tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42170363160411188362012-02-13T23:50:31.481-06:00Jared ByrnsJarednoreply@blogger.comBlogger1211100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-72529575106254976432012-02-10T13:31:00.000-06:002012-02-10T13:31:29.315-06:00

I am reprinting this article from today's Friday Church News Notes e-mail newsletter. When you really stop to think about it, God's handiwork is truly incredible! Human innards YOUR BUSY LIVER (Friday Church News Notes, February 17, 2012, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is from Creation Moments, January 10, 2012, www.creationmoments.com: “An adult human

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-71129936200513187912012-02-01T14:46:00.001-06:002012-02-01T14:46:43.219-06:00

I receive e-mails on a daily basis from Nigeria (as you likely do too) requesting that I assist in some sort of financial transaction. It is the well-documented 419 scam, where I put up money on the promise of receiving a larger (but fictional) payoff, only to lose my initial investment. Most people recognize this as a scam. But I've started receiving a few e-mails a month requesting Bibles.

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-11375020303178152932012-01-23T12:01:00.000-06:002012-01-23T12:01:29.763-06:00

Fayetteville skyline, from Mt. Sequoyah At church yesterday, people asked me how the BMAA Missions Symposium had gone last week. Last night I tried my best to answer that question. One of the presentations included statistics on US cities and states that could be classified as unreached people groups (like some of the foreign places to which we send missionaries). It inspired me to do a

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-92089792810005448292012-01-04T17:47:00.000-06:002012-01-24T20:26:04.515-06:00

My nine month old son somehow managed to save up quite a nice little sum to buy me a Kindle for Christmas. Either his mother helped him, or he's in serious violation of the child labor laws! Once I figured out how to turn the thing on, and joined the e-reader revolution, I immediately started downloading books. I wanted a good Bible that I could carry with me. I downloaded some free ones

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00676820718278182037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-21503085169540341522011-12-20T15:12:00.001-06:002011-12-20T16:12:30.309-06:00

I don't think I'm a great preacher. But I love what God has called me to do. Learning more from His Word, and sharing what I've learned is exciting to me! I keep a white binder in my office. It contains a the outlines of the majority of the Sunday sermons I've preached since I started preaching in 2002. Sometimes it can be fun to look through (Okay, as I wrote that, it occurred to me that my

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-55046066508165235892011-12-16T23:30:00.001-06:002011-12-16T23:35:16.559-06:00

Some of my earliest childhood memories are from being in church. And as far back as I can remember, Christians have been claiming that we're living in the end times. And I'm not talking about the fringe, date-setting (or -suggesting) kind of people. I used to take for granted that these were the Earth's final days, until I studied for myself. Now I object to statements like, "We're living in

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-13982677546001305132011-12-14T13:28:00.000-06:002011-12-14T13:28:10.466-06:00

While driving home one evening about a month ago, I heard a preacher on the radio talking about masculinity. I don't remember who it was, just that it was on the Bott Radio affiliate here in Northwest Arkansas. He read to the audience an advertisement for khaki pants. I had never heard the ad before, but I actually amen-ed out loud when he was done. The ad was apparently for Docker's

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-32444711180145772202011-12-09T16:41:00.001-06:002011-12-10T02:09:40.518-06:00

I have an idea for a poll question: "Do you love God?"  Here in the so-called Bible Belt, I'm guessing that the numbers would be well over 90% in the affirmative. Everybody believes in God and loves Him, allegedly. But for all the numbers of people who talk about their love for God, I am always astounded by the percentage that move seamlessly from profession of that love to the spouting of

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-3964275981151462882011-11-24T10:52:00.001-06:002011-11-24T11:17:02.487-06:00

I have many things to be thankful to God for: my precious wife and son; my wonderful parents, sister, and extended family; a loving church fellowship; a new home and ministry in Northwest Arkansas; and the list could go on and on. But I am intentionally a little bit late this year in making my list of things I am thankful for. I am thankful for these things and more, but our lists of

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-60065464675064600082011-11-17T07:45:00.000-06:002011-11-17T07:45:01.025-06:00

Speaking of the historical Jesus, my most recent messages at Eastside have been covering the evidence that Jesus Christ was exactly Who He said He was, and Who His disciples said He was. The Old Testament provides numerous pictures and outright prophecies of the Messiah, which are fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus Christ. If you're interested in finding out what men of God were saying

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-29566911636667488082011-11-16T17:29:00.001-06:002011-11-16T17:34:56.951-06:00

I received the following this week in an e-mail from The Berean Call. It comes from the late Adrian Rogers, and I thought it was worth passing along. "Every secular historian who has any merit admits the fact that Jesus Christ lived, regardless of what he or she believes about Him. In his outline of history, H.G. Wells listed the ten greatest men of history and number one on the list was Jesus

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-1118411997604106272011-10-28T00:22:00.000-05:002011-10-28T00:22:23.880-05:00

The audio for most of my Sunday sermons at Eastside MBC (as well as a few earlier ones from other churches) is now being posted online. You can access the audio archive here, or you can subscribe to the RSS feed for podcasts at http://sermon.net/jhbyrns/rss.

