Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835
FRANKLIN — Tennessee Baptists reached the goal for the Golden Offering for Tennessee Missions for the first time since 2007-08 in July when it extended the record offering for the goal which was set in late April.
When the final tally was totaled at the end of August, the amount stood at $2,227,367, a 29.41 percent increase over 2020-21. [Read more…]
BRENTWOOD — Instead of traveling to the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, the attendees at the 2023 Missions Get-Together will be getting together in a new place.
The Woman’s Missionary Union’s annual event is relocating to Brentwood Baptist Church, moving from its traditional host city of Gatlinburg. The event — which is WMU’s annual three-day conference of fellowship, worship, breakout sessions and administrative meetings — is scheduled for March 16-18, 2023.
“As we looked for a church in Middle Tennessee to host Missions Get-Together, Brentwood Baptist Church rose to the top of our list because of its close proximity to an interstate, the variety of nearby hotels and restaurants, a café and caterer on site, breakout session space and more,” said Vickie Anderson, executive director/treasurer for Tennessee WMU.
The venue change was necessitated by a wave of circumstances that have impacted the event’s attendance figures.
Anderson said she will always have fond memories of gathering at the Gatlinburg Convention Center, where the conference was held for 30-plus years, but said she is eager to see the next chapter unfold. [Read more…]
Focal Passage: Amos 5:4-15
In the past two lessons we were introduced to the Old Testament prophet that one writer calls “Amos, the country cousin — a backwoods ‘cowboy’ from the barren hill country some six miles southeast of Bethlehem, overlooking the Dead Sea.” His early messages were strong rebukes of the sinful nations around Israel, to which God’s people could say “Amen!”
But then Amos began to meddle; he said that God also planned to punish Israel itself for its many sins against Him. He called the women “pampered cows” and accused the men of coming to church “to transgress.”
Amos declared to Israel, “Prepare to meet your God!” In today’s text Amos continues such strong preaching with a lamentation — a funeral song — about God’s coming judgment on the house of Israel. Just before our focal passage, Amos had cried out, “The city that goes out by a thousand shall have a hundred left, and that which goes out by a hundred shall have ten left…” (Amos 5:3). Sounds like many of our congregations after COVID, doesn’t it?! [Read more…]
Focal Passage: James 2:14-26
The relationship between saving faith and good works has always been a source of controversy. Some would argue that we must work for our salvation, demonstrating to God that we are worthy of His love and grace.
On the contrary, Scripture teaches that saving faith is a Spirit-empowered gift from God through and in Jesus Christ. We do good works not to be saved but because we are saved. Pastor James addresses this issue in clear terms.
Saving faith, v. 14. James begins with the assumption that saving faith occurs when a person repents of their sin, trusts Christ by faith and commits to live a life following Jesus as Lord and Savior. In fact, James would have no “beef” with his readers if they had made a profession of faith that was accompanied by deeds of righteousness. James’ whole point is that if saving faith is present, such faith will exhibit itself in good and godly works. [Read more…]
Johnnie Godwin
Billy Graham began his message to my seminary chapel with a disclaimer. He said that he had been so pressed for time and travel that he hadn’t had time to prepare his message. He added that he had asked the Holy Spirit to just fill him. He was fully aware that seminary students had jobs, pastored or worked in the church and had full-time class loads.
Then, Graham changed his caveat about lack of time. “No, if I had prayed that prayer, God’s Spirit would fill me — with hot air,” he said. Graham then preached a God-inspired message that was well-prepared. He preached that a call to pastor is a call to prepare.
Called to ministry. Every type of ministry God calls a person to includes a call to prepare. In II Corinthians 5:18-19, “All things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation.”
In other words, every Christian is called to be a minister in sharing the Word or ministry of reconciliation. We see this same calling in Matthew 28:18-20 and Acts 1:8. To be a disciple means both to be a follower of God in Christ and to always be a learner. [Read more…]
Sean Evans
In June, the Supreme Court ruled in Carson v. Makin that the government must treat religious people the same as everyone else when distributing governmental benefits.
The case involved a Maine law that provided tuition assistance for students in rural areas that do not have high schools so the students could attend private schools or public schools in neighboring counties.
However, Maine prohibited the assistance from going to schools that provide religious instruction. Three families who wanted to send their children to religious schools sued Maine claiming the law violated the First Amendment’s Free Exercise Clause by discriminating based on religion. In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court agreed.
While the Establishment Clause prevents the direct funding of religious schools, the Court has allowed indirect aid to religious schools through government benefits to parents and children who direct the aid to a school of their choice. This decision is an extension of this principle. [Read more…]
Hope Pregnancy Center in Clarksville dedicated its new ultrasound machine in August. The machine was made possible by the Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission’s Psalm 139 Project and the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board. Training for the machine was funded by the Golden Offering for Tennessee Missions. Participating in the dedication service were, from left, Bobby Reed, chief financial officer, ERLC; Beth Moore, compassion ministries specialist, TBMB; Rachel Wiles, director of Psalm 139 Placement, ERLC project manager; and nurses Emily Cotton (front) and Adrianne Smith.
NASHVILLE — Most Americans say suicide has become an epidemic in the United States, and few say people who commit suicide automatically go to hell.
In 2008, September was declared National Suicide Prevention Month in the United States. According to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 45,979 people died by suicide in the United States in 2020, which amounts to one death every 11 minutes. Additionally, 12.2 million adults seriously thought about suicide in 2020.
According to a Lifeway Research online survey, most Americans (77 percent) believe suicide has become an epidemic in the United States, with 34 percent strongly agreeing and 44 percent somewhat agreeing. This number is larger than the 56 percent of Americans who agreed in a 2014 phone survey. And the number of Americans who have a friend or family member who committed suicide has increased slightly since 2014 (39 percent v. 36 percent). [Read more…]
SEDONA, Ariz. — Bowed heads before their meal on an anniversary trip led a Tennessee couple to an opportunity to share their faith.
That encounter, in turn, was followed by a social media call-out for help and success in connecting the new believer to a local church.
On Aug. 2 at 4:08 p.m., Jimmy Inman, elder and teaching pastor at True Life Church in Jefferson City, received a text from Sarah Tarr, a member of True Life.
A server had observed Tarr and her husband, Blake, pray before their meal the night before and the next morning approached them as they began breakfast. [Read more…]
While dealing with a brain tumor that occurred when he was 10 years old, Easton Reeder, front right, now 11, has had the full support of his family, from left, Jessica, Elam, Emma-Grace and Jason Reeder.
BRENTWOOD — No child should have to face serious health problems alone. That’s why Easton Reeder is using his fight against a brain tumor to show others how to win their own battles.
Easton attends Sunset Elementary School in Brentwood. His favorite things in life are his faith, family, the University of Tennessee football, baseball and triathlons. His story is an encouragement to all.
During the summer of 2021, Easton was involved in a minor accident which left him with a concussion. When the headaches continued, he was sent to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital. After multiple scans, doctors discovered a brain tumor.
Easton’s dad, Jason, said: “The results were not even close to what we were anticipating. We were told that the tumor had been there for at least a year — if not more. The tumor was in the middle of his brain, and we were all scared. But the doctors and staff at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital were amazing. They were surprised that we found the tumor in the way that we did! We’re beyond grateful.” [Read more…]
