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By Ryan Corrigan Introduction In 2009, I lost a very dear friend in a tragic accident. The night of his accident (within the hour of his death), I had a dream about the biblical hope of the resurrection of the dead. I have never experienced hope as tangible as I felt in that dream. I woke up, John 11:25 was running through my mind over and over. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life.He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. - John 11:25 Then almost immediately, the phone rang. The voice on the other end of the line gave me the first news of the tragedy. I was in total shock - both in light of this news but, also that I had this dream right before the phone rang!?! I was able to share that dream with the grieving family and at his memorial service. For the next few years, while processing his death, I spent hours studying and going deep in the theology of the resurrection. Since then, I have taught on the topic countless times, and it has become the central anchor of hope that my family and I are building our lives upon. John 11:25 became a central theme in our ministry. A few years later, we had our fourth son, who was miraculously born on 11-25 and 11:25 pm. In 2022, Charles Criniere, one of my best friends, died in a tragic cycling accident leaving behind his wife and 10 children. This hit me harder than anything else I have ever experienced. I was asked to speak at Charlie's memorial service, so I sat down in the midst of the tears to write a short speech. While I was in the middle of typing a paragraph about the Christian hope of the resurrection, I received a text from another friend that said, "I had a dream last night that you were preaching at Charlie's funeral about the resurrection." Again a dream propelled me to go even deeper into the topic. The following article outlines the major themes I have researched and prayerfully studied over the past 14 years. The death of a loved one is one of the most difficult experiences we will ever face. The pain of grief can be overwhelming, and the sense of loss can feel insurmountable. What hope is there in the world to deal with this kind of pain? Does religion offer hope in the face of death? I mean, everyone is going to die, right? What about Christianity? At the heart of the Christian faith is the belief that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins and rose from the dead three days later. This event, known as the Resurrection, is a central component of Christian hope. It is the hope that, just as Christ was raised from the dead, so too will we be raised from the dead at the return of Christ. The Bible tells us that the Christian hope of the resurrection of the dead and eternal life is the single most powerful source of comfort and hope for those who have lost their Christian loved ones. The Apostle Paul wrote in his first letter to the Thessalonians, "We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, concerning those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in the same way, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For we say this to you by a word from the Lord: We who are still alive at the Lord’s coming will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout,with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are still alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourageone another with these words." - 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 In the letter to the Philippians, Paul says, "And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body." - Phillipians 3:20-21 The Christian hope of eternal life is rooted in the dead being raised and regenerated with new bodies. The hope for all believers is that they will receive the same kind of immortal body that Christ received at his resurrection. This body is not subject to death and decay because of the eradication of sin. The Christian hope of the resurrection also has implications for how we live our lives in the present. The knowledge that our loved ones will be raised from the dead means they are not lost forever but rather temporarily separated from us. Furthermore, the hope of the resurrection can provide a sense of purpose and meaning to our lives. It reminds us that our ultimate destiny is not simply to exist for a brief time on earth and then disappear into nothingness, but rather that our lives matter, and we live today will determine how we spend eternity. Jesus said, “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life ...For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And He has given Him authority to judge because He is the Son of Man. Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned. - John 5:24,27-29 The resurrection of the dead is unimaginably glorious for those who believe but unthinkably terrifying for those who don't. It is in light of this that we are forced to reckon with a coming day when every one of us will stand before Jesus and give an account for our lives. Jesus tells us that both the wicked and the righteous will be resurrected - one will receive life eternal, and the other - condemnation. In our modern day, we don't like the idea of a single person defining absolute truth. But that is precisely what the Bible teaches - Jesus is that man. Although Jesus promised to raise the dead, many people are not aware of this. In our culture, the common understanding is that when someone dies, they go to a "better place" and are now in "heaven." (It's also very normal for people to believe in some sort of heaven but not believe in a hell). But what exactly is heaven? What is eternal life? Many people imagine an ethereal, spiritual realm, but is that truly a superior place to our current reality? The Bible paints a very concrete view of eternal life. The biblical understanding of the resurrection is the conviction that God is a God of life who will ultimately bring about a restoration of the entire created order. This is the view Jesus and the Apostles held. This view sees the resurrection as the renewal of the physical world, not the escape from it¹. This physical understanding of the resurrection is seen in the New Testament, where the resurrection of Christ is presented as a physical event. Christ was raised from the dead with a new body, but it was a tangible body that could be touched and recognized. Jesus was the firstborn of a new creation, a new humanity, not in the line of Adam but in the line of Christ, and it is truly human but without corruption (1 Cor. 15:47). "The ultimate future hope for Christians is based on the resurrection of Jesus, and on the promise that his followers will be raised from the dead as well, to share in the renewal of all things. This means that the Christian hope is not a disembodied 'heaven' but rather the hope for a new creation, in which heaven and earth are brought together in a rich and multi-layered unity. It is not a hope for escape from the material world, but for its redemption and transformation, for the marriage of heaven and earth." N.T. Wright, Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church (New York: HarperOne, 2008), 200. However, in the 2nd-3rd century AD, the idea of heaven started to move towards a greek philosophical view and away from the biblical worldview that was held by 1st-century Jews². It's hard to overstate the impact this had upon the western worldview. But this is in stark contrast with the biblical worldview of the first century, which provides a framework for the overturning of death and the restoration of God's creation. In the Bible, heaven is described as the dwelling place of God, and the ultimate Christian hope is the unification of heaven and earth. The Scriptures even suggest that heaven and earth were originally united and will be reconciled in the end⁴. In the beginning, as recounted in the early chapters of Genesis, God created Adam and Eve and placed them in a Garden of Paradise called Eden. They walked with God in close fellowship, experiencing the unity of heaven and earth with no division or separation. However, sin entered the world and caused a separation between God and humankind, as well as between heaven and earth. Thankfully, God has a plan to restore all things to their original state (and far beyond) through Jesus Christ. "and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross." - Colossians 1:20 "to bring everything together in Christ, both things in heaven and things on earth in him." Ephesians 1:10 While the Christian belief in the resurrection of the dead is unique, it is not the only belief in eternal life. Many other worldviews and religions have their own understanding of what happens after death. For example, many eastern religions, such as Hinduism and Buddhism, believe in reincarnation, in which a person's soul is reborn into a new body after death. In these worldviews, the goal is to break the cycle of rebirth and achieve a state of enlightenment or Nirvana. Thus ultimate salvation for these eastern religions is found in the escape from the physical world and the spiritual unification within a mystical cosmic force⁵. Even Islam's view of eternity in Paradise is more akin to its 7th-century gnostic predecessors. the Qur'an and Hadith teach that paradise was always separate from Earth and that Adam was cast out of paradise down to Earth. Islamic salvation is therefore framed as the escape from the material world back to the spiritual paradise above. This is very interesting, considering it was supposedly the continuation and restoration of the true Abrahamic faith⁶. While these beliefs in eternal life differ from the Christian belief in the resurrection of the dead, they all share a desire for some kind of continuation of existence beyond this life. However, it seems to me that within these other worldviews that death actually serves as a form of salvation for the 'righteous' since it is their escape into a superior afterlife. In contrast, the Bible teaches that death is humanity's greatest adversary since, at our core, we were created by God to be eternal beings made in His image (1 Cor. 15:26). Death is, therefore, in no way 'natural' but rather penalty for sin, a judgment that befell all of humanity. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. - Romans 6:23 Only the Christian faith provides a construct for the resurrection of the body and the restoration of all things that have been corrupted in creation. Additionally, no other worldview claims to offer a personal relationship with God the way the Bible does. The single most important thing about the Christian hope of eternal life is that we get to be in intimate fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ forever. Heaven is a great idea, but the Bible tells us that it is not just 'paradise.' The centerpiece of heaven is the throne of God, where He is worshiped night and day, incessantly, forever. Heaven is only great because God is there, and our eternal ecstasy will be gazing upon him and exploding into song. "Each of the four living creatures had six wings; they were covered with eyes around and inside. Day and night they never stop, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God, the Almighty, who was, who is, and who is to come. Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to the one seated on the throne, the one who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before the one seated on the throne and worship the one who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne and say, Our Lord and God, you are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, because you have created all things, and by your will they exist and were created." - Revelation 4:4-11 In 1 Corinthians 15, the Apostle Paul wrote, "If the dead are not raised, 'Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die'" (1 Corinthians 15:32b, NRSV). This statement highlights that If there is no afterlife, then life has no ultimate purpose or meaning, and self-indulgence is the only reasonable course of action. As Paul continues, "If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied" (1 Corinthians 15:19, NRSV). King Solomon, in the book of Ecclesiastes, sought to find joy and fulfillment in self-indulgence but found it to be ultimately empty. His conclusion was that humans must give an account for their lives because God exists (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). Even in the secular world, self-indulgence is now recognized as ultimately unsatisfying and unfulfilling (though few stay true to that mantra). Furthermore, the inevitability of death means that life is short and uncertain. Modern efforts such as transhumanism seek to merge technology and humanity in order to achieve eternal consciousness, but such efforts remain speculative at best⁷. Billions of dollars are spent on this endeavor every year because, deep down, humanity is terrified of death. The psalmist writes, "As for mortals, their days are like grass; they flourish like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more" (Psalm 103:15-16, NRSV). This can seem like a dismal and hopeless view of life. However, the Christian hope in the resurrection provides a concrete, tangible hope. This hope is based on the historical event of the resurrection of Jesus. But how do we know that Jesus really rose from the dead? Well, to start with, this event has more evidence than any other ancient event. "the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the most attested event of the ancient world. No other event from antiquity can be supported by such a wealth of evidential data. There are literally hundreds of sources that provide various details surrounding the event, many of which were written within a few decades of the crucifixion." (Habermas, The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus, p. 45) If Jesus lived, died, and rose again, then what does this mean? Interestingly enough, all world religions will accept Jesus as some sort of prophet, idea, or spiritual guide. But those other religions seem to pick and choose the parts of Jesus' life that adhere to their worldview⁸. The looming question that we all must answer is: who is Jesus Christ? who is the real Jesus of history, and how do we know anything about him? And what did Jesus really teach? Should we go to the 93 verses in the Qur'an to find out who Jesus is? What about the gnostic or lost gospels that were popularized in the media by movies like The Da Vinci Code? The fact is that no historical scholar will go anywhere other than the four biblical gospel accounts to find the authentic Jesus. This is because the four biblical gospel accounts are the only ancient documents from the 1st century that provide eyewitness accounts⁹ for the life of Jesus. "The Synoptic Gospels, together with the Gospel of John, constitute the earliest and most reliable literary sources for the historical Jesus... Moreover, the Gospels are unparalleled in antiquity as a source of information for a teacher's words and deeds. In short, the Gospels offer the most reliable information about the historical Jesus that we have."- Keener, Craig S. The Historical Jesus of the Gospels. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2009. There is plenty written about Jesus from all kinds of different religious groups, but all of those documents were written far too late to provide real historical data for the life of Jesus. Even the harshest historical skeptic, Bart Erhaman, agrees with this¹⁰. "If you want to know about the historical Jesus, the only real place to go is to the Gospels" - Bart Erhamn "Jesus, Interrupted: Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible (And Why We Don't Know About Them) pg. 18. "In contrast to the New Testament Gospels, which were written in the first century, these alternative (gospel) texts largely date from the second century and beyond, well after the time of Jesus and the eyewitnesses to his life and ministry.For example, the earliest surviving manuscript of the Gospel of Thomas, a Coptic translation, dates from around 340 CE, over two centuries after the composition of the canonical Gospels" Ehrman, Bart D. "Lost Christianities: The Battles for Scripture and the Faiths We Never Knew." Oxford University Press, 2005, p. 2. "No scholar of early Christianity uses the Qur'an as a historical source for understanding the life of Jesus ...it was written at least six hundred years after the events it purports to describe, by authors who were not eyewitnesses to those events and who had no access to the eyewitnesses. As a result, the Qur'an is not a source for historical information about Jesus, his life, or his teachings." (Bart D. Ehrman, The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings, 6th ed. [Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016], 312). So what do the four biblical gospels say about Jesus? In Summary, we find a Jewish preacher who spoke about the coming Kingdom of God. He did miracles, loved the unloved, claimed to be God in the flesh, and then was historically put to death with a massive corpus of historical evidence to also validate that he rose from the dead. Let's focus on the main points why we should believe in the resurrection: Non-Biblical Hostile Sources: We have non-biblical roman historians from the 1st and 2nd centuries who were hostile to the Christians who confirmed that Jesus of Nazareth was crucified under Pontius Pilot. They write describing that the earliest Christians worshiped Jesus as their God and that they were fully convinced that he had risen from the dead. This corroborates the Biblical account perfectly. The tomb was found empty: The fact that the tomb was found empty on the third day after Jesus’ crucifixion is one of the strongest pieces of evidence for his resurrection. The tomb was sealed and guarded by Roman soldiers, making it highly unlikely that anyone could have stolen the body. If the resurrection was a hoax all the Jews had to do was bring out the body of Jesus and the movement would have been crushed. Eyewitness accounts: Accurate history is recorded by eyewitness accounts. The Gospel accounts were written and compiled through eyewitness testimony. 1 Corinthians 15:3-7 says there were many eyewitnesses to the resurrected Jesus, including his disciples, as well as over 500 people who saw him after his resurrection at one time together. Even skeptical scholars agree that the creed in 1 Corinthians 15:3-7 was formulated within just a few years of the death and resurrection of Christ based on the style and cadence of the original greek structure, providing us with the earliest Christian belief¹¹. If you know anything about the ancient world, having a testimony this close to the actual event is absolutely amazing, as other ancient history is often written hundreds of years later than the event. The New Testament documents were written during the time when the eyewitnesses were still alive¹². Basically, the early creed was written in a style that had rhythm and rhyme for easy oral memorization and is inviting people who don't believe to go ask the eyewitnesses themselves. "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas,and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles" - 1 Corinthians 15:3-7 Admission of skeptical scholars Even some skeptical historical scholars, who are often hostile to the Christian faith, have spent their whole lives closely examining the details of early church history. However, they also acknowledge that the earliest Christians, who personally witnessed the life of Jesus, sincerely believed in the reality of his resurrection from the dead. This puts a nail in the coffin the notion that the resurrection of Christ was an idea that developed much later. "It is a historical fact that some of Jesus' followers came to believe that he had been raised from the dead soon after his execution." - From Ehrman's book, "The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings." "What is clear is that they [the early Christians] believed that Jesus had been raised from the dead and that this belief was the basis for everything they did." - From Ehrman's book, "How Jesus Became God: The Exaltation of a Jewish Preacher from Galilee." "The earliest followers of Jesus came to believe that he had been raised from the dead, and this belief proved to be the basis for the Christian religion." - From Ehrman's book, "Lost Christianities: The Battles for Scripture and the Faiths We Never Knew." The movement started in Jerusalem: The fact that the Christian Church was born in the very city where Jesus was crucified is a massive testimony that something miraculous happened. The Church was born only 50 days after the death of Christ in the same city He was crucified within. Remember that this was the same city that was on the brink of riot just 50 days prior, demanding the Romans to crucify Jesus. Then something happened in Acts Chapter 2, and a massive movement consisting of thousands of people suddenly confess that this man from Nazareth, who died a brutal execution at the hands of Romans, was not only still alive, but that he was the God in the flesh, and the long-awaited Jewish Messiah? This is highly unlikely to occur unless something supernatural did in fact transpire¹³. The transformation of the disciples: The transformation of the disciples from fearful and disheartened to bold and fearless witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection is another strong piece of evidence. They were willing to suffer and die as Martyers for their