I love the Book of Ruth. It is a story of God’s providence and provision. The lineage of David and ultimately Jesus is traced through Ruth. It is in Ruth that we learn the term “kinsman redeemer.”

Are you up for a personal challenge? Grab a sheet of paper and a pencil and make a list of all the areas you believe God has gifted you to serve in the local church. It could be teaching, administration, hospitality, or anything else that comes to mind. Now, make another list of all the things you are not gifted in.

Kevin Rideout is free. The American missionary pilot has been released after more than nine months in captivity in Niger, according to news reports.

CANTON, Ohio (LBM) – Former New Orleans Saints Quarterback Drew Brees shared about the impact Jesus and pastors had on his life during his Pro Football Hall of Fame speech.

INDIANAPOLIS (BP) – Engines are revving for the 2027 SBC Annual Meeting & Pastors’ Conference as it’s set to roll into the Hoosier State next June. More than 150 pastors and church leaders gathered for a kickoff at Harvest Church Aug. 11.

CARROLLTON, Ga. — Churches can draw a crowd with a meal, a sports event, a fall festival, or a special guest. Kevin Williams said the question is whether they are prepared to use those moments to share the gospel.

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — As baptisms in Southern Baptist congregations increase, a growing percentage of those entering the baptismal pools are adults.

BLACKSHEAR, Ga. — Mike Stone, pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Blackshear, said his 18-year-old daughter, Sarah, has entered hospice care at home after nearly a decade of serious health struggles, but her family says the hope of Christ and the promise of the resurrection are sustaining them in the days ahead.

EAST POINT, Ga. —Jefferson Avenue Baptist Church rededicated its newly renovated sanctuary Sunday, Aug. 9, in a service of prayers, songs, Scripture, and a congregational litany. Church leaders called the congregation to renew its own commitment to worship, witness, and service in the community.

PALMETTO, Ga. — At Palmetto Baptist Church, becoming a member now involves more than walking an aisle. Prospective members take two classes, share dinner in Senior Pastor Lee Brewer’s home, and begin building relationships before they are received into the church.

CLARKSTON, Ga. — Five churches from the Tuscaloosa, Alabama, area are partnering to expand missions and ministry efforts with Clarkston International Bible Church, near Atlanta.

NASHVILLE (BP) – Church membership has fallen on hard times, and Jonathan Leeman has watched the decline.

MOUNT VERNON, Ga. — Brewton-Parker Christian University celebrated a historic milestone on Monday, August 3, with the dedication of the George W. Strickland, Jr. Nursing Education Building, marking the culmination of years of vision, planning, and collaboration to expand healthcare education in southeast Georgia.

NASHVILLE (BP) – A U.S. district court has once again sided with the Southern Baptist Convention and other defendants in a suit brought by former SBC President Johnny Hunt.

BOGOTÁ, Colombia – Video footage of a baby being rescued from the rubble offered a glimpse of hope in the aftermath of the 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck western Colombia on Monday, Aug. 9. The quake, though, has claimed hundreds of lives and left thousands grieving the loss of homes and loved ones.

PRATTVILLE, Ala. — Derek Allen, pastor of First Baptist Church Tillman’s Corner in Mobile, has been named executive director-elect of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions. He was approved Tuesday, Aug. 11, during the regularly scheduled SBOM board of trustees meeting in Prattville.

MORSE, Texas (BP) – Marcus Wilson’s Monday began in the Texas Panhandle town of Morse, population 120, where he lives with his wife, Megan, and three boys. After helping get the kids to school, Wilson’s morning took him 114 miles to Shamrock, where I-40 is married to the historic Route 66.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (BNM) – Fifteen people have given their lives to Christ after visiting a church to pick up free burritos and food bags

After completing a six-week cohort of online classes, homework, and training, International Mission Board missionaries from across the Asia-Pacific Rim signed up for an in-person four-day digital engagement lab.

DALLAS — GuideStone is encouraging individuals to be alert to a rapidly growing fraud scheme known as the "Phantom Hacker" scam, which the FBI says has resulted in billions of dollars in losses nationwide, particularly among older Americans. 

FORT WORTH, Texas — Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary is set to begin a new academic year “with a sense of great thanksgiving, much hopefulness, [and] overall good spirit across the campus,” President David S. Dockery said during an Aug. 5 annual gathering of all seminary personnel.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — More than 35 students and faculty from Southern, New Orleans, Southeastern, and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminaries spent two weeks in late May and early June on a joint mission trip to the Asia-Pacific region. Faculty members from the seminaries say the unprecedented partnership pictures the Southern Baptist Convention cooperating at its best.

MOUNT VERNON, Ga. — Dr. Steven Echols, President of Brewton-Parker Christian University, has recently coauthored a book entitled Transforming Churches in Pastoral Transition. Echols and his coauthor Reggie Ogea wrote the book to help churches view the time between pastors as an opportunity to move the congregation forward.

There is a popular segment on social media that features celebrities and other people eating chicken wings. While the host interviews the willing participant, that person begins to sample various wings.

In the last session, we followed the great victory that God gave Gideon and Israel over their enemies. Every time God gave them the victory, the people of Israel rejoiced for a time. Unfortunately, in a short time they turned away from God and chased after foreign, pagan gods.