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-58924254841663867022011-09-21T21:25:00.001-05:002011-09-21T21:31:25.701-05:00

Some objections to the historicity of the Bible are based on questions about the accuracy of the details of its characters and their lives. I've been studying the Book of Esther for part of my sermon series on God's sovereignty, and I find that it is no exception. Even the Jewish Encyclopedia says of Esther, "In view of all the evidence the authority of the Book of Esther as a historical record

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-10063542074369832102011-09-10T23:21:00.001-05:002011-10-25T15:01:02.370-05:00

The world around us seems incredibly chaotic, unpredictable, and out of our control. We're in a record drought in Arkansas and Oklahoma. Other parts of the country are experiencing hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes. Our national debt is staggering, the value of the Dollar is dragging our economy down...down...down, and our national security is not assured. All of that can be overwhelming! But

Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00676820718278182037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-83234117045181083222011-08-12T15:05:00.008-05:002011-08-13T18:31:12.708-05:00

In 2006 I participated in short-term mission work in Quebec, Canada. As we went door-to-door in the French-speaking areas, we ran into numerous people who asked us one question, over and over: "How are you Baptists different from us Catholics?"  At the time, I didn't have a short answer in mind. After a few deer-in-the-headlights looks from the unfortunate Canadians who were subjected to my

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-48983869170398913852011-08-10T14:59:00.002-05:002011-08-10T15:01:23.496-05:00

Virgin of Guadalupe, one of the images venerated by Catholics This is the third installment of my series examining Jehovah's Witness myths about Christianity. If you have not already done so, I invite you to read parts 1 and 2. The two remaining Christian "myths" exposed by the Watchtower both involve the teachings and practices of catholic systems: Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. 5

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-28628010172330073822011-08-09T17:20:00.003-05:002011-08-10T12:19:32.922-05:00

God is good! We had an incredible (official) first Sunday in Fayetteville. The church welcomed eight new members, including Kristian and me. As much as I would like to claim responsibility, I haven't had enough time to actually do anything. However, it was an encouraging sign that God is at work there. In addition, we were unable to find a house or apartment for rent. I know that doesn't sound

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-55579137012277277182011-08-06T20:18:00.002-05:002011-08-10T12:20:42.771-05:00

In a previous article, I began exploring the problems with the way the Watchtower characterizes Christianity. Claiming to "expose" alleged Christian myths, the Jehovah's Witnesses' flagship publication is not content to simply debate tenets of orthodox theology; it attacks "Christian" teachings that are not actually taught by Christians, as well. Today, I examine point 4 of their article. 4. The

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-90810136628294547022011-07-31T21:16:00.001-05:002011-08-10T12:21:36.770-05:00

I love this article, but unfortunately I can't take credit for it. It was posted by David Cloud of Way of Life Literature in his most recent edition of Friday Church News Notes.Ten Reasons Why People Miss Ballgames10. I was taken to too many games by my parents when I was a kid.  9. I suspect that I was sitting next to some hypocrites because instead of paying attention to the game, they came

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-31426814823528224942011-07-24T13:15:00.000-05:002011-07-24T13:15:00.846-05:00

Below is my bulletin article for the people at Eastside this morning; I'm posting it here, because it applies to most (if not all) of us. Whoever you are, and wherever you live: life is messy, but God is in control.I have been thinking a lot this week about change. This church is about to experience a transition in leadership. That will bring changes. My family is about to relocate to another

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-19004905611121339072011-07-19T17:21:00.003-05:002011-07-23T20:20:56.692-05:00

Over the last few days, I have shared the following announcement with the members of Pleasant Hill, as well as with our Norman Prayer Team. I am posting it here for my readers' information.I want to thank you for praying for us. It has now been a year since Pleasant Hill elected us to serve in Norman; we have seen successes as well as challenges, and we believe that God is still at work, building

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-28237814831762424542011-07-14T20:50:00.003-05:002011-08-10T12:23:05.344-05:00

When I saw the recent Watchtower article Exposed: Six Myths About Christianity, I'll admit that I was intrigued. The tag line encourages the reader to "With an open mind, compare with God’s Word—the source of truth—what you have been taught about Christianity." The six "myths" they address include three Biblical doctrines that are actually held by Christians and three heresies that are as foreign

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-68518028371627999492011-07-07T16:16:00.002-05:002011-08-10T12:24:16.545-05:00

"Why Don't We Share?" Series, Part 11 A savior would be pointless if there was nothing we needed to be saved from. When we tell people that Jesus died to save them, it seems irrelevant until we've conveyed the reality of the danger they'd be saved from. And, as we've covered in previous posts in this series, that means understanding and believing that we've all sinned against God, that a penalty

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-42128428961727952792011-06-17T08:30:00.000-05:002011-07-23T19:24:21.372-05:00

I came across an interesting article this week called Chasing Buzzards. In it, Dr. R.B. Ouellette, the Pastor of First Baptist Church of Bridgeport in Saginaw, Michigan, writes about the difference between chasing buzzards off and simply chasing buzzards.  When we chase buzzards off, we take an uncompromising stand against sin and error, and we deal with them when they arise. When we chase

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-28896689138325983562011-06-16T22:08:00.002-05:002011-08-10T12:25:03.228-05:00

