My favorite part of dusting the bookshelves in my office is the part where I never really do it. At all. And actually, it’s my personal belief that if there’s dust on a bookshelf, that means there aren’t enough books on it. Incidentally, I’m always on the lookout for more books. And for more reasons to buy more books. Okay yes, I may have a bit of a book problem. Some may think me “shelf-ish” (I know, I can’t believe I said it either). I think I’d rather call it a dust problem, but … [Read more...]
Deal with disappointment
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” – Romans 8:28 Following the last election, I saw a picture in a report on TV of a young lady who clearly had genuine fear in her eyes. She was afraid because her chosen candidate had not won. I felt sorry for her because she clearly did not know how to deal with her disappointment in not having her candidate win the election. Are we raising children who … [Read more...]
Missouri Baptist pastor to debate atheists
SPRINGFIELD – Dave Van Bebber, pastor of FBC Buffalo, is scheduled to engage atheists in a moderated theological debate March 1 on the campus of Missouri State University in Springfield. Van Bebber is partnering with the Rev. Sean McCormack, pastor of Winchester (Kan.) Christian Church, against debaters from Springfield Freethinkers. The non-profit organization Be Civil, Be Heard is co-sponsoring the debate with Missouri State University Talks. This is the first in a series of planned … [Read more...]
What will be said when this life is over?
What will be said about you when this life is over? Great question and worthy of evaluation. After all, for believers, we are really citizens of heaven just passing through on our way to an audience with the King of kings. What lingers behind us is the aroma of our testimony through our character and the influence we’ve had on others. The other day an editor friend of mine, Gary Ledbetter, wrote a short column about what people talk about at a person’s funeral (Southern Baptist Texan, … [Read more...]
‘Give it to Jesus:’ 8-year-old’s Christmas CD raises $1,400 for hunger relief
TROY – Carmen Cowles didn’t think twice when her music teacher asked her if she wanted to record a Christmas CD in his home studio. The eight-year-old second grader also didn’t have to think twice when her grandmother, Cathy Irwin, asked her what she wanted to do with any proceeds that might come from selling it. “She immediately told me, ‘Give it to Jesus,’” Irwin said. So that’s what Cowles did, selling the CD to her church family at First Baptist, Troy, door to door in her … [Read more...]
A Bible worth reading in 2017
ESV Reader’s Bible, Six-Volume Set. Wheaton: Crossway, 2016. 3,364 pp. $199.99. A new year is a fitting time to take stock of your life, to think through where you are, where you want to go, and how you can get there. This is why January is the time of new gym memberships, diets, budgets, and other lifestyle changes. Spiritually, this is why January is also the time of Bible-reading plans, as believers seek to deepen their relationship with God by spending time in his Word. Like other … [Read more...]
Talking circles around knowledge
I’ve tried some of those idiot-proof tech products and you know what I’ve found? I’ve found that sometimes they grossly underestimate the power of a true tech-idiot. You have to be near genius level to even read the instructions on your average electronic device these days. And I’m talking about the instructions for the on/off switch. For a calculator. I’m pretty sure I heard somewhere that genius in all areas is 99% perspiration and 62% wishing you had listened in math class. And I would … [Read more...]
Luther’s declaration of Christian liberty
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the fifth column in a year-long series leading up to the 500th anniversary of the 16th-century Reformation on Oct. 31, 2017. * * * In 1505, the young man Martin Luther, cowering before a thunderbolt, vowed to become a monk and a devout servant of the Catholic church under the headship of the Roman pontiff. Fifteen years later, in the summer of 1520, Pope Leo X launched his own thunderbolt at Luther in the form of an edict that denounced Luther as a … [Read more...]
Sight and Sound continues ‘bringing Bible to life’
BRANSON – Matt Neff, the CEO of Sight and Sound Theatres, grew up going to the original theater in Lancaster, Pa., with his grandmother, and hopes that under his leadership, generations to come will continue to get see the Bible come to life as he did. Neff began as a stagehand and now as part of the executive leadership team, splits his time between Branson attraction and the theater in Pennsylvania. “Whatever story we tell, we don’t want to compromise God’s Word,” he said. For now, … [Read more...]
Dream fulfilled: Burundi family accepts Christ
KANSAS CITY – Omar Segovia had a $50 bill burning a hole in his pocket but no one to give it to. As the Missouri Baptist Convention church planting missionary prayer-walked through a low-income neighborhood in Kansas City, he was seeking out a man he’d met earlier who might could use the cash. The problem was, Omar couldn’t remember exactly where the man lived. “As I prayer walked, I was intentionally praying for someone that I or some local church could disciple,” Segovia said. Not … [Read more...]
Refugees become friends for St. Louis Baptists
ST. LOUIS – Friendship is the focus of the new “Good Neighbor Initiative” established by the St. Louis Metro Baptist Association. The Initiative seeks to match Missouri Baptist families with refugee families new to the area. “The reality of increasing numbers of refugees,” Darren Casper, associate executive director of St. Louis Metro Association, said, “from war-torn countries with little more than the shirt on their backs, makes it important for us to connect with them in love.” When … [Read more...]
Is baptism for the dead biblical?
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that baptism is essential to salvation. Since many people have died without being baptized, or because they were baptized outside the LDS Church, they cannot obtain exaltation, or godhood. However, “Because God is merciful, He has prepared a way for all people to receive the blessings of baptism,” according to the church’s official website. “By performing proxy baptisms in behalf of those who have died, Church members offer these … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 140
- 141
- 142
- 143
- 144
- …
- 216
- Next Page »