Warning labels on social media; Discipleship turns a Texas church around; The value of motherhood

Good News for Today

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called for warning labels to be placed on social media, saying in a post to X it is “an important contributor” to a youth mental health crisis.

“Congress’ top priority should be making these platforms safer by passing legislation to protect kids’ health, safety and privacy,” he said.

Among those cheering the surgeon general’s actions, there is also some doubt as to its potential impact. Similar steps in the past appear to have been at least somewhat effective when it came to tobacco products. Listening to questionable music, not so much.

“I love that the surgeon general says this, but unless the social media platform is being held legally accountable for the things that take place there, I think it becomes an exercise in futility,” said Chris Martin, director of content for Moody Radio and author of “The Wolf in Their Pockets: 13 Ways the Social Internet Threatens the People You Lead.”

The result is “warning-labeling” things and getting the same amount of attention that comes with FBI anti-piracy screens at the start of a DVD, he pointed out. That said, such a step could be helpful in a “collective reflection on how social media is negatively affecting all of us, but especially young people.”

Go to the story at Baptist Press for suggestions on how you to use social media wisely.

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Down in Abilene, Texas, North Park Church had dwindled down to about 30 people and were looking for their next pastor. When they talked with Joe Grizzle about serving as their pastor, they told him that they may not be able to keep the church together much longer.

He told them he’d take the challenge and settled in for ministry. Grizzle says he began reaching other pastors and ministry leaders in Texas. It wasn’t long before others joined in to help the struggling church.

They used block parties and fall festivals to generate attention. But, according to Grizzle, what made the difference was intentionally focusing on disciple making. Through relationships centered on God’s Word and spiritual growth, the church saw people respond, believe and follow Jesus.

Now, rather than focusing on an exit strategy, Grizzle says he’s excited about the church’s future.

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Janae Zook writes about the impact mothers have that they may not realize.

“God continues this partnership he began in Eden, choosing us—ordinary women—as conduits for his grace and purposes. We see this truth repeated throughout Scripture. Even in Eve’s rebellion, he chose to make her “the mother of all living.” God’s promise of a Savior is fulfilled as Mary gives birth to Jesus. To this day, God calls us and positions us to make disciples. My heart soars when I read Paul’s words to Timothy, “I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.” We should marvel at the profound influence our role might have on our children and grandchildren. God used Lois and Eunice to cultivate Timothy’s faith, whose ministry has had eternal significance throughout the ages,” she writes.

She writes, “Our lives must give our children the best of us so that we may disciple their hearts and display God’s love. We must remember this calling demands our physical presence. God’s pairing of us with our children doesn’t end after the newborn stage or the arrival of kindergarten. Mothers are called to a place of primary influence. God’s path to significance is often counterintuitive. He calls us to a life in his upside-down kingdom—a kingdom where the judge sits in place of the guilty, where the last shall be first, and where perhaps the overlooked, unpaid work carries the greatest currency of all.”