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“What’s for dinner?” My daughter asked for the millionth time. The day held a long list of to-dos before dinner, and then a full calendar of sports practices after. Still, “Sorry. Mom’s busy. No dinner tonight!” wouldn’t have been... Continue Reading »
Patriots, Seahawks speak on faith Reading Scripture and telling others about it is “bigger than football,” New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye told reporters. Leaning on the Lord “is a constant” in his life, Maye said. “It’s such a... Continue Reading »
At a local Baptist church, a pastor is sitting in on a monthly deacons meeting, and they are discussing the path forward for the church. Like many other established churches, they have amassed a lot of names on the... Continue Reading »
Not everyone in ministry is married — whether it be pastoral ministry, a deacon, a pastoral assistant, a missionary, an intern or a resident. That being said, not all singles in ministry have an official position. Every member, whether... Continue Reading »
While the world whirls around us in chaos and confusion, we need a safe, peaceful place. We, a people bought by the blood of Christ, have that place: the local church. It is a retreat from the world, and... Continue Reading »
I pastor a church that was founded in 1832. Our church records show church discipline was a regular practice for our congregation well into the 19th century. Church discipline was a regular practice for most Baptist churches of that... Continue Reading »
Former summer staff of Ridgecrest Baptist Conference Center in Black Mountain, N.C., will hold an alumni homecoming May 29–31. In 2020, Lifeway Christian Resources sold the conference center and its summer camps, but the location has remained one of... Continue Reading »
How should a church practice church discipline? Jesus provides the basic outline in Matthew 18:15–17. He says to His disciples: “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he... Continue Reading »
A lighthearted challenge issued by a western North Carolina pastor turned into a statewide movement of comedy and connection following this past weekend’s historic winter storm. Bobby Rogers, lead pastor of Dellwood Baptist Church in Waynesville, said he was... Continue Reading »
The Church and the Surprising Offense of God’s Love: Reintroducing the Doctrines of Church Membership and Discipline (Crossway/9Marks, 2010) by Jonathan Leeman When the world speaks of “love,” it often means unconditional acceptance. Many churches have adopted this mindset... Continue Reading »
What would you think of a coach who instructs his players but never drills them? Or a math teacher who explains the lesson but never corrects her students’ mistakes? Or a doctor who talks about health but ignores cancer?... Continue Reading »
I have always loved that math problems are black and white. 2 + 2 is always 4. Fifteen percent of 1,000 is always 150. But math problems can be harder to solve when applied to real-life situations. I majored... Continue Reading »
If discipleship were a test, the average churchgoer would pass — but not by much. In the second half of the State of Discipleship study, Lifeway Research studied churchgoers’ levels of discipleship by asking dozens of questions related to... Continue Reading »
It’s often hard to see the ways that God uses catastrophes to draw you closer to Him. But not for George and Allison. Before the COVID-19 pandemic erupted, George and Allison Karkanis had already spent roughly eight years involved... Continue Reading »
(Editor’s note: The following article was originally published in WORLD.) I pastor a church just minutes from Cities Church in St. Paul, Minn. Last Sunday [Jan. 18], Cities was invaded by anti-ICE agitators. I have friends who attend there,... Continue Reading »
After a failed attempt to legalize sports gambling in 2025, some members of the South Carolina legislature are trying again this year. If approved, HB 3625 or SB 444 would allow the legislature to create the South Carolina Sports... Continue Reading »
Meant for the Mission, a two-year theme that will be woven throughout WMU curriculum beginning this fall, provided the backdrop for more than 20 different speakers who shared missions testimonies and illustrations of God’s faithfulness during WMU’s board meeting,... Continue Reading »
America’s current state of dissension brings similarities to 60 years ago, when protests were common and voices were loud. Martin Luther King Jr. was the leading voice. It’s one Matthew Daniels wants to elevate again. Daniels isn’t the only... Continue Reading »
Pastors must be prepared to respond to tragedy. It is inevitable in our world. The experience may be a situation like: A family of four dies unexpectedly on the highway. A routine visit to the doctor’s office reveals a... Continue Reading »
We can learn the largest and loudest of life’s lessons from the smallest and quietest of God’s creatures. As a wide-eyed kid, I wanted to roar like a lion, stomp like an elephant, and tower like a giraffe. But... Continue Reading »
Ask any longtime Southern Baptist, “Who was Annie Armstrong?” and you’ll likely hear about an amazing missions pioneer who launched a women’s society to help spread the gospel to her nation … and the nations. In her latest book,... Continue Reading »
Every year, churches across the Southern Baptist Convention honor the memory and legacy of George Liele and other African American and black missionary pioneers. Liele is widely acknowledged as the first overseas missionary from the United States. A freed... Continue Reading »
Recently, I moved into a jungle. Not literally. But when you walk into our home, there’s a plant everywhere you look. They are my roommate’s plants. But she didn’t plant them from seeds; rather, many were given to her... Continue Reading »
After adding eight camp locations in 2025, Lifeway camps are expanding once again in 2026, adding four new locations — in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas and South Carolina — as well as bringing new camps to previous locations. The expansion... Continue Reading »
Pew Research study finds Christianity remains stable after decades of decline, while the story for young adults remains complicated. Since 2020, the percentage of Americans who identify as Christian has hovered in the low to mid-60s. Those with no... Continue Reading »