belief in the resurrected Jesus, which is unlikely if they knew it to be false. People only die for things that they truly believe, they don't die for a lie¹⁴. The witness of women: The Gospel accounts say that Jesus appeared to women. This is an absolutely crazy thing to write in the ancient world if you wanted people to believe your story. In the 1st century, the testimony of women was not seen as a reliable source, however, the Gospel accounts do not try to hide this. You would only write this if you were trying to be accurate to the events as they unfolded, pointing to their authenticity¹⁵. The foolishness of the cross: The execution of the roman crucifixion was the most horrific, shameful public display that the Romans had perfected to kill someone to ensure that those crimes would not be replicated by anyone else. No one would pick a leader who had been publically shamed through crucifixion to be the leader of a movement. The 1st century Jews were waiting for a messiah who was a conquering king who would overthrow the Romans. It would have been absolutely foolish to start preaching to a Jewish audience that a crucified man was indeed the messiah unless He had indeed conquered death¹⁶. The conversion of Saul of Tarsus to Christianity. St. Luke records the conversion of a radical Jewish Pharisee who was violently opposed to the early Christian movement who then converted to the Christian faith after having a vision of the resurrected Christ on the road to Damascus. This man known to us as St. Paul ends up writing the majority of the New Testament and spreading the Christian faith more than anyone else in the emerging church. It is notable to mention that William Ramsay, a British archaeologist and classical scholar, on the historical accuracy of Luke's Gospel: "Luke is a historian of the first rank; not merely are his statements of fact trustworthy, he is possessed of the true historic sense; in short, this author should be placed along with the very greatest of historians." - Sir William Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen (1895) The growth of the early church: The explosive growth of the early church in the face of intense persecution is also a testament to the truth of the resurrection. The church would not have grown at all if the resurrection had not occurred¹⁷ Testimonies throughout history: This last point is subjective but compelling because of its collective nature. Throughout Church history, we have the testimony of millions of people that say that Jesus transformed their lives. This includes testimonies of people who said they personally saw Jesus, experienced miracles of healing through prayer in His name, and experienced a personal relationship with Jesus through the His spirit¹⁸. So why don't all historical scholars believe that Jesus actually rose from the dead? Well, here is an example from an unbelieving scholar: "As an historian, I cannot explain the rise of early Christianity unless Jesus rose again, leaving an empty tomb behind him. However, as a historian, I cannot prove it either. To me, the presence of certain eyewitnesses in the early Christian movement is a historical fact, for the Christian tradition could not have made them up" - Gerd Ludemann, The Resurrection of Jesus: History, Experience, Theology (Fortress Press, 1994), p. 50. The famous skeptic Bart Erhman's very best explanation of what could have possibly transpired, leading the earliest Christians to authentically believe that Jesus rose from the dead was that the entire group had a simultaneous hallucination caused by intense grief. In his book "How Jesus Became God," he writes: "The disciples’ belief in Jesus’ resurrection was based on visionary experiences that they had of him after his death. The most plausible explanation for these experiences is that they were hallucinations, brought on perhaps by their intense grief over Jesus’ execution and their fervent hope that God would vindicate him by raising him from the dead." Medical doctors find it difficult to accept this theory as it defies common sense that a group of people would have the same hallucination, which is so vivid and realistic that it leads them all to believe that what they saw was real. Furthermore, it is unlikely for such hallucinations to cause people to go to their deaths because of what they experienced. It is absurd that this is considered the best explanation by the most brilliant academic minds. It takes more faith to believe that the Apostles had a shared hallucination than to believe their actual account. There is a principle of logic and reason that we should believe a firsthand testimony unless we have a very good reason, not to¹⁹. Frank Morrison, a British lawyer and journalist, applied legal theory to the events of the resurrection in his book "Who Moved the Stone?" He approached the evidence for the resurrection as a courtroom case and argued that the evidence was strong enough to stand up in court. Morrison believed that the evidence for the resurrection was beyond a reasonable doubt and that a modern judge would rule in favor of the resurrection if the case were presented in court. Morrison examined the evidence for the resurrection in detail, including the empty tomb, the eyewitness accounts, and the transformed lives of the disciples. He concluded that the only plausible explanation for the evidence was that Jesus had indeed risen from the dead²⁰. What are the ramifications of the resurrection? Jesus said he would die and rise again before it happened (Mark 9:30-32). Jesus said the resurrection would validate everything he taught (John 2:19-22). So what did Jesus Teach? Jesus' most famous message is summarized in Matthew chapters. 5-7, where He outlines how to live a pure, holy life of radical faith. He taught that He would usher in the Kingdom of God and restore created order (Matt. 19:28) Jesus taught that he was God in the flesh on at least 46 different occasions²¹. Jesus said His death would be a sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins (Matt. 26:28, Mk 10:45). Jesus said that believing Him is the only way to be saved (John 3:3-15, 8:21-24,10:1-9, 14:6, Mk 16:15-16). Jesus said He would return, and He would judge all men based on His words (John 5:21-23, 12:48) The fact is that you cannot honor Jesus as a good moral teacher or prophet without accepting what he said. Many say they love and honor Jesus and his message, but in reality, they either have no idea what He taught (because they have never read the Bible), or they are picking and choosing pieces of Jesus' teachings that appeal to their pre-existing worldview. In the Gospels, there were three main responses people had when they saw Jesus. They either said he was a lunatic, demon-possessed, or He really is God in the flesh - it is the same today when people take the time to read what He said. Neutrality is not an option. He definitely can't just be a good teacher²². Does this sound like the words of a mere moral teacher? Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” - John 8:58 After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began." - John 17:1-5 Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?”“I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”The high priest tore his clothes. “Why do we need any more witnesses?” he asked. “You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?” They all condemned him as worthy of death. - Mark 14:61-64 The Bible says that all humanity has sinned and that God has already pronounced the judgment of death upon all men (Rom. 3:23). It tells us that no amount of 'good deeds' can save us. However, God decided to save us in a just fashion by taking the verdict of death upon himself. So God became a man and came into the world to save us (1. Tim. 3:16). Jesus Christ paid our penalty by dying in our place in a real-time, in a real place, on a roman cross in about 30ad. He shed his blood as the final sacrifice to God, which made atonement for all our sins (Rom. 5:9, Matt. 26:28). Not only that, but he has given us the unthinkable gift of eternal life. Jesus extends his sacrificial offering to all humanity, but it needs to be received and believed (John 3:16-18, Rom. 10:9). The reality is that believing in Jesus Christ and his resurrection is far more than an intellectual exercise. It takes faith - and faith is a spiritual reality. So what are you going to believe? Footnotes: "The Jewish understanding of resurrection was always focused on new creation, not on a 'heavenly' afterlife as such. Resurrection was never a way of talking about life immediately after death; it was not a belief in 'going to heaven'. It was not even the belief that after a while God would give you a new body. Resurrection was not a redefinition or spiritualization of an old concept; it was not a new and improved version of 'going to heaven when you die'. Resurrection was a mode of new creation."N.T. Wright, Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church (New York: HarperOne, 2008), 71. "The influence of Greek philosophy on Christian theology is especially clear in the development of the idea of an immaterial afterlife. Prior to the second century AD, Jewish eschatology had focused on the resurrection of the body and the renewal of the physical world. However, with the introduction of Platonic ideas into Christian theology, the focus shifted to the immortality of the soul and the separation of the spiritual from the material world. This shift in focus can be seen in the writings of Justin Martyr and other early Christian apologists who were influenced by Greek philosophy." John Cooper, "Platonism," in The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy and Christianity, ed. Thomas P. Flint and Michael C. Rea (Oxford University Press, 2014), 54. "Few theologians in the history of Christianity have been as important and influential as Origen of Alexandria. His intellectual and spiritual legacy has left an indelible mark on Christian thought, and continues to shape the way that Christians think about God, the Bible, and the world today." - Dr. Brandon Crowe, Assistant Professor of New Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary. "Origen's central project was to unite Greek philosophy and Christian theology. He brought to his work a comprehensive knowledge of Greek philosophy, especially that of Plato, Aristotle, and the Stoics.... He believed that the essential truths of Christianity could be expressed in the categories of Greek philosophy, and that Greek philosophy could be employed to defend and explain Christian doctrine." McGrath, Alister E. Historical Theology: An Introduction to the History of Christian Thought. John Wiley & Sons, 2012, p. 131. N.T. Wright argues that the Christian hope is not for a disembodied existence