Never before has life been more chaotic. More stressful. More intense. More expensive. We need some calm in the chaos. Of course, the Bible speaks to that. In Mark 4:35-41, Jesus told the disciples, “Let’s go to the other side of the lake.” They did. A storm came. They were terrified.

FORT WORTH, Texas — The woman was in her late 80s, living on a fixed income in a modest house in rural East Texas. She wasn’t able to get on a plane and go on mission overseas, and at that stage of her life, even making the three-hour car ride to Houston to help plant a church would have been difficult.

Have you ever thought about the fact that we all have a story to tell? I don’t usually think about it that often, but it seems like the last few weeks every devotion I read and every sermon I listen to talks about how we all have a story.

BUFORD, Ga. — A very special ceremony took place on Friday, Aug. 16, at Phillips State Prison in Buford. Faculty from Truett McConnell University gathered with prison staff, family, and friends to celebrate 24 offenders who received their bachelor’s degrees in Christian studies.

ROME, Ga. — Shorter University hosted its first annual Night at the Ballpark in partnership with the Rome Emperors on Tuesday, Aug. 27. It was a special night for all in attendance. The stands at AdventHealth Stadium were full of Shorter University staff, faculty, students, alumni, family members, and friends.

Reverend Brian William Malcom of Gainesville, Georgia, stepped into the presence of Jesus on Tuesday, August 27, 2024. Born on July 13, 1959, he was 65 years old.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — “Things once hidden are now the things we teach and learn,” President R. Albert Mohler, Jr. declared to an Alumni Chapel teeming with students and faculty eager to start the 2024 Fall term at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Boyce College.

FORT WORTH, Texas — President David S. Dockery called on Southern Baptists and the seminary community to recommit to conviction, cooperation, and collaboration as he looked toward the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Dallas next June during the fall Convocation service at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Tuesday, Aug. 27.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Midwestern Seminary inaugurated a new academic year at Fall Convocation on Tuesday, Aug. 27, with a sermon by President Jason Allen.

WAKE FOREST, N.C. — On Tuesday, Aug. 27, Southeastern Seminary and The College at Southeastern celebrated the start of classes during their fall 2024 convocation, recognizing college recipients of the Dean’s List, and observing two of Southeastern’s faculty sign the institution’s confessional statements.

TALMO, Ga. — The Transitional Interim Pastor’s (TIP) Fellowship may well be the only ministry of its kind across the Southern Baptist Convention. It serves a significant role in the ministries of transitional interims in Northeast Georgia. Organized by several associational mission strategists in 2016, it is designed to build on the training provided for transitional pastors by helping them keep their skillsets sharp during and between ministry opportunities.

FLORIANOPOLIS, Brazil  — Deanne Denton recently took a mission trip to Brazil that took her “full circle” to the church where she spent a week as a summer missionary 35 years earlier.

CORDOVA, Tenn. (BP) – Steve Gaines recalls a day nearly 30 years ago following a period of prayer and fasting when he was about to preach at First Baptist Church of Gardendale, Ala., his pastorate for 14 years. He had a keen sense that the Lord was telling him to give the invitation to Christian discipleship before the sermon.

TIMPSON, Texas — A squirrel was loose in the building at First Baptist Church in Timpson, so the pastor sent out a notice that he needed a trap to catch it. By the end of the day, a squirrel trap was set and a man he had been praying for was a new brother in Christ.

There are times in each believer’s life when they find themself at a crossroads. These times of contemplation may be regarding a matter of faith or beliefs. Seasons of loss or grief can spur reflective moments in our lives. Stress or anxiety can cause us all to ponder our futures

Some believers have the opinion that salvation is the end goal of God’s plan for our lives. In truth, salvation is the beginning. Every Christian is called by God to be a witness and to view themselves as sent by God into the spiritual darkness of the world. We are set apart for God’s purposes.

LAKE PARK, Ga. —  Eldridge Lyons, 86, is in his 46th year as pastor of Francis Lake Baptist Church in Lake Park. Throughout his ministry at Francis Lake, Lyons has been able to utilize the gifts and expertise of his membership to make the church a strong, united fellowship. Several months ago, Colby Davis, one of the children, prayed such a meaningful prayer that Lyons started calling him “the pastor’s assistant.”

NEW ORLEANS — Jamie Dew, president of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Leavell College, exhorted new and returning NOBTS students to “live wisely” during his Convocation address.  The Convocation service, held Tuesday, Aug. 20, in Leavell Chapel, marked the official start of the 2024-25 academic year. Dew began the service by reminding students that the journey they are taking is no ordinary endeavor.  

On Wednesday, Aug. 21, in the largest women’s prison in the state of Florida, the only Florida prison with inmates on death row, 20 new students of The College at Southeastern gathered for their first fall convocation. Following convocation, Monday, Aug. 26, marks both the beginning of classes and the launch of Southeastern’s third Field Minister Program, established at Lowell Correctional Institute in Marion County, Fla.

Brandi Dalton, executive director of Christian Women’s Job Corps of Greater Arlington, Texas, met Hagar’s Heart founder, Jennifer Jones, at a networking event some time ago. CWJC — a ministry of Woman’s Missionary Union — teaches job skills and life skills to low-income women. Hagar’s Heart is an Arlington-based organization dedicated to supporting, educating and empowering domestic violence survivors through self-care initiatives.

Nazira is a second-generation Christian from Central Asia. Her mother was the first believer in their family and reminds Nazira of the apostle Paul. Her mother is known for her faith, her deep study of the Bible and her passion for evangelism.  

DALTON, Ga. — Salem Baptist Church dedicated a pavilion Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in memory of church member Rodney Lee. Lee, a teacher at Varnell Elementary School, died in 2021 of COVID-19.

Last summer, the student ministry at First Baptist Church in Jasper, Tennessee, didn’t meet for the month of July. Students weren’t showing up. Coming into this summer, Dusty Tuders, pastor of students and families, was feeling discouraged by the students’ apathy and lack of engagement. He’d been on staff at the church for a couple of years and wasn’t seeing the fruit and connections he’d hoped to see.

FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) – The 2025 SBC Annual Meeting in Dallas will feature a 100th anniversary celebration of the Cooperative Program and President Clint Pressley presiding over his first annual meeting. Dozens of key leaders met at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary on Thursday, Aug. 22, for a kickoff to begin preparations for the June meeting.

When crises wreak heartbreak and havoc in communities, The Salvation Army and Florida Baptist Disaster Relief step out in gospel partnership to offer nourishment not only for the body but also for the soul.