A Southern Baptist pastor recently recalled the story once told him about seeing an abandon church building with the following sign prominently displayed on its front lawn: “Gone out of business because we didn’t know what our business was!”  May this tragic account be burned deeply into our hearts and minds, for we, Grace Baptist

What is worship, that is, true Christian worship?  Worship is easy to understand but rather hard to define.  We mostly recognize when we are doing it, but the concept is sometimes difficult to put into “just the right words.”  I remember a high school biology class assignment some years back in which I had to

“Does Hell know your name?”  This was the penetrating question ask of me by one of my former seminary professors.  “Are you a threat to Hell?” he continued . . .  In other words, is my love for Jesus Christ and my Christian witness to the world such that the demons of Hell know who

New things, new hopes, new beginnings.  The Bible, God’s word, has much to say about these thoughts—for example, a season of new wine (Gen 27:28), an offering of new growth (Lev 2:14), the care of a new wife (Deut 24:5), anticipation of a new covenant (Jer 31:31), the giving of a new commandment (Jn 13:34),

Some years ago, a deacon in one of my former churches handed me a piece of paper containing a story called “Musings of a Country Preacher.”  I remember chuckling over its content and, at the same time, recognizing its truths.  Experience has taught me that individuals, basically, will live their lives according to their passions

Brothers and Sisters—how is your prayer life?  Is it excellent, good, average, poor, or terrible?  Wherever we may land on the grading scale, always remember that God sincerely desires to hear the heart cry of His children. Prayer is that special gift of God that, by the power of the Holy Spirit and through the

Churches . . . Small churches, medium churches, large churches; white churches, black churches, Hispanic churches; wood churches, brick churches, metal churches; Baptist churches, Methodist churches, Lutheran churches; Protestant churches, Catholic churches, Orthodox churches; healthy churches, lukewarm churches, sick churches; rich churches, poor churches and the list goes on and on . . . So,

I have many fond memories of my grandfather.  In my early years, I grew up in Grayson County, Virginia and had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with Grandpa.  He was a farmer for the better part of his life, and I often spent time “helping” him around the farm.  Mostly, I simply

I had the privilege of traveling to India for a summer mission trip in 2002.  It was a life-transforming journey.  My life will be forever changed by the many life experiences and vivid memories-memories of a gentle people, of elaborate temples with strange idols, of spiritual darkness and blatant evil, of foreign sounds, unusual foods,

The Lord has given my wife, Sharon, a vibrant and challenging ministry in a nearby community.  She works long and hard with many young (and sometimes older) women who are frequently in the clutches of a crisis pregnancy.  For the Christmas season, Sharon wrote a devotion to share with her many clients as well as