On a recent Friday night, I was invited to bring a message of encouragement to an associational gathering of some of our finest pastors and their spouses. While it would seem odd for any of those pastors to get together to show appreciation for themselves, it was completely appropriate for their local Baptist association to plan and execute this gathering. 

Trials can take various forms, but often they drive us to the point of despair. Some relationships never heal. Some illnesses never go away. Some dreams remain out of reach. Some burdens never ease. Some problems have no solutions.

With all major sports leagues now knee-deep in sports wagering revenue—courting gambling companies for sponsorships and ad dollars—is it any wonder we’ve ended up here? The latest scandal, announced last week, saw an NBA player and coach caught in yet another gambling web. It won’t be the last.

Studies show that our brains shrink as we grow older. Anne Ravndal, a neuroscientist at the University of Oslo, Norway, and an international team of researchers pulled together more than 12,000 brain scans collected over the years from participants ages 17-95. Everyone had two scans about three years apart.

Every disciple of Jesus needs voices that sharpen, stretch, and strengthen their walk with Christ. For leaders especially, a mentor can mean the difference between leading from exhaustion or leading from overflow. The right one multiplies gospel impact—not just in your ministry, but in your life as a disciple.

The Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13:12, “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.” Today, we still only know in part.

"Loving God and loving people is all that matters.” Those were the words in an angry email I received the day after preaching a sermon about personal holiness. Intended as a less than subtle rebuke, the writer was eager to correct what he labeled as my “overemphasis on obedience.”

The Georgia Baptist Mission Board encourages all our churches to make sure their members are aware of upcoming elections on Nov. 4. In Georgia, there are many local elections happening as well as the statewide Public Service Commission races. Early voting has already begun for these races, and it runs through October 31.

The church service had ended, and families were gathering their belongings to head home. But in our small church, a few of us remained behind. My father, serving as a lay leader, quietly signaled for the doors to be closed. What happened next would stay with me for the rest of my life.

I pastored a military church for 11 years and witnessed regular leadership turnover like I had never seen. While the average church may have an annual attrition rate of 10%, this church saw roughly 25% of its members leave each year — mostly by transfer to other military installations. 

Once upon a time, a conscientious man decided to take his faith to a deeper level by joining a monastery. One of the requirements was a strict vow of silence. Every seven years, the monks were brought in for a two-word statement. 

Long life has taught me to value humility. It has also made me desire to desire humility in myself. God has taught me through His Word and other sources that I truly am not good. I am infested with selfishness and lack of concern and love for other people at times.

I once saw the familiar words taped above a weight bench in an athletic facility. Their Scriptural address later appeared on the eye black of a famous athlete set to play in a major SEC showdown. Another time, I heard the same verse recited right after a friend shared an ambitious dream for his future. Chances are you’ve heard it, too.

My first real job growing up — apart from farmwork — was as a dock worker at a marina on Lake Barkley in western Kentucky. The job responsibilities included pumping gas for boats, dipping minnows for fishermen, taking out garbage, and preparing fishing and sailboats for rental customers. 

Recently, my wife, daughter, and I hiked portions of Black Rock Mountain state park in Mountain City, Georgia, located in Rabun County. Named for its various cliffs of dark-colored rock, this place is the highest state park in Georgia with an altitude of 3,640 feet.

Walking in God’s Spirit requires a relationship with the Holy Spirit. It means to be led by the Spirit. All believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, but not all believers follow Him.

Sitting in the front row of a recent church service gave me a direct view of a pastor sharing his weekly children’s message. He immediately captured their attention by distributing currency and sharing that every time a dollar is placed into the church’s offering plate, 20 cents is sent to support missionaries through the Cooperative Program.

The older I get, the faster birthdays seem to come around. Admittedly, celebrations look much different as an adult than they did during my childhood, yet every trip around the sun is a gift worth commemorating.

To say that pornography use is a “sin epidemic” in our nation, and in the Christian community, may be an understatement. The Barna Group’s 2024 survey, “Beyond the Porn Phenomenon,” highlights the prevalence of pornography use among practicing Christians. It reveals that the problem of pornography among professing Christians who attend church regularly is probably worse than most of us could imagine.  

As a general rule, it’s the adult who does the teaching, with the child being the one who learns. Take the first grader, who, tugging at the skirt of her teacher, said: “Mrs. Story, could you please tell me what I learned in school today? My daddy always wants to know.” 

The late Dr. Charles Stanley said in his great little book, The Wonderful Spirit-filled Life, “The Spirit-filled life is a moment-by-moment relationship characterized by dependency on the Holy Spirit. And surrender is the foundation upon which that unique relationship is built and maintained.”

For most of 1 Corinthians, the Apostle Paul is correcting the doctrine and practice of the church in Corinth which was being heavily influenced by the pagan culture surrounding it. But, in chapter 15, Paul makes an abrupt turn, as if he has decided the necessity of taking the church back to the basics.

I have preached a lot of sermons over the years. From the very beginning, I settled on an expository method with the goal of preaching through every book, chapter, and verse of the Bible. In my view, doing so keeps a pastor accountable to say what God says about all matters, rather than simply choosing the easiest, most popular subjects to share.

I have been reminding folks over the last year that in 1787, while Benjamin Franklin was walking out of the convention hall, a woman approached him and asked him, “What have we got? A republic or a monarchy?” Franklin said, “A republic, madam - if you can keep it.”

The late Ron Lewis, pastor and church growth consultant, often said, “Churches are two pastors behind in their appreciation.” He was stating that churches often don’t fully understand the blessing they have until they lose their pastor and then wish they’d done a better job of showing appreciation while they had him.