A recent blog post by Thom Rainer, president of LifeWay Christian Resources, (See page 2) challenged me to think again about the state of our work in the local church. His blog post is titled “Where Have all the Baptisms Gone?” The 2012 statistics for the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) reflect the lowest number of

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Since May 20, life in Oklahoma has centered on disaster relief. People have given so generously. Oklahoma and Southern Baptist Disaster Relief have both done the usual remarkable job of serving. Local churches in the affected areas have given their all in service to people in need. Frankly, this ministry of service is a beautiful

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The devastation wrought by the storms May 19-20 brings us to our knees. As I have driven through these areas that stretch many miles surrounding Shawnee and Moore, my heart breaks for those who have lost so much. Also, we have had to watch families bury their loved ones whose lives were lost in the

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  The scene is all too familiar in Oklahoma—the force and destruction of a tornado. Now our fellow citizens in Bethel Acres, Carney, Shawnee, and Moore must face the tragedy of homes and families lost to untamed forces of nature. In surveying the loss, we feel deeply the hurt and tears of our fellow citizens.

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The arrival of Memorial Day marks the beginning of the camping season. Across our state, children, students, and adults will arrive at associational camps, Falls Creek, and CrossTimbers to spend days of fun, fellowship and spiritual encounters with the living Lord. Falls Creek begins each year with a children’s camp that will exceed 6,000 campers.

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Webster declares something absurd when it is laughably inconsistent with what is judged as true or reasonable. There are many issues that rise to the absurd in our nation, but three of them have reached the highest level of absurdity in recent days. Consider the trial of the Philadelphia abortion “doctor” (in quotes because it

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