HUNTSVILLE – With immediate disaster needs like downed trees that need to be cut off of houses and thousands of people needing hot meals, it can be easy to forget a key piece to the Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief (DR) puzzle: chaplains. John Rhodes, pastor of First Baptist, Huntsville, has been involved with DR since 2001 and as a chaplain for the past six years. In addition to being a DR chaplain, Rhodes filled that role with the Fruitland Fire Department before moving to Huntsville … [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...]
Habits of godly leaders
In my last column I listed five habits that godly leaders possess that I think separate them from the crowd. Here, I will list five more. I also encouraged you to weigh in with your observations at www.JohnYeats.net. Please share your additional thoughts at the same web address and join the conversation. As a quick recap, here are habits 1-5. Godly leaders: 1. Face each day with a priority mindset. 2. Make daily Bible reading and prayer indispensible in their lives. 3. Hold wisdom in high … [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...]
Interstate 29/49 Task Force moving forward
Omaha, Neb. – The newly organized, 11-man Interstate 29/49 Corridor Task Force met in Omaha May 17 to discuss strategy and begin to lay the groundwork for taking the gospel into unreached areas in the region. Five state conventions are participating in the task force: the Baptist Convention of Iowa, the Dakota Baptist Convention, the Kansas-Nebraska Convention of Southern Baptists, the Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention and the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC). Missouri Baptists’ … [Read more...]
Preparing for the Worst
JEFEFERSON CITY – The weather was calm, cool and clear, far from tornado weather. But that didn’t stop more than 200 Missouri Disaster Relief (DR) volunteers from churches across Missouri from converging on Jefferson City as if a Joplin-scale disaster had struck. In the biggest DR operation since the 2011 tornado response, the army of “yellow hats” (volunteers) converged on Jefferson City May 3 and woke up early the next morning to begin working at 6:45. “We’re better prepared for the … [Read more...]
Characteristics of a good sermon invitation
Evangelicals began using altar calls and invitations in the 1830s. From Charles Finney’s invitations to pulpits today, the same urgency drives a need for every person to respond in faith to the Holy Spirit’s prompting. Half-baked and incomplete invitations can inoculate the lost to thinking that they have heard all they ever need to hear. What response does your sermon generate? When Peter preached, the Holy Spirit convicted people to action. • At Pentecost: “… they came under deep … [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...]
Missouri moves deeper into orality way of life
JEFFERSON CITY – After a Truth That Sticks (Bible storying) class, some participants form an advanced evangelistic accountability group that calls each other monthly. “MO.O.N. (Missouri Orality Network) is a way for learning to continue after the TruthSticks workshop,” said Mark Snowden, evangelism/discipleship strategist for the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC). Snowden said a second MOON acronym tells what is covered: • Making disciples – “We share how we’re using Bible storying in our … [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...]
WMU meeting marked by excitement
WARRENSBURG – Moving forward on the quest to share the gospel around the world, Missouri women celebrated 125 years of Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU) at the 2013 annual meeting April 12-13. Nearly 500 women gathered for the WMU Missions Celebration, held here at First Baptist Church. “I don’t know of any other event in the state of Missouri that presents missionaries and opportunities for learning like this,” said President Joan Dotson. “Attendance is up. Excitement is up.” Attendance … [Read more...]