in a spiritual realm, but for the ultimate reconciliation of heaven and earth. He points to passages such as Colossians 1:20 and Ephesians 1:10 that speak of God's plan to "reconcile all things to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven." Wright notes that this implies that heaven and earth were originally together, and that God's ultimate goal is not to abandon the material world, but to renew and restore it. See N.T. Wright, "Heaven and Earth in the Gospel of Matthew," in Heaven: The Logic of Eternal Joy, ed. Jerry L. Walls (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002), 66. "In the Eastern religions of Hinduism and Buddhism, the ultimate goal is often seen as liberation or release from the cycle of rebirth, called samsara. This is achieved through the attainment of enlightenment or self-realization, which involves the realization of the true nature of the self and the universe. This liberation is often described as a state of non-dual consciousness or unity with the ultimate reality, and is often seen as the highest spiritual attainment." (Source: Chakravarthi Ram-Prasad, "Eastern Philosophy," in The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Religion, ed. William J. Wainwright, 2005) "The presence of gnostic ideas, particularly those of Iranian Gnosticism, in Islamic eschatology has been widely acknowledged by scholars. In contrast to the Jewish and Christian emphasis on the renewal of the earth, Islamic paradise and hell are other-worldly, removed from the mundane world of human experience. This is not unlike Gnostic ideas of the soul's escape from the material realm to a higher, spiritual realm." (Asma Afsaruddin, "Islamic Eschatology," in The Oxford Handbook of Islamic Theology, ed. Sabine Schmidtke, Oxford University Press, 2016, p. 558.) Transhumanism is a movement that seeks to use technology to transcend the limitations of the human body and mind, with the ultimate goal of achieving eternal life or consciousness. This movement is based on the belief that human beings can and should use technology to enhance their physical and mental abilities, and that by doing so, they can achieve a new stage in human evolution. For more information on transhumanism, see: Stefan Lorenz Sorgner, "Transhumanism," in The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, ed. Edward N. Zalta (Summer 2021 Edition), accessed February 20, 2023, https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2021/entries/transhumanism/. "Jesus is accepted by nearly all world religions as some sort of spiritual guide. Hindus and Buddhists appreciate Jesus as a good man who taught moral truths, but they do not accept the Christian doctrines of his divinity and resurrection. Muslims, while seeing Jesus as a prophet, reject the Christian doctrines that he is God and that he died on the cross. Jews, too, do not accept Jesus as the Messiah or as the Son of God." (Hexham, Irving. Encountering World Religions: A Christian Introduction. Baker Academic, 2015, p. 159.) According to a report by Allied Market Research, the global transhumanism market size was valued at $65.0 million in 2018 and is projected to reach $2.86 billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 49.9% from 2019 to 2026. "Transhumanism Market by Product and Application: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2019-2026." Allied Market Research, September 2019, https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/transhumanism-market. "The characteristic language and style of the Gospels reflect the testimony of eyewitnesses or of those closely acquainted with eyewitnesses. The Gospels were almost certainly written within living memory of the events they recount, and there is no good reason to doubt the general reliability of their traditions. They were not written for a later age, but for those who had themselves either seen or heard the eyewitnesses. Their testimony is, therefore, direct and unmediated." - Bauckham, Richard. Jesus and the Eyewitnesses: The Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2008. p. 6. "Although the non-canonical gospels and other early Christian writings can offer insights into the diversity of early Christianity, they are generally less reliable than the New Testament gospels as historical sources for the life and teachings of Jesus. Most of them were composed in the second century or later, and many reflect theological and philosophical concerns that are not directly related to the historical" Ehrman, Bart D. "Lost Christianities: The Battles for Scripture and the Faiths We Never Knew." Oxford University Press, 2005, p. 4. "Paul cites this creed in the context of arguing for the reality of the resurrection, which indicates that it was already in wide circulation by the time he wrote his letter, probably in the early 50s of the first century. Most scholars agree that the creed itself, based on its style and formulation, must have originated within just a few years of Jesus’ death and resurrection, that is, in the mid to late 30s of the first century, and that it may have been formulated and used even earlier than that. So this early creedal formulation provides strong evidence that belief in the resurrection of Jesus existed very early in Christian circles, perhaps from the very beginning, that is, already during Jesus’ own lifetime" (Bart Ehrman, The Triumph of Christianity: How a Forbidden Religion Swept the World, New York: Simon & Schuster, 2018, p. 74). "The gap between the events and the written record of the New Testament is unparalleled in the ancient world. Most other Greco-Roman literature was written one or two generations after the events that it narrates, whereas the core of the New Testament was written within the lifetimes of those who were witnesses of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection" (Craig Blomberg, The Historical Reliability of the New Testament, p. 35). "The Christian movement started in Jerusalem just a few weeks after Jesus was executed. It was initiated by Jesus' disciples, who claimed that he had been raised from the dead and had appeared to them. This was a bold and risky claim, and it is difficult to see how it could have gained any traction if it were not true. Moreover, the fact that the movement began in Jerusalem, the very city where Jesus was crucified, suggests that the disciples were convinced of the truth of their claim and were not afraid to proclaim it in the very place where Jesus had been executed. This is a strong apologetic for the reality of the resurrection." (Craig, William Lane. Reasonable Faith: Christian Truth and Apologetics. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 1994. p. 360) "History records that all of the apostles except for John died as martyrs. The evidence is strong that the apostles truly believed that Jesus had risen from the dead and that they were willing to die for this belief. It is unlikely that they would have died for something they knew to be false." (Sean McDowell, "Evidence for the Resurrection," in Evidence that Demands a Verdict, ed. Josh McDowell and Sean McDowell [Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2017], 245). "The testimony of women as the first witnesses to the empty tomb and the risen Christ would have been a liability in the patriarchal culture of the ancient world. If the empty tomb stories were invented, it would have made more sense to have male disciples discover the empty tomb. The fact that the Gospel accounts include women as the primary witnesses to the resurrection, despite the cultural bias against their testimony, points to the historical authenticity of the accounts."Gary R. Habermas and Michael R. Licona, The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus (Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2004), 68. "Crucifixion was an ignominious and disgraceful way to die, reserved for the lowest classes of society, and was not seen as a mark of divine favor. Moreover, the idea of a crucified messiah was completely foreign to Jewish expectation, which looked for a conquering king, not a suffering servant. This was a major stumbling block for many Jews who encountered the Christian message in the first century." (Source: Michael F. Bird, "Jesus the Eternal Son: Answering Adoptionist Christology," in Jesus, Criteria, and the Demise of Authenticity, ed. Chris Keith and Anthony Le Donne [London: T&T Clark, 2012], 95.) "The explosive growth of Christianity in the first three centuries is a historical phenomenon. People who followed Jesus were willing to die for what they believed about Him. They had no political power, no wealth, and no army. They were subjected to intense, painful persecution, and yet Christianity grew at an unprecedented rate. This explosive growth in the face of persecution is evidence of the resurrection. The disciples’ lives were transformed by an experience so powerful that they were willing to endure death for their beliefs." (source: Wallace, J. Warner. Cold-Case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels. David C Cook, 2013.) "In my years of studying Christian history, I have read countless stories of people who have had dramatic encounters with Jesus that have transformed their lives. These stories range from visions of Jesus to miraculous healings, and the common thread is that they all point to a personal encounter with the living Christ. While some may dismiss these stories as mere legend or myth, the sheer number of testimonies from people across the centuries cannot be easily explained away." Brown, Michael L. "Revolutionary Encounters with Jesus." Charisma House, 2005. "There is a principle of testimony that we should believe what a firsthand witness tells us unless we have a very good reason not to. This is a principle of logic and reason, and it applies to all sorts of claims, including historical ones."Copan, Paul, and William Lane Craig. "The Kalām Cosmological Argument." In The Blackwell Companion to Natural Theology, edited by William Lane Craig and J.P. Moreland, 101-201. John Wiley & Sons, 2012. (p. 130) "If the facts are as stated in the foregoing pages, and this I believe can be proved beyond reasonable doubt, then it follows that the tomb was actually found empty. Any judge in any court of law would regard it as established beyond dispute. So short of discovering the actual body of Jesus which might serve to refute the testimony of the witnesses, it is difficult to see what more evidence one could reasonably require." Turek, F. (2004). I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, p. 256 "I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God.' That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to." Lewis, C.S. "Mere Christianity." (1952). [Matt. 9:6; 9:15; 11:27; 12:8; 13:41; 16:27; 18:20; 21:9; 22:42; 23:37-39; 24:30; 24:35; 25:31-32; 26:28; 26:63-65; 28:18-20; Mk. 2:5- 12; 12:1-12; 13:26; 14:62-63; JN 1:51; 3:12-15; 3:18; 5:23; 6:20; 6:33-35; 6:38; 6:60-63; 8:23- 29; 8:56-59; 10:14-16; 10:29-31; 10:38-39; 11:25-27; 12:44-46; 13:13-14; 13:19-20; 13:31- 32; 14:7-10; 14:23-25; 15:4; 15:26; 16:14; 16:27-28; 17:1-5; 17:10; 17:11; 17:20; 20:22] For more on this subject see this book