"Why Don't We Share?" Series, Part 10 In the last two posts in this series we covered the fact that there is no one who is not a sinner, and also that the consequence of sin is an eternity separated from God in a place called Hell. Today we continue our series on A.R. Stanford's Handbook of Personal Evangelism by explaining why this is the consequence. After all, if God is love, as the Bible

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-4908884590175132342011-06-15T16:38:00.018-05:002011-07-23T19:25:02.855-05:00

Norman, Oklahoma isn't really known for its extreme weather the way some other cities are. Such recognition usually belongs to Moore, Norman's neighbor to the north and my hometown. Maybe all of that is changing. Last night, straight-line winds (some claim it was a small tornado) damaged trees, rooves, vehicles, and power poles throughout a large portion of Norman. At the moment, OG&E still

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-67275745139175867162011-06-10T16:00:00.006-05:002011-08-06T20:29:47.069-05:00

If you missed NGBC's Monday night small group Bible study this week, here are the Bible study notes for Luke ch. 1 so that you'll be able to keep up with the group. If you're not currently part of this group but you'd like to be, call or e-mail me for directions. Printer-friendly versionMonday Study NotesLuke, chapter 1 I. Luke introduces his narrative (1-4). A. His purposeLuke wrote to

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-90322823854640401632011-05-23T16:39:00.004-05:002011-07-23T19:25:53.878-05:00

BMA churches are ministering to the hurting in Joplin, Missouri after the recent devastating tornado. Grace Baptist Church of Joplin and First Baptist Church of Galena, Kansas are providing meals, operating debris removal crews, and serving in other ways. BMAO churches can support them through prayer and through giving. If individuals and churches would like to send offerings to help cover

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-71612133031508125252011-05-21T20:55:00.002-05:002011-07-23T19:26:27.772-05:00

The Bible is clear that Jesus will return one day for those who trust in Him alone for their salvation. Jesus said, "In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also" (John 14:2-3, NKJV). But He also said

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-13228469674079548382011-05-16T15:18:00.005-05:002011-07-23T19:26:51.617-05:00

"Why Don't We Share?" Series, Part 9 I don't believe that God ever meant the Gospel to be complicated; even the smallest child can understand it with the aid of the Holy Spirit. Yet men have so complicated the message, that many believers feel totally inadequate to explain it to others. It's a simple message, but there are some essential points that we must not leave out if it is to be the

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-29037621804747940322011-05-13T17:19:00.003-05:002011-07-23T19:27:12.953-05:00

"Why Don't We Share?" Series, Part 8 What is the Gospel? In a posting last month, I mentioned the seven essential things we have to tell people when sharing the Gospel, as they were laid out by A. Ray Stanford in his Handbook of Personal Evangelism. Today's post is an explanation of the first. Popular wisdom tells us, "Nobody's perfect." In a sense that is what the Bible teaches too. But when

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-38642971758313235332011-04-28T15:59:00.004-05:002011-07-23T19:27:35.049-05:00

Volunteering in the Community I met early this month with one of the directors from Mission Norman to find out more about what they do and tell them about our church planting effort. Partnering with them seemed to be a good fit, so we went to check out their operations. They provide food, diapers, and other necessities to needy families; assistance with job placement, utilities, and other

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-74268070723695783782011-04-08T01:31:00.008-05:002011-07-23T19:28:04.418-05:00

"Why Don't We Share?" Series, Part 7 I've done a lot of writing in recent weeks about how we're supposed to share the Gospel, but there's a lot of confusion today about what the Gospel is. Just watch some of the preachers on TV; some of them seem to have no idea what the Gospel is!  When I pastored the church in Bethany, I used to preach frequently about evangelism. One week I hit the subject

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-4915406798019529672011-04-07T14:54:00.002-05:002011-07-23T19:28:29.651-05:00

Dr. Michael Youssef has written a great (and understandable) article, titled Love has already won, at OneNewsNow.com, where he wades into the controversy surrounding Rob Bell's new book promoting the heresy of universalism. Below is an excerpt: "[... T]his heresy makes total mockery of Jesus coming from heaven, dying on a cross and rising again. It mocks not only the entire plan of salvation

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-23502680642133732242011-04-06T13:23:00.005-05:002011-07-23T19:28:04.421-05:00

"Why Don't We Share?" Series, Part 6   Now that we've discussed the three major fears that prevent us from sharing Christ, we need to ask ourselves a few questions. Am I telling people about Christ? Am I looking for opportunities to tell others about Christ? Is telling people about Christ important to me? I hope that we can answer "yes" to those questions. If we answer "no" to any of them, we

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-48383837073907396562011-04-05T08:54:00.006-05:002011-07-23T19:28:04.424-05:00

"Why Don't We Share?" Series, Part 5 Human beings do not like to give up control. Actually we don't really control all that much, so it would probably be more accurate to say we don't like to give up the illusion of control. I recently began a series of articles on why we fail to share the Gospel with people, centering mainly on the fears that prevent us. I've mentioned the fear of failure and

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-80186730083571820712011-04-04T14:44:00.005-05:002011-07-23T19:29:05.522-05:00