Christmas is my favorite time of year … hands down. It’s the one season where we are encouraged to engage what Abraham Lincoln called our “better angels.” It is a season of love where we enter with awe into... Continue Reading »
The elliptical machine in 69-year-old Bob Stephens’ home gym is stretching its handlebars to hang three coats. A recumbent bike, various weights and a stationary rowing machine complete the 20-by-20-foot room. Stephens, a Focus on the Family senior public... Continue Reading »
I took my two young children to watch David, their first movie in a theater. I’d been anticipating the film for some time, but was unsure how the experience itself would go, especially for my autistic son, who remained... Continue Reading »
Over the last few years, there has been a slow attendance shift in the seats and pews of our churches. You may have already recognized it in the sea of faces in your congregation on an average Sunday morning.... Continue Reading »
(Editor’s note: This review was originally published at The Gospel Coalition.) Only the grace of God can explain Charles Spurgeon. In 38 years as pastor of Metropolitan Tabernacle (known as New Park Street Chapel during his early years), Spurgeon’s... Continue Reading »
With a crowd on a Galilean hillside, Jesus shared a message of hope: the way to find true happiness in life. To those searching for an abundant, joyful life, He offers … the “Be-happy-tudes.” I imagine a crowd gathering... Continue Reading »
When I was a much younger man, I didn’t believe anxiety was a real thing. I would hear people talk about being anxious and think perhaps they weren’t sturdy enough to break the full court press of everyday life.... Continue Reading »
It was perhaps the most famous sermon in U.S. history, a sermon God used to bring many sinners to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ: “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” preached in 1741 by the great... Continue Reading »
Sending people to the nations is what we do as Southern Baptists. We go to those who have yet to hear the gospel. This year has been filled with stories of how, together, we address lostness as the world’s... Continue Reading »
Alex Lyons was touring the International Mission Board’s training center in late April, lagging behind the group, when he spied the life-sized, black-and-white Lottie Moon cutout familiar to many churches. And as Lyons is prone to do, he had... Continue Reading »
“A Charlie Brown Christmas,” the beloved animated television program, turns 60 this year. It is hard to imagine that it almost did not air. Network executives thought it moved too slowly for a Christmas special. They also were convinced... Continue Reading »
I’m not a runner. In different seasons of my life, I’ve trained for 5k races and recently indulged my daughter, who planned a family Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning. I don’t experience a runner’s high. I don’t wake up... Continue Reading »
Q&A With Becky, Alisa, Nan, and Teresa by MARY MARGARET FLOOK, Staff Writer Becky Kirby lost her husband in a car accident. Alisa Bridger lost her husband from unexpected cancer. Nan Stroud’s husband battled ongoing health issues and caught... Continue Reading »
The present grace that we rest in is often constructed from the mountainous ache of years past. Yet, as we learn in Genesis through Moses’ retelling of Joseph’s story: What the enemy intends for evil, God intends for good... Continue Reading »
My family and I went to serve with the International Mission Board in Portugal in 2017. Like many of my friends on the mission field, I felt the IMB knew me better than I did following a slew of... Continue Reading »
For many churchgoers, Christmastime means giving time. Most say they regularly donate money and items to their churches as well as to local and national ministries and non-profits. Churchgoing adults in the U.S. are likely to make financial and... Continue Reading »
My grandfather pastored a church for 31 years before he retired. He pastored this congregation through a building campaign — where the church meets today — and grew the congregation to more than 500 additional members. There were many... Continue Reading »
Editor’s Note: The Week of Prayer for International Missions in the Southern Baptist Convention is Nov. 30–Dec. 7. Each year’s Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions supplements Cooperative Program giving to support international missionaries’ initiatives in sharing the... Continue Reading »
Southern Baptist entities and ministries offer numerous philanthropic opportunities this Giving Tuesday, from goats to helping Send Relief strengthen drought-impaired communities, to funds to archive Southern Baptist history. Send Relief tells of its sustaining work in Kenya, where the... Continue Reading »
Six South Carolina Baptist churches and one from North Carolina joined together for an evangelistic “Teach, Reach, Beach” retreat in Charleston in late September that saw seven baptisms. “The whole purpose is not just to retreat and get away,... Continue Reading »
She stood on Folly Beach, listening to the waves and watching the dark clouds roll in. “A storm is coming,” she thought. She reached for her phone and texted a friend who was going through a hard time. “…... Continue Reading »
Many Christians struggle with what it means to forgive a pastor who has committed a grievous act. A few years ago, a Memphis megachurch pastor admitted to a “sexual incident” with a high school student in Texas, more than... Continue Reading »
My great grandpa’s name was Goebel — and he was a stud. As we were looking through old family pictures a few years ago, I showed a picture of 50-year-old Goebel to my wife and kids. My wife said,... Continue Reading »
(Editor’s note: The following article is an excerpt from Ken Sande’s 2004 book from Baker Publishing Company, The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict) I once heard a joke that described a frequent failure in forgiving. A... Continue Reading »
Many pastors, early in their ministry, will encounter a troubled, tenderhearted soul who will say, “Pastor, I think I’ve committed the unpardonable sin.” Often, when the pastor asks what specifically that sin is, the person replies, “I’m not sure... Continue Reading »
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