Surviving the Gang Culture of Albany Park Chicago - Street Warrior to Prayer Warrior by Ryan Corrigan Charles Criniere's story of going from Chicago street life to a person who many said exemplified the life of Jesus Christ more than anyone they had ever met can only be described as an act of God. To fully appreciate the magnitude of his transformation, we must first understand his early life in Albany Park. Albany Park, Chicago, in the 1990s, had one of the most diverse ethnic populations in the US. It was also infested with street gangs. Charlie and his brother Eric spend most of their younger years being raised by a single dad, who worked long hours, and they quickly had to adapt to the dynamics of the neighborhood. In this second video episode of the Life of Charles Criniere, you'll hear part two of how Charlie and his brother Eric survived the gang culture of Albany Park, but first, we wanted to give you a brief history of the origins of the gang entrenchment. The Emergence and Evolution of Gangs in Albany Park, Chicago Albany Park, located on the northwest side of Chicago, has a rich and diverse history that includes the emergence and evolution of gang culture in the neighborhood. The 1960s saw the beginning of gang activity in Albany Park, with various ethnic groups forming their own gangs. These gangs later consolidated into two major alliances, the Folks Nation and the People Nation. Folks Nation was originally mostly Hispanic and African American gangs, while People Nation was primarily made up of Polish, Irish, and European gangs. However, as time went on, the ethnic gang lines blurred, and the distinction was primarily defined by territory, streets, and blocks. The symbols and graffiti of Folks Nation were distinct from those of People Nation. The five-pointed star, for example, was a symbol commonly associated with Folks Nation, whereas People Nation used a six-pointed star. The ethnic makeup of Albany Park was diverse, with over 60 different ethnic groups. This diversity played a significant role in the formation and evolution of gang culture in the neighborhood. Gang violence was a major issue in Albany Park during the height of gang activity in the 1990s. According to a study by the Chicago Police Department, upwards of 75% of gang members in Albany Park were fatherless, which was seen as a major factor contributing to their involvement in gangs. However, the gang culture in Albany Park has declined significantly in recent years. One of the main factors contributing to this decline was gentrification, which saw many of the original residents of Albany Park displaced from the neighborhood. Gentrification is the process whereby the character of a poor urban area is changed by wealthier people moving in, improving housing, and attracting new businesses, typically displacing current inhabitants in the process. Gentrification is a controversial issue, as it can lead to the displacement of the lower-income population and the loss of cultural and historical landmarks. In addition to gentrification, law enforcement efforts, community-based programs, and changes in social and economic conditions also contributed to the decline of gang culture in Albany Park. The Folks Nation and People Nation alliances are still active in Chicago, but they no longer have a significant presence in Albany Park as most of the gang leaders were put in jail in the early 2000's Despite the decline of gang culture in Albany Park, the neighborhood remains a vibrant and diverse community. According to the United States Census Bureau, the population of Albany Park was approximately 73,000 in 2019. Footnotes: "Albany Park." Encyclopedia of Chicago, www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/13. "Gang Violence in Chicago." Chicago Police Department, www.chicagopolice.org/site/default/files/GangViolenceinChicago.pdf. "Gentrification." Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gentrification. "The History of Gangs in Chicago." NBC Chicago, www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/the-history-of-gangs-in-chicago/22558/. "Polish Americans in Chicago." Encyclopedia of Chicago, www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1170. "Albany Park Neighborhood Profile." City of Chicago, www.cityofchicago.org/content/dam/city/depts/zlup/Zoning_Main_Page_Files/Neighborhood_Profiles/Albany_Park_Profile.pdf. "Folks Nation." Gangs or Us, www.gangsofchicago.com/index.php?title=Folks_Nation. "People Nation." Gangs or Us, www.gangsofchicago.com/index.

by Megan Criniere We started off January with lots of activity and feel as though we are entering into new things on every side. House projects continue to progress, and we stand in awe of how this has all unfolded right in front of us without having to orchestrate any of it. I am learning how to adjust and navigate through this season and find out what normal is supposed to look like now that Charlie is gone. I am grateful for the grace Jesus gives me every day and thankful for the community of people God has placed us in that supports us in every way imaginable. My children are on a learning curve as well but have seemed to keep in step with the schedules and routines we have always had as a family. In some ways, it's a great comfort to stay in stride and keep moving forward, and in some ways, it accentuates the loss that we feel without Charlie being in the midst of those normal daily moments. Yet in all the different emotions we have experienced in the last 6 months, I am realizing that life is different, but it is still so good; it is still worth living and enjoying, and I know Charlie wouldn't want us to live any other way but to the fullest. So here's a little taste of all the good that's going on in our busy household. Eliya has been working on dual enrollment classes for high school and college credit. This semester was her first class on campus instead of online, and she's taking Chemistry! Mariah is in the middle of her gymnastics competition season. We just came back from a trip to Omaha, Nebraska, where she placed in three of the four events and placed 2nd all around for the gymnasts in her level. Justice finished up his football season with a team football banquet, where he won the Patriot Award for being a player with great character and leadership. Gloriana keeps busy with school, baking, babysitting, and practicing her volleyball skills. Ava is exploring new hobbies and making new friends in this season. She is very artistic, and I often find her cutting and gluing, and painting something; usually, it's something she is making as a gift for someone else. David had a belated birthday party this month. He had a houseful of friends over for a Fortnite party, complete with a nerf gun Battle Royale in our backyard. Hope is smart and works hard on her reading skills every day; she loves to learn and picks things up fast. Jubilee and Caleb are always on the move and keep us all very busy. They get into lots of trouble together, and we spend a lot of time cleaning up things that they undo and wouldn't have it any other way. We celebrated Jubilee’s 4th birthday with donuts and roller skates, and her first bike! Caleb has transitioned out of his crib and into a twin bed of his own. He hasn't quite gotten the hang of staying in bed at bedtime, but he’s making progress! Grateful for a million little moments that I get to share with these big and little people. There are so many things to be grateful for. Subscribe to get all our updates and exclusive access to our blog We would love to hear from you. Leave us a comment below

By Megan Criniere A few months ago, I had this phrase that kept coming to mind, "My times are in your hands." I knew it was in the bible but couldn't remember exactly where. I looked it up, and there it was in Psalm 31:15. "But I trust in you, Lord; I say, “You are my God. My times are in your hands;" As I read it, I knew the Lord was speaking to me that I can entrust myself and my children to HIm because the times and seasons of our lives are in His hands, and that is true no matter what the season may bring. As a family, we can trust Him, even through the hard things. His nature is good, even if the circumstances aren't good. The Lord is revealing Himself to my kids and me in new ways. We feel the nearness of His presence, and it's making all the difference in helping us move forward. Most days after breakfast, we sit in the living room together as a family. The little ones are in and out as we journal, dialogue, pray, and worship. We try to start our day lining up our hearts with God's, seeing things the way He sees them, hearing what He has to say about His plans and purposes for our lives, being filled with His love and peace, and then moving into all the things that a normal day with 10 people in a house brings. Sometimes the list of tasks seems endless, but when we've had that time with Jesus, we can approach life differently. Because we've fixed our eyes first on Him, now everything else we see and encounter can be filtered through the lens of how capable God is and not how incapable we are. In this season, as my children and I are moving forward, there are so many weighty decisions to make and hard things to consider but I cannot seem to escape the deep desire to make God known in all of it. There is a deep assurance that God has better days ahead for us and that He isn't finished with our family's story yet; there are many more chapters still to unfold. It's definitely more than just us having bills paid at the end of the month (though, believe me, we are very grateful for that!) really, my heart would be to see lives changed through sharing the hope that we’ve found in Jesus. I think God's story, through Charlie's life, can touch a generation with that very message. I am amazed at how the Lord has brought people to us, that have the skill sets needed to help with this project, and they also share the same desire to get Charlie's story into the hands of people who need to hear a message of hope and love. I hope you will consider partnering with us as we go on this journey with the Lord and see what He will do with our little act of faith in starting this book. If you haven't seen it yet, check out the interview where I share my heart about the blog membership. After you watch the interview, please click the link below to sign up. https://www.charliestrt.com/james127 With Love, Megan Criniere

