One of the most freeing and relaxing teachings of Scripture is; God owns everything. “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof” (PS 24:1). We are not owners. We are merely stewards, temporary trustees. Realizing nothing belongs to us can help break our addiction and emotional attachment to stuff. This should make it easier for us to give to God. Since God owns everything anyway, there is a way in which we can say we never give Him anything. After David and the people gave … [Read more...]
‘Hurry sickness’ or waiting on God?
At the beginning of 2020, I was reflecting on changes I wanted to make and ways I hoped to grow over the upcoming year. My life was so busy and seemed at times to be almost out of control. I had heard the phrase “hurry sickness” and decided to do some research to see if I was afflicted with this “illness”. I found a checklist of symptoms: • Constant state of worry/stress – check. • Consistently multitasking – check. • Always feeling rushed/moving quickly – check. • Anxious when things … [Read more...]
True spirit of giving
The Christ-followers at Corinth had countless problems and squabbles. My guess is, they were Baptists. The Apostle Paul, in his two letters to the Corinthians, had to deal with several difficult, controversial topics. One delicate topic Paul was brave enough to broach with them was the issue of fundraising. A key event in Paul’s fruitful ministry was the offering he collected from poor Gentiles in Asia to be given to even poorer Jewish saints in Jerusalem. Paul prayed this offering would … [Read more...]
The future of worship
As a worship leader for the past 30 years, I have read countless articles titled, “The Future of Worship.” These have typically been written by a visionary “in the industry” that has his finger on the very pulse of the now and the future. Now, we are reading many articles on “The future of...” thanks to the COVID-19 virus. As I write this, I am spending time with our church staff looking at the reopening of our sanctuary “Regathering” at Parkway Baptist Church in St. Louis. It is my … [Read more...]
How much does your church know about MBCH?
One of the best parts of my job as an MBCH Foundation Regional Representative is speaking and preaching in Missouri Baptist churches on behalf of Missouri Baptist Children’s Home. I have been blessed to be invited into more than 45 churches annually since joining the MBCH Foundation Staff. The size and location of the churches where I speak varies widely. Some are large suburban/urban churches. Most are in the smaller rural communities that comprise our state. And, of course, several of … [Read more...]
Easing tension for children
I love being a Dad. I love being a grandfather even more. Our grandson is too young to talk yet, but I look forward to when he does. If he is anything like my children were growing up, he is going to pepper his parents with lots of questions. It will be interesting to see how well his parents respond to the onslaught. You remember some of the questions you had to field: “Why is the sky blue?” “Why do people die?” “Where do I come from?” “Who or what is God?” “How can Santa Claus visit all … [Read more...]
What is God teaching us?
Most would agree this year has been hard on many levels. Added to the normal daily stressors have been an array of life-changing events – global pandemic, economic shut down, and current social unrest. While the Christian worldview broadly understands everything fits perfectly into God’s complete plan (Ephesians 1:11), the question is often asked, “What is God teaching us?” To answer this question, a few biblical affirmations need to be made. First, Christians must recognize God uses … [Read more...]
Seeking hope while battling ‘the nation’s ancient sins’
My brother once wrote, “Slave labor was brought to the U.S. to cut the overhead costs of agriculture. But what they didn’t realize is that the costs weren’t cut; they were merely deferred.” America continues to suffer internally from ancient sins of our forefathers, just as we continue to benefit from their brilliance that brought us checks and balances, the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution. As many know at this point, a black man by the name of George Floyd was killed by … [Read more...]
SBC’s McLaurin: ‘Lament, listen, love, lead’
EDITOR’S NOTE: Willie McLaurin serves as vice president for Great Commission relations and mobilization with the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee. NASHVILLE (BP) – If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video recording must be worth a million. In the disturbing video of George Floyd, who died in Minneapolis on Memorial Day while in police custody, words are really hard to come by. A bystander's cellphone video showed a former police officer, Derek Chauvin, … [Read more...]
God is faithful, let us remain faithful
One of my favorite verses in all of scripture is 2 Timothy 2:13, which says, “if we are faithless, He remains faithful – for He cannot deny Himself.” (ESV). To me this verse speaks to one of God’s most reassuring character qualities and that is His unfailing faithfulness. The older I get, and more aware of my need for His grace I become, the more precious this truth becomes to me. God is not faithful to me because I deserve it or have somehow earned it but because He has decided to be a … [Read more...]
Three things I wish I knew before becoming a pastor
My first year of ministry was insane. I was 20, single, and was still in Bible college. I had taken a homiletics class and was thinking, “This is awesome!” But I butchered my first sermon big time. Now, I have been in ministry for 10 years, and some may get the idea that it has been an easy-breezy journey that led to the place I am today. But that was not the case. As each year went by, ministry did get better, but the first year was a real struggle. There were many hurdles I needed to … [Read more...]
Ahmaud Arbery and the image of God
I watched the video. I shouldn’t have. But I did. And it broke me. A young man, the same age as many of my students, shot in the street because neighbors thought he might be a person who matched a vague description of a reported thief. He wasn’t armed. Nor was he carrying anything. He wasn’t even running at a pace to get away from anyone. He was simply jogging. As he approached the truck parked in the middle of the street, he simply went around the truck and they shot at him. The … [Read more...]
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