Missions

The first time we held a missions conference, I was greatly disappointed by the attendance at the Monday and Tuesday evening services. I had assumed that our people would come because I had announced the meeting and had excellent missionaries in attendance.

What a missionary does with his time while traveling full-time on deputation will greatly depend on his family situation, but using that time wisely as a good steward is absolutely necessary. Here are some pointers that my family found helpful to use our time wisely, and yet enjoy the journey when we were on deputation:

God has given us the answer that the world needs—the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But what do we do with this treasure? How do we steward the Gospel? How can we get this truth into all the world?

Very few independent Baptist churches have a written missionary policy. Most of our churches have a burden for missions. However, only a few have taken the time and effort to put their mission purpose and policy in writing.

We often preach about the obligation of every believer to be involved in missions. It is not difficult to find a text to emphasize this truth. There is much in the Bible that demands that the Gospel be preached to every person in every generation.

Luis Montaño was not unlike many of the teenagers involved in our city gangs in the 1990s. He came to church with a shaved head and baggy pants, but underneath his tough exterior was a young man with a troubled past.

The older I get, the more difficult it is for me to quickly remember names. Often my wife and I, in thinking of some incident in our long lives, will try to remember the name of a person involved.

Missionary Kids (MKs) are unique! If you are an MK, or if you have ever known an MK, you undoubtedly know it too! Without even trying, their life is just different from the norm.

After twenty centuries of church history, the words of Jesus in Matthew 9:37 are still applicable, “The laborers are few.” Only a few pastors, evangelists and churches are really soul conscious.

When I was a young teenager I knew that there was much work to be done for Christ, and it seemed right and reasonable to volunteer to serve God in whatever way that He saw fit.

In some churches, especially larger ones, the pastor will want you to only give a testimony. Sometimes he will give you only two or three minutes.

The word multitudes in verse thirty-six means “throngs or large numbers.” The word plenteous in verse thirty-seven is defined as “great, large, and abundant.”

Several times I’ve been privileged to hear a number of great preachers in churches as they travel across the country. I’ve noticed something that they do.

The blind songwriter, Fanny Crosby, was asked if there was anything worse than being blind. She replied, “Yes, to have sight and no vision.”

Missionaries have different ways they like to present their work. I believe the most effective way to do this is through your preaching.

Some of the best Christians in the world are wives of missionaries. They live without things that most American women take for granted.

There are many Christians around the world who pray for their missionaries, and many of those prayer warriors are senior citizens.