"Mission Norman" Partnership Opportunities"Mission Norman" is a ministry in Norman, supported by several churches in Central Oklahoma, that works in benevolent and evangelistic ministries. I've been in touch with one of their directors after Bro. Dave Vallerand from Pleasant Hill met him in Purcell. They look like a biblically-sound group, and I am supposed to meet with this director in

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-33964135092303620092011-03-25T13:41:00.005-05:002011-07-23T19:29:20.916-05:00

I've noticed that names seem to be important to God. One of the responsibilities He gave to Adam was name the animals. "Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name" (Genesis 2:19, NKJV).In addition, several stories in the Bible

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-13274987670610902952011-03-22T15:46:00.005-05:002011-07-23T19:28:04.427-05:00

"Why Don't We Share?" Series, Part 4 Continuing my series on why we don't witness, there is a second fear that I believe prevents us from sharing our faith. Closely tied to the fear of failure (which I talked about here and here) is our fear of rejection. Many of us do not witness because we are afraid of rejection. What does that mean? It means, first of all, that we're afraid that the people

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-78714316690592550002011-03-04T16:05:00.010-06:002011-07-23T19:28:04.430-05:00

"Why Don't We Share?" Series, Part 3 So how do we deal with our fear of failure in witnessing?  1. Understand Our Role in Witnessing. We're afraid to fail because we think a person's response to the Gospel depends on us, our eloquence, our strategy, or our powers of persuasion. We need to get over ourselves and give the Holy Spirit the credit He deserves for opening people's eyes to the

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-5365325280623591142011-02-24T20:06:00.010-06:002011-07-23T19:28:04.433-05:00

"Why Don't We Share?" Series, Part 2 Part of the way through a series of sermons on missions and evangelism, a dear lady came to me after church one Sunday morning and said, "I could never do that." "What?" I asked. She said, "Witness to somebody." When I asked her why, she replied, "I'd be afraid I wouldn't know what to say." Christians often fail to share Christ with those around us, even

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-62418324967761104082011-02-21T12:16:00.011-06:002011-07-23T19:28:04.532-05:00

"Why Don't We Share?" Series, Part 1 I can't decide which feeling is worse: the feeling of the knot in your stomach before the fact, when you know you should say something, or the feeling of kicking yourself afterward, when you didn't say something. And if you're honest, you've been there too. I have known a few people for whom sharing Christ was like breathing. I've done street ministry with a

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-2654362826590219182011-02-17T15:45:00.002-06:002011-07-23T19:30:24.863-05:00

The disastrous bills I mentioned in my last post appear to be dead in the Oklahoma State Senate...for now. According to the Homeschool Legal Defense Association: As you may know, because of your actions and that of Oklahoma Christian Home Educators' Consociation (OCHEC), the Chairman for the Senate Education Committee has decided not to hear either Senate Bill 393 or Senate Bill 394. This is

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-68465917278089692392011-02-11T06:01:00.007-06:002011-07-23T19:30:24.866-05:00

I try to rarely discuss politics here, but with this one, I must. I believe that God gave parents the right and responsibility of raising their children and that we must resist any attempt to make us abdicate that responsibility. Two new bills, introduced by Oklahoma State Senator Jim Wilson (D-Talequah), threaten the rights of parents to homeschool without intrusion. According to the Homeschool

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-56210902004253724992011-02-10T13:48:00.009-06:002011-07-23T19:31:15.019-05:00

John Wesley, 1789 I received the following in an e-mail this week from The Berean Call, and thought that it was worth passing on. It was written by John Wesley, and is titled "All the Blessings of God."All the blessings God has bestowed upon man and women are of his grace, his free, undeserved favor. We have no claim to the least of His mercies. It was free grace that "formed man of the dust

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-60008320757506331612011-02-07T18:58:00.005-06:002011-07-23T19:31:46.470-05:00

Changing a flat tire, so I can go to Walmart and figure out what to do about my pipes. [Note: Just to clarify, I'm using  "Nicaragua" in a purely metaphorical sense, as you'll notice if you read on.] Years ago, I bought a book on short-term mission trips in preparation for one of my trips. In a few chapters, the author wrote about his medical missions trips in Central America. I was struck by

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-52989111147134838642011-01-25T16:20:00.003-06:002011-07-23T19:33:25.236-05:00

I spent this morning and the better part of the afternoon infiltrating the Southern Baptists. Actually, I attended part of the BGCO's State Evangelism Conference up in Moore; I just felt that using the word infiltrate made for a more dramatic opening. Not only was I encouraged by hearing from fellow church planters in some of the classes, but we also heard a great message from Dr. Ed Stetzer of

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-77567579142655988242011-01-21T15:28:00.003-06:002011-07-23T19:34:11.717-05:00

"The United States is the Jerusalem," he boldly declared, referring to America's position of prominence among other nations. Had these words come from my mind or mouth, or that of any other American, it would have sounded as the very pinnacle of arrogance. But from his mouth, it was an indictment. No doubt he intended it as a plea, but through work of the Holy Spirit that sometimes occurs

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-49312963659265492502011-01-13T17:18:00.005-06:002011-07-23T19:34:37.410-05:00

So, we have a new name. I was never quite satisfied with the blog title "The World inside My Mind." To me, at least, that title made it sound as though the whole thing was focused on me. Certainly, I write from experience about things that I know and learn, and things that God does in my life. But hopefully, even in writing about my experiences, the focus is on God and His Truth, rather than my

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-83370972704486514622011-01-10T14:36:00.006-06:002011-07-23T19:35:04.756-05:00

This video on the annual "50 Days of Prayer" was produced by the BMAA Missions Department. In it, Dr. Smith discusses the importance of working together in the Great Commission.  

