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Miners always filled the bottom of the lunch bucket with water so that if they were trapped underneath the ground, they would have water to live on for a couple days. And every night before my dad got on the elevator to ascend 200 feet to the top, he would throw out the water in his lunch bucket and fill it up with miner dollars, or pyrite disks. He wasn’t stealing. This was allowed by the coal mine.

Georgia Baptists have been monitoring up to 54 bills since this legislative cycle began in 2023. Now that we have made it past crossover day (the 28th day of the session) we are focusing on at least 19 bills. Our primary focus has been pro-life, religious liberty, gambling, child protection and alcohol bills.

What happens to missionaries once they leave our churches? We should all be asking this question when we launch missionaries from our congregations. However, for too many churches, the old adage “out of sight, out of mind” rules the day. We still care about those we send. We probably pray for them, and, if their parents are in our churches, we get periodic updates. But eventually, the busyness of life and the pressing needs of our local community push out all thoughts of missionaries.

Serving as editor of The Christian Index has been a great privilege and a labor of love. Giving that up isn’t easy. I took the job three years ago with hopes of pumping new life into the nation’s oldest religious newspaper, now 202 years old. With that mission accomplished, it’s time for a new challenge. So, I’ll be leaving the Index at the end of March.

Commentary: We need Easter!

 In June of last year, physicians in Ecuador declared Bella Montoya dead, but as family members gathered for her wake, she suddenly showed signs of life as she rested in her coffin. Four months earlier, workers at a Long Island nursing home pronounced an 82-year-old woman dead, but three hours later, funeral home staff discovered she was still alive and breathing.

The Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) SB180), authored by Sen. Ed Setzler (R-Acworth) along with 25 senator sponsors, is running out of time! Next Thursday, March 28, at midnight, is the final day of the 2024 legislative session. The RFRA has strongly passed the Senate, but at this time it still has not even had a hearing in the House.

​A transformational pastor is supposed to influence, motivate, stimulate, and consider all their congregants individually. These pastoral leadership components are derived from the theory of transformational leadership, which was developed by Bernard A. Bass & Bruce J. Avolio in their book, Improving Organizational Effectiveness Through Transformational Leadership in 1994.

I recently made a wallpaper image for my phone, computer and external monitor. It reads: “Jesus is Lord. I am not.” I’m not bragging or super spiritual. I’m confessing. I need help focusing on the most important thing. I need a way marker.

With many churches now having worship online, how will your church empower volunteers to help you relationally address this platform? It seemed like a distant past nearly four years ago when many pastors used their phones, laptops, tablets, and anything else that could connect online for streaming services.

Forced pastoral exits are crippling thousands of churches every year, as these sobering statistics prove.

Not since 2016 have Georgia Baptist churches reported so many baptisms — more than 21,000 of them in the past year. And the good news is the number continues to grow as more congregations report. The baptism numbers represent a more than 30% increase over the past year and a more than 90% increase since 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic had the state in its clutches.

State Representative Todd Jones said two years ago in a press conference that it is intellectually dishonest to talk about the benefits of gambling without talking about the detriments. Notably, Rep. Jones was the co-author of the mental health legislation that was passed in 2022.

Several years ago, NASA launched its unmanned rocket Antares that was tasked with bringing supplies to the International Space Station. Six seconds after take-off, Antares suffered a “catastrophic anomaly” and exploded. ​One early newscast suggested the rocket was veering off course and scientists on the ground destroyed it. That report proved inaccurate.

What is going to happen to Israel and where does Israel fit into God's plans? That question was asked in a recent Bible study as the war between Hamas and Israel continues to rage in Gaza while a rising tide of anti-Israelism has spread throughout much of the United States, Israel’s primary ally. My wife Joanna asks, “Has goodness been compromised to the point that evil values and behaviors are going to finally win?”

Small groups serve as vital threads in church life, weaving together individuals in fellowship, discipleship, and mission. Just as soon as a new group is launched, questions of long-term success arise. How will we measure success? How will we keep our groups on mission? What content will they teach week over week or year over year? For our groups to be sustainable, they need a system to flourish.

On Thursday afternoon, Feb. 22, SB 180, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), passed the Senate Judiciary Committee by a 6 to 3 vote. It now goes to the Rules Committee to be considered for a vote by Thursday, Feb. 29, on Crossover Day.   

Doc Johnson croaked the other day. I am not being disrespectful. That’s what Doc wanted in his obituary: He croaked. Yes, that’s an unusual request, but Doc Johnson was an unusual guy. He was who he was. He was comfortable in his skin—and in his overalls, worn T-shirt, and long, scraggly hair and beard, all of which might disguise the encyclopedic mind that could reveal surprising information about most any subject.

Vance Havner (1901-1986), a Baptist prophet of an earlier generation, said: “Far too often churches have inoculated people with Christianity. Given them enough of the real thing to make them think they really have it.” Jesus said, “suffer the little children and forbid them not to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” (Mathew 19:14) He also admonished; “It is better for him if a millstone is hung around his neck and he is thrown into the sea, than that he may cause one of these little ones to sin.” (Luke 17:2) Jesus reserved one of his sternest warnings, to those who would lead children astray.

​George Barnard Shaw said, “There are two sources of unhappiness in life. One is not getting what you want; the other is getting it.” America is obsessed with success. We work hard to get what we want. From the early days of our youth, competing is encouraged to reach number one, whether it’s winning the spelling bee or ranking at the top of our class. Setting our minds on a goal and pressing until we reach that goal makes us a success, we think. Success is a destination.

What do Baptists consider to be an appropriate age for baptism? The answer to the question varies and will surprise those who assume that there is a prescribed tradition, set in stone, carefully and meticulously passed down from generation to generation. Two hundred years ago it was rare for anyone to be baptized who was not considered an “adult.”

We are about to examine what James Montgomery Boice and many other Biblical scholars declare is “the most difficult portion of the entire Bible,” recorded in Romans 9:13 (quoting Malachi 1:2-3) where God emphatically says:  “I have loved Jacob, but I have hated Esau!”

My very first date with my husband was on Valentine’s Day in 1974. We were both in the 10th grade at the same high school. He was a basketball player and I was a cheerleader. I won’t say I fell in love with him on the first date, which by the way was at the circus, but I did enjoy his company and considered that there might be potential for a relationship there. He, on the other hand, told me he was going to marry me on our first date!

I began teaching a course on organizational leadership this past week at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville. One of the goals of the course is to demonstrate how organizational leadership can promote human flourishing. What an encouraging possibility for those in leadership to think that they can contribute not only to the advancement of a mission, but also to the well-being of the people they lead.  

Just a couple of years ago a hearing was held in the Georgia Senate regarding the legalization of recreational marijuana. Though no vote was taken on the legislation, the most striking element of the hearing was the numerous negative comments from the Senate committee members and those who testified against the legislation. When the dangers of legalizing recreational marijuana were uncovered, it was obvious that no one wanted this legislation to be considered on a ballot as a constitutional amendment.

Did God reject Esau in spite of his tearful repentance? This question was asked me this morning, while quoting Hebrews 12:16-17:  “And make sure that there isn’t any immoral or irreverent person like Esau, who sold his birthright in exchange for a single meal.  For you know that later, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, even though he sought it with tears, because he didn’t find any opportunity for repentance.”

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