Weekly briefing: Christmas, ex-gay app, Lysa Terkeurst

We've compiled the top stories of the week. Here's what you need to know:

Christmas celebrated

Christians around the world marked the birth of Jesus Christ this week with church services and events that emphasized what Christmas is all about — the coming of the Savior.

Many churches held multiple services (Life.Church held 265 services), given that church attendance peaks during Christmas.

“We often say that people are more likely to accept an invitation to church during the Christmas season, more than any other time throughout the year,” said Bobby Gruenewald of Life.Church.

‘Ex-gay’ app pulled

Living Hope Ministries, based in Texas, had an app that offered teachings and devotionals. But after gay rights group Truth Wins Out launched a petition, calling the app a “hateful” “ex-gay” app that “portrays being gay as a … ‘sickness,’” Apple pulled it from its online store.

Now Truth Wins Out is pressuring Google and Amazon to remove it as well.

“In a day when diversity and tolerance is celebrated I would hope it would be extended to issues of faith and practice,” said Ricky Chalette of Living Hope.

Lysa Terkeurst and husband share personal vows

In a powerful testimony, Lisa Terkeurst of Proverbs 31 Ministries shared the vows she and her husband wrote to each other when they resolidified their marriage weeks ago (and over a year after being on the brink of divorce).

Art told her: “The way that you have loved me with grace and forgiveness gives me an undeniable understanding and perspective of how much God loves me and what He did for me on the cross, you have lived out in my life. You never gave up, you disarmed all of the dark with your grace and forgiveness.”

Lisa Terkeurst also revealed what made her fight for her marriage despite Art’s infidelity, saying it’s hard to understand and “forgiveness is a process” but in the end, feeling “the shoreline” was “safe again,” she took the chance that was given to her.

YouTube changes ‘abortion’ search results ranking

When searching “abortion” on YouTube, more pro-life videos were reportedly ranked on top, according to a liberal website.

But after a writer at Slate complained, YouTube changed its ranking so that the top results are more pro-abortion.

The top three videos are now: “Kids meet someone who’s had an abortion,” “The fake abortion clinics of America: Misconception,” and “I carried out my own abortion.”

Pray for

Christians in Nigeria, seven of whom were killed the day after Christmas by Islamic Fulani radicals

Those struggling with depression during the holidays

New releases

Book:

I Am a Christian, This Is Why: A Logical Response to the Skeptic by Kinite A. McCrae (Dec. 23)