Every church has a unique story of how God birthed and blessed them over the years. The congregation I lead, Englewood Baptist in Jackson, Tennessee, was the fruit of heartfelt prayer and a compelling vision.
I preach in a lot of churches. Sometimes the portion of worship prior to the sermon is superb, and sometimes it’s not so good. I admit that my assessment is entirely subjective.
“There’s a huge guilt on the SBC for translating the gospel into white bread, middle class Protestantism,” Al Mohler stated in 2009 in reference to how Southern Baptists think about ministering to those who need government assistance.
Remember when you thought you knew your life direction, what you’d be, what you’d do? Chances are good your early ambitions gave you a great start, but once you started moving, they couldn’t keep up with you.
The apprehension of quadruple murder suspect Austin Drummond on Tuesday morning in Jackson, Tennessee, was one of those rare events that reminded all of us how fragile life and the freedoms we enjoy can be.
When I ran into Kay Arthur on the campus of New Orleans Seminary about 30 years ago, I was surprised. No one had announced she would be there. We students thought we knew all the campus news, but apparently not. For me, this was a big deal.
I started full-time ministry at 20 years old, and I quickly grew enamored with the excitement and the perceived prestige of ministry. I would never have admitted it then, but I made ministry my idol – and I confess that I still run that risk this many years later.
When a Christian studies church history, they are uncovering the Christian generations that came before them so they can answer the questions concerning their identity and their foundation.