The recent reinterpretation of the Johnson Amendment by the IRS has been hailed as good news for churches, especially with regard to the freedom of speech.

Even if you’re fortunate enough not to struggle with depression, there’s a good chance you know someone who does. It has been estimated that 40 million Americans battle this ailment. In fact, research has shown that those born since 1945 are ten times more likely to suffer from depression than those born before. 

How can we make this work? My wife fought back tears as she tried to process the mixed emotions that gripped her. We sat in what felt like eternal silence, occasionally looking at one another but without words to articulate our feelings. During the darkest valley of our adult lives, this news was the last “blessing” we expected to receive.

If you’ve heard me speak before, you’ve likely heard me say that we don’t lose our First Amendment rights in the pulpit—in fact, they’re enhanced because we’re speaking Biblical truth. At the same time, the IRS threats certainly made pastors timid about speaking out or endorsing candidates. Some pastors have used the Johnson Amendment as an excuse to avoid cultural topics altogether.

Words cannot express the gratitude that Georgia Baptists feel toward Suzanne Guy. Recently, she received the Pro-life Woman of the Year Award at the annual Celebrate Life Conference hosted by Abby Johnson in Washington, D.C., June 27-29.

What if your church’s discipleship strategy isn’t broken—it’s just incomplete? Many churches today are seeing some progress in making disciples, but without a culture-wide framework, efforts often stall out or stay siloed.

Is church a waste of time? Is it a waste of time for you to refuel your car? If you do not stop occasionally at the convenience store or fueling station, your car will just be a piece of metal beside the road. Your automobile requires gasoline or charging to keep going. 

What do you get when you blend high energy, enthusiasm, determination, patriotism, persistence, tight security, and a ton of fun in the summer heat? The 56th running of the Atlanta July 4th Peachtree Road Race.

Salvation is the process of redemption, of rebirth, of becoming a child of God and a member of His family. In his book, The Wonderful Spirit Filled Life, Charles Stanley explained the process most eloquently. He said, “By putting our sin on Christ and placing Christ’s righteous standing on us, God allowed us entry into His family. It’s not our righteousness. It’s Christ’s.”

What is the best advice you have received? What have others said to you, maybe unsolicited, that made a real and helpful impact on the way you live? Wisdom can be defined as the right application of knowledge. The best advice will be the right application of knowledge with biblical support.  

A new young family is walking through the front doors of your church. Excited at a chance to connect a fresh face to your church family, you walk up and say hello. It’s just a few moments before worship starts, so you rush them down to the kids welcome desk, get the children’s name tags, and hand the parents their security tag for pick up.

Even if you don’t suffer from depression, chances are you know someone who does, since experts estimate that as many as 40 million Americans battle this ailment. Next to pain, depression is one of the major ailments that sends patients to their primary care physician. 

What a frustrating season for these Atlanta Braves! They’ve turned into the Falcons, constantly letting us down. The Braves opened this campaign with seven straight losses. Newcomer Jurickson Profar got suspended. Pitcher Renaldo Lopez had shoulder surgery. Pitcher Spencer Strider strained his hamstring. Pitcher A. J. Smith-Shawver tore his UCL and had Tommy John surgery. Now, pitcher Chris Sale is out with a broken rib cage.

I have said, and I reaffirm it, that being born again (saved by trusting in Christ Jesus) is the single most important thing any person can ever do on this earth. After that, humility is without doubt the most important quality that an individual can cultivate. Humility is a godly trait and one that God requires, because the Lord does not use proud people.

New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, who identifies himself as a Democratic Socialist, won the Democratic primary and could become the political leader of the nation’s largest city.

At the start of this school year, the Baptist Campus Ministry at Northern Kentucky University launched “Fireteams,” small groups focused on helping young men find freedom and forgiveness from the addictive sin of pornography.

Before being called to pastor a church, I was privileged to preach in nearly every church in our county and some churches in adjoining counties. It was a great and joyful privilege, but one thing concerned me in each church I visited: empty seats and often whole empty pews.

No one lives in a vacuum. Despite our occasional efforts to deny it, the people around us influence nearly every part of our lives for good or bad. Either you benefit from the nurture, example, and encouragement of those who speak into your life, or you suffer, stumble, and lament due to the absence of these things.

Every pastor, elder, and ministry leader who has been at their post for any reasonable period has felt like giving up.  

Tuesday, June 24, will mark the 3rd anniversary of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and I think it's important that we be reminded of God's view of human life, especially as we move forward in a post-Roe era. Just the mere Biblical facts on life can inspire, motivate, and activate our churches to help make abortion unthinkable.

Let’s be honest — leading a small group can feel a lot like baptizing a squirrel. It is messy, a lot of moving parts, and not much being accomplished! Between prayer requests about Aunt Bobbie Sue’s bunions and that one guy who always shows up 20 minutes late with tacos, it’s easy to forget what really matters.

Have you ever thought about the importance, attraction, and power of water? That thought came to mind the other day as we watched our great-nephew, David Thomas, being baptized in a creek—Hagen Creek, to be exact, coincidentally, or providentially, the name of David’s church, Hagen Creek Community Church.

One day, a parishioner went into the office of renowned 19th-century English preacher Joseph Parker and found him pacing back and forth, with hands clasped tightly behind his back. “Dr. Parker,” asked the man, “what’s the problem?” “To which he replied, “The problem is, I’m in a hurry, but God isn’t.” 

A good friend of mine once said that whenever anyone tells him that he has been saved, the friend asks him when he had changed. My friend makes a good point by this question, because one is always changed by salvation. In fact, one’s heart is changed by God even before he can be saved.

To the world, she was Francis, but to us, she was Nanny. I first met her when my wife and I were dating. After eating at her table for the first time, I knew this was a family I wanted to be part of. Even better, though, was the example set by her and her husband.