I do not believe Jesus expects us to sacrifice our families, sanity or health on the altar of ministry. Too many ministers unfortunately work themselves in that direction, but that’s counter to what Jesus instructs. His approach is much different. Look at what He says in Matthew 11:28. “I’ve come that you might have life and that you might have it more abundantly.” Nothing He says there should lead any
“Will you make the first and most expensive Christmas gift this year a gift to our Global Missions Offering?” Sitting in the sanctuary of Calvary Baptist Church in Winston Salem, N.C., on the first Sunday of December, I heard pastor Will Toburen ask that question of his congregation. Why does generous giving to support missionaries matter? Reality for every human being is this: No matter where they are, who they
Obstacles are real! Have you ever noticed that everywhere you go, you are always facing obstacles? Some of these obstacles are relatively small, but at other times we face obstacles that look insurmountable from our point of view. As we enter into 2023, the outlook seems to be filled with many obstacles. For some, the obstacle is a financial one either in your own life or at the church. Recession
Over the past few weeks, while I’ve been gorging on Christmas music, there have been a couple of songs that have sent me down a rabbit hole of deep thought. Neither of the songs is new — not by a long shot — but I think this is the first year that I’ve ever really stopped to think about their meaning. Both of the songs have essentially the same lyrical
A city pastor in a country church. After feeling called to preach and being in my early years of preparation, I was led to pastor a country church. I was a city boy and had never spent much time on a farm. That became evident as I got oriented to pastoring a country church. There were no signs to tell what time church started. On the first Sunday, toward evening
One of my favorite Christmas songs is “Go Tell It on the Mountain.” It’s an upbeat, simple song that proclaims a timeless truth: “Go, tell it on the mountain over the hills and everywhere. Go, tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born.” In today’s world, it is more imperative than ever before that we keep proclaiming the news of the birth of Jesus Christ and what that
Week in and week out, the same group of unconverted people come to our worship services — and we practically ignore them. We’d never treat first-time visitors like this, and if we ever heard that they felt ignored, we’d certainly respond quickly to go out of our way to make them feel at home. But this group? We basically ignore them. If you haven’t realized already, I’m talking about the
There are many programs that address the needs of others in Baptist organizations across the country, including mission efforts to building churches, starting new churches, the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and many more. All are considered actions to follow Jesus’s call to reach others worldwide. While all are missionary programs to expand God’s desire to reach people worldwide, here is a priority that is equal to all of the above
When the Tennessee Baptist family gathered at Bellevue, we had a lot to celebrate and a lot for which to praise the Lord. I am thankful for all of our messengers and guests who traveled from throughout the state to attend the Summit. We enjoyed some great music, times of worship, focused prayer, exciting challenges for our future, and we heard the truth of God’s Word. One of the highlights
When I refer to Carroll Owen as an “old and dear friend,” it’s not just a phrase or words to be taken lightly. Carroll Owen has been a friend and mentor to me since 1988. And, it would be hard to deny that he is old. Carroll celebrated his 100th birthday in November. Ironically, my path crossed with Carroll the year he retired from the Executive Board of the Tennessee
I do not believe Jesus expects us to sacrifice our families, sanity or health on the altar of ministry. Too many ministers unfortunately work themselves
“Will you make the first and most expensive Christmas gift this year a gift to our Global Missions Offering?” Sitting in the sanctuary of Calvary
Obstacles are real! Have you ever noticed that everywhere you go, you are always facing obstacles? Some of these obstacles are relatively small, but at
Over the past few weeks, while I’ve been gorging on Christmas music, there have been a couple of songs that have sent me down a
A city pastor in a country church. After feeling called to preach and being in my early years of preparation, I was led to pastor
One of my favorite Christmas songs is “Go Tell It on the Mountain.” It’s an upbeat, simple song that proclaims a timeless truth: “Go, tell
Week in and week out, the same group of unconverted people come to our worship services — and we practically ignore them. We’d never treat
There are many programs that address the needs of others in Baptist organizations across the country, including mission efforts to building churches, starting new churches,
When the Tennessee Baptist family gathered at Bellevue, we had a lot to celebrate and a lot for which to praise the Lord. I am
When I refer to Carroll Owen as an “old and dear friend,” it’s not just a phrase or words to be taken lightly. Carroll Owen