When we consider the divine process of sanctification, we often fail to realize the unique and necessary tension that the Scripture presents in walking in truth and obedience. Individuals and groups routinely find themselves pitting two necessary truths of the Christian life one against the other and taking sides in the issue. It has been said that ideas have consequences,…
Category: <span>Fundamentalism</span>
Good leaders, whether in the church, the family, education, government, or business have several qualities in common. Each of these areas of community must function differently and different gifts and skills accompany leadership in these places of service. Yet there are some basic truths concerning leadership that applies across the board in all these areas of life. Of course, the…
Proverbs 19:11 describes the practice of overlooking a personal offense as a virtuous thing. We often consider exacting our justice upon one who has wronged us as best path toward self-satisfaction. This character quality of being able to overlook an offense is no small thing. Our inability to overlook an offense and to become bitter or angry when we feel…
The greatest threat to true brotherhood and Christian unity as desired by Jesus, and described by the Apostle Paul in Romans 14, is personal pride that causes us to elevate our personal opinions and “right to be right” above the unity found in Jesus Christ. “Only by pride comes contention,” says the poet in the Book of Proverbs. Pride within…
The efforts and prayers of my week reach a fevered pitch every Sunday morning around 11:20 am. I enjoy prayers, Bible reading, and music with my spiritual siblings prior to that time; but as 11:30 approaches, my heart beats faster, my palms get sweaty, my internal prayers become more excited and often terror grips me. You would think that I…
In the previous essay, I posited that immature people have certain characteristics that are hurtful to healthy Christian growth. I pointed out that all who are believers in Christ are a work in progress, but that God’s goal in sanctification is to present every man mature in Christ. God is doing a work in each saint’s heart and mind and…
Many Baptist, church-going adults remember attending Sunday School as a child fondly. The quaint little classroom with the blackboard; Miss “Mumford” and her cool little flannel-graphs whose characters never seemed to face the correct way; the little offering basket where we put in our nickles and dimes; and of course, singing those short children’s songs that sought to take profound…
Have you ever noticed that every generation speaks fondly of their youth and the culture of that youth and somehow finds a way to work into the conversation, ‘Those were the good ole’ days”? Christians are no different, we often reminisce about the church of yesteryear, romanticizing how it was so much better than it is today. Christians tend to…
Below is an “open-letter” describing my heart in the preaching ministry God has given me through Grace Baptist Church. I am greatly privileged to serve a sovereign God as a bond-slave; and I am truly blessed to be able to minister to gracious, loving and receptive people of God in this local assembly as a servant of the Word. Thank…
What do you do when you can’t meet expectations? What about when it seems like your best is just not good enough? You know, whatever you do, you just don’t measure up? I know that in whatever we do in life, there will be critics. It seems like the latest “cool” thing to do within ministry is to mock your…