by Luke Switzer | Jun 5, 2023 | Episodes
When more than 50 people were baptized at the Sumner County, Tennessee Jail in early May, it was the culmination of many years of ministry from two neighboring churches; For those with a passion for healthcare and a calling to missions, the International Mission Board has avenues of service ready to fill; Unfortunately, natural disasters are inevitable in this world. Coy Webb of Send Relief encourages believers to get trained in responding to disaster relief
by Luke Switzer | Jun 2, 2023 | Episodes
As the Hispanic population in the U.S. grows, new challenges are emerging Christians should care about predatory lending because its practices exploit and take advantage of our neighbors, whom we’ve been commanded to love; Jesus revealed His identity as Messiah and Lord through His words and His actions.
by Luke Switzer | Jun 1, 2023 | Episodes
Everyone finds great joy when God answers their prayer. Richard Gamble’s is working hard to build what he calls the Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer, an interactive, 160-foot monument of 1 million white bricks built into an infinity loop on a plot of high-profile land in Birmingham, England; In a piece in the Baptist Press Toolbox, Kie Bowman encourages believers to pray and offers some tips to pastors and believers on how to create culture of prayer in the local church.
by Luke Switzer | May 31, 2023 | Episodes
One of the most challenging obstacles pastors face in congregations large and small is getting people to prioritize local church commitment over the activities constantly competing to fill up their weekly schedules; Before Friday, May 26 the largest group Campbell Lino had spoken to about Jesus was the 75 or so at her church during a prayer meeting; In a piece in the Baptist Press Toolbox, William and Howard Hendricks share three benefits from regularly studying God’s Word.
by Luke Switzer | May 30, 2023 | Episodes
The task force leading efforts to address sexual abuse in Southern Baptist churches say they are preparing to launch a ministry database website in June; Lifeway Research recently released a study on church health revealing four factors that predict church growth; How can pastors prepare for ministry over the long haul? Jonathan Jarboe share four tips in the Baptist Press Toolbox
by Luke Switzer | May 29, 2023 | Episodes
One morning after air raid sirens alerted Kyiv of imminent attack, hundreds attended Central Baptist Church for Sunday worship. Southern Baptist evangelist Michael Gott was preaching; Some days as an Air Force chaplain stand out among all others. For Matthew Knight, one of those days was August 29, 2021; In a First Person on Baptist Press, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission President Brent Leatherwood says they want to help churches think biblically about the cultural issues of our time by providing resources that are rooted in the Gospel.
by Luke Switzer | May 26, 2023 | Episodes
The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) welcomed introduction Tuesday (May 23) of the Dignity Act a bill first offered last year, gained reintroduction by Rep. Maria Salazar, R-Fla., with co-sponsorship this time from Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, and other Democrats as well as Republicans; As society continues to wrestle with the complicated issues surrounding artificial intelligence such as ChatGPT, Christians should be ready to engage as the ones holding the ultimate answers, one ethicist told Baptist Press.
by Luke Switzer | May 25, 2023 | Episodes
Oklahoma Southern Baptist pastor John-Mark Hart is part of a multifaith coalition advocating for the life of death row inmate Richard Glossip on grounds of biblical mercy and the pursuit of impartial criminal justice; Why would an Alabama church more than double Christmas missions offering? Because the senior pastor went on a short-term mission trip, serving with IMB personnel in South Asia, and the whole church caught a vision for the work of International Mission Board missionaries; In a piece on Baptist Press, Michael Kelley reminds believers of four words they should always remember.
by Luke Switzer | May 24, 2023 | Episodes
The National Religious Broadcasters, an association of Christian media outlets, has joined a lawsuit seeking to block a California law that requires social media companies to publish their policies on removing hate speech from their platforms; Although most churchgoers want to serve in their communities for Gospel impact, there is a noticeable gap when it comes to the number who are already volunteering for a charity; When a student chapel service extended into days and weeks this past winter at Asbury University in Wilmore, Ky., observers far and wide questioned whether the stage was set for the next Great Awakening?
by Luke Switzer | May 23, 2023 | Episodes
Summer plans for many young adults look like taking vacations or returning to their hometown, but for more than 50 students throughout the South Carolina Baptist Convention (SCBC), plans look like living on mission through the North American Mission Board’s GenSend program; Ethnic minorities are increasing their participation in all areas of Southern Baptist Convention life, say members of the SBC Executive Committee’s Great Commission Relations and Mobilization (GCRM) Team; In a post on Baptist Press, Ben Connor and Bob Roberts, Jr. write a piece on motives that hinder believers from living a life on mission.
