The Library of Congress has a small box labeled “Contents of the President’s Pockets on the Night of April 14, 1865.” This was the day Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. Inside the box is an embroidered handkerchief, a pocket knife, eyeglasses, and the president’s wallet. His wallet contained a $5 Confederate bill and, oddly enough, several newspaper articles reporting his great deeds.
It was 1792, and world evangelism was barely on the radar of Baptist churches in England.
Out of nowhere, at one of the most critical times in Israel’s history, an unknown prophet steps onto the world stage and courageously halts a wicked culture in its tracks. Up until 1 Kings 17, Elijah is unknown to the Bible reader. Suddenly, and with no pompous introduction, we read:
"And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, 'As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these many years, but according to my word.'"
(1 Kings 17:1)
Life often feels like a turbulent sea, doesn't it? We all face storms - whether they're health crises, financial struggles, relationship conflicts, or moments of deep doubt. In these tumultuous times, it's easy to feel like we're drowning, desperately searching for a lifeline. But what if I told you that the key to navigating these storms lies in something you already possess?
The Disciples' Storm: A Lesson for Us All
As a mom, there have been many times over the years when I have felt overwhelmed, overworked, anxious, and downright discouraged. Actually, mothers everywhere share these feelings.
Parenting children is a demanding job. But moms often feel insufficient to the various tasks of rearing children, managing the home, and being the kind of wife they desire to be. It doesn’t make it any easier that moms often feel underappreciated, unacknowledged, and unseen while trying to fulfill these roles.
In 1 Samuel 4, we see the children of Israel doing the unthinkable, fighting the superior Philistines without God’s help. After a clear defeat, they decide to try again, but this time the Israelites take the Ark of the Covenant with them into battle. They refuse to ask the young prophet, Samuel, what they should do; instead, they lean on their own wisdom and thinking. Not only do they once again face a crushing defeat at the hands of the Philistines, but they also lose the Ark of the Covenant as well.
Have you noticed how many people struggle with back problems? Bulging disks, muscle strain, and arthritis plague and threaten to debilitate. While multitudes flock to chiropractic care or physical therapy, this physical malady can be eclipsed by a sometimes subtle but arguably more serious back problem in the Christian school. Spineless mediocrity, antagonism, negativity, selfishness, and transience are issues of consequence. The descriptor, spineless, is intentional.
Over the past several days, in social media streams there has been promotion of a group, “Evangelicals for Harris
When God guides a visitor to your church, He is entrusting you with a precious gift. It becomes your responsibility to follow up and nurture this person’s interest in growth. Making follow-up visits is key to encouraging that growth!
While there are many ways to structure a great plan for assimilation, here is a time-tested follow-up schedule that will help you engage and connect with your visitors!
Step 1: Review the Connection Card
Music is one of the most potent elements at work in the world. Its potential is manifested in man’s soul, culture’s movements, and a nation’s destiny. It was the eighteenth-century politician, Andrew Fletcher, who wrote, “I knew a very wise man that believed if a man were permitted to make all the ballads, he need not care who should make the laws of a nation.”