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-65227771445414696802011-01-10T13:40:00.002-06:002011-07-23T19:35:34.205-05:00

The Berean Call posted an interesting article by T.A. McMahon on psychotherapy, which is excerpted here. "The basic theories of psychological counseling are contradictory to what the Bible teaches about the nature of man and God’s solution for his mental, emotional, and behavioral problems. Psychotherapeutic concepts regard humanity as intrinsically good. The Bible says that other than Jesus

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-4257760396823780852010-11-16T15:36:00.005-06:002011-07-23T19:31:15.022-05:00

George Müller Have you ever wondered, "How am I supposed to know God's will?" I think most of us have. We sometimes conclude that God's will is unknowable. But God points out that, even though He does not explain every detail of His decision-making, He lets His people know what He's up to. "Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets" (Amos 3:

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-2076466261377622662010-11-09T16:39:00.003-06:002011-07-23T19:36:45.303-05:00

When I'm really pondering something, I'll occasionally stay up into the wee hours of the morning, reading and studying. I think I'm really more of a morning person, but the easiest time for me to focus is any time the house is quiet, and everything is still. Last night was one of those occasions. I started the evening studying something else, but a few tangents later I found myself reading and

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-36702930513160490322010-10-21T15:51:00.003-05:002011-07-23T19:37:19.569-05:00

In the CoMission Podcast this week, Dr. Smith discusses decentralization in the missions program. This is where the churches direct missions and the departments assist. It's the same principle behind the cooperation between Pleasant Hill and the State and Local Associations in the Norman Mission. (It's also more biblical than what we've done before.) So, without further ado, the podcast...

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-36363456228476441832010-10-15T14:23:00.011-05:002012-01-24T20:26:04.490-06:00

Okay, it's a rather convoluted little story. A friend on Facebook posted a link to a news story from a political blog. I clicked to read it and found myself at The McCarville Report, written by veteran Oklahoma reporter Mike McCarville. For a long time, his blog has said at the top, "banned in Red China." In a moment of curiosity, I decided to check. I went to Google China, and surprise, his

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-19239533717005992732010-10-14T06:04:00.012-05:002011-07-23T19:38:28.159-05:00

My last post about the mission in Norman was over a month ago, which is too long. The problem has been though, that for a long time there just wasn't a whole lot of stuff happening...except waiting. Then there was a lot of stuff happening all at once. So, here is what has been going on in the last month or so. THE TEAM. The planting team has been narrowed to three couples. Steve and Lynn Puckett

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-4799555200238388782010-09-29T06:05:00.018-05:002011-07-23T19:38:50.837-05:00

I made an interesting find last Sunday morning on my way to preach in Lindsay. I nearly drove my car off the road from laughing so hard. On the way back to Oklahoma City I pulled over to snap a picture. This Newcastle restaurant doesn't just advertise cheeseburgers and fries. They're offering customers a "kitty chicken basket." I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they meant "

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-51871143173868001112010-09-28T14:30:00.003-05:002011-07-23T19:39:31.111-05:00

In my post yesterday I mentioned a USA Today article describing how many churches, their youth groups in particular, are having a great deal of trouble attracting people with the same entertainment-based ministry model that has been widely used for the last few decades. Kids are no longer coming to church for the pizza parties and rock concerts. I mentioned that there might be a few different

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-56069975391495419032010-09-27T21:35:00.007-05:002011-07-23T19:39:50.581-05:00

When the local church functions as it should—according to the New Testament—it reaches out, confronts sin, loves people, preaches the Gospel, brings the lost to Christ, and raises up mature disciples to follow Him. When it doesn't work, it makes a mess. And it doesn't work when its members are not fully committed to Christ and to the local church as He intends it. The church is not a country

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-57905563434709442202010-09-27T13:56:00.002-05:002011-07-23T19:40:12.550-05:00

Well, between the title of this post and Dr. Smith's introduction, you don't need much more explanation from me about what these videos are or what they're for. They are each only about 2 minutes long, and worth listening to. Week 1 (September 20, 2010): Week 2 (September 27, 2010):

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-41031660142051691242010-09-17T20:21:00.003-05:002011-07-23T19:41:00.116-05:00

I saw a couple of YouTube videos this week, wherein people presented the Gospel according to their churches. One (linked here) was from Westboro Baptist Church; the other (linked here) was from Hillsong Church. Most of you are familiar with the teachings of Westboro. They are the church that protests at funerals and is known for their vocal stance against homosexuality. They emphasize the

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-18259952890636543122010-09-08T21:42:00.005-05:002011-07-23T19:41:31.817-05:00

The Baptist Missionary Association of Central Oklahoma held its annual meeting yesterday at Sunray Baptist Church in Purcell...which you already know if you were the one who paid any attention to the hypothetical Twitter feed in my last post. Pleasant Hill requested the financial assistance of the local association in planting the church in Norman. The messengers graciously granted that request.