by Luke Switzer | May 22, 2023 | Episodes
International Mission Board trustees approved 92 fully funded missionaries for appointment during their May 17-18 meeting in Richmond; A three-judge panel in the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments last week over whether the Food and Drug Administration approval of mifepristone should be revoked more than two decades after it was granted; Throughout his Gospel, John drew connections between seeing and believing
by Luke Switzer | May 19, 2023 | Episodes
Maybe you’re keeping up with the discussion surrounding artificial intelligence. The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission’s Jason Thacker hopes you’ll ask the right questions; Anyone who has ever purchased a home knows there can be a big difference in what the buyer or seller sees and what a certified home inspector sees.
by Luke Switzer | May 18, 2023 | Episodes
When Clint Clifton was tragically killed in January of this year in an aircraft accident, he left behind a legacy of faithfulness as a pastor, a church planter and, most importantly, a husband and father. Many testified, in the days and weeks after his death, to his fervent desire to see the Gospel go forth; North Carolina’s Republican-led legislature voted on Tuesday (May 16) to override Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of a bill banning most abortions in the state after 12 weeks of pregnancy.
by Luke Switzer | May 17, 2023 | Episodes
Christians and other faith groups saw increased religious freedom in some countries while suffering continued and growing persecution in others, the U.S. State Department said May 15 in its 2022 report on international religious freedom; The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) submitted public comments Monday (May 15) objecting to a Department of Education proposed rule regarding students who identify as a gender other than the biological sex of their birth; In a piece in the Baptist Press Toolbox, Nate Pickowicz remembers a time when reading the Bible was a struggle
by Luke Switzer | May 16, 2023 | Episodes
The Southern Baptist Convention’s ethics entity has urged Congress to find a solution for the “ongoing humanitarian emergency” at the United States’ southern border; Award-winning CCM trio Point of Grace hopes their first full-length album in five years will remind hurting people of Gospel truth and the importance of church; Is your church struggling to get members to share their faith? In the Baptist Press Toolbox, Thom Rainer offers a number of suggestions
by Luke Switzer | May 15, 2023 | Episodes
The heads of North Carolina’s largest Protestant group and the public policy arm of the Southern Baptist Convention have sent a joint letter to N.C. lawmakers encouraging them to override an impending gubernatorial veto of recently passed legislation that would ban most abortions in the state after 12 weeks of pregnancy; In separate California lawsuits, judges have ruled the California Department of Managed Health Care was wrong in forcing four churches from declining elective abortion coverage in their health insurance plans; Know someone who’s considering seminary? In the Baptist Press Toolbox, Pastor H.B. Charles offers four tips to remember when considering theological education.
by Luke Switzer | May 12, 2023 | Episodes
More pastors are encouraging members to adopt and provide foster care at a time when adoptions have declined in the U.S Faithful Stones Church Pastor Mark Hamilton has observed three stages of grief in the neighborhood he serves surrounding Tops Market, the site of a racially charged mass shooting that killed 10 shoppers May 14 a year ago; The statistics on sexual abuse are staggering, and this should give pastors pause as they consider how to care for people who have been sinned against in this way.
by Luke Switzer | May 11, 2023 | Episodes
Prayer changes the world, is the most powerful tool for change, and is critical in the spiritual life of pastors, prayer event leaders said in advance of the 2023 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting in New Orleans; In the Baptist Press Toolbox, Matthew Gilbert encourages people who work with children in the church.
by Luke Switzer | May 10, 2023 | Episodes
The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) and the Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention (MWBC) signed onto a friend-of-the-court brief filed Monday (May 8) that urged the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago to rule parents have legal standing to contest the guidance of the Eau Claire (Wis.) Area School District; Lifeway Christian Resources and B&H Español were named Publisher of the Year by the Spanish Evangelical Publishers Association (SEPA) at its annual awards ceremony held April 20, 2023, in Miami, Florida; For the second straight year, baptisms and giving increased among Southern Baptist congregations.
by Luke Switzer | May 9, 2023 | Episodes
The Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force had already been working toward producing a tool box for churches prior to its March 28 meeting; When Oklahoma Baptist University students returned to in-person classes this week, the stress of final exams couldn’t compare with the joy of simply being back on their campus, which was wrecked by a tornado in mid-April; What keeps believers from sharing their faith? Researcher and author Thom Rainer recently conducted a poll of believers.
