Nearly everyone admits the world is broken, at least to some extent. There’s a disconnect between “what is” and “what ought to be.” People pursue happiness, only to die sad and alone. Our stuff wears out, loses its luster, or gets stolen. Buses run late, baristas can’t make a decent latte, and the wrong team wins the Super Bowl. Worse, evil runs rampant. ISIS bombs innocent concert-goers. Governments starve their people, even in resource-rich countries. Twitter wars trash … [Read more...]
MBC Annual Meeting and 100th tax anniversary
The MBC Annual Meeting is right around the corner. Allow me to alert you to seven highlights: Corporate prayer. There is nothing quite so special as God’s people calling out to the Lord for our neighbors, and for a nation that is in desperate need of the Lord. All we have to do is watch the news to learn how decadent our culture has become. This creates an amazing opportunity for believers to share their faith through spiritual conversations in multiple venues. Adoption of new … [Read more...]
A conflicted culture: Calling evil by its name
It is often the arts in which worldviews are communicated in culture. I am reminded of Thomas Harris’s The Silence of the Lambs, a horror novel made into a grisly, terrifying movie. An imprisoned serial killer, Hannibal Lector, a monster who bludgeoned and cannibalized his victims, is asked by a young female FBI agent to help catch another killer. “What possible reason could I have for cooperating with you?” Lector asks. “Curiosity,” says Agent Starling. “About what?” Lector … [Read more...]
Mo. Sen. David Sater: Creating a better foster care system
There are over 13,000 children currently in Missouri’s foster care system. Due to circumstances beyond their control, these children are wards of our state. That means that they are our responsibility and, in a way, are all our children. They are Missouri’s children. Over time, some of these 13,000 children will return to their families, some will be adopted and some will remain in the system until they age out. Sometimes, these children come to the state from difficult and even tragic … [Read more...]
Seven action items to affirm your minister
Each year and especially the second Sunday of October, a time is set aside to acknowledge the important and valuable work of ministers of the gospel who serve as leaders of local churches. It is a time to simply express gratitude for the people God has called to our churches to help us grow in faith, help us fulfill our purpose in life and help us through the struggles of life. Of all the things a church can do to express gratitude, one thing that is on top of the list is RESPECT. Granted, … [Read more...]
Honor, provide for your pastor
I have pastored churches in Missouri, Kentucky, New York, and Florida over the last 21years of my life. There is no greater privilege than being called to the great responsibility of shepherding the beloved people of God as an instrument in the hands of the Great Shepherd of our souls. Pastoring can be hard, but the joys of work far outweigh the heartaches. There is nothing I would rather do with my life than caring for God’s people so that they grow up into Christ. Colossians 1:28 says, … [Read more...]
Two books for raising kids in the faith
As a pastor I am often asked by parents what books or resources I would recommend for helping their children grow in their faith. There are two books I recommend above all others. One of them is a fictional story of a child searching for a King to help him get rid of the stains all over his body, while the other covers the storyline of the Bible from Genesis all the way through Revelation. Both are all about the gospel, and together give children (and their parents) a clear, engaging … [Read more...]
A personal testimony of God’s faithfulness
It has been 14 months since my wife, Bernadette, went home to be with the Lord. I have been reluctant to remove many of her personal items. That time will come, but not yet. God and His people have sustained me through the grieving period and I am in a much better place today than I was even six months ago. I thank God for his faithfulness even as you have prayed for me and extended so many acts of kindness. They are too many to acknowledge individually. I have learned that God’s grace … [Read more...]
Satanists invade Missouri, fighting in courts for abortion
Satanists are attacking Missouri. They are doing so in many ways and we are foolish to think they are not doing it in the halls of our government. Government is one of only three institutions ordained by God (the others being the family and the Church). It should come as no surprise when they attack God’s ordained institutions. Scripture warns us about this conflict and the impact such evil may have on God’s creation. The Apostle Paul warned us of this reality in Eph. 6:10-12: “Finally, … [Read more...]
Children, pets, priorities
“… and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator …” – Romans 1:25 It can be a good thing for children to have pets. They can learn responsibility in caring for them. They can learn compassion as they think about the pet being hungry, thirsty, or in the cold. However, when a pet becomes more important than children or others, aren’t we bordering on worshiping an idol? It isn’t carved in wood or stone, but nevertheless is perhaps taking our time, money, and attention to the … [Read more...]
A religion of the Book: The King James Bible
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the 20th column in a year-long series leading up to the 500th anniversary of the 16th-century Reformation on Oct. 31, 2017. When Queen Elizabeth I died childless after 45 years in power, the dynasty of the Tudor family descended from Henry VIII also ended. Now, the English monarchy went to the Stuart family and, specifically, to the Scottish King James VI—now crowned also as King James I of England. During his reign in Scotland, King James became familiar with … [Read more...]
The hymnal
There has never been a stronger argument for the disuse of something in worship in a very long time as the hymnal in the 21st century church. We have projection, chord sheets, SongSelect™, ProPresenter™, and much, much more. Why even bother with a hymnal, especially a denominational hymnal? The denominational hymnal began with Hymns Ancient and Modern back in 1861 in England from a board of Anglicans known as “The Proprietors.” It was presented as such to codify the doctrine and teaching … [Read more...]
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