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-7673376534011554012010-08-31T21:39:00.006-05:002012-01-24T20:26:04.506-06:00

I signed up for a Twitter account about a year ago. It was mainly because I kept hearing about it, had no clue what it was, and wanted a clue. Well, I found out what it was, and I didn't use the account again for almost a year. I thought to myself, "What would anyone use this for?" Then sometime during the summer I sought and found my login information and became a Tweeter...uh, Twitter-er...

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-15104799793199085372010-08-26T16:25:00.007-05:002011-07-23T19:43:24.064-05:00

Many people treat God as though He is a type of senile grandfather: benevolent and generous, yet mostly oblivious to the things going on around Him. Others treat Him as a cosmic genie: always on call to grant whatever desires we or our whims come up with. To some He is the man upstairs. To some, He is a spectator in the Universe. To others, He is an equal—someone just like them, but with more

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-36648932652502553812010-08-24T17:23:00.004-05:002011-07-23T19:45:23.249-05:00

Earthquake Damage in Haiti, captured by USAF troops I received an e-mail today from Bro. Michel Poirier, one of our missionaries to Canada. He has been in Haiti at various times, helping out since the earthquake earlier this year. He sends us this report of his recent trip. I would encourage all of our brothers and sisters in Oklahoma who are financially able to support Bro. Poirier's work in

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-42905943691742961052010-08-19T18:59:00.004-05:002011-07-23T19:44:34.314-05:00

Any questions? Do you ever have times when you study something so much for school or you do something over and over for so long at your job that when you try to talk to someone about it you forget that they haven't done the same? You get to a point where you just assume everyone knows what you're talking about. In other words, you forget that everyone else lives in the real world rather than

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-36664214045213329542010-08-09T12:51:00.003-05:002011-07-23T19:45:04.161-05:00

The following is reprinted from the update I received in the mail from Bro. Mike Poirier, BMAA missionary to Quebec. Bro. Poirier is a friend, and I love the ministry he is doing among the French-Canadian people. I am posting this to encourage more people to pray for and support the ministry in Ste-Marie, Quebec. We thank everyone for the prayers for the souls of our French speaking people here

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-9921096621180713822010-08-08T16:00:00.003-05:002011-07-23T19:45:56.619-05:00

The following was borrowed from the BMA of Oklahoma missions report in the August issue of the Oklahoma Baptist. It was written by my pastor, and the state missions director, Bro. David Pickard. Can you see an Oklahoma with a solid BMA Church in every major city in the state? Can you imagine our churches actually going where the people are, reaching the lost, raising up leaders and starting more

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-77111569892396449682010-08-07T15:10:00.007-05:002011-07-23T19:48:40.507-05:00

A new Missionary Baptist church in Norman is one step closer to reality! When I last updated everyone on the plans for Norman a couple of weeks ago, I told you that the next step was a formal vote from the sponsoring church. We can check that off the list. On Sunday morning, July 25th, Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in Blanchard voted to start a mission in Norman. At the same time they elected

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-1416968654529428572010-08-06T16:47:00.006-05:002011-07-23T19:50:41.010-05:00

Jacobus Arminius This blog posting by Kevin Jackson does a good job in attempting to explain God's grace—something that I believe we can understand to a point, but never fully comprehend in this life. Below is an excerpt: Prevenient Grace "Prevenient grace is grace that God gives to begin the process of drawing a person to Himself. Its purpose is to prepare the heart of the non believer to

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-11128096160819684642010-08-03T14:51:00.005-05:002011-07-23T19:52:41.151-05:00

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-67091091040371765372010-08-02T15:40:00.003-05:002011-07-23T19:53:10.647-05:00

One of my favorite writers, Dave Hunt, recently wrote: "This is the kind of blasphemy that one would expect from militant atheists and humanists, such as Richard Dawkins, or foul-mouthed, Christ-mocking comedians like Bill Maher. It is total blasphemy--a mischaracterization of God as well as a denigration of His perfectly holy character" (The Berean Call).He wasn't talking about the latest

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-87998316180696423022010-07-29T15:19:00.007-05:002011-07-23T19:54:37.907-05:00

As we were driving through the country late last night, heading home from an evening at camp, Kristian and I began to discuss the Bible. As a particular song came on the radio, I turned to her and said that the song illustrated exactly what I was talking about as far as needing to discern all things according to the Bible. The song—a "Christian" song on a "Christian" station—contained a line in

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-4961280179445227362010-07-20T18:17:00.008-05:002011-07-23T19:56:50.411-05:00

Over the weekend I asked several people to pray for Steve, Kristian, and me as we prepared to go through missions assessments yesterday afternoon. I'd like to thank you for your prayers. The assessments seemed to go well. Bro. Barker came over from Little Rock to interview us so he could report his findings back to the church. These assessments are to look at our strengths and weaknesses, to help

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-66953224173556203942010-07-12T11:42:00.002-05:002011-07-23T19:58:12.481-05:00

