It was a rural village. When Heather and I arrived in the farming community about 25 miles outside of the municipal town of Salur, it seemed the entire village was on high alert. When I say this please understand that I am not exaggerating in the slightest; and it had nothing to do with our arrival. The local church had planed a special church service … Continue reading A Baptism in India
(If you have ever wondered why our church supports so many missionary projects you have to read this recently letter from Stetson Planck. Southern Hills has been honored to support this mission for several years.) After having lived in Rome for over two years we returned there last weekend to visit friends for the first time since moving to Verona. Saturday evening while the … Continue reading A Christian Missionary & A Roman Priest
In Stella Ting-Toomey’s fascinating book Understanding Intercultural Communication, the author presents eight solid reasons to study intercultural communication. She proposes that it is essential for leaders in the 21st century to understand how to communicate effectively in this ever-shrinking global society. Though she gives eight reasons in the first chapter of her book I will only cover what I believe to be most important four. … Continue reading The Importance of Studying Culture – 4 Reasons
Over the past few years the Lord has led me on a journey that brought great growth to my personal relationship with Jesus. Sadly, I had developed some poor theology relating to music that left me in bondage to tradition.[1] Christian music became a duty not a delight because I lived in fear of inadvertently displeasing God with a wrong selection.[2] So I set a … Continue reading The Book Every Independent Baptist Must Read
We are the courageous victors! We ought own it! We are not victors because of something we have done but because of what Jesus has done (Rom. 8:37). We are not victors because we have never stumbled into sin but because we refuse to stay down (Prov. 24:16). We are courageous victors because we follow the one who defeated Satan, sin, death, and the grave. … Continue reading Satan’s Big 5
For some, the Devil is a boogeyman who lives only in fiction and is simply used to scare little children and feebleminded Christians into strict obedience. For others, he is a very real enemy whose deceptions, temptations, and hindrances are very tangible. To the former I can only offer sympathy as you attempt to bury your head deeper into the sand. To the latter I … Continue reading A Real Devil?
Colossians 4:2 Continue in prayer. Paul encouraged the Christians at Colossae to continue in the one thing that truly matters. Prayer is the great privilege of the Christian and the great essential of the minister. 1. Pray for those You Lead Nearly 1,000 people now call me pastor. We average 800 worshipers every Sunday. I simply can’t live up to my own lofty expectations of … Continue reading The Longer I Go the More I Need It
And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.” Ephesians … Continue reading Knowing You Are Spirit-Filled