Sometimes God does amazing things that need to be remembered by the next generation. Charlie's story of going from a graffiti artist named "Orphan" on the streets of Chicago to an incredible man of God who "fathered" the next generation needs to be told. In the Bible, God told the Israelites to pile stones high as a memorial so no one would forget how God delivered them from bondage and so the story could be told to the next generation. So now, with the help of family and friends, we are piling our own stones in remembrance of the work that God has done in and through Charlie's life. We are going to do a video series on the Life of Charles Criniere. These videos will help us document everything we need to ultimately write his book and, by God's grace, keep his legacy going. When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, “Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man,and command them, saying, ‘Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests' feet stood firmly, and bring them over with you and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.’” Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe. And Joshua said to them, “Pass on before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ - Joshua 4:1-6 The first episode outlines how Charlie survived the Albany Park Chicago Gang Culture of the 1990s. To access the video, subscribe below. - Megan

Sgt. Jon Rivers of the Kansas City Police Department with the Criniere Family On August 27th, Sgt Jonathan Rivers was the police officer who drove to the Criniere family home and told Megan that Charlie had been killed in a cycling accident. Sgt. Rivers showed up again at the Criniere family home in early November, asking for a detailed Christmas list for all the kids. “This one really struck home for me,” Kansas City, Missouri, Police Sgt. Jonathan Rivers said. ”The police department as a whole wanted to do something for this family.” On December 23rd, Rivers and others from KCPD gathered up a truckload of Christmas presents to give to Criniere’s family. Police took up donations from across the division, with Price Chopper making a donation to help the family purchase groceries. “Today is about giving back to a family that has lost a loved one,” Rivers said. “This was a group effort.”¹ Local news stations covered the story. Check out the videos below: Please Subscribe to this blog to get all the exclusive content and to help fund the Criniere family going forward. https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/good-news-for-everyone/kcpd-supports-family-of-father-killed-in-august-bicycle-crash

The Unbelievable Project and an Unscripted Video Interview with Megan Criniere by Ryan Corrigan Megan has been absolutely stunned by the ongoing efforts by the community to do an extreme home makeover for her. Their home has always needed a lot of work, and Charlie always dreamed about making their home a great place to raise their growing family, but they never had the funds to make it a reality. But now his dreams are coming true. At the bottom of this post, we have provided Megan's first unscripted video interview about this project. Also, down below, we have also created a video summary showing all the work that has already been done. Currently, over 20 companies are now involved and have either donated materials or pledged/completed work on the home. All that has been done so far has been totally free for Megan, including materials. Praise the LORD! Many people have asked how we got 20 companies involved in this. All we can say is that the LORD did it! That is such a cool story! Justin Jeffries a friend who was a friend of Charles Criniere, wanted to help the family out somehow after Charlie passed away. At first he wanted to mow their lawn but after talking to Megan's neighbor across the street Justin realized that beyond raising monthly income, the biggest need to stabilize the family was to get their house renovated. As Justin began to inspect the home, he realized it was a massive project - way bigger than just a few guys with tools could do. So Justin started asking around the church community, dreaming there would be some kind of big connection. Justin was able to mobilize quite a few contractors, but there were still some huge projects like windows, siding, and concrete work that we were struggling with. We prayed a ton, and one day Justin called me super excited! He told me that he had found a guy who was deeply connected and knew"everyone!" A contractor (who wants to remain anonymous) jumped in when he heard the Criniere family story. He never met Charlie but immediately began calling and visiting other companies in the area. Because this individual is deeply loved and loyal in the KC construction industry, everyone seemed to say yes when he asked! He pulled in so many different companies it was astounding! This one individual has done so much for this project it literally wouldn't have been possible without him. Justin Jeffries has also worked tirelessly organizing, scheduling, recruiting, etc. His leadership in the project has been such a beautiful offering to the LORD. It is hard to adequately describe how amazing this whole situation really has been. There has been so much behind-the-scenes work by so many people that it seems impossible to document fully. One thing is certain, this is far beyond anything anyone has ever seen or heard except for on the show Extreme Home Makeover. However, this project is being done by local companies, not some big rich cable TV channel. These people are very talented at what they do and are very humble and don't care about getting any recognition or any money, but we wanted to honor them anyway. Most of them have thanked Megan for allowing them to be involved! One company even gave Megan an extra $500 donation and that was after doing about $25k of work for free This feels different than any other charity work I've ever seen. I believe the only real explanation is that the LORD is moving so strongly on people's hearts that when they hear about it, they are compelled to get involved. Seems very clear to me that Charlie's prayers are still being answered. All-in-all we estimate that well over $120,000 of work has already been done. Here is an updated list of everything that has been done. A brand-new roof was installed (https://www.nationsroofingandsolar.com/) Her old driveway and two back patios, and two retaining walls were removed (https://www.trubluellc.com/) Old shake shingle siding was torn off by people from Grace Point Church (https://gpchurch.us/) A massive dumpster for demolition was donated (https://www.kcdumpster.com/), Garage doors were removed, and the exterior wall was finished with windows (to finish the garage into a living space) (https://www.bizapedia.com/mo/owb-carpentry-llc.html) Twenty-six windows and two sliding glass doors were donated and delivered within one week (normal lead time was 6-8 weeks) (https://www.coronetwindow.com) Windows and new sliding glass doors were installed (https://www.bizapedia.com/mo/owb-carpentry-llc.html) A lot of electrical work was done to add floodlights around the house (https://purelightelectric.com/), (https://www.buildzoom.com/contractor/gj-electric-inc) A Ring doorbell system was donated and installed A porta-potty was donated for the construction workers Brand-new vinyl siding was installed (https://maverickexteriorskc.com/) Backyard lower patio with pave stones and a band new retaining wall was installed (https://hopkinshardscapes.com/), (https://www.keystonehardscapes.com/) A massive amount of overgrown shrubs and an old fence were torn out of the backyard. (https://www.trubluellc.com/) The front yard was graded and prepared for a new circle driveway (https://www.trubluellc.com/), (https://trifecta-contracting.com/) A massive concrete circle driveway was installed (https://trifecta-contracting.com/),(https://quicksilverrmx.com), A mini-split HVAC system was donated for the garage conversion into a living space. (https://www.lennox.com/,) A brand new furnace and AC unit for the home were donated and delivered. (https://tmi-stl.com/) All the materials to remodel all four of her bathrooms have been ordered, and the bathroom remodels are scheduled for early January. (https://www.thinkbordner.com) (https://www.realtor.com/realestateagents/56d6cb14f384a201005fd07c) There was a sewer line repair (and a scheduled replacement) (https://allens-electric-hvac.business.site/) A company donated a really high-quality concrete sealant for the new driveway (https://specchem.com/specshield-wb) Also, Lowes and Home Depot are looking at a comprehensive list of items, and it looks like they might be providing a ton of materials for the interior renovation (or at least a good discount). Beyond this list, there have been permits pulled and paid for and hours and hours of planning and coordination. In the midst of all of this, Megan's sewer line backed up, a plumber inspected the line and said that the whole line needed to be replaced, which can cost up to $25k!?!?! Thankfully, a plumber stepped in and said he would replace the line for free! WOW! What is so amazing is that when I go over to the house while the work is being done, all the kids are staring out the big picture window with the biggest smiles you can imagine. I often wonder what Charlie is thinking as he is looking down from the great cloud of witnesses and seeing what all these strangers are doing for his wife and kids. What an absolutely incredible story that just keeps growing. Here is an updated flyer with the remaining materials cost we are seeking to raise: I've had a lot of people asking me what Megan thinks of all of this, so I was able to interview her about the project. In fact, she is going to do a series of interviews on various topics that we are going to call Unscripted with Megan because she doesn't have time to script the answers. These videos will only be available to her members who join the James 1:27 subscription for $12.70 a month. - a fun way to fund the Criniere family going forward. Megan needs 170 subscribers for her monthly budget to be fully covered. Check out the video below: - Ryan Corrigan

