ci·vil·i·ty səˈvilədē/ noun Formal politeness and courtesy in behavior or speech. "I hope we can treat each other with civility and respect." Synonyms: courtesy, courteousness, politeness, good manners, graciousness, gentleness, respect, kindness Growth in the social media sphere has created a challenge for Southern Baptists that we did not have prior to the launch of Facebook in 2004. Prior to the invention of social media there were not as many voices attempting to gain … [Read more...]
Summer missionaries double over two years: MBC to deploy more than 100 collegians
JEFFERSON CITY – More than 100 student missionaries will be deployed by the Missouri Baptist Convention this summer to bring gospel transformation throughout Missouri and beyond. The number of student missionaries involved in the MBC program have nearly doubled over the past two years. These students will serve for 10 weeks with churches, associations and other ministries across the state. They also serve as small group leaders during Super Summer, the MBC’s camp for youth held annually at … [Read more...]
The doctrine of the Incarnation
This is the first in a series of articles on the Incarnation. Lorenzo Snow, fifth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, once claimed the Spirit of God fell upon him and revealed a principle that has become an apt summary of Mormonism: “As man now is, God once was; As God now is, man may be.” In other words, the God of this world once was a mere human who attained deity, showing us the path to our own godhood. This principle of “eternal progression” is a stunningly … [Read more...]
Hazelwood stirs hope in hotel residents
HAZELWOOD – Sometimes staying in a hotel is no vacation. “There are hotels in Hazelwood that cater to people who are homeless,” said Jim Walker, lead pastor at Hazelwood Baptist Church (HBC), located in northwest St. Louis County. “They are families who get evicted because they couldn’t make rent or because outstanding utility bills overwhelm them and they’ve exhausted their other options. They are living week to week or even day by day.” Seeing the need and desiring to do something about … [Read more...]
The blessings of Christian worship
Worship is a blessing. The word blessing, if we take it back to its Hebrew form, is Berakhah. It was, at one time, the chief form of prayer in synagogue worship, which gave the blueprint for worship in the early church. Numbers 6:23-27, is often referred to as “The Lord’s Prayer of the Old Testament.” It says: “May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you … [Read more...]
Viburnum FBC’s outreach blesses local families, widow
VIBURNUM – She had a 6-foot-wide hole in her roof and a 55-gallon drum catching rainwater in her living room. Retired after 35 years in the Viburnum school district and now living with her son who was diagnosed with cancer, Love Thy Neighbor gave this elderly widow a brand new roof. “I was on that crew and every person except me had her as a teacher,” said Justin Perry, pastor at First Baptist Church here. “While the crew worked, she cried tears of joy and told story after story about … [Read more...]
How false religions undermine Scripture
Evangelicals may disagree about many things, but we stand together on the non-negotiables that define the Christian faith: The Trinity, justification by faith, and the inspiration and authority of the Scriptures, to name a few. Many false belief systems, from Mormonism to Islam, profess a high regard for the Word of God. But, in fact, they deny its inspiration, inerrancy, or preservation and thus reject the Bible as supremely authoritative. Specifically, false religions employ four … [Read more...]
A call to faithfulness in marriage
We live in troubling times. Though not much can shock us anymore, there are those events that deeply disappoint us. When fellow believers, pastors or denominational leaders fail morally through what may be broadly called sexual misconduct we feel a deep sense of grief and disappointment. The Christian community has witnessed our fair share of these sad stories recently. Consider the nearly weekly news story of another Hollywood mogul, religious leader or prominent business person who … [Read more...]
SBU archaeology exhibit ‘illuminates’ Scripture
BOLIVAR – After the death of Moses, the Lord God called Joshua to lead His people across the Jordan River and to conquer the city of Jericho. Then, because they hadn’t completely obeyed the Lord’s commands, the Israelites met a humiliating defeat at the city of Ai. But after facing God’s discipline and finding God’s mercy, Joshua once again set the stage to take the city of Ai. Joshua’s troops stationed themselves north of Ai, looking across a valley at the city. He placed other troops to … [Read more...]
The mission gets personal: Forest Park, Joplin, advances gospel through Acts 1:8 project
JOPLIN – The mission doesn’t get powerful until it gets personal. “When a person sees the darkness in the world and then comes back they are much more motivated to do something about it,” said John Swadley, lead pastor at Forest Park Church here. “We desire to know the people out there on the field making the sacrifices to spread the gospel where they are so that we can play a small part in advancing their work.” That’s where Forest Park’s new giving strategy, the Acts 1:8 Project, comes … [Read more...]
Three personal questions about God
This is the last in a series of articles contrasting Allah and Yahweh. Muslims and Christians agree that there is one God but understand Him differently. While it is politically correct to say Christians and Muslims worship the same God, no Muslim or Christian who truly understands his faith would agree with that statement. In fact, we can see that Christians and Muslims worship distinctly different Gods by asking three personal questions: (1) Does God know me? (2) Does God love me? (3) … [Read more...]
Concert to expand youth outreach
LICKING – For the last two years. Boone Creek Baptist Church has used an in-church concert to reach youth. This year, it’s going out into the community. The Hot Summer Kickoff will be May 19 at the Intercounty Pavilion in the Licking city park, with food served at 5, and the concert activities follow, according to Delta Hernandez, who with husband Dusty, oversees the Boone Creek Youth program. Both the concert and a meal before it are being offered to youth for free, with the church … [Read more...]
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