ST. PETERS – I’m a sucker for a true story. “Breakthrough,” the latest faith-based movie to hit theaters, is worth your time and attention precisely because it is the story of a true miracle. The fact that some of the setting will feel familiar to you is a bonus. It’s based on the real-life case of John Smith, a 15-year-old boy from St. Peters, Mo. who fell through the ice on a frozen lake in 2015. He was submerged for nearly 15 minutes before paramedics found him and pulled him from the … [Read more...]

When my dad was a little boy, his favorite bedtime story was John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress. I’m told he would gasp and cheer as my grandmother read each chapter of the second most-read book of all time (The Bible still holds the top spot). He was riveted by the tale of Christian, his heavy burden, and his journey along the Narrow Way from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City. All while the ultimate enemy tries everything in his power to distract him. But even though I’ve … [Read more...]

“Unplanned” is not particularly enjoyable. That’s not the point, however. It’s the true story of Abby Johnson, a pro-life activist who used to be one of the youngest Planned Parenthood clinic directors in the nation. Over a span of eight years, she was involved in 22,000 abortions and counseled countless women on their “reproductive choices.” In advocating for abortion, Johnson believed she truly was helping women and herself. She and her colleagues were “doing God’s work.” Her … [Read more...]

I’ll get straight to the point. “Run the Race” is probably the best Christian movie I’ve ever seen. Is it really better than “I Can Only Imagine,” a movie which represented a huge artistic leap forward in the genre? Yes. Yes, it is. It’s hard to describe how happy it makes me to say that. Don’t be put off if you watch the trailer on YouTube and aren’t impressed. It’s far better than the trailer or its generic-looking poster. This is a good movie, and one you and your family will enjoy. … [Read more...]

Movies can be a great tool for instruction, but they also have a tremendous ability to throw a monkey wrench into the complex workings of history and honest debate when drama is taken for reality. Such is the case with 1960’s “Inherit the Wind,” a story which is based on but bears only a passing resemblance to the famed “Scopes Monkey Trial.” (Click for further background of the trial and its legacy for the SBC.) In his book, Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial and America’s Continuing … [Read more...]

ATLANTA (BP) - For Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Brandin Cooks, Sunday's Super Bowl is an opportunity for redemption. Cooks was part of the New England Patriots in last year's Super Bowl but left the game prematurely in the second quarter with a concussion. He never returned to the game, which the Patriots lost 41-33 to the Philadelphia Eagles. After an offseason trade that sent him to the Rams, Cooks is thankful for another Super Bowl appearance. "I've asked God to redeem me since … [Read more...]

WAYLAND – Seven girls between second and sixth grades learned table etiquette in a Christmas dinner Dec. 8 at Southern Baptist Fellowship Church, here. The dinner was the brainchild of church member Tara Toops, 16, who coordinated the event, contacting several schools and another church in recruiting girls. “We had done a formal dinner at a school (Keokuk Iowa Christian Academy) and we liked to dress up formally. I was thinking of ways to impact the girls and be role models for them.” In … [Read more...]

It’s the time of making (and breaking) New Year’s Resolutions. While I’m optimistic I can keep up with my goals for 2019 – continue to lose weight, read more books and pick up a new hobby (I recently tried axe-throwing!) – I am proud to report that I accomplished my resolution for 2018: watch one movie per week. I know it’s a silly goal, but it was fun. And instead of making 52 trips to the cineplex, I ended up buying tickets 119 times. That’s not a typo. I saw 119 movies on the big … [Read more...]

For several decades the City of Ozark (Christian County) has decorated their city park on the banks of the scenic Finley River. Thousands of families drive through the large park and enjoy hundreds of lights and Christmas scenes - and alas, even a nativity scene and a large lighted cross. Enter the Freedom from Religion Foundation sending threatening letters from Madison, Wisconsin, telling us how to celebrate the birth of Jesus. They threaten a lawsuit to teach us a lesson - an attempt … [Read more...]

The problem is wide spread; the Church in America appears to be declining.  Depending on  which expert you talk with, between 70-90 percent of all churches are in need of some type of revitalization. Why are our churches losing attendance?  Why are salvations dwindling? Why are baptisms becoming increasingly harder to come by? After all, we have the greatest message in all the world.  Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead to forgive us of our sins! The bottom line: No one’s … [Read more...]