Message by Larry Thacker Jr from September 14, “Stand Firm”
On Wednesday, September 10, 2025, Charlie Kirk, a highly effective voice for faith and conservative values among young people, was shot to death as he was engaging with students at Utah Valley University. He was murdered by someone who hated him for his views. People around the world took notice. Reactions have rained from sadness and sympathy to anger that someone would do this to deplorable expressions of joy.
It hits close to home for many of us. This is certainly not the first incidence of a Christian in America being killed for his faith, but unlike many other places around the world, these events are uncommon here. Speak out in certain contexts and you may find your career at risk, but usually not your life. Is that changing? We can’t help but wonder.
And so we take a detour from our ongoing study of Romans to consider how we as Christians should process what happened. I think it is safe to say that most of us don’t feel like we have enemies, but we do. There are those living among us who hate us for what we believe, or sometimes what they’ve been told we believe. Should that change how we conduct ourselves? What did Jesus say we should do to our enemies? (Matthew 5:44)
You might be surprised to learn that I don’t spend a lot of time on social media, but I understand it’s pretty disturbing right now. The level of hate being spewed by the very people who accused Charlie of such hate is breathtaking. We need to remember where it comes from. This is a spiritual battle. In Ephesians 6:10-13, Paul shows us where the real enemy lies. That one you are not commanded to love. We must prepare ourselves for battle, and stand firm.
Do not be afraid. Keep speaking the truth. Keep on sharing His love. They can kill a messenger, but they can’t kill the message.
