Tag Archives: Religion and Spirituality

When Revival Comes

Posted on April 21, 2016 | 1 comment

The great need of our day is for genuine revival to come to believers in our nation. I’m delighted to see Ronnie Floyd’s emphasis on revival (sometimes called a “spiritual awakening”) in my own denomination. It is desperately needed.
Revival is specifically about the revived spiritual commitment of those who know Christ as Savior and Lord. While it leads to evangelistic concern (and often an awakening among those who are not saved to their need for salvation) it is specifically about reviving those who have already been “vived”.
Here are some results that will follow a genuine revival should it come to our churches and believers.
1. A deepened love for God and the Continue reading →

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Posted in revival, spiritual awakening, Uncategorized

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When Easter is Over

Posted on March 30, 2016 | 1 comment

Our churches are never fully defined by our biggest Sundays or our smallest.

As a pastor, I love Easter Sunday. I love the large number of guests, those who haven’t been in a long time and the spiritually curious. We had our biggest attendance ever this past Sunday with 2,551 people. It is exciting to preach the message of the gospel to lots of people. There is an energy that comes with the large crowd.

I do know, of course, that not every Sunday has Continue reading →

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Posted in Church, Easter, Easter Sunday, pastor, Uncategorized

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Why I don’t bash Easter attenders

Posted on March 22, 2016 | 1 comment

I love the opportunities that come with Easter Sunday. Hundreds of guests will come to our church on Easter Sunday- some who have never been to church and some who haven’t been in a long time. I won’t bash them for not being there every week. Believe me, as a pastor I would love for them to come to our church every Sunday. But I won’t bash them. Here are some reasons why.
– It is uncharitable. I love these people and care about them. I’ll love them enough to tell them the whole truth of the gospel and God’s word. I will tell them the whole truth. But I will do that out of my love for them.
-It is ineffective. Bashing people on the one Sunday they are Continue reading →

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Posted in Easter, Easter Sunday, evangelism, Uncategorized, worship

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My friend’s education into my cheapskate ways

Posted on March 1, 2016 | Leave a comment

Here is the basic transcript of a recent conversation I had with my pastor buddy.

Me: Did you get a copy of my new book “30 Days to Acts” yet? You wrote the foreword.
Him: No, did that come out already?
Me: Yes. You need to buy a copy. You wrote the foreword.
Him: Well, since I wrote the foreword, shouldn’t you send me a free copy?
Me: The foreword wasn’t THAT good.

And that is when he realized his friend is cheap.

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Posted in books, Christian humor, Uncategorized

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Race and the Jesus Agenda

Posted on February 25, 2016 | 2 comments

Few things are more difficult to have an honest conversation about than issues of race. This issue continues to divide and befuddle and frustrate our nation and even our churches. When I was a young man (my wife tells me I’m still young but her eyesight isn’t what it used to be) I thought racial reconciliation and unity would be far better by this point.

I’ve gone to some meetings about racial reconciliation and have come out of those times with this thought. The Continue reading →

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Posted in Christian unity, Church, integration, racial unity, segregation, Uncategorized

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Encouraging Missions

Posted on February 11, 2016 | 1 comment

I want to encourage the members and churches of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) to be involved in missions. Not only do I encourage cooperative missions and support of the Cooperative Program (see my last post), I encourage every church and every member to be directly involved in missions. Here are two ways to do that.

1. Get involved by encouraging our International Mission Board (IMB) missionaries. Never have they needed encouragement as they do now. With hundreds of our most experienced missionaries leaving the field, those who remain need Continue reading →

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Posted in baptist, International Mission Board, missions, southern baptist convention, Uncategorized

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Encouraging the Southern Baptist Convention, part 1

Posted on February 4, 2016 | 5 comments

A series of seven blogs on the Southern Baptist Convention? I’m not sure many will read one and I’m doing seven? Well, hope springs eternal in the blogger’s heart. These are seven areas or people that I think need some special attention and encouragement in the years ahead- seven areas that I want to encourage especially.

#1.  I want to encourage Cooperative Mission and support for the Cooperative Program.

I love missions of all sort. I’m not against societal missions in any way. But I do think our denomination’s method of cooperative missions with the International Mission Board has a special brilliance. Missionary Continue reading →

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Posted in baptist, cooperative program, encouragement, International Mission Board, southern baptist convention, Uncategorized

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In Praise of Encouragers

Posted on January 19, 2016 | 2 comments

Encouragement is one of the most beautiful gifts we can receive. A kind word, a helping hand, a warm smile, an appreciative hug– these things are the currency of encouragement. And this currency is never devalued.
I officiated the funeral of a great encourager recently. In more than twenty years of being his pastor he encouraged me countless times without a single hint of discouragement. Amazing.
I cannot tell you how grateful I am for that wonderful gift. In a day when snark Continue reading →

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Posted in blessings, encouragement, faith, joy, Uncategorized

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Pass the Humility Please

Posted on January 5, 2016 | Leave a comment

George McClellan is one of the most frustrating men I know. Well, I don’t really know him since he has been dead for more than 130 years. But I know about him.

I like reading history books because I always learn something that applies to life today. Here are some recently learned (or relearned) lessons from Civil War days and the disappointing life of General George McClellan.

-Early success isn’t always helpful. McClellan entered West Point at 15 and Continue reading →

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Posted in history, humility, Uncategorized

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It’s a Christmas Miracle!

Posted on December 19, 2015 | Leave a comment

I’ve given birth to a new book. (Well, it was a different kind of labor than you mothers have.) It is called “30 Days to Acts: A Devotional Commentary”. You can get this devotional book at Amazon. (Just click on the picture.) Merry Christmas!

30 Days to Acts

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Posted in books, Christianity, Uncategorized

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