Can spiritual maturity be achieved in a one-way lecture-based environment? School teachers grimace at the thought of teaching children in a large classroom in which one lesson is expected to apply to everyone. Speaking without listening is not communication if it lacks a feedback loop. Just as each student has a unique learning level, each follower of Jesus has a spiritual growth story. How can a preacher or small group leader know what is being caught no matter how deep theologically he … [Read more...]
When a Bible promise is not for you
This time of year Christians send and receive a variety of graduation gifts that feature Jer. 29:11 –“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” It’s a wonderful biblical promise. The problem is … it’s not for graduates. As Christians in the U.S., we have a tendency to Westernize, personalize, and lift out of context many passages of Scripture so that they lose their original meaning – and worse, … [Read more...]
Stand firm, speak boldly, pray for fire from heaven
Since its establishment by the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) Executive Board in June 2002, The Pathway has attempted to shine the truth of Scripture on the issues of the day. We are motivated by our passion for the Truth – and Lordship – of Christ to permeate all of reality. We aggressively do so by taking full advantage of the God-given rights that come with being American. Christians in America have been blessed with the freedom to express our faith in the marketplace of ideas, not … [Read more...]
Which translation of the Bible should we use?
There is an alphabet soup of Bible translations available today, from the KJV to the NIV and the NASB to the HCSB. This has led some critics to conclude that because there is so much variation between translations, no one really knows what the Bible says. This attack on inerrancy is misplaced. Keep in mind that the Bible’s autographs, or original documents, are inerrant – not subsequent copies and translations. Even though there are dozens of English translations that differ in varying … [Read more...]
John Yeats: Habits of godly leaders
What do godly leaders practice that set them apart from other leaders? Godly leaders may be observed in every walk of life: pastors, plumbers, farmers, homemakers, clerical assistants, medical professionals, executives, students, academicians. You name it; there are godly leaders in every sphere of life who make a difference. I’ve observed a few common habits that godly leaders possess that I think separate them from the crowd. This is not a researched list of habits – just some … [Read more...]
John Yeats: Could we be limiting God with unfaithfulness?
We love David: the shepherd boy who became king. David was the giant slayer. He was the singer, songwriter and poet of Scripture. He was the man after God’s own heart. He wasn’t perfect by any measurement. Sin was included in his history. He had a dysfunctional family, too. Because David is such a hero in Scripture we forget how ordinary he was. When we first meet him he is tending his father’s sheep. His first assignment was to carry the king’s armor; his second was to play music to … [Read more...]
A Christian perspective on beauty
As Christians talking about beauty, we must begin with the Apostle Paul’s exhortation to stop being conformed to this world. We are to have transformed minds, renewed by thinking on God and His ways. Only then will discernment reign, and only then will our lives be marked by beauty. First, let’s begin by stating the problem. Defining beauty is like nailing Jell-O to a wall. We have all heard the dictum, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” and certainly there is truth in this. … [Read more...]
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