Reflections on the Bible Teaching Conference
On January 31, we hosted more lay leaders, Bible study teachers, small group leaders, and pastors on campus than we’ve ever had at the annual Bible Teaching Conference. In fact, it was the largest conference we’ve hosted on campus since relocating to Southern California a decade ago. It was a blessing for those of us […]
Lessons from Twenty-Five Years of Preaching God’s Word
At just 14 years old, I stood before Hardin Baptist Church in my hometown in Kentucky on a Sunday night and preached my first sermon. This year marks twenty-five years since that event—twenty-five years of a life of preaching. To say the least, I hope I’m a better preacher today than I was twenty-five years […]
Comfort Twice Over
Have you noticed that we live in a radically individualistic society? We gravitate towards, and think in, the language of “I” or “me”. We are saturated and immersed in the society of ME. We post selfies, Tweet our hot takes, and share things on OUR wall. We are told that we deserve that car and […]
An Outsider
In a recent article, “The True Cost of the Churchgoing Bust,” Derek Thompson wrote, “As an agnostic, I have spent most of my life thinking about the decline of faith in America in mostly positive terms…. Only in the past few years have I come around to a different view. Maybe religion, for all of […]
Kindness
Being kind is not my strength. In forty years of public ministry, it’s hard to remember anyone ever complimenting me for being kind. My wife normally gets those accolades! However, kindness is a Christian virtue – a part of God’s character we are mandated to emulate. It’s definitely a trait for me to work on. […]
Trained for Transition
Gateway Seminary is experiencing significant transition. We are preparing for a new president, implementing a hand-off model of leadership change, and saying goodbye to a long-time leader. My unexpected candidacy to be the president of the SBC Executive Committee has further complicated the process. Many organizations equate transition with turmoil. Not Gateway. During this transition, […]
The Prayer Team
Many years ago, when I stepped out of pastoral ministry into executive leadership, I was overwhelmed and knew I would not survive without spiritual support. I decided to write a column in the Northwest Baptist Witness asking for people who were already praying for me to form a prayer team. Note the careful qualifier – […]
Sobering
Death has a way of bringing life into focus. Over the past year, several of my friends have died. It has been a sobering reality. As a pastor and ministry leader, bereavement ministry has been a steady part of my work for four decades. But, for the most part, those situations have involved older people […]
Hope that Sustains
American teenagers are more depressed than ever and are struggling with resulting mental and physical health challenges. A recent secular article summarizing these issues concluded lost hope about the future was a major determining factor in this development. The Bible describes a situation like some are facing today: “We were completely overwhelmed – beyond our […]
An Easy Answer
A recent headline in a major national news source blared “Child sex images are booming online. Congress wants to know why.” Finally, a public policy question with an easy answer. People are evil. For the most part, thought leaders, educators, psychologists, and similar professional today believe people are basically good. They think people, when left […]