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A Worthy Challenge Do you want to teach your people the Bible in a way that makes sense and engages your people, ultimately compelling them to follow Jesus? Then you need to preach persuasively, just like Paul (2 Cor.... Continue Reading »
Parenting is a joy! It is absolutely hard, but anything worth doing is challenging. While I have absolutely loved being a dad, parenting has also refined me in ways I didn’t know I needed. I thought I was pretty... Continue Reading »
(Editors’ note: This article, adapted from Create in Me a Clean Heart: Experiencing God’s Abundant Mercy in Psalm 51 by Matt Boswell, was originally published at Crossway.) True Repentance Repentance lies at the heart of the Christian message and... Continue Reading »
O LORD, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a... Continue Reading »
One of the unexpected blessings of being raised by a blue-collar father in rural Carroll County, Md., was the joy of being taught and not just told. My father never pointed to a task and asked for it to... Continue Reading »
Christians with the gift of evangelism often stand out among their peers because sharing the gospel on a regular basis is sadly not always the norm for many believers. Because of this, anyone who regularly witnesses to their friends... Continue Reading »
This summer, I’ve been preaching a sermon series titled “Q&A,” addressing theological and practical questions from our church family. The topics have addressed everything from heaven and hell to spiritual growth to gray areas for believers. One of the... Continue Reading »
Recently I went to children’s camp with my 9-year-old grandson, at his request. The week began with his backpack landing on the street. As a result, a smashed juice container soaked his Bible inside the bag. I let him... Continue Reading »
(Editors’ note: this article was originally published at Crossway) Jesus’s Ancestors By beginning his Gospel with a genealogy, Matthew declared that the Jesus who was born in Bethlehem, raised by Joseph, and who worked as a craftsman in Nazareth... Continue Reading »
“You’ve attended our church. You’ve met us. We want to do better than we’re doing. What can we do to start growing?” That’s the question I often hear from the pastor or members of a struggling church. But before... Continue Reading »
Recent Barna research on faith and artificial intelligence suggests Christians “are outpacing the majority of other population segments on AI adoption, including pastors.” According to the study, 44 percent of practicing Christians say they use AI “very often” or... Continue Reading »
In Psalm 139, David says, “O LORD, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying... Continue Reading »
As a young pastor in my first church, I was keenly aware my congregation had a lot of problems. It had suffered years of numerical decline, in no small part as a result of immorality among the pastoral staff... Continue Reading »
I remember teaching my older son to ride a two-wheeled bike for the first time. Appropriately enough, it was on a college campus where I was serving as an intern. He had gotten fairly good at riding with training... Continue Reading »
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been one of those people… a question asker. To some (typically those who meet us only in passing), the quality is endearing: “Thanks for speaking up! I’m sure many were wondering... Continue Reading »
(Editors’ note: This article was originally published at Chucklawless.com.) Do you want your church to be evangelistic? Check out these four strategies for moving your church in this direction. 1. Do a Relationship Survey. Try this simple exercise with... Continue Reading »
“We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done.” (Psalm 78:4) It is Thursday evening and Mom, Dad,... Continue Reading »
(Editors’ note: This article was originally published at Crossway) A Falsehood in Churches It might feel a little bit strange to have a chapter on marriage and motherhood in a book that is confronting the empty promises of our... Continue Reading »
It was just past 11:00 a.m. in Greer at Panera Bread and J.P. Camp, a middle-aged man with dark hair and joy-filled eyes, smiled as he told his former professor — who just happened to be there — about... Continue Reading »
(Editors’ note: This article was originally published at Abner Creek Baptist Church.) One of my favorite parts of my job as a pastor is to be a preacher. Sometimes a member of the church will even refer to me... Continue Reading »
Ecclesial Smorgasbord I hinted at this in my first article, but my experience with “the Church” has been a bit of a smorgasbord. I was raised Roman Catholic, but after I was saved I began attending a nondenominational mega-church.... Continue Reading »
(Editors’ note: this article was originally published at Revive Our Hearts) Last spring was intensely busy. Mothering four little ones ages five and under kept me on my toes from morning until evening, along with being a lay pastor’s... Continue Reading »
(Editors’ note: This article was originally published at Southern Equip.) In many people’s thinking, to ask, “How does systematic theology help us read Scripture more faithfully?” is wrongheaded and backward. Rather, should we not ask, “How does Scripture help... Continue Reading »
Who will we send next? This is the question that came to mind as I prepared to preach 3 John 1–8. While the main point of the sermon was to faithfully send and support gospel workers for the sake... Continue Reading »
(Editors’ note: This article was originally published at Radius International but was republished at Missionary.) The other day my wife and I were running (in the spirit of complete transparency, we were doing more walking than running) around a... Continue Reading »
It is easy for Christians to talk about unbelievers, atheists, and people of other faiths in ways that reveal how little we actually know them. I’ve seen this while serving in youth ministries, especially among students who didn’t attend... Continue Reading »
(Editors’ note: This article was originally published at Desiring God.) Every Christian who tries to read through the Bible encounters challenges along the way. There are unknown places, unusual customs, seemingly endless lists of names, apparent tensions, and other... Continue Reading »
