A farmer spent years teaching his son how to plow, plant, and harvest. Through years the farmer grew old. By 1947, the man was a grandfather and his son now had a boy of his own. Together, the two men watched the son plow by himself for the first time. By the middle of the day, the son had grown weary and was far from finished. He looked up at the house and his father held out a glass of water. When he got to the house he saw food and a pitcher of lemonade. As the son devoured the meal, … [Read more...]
Statewide Prayer for revival, evangelism begins Jan. 15
SPRINGFIELD – Churches are encouraged to participate in 21 Days of Revival and Evangelism conducted Jan. 15-Feb. 4 to prepare for personal revival. This leads up to FURNACE: the State Evangelism/Discipleship Conference. Those who registered for FURNACE prior to Jan. 2 were mailed a free Revival & Evangelism: 21 Day Prayer Guide by Sammy Tippit. Springfield’s Ridgecrest Baptist Church will host the conference, Feb. 5-6, 2015. The conference theme, inspired by the story of Shadrach, … [Read more...]
Evangelizing while in the furnace
After interviewing five men from Central Asia in refugee camps, I asked them what would attract them to actually listen to Bible stories on the radio. After suggesting five or six options, I asked, “Would you listen to conversion testimonies from Muslims, even Muslim religious leaders?” Their eyes grew wide. One asked through an interpreter, “There is such a thing?” In their country, conversion was considered an act of treason punishable by death. One man said that his child was almost … [Read more...]
What you should know about Chrislam
Christians sharing the gospel in Muslim-dominated countries take incredible risks. And converts from Islam to Christianity are routinely banished, imprisoned or murdered. So, how do Christian missionaries teach Muslims about Jesus when Islam denies His deity and death on the cross? And how do new converts from Islam to Christianity worship Jesus without inviting severe persecution? One answer is Chrislam, the bringing together of Christianity and Islam. Proponents of Chrislam say that … [Read more...]
A witness born in blood
In Fahrenheit 451, author Ray Bradbury depicted book-burning as a way to control the masses. The government in that dystopian future wanted to stamp out dissenting voices. In their place, people were given access to “parlor walls,” which were giant flatscreen televisions airing sappy entertainment and sports. Even Bibles were discarded in the trash or burned. The story’s hero eventually discovered a country hideaway where individuals had memorized entire books. Because a war broke out … [Read more...]
Real Encounter stunts bring 64 to Christ
RUSSELLVILLE – Brad Bennett and other members of Real Encounter flew through the air with the greatest of ease, but it wasn’t on a trapeze. It was on a bicycle. Real Encounter is a ministry of professional athletes in the area of moto stunts, street bike stunts and BMX stunts. This year, Real Encounter earned a standing ovation from the judges on “America’s Got Talent.” According to the team, “the extreme stunt show is our platform, but Jesus Christ has center-stage in our lives as … [Read more...]
FURNACE: 2015 Evangelism Conference
SPRINGFIELD – The Missouri Baptist Convention’s (MBC) 2015 state evangelism and discipleship conference will challenge church leaders to remain faithful to God and to His call despite hardship. Springfield’s Ridgecrest Baptist Church will host the conference, called “Furnace,” Feb. 5-6, 2015. Ridgecrest can hold up to 1,000 people. The conference theme is inspired by the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the book of Daniel – a story that International Mission Board (IMB) … [Read more...]
Americans & the Bible
Americans need God’s Word just as much as they ever have; yet research shows they are reading Scripture less. Just like so many in the Church, we long to see a renewal of Scripture engagement in America. Four years ago, American Bible Society embarked on an annual survey of American adults to gauge their beliefs about the Bible, their knowledge of Scripture and their time spent in God’s Word. The State of the Bible research shows some alarming trends in the past four years. For example, … [Read more...]
Teams map 65 people groups in Missouri
JEFFERSON CITY – A dozen interns sent out by the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) canvassed Kansas City, St. Louis and Jefferson City for 10 weeks this summer, mapping out pockets of lostness in these cities. Late last month, the Missouri Baptist Convention released a report summarizing what they found in these Missouri cities: namely, more than five dozen people groups from around the globe that need to hear the gospel. The survey work—a joint project of the MBC, the North American … [Read more...]
Urgent to reach the lost, like firemen on 9/11
A high-profile pastor from New York City addressed a large conference for church planters and evangelism leaders. He gave a rousing cry for evangelism. He said the need is so urgent that we should be like the firefighters that went into the Twin Towers on 9/11. They didn’t pick certain people to help. They went in to save them all! The mental image of that story was very powerful. The spiritual need is great! Everyone is important. Do we abandon people group missions? Do we stop learning … [Read more...]
A timeless message from a great preacher
R.G. Lee Payday Someday from Baptist Press on Vimeo. Some people have called it the most famous sermon of the 20th century. R.G. Lee, pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis from 1927 to 1960, was best known for his sermon "Payday Someday," which used the story of Ahab and Jezebel from 1 and 2 Kings to portray God's judgment against sinners. Lee preached the sermon more than 1,000 times to some 3 million people and as a result saw more than 8,000 professions of faith in Christ as Lord … [Read more...]
What’s it gonna take to reach Missouri with the gospel?
Jesus advised a man to “count the cost” before following Him. The WIGtake question is “What’s It Gonna take to reach Missouri with the gospel?” Prayerfully ask the WIGtake question needed to spiritually transform your community. Here is a bold seven-part plan. God invites us to join Him in His mission. If we could actually do this already, we would not rely on the Lord. 1. END/VISION Imagine a state in which 4.5 million lost people (74.6 percent) heard the Good News so that they … [Read more...]
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