About two weeks ago, Terrie and I were in Australia ministering in local churches and at a national pastors’ conference. While there, I received reports of a fallen pastor back home. The disgrace of these situations is always grievous, no matter what the faith or denomination.

Syria’s “Arab Spring” has become much more than an internal political unrest. With other nations taking sides in the conflict, Syria becomes another link between Iran and Russia—a force prophesied to strike against Israel in the last days.

Over the years, I’ve had Christians ask me if Baptists believe in the ministry of the Holy Spirit. I always answer with a resounding “YES!” Not only do we believe in the ministry of the Holy Spirit, but we recognize that no Christian can function properly without the guidance of the Spirit.

We are all familiar with the contemporary church. I know there are those who think that we, old-fashioned Fundamentalists who preach against it, are merely jealous of its success. They think we are high-bound traditionalists who are unwilling to change and unable to keep up with the times.

Adversity comes in all shapes and sizes. Adversity is simply defined as hardship and suffering or an extremely unfavorable experience or event. The word adverse means creating momentum in a direction opposite from that desired.

The Bible is the most powerful book ever written. It is the very voice of God for us to hear; the very words of God for us to learn. Consider the magnificent description of the Bible in Hebrews 4:12.

I believe there are times when the leadership and direction of Bible-believing pastors is desperately needed in our flocks and for our country. And I believe we are in the midst of such a time.

I believe the best advice I could give one who has answered the call from God to plant a church is three-fold: 1) Communicate with your pastor; 2) Listen to your pastor’s advice; and, 3) Don’t leave until your pastor believes you are ready. As difficult as this may be to understand, our pastors know us better than we do.

We live in an age when technology and its practical and everyday uses are exploding. The fields of medicine, industry, finance, and especially communication are all being dramatically impacted by the use of technology. The cell phone and computer are chief among those innovations directly impacting our lives.

A growing church is always in transition. From building programs to classroom changes to staff adjustments to schedule flexes to responsibility changes to added ministries, a growing church must constantly prepare for the transitions that come with growth.