Gary Ledbetter, editor of the Southern Baptist TEXAN: “The Southern Baptist Convention is more durable than one year’s business can permanently fix or break.”

I’ve heard several times the analogy that the Southern Baptist Convention is like a family. And sometimes we act like family. When family gets together, there are probably a few who are just a little difficult, but we choose to love each other anyway. After all,  we are family. If one part of the family hurts, we all hurt.

One June day, several years ago, even before I met Sharon, I had a special moment with God and His Word. It was a warm day at camp where the Scriptures came alive to me. It was this moment in my history when I knew that I knew the Lord was calling me to surrender my heart and life to minister in His name.

Memorial Day is not just another holiday on the federal holiday list. It is a powerful moment to remember the people and their stories. It is also prime time to give thanks for what they died for: our freedoms of life, liberty, and purpose.

“... we haven’t a clue as to the specific purpose God has in store for them. ... But we do know that adequately training our children holds the greatest possibilities for fulfilling their potential.”

In our culture, “the fear of the Lord” is absent from our vocabulary. It’s not even a passing thought. We do things and say things as if we are the kings of our little kingdoms. Yet the voice of the Lord echoes into our time through Psalm 34:9 and tells us loudly and clearly, “O fear the Lord, you His saints; for to those who fear Him, there is no want” (NASB).

"The days of Internet communications and short-cycle news have robbed many people of their capacity to discern. They just gulp down what they read as if it’s true or because it sounds like something they feel. ... They don’t wait to verify or to test what they have heard. They just gulp it down as 'truth' without a fact check."

Dedicate your marriage to the Lord. From a biblical perspective, marriage is not just between two people. The Lord is a significant part of this relationship.