I’m not one for clichés because too often they’re worn through and carry little meaning. However, sometimes they convey a concise bit of truth that is relevant in the moment. Here’s one: “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” Tennessee Baptists stand at the dawning of a new era. We as a network of churches have pursued the Five Objectives for nearly a decade, having affirmed those
A strong foundation is the key to any structure. It doesn’t matter if it’s a $20,000 house or a million-dollar mansion. If the foundation is shaky, the house will likely fall amid the howling winds and storms that enter our life. The Bible speaks clearly about the need for a strong foundation. We all know the parable about the wise man who built his house on the rock (Matthew 7:24-27).
It’s been said that complacency is the enemy of progress. Interestingly, complacency is often a byproduct of success. That sounds counterintuitive, but think about it. When things are cruising along and we experience win after win, we can slip into cruise control. If we don’t stay alert and engaged, we can fall asleep at the wheel. This became a realization for me years ago. I had Dr. Harry Piland evaluate
Pew Research recently released a report that predicts Christians will comprise less than 50 percent of the population of the United States by 2050 (see full story at baptistandreflector.org under the SBC tab). That projection may be optimistic. If you add the number of Christians who sometimes forget who they serve to those who absolutely reject Christianity, Christians may already be in a minority. And, even if Christians are still
Recently, President Joe Biden announced that he would erase student debt up to $10,000 for every person making less than $125,000 in income. For those who receive a Pell Grant, their debt elimination would rise to $20,000. The decision by the president to unilaterally spend $330-$800 billion of taxpayers’ money will have tremendous implications. Some say that those implications will be beneficial. Others say they will be detrimental to the
In the summer, the state forced a smaller school system to consolidate with a much larger school system nearby. The high school of the smaller school system no longer had a football team but was forced to become a part of the larger school’s football team. This was disturbing to the students of the smaller school because the year before the cheerleaders had gotten new cheer uniforms, pom poms and
What does the Baptist Association do? The roll of the association is to train and educate our church leaders so that they are better prepared to minister to their members and communities. That is the short answer, but we do so much more. Twenty-three years ago, a lot of churches did not know why the association exists or what we do. “What does the association do? This was the question
I was recently on a swing through southeast Tennessee visiting with pastors and churches when I met a young man named Daniel as I walked out of a Hampton Inn in Athens. One of the first things I noticed about Daniel was the logo on his shirt: “United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission.” Obviously, a telltale sign that I’d engaged in conversation a pretty intelligent fella. I learned Daniel was
The United States House of Representatives passed a bill in July which garnered bipartisan support entitled the “Respect of Marriage Act.” The U.S. Senate is trying to pass the bill but has not yet garnered enough Republican support. The bill’s title sounds great, right? After all, isn’t it time that Americans respected the God-given institution of marriage? Therein lies the deception of the bill. It has nothing to do with
Billy Graham began his message to my seminary chapel with a disclaimer. He said that he had been so pressed for time and travel that he hadn’t had time to prepare his message. He added that he had asked the Holy Spirit to just fill him. He was fully aware that seminary students had jobs, pastored or worked in the church and had full-time class loads. Then, Graham changed his
I’m not one for clichés because too often they’re worn through and carry little meaning. However, sometimes they convey a concise bit of truth that
A strong foundation is the key to any structure. It doesn’t matter if it’s a $20,000 house or a million-dollar mansion. If the foundation is
It’s been said that complacency is the enemy of progress. Interestingly, complacency is often a byproduct of success. That sounds counterintuitive, but think about it.
Pew Research recently released a report that predicts Christians will comprise less than 50 percent of the population of the United States by 2050 (see
Recently, President Joe Biden announced that he would erase student debt up to $10,000 for every person making less than $125,000 in income. For those
In the summer, the state forced a smaller school system to consolidate with a much larger school system nearby. The high school of the smaller
What does the Baptist Association do? The roll of the association is to train and educate our church leaders so that they are better prepared
I was recently on a swing through southeast Tennessee visiting with pastors and churches when I met a young man named Daniel as I walked
The United States House of Representatives passed a bill in July which garnered bipartisan support entitled the “Respect of Marriage Act.” The U.S. Senate is
Billy Graham began his message to my seminary chapel with a disclaimer. He said that he had been so pressed for time and travel that