Greetings from Charlotte,
Most of us have returned home from the Texas Teen Camp and are back at work, catching up. One important point coming out of the camp this year is the dramatic impact social media and the Internet are having on our teens and preteens. Even our young people recognize the problem of companies deliberately seeking to addict them to their platforms. When the question of what age a young person should be given a smartphone was asked of a very small sampling of teens, the answer from these teens was 14 or 15, with one suggesting that a teenager only get a flip phone. However, I suspect that these same teens were pestering their parents for a smartphone well before that age. This brings up the need for parents in the Church to have the courage to take charge in this matter. The harm done to teens and preteens is significant on many fronts. It takes courage to stand up to the constant pressure put on parents and to hold the line. The Church can give a warning—as even many secular sources do—but it takes strong fathers and mothers to work out the details. It is not good enough to reason that, if other parents are allowing their children to do something, it must be okay. Parents must stand up against adult peer pressure as well as constant badgering from their children. This problem is not going away anytime soon, and it is doing great harm to this generation. Be sure to read what the Church publishes on this subject. Make age-appropriate decisions. Set limits, such as no cell phone use during meals for anyone in the family. It is important to set the right example yourself. Be strong and of good courage.
—Gerald E. Weston
Church Administration
Tomorrow’s World Presentations
Last week, we held one initial presentation, three follow-up presentations, and one online presentation. These events drew a total of 14 guests. This week, we will hold seven TWPs. Mr. Wachowicz will present in St. Paul, Manitoba, Canada; Mr. Tyler will present in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Dr. Jeffrey Fall will present in Milwaukee and Appleton, Wisconsin; Dr. Douglas Winnail will present in Norfolk and Raleigh, North Carolina; and Mr. Dever will present in Spring, Texas. Thank you all for your continued prayers and support for the Tomorrow’s World Presentations.
Feast of Tabernacles
Attention Pastors: Sermons for Those Unable to Attend the Feast in Person—Repeat Announcement
Because some members, for legitimate reasons, are unable to attend the Feast of Tabernacles in person, the Church provides access to Feast sermons by various means.
Many Feast sites will offer livestream or telephone connections to those assigned to that site. This is the preferred option. Though not a substitute for being present at the site, these connections give access to live Feast services, including prayers and hymns.
Prerecorded Feast sermons will also be available for brethren who are unable to attend in person and for whom the livestream or telephone connections are not feasible. The prerecorded sermons will be published online—one per day—throughout the Feast:
- English-language Feast sermons will be posted at https://members.lcg.org
- French-language Feast sermons will be posted at www.eglisedieuvivant.org
Additionally, links to these prerecorded Festival sermons will be emailed to pastors in advance of the Feast. Before the Feast, you can forward that email to the members in your areas who are not attending in person.
We request that as many as are able access their assigned site’s Feast sermons by livestream or telephone or view the prerecorded sermons online. However, if there are brethren in your areas who cannot take advantage of these options and need to receive physical sermon disks through the mail, please send us their names and addresses by emailing [email protected] before the following deadlines:
- The deadline for international requests for prerecorded Festival sermon disks is July 28. For those in regions with slow postal service, please send in your requests as early as possible in order for the sermons to arrive before the Feast.
- Requests for recipients in the U.S. must be received by August 4.
- If possible, please do not wait until the deadline to send in your requests.
Comments
What Really Motivates You? Today, many are motivated by a quest for position, power, prestige, or pleasure. However, failure to be acknowledged or get what you want can be hard to deal with. This can spill over into the Church when individuals jostle for positions or to get their own way. Yet Jesus rebuked religious leaders for seeking positions and recognition (Matthew 23:1–12). In place of self-seeking motives, Jesus emphasized the importance of genuine humble service: “whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant” (Matthew 20:26). The Apostles Paul and Peter urged Christians to look for ways to serve others (1 Timothy 6:3–5; 1 Peter 5:1–4). Let’s strive to eliminate selfish motives and develop genuine humility to serve others so Jesus Christ can use us as instruments in His hands (Philippians 2:3–12).
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy
Britain’s Slow and Steady Demise: God promised that Abraham’s descendants would be richly blessed around the globe. One of his grandsons, Ephraim, progenitor of the modern-day British-descended peoples, was prophesied to become a “multitude of nations” (Genesis 48:19). That prophecy came to pass in the 1800s—a time when the sun never set on the British Empire. Since then, that empire has slowly dwindled in power, might, reach, and influence.
Last week, the gates separating British-controlled Gibraltar from mainland Spain were permanently opened, formally bringing to an end a longstanding border checkpoint and allowing the free flow of workers and tourists between the two entities (Euronews, July 15, 2026). Argentina continues to call for Britain to relinquish control of the Falkland Islands, and support for such an action is growing among nations of the globe (The Telegraph, July 14, 2026). And now, the Caribbean islands under Britain’s control are increasingly agitating for their own sovereignty (The Guardian, July 14, 2026). These islands include some of the few remaining British Overseas Territories in the Western Hemisphere.
God warned the ancient Israelites, descendants of Abraham, that if they would obey Him, they and their progeny would be set high above all the nations of the earth (Deuteronomy 28:1). But, if they failed to obey, the pride of their power would be broken (Leviticus 26:19). We are witnessing the ongoing decline of the modern Israelite nations—not only Britain, but also America. To learn more about the prophesied future of these nations, read or listen to The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy.
Fatherhood Changes the Brain: Not only does becoming a parent change one’s life—it also changes one’s brain, and for the better! New research is demonstrating that fathers undergo biological changes both before and after the birth of their first child, including neurological and material changes in their brain (Washington Post, June 18, 2026).
According to researcher Darby Saxbe of the University of Southern California, the largest changes in the brain of a new father occur in an area “which is important for thinking about others’ thoughts, feelings and intentions.” Essentially, these changes prepare the father to think of others’ needs more than his own. These brain changes may actually cause some of the brain’s gray matter to reduce in size, but the shrinking process is very different than in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. The shrinking associated with fatherhood actually results in streamlining and optimizing the brain so that fathers can more effectively parent and meet the needs of their child. Overall, researchers suggest that the neurological changes related to parenthood may actually be “beneficial and neuroprotective for the brain.”
God’s plan for mankind involves men and women marrying and producing children—something He intended from the very beginning (Genesis 1:28; 2:18). And God’s design in creation, including His design of the family, is good (Genesis 1:31). Parenting results in many blessings, and the latest research suggests that becoming a parent even positively benefits the brains of parents. What an awesome God we worship! To learn more about the larger picture that gives profound meaning to God’s design of the family, read or listen to What Is the Meaning of Life? —Scott Winnail, Chris Sookdeo, and Francine Prater