Who wants to come to the end of something and say, “Oops!” Or, “I really messed up!” Or, “If only I had . . .” Whether you are talking about closing out an event, a career, a year, a life or a chapter in your life, you want to glance back over your shoulder and see that you finished well. Years ago, an author/speaker challenged me to consider my birthdate and the reality of my end date. Then he said, “What are you going to do with the middle?” He went on to say that no matter how you … [Read more...]
Five Biblical Response to Ferguson
A few days ago, we hosted the Heartland Prayer Summit 2 in Ferguson, Mo. It was an amazing experience. No doubt the Lord heard men and women of God calling out in faith. Now history records the brokenness of our culture. Ferguson is permanently scarred. However, our God remains faithful to His people. He is the hope for change and restoration. Our priority is to draw near to Him. One of the facilitators for the prayer summit is Bill Elliff. In response to the tragedy in Ferguson, he … [Read more...]
Grateful Beyond Measure
“Your PET scan is clear.” When you’re facing the prospect of melanoma cancer cells exploding within your body, that is amazing news to hear. That is exactly what my Sugarbabyluv, my Sharon, was told this week. We are so grateful for the host of friends in Missouri and across the nation who took hold of the altar of God and pleaded for her healing. Thank you for being intercessors on our behalf. Using surgery, radiation, dietary changes and faith to address the tumor and rogue cells, we … [Read more...]
Five things to remember about Baptists and the gay issue
Every morning, the Wall Street Journal arrives at my office. I read it to capture a relatively balanced view of cultural trends and financial markets in the U.S. and the world. Needless to say, I was shocked that the Journal ran articles about Southern Baptists and Apple Corporation’s Tim Cook on the same page. Interestingly, Cook’s “coming out” announcement was actually verification of old news. Running a story about Southern Baptists above the fold was a shock. The headline read, … [Read more...]
Cooperation: God’s fellow workers, God’s field, God’s building
When studying the whole of Scripture, there are some verses a believer must not miss. Special care needs to be given to those passages that have to do with our personal identity in Christ. Take a fresh look at 1 Cor. 3:9 – “for we are all God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.” One of the most powerful truths in this passage is the use of a possessive descriptor, “God’s.” What an amazing thought to be called something that belongs to the Lord Himself! Every follower of … [Read more...]
Help our children experience a childhood
Have we lost our minds? Since when did we let an adolescent drive a car? There may be some older children or young teens who know how to drive, but they don’t have a clue about the cost of insurance, maintenance or driving courtesy. Their reflexes and motor skills may be superior to those of a 50-year-old. However, they lack the maturity and responsibility to care about the lives of others while driving a vehicle. Now that we’ve settled that issue, let’s take a look at what is spinning … [Read more...]
Honor God by Honoring the Man of God
October is Pastor Appreciation Month The Lord has brought to this state, at this time in history, some of the finest pastors in the Kingdom. These men, who weep with the hurting and equip the saints to walk by faith, have humble hearts set on making others successful through ministries of service and preaching of the Word. Through the years, the challenges of leadership have a way of draining godly men of their physical, emotional and spiritual vitality. They know that the moment they … [Read more...]
Let’s honor God with our final distribution
The final distribution happens to everyone – no exceptions. There comes that time when everything we earned, inherited, accumulated or owned at death is distributed to loved ones, to our church, to ministries/organizations we value, to creditors, or to a dumpster. For the person who wants to be known for faithfulness and gratitude, the way we manage our stuff is important. Our Lord is very interested in us being faithful with the things of this world. He told the wise servant, “Well … [Read more...]
The key component for making a difference
I sat next to a young church planter, Joel St-Cyr. Earlier in the conversation, he told how God was moving in such a fashion that the one-year-old church plant was often experiencing 200 in worship attendance in Montreal, the most unreached city in North America. It is still embryonic, but there seems to be a movement of God in this city. When Joel was asked why the church was baptizing so many young adults, his quick, yet thoughtful, answer was “prayer.” Then he unpacked what he meant … [Read more...]
Our obedience … His abundance
Empty nesters answering God’s call to care for orphans. A church reaching out to 6,000 Filipino immigrants living in Missouri. A once-withering church now hosting a vibrant congregation. A ministry devoted to loving the poor at nine different low-income housing sites. An international student ministry reaching 90,000 foreign-born college students in Missouri. A Missouri pastor taking part in his first international mission trip. What do these ministry stories have in … [Read more...]
Call to prayer Aug. 21
Pastors and church leaders, please accept my personal invitation to a Heartland Prayer Summit Aug. 21. Our facilitators are SBC President Ronnie Floyd and OneCry leader Bill Elliff. We are meeting at Crossway Baptist Church in Springfield from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Included is a light lunch. There is no cost for the event other than to arrive with an anxious heart to call out to the Lord. We do need you to register online or by calling Betty Benz Pulliam at 573.636.0400 ext. 302. I … [Read more...]
Clarifying the vision
I join a host of others who are so grateful for the new day dawning at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Jason Allen and his team are transitioning the seminary to the forefront of theological education. How? By reclaiming the priority of “why?” – doing everything they do “for the church.” In a recent blog post, Allen addressed with amazing clarity key issues that are foundational to the cooperative ministries that we do as Missouri Southern Baptists. I asked him for permission to … [Read more...]
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