God’s Kingdom — No Mystery
References to the Kingdom of God (or to the Kingdom of Heaven, or the Kingdom) are numerous in the New Testament, especially in the four Gospels. It is a mystery why Christian teachers, preachers, scholars, and writers have devoted so little attention through the centuries to the preoccupation of the New Testament on the Kingdom […]
FIRST-PERSON: Kingdom growth is limitless
COLUMBIA, S.C. (BP)--In the four Gospels, Jesus talked about the Kingdom of God more than anything else. Sometimes He referred to the Kingdom of God as the Kingdom of Heaven or just the Kingdom. A careful study of those statements of Jesus reveals that He was more concerned about the Kingdom of God on this earth than in eternity. In other words, if the peoples of this world become Kingdom people, their inclusion in the heavenly Kingdom will take care of itself!
FIRST-PERSON: God’s Kingdom shouldn’t be a mystery
COLUMBIA, S.C. (BP)--References to the Kingdom of God (or to the Kingdom of Heaven, or the Kingdom) are numerous in the New Testament, especially in the four Gospels.
The Birth of EKG
How did Empowering Kingdom Growth (EKG) come to be voted on by the messengers at the 2002 annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in St. Louis? That is a question being asked by Southern Baptists from around the nation and it deserves a clear, precise response. The more we understand the history of a development, the easier it is to accept it and help it proceed. In the final weeks of 1999, two Southern Baptist leaders began conversing with each other about their particular roles. One was Dr. John Sullivan, executive director of the Florida Baptist Convention and president for that year of the Association of State Convention Executive Directors. The other was Dr. Jimmy Draper, president of LifeWay Christian Resources in Nashville and chairman for that year of the Great Commission Council, a group of thirteen presidents from the various entities of the Southern Baptist Convention.
FIRST-PERSON: How EKG became an SBC initiative
COLUMBIA, S.C. (BP)--How did Empowering Kingdom Growth (EKG) come to be voted on by the messengers at the 2002 annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in St. Louis? That is a question being asked by Southern Baptists from around the nation and it deserves a clear, precise response. The more we understand the history of a development, the easier it is to accept it and help it proceed.
FIRST-PERSON: Seeking first the King
EDITORS' NOTE: Baptist Press today begins a series of monthly columns focusing on the Empowering Kingdom Growth emphasis within the Southern Baptist Convention, written by Carlisle Driggers and Morris H. Chapman on alternative months. Driggers, co-chair of the SBC's EKG Task Force, is the executive director of the South Carolina Baptist Convention. Chapman is the president of the SBC Executive Committee. The EKG columns will appear in Baptist Press on the second Friday of each month through March.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (BP)--The concept of Empowering Kingdom Growth (EKG) is a fresh new spiritual vision for the Southern Baptist Convention. It is not a pre-planned program. It is not a quick-fix proposal for plateauing, declining or dying churches. It is not a denominational fad. There is no master plan or slick-looking workbook. There is no one-size-fits all script.
