I’m so thankful for my mother. She made it to heaven this past year, but she left an indelible mark on my life. Growing up, I thought my mother was the strictest, most penny-pinching woman on the planet. As an adult, this theory has been confirmed. I used to think this was a flaw more than a virtue. I was wrong. Mom was prepared for every crisis. The apocalypse, the
Like most Baptist churches of the day, First Baptist Church of Murray, Ky., regularly hosted missionaries and denominational workers raising financial support. Growing frustrated with so many requesting to speak on Sundays, Pastor Harvey Boyce Taylor tried something new. He placed a box at the back of the sanctuary and told the congregation they could put extra offerings in the box and that would be their missions fund, divided up
It is never the wrong time to do the right thing. And the right thing was done Monday, May 1, with the decision by trustees of the Executive Board (EC) of the Southern Baptist Convention to not elect by a vote of 50-31 former EC board chair Jared Wellman as EC president/CEO. Credit to the EC for taking a meaningful step toward restoring a measure of credibility to an entity
In one of David’s moments of despair, he penned a verse of Scripture that expresses what many of us have felt — overwhelmed and alone. “I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.” (Psalm 142:4) The Psalm paints a bleak picture of God’s anointed — overwhelmed and alone, on the run, pursued
I umpired several baseball games last week, and I could not help but laugh at the irony. The average age of the players was probably 16 or 17. The average age of the two umpires was between 65 and 70. Some would suggest that the old geezers hang up their masks and chest protectors. Good suggestion, but it is easier said than done. There is a shortage of younger men
I sense a greater desperation as we approach this year’s National Day of Prayer on May 4 than I did in years past. Many parts of Tennessee are broken, struggling, mourning, debating and discouraged. We have been through so much as a people. Our culture is sliding into the abyss of ambiguity. Our world has been rocked by mass shootings, culture wars, violence and a looming sense of mental and
Churches today realize they need to be reaching young adults in their community. A vision of winning and sending young adults out as disciplemakers is paramount for the church. In order to execute fruitful discipleship, churches must be willing to develop flexible strategies that consider the lifestyle of a college student. Assumptions are often made about college students that can hinder effective discipleship. Below are two assumptions about college students
Every moment of every day we are surrounded by change. We live in a time when nothing stays the same for very long (except maybe a Baptist church tradition). We marvel at all the technological advancements of our day. However, the technology that is new today will be outdated by the time you read this article. It seems as if the world changes before our eyes each day. No one
The Nashville community is still reeling from the tragic shooting that occurred March 27 at The Covenant School in Nashville. A 28-year-old woman and former student entered the school, opened fire and killed six people, including three 9-year-olds, before she was fatally wounded by the police. We may never know this side of heaven why she murdered unsuspecting, innocent victims, especially children. As the “pappy” of two grandsons, ages 8
Let’s be honest. Over the past few years there has been a lot of turbulence in the Southern Baptist Convention and a lot of that has been directed at the SBC Executive Committee, the SBC Sexual Abuse Task Force (SATF) and the Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force (ARITF). But let’s not overlook the opportunity to express appreciation when appreciation is due. I believe every Southern Baptist can agree that even
I’m so thankful for my mother. She made it to heaven this past year, but she left an indelible mark on my life. Growing up,
Like most Baptist churches of the day, First Baptist Church of Murray, Ky., regularly hosted missionaries and denominational workers raising financial support. Growing frustrated with
It is never the wrong time to do the right thing. And the right thing was done Monday, May 1, with the decision by trustees
In one of David’s moments of despair, he penned a verse of Scripture that expresses what many of us have felt — overwhelmed and alone.
I umpired several baseball games last week, and I could not help but laugh at the irony. The average age of the players was probably
I sense a greater desperation as we approach this year’s National Day of Prayer on May 4 than I did in years past. Many parts
Churches today realize they need to be reaching young adults in their community. A vision of winning and sending young adults out as disciplemakers is
Every moment of every day we are surrounded by change. We live in a time when nothing stays the same for very long (except maybe
The Nashville community is still reeling from the tragic shooting that occurred March 27 at The Covenant School in Nashville. A 28-year-old woman and former
Let’s be honest. Over the past few years there has been a lot of turbulence in the Southern Baptist Convention and a lot of that
