Sitting on the beach is a humbling moment. The expanse of the water as far as the eye can see reminds me that I am small. Being small doesn’t mean that I am not important, but it does remind me of my place. Like Job, I had nothing to do with setting the boundaries for… Read More
Matthew 12:28-29 CSB[28] If I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. [29] How can someone enter a strong man’s house and steal his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house. Praise God that He has defeated… Read More
This article was published on May 21, 2021 in the weekly newsletter for Harrisburg Baptist Church Greetings, Every year the Southern Baptist Convention meets in June for a few days to celebrate what God is doing and make decisions that further our cooperation to reach the nations with the Gospel. This year the meeting is… Read More
“We have lost our saltiness.”This thought is what came to mind as I read an email response from the Dave Ramsey group to a reporter from the Religion News Service. I don’t want to pile on the Ramsey group, it was just the latest response from a popular Christian or group that discouraged me. All… Read More
For the last 12 months, I have been preaching through the Gospel of Matthew. This past week, November 15, 2020, our passage was Matthew 7:1-12. The title of the sermon was “The Cure for Criticism,” and you can watch/listen here: https://vimeo.com/479884369 One of the points that didn’t make it into the sermon dealt with the… Read More
“People are looking for friends, not friendliness.” – Ben Mandrell Ben wrote the sentence above in the most recent edition of Facts and Trends. I recommend that you read his article, the link is directly below: To make, mature, and multiply disciples, a church has to be more than friendly; it has to build friendships.… Read More
“While government has a worthy task to perform, and depends for its success on citizens of character, it can do little to create them,” – Chuck Colson, God & Government I read my first Colson book “How Now Shall We Live” in 2000. It was given as a gift to me, and it was truly… Read More
Today is Sunday, November 1, 2020. The day after Reformation Day… but you may not know about the Reformation, or why it is important. The following is a brief summary of the history of the reformation, and the Five Doctrines that flowed out of this glorious moment in the history of Christianity. Brief Historical Sketch… Read More
The SBC is struggling with both a lack of evangelism and a decreasing number of children. Christianity isn’t dying, but our denomination is moving in that direction. In 2018 Southern Baptist churches reported 246,442 baptisms, the smallest number since 218,223 in 1944. There were almost twice that many baptisms in the 1970’s. This trend reveals… Read More
Today I read a few different articles I thought were worth sharing: Articles like this one from the NYTimes lead me to believe the impact of COVID is broader and deeper than it feels right now. Habits are changing, businesses are struggling, people are moving, and it’s impacting what life will be like in the… Read More
