First Thoughts

There is an ever-widening relational chasm between generations. The blazing speed of technological and societal change has ensured that this chasm is broad and challenging to cross. I have eight-year-old twin boys, and their experience of the world is vastly different than my eight-year-old experience. When I was eight, the peak of entertainment was a Gameboy Color (a handheld digital Yahtzee game was a close second). My twins are growing up in a world where any show, movie, or game is instan…

Longevity In Ministry On Sunday, November 12, the members of First Baptist Church Jacksonville celebrated John Sullivan for his 68 years in ministry. 68 years is a long time to be alive—much less to be in ministry. For some perspective, I am 44 years old. That means that before I took my first breath of air in 1979, Dr Sullivan had been doing ministry for 24 years. That accomplishment is remarkable in its own right. But it is remarkable for another reason. I started in vocational ministry in …

Men, there is a problem out in the world today. The world is confused on what it means to be a man. There is a lack of understanding of what a man is and what a man is to do. This confusion has brought about stunted growth in masculinity in general and a lack of male leadership specifically. This confusion has found its way into the church, and we need to face this problem head-on. In times of confusion and misunderstanding, followers of Christ must return to the Bible, for it alone provides …

After months of planning and praying, William Carey was finally ready to depart and take the gospel to India. But before he left, he met with a group of pastors who had been helping him prepare, including his close friend Andrew Fuller. Fuller would later reflect on the meeting, saying, “It was like Carey was preparing to go into a deep, dark, unexplored mine and was saying to us, ‘I will go down into the pit, if you will hold the rope.’ And we responded by taking an oath together, ‘While we …

Sunday school originally began at the end of the 18th century in Britain during the Industrial Revolution. Working-class children spent long hours in the factories six days a week and had no time for education. Sunday School was developed to teach basic literacy on the only day they had available. It was quite literally a school. Today, we have long dropped the aim of teaching reading and writing to children during Sunday school, but we have maintained the goal of religious instruction. But i…

Every person knows what it means to be angry. Anger comes in many shapes and sizes. Our anger could be in the form of a visible volcanic explosion, or it could be in the form of an invisible silent iceberg. Anger comes in varying degrees of frustration and hatred. But whether mild or severe, loud or quiet, we have all been angry. There are many resources (Calming Your Heart by Robert Jones) you can pick up to fight the hatred in your heart. Jenny and I have decided to read a devotional book (…

One of the marks of saving faith is a deep love for others. And love always manifests itself in action. If I love someone, I am compelled to care for them not just in word, but also in deed. Galatians 6:10 says, “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”  Our lives present us with thousands of opportunities to do good to others. There are so many people out there who need help, who I can serve, who I can care for. …

Love in Action One of the most often repeated commands in the New Testament is to “love one another.” But we live in a world where where it seems like no one shares the same definition of “love.” If you were to search online for examples of love, you’d come up with hundreds of stories, quotes, and pictures trying to grasp at what love really is. We ask, is love just a feeling? An emotion? Is it something you give or take? Is it something you do? Is it just some abstract, philosophical idea? H…

Church isn’t popular anymore. “I’m not a fan of organized religion.” “Jesus is cool, but Christians are too judgmental.” “I’m taking a break from church to work on myself.” “I love Jesus, but not the church.” Church attendance is declining, and even worse, Christians are skipping out too. In a culture where over half of those who identify as Christians aren’t participating in a local church, we have a serious problem. So what can we say? How can we convince those who claim the name of Christ …

Luke 15:20: “And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion and ran and embraced him and kissed him” One of the most difficult, most painful things you can experience is when someone you love has turned their back on God and has become wayward. The harsh reality is that most of us, if not all of us, have experienced this in some way or will experience it soon. We live in a culture that has completely turned its back on God. T…