I’m a people person. To the extreme. So extreme that I’m often that seriously annoying kind of people-people-people-y person. That one. That’s me. Every time someone tells me that it takes a village, it doesn’t even matter much what we want the village to do, I come back with an enthusiastic, “Yes! Bring me that village! And all the surrounding villages. Tell the villagers to bring potato chips! I’ll take folks from three or four villages over. And their finger foods. Village-fest at my … [Read more...]
Giving for ministry
I have had lots of dreams. I bet you have too. A few of them have come true, like marrying that beautiful girl I saw from a distance on my first day of college; or pastoring a great church and seeing the Lord bless it. Some dreams, well I have matured past, like that “Unanswered Prayers” song. Others have crashed and burned despite my best efforts. But, this past Saturday, one of my long lost dreams, one I had abandoned a long, long time ago, came true. At least kind of. On September 26, … [Read more...]
Thank the minister in your life
For decades now there has been a concerted effort in October to express appreciation for the minister in your life. Perhaps 2020, with its COVID-19 cancel culture, face shields, and social distancing, frames the need for expressing appreciation for your pastor and other ministers more acutely than at any time in history. Plenty of studies are rolling out that speak to the pressures leaders are experiencing with the many facets of COVID-19 and their impact on life as we know it. As Sharon … [Read more...]
America is being driven to its knees – and that’s good
“My creed leads me to think that prayer is efficacious, and surely a day’s asking God to overrule all events for good is not lost.” – James Gilmour I hope we can agree that if there was ever a time we should be praying for our nation it is now. Sickness and strife are driving America to its knees. Let us make good use of such posture. E.M. Bounds wrote a classic on the subject, titled On Prayer. He writes: “The prayers of God’s saints are the capital stock in heaven by which Christ … [Read more...]
Consequences
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. – Galatians 6:7 (NKJV) Children need to be instilled with the understanding that there are consequences for all actions. It is so tempting to think, “Oh, isn’t that cute? Who could punish a child for that?” In reality, we are punishing children more when we let them grow up thinking they can get by with doing wrong things. My dad told me a story that is worth retelling. It seems that when my dad was … [Read more...]
Christian education a priceless investment
More than ever, parents face challenges when determining how they will educate their children in these uncertain times. As a Missouri Baptist pastor for 22 years and a former public school teacher, I encourage parents to strongly consider Christian education for their children and grandchildren. Christian education invites students to see and better understand the world through the perspective of God’s truth, the Bible. The Bible becomes the lens through which students view what they are … [Read more...]
Is that child giving you a hard time or having a hard time?
It’s tough when a child or teen acts out behaviorally, isn’t it? Whether it is your own child at home or a child you are responsible for at church or school, it can be frustrating and sometimes even frightening – especially if the child seems intent on hurting him/herself or someone else. We may often wonder, “What has gotten into that child?” But have you ever considered that when a child acts out it may be a signal from the child asking the parent, the school teacher, the Sunday school … [Read more...]
A piece of my mind or true peace of mind?
I was tempted to give somebody a piece of my mind the other day. Really tempted. And then I thought, Know what? I can’t spare it. I have no spare mind-parts. No surplus of brain cells here. Why would I give even one away? I need the pieces of my mind. All of them. It’s mindboggling though, how some people seem to know exactly how to find our anger buttons. And then they also know how to push them. Stomp on them. Jump up and down on that anger button like it’s just the most mad-fun … [Read more...]
‘Every offering, a love-gift’
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...]
Why MMO is so vitally important
The Rheubin L. South Missouri Missions Offering (MMO) is one of the three big designated offerings that Missouri Baptist churches receive during the course of a year. The other two are the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions. All three offerings by our Missouri Baptist churches are valuable and essential to the powerful work the Lord does with our churches toward sharing the gospel in the world, our … [Read more...]
All the inward parts
I’ll just crawl under the pew now, thanks. Has it happened to you? Right at the pastor’s most dramatically silent pause: your hideously loud stomach-growl. I say growl, but remember those old movies when Tarzan yodel-yelled and in response elephants stampeded? That. You put your hand over your stomach—like that’s going to muffle anything. Then the thought dawns that if there was one wolf-howling-at-the-moon growl, there will likely be more. That’s when you try to bargain with your … [Read more...]
Time to change the way Missourians select judges
It has been a decade since an attempt to change how Missouri selects its judges – especially the ones serving on the Missouri Supreme Court. The way we select and retain our judges is known as The Missouri Plan. Adopted in 1940, the goal was to remove politics from the judicial selection process. It is failing. Under the Missouri Plan, the governor appoints three citizens to serve on the judicial selection commission. They are joined by three Bar-elected members of the Missouri Bar … [Read more...]
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