First Person

As we celebrate this semiquincentennial, may we be reminded that we are the receivers, not givers of our liberties.

Unquestionably, the Dobbs decision changed the landscape of the pro-life movement. However, the foundation of the ruling itself was not a commitment to uphold the sanctity of life, but a commitment to faithfully interpret the Constitution.

Eleven years ago today, the US Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry. Overnight, the 5-4 decision changed the definition of marriage in the United States. Since then, homosexual “marriages” have been the law of the land. Today, according to Gallup, almost two-thirds of Americans favor homosexual “marriage,” which is a reminder of the morally formative power of the law.

I count it a privilege to witness the work God is already doing around the world at such a unique time in history. Our world is more connected than ever, and in many places, the fields are ripe for harvest. Project 3000, or P3K, is an initiative of the International Mission Board that sends “explorers” to commit two years to engage the last 3,000 unengaged and unreached people groups.

There are few callings more demanding than that of a pastor or church servant. For decades, faithful men and women answer God's call with little thought of financial reward. They do so because they believe God has called them — not because they expect earthly riches.

The leader of the Baptist Convention of Maryland-Delaware recently led a task force to help Southern Baptists find ways to care for people with disabilities. Tom Stolle believes that the many millions of people with disabilities are created in the image of God and must be included in the church.

Could it be that Jesus has opened wide a new door of shared ministry and missions for Southern Baptists to walk through together? That’s the question that continues permeating my mind after our time together in Orlando.

It’s the end of the school year, and the student ministry is hosting a graduation party. The scene feels familiar, but the conversation doesn’t.

“Do it then.” Those three words from my wife changed the direction of my ministry.

Before his passing in 2017, the late theologian R.C. Sproul remarked, “The greatest spiritual need in people’s lives today is to discover the true identity of God.” Those words are just as convicting today, if not more so, than they were a decade ago. Though many in our world would never reject God outright, multitudes are content to reinvent Him.