After one leaky transmission, one flat tire, four sporadic monsoon outbreaks, and a host of errands this morning, I'm finally about to leave for State Youth Camp. It will be my first time going for the entire week, and my first time going with my new church. I look forward to what God is going to do this week. Please pray that the Holy Spirit will be at work among the BMA of Oklahoma youth, and

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-41206028512402731402010-07-08T18:09:00.006-05:002011-07-23T19:58:51.080-05:00

Some contemporary "Christian" music is bad. Some of it is good. For example, I think praise music is a good thing; and "Christian" rock, I don't really get it. I often feel out of place at Christian concerts, where the music is often more deafening than at secular ones. I can't understand why some of the musicians on Christian radio stations scream so loudly and sound so angry. I cringe on the

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-58662953194891470492010-07-05T23:10:00.004-05:002011-07-23T19:59:14.171-05:00

The following is excerpted from "A Limited Message or a Limited Fellowship" by David Nettleton, at Way of Life Literature: "God has given us a great message to preach. It contains the glorious gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, but it is not limited to that gospel. He has commissioned us to preach the gospel, baptize our converts and indoctrinate them (Matt. 28:19,20). He has given us the very best

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-49728706315093383012010-07-03T18:53:00.007-05:002011-07-23T19:59:57.670-05:00

I love my country! I thank God that such a place exists as the United States of America, and that He put me here. I thank Him for our freedoms and our founders. But as I get ready for the Fourth, I'm reminded of Paul's words to the church at Philippi: "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ [...]" (Philippians 3:20, NKJV). Before I

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-42028491772624938212010-07-02T15:00:00.004-05:002011-07-23T20:00:17.832-05:00

Yesterday, Kristian read a book about turtles to her class. Then the kids wanted to know more about turtles. So on Kristian's request I took Otis, my favorite little chelonian friend, on a field trip this morning. They loved watching Otis as I talked about him. They wanted to know about his shell, his feeding habits, his tail, etc. (By the way, if anyone is worried, I never let the kids touch

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-55517802031512867972010-06-22T12:09:00.001-05:002011-07-23T20:00:46.677-05:00

This video contains a concise, yet well-researched set of arguments against abortion. It is even more impressive considering that the speaker is only twelve!

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-31985934884995298392010-06-21T10:39:00.002-05:002011-07-23T20:01:54.081-05:00

Should we "contextualize" the Gospel, meaning adapt it to our audience? In the Bible we see that Paul was consistent in His teachings on the Gospel: He taught that mankind was lost in sin, separated from God, bound for Hell, in need of salvation, and able to obtain salvation only in Jesus Christ. For Paul, the Gospel never changed! But we also see him approaching different people with the

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-66085861756533108032010-06-15T14:12:00.002-05:002011-07-23T20:02:55.170-05:00

From David Cloud, Way of Life Literature: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-21013173229012315652010-06-11T16:26:00.008-05:002011-07-23T20:03:35.007-05:00

If my last post gave the impression that The Message is now the worst version of the Bible out there, perhaps I should amend that. Today I ran across something called the "LOLCat Bible Translation Project." For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term, LOLCats are those strange pictures of cats that circulate on the Internet with grammatically incorrect expressions. Now, they have decided to

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-43678802716106123042010-06-08T17:55:00.044-05:002011-07-23T20:04:02.211-05:00

Members of my church recently asked what the best version of the Bible is. I discussed with them some excellent translations such as the King James Version (KJV), New King James Version (NKJV), New American Standard Bible (NASB), and Young's Literal Translation (YLT). When they asked if there are any bad versions, I told them about some of the problems with the New World Translation (NWT),

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-72616206017651285782010-06-07T21:37:00.004-05:002011-07-23T20:04:36.140-05:00

I borrowed this from another site, but in the interest of disclosure I must tell you that I edited the headings to the points below. From Grace Unlimited (formerly called The OSAS Arminian):Total Depravity: Man is bondage to sin, unable to trust in Jesus Christ without the prevenient grace of God. Conditional Election: Election is "in Christ" and not aimed at individual sinners. Election is God's

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-75878347616015781672010-06-03T14:52:00.006-05:002012-01-24T20:26:04.498-06:00

An article showed up this morning called "Facebook Harms American Marriages, Survey Suggests" (Read the article here). The article alleges that Facebook and other social networking sites are responsible for more marriages falling apart today. I had to know how Facebook could be harmful to marriage, so I had no choice but to read on. Apparently it destroys marriages by maintaining a record of

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-34988810086910256182010-05-31T18:36:00.013-05:002011-07-23T20:05:54.265-05:00

As today is our second wedding anniversary, I would like to take the opportunity to talk about my wonderful wife, Kristian. An unknown writer once expressed the feelings of too many people when he called wedding rings the world's smallest handcuffs; I am blessed that I have never felt this way. You see, I married my best friend. I first met Kristian on May 22, 2005. That night our church's youth

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-19435229298863942522010-05-29T17:26:00.005-05:002011-07-23T20:06:28.998-05:00

From The Berean Call:"Dear Dave and Tom, I’ve read and appreciated Dave’s book on Roman Catholicism, A Woman Rides the Beast, and also, Tom’s book, Showtime for the Sheep? which has much in it about his experiences as a Roman Catholic.  But both books made me all the more curious as to how the Catholic church developed in the early centuries.  What can you tell me?" (Read the Full Article)

