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.
by Luke Switzer | May 8, 2023 | Episodes
Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief (DR) continues to do work on multiple fronts. According to Jason Yarbrough, state director for DR, relief work continues after wildfires and a series of tornadoes and severe storms in Oklahoma; Many Texans have a general understanding they live in one of the most diverse states in the nation. What they may be less aware of is how many Arabic-speaking Southern Baptist churches exist in the Lone Star State; Vacation Bible School is an enriching time when various volunteers from all parts of the church join together to plan and lead a special event with one theme in mind—sharing the gospel with children.
by Luke Switzer | May 5, 2023 | Episodes
Trustees for the North American Mission Board (NAMB) celebrated a milestone of more than 10,000 churches planted by Southern Baptists since 2010 as 745 church plants were added in 2022; A lineup of speakers and guests on the Cooperative Program Stage will point attention toward what should be at the heart of all Southern Baptists The waiting seasons of life can be difficult. Oftentimes we become so hyper-focused on a specific desire that we miss God’s answers that are right in front of us.
by Luke Switzer | May 4, 2023 | Episodes
“Pray Fervently in Righteousness and Avail Much” is the 2023 NDOP theme, based on James 5:16; The upcoming expiration of a COVID-era immigration policy has communities and groups such as ministry centers bracing for a surge in migrants; In a First Person on Baptist Press, Kris Buckman offers tips to church when reports sexual abuse come to their attention.
by Luke Switzer | May 3, 2023 | Episodes
The first-ever annual meeting of the Myanmar Baptist Churches USA fellowship is to take place Monday, June 12, in connection with the 2023 annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention at the New Orleans Convention Center; A healthy deacon leads to a healthy deacon ministry, which is an important part of a healthy church; In a piece on BP Karl Clauson writes, Jesus was crystal clear – his church is a prevailing church
by Luke Switzer | May 2, 2023 | Episodes
A call to prayer today as at least four churches have been destroyed and a congregation directly assaulted in Sudan, signaling the earliest reports of religious suffering in the fight for governmental control that erupted April 15; Having solid policies and procedures in place at your church helps prevent sexual abuse by protecting children, youth and vulnerable adults, according to Kris Buckman; In a piece in the Baptist Press Toolbox, JD Greear writes, The demons don’t mind the cleanup; in fact, they like it.
by Luke Switzer | May 1, 2023 | Episodes
The U.S. Senate rejected an attempt Thursday (April 27) to revive the Equal Rights Amendment more than four decades after the controversial proposal passed its deadline for ratification; Did you know researchers believe at least 76 percent of the population of Cincinnati is far from God and not involved in any local church, according to the North American Mission Board; Want to know a secret? Theologian Chuck Lawless thinks you should take gossip seriously.
by Luke Switzer | Apr 28, 2023 | Episodes
Eight confirmed tornadoes slashed across Oklahoma’s midsection the evening of Wed., April 19, inflicting major damage to structures at Oklahoma Baptist University (OBU) and to other sections of Shawnee; In just a little over one year, it will be ‘games wide open’ for the Paris Olympics, with more than 10,500 athletes from countries spanning the globe and thousands of spectators descending on the French capital; A Lifeway Bible study on Baptist Press says, “In the book of Deuteronomy, God had already performed miracle after miracle in His care and provision for the Israelites, yet they failed to believe God could provide them with water.
by Luke Switzer | Apr 27, 2023 | Episodes
Most churchgoers say tithing is a biblical command and give at least 10 percent of their income. But they have more diverse opinions on the “where” and “how” of tithing; Saltpetre Community Church is relatively new at nine years old, the mix of older and younger congregations; In a Baptist Press Toolbox piece, Trevin Wax discusses barriers that keep leaders from being multi=-directional leaders.
by Luke Switzer | Apr 26, 2023 | Episodes
Escalating violence may have forced Louisiana Reach Haiti to halt most operations in the country, however, the ministry has found other ways to share the hope of Jesus in Haiti; The U.S. House of Representatives limited female sports to biological women in a party-line vote last week, but the U.S. Senate is expected to block the bill; A Michigan businessman who died more than a decade ago is helping a Georgia congregation with the cost of a new church building.
by Luke Switzer | Apr 25, 2023 | Episodes
The “Legacy Celebration” service for pastor Charles Stanley featured a lineup of notable pastors and musical guests worthy of his world-famous ministry career; More than 200 Christians have been killed in terrorist attacks in Benue and Kaduna states in Nigeria since the election season ended in March, according to news reports and statements from religious freedom advocates; In a piece in the Baptist Press Toolbox, Sam Rainer offers eight ways you might be able to recognize your church is drifting from the mission.
by Luke Switzer | Apr 24, 2023 | Episodes
For Tommy Neiman, an award-winning firefighter and paramedic, the theme for his vocational calling has become about challenging first responders to be believers, and believers to be first responders; The Spurgeon Library, located on the campus of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, celebrated the recent donation of a collection of unpublished Spurgeon writings at the second annual Spurgeon Library Conference April 19; A Lifeway Bible study says, “Famed evangelist D.L. Moody began his book “The Overcoming Life” addressing “the Christian’s warfare.”
by Luke Switzer | Apr 21, 2023 | Episodes
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Albert Mohler thanked supporters for their prayers and encouragement during his recent health scare; The head of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board (TBMB), the leader of Southern Baptists’ ethics entity and a group of Tennessee pastors are urging the state legislature to enact safety measures to protect the public from gun violence; In an article in the Baptist Press Toolbox, Thom Rainer shares seven things that are hindering churches when it comes to evangelism.
