SPRINGFIELD – Greg Stier’s family is the last group of people one might expect to produce a passionate witness for Christ. They were “thugs,” in and out of jail, and so rough and tumble that even local mafia called his uncles, “the Crazy Brothers.” And yet one day, on a dare, a hillbilly preacher dressed up in a suit knocked on one of the Crazy Brothers’ doors. That dare not only led to the Crazy Brother’s salvation, it led to a spiritual revolution in the entire family, including Greg … [Read more...]
Joby Martin: Stop comparing, start obeying
SPRINGFIELD – Joby Martin exhorted messengers to be content in obedience wherever God has placed them for service in his message during the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) annual meeting here, Oct. 23. Martin is the founder and lead pastor of The Church of Eleven22 in Jacksonville, Fla, which launched in 2012. He preached a sermon based on the Parable of the Talents found in Matthew 25. In that passage, the wealthy master expects obedience and productivity from each servant, even … [Read more...]
Resolutions on equal protection for preborn children, sexual abuse debated by MBC messengers
SPRINGFIELD – Messengers approved a slate of 10 resolutions during the Missouri Baptist Convention's (MBC) annual meeting, Oct. 23-24, but they spent a majority of discussion time focusing on two: Strengthening and Clarifying Laws Concerning Pastors and Churches Regarding Sexual Abuse, which passed; and On Equal Protection of the Laws for Preborn Children, which did not pass. All resolutions may be read in their entirety by going to mobaptist.org/annual-meeting/documents/ and clicking on … [Read more...]
Sowing gospel seeds: Bethany family plants fun, faith at Gospel Farms
BETHANY – Casey Joyce never intended to be a farmer, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t keen to see a harvest. For the associate pastor of First Baptist Church, here, plowing fields, planting crops, and sharing the fruits have become a way to introduce the gospel into everyday life, all with the goal of seeing a spiritual harvest. “We knock on doors and have evangelism programs at church, but I wanted to take what the Lord has blessed us with to generate gospel conversations,” Joyce said. … [Read more...]
Nearly 1,800 hear the Good News at LIFE Outreach event in Eldon
ELDON – Even among the crackle and roar of motorcycle engines, there’s room for the still, quiet voice of the gospel. Even as riders fly and flip through the air, the Holy Spirit can draw lost souls. The churches of Lake of the Ozarks Baptist Association saw all these things first hand, Sept. 13, as more than 1,700 people gathered in the Eldon High School gym to see a motorcycle stunt show and hear the good news of Jesus Christ. After conclusion and a gospel presentation, trained … [Read more...]
FBC Festus/Crystal City takes Christ to the homeless
FESTUS/CRYSTAL CITY – Missions can conjure up the notion of far-flung locales across the ocean and church planting among an unreached people group. But First Baptist Church, Festus/Crystal City, knows that those right around the corner at home are just as in need of the Gospel. The church engaged in a week of missions called "Hometown Missions,” July 31 through Aug. 3. It was a week of evangelism and service projects to our community that included morning Backyard Bible Clubs in an … [Read more...]
Freshwater takes ‘family mission trip’ to Montana
BILLINGS, Mont. – For Freshwater Church in Jefferson City, mission trips are a family affair. The congregation took 32 people – representing families with ages ranging from 4 to 65 – on a mission trip to partner with three churches in Montana. From June 23 to July 1, the Missouri Baptists worked alongside believers from Big Sky Country to serve the community and point people to Jesus. They broke into two teams, one serving in Billings in center of the state, and another serving in … [Read more...]
‘Sound of Freedom’ exposes sin of trafficking
KANSAS CITY – “Sound of Freedom” is a deeply unsettling and unpleasant viewing experience. It’s also a well-done, well-acted, riveting movie which – with a few caveats – demands to be seen. You may have heard of the film in recent days, perhaps due to its surprise success at the box office, its dark subject matter, its circuitous path to your local theater, or maybe all three. “Sound of Freedom” is based on the true story of Tim Ballard, federal agent on a crusade to rescue children … [Read more...]
Parkville churches join hands to reach community
PARKVILLE – Church walls don’t mean much when it comes to partnering together for the gospel. That was part of what was on display at Parkville 4 the Gospel, a joint worship service / event that brought hundreds to a busy park in this Kansas City suburb. The four churches participating were Fellowship Kansas City; Fellowship of Grace, Park Hill Baptist Church and River Park Baptist Church. “At the beginning of the year, us four pastors got together and had a conversation,” said Tyler … [Read more...]
Marshall pens book on Lincoln, Christianity
SPRINGFIELD – If you have a question about a U.S. president, you might ask John Marshall. Upon his retirement as long-time pastor of Second Baptist Church, here, he began diving deep into the histories of America’s 46 top executives. “I set out to read a major biography of every president,” Marshall said. “It took me two years, but I did it: 20,000+ pages. I plowed through them, reading the Pulitzer Prize-winning ones first.” And now, the current interim at National Heights Baptist … [Read more...]
Running the race: Jefferson City pastor finishes Boston Marathon
BOSTON – The Bible instructs Christians to “run the race with endurance,” but even the writer of Hebrews would have to admit that even the thought of running 26.2 miles is enough to make one’s legs sore. A physical marathon may not have some grand spiritual significance for the Hebrews metaphor, but Taylor Whitmore, lead pastor of Southridge Baptist Church in Jefferson City, crossed the finish line at the April 17 Boston Marathon and ran that race with endurance: all 26.2 miles up and down … [Read more...]
Missourians teach book of Revelation to pastors in Nicaragua
MANAGUA, Nicaragua – When Missouri pastors Lane Harrison and Chris Williams signed up to teach and train pastors in Nicaragua, they didn’t know they’d be signing up for one of the more challenging books of the Bible to understand and preach through: Revelation. But all Scripture – including each part that takes effort to understand – is God-breathed, so the Missouri pastors committed to teach Revelation during a mid-March trip to the Central American nation. Harrison, lead pastor of … [Read more...]
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