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-3033917484772754212010-05-28T13:44:00.016-05:002011-07-23T20:07:15.243-05:00

When we look through the eyes of the Gospel writers to catch a glimpse of the crucifixion story, we ought to take note of Jesus Christ's attitude toward the matter. Did Jesus Christ come to Earth and die for man's sin willingly? Or did the Father put a gun to His head (figuratively, of course) and force Him to the cross? Recently I have heard more than one person raise the question of whether or

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-89264059537618468722010-05-19T13:54:00.010-05:002011-07-23T20:07:38.052-05:00

Back in March Kristian and I submitted an application for missionary status to the Baptist Missionary Association of Oklahoma. We believe that God has called us to start churches in Norman, Oklahoma. It was not a secret, but until now I have not publicized this outside of my local church, my family, and associational meetings. Now I am writing to ask those of you who read this blog to begin to

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-18320178184147369872010-05-18T00:16:00.008-05:002011-07-23T20:11:41.601-05:00

Our spiritual condition cannot be hidden for long. If we follow the Spirit of God, it will be evident; if we obey the sinful nature inside of us, it too will be evident. Today we'll follow up on the last entry on Galatians 5 and answer some questions: What does our life look like when we ignore the Holy Spirit? What does our life look like when we follow Him?"Now the works of the flesh are

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-1899584713998671312010-05-06T15:12:00.010-05:002011-07-23T20:08:35.287-05:00

As Baptists, we believe that the Bible teaches that once someone has truly been saved they cannot then lose that salvation (e.g., John 10:24-30; Romans 8:35-39). Because of this, we are sometimes accused of providing people with a "license to sin." In other words, some people believe that the doctrine of eternal security allows people to behave however they wish while treating the grace of God

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-17266294230422674302010-04-29T00:51:00.011-05:002011-07-23T20:02:55.181-05:00

It is unpleasant, when driving down the street, to be interrupted by a nice man in a shiny car with flashing red and blue lights. About an hour and a half ago I was pulled over by a police officer--the first time in my eight years as a licensed driver to be stopped while driving. Kristian and I (along with the dogs) had just left my parents house in Moore. We were heading toward I-240 when the

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-81108858982706107392010-04-15T02:45:00.010-05:002011-07-23T20:09:09.000-05:00

"But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man."(Hebrews 2:9, KJV)Who did Jesus die for? (Yes, I ended my sentence with a preposition. Now, answer the question.) Who did Jesus die for? Hebrews says that He tasted death "for every man." He died for all! That means

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-51745917099935418522010-02-21T14:17:00.007-06:002011-07-23T20:02:55.184-05:00

This has been a busy week: there has been a lot going on and not much time for writing. As I've been studying--both for myself and to get ready for services—I've been thinking a lot about Stephen and Peter in particular."But speaking the truth in love, [we] may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ [...]" (Ephesians 4:15, KJV).These men didn't sugarcoat the Gospel and

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-39631799680130690792010-02-11T16:02:00.007-06:002011-07-23T19:19:33.810-05:00

Ministry is a wonderful privilege. It can also be frustrating. And I'm not just talking about being a pastor—that's not the only ministry there is. The bottom line is that if you are a Christian, you are in ministry! (Whether you choose to fulfill that ministry or not is another matter for discussion entirely.) Sometimes it is easy to let life frustrate you to the point that you feel like you

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-32676303208369114552010-02-01T14:24:00.007-06:002011-07-23T19:18:19.881-05:00

After I finished writing my last post I received this in an e-mail from Mike Cross, BMAA Missionary to Scotland:As you may or may not know, we are still trying to get our sponsorship paperwork done in Scotland so that we will be able to apply for our visas. We have to have a sponsor in country to validate us being there.  We have a someone who is willing to be our sponsor and are waiting for the

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-55609200156086036032010-02-01T13:58:00.005-06:002011-07-23T19:17:03.993-05:00

As of today, central Oklahoma has been encased for five days in a cocoon of ice, and snow that has thawed and refrozen as more ice. I'm not one to get stuck inside if I can help it and I was surprisingly busy Saturday and Sunday. That's mainly because in my family I'm the token crazy person who actually enjoys driving in treacherous conditions (it's an adrenaline thing!). So I spent the weekend

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-31088349049707700122010-01-23T02:28:00.004-06:002011-07-23T19:13:39.423-05:00

I try very hard to keep this blog about ministry, and not use it as a political soapbox. That's what our dining room table is for. But this is not a political issue, and it is not an issue that churches can ignore. Yesterday was the 37th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision, a ruling without constitutional basis made by an activist court, which legalized abortion on demand throughout the fifty

Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217036316041118836.post-46225703909936365812010-01-20T14:04:00.007-06:002011-07-23T20:11:41.604-05:00

Imagine that you had 3,000 people join your church on one Sunday morning. How would you react? Would you immediately concern yourself with practical matters such as where to put everyone? Would you stop and praise the Lord for what He had done? Would you go on a national speaking and book tour telling others how they could accomplish the same results at their churches? Would you try to figure

Jarednoreply@blogger.com