Contests
RP’s "Log out and look up" screen-fast challenge is July 13-22
Bring peace to your mind while raising $100 for charity.
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Are you struggling with keeping screens in their proper place? Do you or your children find it hard not to reach for your device, almost without thinking? Last year, over 1,000 of you joined us in “breaking the spell” for 10 days. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, making it evident we would all benefit from doing this every year. So for ten days, we're going to get re-oriented. We're asking everyone – as much as it is possible for you – to steer clear from your smartphone, computers, TV, and tablets for the ten days of July 13 to July 22, 2026.
Speaking of together, we’re asking you to sign up with an accountability partner – someone who can see how you are doing and egg you on. And you can do the same for them!
Need a device for work, or to stay in touch with family? No problem. You are welcome to come up with your own exceptions. Just write them down in advance and stick to them.
Some generous supporters have pledged to donate $10 per day for every day you manage to go screen-free from July 13-22. The money will be split between two fantastic kingdom causes – Reformed Perspective and Word & Deed – to a maximum of $20,000 split between both causes.
A few tips
- Commit. Don’t allow yourself to make easy exceptions, even if you are having a hard day. For example, just because you are at someone else’s home doesn’t mean you can enjoy screens again.
- Don't get sucked in. If you still need screens for basic your job or other functions that are essential, go for it, but ensure that you are only using your tablet and phone for that and only that. For example, if you need a phone for directions, don’t take the opportunity to scroll the news. If you need a computer at work, don’t let yourself go to other websites or play an online game.
- Out of sight, out of mind. Help yourself by hiding your devices and make them difficult to access. Maybe even take the TV off the wall.
- Log out. Log out of your social media accounts so that it isn’t easy to quickly open them.
- Hide your app icons. If you need still need to use your phone, hide all the icons of the apps you want to steer clear of.
- Come up with a plan. When you find yourself wanting to reach for a screen, what'll you do instead? Make a plan. It doesn’t have to be hard or complicated. Perhaps say a prayer, take a drink of water, try to memorize a verse, do a set of 10 jumping jacks, or read a couple of pages of a book you’ve been meaning to get to.
- Have alternatives ready and waiting. You and your children are going to need something else to do with your screen time, so you need to have options, otherwise you'll just spend your time pining for your phone. Get out books, magazines, art supplies, a soccer ball, or whatever. For more ideas be sure to check out our article "What can I do anyways? 35 screen-free alternatives.
- Invite accountability. Let loved ones know what you are doing, and ask them to check in on you regularly to see how it is going. Tell them not to let you off the hook!
- Don't let this opportunity pass you by. Don't we all need help on this front? So don't let yourself off the hook - let's do this together!
Register for the July 13-22 nationwide by filling in the form below.
News
Saturday Selections – May 9, 2026
Morality is just preferences?
In this exchange Andrew Wilson fully embraces the "devil's advocate" role, adopting his opponent's worldview fully, only to then drive it into the ditch. This isn't a "gotcha" moment (okay, maybe a bit of one) so much as, what other response can she have?
Elders are competent to counsel
Christians underestimate the wisdom God has given us in His Word. Christians also overestimate the wisdom of the world. We think we need to turn to the "experts" in matters of counsel, even though these are the folks who say that boys can become girls, sex before marriage is fine, homosexuality is just another lifestyle (and doesn't lead to incontinence), and life doesn't begin until you are born.
Pop music seems to be getting sadder each year
An analysis of the Billboard Hot 100 had "heartbreak" songs doubling from 30 percent in 2015 to 58 percent in 2025. As this article notes, that doesn't mean there isn't upbeat music being made – it's that what's moody is more popular these days.
The dying advice of Ben Sasse
Ben Sasse was welcomed onto 60 Minutes because he is a former US senator and he is dying and very willing to talk about it. And that includes sharing where, or rather with Who, his hope is found. Jonathon Van Maren shares his dying advice, well worth hearing:
"He wishes he had honored the Sabbath more. He didn’t skip church but was consistently tempted to excuse work in the afternoon. 'I wish I’d treated the Lord’s Day differently over the course of my life.' He added that he wishes he had guarded better against 'digital intrusions into the Sabbath.'
"Family dinnertime should be prioritized. 'Dinnertime is precious,' he said. 'Man, lock up your devices and keep them away from the table and prioritize that time.'
"....People should live in 'thick communities'—especially, if possible, near family. 'Family compounds,' Sasse said. 'Like, have more cousins and figure out how to live thick with them. There are so many times when we optimize around things that are not nearly as important as family thickness. Boy, I wish we lived down the block from my folks.' If he had more time, he said, he would be brainstorming how to create a family compound with his own children and their families."
5 myths about Heaven
A couple of the big ones tackled are that Heaven is our home where will live forever more, and nothing we do here on earth really matters because it will all be forgotten.
For more, Real Talk did a great podcast on Heaven with Dr. den Hollander.
Crowder's Grave robber
Can a dead man respond to God's call? No, he needs to first be made alive!
Today's Devotional
May 9 - The prophets spoke about him
“Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories.” - 1 Peter 1:10-11
Scripture Reading: Hebrews 1: 1-14
Peter continues to encourage suffering Saints by telling them that even the >
Today's Manna Podcast
Christ came to call sinners to repentance
Serving #1202 of Manna, prepared by P. Holtvluwer, is called "Christ came to call sinners to repentance".
