Johnny Hunt, President of the Southern Baptist Convention, has added four more members to the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force. President Hunt, siting feedback he received from fellow SBC'ers, added people to the Task Force whom he believes will add to the diversification that people were calling for. The original task force was comprised of: – Ronnie Floyd (chairperson), pastor, FBC Springdale, Arkansas – Johnny Hunt, SBC president, pastor, FBC Woodstock, Georgia, – Jim Richards, executive director, Southern Baptists of Texas Convention – Frank Page, pastor, FBC, Taylors … [Read more...] about More Diversity for the GCR Task Force
Sitting in the Back and Getting Annoyed
My husband and I, like many others within the church body, have a deep and abiding love for children. We have always considered our church family to be a great and lasting influence in our lives and are thankful for each and every person we have met along the way. We don't live near family and that is sometimes difficult for our children, especially. However, we have strived to teach our children that they belong to a greater family that exceeds the limits of our own homefront or DNA. This teaching has extended through all of the churches we have been members of in the last 20 years during … [Read more...] about Sitting in the Back and Getting Annoyed
Christian Courtship & Helping Teens To Learn From Our Sin
My husband and I were both Christians when we became involved with each other but our life did not bear the fruit of it in many ways. We broke up, but then I found out I was pregnant. My now sister in law told him I was pregnant (because I refused to) and after a few weeks of fighting about it we were married. I loved Mike very much but I knew he had cold feet for a reason. I didn't want him to feel like he had to marry me, but I also didn't want to feel like I was second choice either. Nearly 18 years later, we are both the wiser and each of us have a deep and intimate relationship with … [Read more...] about Christian Courtship & Helping Teens To Learn From Our Sin
Holy versus Holier Than Thou
Our pastor spoke to us on a recent Sunday morning on the difference between "holiness" and "holier than thou". Doctor Hadley gave several verses to point out specifically what holiness is but spent a great portion of the sermon on the latter issue, the sin of being holier than thou. Our main portion of scripture studied was Mark 7: 1-23. I've studied this portion of scripture before but there are always new things to learn each time you read scripture. God reveals a new lesson to you at the appropriate time, I believe. It wasn't that the lesson wasn't there before, or that the scripture … [Read more...] about Holy versus Holier Than Thou
Living Your Strengths Within The Church
We moved to Havelock North Carolina last summer and recently took an orientation type class at our new church. As part of the class, the Pastor presents all new members and/or member prospects the book Living Your Strengths by Winseman, Clifton, and Liesveld from Gallup Press. Included on the inside of each book jacket is an ID code that allows you to go online and take a test. Its purpose is to tell you your top five strengths. This test is an excellent resource and one I found quite honest in the results, even though the taking of the test itself was a bit overwhelming as you had to answer … [Read more...] about Living Your Strengths Within The Church
Concerning the Apocrypha…
I was raised in a Baptist family, accepted Christ at an early age, grew up with what I consider a hell, fire, and brimstone pastor, and never heard of the Apocrapha until I was at least a late teen, or perhaps it was even later than that and I was a young adult. I can't put an exact date on it but it was farther back in my years than closer to present at least! I do remember, however, that once I did learn about the existence of the Apocrapha that every time I asked what it was, the answer was almost whispered to me, as if it was a taboo subject. I'm a curious sort and so I kept poking around … [Read more...] about Concerning the Apocrypha…
Yokes We Cannot Bear
It is the beginning of the new year and a time, undoubtedly, when we all make resolutions to do this thing or that thing better this year. I was reading scripture in the New Testament this afternoon and came upon a certain verse which says "Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?" This verse is found in the 15th chapter of Acts, verse 10. Peter wasn't asking about the ridiculousness of new years resolutions of course, but I had to laugh as I read the verse because off an on throughout the day my mind had … [Read more...] about Yokes We Cannot Bear
Being a Good and Godly Influence
I was reading Philemon today. This book in the New Testament is very small and contains just one simple chapter containing a letter from Paul to Philemon. Yet its purpose of instruction is mighty! Onesimus was a slave and he had run away. Some commentators say that he had stolen from his owner and then ran away but as Paul only states "if he owes you anything" I can't say that I agree completely with their assessment. However, the main purpose isn't really about how or why Onesimus became separated from Philemon. The main purpose is that Paul is trying to be of service by being a good … [Read more...] about Being a Good and Godly Influence
After the Election
You woke up on November 5th and you weren't very happy with your newly elected official (insert whoever YOU voted for if he wasn't the guy the rest of the free world chose) that the majority of the People elected to lead our great country. What happens now? Do you rant and rave about how ignorant those other folks were? Do you let fear and worry set in about what might happen to your future, or your children's future? We might be tempted to lean in that direction but if we are smart then we will dig into the Word of God and let Him be our guide. The first thing you have to remember is that … [Read more...] about After the Election
I Wish I’d Prayed More
My family grew up watching Billy Graham specials around the television. The nights that he was preaching were the only nights that the children were allowed to stay up late on a school night. My husband and I have continued that tradition with our own children. If Rev. Graham is on, we watch him. Several years ago, Rev. Billy Graham did a sit down interview before one of his sermons. Out of everything he said, the one thing I most remember was "I wish I'd prayed more." I was in awe that he would humbly admit that and I wrote the quote and the date on a piece of paper and stuck it on my … [Read more...] about I Wish I’d Prayed More