I preached a weekend revival service recently for a Baptist church in the central part of our state. The pastor had prepared the church, made accommodations for me, invited a worship leader, planned our meals together and led the church to pray and attend. We had a wonderful time and experienced a sense of encouragementContinue reading “A Revitalization Story”
Tag Archives: leader
Remember Those Who Serve You
Clergy Appreciation Month has not always existed, but it should have. It is a biblical practice to show appreciation to those who serve as pastors and ministry leaders in our churches. These leaders carry out important work — mostly outside the purview of the congregation — week after week and it means much to themContinue reading “Remember Those Who Serve You”
A Burden for Lost Souls
I remember hearing someone describe Adrian Rogers, former pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, as a “weeper.” Dr. Rogers was known for shedding tears over the lost condition and pending judgment of those who, because of their own sin and rebellion, were alienated from God. He went on to say that when it comesContinue reading “A Burden for Lost Souls”
Laziness is Unacceptable
Pastoring a church is hard work. It is not hard work like digging ditches, mining coal or cutting tobacco, but there is a toil and strain element to pastoring a church that is not found in those other occupations. The hard work of pastoring includes rigorous thinking as pastors study to exegete a biblical textContinue reading “Laziness is Unacceptable”
Let’s Talk About a Raise
I had only been their pastor for a few weeks when I asked for a raise in my weekly pay — but I had a plan. The people were gracious and doing the best they could. The church had been through a split and attendance was down to 20 or 30 worshippers on SundayContinue reading “Let’s Talk About a Raise”
Why Do We Give Through the Cooperative Program?
At a recent lunch meeting with one of our outstanding young Kentucky Baptist pastors, our discussion turned to the Cooperative Program and the sacrificial generosity of the church he serves. It was a great opportunity to thank him for his leadership and to thank the church for its financial investment to advance the gospel. IContinue reading “Why Do We Give Through the Cooperative Program?”
This Is Why We Cooperate
When I saw the social media post from Dr. Paul Chitwood, president of our SBC International Mission Board, reporting that there are 1,268 candidates in the IMB’s missionary sending pipeline, my immediate response was, “This is why we cooperate!” I could give that same response daily while witnessing Kentucky Baptists working together to advance theContinue reading “This Is Why We Cooperate”
Workaholism Not Acceptable
At a funeral several years ago, I heard a pastor describe himself as a workaholic. But he quickly followed it up by saying that there are worse things one could be. It is true — there are worse things than workaholism, but that doesn’t take away from the problems with being addicted to work. WorkaholicsContinue reading “Workaholism Not Acceptable”
When a Brother Falls
The Apostle Paul, or more precisely the Holy Spirit inspiring him, saw this coming. God knows who we are and what we are each capable of. God instructs us through Paul in Galatians 6:1 which says, “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness.Continue reading “When a Brother Falls”
A Providential Misspelling
I don’t catch every misspelled word and an important one got past me recently. While skimming through a meeting I noticed the spelling of cooperation as “co-operation.” The dash in the word highlighted the “operation” part of cooperation. Operation, as defined by Cambridge dictionary, is “an activity planned to achieve something.” When you add theContinue reading “A Providential Misspelling”
Dr. Todd Gray 