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If you watched any of the winter Olympics this year, you may have seen the commercial that stated, “For two weeks, we’re all on the same team: Team USA.” The commercial showed people wearing opposing team jerseys of their... Continue Reading »
If you’re a church leader, you need to spend intentional time with a senior adult — or with a lot of them. Even a monthly lunch and conversation will pay dividends in your ministry. Here’s why you need to... Continue Reading »
The New Testament frequently speaks of the reward that awaits followers of Jesus Christ. In the fullest sense, heaven itself is the believer’s great reward (Col. 1:12, 3:24). Yet heaven is not wages earned for good works; it is... Continue Reading »
Editor’s note: Several years ago, Founders Ministries published Dear Timothy, an excellent multi-author work (see New & Noteworthy Books in this issue) that quickly rose to the top of my list among books on pastoral/local church ministry. That work... Continue Reading »
How does your church measure success? For many churches, the ABCs of success are attendance, buildings and cash. While these are the easiest things to measure, pastors know they aren’t the best. There has to be a better way... Continue Reading »
Empty – it’s not one of our favorite terms. It’s not one of our preferred greetings. When someone asks you, “How are you doing?” you probably don’t respond by saying, “Empty, thanks for asking!” Many popular songs through the... Continue Reading »
I love getting to spend time with church people, especially playing board games. But if you tell me you likes games and you pull out Apples to Apples, I will storm out of your house. Do you know this... Continue Reading »
When I was training for ministry in college, while I would never have said it like this, the thought was there, buried deep within, surrounded by good motives: I’ll be a successful pastor if I’m a famous pastor. And... Continue Reading »
There’s a tendency among fallen humans to believe that the larger an institution is, the more successful it must be. We think that, of course, because it’s often true. In the ubiquitous realm of technology, Apple and Microsoft are... Continue Reading »
I regularly hear the voice of William D. Downs Jr. echoing in my mind. Dr. Downs was the department chair and professor of communications and journalism at Ouachita Baptist University for 41 years. He was relentless, hounding us want-to-be... Continue Reading »
Church growth writers talk about the bell-shaped curve that characterizes the growth of many churches. The left side of the bell curve is exciting (vision, outreach, growth, etc.), but the right side is challenging (nostalgia, decline, division, etc.). Based... Continue Reading »
You have probably heard some of the troubling statistics about teens and young adults. The data points are piling up like symptoms for a very ill patient. Since 2010: Anxiety is up 139 percent among 18-25-year-olds. Depression is up... Continue Reading »
The second legislative session of the South Carolina 126th General Assembly is out to improve its bill passing batting average. The 2025 session got bogged down with major pieces of legislation, consuming weeks of the calendar with sometimes contentious... Continue Reading »
It’s amazing how much noise a few quiet Buddhist monks can make when they walk through your town. I was having breakfast out in the country of Lexington County with my friend Chris, and we heard the monks were... Continue Reading »
I was 17 years old the summer before my high school senior year when Northside Baptist Church of Denham Springs, La., called me as their part-time music minister. My dad was a local pastor, and I had a solid... Continue Reading »
Have you ever been drawn into an infomercial or found yourself awed by the sales pitch of a social media influencer? Basically, someone you have never met before is telling you how miserable your life is without their product.... Continue Reading »
America’s favorite Bible verse seems to be Matthew 7:1, where our Lord says, “Judge not that you be not judged.” Yet Jesus also said in John 7:24, “Judge with a righteous judgment.” Are Christians called to judge? It may... Continue Reading »
With the present war involving Iran, the United States and surrounding countries, a closer look at the history of Christianity in Iran may help place these events in context and guide believers in how to pray for Christians living... Continue Reading »
Don’t be a fool. Don’t be fooled. The late 20th century began what is sometimes called “The Age of Information” with the rapid acceleration of information technology through the internet and other digital mediums. However, the proliferation of non-peer... Continue Reading »
Words are vital because God has spoken to us through words. When we are reading and meditating on His Word, what are we doing? We’re hearing from Him. When we listen to sermons, we are hearers of the Word... Continue Reading »