On his final journey to Jerusalem — “constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to [him] there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to [him] in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await [him]” — Paul gathered... Continue Reading »
Iconic Gospel duo Bill and Gloria Gaither are releasing a first-ever album entirely of songs the two have penned during their marriage and partnership spanning decades. “You are Loved” features new recordings from the duo’s November 2025 historic “Homecoming”... Continue Reading »
Early in the second half of the 1st century AD, Jude, a believing half-brother of Jesus, eagerly began to write a warm, edifying letter to believers about “our common salvation” (Jude 3). What a joy it is to rehearse... Continue Reading »
God-given sexual desire is normal — and on this side of heaven, living without sex as a single Christian can be difficult. A common question might be, “Why did God give us sexual desire with no promise that He’s... Continue Reading »
Last week, my son left our home for Parris Island and boot camp to begin service in the United States Marine Corps. From the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli, the Marines are an elite group of... Continue Reading »
(Editors’ note: This article originally appeared at Southern Equip.) Don Whitney argues that “Many Christians look on the Spiritual Discipline of memorizing God’s Word as something tantamount to modern-day martyrdom” (Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, 41). We live... Continue Reading »
Introduction Ministry in the evangelical church is rooted in Christ’s commission to His followers to make disciples of all nations, teaching them to obey all He has commanded (Matt. 28:18–20). Christian ministry rests on the foundation of Jesus Christ... Continue Reading »
(Editors’ note: This article was originally published at 9Marks and has been adapted from Jonathan’s book Word-Centered Church.) The preacher’s task is to hold up reality as the Bible presents it, and to ask how it compares to what... Continue Reading »
Christian mothers often spend tremendous time asking the wrong questions. We debate homeschooling styles, endlessly research curriculum, compare academic progress, and deliberate over co-ops. While these decisions are not insignificant, they are secondary to a far greater question. Am... Continue Reading »
(Editors’ note: This article was originally published at The Gospel Coalition.) In my ministry context, I have heard many versions of this notion over the years, phrased as both a question and also a declaration: “I don’t have to... Continue Reading »
(Editors’ note: This article was originally published at Baptist21.) A little over a year ago, I deleted my X account. I told myself it was because of what I was seeing: Christians speaking about other people with contempt. Cruelty... Continue Reading »
(Editors’ note: This article was originally published at Reformation21.) The thief who was saved on the cross has been the occasion of far too many unnecessary debates over whether one can be saved apart from baptism or without performing... Continue Reading »
(Editors’ note: This article was originally published at The Pillar Network.) “Coach, You Alright?” The 6’7” 315-pound high school senior and college football prospect, Kevin Wiggins, stared at me from the passenger seat. We had just finished an Elite... Continue Reading »
The Old Testament as a Portal for Seeing and Savoring the Heart of Christ In recent months, I had the privilege of reading through 1 and 2 Samuel. We (at least most Christians I know) don’t usually spend much... Continue Reading »
(Editors’ note: This article was originally published at 9Marks and was taken from Church Matters, the 9Marks journal for pastors, in the issue titled “The Pastor and Suffering.”) I will never forget the phone call from the chairman of... Continue Reading »
(Editors’ note: This article was originally published at 9Marks.) Must someone be baptized before he or she can join a church? I’ve been told by people who know history better than I do that Christians of almost all traditions... Continue Reading »
(Editors’ note: This article was originally published in Lexington Road, the magazine of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky.) “And have mercy on those who doubt” (Jude 11) The Discovery of Doubt Around here, faith isn’t easy.... Continue Reading »
God and Country: Upholding Faith, History, and National Identity (B&H Academic, 2026) by John D. Wilsey Is nationalism always a threat to Christian faith? In this timely work, Wilsey argues that nationalism is a complex phenomenon with varied expressions,... Continue Reading »
As a church, we preached through 2 Corinthians during the 2025-2026 school year. Throughout the book, Paul defends his apostolicity and ministry in Corinth against false teachers whom he facetiously calls “super-apostles” (2 Cor. 11:5; 12:11). These super-apostles undermine... Continue Reading »
Martin Luther famously said, “Every week I preach justification by faith to my people because every week they forget it.” Even today, Christians easily drift into relying on their good works to make themselves acceptable before God. A clear... Continue Reading »
Recently, a man approached me with a three-fold statement regarding Christians who work for the government. The first argument was that those in public office were bound by the Constitution in a different way, primarily regarding the First Amendment.... Continue Reading »
(Editors’ note: The following is the final installment of a four-part series devoted to the role of Baptists in the development of religious liberty in America in recognition of the nation’s 250th anniversary.) The passage of the First Amendment,... Continue Reading »
(Editors’ note: The following is Part 3 of a four-part series devoted to the role of Baptists in the development of religious liberty in America.) “This battle for religious liberty was fought and won largely by Virginia Baptists, but... Continue Reading »
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