South Carolina's NewSpring Church led by Pastor Perry Noble will be starting a new sermon series this coming Sunday titled, "Don't Waste Your Life." The multi-campus megachurch begins the provocative series after creating a bit of a stir for moving last Sunday's evening services to last Saturday night so that its congregants could opt to watch the Super Bowl.

"The average life expectancy in America is 78-years-old. That's 28,470 days, give or take a leap year," reads a church announcement about the new series. "So what are you doing with your days? How do you spend them?

"Your life is too short to wander, to be filled with regret, or to pass by opportunities He puts in front of you. Don't let it slip away. Don't waste your life," the series promotion concludes. more >>

Although some people poke fun at professional athletes like Ray Lewis, who glorified God throughout his journey to the Super Bowl, a new study has found that Americans look to these types of high-profile individuals more than they do to faith leaders for inspiration.

The Barna Group, a market research firm that specializes in studying religious beliefs among Americans and how they impact faith and culture, recently released a study claiming that athletes have more influence than pastors. An estimated two-thirds of Americans- about 64 percent- believe that professional athletes influence people in American society more than professional faith leaders, according to the report released on the Barna Group website.

This belief seems to be most prevalent among whites, parents, people who have graduated college and those who make more than $60,000 a year. However, some still believe that faith leaders impact their lives the most, including those who attend church weekly and take in earnings of less than $40,000 each year. more >>

Despite his previous disdain for running long distances, a Chicago-area pastor is planning to run approximately the equivalent distance of a marathon per day from the U.S. West Coast to East Coast in order to provide a community of 30,000 people in Kenya a lifelong supply of clean water.

Steve Spear, who served as a regional campus pastor for Willow Creek Community Church, will begin the running phase of his fundraising effort on April 8th. He plans to take five months to run the 3,000 miles. After a 15-year career at Willow Creek (founded by Bill Hybels), Spear left his position earlier this year to devote time to the project that is endorsed by the Christian relief organization World Vision as a partner.

"My wife and I had supported World Vision financially so I just felt like I didn't need to run a marathon to do it. I just had put a bunch of blockades to not do it," he told The Christian Post. "I finally got to the point where I really felt like I was being led by God to surrender myself to the inconveniences that I was associating with training for and running a marathon." more >>

To help celebrate the placement by faith-based Harvest of Hope's 1,000th child into a foster family home, a prominent church in New Jersey is giving special recognition during worship services today as part of Martin Luther King's Commemoration Weekend.

"I want to commend Harvest of Hope for their outstanding achievement in providing loving, safe and nurturing homes for 1,000 foster children who are the most at-risk youth in our state. This organization has literally saved a thousand lives and it has saved the state of New Jersey millions of dollars by significantly reducing the number of children in the foster care system," said the Rev. Dr. DeForest B. Soaries, Jr., senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens.

Since 1996, Harvest of Hope Family Services Network, Inc., based in Somerset County, has recruited and trained 435 families to become licensed foster families. The significant milestone for Harvest of Hope was accomplished during last December. Of the 1,000 foster children, 250 were adopted by Harvest of Hope resource families, providing a permanent solution for their need of a loving family, the organization said. more >>

Actress Jenn Gotzon, who made her Hollywood breakthrough in the film "Frost/Nixon" portraying the president's daughter, Tricia Nixon, is in Washington, D.C., this week to help present two screenings of the movie "Doonby." The screenings of the mystery film with an underlying message about life's choices are intentionally timed to coincide with the March for Life and the 40th anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade case.

Gotzon spoke to The Christian Post on Wednesday about "Doonby" and the subject of abortion from her perspective as a Christian and an actress with a leading role in the movie.

Both free film showings, at the Landmark E Street Cinema Thursday at 7 p.m. ET, and at (Marriott) Residence Inn Friday at 4 p.m. ET, are sponsored by NET TV, a new television station broadcasting "uplifting movies" through Verizon Fios Video on Demand in over 18 cities nationwide. "Doonby" is planned for wide release in April. more >>

Mark Burnett and Roma Downey have released the official trailer for their upcoming "Bible" series on Thursday.

Furthermore, the epic 10-part mini-series has received an airdate; "The Bible" will debut on the History Channel on Sunday, March 3.

With anticipation for the debut rising, Twitter users have sounded off about the trailer for "The Bible." more >>