FIRST-PERSON: Scared to share?
Don't let fear keep you from sharing your faith, Doug Munton counsels, and "don't let it keep you from the joy of learning that God uses people like us -- fears and all -- to accomplish His purposes."
FIRST-PERSON: It makes all the difference
Want to reorder your priorities? Broaden your perspective? Deepen your relationship with God? Doug Munton suggests the daily discipline of a devotional life.
FIRST-PERSON: The curious case of Demas
A little-known biblical character, Demas, prompts Doug Munton to reflect on the temptation to waver between two worlds -- succumbing to the here and now or persevering for the eternal.
FATHER’S DAY: Watch Dad
"How did my Dad do it?" your sons, daughters and grandchildren may ask later in life as they teach their own children, Doug Munton writes. A better question to impart, he tells dads, is "What does my heavenly Father want?"
FIRST-PERSON: When your grandchild gets baptized
Doug Munton recounts the "incredibly personal and special moment" of baptizing his grandson. Even so, he notes, "The rejoicing in heaven over one who repents is deeper than any grandparent is capable of in this world."
PALM SUNDAY: When the crowd gets it right
Crowds often can be wrong, Doug Munton notes, but those who greeted Jesus upon His entry into Jerusalem "got it gloriously right" on that first Palm Sunday. They were right to give honor to Jesus, to worship Him and to proclaim His name, Munton writes.
FIRST-PERSON: Learning from the past
Doug Munton, first vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention, reflects on the 150-year mark of the church he pastors. "The old guys had some good ideas," he writes. "Remembering the past can help us dream about the future."
FIRST-PERSON: Bring your wounds to Jesus
Everyone is wounded by living in a sinful and fallen world, Doug Munton writes, noting, "We are wounded by the sins of others. We even carry wounds as a result of our own sins." Munton's advice: "Come to Jesus as you are."
FIRST-PERSON: State conventions — a closer look
SBC first vice president Doug Munton, examining the work of state Baptist conventions, notes, "They keep us locally focused" while supporting churches with a range of ministries and resources. "[D]on't lose sight of their benefit and the blessing they have been and can continue to be," the Illinois pastor writes.
FIRST-PERSON: Metro East & the SBC
Don't forget that Baptists on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River will be participating in the St. Louis SBC annual meeting in June, Doug Munton, pastor of First Baptist Church in O'Fallon, Ill., writes. "We will work and host many of the events that precede the convention," he writes. "God is at work here, which we pray our fellow Southern Baptists will see in June."
