By David Leavell, President, Tennessee Baptist Convention Every Tennessee Baptist knows John 3:16. It truly is the Gospel in a nutshell i.e. the greatest verse in the universe! My challenge is for every Tennessee Baptist to share John 3:16, once a week, with a lost person, with the intention of leading them to personal faith in Christ. The only way Objective One (to baptize 50,000 people a year and set
By Martha Pitts Germantown Baptist Church, Germantown A sudden loss of a friend right before Christmas brought on a very somber mood and reflection on her life. Amazing, though, how God can help you recall what you can find amid the loss. We lost Candy Phillips this year. Sharing grandkids tales and how we were adjusting to a new season of life, our usual work dominated conversations had shifted to
By Randy C. Davis TBMB President & Executive Director “… That their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words”
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector Happy New Year! We have heard that phrase numerous times over the past few days and probably will continue to hear it in the coming days. There’s something about the idea of a new year that can be both exciting and perhaps a bit frightening. If 2017 was a great year for you, you probably hope it continues in 2018. If 2017 was
By Johnnie Godwin Contributing Columnist, B&R Dad was grateful for gifts he received and liked and he would let you know it. But Dad was never a man of pretense, and that often resulted in awkward responses he would make when he received a gift that neither suited him or pleased him. At Christmas or other occasions — with our family of gift-givers and receivers around — Dad often opened
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector Last year the Baptist and Reflector told the story of Tiffany Bowen, a pastor’s wife in West Tennessee, who was a self-described “atheist, feminist bartender.” Tiffany candidly shared her story of her journey from someone who denied God to becoming the wife of Jason Bowen, who would later become pastor of First Baptist Church, Trenton. At the conclusion of the story, Tiffany said
By Randy C. Davis TBMB President & Executive Director Aren’t you glad it is Christmas? You can settle into your favorite chair by the fire, watch the twinkling lights on the tree, and sip hot chocolate from your favorite Christmas mug. Finally, you can breathe, just breathe, as you enjoy a quiet reflective moment in the stillness of your own home. Yeah, I’m pretty sure you just chuckled when you
By Anthony Jordan Exec. Dir., Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma OKLAHOMA CITY (BP) — While we have been seeing Christmas advertisements for weeks, the Christmas season officially began with Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday. The focus of Christmas for most Americans, as you are well aware, has nothing to do with Jesus’ birth. Society’s focus is about retail, and retail in a big way. I do not
By Carolyn Tomlin Contributing Writer, B&R Church and school violence can happen anywhere and anytime in churches and schools, regardless of size. No one is immune. On Nov. 5, in the peaceful community of Sutherland Springs, Texas, a lone gunman opened fire in the First Baptist Church, killing 26 people and injuring about 20. In this small community of about 400 people, people knew their neighbors. Many were related family
By Chris Kelly Exec. VP, Tennessee Baptist Foundation As we near the finish line for 2017, now is a great time to think about your year-end giving. The last few months of the year are historically the busiest for the financial offices of churches and other Baptist causes. Personally, we know that the holiday season from Thanksgiving to Christmas to New Year’s Day is a blur of church services, turkey,
By David Leavell, President, Tennessee Baptist Convention Every Tennessee Baptist knows John 3:16. It truly is the Gospel in a nutshell i.e. the greatest verse
By Martha Pitts Germantown Baptist Church, Germantown A sudden loss of a friend right before Christmas brought on a very somber mood and reflection on
By Randy C. Davis TBMB President & Executive Director “… That their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector Happy New Year! We have heard that phrase numerous times over the past few days and probably will
By Johnnie Godwin Contributing Columnist, B&R Dad was grateful for gifts he received and liked and he would let you know it. But Dad was
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector Last year the Baptist and Reflector told the story of Tiffany Bowen, a pastor’s wife in West Tennessee,
By Randy C. Davis TBMB President & Executive Director Aren’t you glad it is Christmas? You can settle into your favorite chair by the fire,
By Anthony Jordan Exec. Dir., Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma OKLAHOMA CITY (BP) — While we have been seeing Christmas advertisements for weeks, the Christmas
By Carolyn Tomlin Contributing Writer, B&R Church and school violence can happen anywhere and anytime in churches and schools, regardless of size. No one is
By Chris Kelly Exec. VP, Tennessee Baptist Foundation As we near the finish line for 2017, now is a great time to think about your