When the New Testament church was born, and the followers of Christ set out to proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God, it was not a welcoming environment. In fact, they encountered hostility, rejection and government restrictions, similar to what many modern day missionaries are experiencing. The reaction of established religious authorities was […]

I continue to be amazed at the passive indifference of so many churches to the mission of God. We pour budgets, time and energy into all kinds of programs and ministries for our own born-again fellowships and virtually ignore a lost world. All we have to do is turn on our television to see a […]

I get raised eyebrows when I tell people that my hobby is yard work. Pulling weeds, mowing grass and pruning shrubs are one of the most resented necessities of home ownership for most people. Having grown up on the plot of ground where we now live, I can recall how I detested hoeing the garden […]

“Send the crowd away so they can go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find food and lodging, because we are in a deserted place here.” (Luke 9:12) Feeding the 5,000 is one of the most prominent miracles in the Bible; it is the only miracle of Jesus recorded in all four Gospels. It […]

A week ago our schedule was punctuated by several nostalgic events that reminded us of how blessed we are by family and friends, the legacy of our missionary experiences and the joy of new relationships and ministry. Most prominent was gathering with Bobbye’s family to celebrate the 50th anniversary of her sister and brother-in-law, Bettye […]

“Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him.” (Luke 24:31) On Easter Sunday the focus of our Bible study group was on the account of the two men on the road to Emmaus. These, identified as Cleopas and his companion, were disciples of Jesus. Though not included among the twelve, they had been with […]

It is the season of the year when Southern Baptist churches collect the Annie Armstrong Offering for support of the North American Mission Board. Some include their designated gift to the work of NAMB as a part of a Global Missions campaign at other times of the year or from a proportion of year-round missions […]

Teaching at William Carey University this spring has entailed commuting the 95 miles to Hattiesburg on Highway 49 South each week. This prominent highway that runs diagonally across Mississippi from Memphis to the Gulf Coast, is the primary thoroughfare for getting from Jackson to points southeast. I well remember the trek years ago when my […]

It has been a delightful experience to re-connect with William Carey University and friends in South Mississippi through teaching a missions course on Tuesday nights this spring. Founded in 1906 as Mississippi Women’s College, it became co-educational in 1954 as did Blue Mountain, Mississippi Baptist’s other women’s college in North Mississippi. Women’s College kept its […]

What a week! The blessings of celebrating our Lord’s death and resurrection just kept building in emotional worship experiences through the weekend. Maybe its a matter of slowing down and refraining from personal travel and speaking to fully participate in passion week programs, but it also has something to do with the focused way our […]