The Pour Over Today - G7 Leaders Meet, Inflation Mellows, Southern Baptists Vote, & More | 06.14.24

Episode Date: June 14, 2024

Today, we’re talking about how world leaders are addressing major wars, May’s inflation report, Southern Baptists voting to oppose IVF, and other top news for Friday, June 14th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over Today. Please support our TPO sponsors! Cru: give.cru.org/tpo Compassion International: compassion.com/TPO Men's Daily Bible: https://links.thepourover.org/MensDailyBiblePod Upside: https://links.thepourover.org/Upside Every Woman's Bible: everywomansbible.com

Today's episode is brought to you by our lead sponsor, Crew. today. Here's the quote of the day, the central basis of Christian assurance is not how much our hearts are set on God, but how unshakably his heart is set on us. Tim Keller. Let's get started with some espresso shots. World conflicts weigh heavily as G7 leaders meet in Italy. For its 50th summit, the group of wealthy democracies has hatched a plan to leverage Russian funds for Ukraine's resistance effort. Uncle Sam will back a $50 billion loan to Kyiv funded by interest earned on the around $300 billion in frozen Russian assets held in EU nations.

President Biden also signed a security agreement signaling America's resolve to support Ukraine without committing troops. Meanwhile, an Israel-Hamas ceasefire remains elusive. Secretary of State Blinken questioned whether Hamas is dealing in good faith, saying they're demanding changes on previously accepted terms. Hamas, in turn, questioned why Blinken insists Israel has approved the proposal when Israel won't say so publicly. That war risks expanding. Israel killed a top Hezbollah commander in Lebanon.

Hezbollah fired back at Israel's north with over 200 rockets. Join us in prayer for long-term peace, confident that God is able to spread across the globe the peace that He has given to those who trust Him. Book of Common Prayer, page 654 says, Almighty God, from whom all thoughts of truth and peace proceed. Kindle, we pray, in the hearts of all people the true love of peace and guide with your pure and peaceable wisdom Those who take counsel for the nations of the earth that in tranquility Your kingdom may go forward till the earth is filled with the knowledge of your love through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Inflation is mellowing out but remains too high for the Fed and many Americans. The consumer price index held flat at 3.3% in May, meaning prices were 3.3% higher than a year prior. Inflation has been hovering between 3.1% and 3.5% since October, well below its peak of 9.1% in June, 2022, but stubbornly higher than the Federal Reserve's target of 2%. Blame housing. While grocery prices were only up 1%, the cost of a primary residence,

the largest expense for most Americans, rose 5.3%. Juice drinkers are also being hit hard. Juice prices are up 19.5%. Fed Chair Jerome Powell was pleased, but not unmoved, saying inflation is still too high to justify cutting interest rates. The central bank is now projecting only one rate cut in 2024. rate cut in 2024. Regardless of whether the broader economy is struggling or thriving, Christians should seek to give generously of our time, talents, and resources to those in greater need. Reach out to your local church to see where help is needed. Hebrews 13, 16 says,

Hebrews 13, 16 says, Don't neglect to do what is good and to share, for God is pleased with such sacrifices. At its annual meeting Wednesday, the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination, approved a resolution opposing in vitro fertilization, IVF. The resolution does not call for a ban on IVF, but laments the creation of surplus embryos which often means destruction of embryotic human life, affirming that life begins at

fertilization. Delegates express sympathy for those who experience the searing pain of infertility while urging Baptists to weigh the technology's ethical consequences and to adopt surplus embryos that would otherwise be destroyed. The move puts the SBC in step with the Catholic Church and Alabama's recent SCOTUS ruling that frozen embryos have full human rights. IVF technology is expected to feature in election season policy debates. Earlier in the meeting, a vote narrowly fell short of the two-third majority needed to ban women from pastoral roles. Discussing controversial issues can lead to strained relationships and hurt feelings.

Christians can demonstrate God's love by showing compassion and understanding as we engage with others, even as we seek to be faithful to God's word. Colossians 4.6 says, "'Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person.'" With over 1,000 translations and every type of decorative edition, it's easy to forget how many people can't even get their hands on a single copy of the Bible in their native

language. This is why we've partnered with Crew. Crew has missionaries in almost every country, but they need more Bibles. One missionary said, I have never seen such a thirst for the word of God in my country. Let's quench that thirst. For just $24 a month, you can provide three people with Bibles every month. As a bonus, Crew will provide meals to 12 hungry individuals through their humanitarian ministry and send you a free TPO coffee mug. Simply text TPO to 71326 or visit give.crew.org

TPO. Again, that's texting TPO to 71326 or give.cru.org message and data rates may apply, available to US addresses only. In other Bruce, here's a rapid run of updates. The gavel has dropped. The abortion pill with a press, will remain widely available. Yesterday, the Supreme Court unanimously threw out a challenge brought by a group of doctors who oppose abortion, saying they did not have legal standing to challenge the FDA's decision to ease restrictions on the pill, for example, making it available by mail. Eleven weeks after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed, the Port of Baltimore fully reopened

on Wednesday. Cleaning up the 50,000 tons of concrete and steel from the Patapsco River cost roughly $100 million. Rebuilding the bridge could cost $2 billion. Transportation Secretary Buttigieg celebrated the milestone, announcing the channel is open. The House voted along party lines to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress for refusing to release audio of President Biden's interview with special

counsel Robert Herr, who characterized the president as an elderly man with a poor memory, while investigating his handling of classified documents. Garland said the audio was unnecessary, given that the entire transcript is public. Five counties in southern Florida are under a state of emergency and lots of water. Tropical storms have slammed the Sunshine State for three consecutive days, dumping around 10 inches of rain per day and causing flash flooding from Fort Lauderdale to Miami. Two people have died, 7 million remain under flood watch, and thousands are without power as the deluge continues. You've seen Jerry West, even if you didn't know it. His silhouette is the iconic NBA logo.

West, a Hall of Famer and Olympic champion, died on Wednesday at the age of 86. After a prolific encore career, West managed the Lakers to six NBA titles with players including Magic Johnson, Shaq, and Kobe. Tributes to the logo have poured in. And that's all we have for today. Thanks so much for listening. If you're listening on the Apple Podcasts app, give us a 5 star rating and drop a review. If you're listening on Spotify, give us a follow and hit the notification bell to never miss a new episode. We appreciate your support and hope you have a great weekend. We'll see you on Monday.