Christians throughout the United States observe January as Sanctity of Human Life Month. This is an opportunity for churches to remember the millions of lives lost to abortion since 1973. It is important for us to not only remember the lives lost, but to pray and provide the resources needed by young mothers so they will not see abortion as an answer to their situations. The LIGHT House is on the front lines, working with young women and their families in sharing the truth about the … [Read more...]
From cover to cover
“You’re going to cover that, right?” Standard microwave-operating question. It’s actually more command than question. And I don’t think the answer should ever be “no.” Especially if it’s a lasagna reheat. Heating uncovered lasagna in the microwave leaves a tiny-little murder scene. Still, through the years—more than once, even—I’ve heard one of my family members answer something like, “It’s fine. I’m only heating it for a few seconds.” I picture myself stringing tiny crime scene tape. So … [Read more...]
Kneel for the Lost
In recent days, Sharon and I went to a prayer meeting at the Jerusalem Prayer Center in Israel. The place was a large house on Embassy Row that was formerly the consulate for a European country. Now, it has been converted into a beautiful location for prayer. The staff was very grateful for the Missouri Baptists that volunteered and assisted with the construction of a garden at the facility. Those who supervised the place reminded our group that we needed to be quiet because some people … [Read more...]
Expanded gambling threatens Missouri families
From the first day The Pathway began publishing, God has impressed upon us to use it to warn His Church of impending danger. The moral issues facing American society have grown exponentially in recent decades, posing challenges to a biblical worldview.The Pathway strives to provide Missouri Southern Baptists with biblical answers to society’s problems. The Pathway staff sees ourselves as watchmen in the watchtower, as described in Ezekiel 33. We feel called to warn the Church of sin and … [Read more...]
IMB missionary: ‘I’ll continue to pray’
CENTRAL ASIA – Praying in the local language is one of the hardest things I’ve done on the mission field. My face has flushed hot with embarrassment as I trip over grammar and falter over each word. I can’t count how many times I’ve wondered if any of the spiritual words I’m stringing together in prayer make sense. But I’m convinced praying in the local language is one of the most important things I’ve done. I recently visited my neighbor who had just celebrated her 98th birthday. She … [Read more...]
Five ways to cultivate a culture of discipleship
American churches are in crisis. Nearly 4,000 churches close every year in North America. Ed Stetzer estimates that 70 percent to 80 percent of all evangelical churches in the U.S. have either stopped growing or are in decline! We are in a crisis of discipleship. I believe with all my heart, a return to transformational leadership and biblical disciple-making will enact a 21st- century Reformation. If disciple-making is our focus, then it ought to be one of our highest priories in every … [Read more...]
Checking our mind-settings
Is putting my vitamins in baggies and keeping them in my computer bag a healthy use of my devices? I figure if I’m constantly reaching for a phone or a computer and those vitamins are in there, I’ll remember to take them, right? But is there a vitamin I can put in that bag—an essential oil somewhere, maybe?—that will help me remember to actually swallow those vitamins? Or even better, how about a pill to prevent me from searching for my phone while I’m holding it? Not that I ever do that. … [Read more...]
A heritage is like a relay team
As I read the following quote from Eugene Peterson in a Paula Hemphill post, I was captivated by its simple truth: “Without a cultivated memory, we live from hand to mouth on fad and novelty. But Christians don’t sprint out of the starting blocks in each generation in a race for heaven. We are on a relay team. We have a heritage, a richly composted family history.”* She went on to say that the quote resonated deeply in her heart. And her mission is focused on passing on a love for God’s … [Read more...]
Denominational discourse & the future of the SBC
Klemens von Metternich was one of Europe’s greatest statesmen during the 19thCentury. Both as foreign minister, and then for nearly three-decades as chancellor of the Austrian Empire, his statecraft shaped Europe and prevented numerous wars. Most consequentially, Metternich presided over the Congress of Vienna in 1814-15, which determined the post-Napoleonic configuration of Europe. His era came to be known as the “Age of Metternich.” Metternich observed that nation-states are motivated to … [Read more...]
A warning on fake news, setting the record straight
Former NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw does not share the same biblical worldview which I espouse. But I agree with the legendary newsman who is worried about the condition of American journalism. Southern Baptists ought to pay attention. “I think the most extraordinarily powerful tool and the most destructive development in modern life is the current media,” said the author and TV Hall of Famer in a recent interview with Artful Living magazine. He criticized the divisive nature of media and … [Read more...]
Why did we buy Windermere?
(See related stories here and here) So you might be wondering…Why would Straightway Holdings, Inc., a subsidiary of the Missouri Baptist Foundation, purchase a distressed campground called Windermere Baptist Conference Center? It is a reasonable question, and one in which our staff and trustees wrestled for some time. I would like to take this opportunity to attempt an explanation. In case you have not already heard, the real estate and real property of Windermere Baptist Conference … [Read more...]
Testimony: ‘God always provided!’
Some conversations are never forgotten! A poignant sentence at an impressionable time in my early teen years opened my eyes to the stewardship of my parents and the faithfulness of God. This single sentence challenged me to live responsibly as a steward of my finances. I grew up in a large family. I was the middle child with three older sisters and three younger brothers. My mother came to know the Lord as a young girl when someone in her neighborhood noticed that her family didn’t go to … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- …
- 84
- Next Page »