You don’t have to work in a church or go to a distant “mission field” to be actively involved in ministry and missions. The staff at Missouri Baptist Children’s Home believes they are called by God to minister to hurting children, youth and families in Missouri. They sincerely believe they are missionaries, just like those serving in what we traditionally think of as “mission fields.” To be an MBCH missionary, you don’t need a theological degree. You don’t need to be ordained. You often … [Read more...]
Giving your estate plans a check-up
One of the goals people might be working on now is being sure their tax preparation is completed by the April 15 deadline. Once a person has filed the 2018 tax returns, the next best goal to set and accomplish is to make or review your estate plans. With the most complete and current picture of one’s financial affairs in mind, now is a good time to give yourself the “peace of mind” by having a plan that cares for family and the ministries and/or charities that are loved and respected. It is … [Read more...]
Put love on autopilot
Confession time. Sometimes when I’m driving and realize I’m lost, I automatically turn down the radio. It’s not so I can hear the GPS. I turn down the radio even when there’s no GPS. Why do I do it? Honestly, I don’t know. Maybe it’s so I can more clearly hear what “lost” sounds like? Of course, if I had to guess what lost sounds like, I’d guess it makes an I-should-pull-in-here-for-coffee sound. If I listen hard enough, I can hear extra whip. Want to know what else I do without thinking? … [Read more...]
You are foreknown
This is the second in a series of excerpts from the new MBC resource, “What Every Christian Should Know About Salvation,” available at mobaptist.org/apologetics. God knows everything, which means nothing surprises Him. Satan’s brash rebellion didn’t catch the Creator off guard. Neither did Adam’s fall send the Lord into divine panic, forcing Him to sacrifice His Son in a desperate “Plan B.” Every event in time and eternity plays out exactly as God knows it will. His foreknowledge is more … [Read more...]
Transitioning home
The recovery journey began in 2001 with the idea that it would take just a few months to reclaim the corporations that removed themselves from the MBC family of ministries. The five entities filed legal papers to become self-perpetuating boards instead of boards duly elected by the MBC. After early reconciliation processes failed, litigation began. Eighteen years later, the court-ordered mandate was issued on March 13 to seat MBC messengers. The final two entities, The Baptist Home and … [Read more...]
Caring for the poor in a fallen world
It has been a few years, but it still gnaws at me to this day. I stopped by the grocery one night on the way home. A lady, with a toddler, was in the checkout lane in front of me. She used food stamps to pay her bill. At that moment I felt the Holy Spirit impressing upon my conscience to step in and pay her bill. I did not do it. I had the opportunity to share God’s love, and I failed. I have asked God to forgive me and to give me other opportunities to help those in need. He has, and the … [Read more...]
Missing the obvious
When I was a young, I thought my Mother was ridiculous in one particular area of mothering. It was not manners, personal hygiene, or speaking in complete sentences but rather in an orderly closet. I had often wondered, “Did every mother require clothes in closets to be in impeccable order?” There was a precise process in the organization of the closet. From right to left, all clothing items must face the same direction and be organized according to type. Starting with skirts, capris, … [Read more...]
Follow the biblical model of multiplication
I love history. I love it because it teaches us so much about our current state and how to move forward. Let’s take a quick look at the explosion of the early church. At the time of Jesus’s crucifixion, there were 120 believers (Acts 1:14–15). The book of Acts is a record of how Acts 1:8 became reality in the first 40 years of the church’s existence. At the close of Acts, disciples had been made and churches established from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria (Acts 1:8) and then throughout … [Read more...]
Missouri Baptists must combat sexual abuse
God’s word is serious about the problem of sin. Only the cross of Christ can cure our sin problem. Yet, even after conversion, life in a fallen world requires the mortification of sin. John Owen’s oft quoted exhortation, “Be killing sin, or sin will be killing you,” is a word spoken to church folk! The lesson is stark and simple; We can’t give sin any room to grow, or grow it will. On Feb. 10, The Houston Chronicle published a story that drew attention to the sad reality that many Baptist … [Read more...]
You have been served
If it hadn’t required law school and…you know…brains and whatnot, I would be a lawyer right now. Except I wanted to do it exclusively so I could someday say to a colleague, “See ya later, litigator!” It’s all about the line! It’s probably just as well that I didn’t. For many reasons, yes, but also, some people might’ve considered it the wrong motivation for a career choice. But come on, the line! Plus, somewhere in the course of that long-term legal education I could’ve also used the line, … [Read more...]
Anything good takes five meetings
Catchy title. I thought so. I read the entire column by Andy Kessler in the Wall Street Journal, November 19, 2018. I know the column’s target audience was the business community. However, as I read, I realized this had application across multiple disciplines. In his days of young adult exuberance, Mr. Kessler was headed out the door of the office with papers and charts to make a pitch to a client. The boss stopped him at the door and asked, “What are doing with all that junk?” Taken back … [Read more...]
Contempt in our discourse demands biblical response
I recently testified at a Missouri House Judiciary Committee hearing on a bill requiring those who file separation of church and state-related lawsuits in Missouri to reveal the identity of the plaintiff. I was there to urge passage of the bill as a matter of religious liberty for all. But State Rep. Mark Ellebracht (D-Liberty), who sits on the committee, had something else in mind when he questioned my testimony. Here is what I said to the committee: “The Freedom from Religion Foundation … [Read more...]
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