Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
How to Make Your Bible Study More Meaningful
Step into any Christian bookstore or search for the word "Bible" online and you will find not only a number of translations but also many editions of the Bible targeted to specific consumers – "The Soldier's Bible,"...
Foam home
It wasn't ET phoning home, but it felt about as strange when I came across one of America's funkiest roadside attractions while returning from vacation last week. Just north of Natural Bridge, Virginia, within...
What I Learned From Eight Hours in a Maximum Security Prison
Mitch told his nephew he would be back home in a couple of hours. That was in 1985. He will not return home until 2034. I met Mitch at the Wabash Valley Correctional Facility in Carlisle, Ind., last week, where we were...
3 Ways to Foster Restoration after Zimmerman Verdict
Now that we are more than a week removed from the George Zimmerman trial, I am struggling with how believers have responded along racial and socioeconomic lines to the verdict. I have to admit that I am able to see...
Taking Steps to End Abuse of Migrant Domestic Workers
The central issue within Lebanon and many other Middle Eastern countries is that of the "sponsorship system," which ties migrant domestic workers to their employers. Migrant domestic workers are also not protected by...
Campbell’s “Glad River” “ Story of God’s Extravagant Grace
"There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High." These words of Psalm 46:4 are cited on page 291 of Will D. Campbell's "The Glad River" (1982)...
Your Moral Obligation to Address Climate Change
The scientific evidence for anthropogenic climate change is clear and unequivocal. The weight of evidence is so great and the consensus in the scientific community is so overwhelming that it is dishonest and immoral to...
Trafficking of Migrants Rampant in Middle East
Trafficking in persons, or human trafficking, is the second most lucrative illegal trade in the world today. It was also one of the four main themes the Institute of Middle East Studies (IMES) addressed at our recent...
Life happens
Life happens. Calvary Baptist Church at 8th and I streets, Washington, DCSometimes planned and measured, sometimes so fast you don't see it coming. Sometimes it opens onto stunning new vistas, and sometimes it leads...
Do You Have an Addiction to Comfort?
Fifty years ago, Kay Cronin, wrote a book titled "Cross in the Wilderness," chronicling how, in 1847, a small band of Oblate missionaries came from France to the American Pacific Northwest and, after some bitter...
What You Can Do Now to Deepen Your Relationship With God
I grew up in the type of Christian community that would frequently say things like: "Work on your relationship with God above all else" and "If you let anything come between your relationship with Jesus, then your...
For Christians, Immigration Reform Boils Down to Love
The U.S. Senate has shown both courage and wisdom in passing the sweeping immigration bill. In order to get bipartisan support, the bill had to reflect the concerns of people across the political spectrum, and this has...
4 Lessons on Transferring Leadership in Churches
Recently, I preached on the story of the prophet Elijah and his protégé, Elisha, from 2 Kings 2:8-14. Elijah knew he was nearing the end of his life and asked Elisha what he could do for him before he departed. Elisha...
Zimmerman Case Reveals Deeper Malady
It was not likely that the recent verdict in the George Zimmerman trial would establish "justice" in response to the tragic death of Trayvon Martin. From all indications, the legal process was followed carefully, the...
British Baptists Train “Pioneers” to Rethink Church
Last month, the Baptist Union of Great Britain (BUGB) launched "Equipped to Pioneer," a new training pathway for Baptists exploring different ways of doing church. It has been created in response to a growing need for...
The Hospitality of a Neighbor
A sermon by Michael Cheuk, Pastor, University Baptist Church, Charlottesville, Va., on July 14, 2013. Luke 10:25-37 The parable of the Good Samaritan is probably the most famous and familiar of Jesus’ parables. We...
The Stories Behind the Prayers
A sermon by Randy Hyde, Pastor, Pulaski Heights Baptist Church, Little Rock, Ar. July 14, 2013 Psalm 25:1-10; Colossians 1:1-14 E. P. J. Garrott, A. L. Aulick, Allen Hill Autry... do those names mean anything to you?...
Goodness, For God’s Sake
A sermon by, Keith Herron, Pastor, Holmeswood Baptist Church, Kansas City, Mo. July 14, 2013 Luke 10:25-37 The Eighth Sunday after Pentecost Amos 7:7-17, Colossians 1:15-28, Psalm 82 When the lists of “best books” for...
Social media as a stewardship challenge
By John Pierce The explosive use of social media has created a modern challenge. And I’m not sure how to deal with it. Like water, fire and many other things, it has potential for both good and evil. Social media...
Lessons We Can Learn from ‘You Only Live Once’
"You only live once!" This phrase has become so popular that it has its own website, hashtag and acronym (YOLO). The first time I became aware of this phrase was when I shared a devotional message with a large group of...
What God Had in Mind When Creating Work
Charlie Brown and Sally are standing at the bus stop. Cars are rushing past them, and Sally asks: "Who are all those people driving in those cars?" Charlie answers, "Those are people going to work." Sally: "Work?"...