Engage the Culture

These are the notes for the opening at the South Carolina Baptist Convention 2019 Annual Meeting. You can watch the video here (around the 40-minute mark). As ministry leaders committed to engaging the culture, we must never rely upon our limited efforts. God is not dependent upon us to get our jobs done to reach …

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What the Closing of LifeWay Stores Teaches Us About Christians

In March 2019, LifeWay Christian Resources executives made the announcement that their stores would all be closed within the year. While the publishing side of the company is doing well, the brick and mortar stores have struggled to stay afloat. Like many other chain and local book stores, LifeWay was losing money and had to …

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The Mission [Fuge 2018 Louisville]

I had the privilege to serve as the camp pastor at the Fuge Camp at Southern Seminary in Louisville on July 9-13, 2018.  Here is the outline of the sermons I preached.  Pray these notes drive you to reflect on the truths of God’s Word as it propels us to His mission!

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These Aren’t the Calvinists You’re Looking For

In Star Wars Episode 4, A New Hope, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi uses a Jedi mind trick on a group of stormtroopers to protect the safety of this ragtag group of heroes.  As he waves his hand upon the investigative soldiers seeking to identify if the robots in the back seat are the ones on the most-wanted list of the Empire, he changes their mind with the iconic phrase:

“These aren’t the droids you’re looking for.”

The stormtroopers are forced to believe him and they continue on to safety.

Sometimes, I wish I could wave my hand around and get people to think differently.  Especially, when it comes to ministry.  Let me explain.

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Who Are the Pharisees in the Southern Baptist Convention?

It is true that in any arena of life, people have the capacity to position themselves intentionally or inwardly hope that they will rise to a certain platform.  While we wish that was untrue in relation to ministry, it unfortunately exists there as well.

As a pastor, I see the attempts around me and notice the trends inside me to advance our personal agendas.  But as someone who teaches the truth for a vocation, obviously, I should beyond such trivial pursuits.  When I teach from the Bible, I should be able to come from a grounds of moral and leadership superiority and yet I often discover that quite the opposite is true.

Sometimes the religious leaders are the problem.

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The Black Eye of the Southern Baptist Convention

My denomination is caught in a divisive moment at a critical time.

In recent months scandals and controversies have swirled around certain pastors, presidents, and professors within the Southern Baptist Convention.  While some controversies have been front-page catastrophes and others have been suspiciously quiet departures, it appears as if someone is cleaning house.  Some claim that institutions are cowering before cultural pressure and others claim this to be a day of divine reckoning.

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Lottie Moon Almost Settled for a Bad Marriage

Maybe you have heard of Lottie Moon.  She is famous in Southern Baptist circles for a missionary offering that bears her name.  She spent close to 40 years serving as a missionary in China. In her last years in China, the Chinese were struggling with poverty, famine, and the effects of war.  When Moon returned …

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Harvestfest 2016

We had a great time at Harvestfest this year!  I had the wonderful privilege of putting the team together to lead worship.  The band was composed from 3 different churches.  Our worship team and tech team did a wonderful job leading the thousands gathered.  David Sons brought a great message and we had some wonderful …

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Praying for Your Spouse

In this video, Lander University’s BCM Director, Scott Smith, talks about how to pray for your spouse.  Scott’s wife Judy was in an accident years ago that changed their lives, but strengthened their marriage.

Don’t Simply Go on Missions – Partner with Missionaries

When I was growing up, I envisioned missionaries to be super spiritual people who were impervious to normal spiritual struggles that the rest of us endured.  They were so holy that they never had family issues, crises of faith, or bad days. Then I got to know missionaries and discovered how far off from the …

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