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. Thousands of people each year choose to forgo a relationship with God and live for the world. Unfortunately, our loved ones are not immune from this sad trend. The reality of this trend means that we should be thoughtful in how we minister to them. The Lord can use us to play a critical role in bringing...

This week concludes our limited-run podcast called “What Happened at First Baptist.” It is a story about how a single congregation grew to become one of the largest and most influential churches in America, only to experience a cataclysmic decline that placed its very existence in doubt. For the past seven weeks, we’ve discussed how that same church endured a brutal and painful season of change and emerged from the transition stronger, more united, and more committed than ever to Jesus’ great commission. This is a story about the way ministry is changing in a new and harsher world painfully different than the one known by our parents and grandparents. It’s a story for pastors facing the daunting task of leading their churches through necessary but excruciating seasons of...

Jesus Cared for Kids We live in a culture where children are devalued, cast aside, and treated as burdens. The Bible teaches that the ancient world bears striking similarities to this modern mentality. In Mark 10, the disciples are trying to stop kids from seeing Jesus. Here was their logic: Jesus is important. Children are not important. Jesus needs to do important things and see important people. Therefore, we need to keep children away from Jesus. This logic gets turned upside down with Jesus’ words in verse 14, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them…”. Far from pushing kids to the side as unimportant, Jesus commands them to be brought near! Jesus cares about kids. Because of this, we, too, want to care for the kids and teens that are in our church. Here are three steps you...

One of my favorite verses is Isaiah 20:1: “In the year that the commander in chief, who was sent by Sargon the King of Assyria, came to Ashdod and fought against it and captured it–” What? This is unlike John 3:16 or Romans 8:28. Why would it be one of my favorite verses? Until 1843, Christians were mocked for believing that there was once a ruler in Assyria named Sargon, but then his palace was uncovered, and you can now visit museums to see the evidence. Time has repeatedly shown that it’s never wise to question the historicity of God’s Word. I love the Scriptures, and this verse is one of my favorites because it represents a story that shows the accuracy of the Bible. Archeologist Aren Maeier of Bar Ilan University stated it bluntly, “You can’t do archeology in Israel without the...

How many times have you heard this statement: “Well, heaven has gotten a new angel today?” I’ve heard that so many times in my ministry life following the death of a loved one. But this is not a truthful statement. God has created the angels as heavenly beings, and He did that so they worship Him and protect us from the Evil One. He uses them as messengers, and they are fearsome in appearance (Luke 2:9-10). We should certainly agree with the Apostle Paul in Philippians 1:21 that when our loved ones depart this life for their eternal one, this is to be our belief– “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Why do we say things like this in the event of a loved one’s passing? We say things that can be unbiblical because we are not comfortable and don’t really know what to say. I...

When Conflict Comes to Church The local church is an amazing place. There is nothing like it in the entire world. The church is a spiritual family adopted by God, purchased by Jesus, and united by Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:4-7). The church is a spiritual greenhouse where Christians are discipled into maturity and engage in mutual care. Because all these things are true, conflict in the church can be particularly disorienting and damaging. As Christians, we are called to be “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3). If you want to obey this commandment, you must know how to help resolve conflict in the church. Here are three steps you can take to help those who are in conflict at church. Step 1: Address their Heart If you want to solve a problem, you...

Puddleglum is one of the most interesting characters in C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia. He’s always jolly and always looking for the opportunity to cheer up anyone who might be sad. But there’s only one problem. The more he attempts to encourage his sorrowful friends, the more he ends up making them feel even worse! Puddleglum tries to use his words to spread glee, but instead, all he does is spread gloom. As Christians, we cannot be like Puddleglum. We must care well for those in the throes of sorrow. But how? It starts by learning what we need most amid our sorrow. Matthew 9:36 helps us with this: “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” This crowd is a sorrowful bunch. They are “harassed and helpless.”...

In a world of hate, it is a joy to minister to brothers and sisters with compassion! Twenty-eight years ago, when God relocated our family to Jacksonville, we found First Baptist church to be a wonderful family of faith. People lived out in their lives what they believed as they loved God and loved each other while faithfully serving Him. The Covid lockdowns brought so much turmoil and despair to our world. It seems like we found ourselves in a downward spiral rather than one moving up.  Many families were isolated from others. There were impacts on our schedules and work habits. There was a strong uptick in crimes like drug and alcohol abuse, depression, child and spousal abuse, and suicide. The hospitals, nursing homes, and funeral homes were closed to people visiting and connecting. James...