Each year as we approach Easter, we have the unique opportunity to support the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering. As you likely know, this offering helps support 2,900-plus North American Mission Board (NAMB) missionaries serving across the United States and Canada. Every dollar given is used towards evangelism, church planting, and providing relief to those who are hurting. It’s truly an offering worth supporting. Annie Armstrong passed away in 1938 at the age of 88, so many today are … [Read more...]
Defend the sanctity of life with compassion, conviction
Decline to Sign initiative petition supporting abortion Struggling to survive in Nazi-occupied Holland during World War II, a Jewish mother and her baby sought refuge in the home of Casper ten Boom, who lived with his unmarried daughter’s Corrie and Betsie. At that time, their home was already the hiding place for a handful of other Jews, and adding a mother and child to the household would only draw unwanted attention from the authorities. They needed to find another safe space for the … [Read more...]
Characteristics of a leader
Hiring can be such a challenging task for churches. Depending on the church background it comes from, many churches often put a search committee together from the body and begins to discuss and talk through who could possibly be the best fit for the position! Why is this difficult? After putting in so much time, talent and treasure, hiring a wrong person that does not fit the culture of the church can cause heartache and havoc. As I have been meditating and thinking on this, here are … [Read more...]
Carrying on about grace
I can carry all those plastic bags. I’m sure of it. It required most of an entire cart to get them from the store to the car, but from the car to the house? My two skinny arms should work just fine, thanks. Those bags are going to leave marks across my hands and the backs of my skinny forearms, and those marks will last three days, but that’s fine. Because I will carry them. All. I can ignore the fact that my scrawny biceps are burning like a thousand suns because I’ve made it to the … [Read more...]
A faithful example
When I think about the Cooperative Program, I oftentimes think about my mom and dad. I know that’s probably unique. As I’ve said before, I was basically born and raised at FBC Mayfield, Ky., then later in life I had the honor of pastoring my home church. Growing up, my parents faithfully attended, served, and contributed to FBC. They were faithful because the church was perfect. No issues. No drama. No disagreements. No disappointments. No bad decisions. No problems at all. Therefore, since … [Read more...]
Biblical boldness
Boldness. Is it a good thing or a bad thing? As lawyers are trained to say in response to any and every question, “It depends.” It depends first on what you mean by boldness. If you mean reckless engagement without regard to context, old-fashioned manners more akin to rudeness, then I think we can agree that “no” is the correct answer. However, if you think about boldness from a biblical context, there may be a more appropriate application. In Acts 4:13, the rulers, elders, scribes, and … [Read more...]
Lostness abounds in the United States
Pray for North American missions, March 3-10 Nearly a dozen years ago, I spoke with Southern Baptist missionaries who at that time served in the city of Thessaloniki, Greece – that is, the home of the biblical Thessalonians, one of the first cities the apostle Paul visited on his first missionary journey to the European continent. Before moving to Thessaloniki, these same missionaries had served on mission at the edge of the world – namely, in the Russian city of Petropavlovsk, lying on … [Read more...]
One pastor’s plan for cooperative ministry
When the search committee for FBC Mayfield contacted me in December of 2010, one of my first requests was for a copy of the church budget. I wanted to see what the church members prioritized and what they valued. I wanted to evaluate how much was budgeted for internal matters, such as fellowships, versus how much was budgeted for evangelism and missions. I believe you can tell a lot about a church by looking at its budget. FBC Mayfield has a long history of faithfulness. It’s where I was … [Read more...]
‘One generation will declare Your works to the next’
From within the walls of a bleak Nazi prison cell, German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote words of joy and wisdom to his niece and her soon-to-be husband in May 1943. “Marriage is more than your love for each other,” Bonhoeffer wrote at the conclusion of his letter. “It has a higher dignity and power, for it is God’s holy ordinance, through which He wills to perpetuate the human race till the end of time. “In your love you see only your two selves in the world,” he added, “but in … [Read more...]
Should pastors use Artificial Intelligence to prepare their sermons?
EDITOR'S NOTE: Matt Kimbrough serves as associate professor of theology at Southwest Baptist University. Language-learning Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools have exploded onto the scene and are expected to add $2.6 trillion to the global economy. ChatGPT, in particular, has gained popularity because it is simple and accessible. I don’t have the expertise to explain how AI works, but I can offer a few analogies to consider. In one sense, ChatGPT (a language-learning AI tool) is a … [Read more...]
Defying gravity
A party? Yes! Friendly gathering? I’m in! Reception, celebration, shindig? Sign me up, I’m there, ya’ll. Social butterfly here, flying toward the party light. Except wait, how soon would I need to get up from the couch and get ready for this thing—and how ready would I need to get? I’ll need to know if this a yoga-pants-appropriate gathering. I confess I’m hoping real hard you’ll tell me I don’t have to change. With the pull of the comfy couch and the draw of the comfy yoga pants, it’s … [Read more...]
A wife’s reflections on a new journey with Jesus
Moves and transitions impact the entire family, and spouses are oftentimes affected in ways unknown to most. Our family is no different, and Tara has experienced a multitude of emotions throughout our journey to Missouri. Tara worked in education for over 20 years – 19 years as a high school math teacher and a year and a half as an elementary school principal. She served for more than 20 years in either the children’s or youth ministry where I pastored, the past 12 years at FBC Mayfield, … [Read more...]
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