Scripture is prolific in revealing God’s sovereignty and power over all things. We often speak of His providence. That term comes from two Latin words; “pro” and “video.” Video means to see; with the prefix “pro” it means God is able to see beforehand all that is going to happen, even tragedy and adversity, and […]

It seems that more and more organizations, and even churches, are changing their names. Recognizing that our society is constantly changing, it is understandable that public institutions would be concerned about rebranding and portraying an image that would be considered relevant. I am seeking to reflect a commentary and opinion on current topics in this […]

It has been a joy to have our daughter, Lori, son-in-law, Chip, and grandchildren, Sam, Mia and Gloria with us for their last two weeks stateside before returning to their assignment in Central Asia. It was a bittersweet time of enjoying conversation, sharing fun times and assisting in shopping for final needs, knowing we would […]

Why is prayer so difficult? Why does it feel like we are just talking into the air and no one is listening? Why does our mind wander and thoughts about other things infringe on our efforts to focus on God? Preparing to lead a prayer conference at my church, Morrison Heights, I have had an […]

This may seem to be a strange topic for someone 69 years old who has served the Lord all his life. However, this is one of the surprising challenges of a new retirement lifestyle. It is not that I have not been a member of a church since trusting the Lord and being baptized almost […]

There were many points along our journey to Southeast Asia where we could easily have been tempted to forfeit our return tickets and just stay and continue ministry in the places that represented 23 years of our life. After becoming president of the IMB, people would ask us if we missed the mission field. That […]

Years ago our daughter was visiting us during her college Christmas break. We were impressed with her evident maturity and growth in her walk with the Lord since we had last been together. Reflecting on something that grew out of her discipleship group, she asked me one day, “Daddy, do you have a life verse […]

A lot has been said and written in the last few years about the beginning of a decline in membership of the Southern Baptist Convention. The number of baptisms being reported has been in a free-fall for several decades. A large portion of annual baptisms reflect biological growth of children raised in the church or […]

When we lived in Indonesia we were only a 2-hour drive from the Bali Straits. At least twice a year we crossed on the ferry and enjoyed a few days on the beaches of this beautiful, exotic island. There were few hotels at that time but comfortable accommodations could be found in seaside, thatched-roof cottages […]

Reminders of the lessons God taught us continued to surface during our recent visit to our first missionary assignment in Indonesia. I’m not sure how the concept came into focus, but we discovered that praising the Lord in all things was a real key to walking in victory. Perhaps it was the testimony and encouragement […]