I have tried really hard to like golf, but I prefer hobbies that do not tempt me to say or do things I will regret later. One thing I do like about golf is the mulligan—a do-over stroke that doesn’t count. They make those terrible shots disappear into thin air.
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For many pastors, it’s difficult to not take it personally when people leave their church. But according to a recent Lifeway Research study, most churchgoers aren’t leaving a church because they have a personal complaint against the pastor. During the research screening process, it was determined only 53% of U.S. regular churchgoers say they have attended more than one church as an adult. Among these, most say their church change was impacted by a residential move (60%). Still, 40% of church changes were driven by something other than a residential move.
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Whether you fast one day, one week, one month, or longer, the goal of fasting is to disconnect from worldly distractions and prayerfully seek God. During your fast, indulge deeply in the reading of Scripture and longer seasons of private prayer. In addition, any opportunity to join with other believers in heartfelt praise, worship, and singing to the Lord will strengthen you spiritually.
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If my life could be marked by copies of Scripture, it would look something like this:
On the ministry trip mentioned in my welcome letter, one of the highlights for me was preaching in the First Baptist Church of Cairo—yes, there is a congregation so named.
"The one who leads a public ministry has everything to lose, while an anonymous blogger has nothing to lose," says Midwestern Seminary president Jason Allen about false accusations on the internet.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (BP) -- El Programa Cooperativo no debe ser una vaca sagrada, pero se le acerca a una para mí. Iniciado por los bautistas del sur hace casi un siglo, ha probado ser la más efectiva y duradera manera de sostener nuestro ministerio y trabajo misionero colectivo. Frecuentemente hablo con líderes de otras denominaciones evangélicas que sienten envidia del Programa Cooperativo. Y deben sentirla; no hay nada como él en el protestantismo estadounidense.
"God's answered prayers, kind providences, and the hard work of the amazing team he's given me have propelled us forward. And from this institutional transformation, dozens of leadership lessons have emerged. Consider with me these seven," said Jason Allen.
Jason Allen underscores how Southern Baptists, through the Cooperative Program, have been blessed with an enduring way to support missions and ministry across the nation and throughout the world.
Jason Allen underscores the balance between spirit and truth in a church's worship. If either is taken to an extreme, it can "tilt the worship service in an unhealthy direction, hindering the growth of God's people and leaving the worship service in want."
Make each sermon an invitation to embrace Christ, Jason Allen advises. "The Gospel deserves more than to be politely tacked on to the end of a sermon," he writes.
Southern Baptists must not take the Cooperative Program for granted, seminary president Jason Allen writes. "We neglect it, or minimize it, to our own peril" in seeking to impact the world for Christ, he writes.
Deacons are to be men of character and service, Jason Allen writes, exhorting pastors to "make sure to honor those who serve well. As we do, may the Lord be pleased to call out a new generation of such laymen, qualified and equipped to serve their church."
Seminary president Jason Allen feels "the weight -- and glory" of the "greatest stewardship in life" that can yield "immeasurable fulfillment and joy": helping his children take steps toward Christ.
