Motivational speaker Charlie “Tremendous” Jones is known for saying, “You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.” Numerous preachers have said something on the order, “Show me your closest friends and I will show you who you are becoming.”Continue reading “Becoming a Wise Person”
Tag Archives: church
The grass is always greener
Once during a particularly stressful time in my ministry, I found myself daydreaming about the situation of another pastor. I had taken a Sunday off and visited his church. As I was there, I found myself imagining what his weekly workload was like—his duties being far less taxing and his satisfaction level far higher thanContinue reading “The grass is always greener”
Time to think
I love solitude. I look forward to time alone with a cup of coffee and a comfortable chair — it is a life-giving and energy-restoring discipline for me. Ten to 20 minutes alone fuels me up for hours of productivity. But until recently, I did not know there was a term for what I wasContinue reading “Time to think”
Ministry lessons from the life of Brother Shorty
While I was standing line at Culver’s on Father’s Day, I received a text from one of our Kentucky Baptist pastors that his grandfather had suddenly passed away. His grandfather was John “Shorty” Hendrix, who was a deacon in a church where I served for 11 years. Shorty Hendrix was unlike any other manContinue reading “Ministry lessons from the life of Brother Shorty”
Lessons from an LGBTQ+ celebration
On Saturday morning, I accidentally ended up in the middle of an LGBTQ+ pride celebration in Louisville. I had a friend visiting from out of town and was driving him to see various parts of the city when we found ourselves in heavy traffic with hundreds of participants celebrating their LGBTQ+ affinity. During our briefContinue reading “Lessons from an LGBTQ+ celebration”
Vote “yes” for life
Having grown up in a home where my parents did not even tell each other who they voted for in local, state and national elections, it feels odd to suggest how folks should vote. I think, however, you will agree that I am on solid ground on this one. Coming up on Nov. 8, KentuckyContinue reading “Vote “yes” for life”
Equipping the called
When only about 10% of the churches in your association are served by full-time pastors, you need a strong bench of biblically qualified men to fill the pulpits of the churches. That is the case with the Three Forks Baptist Association in eastern Kentucky, led by AMS Jamie Reynolds. In 2005, two local church pastorsContinue reading “Equipping the called”
A letter to Kentucky Baptists
Dear Kentucky Baptists, The Guidepost Solutions Sexual Abuse Task Force Report released Sunday afternoon was heartbreaking and shocking, to say the least. The abuse perpetrated against fellow image-bearers — the fact that those involved in abuse held positions of leadership in Christian ministry, and the fact that the abuse was covered up — speaks toContinue reading “A letter to Kentucky Baptists”
Hispanic ministry stronger than ever in Kentucky
Did you know that there are many thriving Hispanic churches all across Kentucky? I had the honor of preaching at one such church recently in Mayfield, Kentucky. Primera Iglesia Bautista Hispania began as a ministry of First Baptist Mayfield and later became an autonomous church under the leadership of Pastor Jaime Masso. During the service,Continue reading “Hispanic ministry stronger than ever in Kentucky”
Rejoicing over 7,128 baptisms
This past year’s Annual Church Profile was just tallied, and Kentucky Baptists have reason to rejoice! With 77 percent of convention churches reporting, Kentucky Baptist churches baptized 7,128 professing followers of the Lord Jesus Christ this past year. That number is much lower than years past, but higher than the previous year. As churches continueContinue reading “Rejoicing over 7,128 baptisms”
Dr. Todd Gray 