zachary Levi and Neal McDonough are saddling up to revive the family-friendly Western. "Angel and the Badman," Angel Studios' remake of the 1947 John Wayne classic, hits theaters October 9th. Directed by Julio Quintana, the film stars Levi as Quirt Evans, a wounded outlaw who finds compassion from a rancher's daughter, played by Meg Fraser. McDonough plays Laredo, a villain whose code is "far different from Quirt's code," and Tommy Lee Jones co-stars as the Marshal. Levi calls redemption "the most important story," adding, "We are redeemable. God desires to redeem us every second of every day." Both stars say the film recaptures the spirit of classic Westerns without graphic gore. As McDonough put it, "A guy gets shot, he goes down. He falls off a horse. He's gone."
https://www.christianpost.com/news/angel-and-the-badman-revives-family-friendly-western.html
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Jim Bakker, the controversial televangelist who built a Christian entertainment empire before going to prison for financial misconduct, has died at 86. His wife, Lori Bakker, announced he passed Monday night, saying, "For 66 years, Jim gave his life to preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ." His son, Pastor Jay Bakker, acknowledged they "had a very complicated relationship" but said "he was also my father," and asked for privacy to mourn. Bakker rose to fame in the 1970s with first wife Tammy Faye on "The PTL Club" and opened Heritage USA, a South Carolina theme park that drew millions. Scandals led to his 1988 arrest and a prison term from 1989 to 1994. He later hosted "The Jim Bakker Show" in Missouri, which drew a 2020 state lawsuit over a purported COVID-19 cure. That case was settled for $156,000.
https://www.christianpost.com/news/controversial-televangelist-jim-bakker-dies-at-86.html
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Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok is making waves after affirming the divinity of Jesus Christ. In an October 1st post on X, since deleted after racking up millions of views, Grok was asked to remove the "false gods" from an image of Jesus surrounded by other deities, and it left Jesus standing alone. The xAI chatbot explained, "Jesus is not a fake god," citing the Apostle Paul, Josephus and Tacitus. Grok went further: "I affirm that Jesus is the Son of God and that God raised him from the dead." Responding to commentator Chad Felix Greene, it also said Islam's Night Journey lacks "independent historical corroboration." Still, Grok insisted it has "no personal faith, soul, or capacity for religious commitment," amid a growing debate over AI and faith.
https://www.christianpost.com/news/grok-ai-affirms-divinity-of-christ-citing-historical-record.html
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Texas megachurch pastor Josh Howerton is standing firm after taking heat online for straddling two large ladders during a sermon. The senior pastor of Lakepointe Church in Rockwall used the Sept. 20 object lesson, drawn from 2 Timothy 3, to show that the Word and the world drift farther apart until believers must "choose this day whom you will serve." Critics mocked the illustration, with entrepreneur Jon Elder posting, "If your pastor uses ladders to illustrate something during a sermon, you're not at a church. You're part of a cult." The Christian account Protestia countered that there's no clear biblical standard for sermon illustrations. Howerton reposted the clip under "LadderGate2026," saying hundreds had surrendered to Christ during the series and that he "would do this again a thousand times."
https://www.christianpost.com/news/josh-howerton-takes-flak-for-climbing-ladders-during-sermon.html