A Devotional By Megan Criniere Encountering God is more than enough through the different seasons of life. Over the years, God has revealed Himself to me in different ways. Like facets of a diamond that shine when light hits them, I've experienced the revelation of who God is as He shows me Himself through the illumination of His word. In my teen years, He showed up as my savior; he reached into my world and saved me from sin and self-destructive ways that injured me and others. He washed me clean and gave me a new heart and life; I was forever transformed. In the years to follow, my heart was changed little by little as I grew in my understanding of who God was. My heart was alive, but I struggled to receive his love freely. I was still trying to be good enough on my own. A season of temptation followed, and I fell away from God. I wrestled with my brokenness and tried to be enough, not understanding this is exactly why He showed up as Savior - because I couldn't do it on my own! I needed Him to do it for me! After a few years of falling back into old habits and sin, and this time to a far greater extent than before, He broke in again. In the midst of the enormous mess I had made of my life, He revealed Himself as Redeemer. I was done with sin and the toll it had taken on my life, and right there, I gave Him my heart again. It was then that I realized it - redemption was a free gift given to me by Jesus! I didn't have to do anything to deserve it - I just had to receive it. The next few years that followed, God revealed Himself to me as the Healer. I looked to Him, and He put my life back together piece-by-piece. He brought so many good things and good people into my life - my husband Charlie was one of them, truly a gift from God to me. In 2006 we moved to Kansas City. During that time, God was revealing Himself as our Teacher and Provider. He was teaching us how to live according to His word and to give radically and watch Him respond back to us with supernatural provision. God as Father was next. As we raised our house full of precious babies, God taught us about the love that was in his heart toward us as His children. He is kind and compassionate; He is tender and loving; He forgives us, corrects us, and teaches us a better way, as any good father does. Then came the seasons of trials and hardship. So many trials hit us in soo many different forms. We fought for what we knew God spoke to us but struggled because the circumstances were hard. Jesus then revelated himself as our helper and the sympathetic high priest who knew what we were going through and dealt tenderly with us even in our weaknesses and shortcomings. He spoke to us that he was the God who hears our cries and sees our pain and always responds. And here I am today. How is He revealing himself in the midst of great loss? Is He distant now? Will He leave me here to sort this all out on my own? Will he help see me through? Will He provide for me? The questions that have come up in my heart in this moment of feeling the pain of losing my husband,who I loved so much, can be answered based on the history of who God has been in the past to me. I can look back over a lifetime of God's faithfulness to my family and me and trust Him because He's proven Himself trustworthy. Even now, He's showing up as the God who is more than enough and able to meet all of my needs. I'm so grateful for the Lord's goodness to us that continues in every season of our lives. - Megan

Let's Pay it Forward by Jeremy Clarkson Charles Criniere was a radical giver. We are just now learning how much he really gave of himself and his limited resources. Apparently, he gave $1000 away to various people many, many times over the years. Considering he was raising a family with 10 kids on a public teacher salary this was very radical! I taught with Charles in the Grandview High School Math department and we learned of a particular time that Charles personally gave $1000 dollars to one of his students who was trying to go to back to school. Wow! Can you imagine receiving $1000 from your former teacher?!?! To honor the memory and legacy of Charles Criniere, the Grandview High School Math Department has decided to establish a scholarship to honor Charlie's generocity by continuing to offer scholarships of $1000 to qualifying students who want to continue in higher education with plans on living a life of service. Mr. Criniere always created a warm and welcoming environment that challenged all students to believe in themselves and aim high to achieve their dreams and goals. We want to be able to honor this legacy and pay Charlie's generocity forward to provide for students who aspire to serve others through their work. It is our goal that we will be able to maintain this scholarship for the next few years, as our way to honor Charles and continue his legacy and build upon the impact he made on so many of his students. While we all miss Charles greatly since his sudden passing, we are committed to finding ways to honor him and remember all of the ways he impacted our school and community. As a means to help encourage fundraising, I have committed to shaving my head bald to look like my friend Charles if we are successful in raising $5000 towards this scholarship. Charles was a good friend of mine, whom I always liked to find ways to make laugh at random times. I figure this would be something Charles would be laughing at me for doing. Here is a picture to show you the amount of hair I'll be loosing .... haha. Here are a few more testimonies from staff and students about Mr. Criniere. My name is Josie Goeke. I am a teacher at Grandview High School, and although I didn't know Charles well, it only took a few encounters with him to understand just how special he was. I remember him as someone who was calm yet energetic, gentle and inspiring, realistic yet optimistic, and always genuine with both students and staff. When the world loses someone like Charles, I personally find myself reevaluating the way I live my life. I can't tell you how many times, since Charles's passing, that I have found myself thinking things like, "Am I being fully present with people the way Charles always was? How would Charles approach this challenging student? Am I avoiding judgment the way Charles did?" How wonderful is it that we could substitute Charles's name for Jesus's, and the answers to these questions would still be the same. How often on this Earth do we encounter people who truly, truly live as Jesus did? I believe the positive impact Charles had on the people he encountered is profound and will be long lasting. I certainly know that I am a better person for having known him, and for that, I am forever grateful. My name is David Benjamin Chavous-Williams. For me, I have many wonderful memories of Mr. Criniere. My favorite one is most definitely how we met. This led to not just more amazing memories, but a deep bond between teacher and student. It was my first day of high school and I was looking for his classroom. When I finally found his class there was a long line because he wanted to introduce himself to all of us one by one as we entered into the class for the first time. Everyone’s was about the same in the line ”Hey My name is Mr.Criniere it’s nice to meet you”. When he got to me it’s was different. He had this big smile on his face and said ”Hi son! I’m your dad Mr.Criniere!” I gave him this look and laughed stating “your not my dad.” He then laughed back and said” Sure I am ... your just as bald as me”. I didn’t know how to react so I just laughed and went into the class. As the days progressed and we saw each other in and out of class he would call me son instead of my name, and I would keep saying "your not my dad", but sure enough I gave in and called him dad. From then we grew a bond that led me to go to him and talk to him about everything going on. Even in my darkest hour he was there and never saw me any different regardless of how I felt or how and what I said. We’d even pray together when we had the chance to before and even after class. Around our birthdays we’d give each other candy and one time he gave me his leather jacket! When he did that I told him ”I couldn’t take this from him” but he insisted and told me he wanted me to. I think back on those days with him, and all those memories just thankful that he was in my life and truly cared about me not just as a student but as a human being too. I’ll never forget him and everything he’s done for me. Love you always and forever Papa Criniere. My name is Sabrina Neely. Mr. Criniere was my neighbor before he became my teacher. So some of my favorite memories from then up until now were when I was younger probably.. about 6 or 7 …me and my sisters and all the neighborhood kids use to go to his family’s house. We used to play with their kids all the time. We rode our bikes up and down our street, playing with chalk and barbies and baby dolls. The Criniere family would always make sure we were in good spirits and had us well protected. Fast forward to 8 years and I was a freshman in high school. I was transferred from one math class to be placed in Mr. C’s pre-algebra class. I didn’t notice that he was Mr. Criniere until I went home one day and talked to my older sister about my schedule and she was just like” Oh shoot you got Mr.Criniere” I was like yeah anndd…? Then she proceeded to enlighten me that he was our old neighbor then everything clicked. Since then until I graduated high school in 2020 I would always go to Mr. C’s class and just chill out. We would talk about the Bible and just have a good time crackin' jokes. Me and a few friends would call him “Mr.Worldwide”aka pitbull (the singer) just for the fun of it and he would laugh along. He ended up being my teacher again summer of 19’ which was the most fun I ever had being in summer school. He was such a great person. Anyone interested in donating towards the scholarship you can click the button below to send a donation to the Grandview Educational Foundation

