We walked up to the registration area for the children’s classes one Sunday at the church we were visiting in North Carolina while staying with family. The woman we met there asked questions to figure out where the boys should go and typed the answers into her computer. The questions were easy to answer for our older son, but our younger son took more explanation. His birthday does not represent
Do you have someone you hope to meet again in heaven? Several friends and loved ones come to mind as I think about the place Jesus referred to as Paradise. Great-grandparents, grandparents, church members, and a childhood hero that I admired are just a few of the friendly faces I cannot wait to see in eternity. The Puritan Richard Baxter, when speaking of heaven, remarked, “it much sweetens the thoughts
We ask God to bless America. But in all seriousness, why would He? We’ve chosen happiness over holiness, pleasure over purity, politics over prayer, and earth over heaven. Why would God bless America? We’ve forsaken the Golden Rule and replaced it with the rule of gold. We’ve sought power more than served people. We decry idolatry and, yet, we’ve become idolaters.
Loneliness and isolation are endemic to the ministry. Ministry isolation and loneliness is partly self-imposed and is partly imposed by the ministry itself. Let’s examine the life of the Prophet Elijah (see I Kings 19:10). In his life and ministry we see the anatomy of loneliness and its remedies. The remedies are not secular, but biblical, spiritual, and practical. Elijah was a nineth century prophet (870-845 B.C.). God called him
Editor’s note: In order to protect the privacy of this family, the names have been withheld. I personally know this wonderful family and the writer is a pastor of a Tennessee Baptist church. Due to the negative publicity this resolution generated in June, I wanted to give Tennessee Baptists a perspective from a family who has experienced the heartbreak of infertility. See pasge 8 for more information on the resolution.
Is your pastor making a living wage? Our pastors willingly carry many burdens on their congregation’s behalf, but financial hardship should not be one of them. When they answered the call to ministry, they didn’t go in with the expectation of building wealth but they did hope to earn a solid income to provide for themselves and their families and to finish well financially. Unfortunately, the pastor’s pay is losing
The last two weeks seem like a blur with all that has happened in our nation. On July 13, a 20-year-old Pennsylvanian attempted to assassinate former president and current presidential candidate Donald Trump while he was speaking at a rally in Pennsylvania. An assassination attempt on a president or candidate has not occurred since 1981 when at attempt was made on then president Ronald Reagan. The bullet missed killing Trump
In the aftermath of the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, Americans are left wanting answers surrounding the tragedy. One brave father present at the rally, Corey Comperatore, died protecting his family from a stray bullet. Two other attendees, James Copenhaver and David Dutch, suffered critical injuries but are now recovering in stable condition. The near miss on President Trump was nothing less than breathtaking. Had the Republican nominee
Revitalization of our churches is one of the core goals of our association. I was recently speaking on revitalization and there was a lady in the group who I could tell was not on board with what I was saying. She raised her hand and in a very standoffish way asked, “Without all the mumbo jumbo, what does revitalization mean?” I replied, “It means our churches need revival.” She instantly
The days and weeks immediately following Vacation Bible School are the most crucial for outreach. But so often this critical element seems to fall through the cracks. We all have good intentions for connecting with children and families again after VBS, but then the aftermath of VBS kicks in. The excitement of VBS is over. People are tired. Life returns to normal. It’s time to go on vacation. There are
We walked up to the registration area for the children’s classes one Sunday at the church we were visiting in North Carolina while staying with
Do you have someone you hope to meet again in heaven? Several friends and loved ones come to mind as I think about the place
We ask God to bless America. But in all seriousness, why would He? We’ve chosen happiness over holiness, pleasure over purity, politics over prayer, and
Loneliness and isolation are endemic to the ministry. Ministry isolation and loneliness is partly self-imposed and is partly imposed by the ministry itself. Let’s examine
Editor’s note: In order to protect the privacy of this family, the names have been withheld. I personally know this wonderful family and the writer
Is your pastor making a living wage? Our pastors willingly carry many burdens on their congregation’s behalf, but financial hardship should not be one of
The last two weeks seem like a blur with all that has happened in our nation. On July 13, a 20-year-old Pennsylvanian attempted to assassinate
In the aftermath of the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, Americans are left wanting answers surrounding the tragedy. One brave father present at
Revitalization of our churches is one of the core goals of our association. I was recently speaking on revitalization and there was a lady in
The days and weeks immediately following Vacation Bible School are the most crucial for outreach. But so often this critical element seems to fall through