“Joy to the world, the Lord has come!” “O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant! Come and behold him, born the King of angels!” “Hark! The herald angels sing, ‘Glory to the newborn King; peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled! Joyful, all ye nations rise, join the triumph of the skies, with the angelic host proclaim, Christ is born in Bethlehem!” Christmas is a time of joy. As these songs remind us, because the eternal Son of God came to this earth, peace … [Read more...]
‘Presence, not presents’
Ah, Christmas shopping. When you can find yourself completely enveloped in the smell of evergreen. And sometimes pepper spray. When my five kids were little, I remember sometimes feeling my children thought my Christmas list was some sort of magic lamp. Make a wish, rub my list and POOF! It was under the tree. I might even remember one of them wishing for three more wishes. Every year I would resolve not to be manipulated. I would be very determined…as I wrote all their “wishes” down on … [Read more...]
Jesus as the firstborn
Jehovah’s Witnesses have a disturbing take on the apostle Paul’s description of Jesus as the “firstborn over all creation.” Consider how the Watch Tower renders Col. 1:15-17 in its New World Translation: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; because by means of him all other things were created in the heavens and on earth, the things visible and the things invisible, whether they are thrones or lordships or governments or authorities. All other things have … [Read more...]
Sutherland Springs: Proof texts and guns in church
After the recent horrific church shooting in Sutherland Springs, TX I saw a lot of varied reactions on social media. Of course there were renewed calls for stronger gun control laws and there was the predictable defense of Second Amendment rights. Many of social media posts both for and against gun control came from self-identified Christians. I believe that followers of Jesus should be vocal in this debate, but that is not subject of this post. I want to discuss the exegesis of some of … [Read more...]
The cost of ingratitude
In Romans 1:18-22 the apostle Paul traces the downward course of human departure from God, beginning from ingratitude to Him in verse 21, to the deepest moral depravity in the statements that follow. In verse 18 he says that “the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness” – a warning we would do well to heed in these critical days. It all begins with ingratitude to God. Three times Paul says that … [Read more...]
Baker takes a look on the inside during annual convention sermon
RAYTOWN – Building off of a cryptic title, Kirk Baker, pastor of First Baptist, Camdenton, delivered the annual sermon to Missouri Baptist Convention annual meeting, speaking on “Chicken, cheese and cereal.” The title was a playful take off of Velveeta, a “cheese product,” Wyngz, a chicken-based snack with no wing meat, and Froot Loops, the sweet cereal that yet contains zero fruit. His text was 1 John 3:11-16: “For this is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love … [Read more...]
Missourians trust Scripture to transform
JEFFERSON CITY – John Stroup sat in a prison cell when the gospel arrested his attention. Now, through Freeway Ministries, which he and two other members of Crossway Baptist Church, Springfield, established, he strives to capture criminals for Christ and plug them into the local church. “I was raised in a drug-addict, drug-dealer environment,” Stroup said. “Everybody I knew is pretty much dead or doing life in prison.” In 2008, Stroup himself was serving time behind bars, when he … [Read more...]
Young Bible readers more likely to be faithful adults, study finds
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Most churchgoing Protestant parents of young adults say their kids grew up to be Christians. But half of them don’t actually practice the Christian faith, their parents say. And the biggest factor predicting their spiritual health as young adults is whether they read the Bible regularly as kids. Those are among the findings of a new study among Protestant churchgoers about parenting and spirituality from Nashville-based LifeWay Research. LifeWay Research … [Read more...]
Book Review: A primer on the Reformers’ theologies
Five-hundred years ago this month, Martin Luther posted ninety-five theses to the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. He hoped to start a debate about some important doctrinal issues, challenging the authority of the pope to forgive sins and the practice of essentially buying and selling the grace of Jesus Christ. Little did he know that his actions would spark a movement that would change the world, leading to what we now call the Protestant Reformation. It’s hard to overstate … [Read more...]
Listening, Seeking & Resting: Verti-coming and Verti-going
Have you ever had one of those world-tipping inner ear things? It’s about the worst kind of imbalance. It started small when it happened to me. My body kept trying to lean to one side. I felt like any minute somebody might come up behind me and try to stick a couple of sugar packets under my left foot. Then, as inner-ear malfunctions are wont to do, the thing accelerated and suddenly the world was very…how can I describe it? Very “Star Ship Enterprise.” The kind of Enterprise where some … [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...]
First Baptist Branson organizes conference to spotlight OT’s role
BRANSON – Many – including too many in the church – see the first 39 books of the Bible as irrelevant and outdated, supplanted by the Good News of the New Testament. First Baptist Church of Branson is looking to disprove that notion. The Church is hosting a conference October 6-7 entitled “Christianity and the Death of the Old Testament.” The aim of this conference is to provide teaching and tools to ensure that believers take seriously all of God’s Word and are better prepared to read … [Read more...]
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