“Thou shalt not gamble.” Okay, now that I have your attention, there is no 11th commandment prohibiting gambling. Gambling — whether it involves wagering on your favorite sports team, dropping coins in a slot machine, or scratching off lottery... Continue Reading »
“Clear your schedule. You’re going with me on hospital visitation today.” When I had only been a student pastor for a week, my senior pastor, Steve, took me to do a visit in the hospital for one of our... Continue Reading »
If I had a dollar for every time Vanessa said, “Tony, you’re overthinking this,” I could personally fund a couple of IMB missionaries for several years. It’s just in my nature to think about things — everything — way... Continue Reading »
Wouldn’t it be encouraging if someone came to you today and said, “I just wanted to tell you that I haven’t stopped praying for you”? We could all use this type of support. This is exactly what Paul did... Continue Reading »
There was a time among Deep South Baptist churches when church discipline was no big deal — it was simply assumed to be a biblically appointed means of church purity and church health. There was no need to call... Continue Reading »
The choir was singing while we were in the middle of serving the Lord’s Supper one Sunday morning. The ushers were halfway down the middle aisle when the sanctuary’s rear doors flew open and a young man stepped in... Continue Reading »
In Western Civilization, people generally have two names — a first name and a middle name — in addition to their last name. However, they are usually only known by their first name. My first name is Jonathan. Others... 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 »
On New Year’s Eve, 1 million visitors flooded into Time Square hotels, neighboring blocks, and the immediate area awaiting the iconic ball drop. When the gates opened at 10 a.m., they flooded into the square to wait for 14... 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 »
Thank you, South Carolina Baptists, for allowing me the privilege to serve as your president this year. The cooperative work we do together as Southern Baptists has been a part of my life from my earliest childhood memories. I... Continue Reading »
Invitations matter more than we often realize. Most people who visit a church do not come because of a clever slogan, a polished website, or even a well-timed social media post. They come because someone they know invited them.... Continue Reading »
Editor’s note: Sanctity of Life Sunday is Jan. 18. As King David wrote in praise to God, “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and... 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 »
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 »
“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 »
There are few things Southern Baptists love more than evangelism, worship, seminary education and the Cooperative Program. And, as for people, one could argue the top two on that list are Fred Luter and Don Currence. A bit of... Continue Reading »
We live in a day of shifting global geopolitical alliances coupled with a changing and chaotic political atmosphere here in the United States. In fact, it would not be an exaggeration to characterize all of Western civilization as enduring... Continue Reading »
“What do you want for Christmas?” I asked the young boy. “I probably won’t get gifts this year, but I want a superhero, a Power Ranger with the white outfit,” he said with longing in his eyes. When I... Continue Reading »
Next spring, Vanessa and I will have been married for 25 years. You accumulate a lot of stuff over 25 years. Some stuff breaks or fades. Some stuff outlives its usefulness. Some stuff gets buried in piles of other... Continue Reading »
To understand the nature of the unpardonable sin, one must consider both the passage’s broader biblical context and the immediate situation in which Jesus spoke. Jesus set the passage in its broader theological context when He affirmed a truth... 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 »
“He who does not find the great and perfect wisdom of God in His wonderful work of music is truly a clod and is not worthy to be considered a man!” — Martin Luther Want to know a simple... Continue Reading »
Pushing Back Against Gambling Leading up to the 2025 legislative session, the legislative rumor mill focused on major gambling interests eyeing South Carolina. Based on our commitment to God’s Word, we affirm that God’s intended design is for humanity... 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 »
Maddison, Dan, Vanisha, and Zach were all lost last year, but God made them alive through SCBaptist cooperation. Maddison was invited to a One Night student event by her friends this past year where SCBaptists worked together to organize.... Continue Reading »
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