May 22nd, 2018, is a big day in the life of my alma mater, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Their Board of Trustees has a “special [May 22] trustee meeting.”   Within the Southern Baptist world, this is a big story. USA Today, Washington Post, and many more major outlets have covered recent events surrounding things in and around Seminary Boulevard more »

The following are the two speeches that I am giving today, May 14, 2018, at the International Christian Embassy of Jerusalem’s event, “Israel: Seventy and Strong” at the Key Bridge Marriott in Arlington, VA (suburban Washington, DC).   Click the following for PDF versions of the speeches: Israel Divide in the Millennial Generation Why Israel Matters Israel Divide in the more »

  This month marks ten years since I transitioned from being an intern at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas to taking the role of Senior Pastor at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in Lenoir City, TN. Well . . . “Senior Pastor” was a funny title. There was a part-time secretary and myself on staff when I got to the more »

The mass school shooting that took place in South Florida was a tragic act of violence that shows demonic activity is alive. This shooting was purely from Satan. It was anti-God. It was evil. We have a desperate need for God’s peace. (If you’ve been away from the news cycle, here are the details.) _ Now is the time to turn to more »

Congress has approved a new tax plan that is impacting charitable giving. At the outset of this article, it is important to remember that Christians give, not due to taxes of man, but command of God (Mal 3:10) and a heart of cheerfulness (2 Cor 9:7). Thankfully, the land of the free and home of the brave gives some incentives more »

Imagine exploring places in the Bible you’ve read about your entire life. Israel is the most fascinating place I’ve ever visited.  It’s the size of New Jersey, but is as geographically diverse as you can imagine. There are mountains in the north that journey into the valley to see the Sea of Galilee, head south to the desert of Masada, more »

We are in a marriage crisis in America.   The American divorce rate is nearly twice what it was in 1960, though it has declined somewhat since hitting an all-time high in 1980.  This decline suggests a higher rate of marital stability, due to both a higher age of first marriage as well as the reservation of marriage for the more »

Expecting Revival Jonah 3 Considering the current state of mankind, it may seem like an odd time to expect revival to fall. After all, it seems the degradation of morality is sliding downwardly at a rapid pace. Alvin Reid, revival historian, clarifies that “. . . great revival often comes in times when the possibility of revival seems so remote. more »

I’m back! When I moved to Greenville, SC in early November, in order to serve as the new lead pastor of Brushy Creek Baptist Church, Taylors, SC, I knew I needed a break from blogging to get my feet underneath me. Charity and I moved to a new city to pastor a new church.   The way I write for more »