by Ryan Corrigan When I first heard that Charlie passed away, I immediately began to pray about a long-term financial strategy for the Criniere family. What will Megan do to generate income for the next 20 years? Megan and I have spent many hours talking through all kinds of different ideas. We have prayed fervently, and we are very, very excited to announce that we are launching a subscription option to charliestrust.com to help fund the Criniere family going forward. The subscription will allow people to have access to all the exclusive blogs and videos that we will be putting together to help us build momentum to write a book about Charlie's life! Yes! Yes! Yes! We are going to help Megan put together a book about Charlie's Life!!!! Charlie had an absolutely crazy childhood growing up on the streets of Albany Park, Chicago as a well-known graffiti artist, and his story of going from a high school dropout to a high school teacher is absolutely compelling! Jesus Christ massively changed Charlie's life, and his story needs to be told. Two days before Charlie passed away, he was invited to start ministering to teens in the juvenile system. Charlie was once in the juvenile system and always wanted to give back, and we believe he still can! Once this book is done, we believe we can get it into juvenile centers all over the USA. This subscription will help us gather all the content into blogs and videos to get organized to write the book. Please take a few moments and watch this video. I have talked to so many people that feel the same way that I do. We want to ensure that Megan can continue homeschooling the kids while having everything she needs to meet their monthly budget. In the bible, James, the brother of Jesus, said that "pure, undefiled religion is to care for orphans and widows in their distress" (James 1:27). In the spirit of this verse, we have named the charliestrust.com membership "The James 1:27 membership," which is $12.70 per month. 100% of the subscription will go directly toward the Criniere family's needs. The subscription will include: Unscripted Interviews with Megan Megan's devotional/inspirational blogs Interviews with Eric Criniere about their Life in Chicago in the '80s and '90s and other things as we think of them :) No, this subscription won't entertain you like Netflix. No, Megan is not going to write every day. No, this blog isn't going to help you get rich. But you will be inspired to live your life as Charlie did ... following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. And you will get to fund a widow raising nine kids! Also, by subscribing, you'll be supporting Megan as she ventures to write this book about Charlie! Megan believes God will use Charlie's story in tremendous ways, and we know that she will come through this with a powerful voice that will impact the next generation. To be frank, She is not used to being in the public eye, but she is very excited about the potential of being able to create content to brag about the faithfulness of God! Since this big family was living off a public school teachers salary and had no long-term assets, many have asked about the Criniere's financial situation, so here is a summary: They have received about $250k in donations They received $20k in life insurance through the public schools Their $150k mortgage was paid off (by a stranger!?!) Their cars were paid off $150k of home renovations have been pledged by 20 different construction companies $270k seems like a lot of money, but that won't last very long with a big family and a small income. Thankfully Megan has people around her that are helping her with a long-term financial plan. The plan right now is to put the $270k into long-term savings/investments and increase her income through the website subscriptions to meet her monthly budget. Here is a breakdown of their monthly budget: Let's get the Crinieres fully funded! Subscribe and see if you can get five others to do the same! We only need 170 people to subscribe to get them fully funded. There is no budget yet for the cost of producing this book but if we can get enough subscriptions this will do wonders to get the ball rolling! If you would like to fund a specific monthly budget item and see some of their other financial goals, you can view those here. Please share one of these videos on your social media, and let's get the word out! There are a couple of 1-minute options as well as a 4.5-minute option. - Ryan Corrigan

by Brad Franklin I first met Charlie in February 2021 through a mutual friend. I was a new public school math teacher, working in Kansas City Public Schools. I had been living next to Grandview high school since 2011 I thought, “Why not teach in my own community?” I wanted to hear what Charlie thought about life at GHS. As we met over a cup of coffee on a brisk Saturday morning, Charlie and I exchanged stories of our lives and faith journeys. By the time we parted, I had decided to apply to join the Grandview Math department and work alongside Mr. Criniere. Even better, I had just met a man whose faith in Jesus Christ resonated with my own. Charlie’s love of Jesus shined brightly with an intense positive perspective and energy that challenged me and changed my understanding of what it looks like to follow Jesus. "Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." Matthew 5:14-16 I successfully landed at GHS, but the chance to work with Charlie proved elusive as he moved over to Martin City Middle School. Even so, I learned PLENTY about teaching just in that short meeting with Charlie. First off, I learned that I don’t teach math to students; I teach students to flourish in math. I also learned a lot from Charlie's former students: “Your explanations don’t make sense the way Mr. Criniere’s did” or “I understood things when Mr. Criniere taught them,” resounded through the room regularly during that first semester. Charlie’s impact on my career and my life has been and will continue to be profound. The last time I saw Charlie was August 26th, during the first varsity football game of the season. He was there in the stands with his entire family, in his backwards baseball cap, and he gave me his trademark huge smile and hug. The next morning, when I received the devastating news of Charlie’s tragic passing, I realized he and I had another thing in common: a love of cycling. As someone who didn't have a car until I was 30, I biked everywhere. This loss recalled the devastating loss of another cyclist friend and father who passed 5 years ago, struck by a DUI driver in Lincoln, Nebraska. As I write this, I’m watching the Bulldogs football squad lose their home playoff game. The disappointment of this loss has to feel overwhelming, especially for the seniors. I’ve watched many Bulldog games in the decade I’ve lived next door to GHS, with plenty of highs and lows. But I’ve never seen anything like what I just saw on this gridiron! In a remarkably sweet gesture, the Carl’s Junction team, who drove 3 hours for this game, quieted down and muted their cheering in respect for what the opposing team is going through. Several of the crestfallen Grandview seniors were openly weeping and being consoled by teammates and even by members of the opposing team as they shook hands after the game. The tenderness and humility of the moment was a shining tribute to Charlie’s spirit! "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted" Matthew 5:4 I am reminded of the eye-opening moment during Charlie’s memorial service when the former Grandview basketball coach credited Charlie as playing an integral role in helping the Bulldogs to win two consecutive state championships. Coach Reggie Morris cited that Charlie's consistent presence as the de-facto team chaplain brought passion and prayer to both practices and games. Coach Morris went on to say that Charlie brought a spirit of purpose, hope, and even expectation that the team’s efforts would be successful, and that this team and the community would prevail! “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” Matthew 5:13 Charlie had cleared his agenda of everything but the One who is the rewarder of those who seek Him. His single-minded focus on loving both the Lord Jesus Christ and his neighbor demonstrated his true identity as a faithful brother and family man. Charles truly was “salt" and “light," making an indelible and powerful impression on his many students, his colleagues, and the many like me who called him “friend” and “brother." Charlie, I miss you - your journey on earth is complete, but your spirit shines brighter than ever. We are comforted only by the knowledge you have been received home as a “good and faithful servant." “Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” Matthew 7:21 - Brad Franklin

Scheduling time to Pray and Read the Word of God. by Erika DeBenedictis Charlie was such an awesome person—coming out of a self-destructive childhood and becoming a man who loved well and was well-loved. If there was a reason for this love he had, it was because he read his Bible consistently, prayed every day, and knew he was loved and accepted by God. Charlie got up early every morning before work and read his Bible. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” It is so easy to get sucked into the pattern of this world: Go to school or work, get some money, spend time scrolling on the internet, and go to bed - every day for the rest of your life. The End. So how do we escape this meaninglessness? By reading the Bible and allowing it to change the way you think, which actually changes who you are. Whatever you think about, you become. My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your sight; keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those, who find them and health to all their body. -Proverbs 4:20-22 Practically speaking, here is something you can do to make reading the Bible more of a habit: Read one chapter of Proverbs each day, corresponding to the day of the month (so on November 22, read Proverbs Chapter 22). This is a simple way to make becoming a person of wisdom a priority in your life. You can also read five Psalms per day, also corresponding to the days of the month (on November 22, you’d read Psalm 22 and then add 30 to the 22, which equals 52, and also read Psalms 52, 82, 112, and 142). Psalms are wonderful because they help you to understand God’s heart for you. You can also pick a Gospel to read (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). Those are four different accounts of the life and teachings of Jesus. Or simply ask the Holy Spirit to show you what to read in the Bible. We know that a lot of people struggle to find a consistent way to read the bible, so we are going to be posting a daily Bible reading schedule here: https://www.charliestrust.com/group/lets-read-the-bible-and-pray/discussion Charlie also prayed early every morning before he went to work. He had a prayer list that he brought with him when he prayed. Here is a copy of his prayer list that he sent to me last year: He didn’t always work his way through the whole list every day. Sometimes, he would pray for a couple of the prayer points that jumped out at him. He would also wait on the Lord and pray in the Spirit. Charlie also knew that he was accepted by God. “I have chosen you and not rejected you. Do not fear, for I am with you.” - Isaiah 41:9-10 Because Charlie knew he was accepted by God, he always accepted others and welcomed them into conversation. This is how we build community. No one wants to be alone. Charlie's desire was to create a community walking together down the path that Jesus had laid out before us. So we have created a phone app and multiple social groups that you can join so that we can journey together Even though Charlie made so many mistakes and bad choices when he was younger, he loved God because God first loved him and accepted him. He learned about God’s acceptance of him when he spent time praying and reading the Bible. Charlie would encourage you to do what he did: read God’s word and pray. You, too, can love and live as Charlie did. - Erika DeBenedictis