“It was the best of times…it was the worst of times.” You have probably heard these words before, but before you expend too much brain power trying to come up with the source, let me go ahead and tell you that author Charles Dickens wrote them. You may know him from his work, A Christmas Carol. However, this quote is actually from another of his writings, A Tale of Two Cities. While at first, it may seem odd I am not using a quote from A Christmas Carol, the more one considers those … [Read more...]
It was a full day
I had just finished my second sermon of the morning at Concord Baptist Church in Jefferson City, where I serve as an interim pastor; then Kendra and I jumped into the car for the several-hour drive to a different church in southwest Missouri to preach that evening. Being invited to preach is always an honor, but being invited back is an even bigger one. It was my first time at this particular church, and we did not know what we would experience. My attendance expectations were low as it … [Read more...]
Dealing with doubt?
EDITOR'S NOTE: Neil Franks serves as president of the Missouri Baptist Foundation. I have a funny last name. Not like a name that makes you laugh or a name that is hard to pronounce; rather, my last name is sometimes confused for a first name. For instance, I admired my wife’s pastor; he was a fantastic godly leader and a brilliant expositor of the Word. One Sunday, we returned from Seminary for a visit; I looked forward to seeing him and listening to his sermon. At the end of the … [Read more...]
Count it all, Joy
I work with accountants. I like accountants; God likes accountants; you should like accountants. They are full of tenacity, many of whom are the finest examples of Christian kindness you will ever find. However, accountants will require you to “code” every transaction. Expenses must be “charged back” or correctly identified based on the transaction’s already determined exact account number. Getting close does not count; for instance, writing account number 482628402974 is not the same as … [Read more...]
We are all interim
I have the fantastic privilege of currently serving as an interim pastor. The word “interim” comes from the Latin, meaning “time intervening.” Or, in other words, “the time in between” two points or events. As pastors, we use the “interim” title to describe the person between the two “permanent” pastors. But, if you think about it, there is no such thing as a “permanent” pastor. If there were, there would never be the need for an interim. The truth is, all pastors are interim. I serve … [Read more...]
Have it your way
I recently sat down with some pastor friends for lunch. It was a place they had taken me to before, but this time I was ready. It was one of those “choose your own pizza toppings” place. Sort of like the old Subway concept where you can point out the ingredients you want to have added to your sandwich, but this time with pizza. Last time, I was not prepared for all the options, and I opted for the traditional Meat Lovers equivalent. But this time, I was ready: four size options, three … [Read more...]
Double the return on your investment
The farmer puts seed in the ground to harvest a crop in return. The financier puts money into a stock in order to gain a financial return. You remodel your house to produce a higher resale value. The desire to produce a return on our time, effort and money is common to all people. But what if you could get double the return? I know what you are thinking. “Neil, this sounds like one of those get rich quick schemes I hear about on the news.” Wait! Here me out. There is another way to … [Read more...]
Are you in shape?
It’s the new year. The time of year we should all ask ourselves, “Am I in shape?” No, not that kind of shape. (Although, as Pa Grape of the old Veggie Tales cartoon insisted, round is a shape.) I am referring to your fiscal shape, not your physical shape. While you should fully recognize your physical shape may impact your fiscal shape. We are all aware if poor physical health is not one of your priorities, then you may expend more financial resources on medical bills than you intend. … [Read more...]
An underrated tool
As football season comes to an end, at least on the collegiate level, it is the perfect time to look back and think of what might have been. After years of a dumpster fire of a football program at the University of Arkansas, I was ecstatic to celebrate an eight-win season. The victories over Texas A&M, Texas, LSU, and, (apologies to my fellow Missourians) MIZZOU were especially sweet. However, consider what might have been. We would have had nine wins if it were not our year to play … [Read more...]
Plan your generosity for the gospel
It was a stereotypical Monday morning. I filled my plastic Missouri Baptist Foundation logoed cup with water and placed it on my desk. I opened my computer to start the daily tasks. I carefully reached over to move my cup further away so I would not knock it over. But I immediately knocked it over! The water, of course, went everywhere. I quickly moved the computer to higher ground and began limiting the floodwaters. Unfortunately, some papers I deemed less critical were sacrificed as … [Read more...]
The unstoppable Mrs. Brown
Many of you are familiar, I suppose, with “the unsinkable Molly Brown.” A century ago, she was well known for surviving the Titanic sinking and famously threatening the crewman in charge of lifeboat #6 to return to look for other survivors. She, of course, was born in Hannibal, Mo., as Margaret Tobin. At age 18, she moved to Colorado, where she met and married a poor man out of love. That poor man, JJ Brown, struck it rich in mining and catapulted Mrs. Brown to a life of affluence, … [Read more...]
Help ministry thrive for years to come
I often joke that I know exactly what the stock market is going to do. I know it will go up, and I know it will go down – I just don’t know when. Which, of course, is the real trick; knowing when certain events are going to happen. What is true of the market is true in real life. We know we will die, or more accurately stated, we know our bodies will die, and our souls will be transported to another dimension. (The second part of that statement is intensely debated with some believing … [Read more...]
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