By Randy C. Davis TBC Executive Director Here’s a quiz. Ready? What does a country girl from McMinnville, an agnostic from Mt. Juliet, a Division I basketball player from Memphis, and a Jewish young man from Georgia have in common? Hint: The same thing as several Muslims from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Yemen, and quite a few Buddhists from Korea, Japan, and China. They were all brought to Jesus as
By Ken R. Speakman Member, Tulip Grove Baptist Church, Old Hickory I Thessalonians 5:18 reminds us to “in everything give thanks.” To give thanks when you don’t feel like it is not hypocrisy; it’s obedience. Does this mean even when my flight is cancelled, my vacation has been interrupted, or some difficulty comes my way? Yes it does. God often has something else, or something better for you. In January
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector One thing I have learned after working on newspapers for 30-plus years is that you have to be flexible. Quite frankly, this column was not planned, but the events of Thursday, July 7, caused me to completely change the plans that had been made for this issue. We had to delay the printed publication of some stories (some have appeared or will appear
By Bill Wilson Director, Center For Healthy Churches, Clemmons, NC The photo below is of a perfect attendance pin for Sunday School. Many of you have never seen one. There was a day when it was a regular feature in churches all across America. If a person attended Sunday School every Sunday in a year, he or she was awarded a pin, or was awarded an attachment that hung below
By Mark Moore Associate Pastor, Worship, Third Baptist Church, Murfreesboro A few summers ago, my son attended a baseball showcase in Lebanon. The stated goal of the showcase was to be chosen for a larger event in Atlanta — one that would be attended by college coaches and professional scouts. The cost was minimal and only involved about two hours of our time. It was more evaluation than anything, and
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector I imagine there’s a lot of laughter in heaven these days since the arrival of Tennessee pastor Thom Tapp on June 11. Thom was not the stand-up comic type. Rather, he was just the opposite. He did not stand out in the crowd. While he could carry a conversation with the best of people, he also was content to listen. Thom’s humor came
By Randy C. Davis TBC Executive Director Last week’s national nightmare seemed unending. The unrelated shooting deaths of two African-American men and the heinous sniper attack killing five Dallas police officers left me crying out to God in desperation over the hate, division, and spiritual darkness consuming our country. Habakkuk’s words ring loudly with contemporary clarity. “O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear?
By Johnnie Godwin Contributing Columnist, B&R God blessed me with birth in a Christian home. My parents instilled within me the culture of what it meant to believe in and live the Christian life. From my earliest days, I learned the core of the Christian faith. I accepted my inherited convictions and values from my parents; and we never missed attending First Baptist Church, Midland, Texas. Step by step as
By David Leavell We Baptists are a peculiar people! We are saved by grace, called by God into community, and sent for kingdom advancement. Over the years, God has used us in special ways to bring His fame and renown across this globe. I have the privilege of serving on the Administrative Committee of the Executive Board for Tennessee Baptists. Because of that area of service, I have had the
By David Crutchley Editor’s Note: Crutchley, a native of Zimbabwe, Africa, is chair of the religion department at Carson-Newman University. He has led a group of C-N students to Africa for nine years. We arrive in Cape Town, South Africa, after a 12-hour flight from London. Home again … African soil. Table Mountain peers down from her lofty throne and welcomes us. Our group of 21 has traveled 10,000 miles
By Randy C. Davis TBC Executive Director Here’s a quiz. Ready? What does a country girl from McMinnville, an agnostic from Mt. Juliet, a Division
By Ken R. Speakman Member, Tulip Grove Baptist Church, Old Hickory I Thessalonians 5:18 reminds us to “in everything give thanks.” To give thanks when
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector One thing I have learned after working on newspapers for 30-plus years is that you have to be
By Bill Wilson Director, Center For Healthy Churches, Clemmons, NC The photo below is of a perfect attendance pin for Sunday School. Many of you
By Mark Moore Associate Pastor, Worship, Third Baptist Church, Murfreesboro A few summers ago, my son attended a baseball showcase in Lebanon. The stated goal
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector I imagine there’s a lot of laughter in heaven these days since the arrival of Tennessee pastor Thom
By Randy C. Davis TBC Executive Director Last week’s national nightmare seemed unending. The unrelated shooting deaths of two African-American men and the heinous sniper
By Johnnie Godwin Contributing Columnist, B&R God blessed me with birth in a Christian home. My parents instilled within me the culture of what it
By David Leavell We Baptists are a peculiar people! We are saved by grace, called by God into community, and sent for kingdom advancement. Over
By David Crutchley Editor’s Note: Crutchley, a native of Zimbabwe, Africa, is chair of the religion department at Carson-Newman University. He has led a group