Just too Slow
A few years ago, Nigerian Baptist leaders welcomed me at the airport with these words, “Thank you for sending Thomas Jefferson Bowen to bring us the gospel.” The Nigerian Baptist Convention, the fourth largest Baptist denomination in the world with more than 8 million members, traces its founding to Bowen—a missionary sent by Southern Baptists […]
Biblical Mindset for Evangelism
Mindset matters with regard to whatever we seek to do. This is especially the case with evangelism. Most believers experience much difficulty engaging in evangelism. Sadly, we often make it harder than it needs to be. Far worse, however, is when we adopt a frame of mind that damages our evangelistic attempts. In our current […]
One More Time, At Least
This Sunday is the soft-launch of the fifth church plant Ann and I have helped launch since 1989. In our first, I served as the founding pastor of Pathway Church in Gresham, Oregon. It was my privilege to preach there last month, celebrating Christmas with a few old friends (along with many members who had […]
ADVENT 2022
CHRISTMAS DAY It is at Christmas that we can remember the remarkable humility of Jesus, who came into this world like any other baby, vulnerable, weak and helpless, even though he was God the Son, equal to and completely one with the Father and the Holy Spirit. He humbled himself, even to death on the […]
A Liberating Message
The recent political turmoil surrounding the Los Angeles city council has opened old wounds, exacerbated racial divisions, and revealed destructive attitudes motivating political decisions. It has also underscored a sad reality so few people seem to realize. Racism is not confined to any one group nor expressed exclusively between any two groups. Racism is a […]
Dawson Trotman: The Navigators and the Discipleship Movement – An Excerpt
In 1955, Trotman spoke to the staff of Back to the Bible. This speech was eventually titled “Born to Reproduce.” In this forty-seven-minute message, he articulated a multiplication process that was a passion of his heart. “[Another] contribution [of Trotman] is rediscovery of the multiplication principle. This, too, Dawson demonstrated in his own ministry, boldly […]
D. James Kennedy Training the Laity in Personal Evangelism – An Excerpt
When Jim arrived at Ingleside Presbyterian Church, Smartt let him know that not only would he be preaching each evening but that he would be sharing the gospel every day, morning, and afternoon, in homes and door-to-door in the community. He was fully aware of his lack of knowledge as to how to witness to […]
Henrietta Mears and Sunday School Evangelism – An Excerpt
While some had already written off Sunday school as a thing of the past, Mears brought new purpose, rigor, and enthusiasm to the education department of First Presbyterian Church. She paired her education experience with her passion for the Bible as she approached her new ministry assignment. Marked by quality, age-appropriate learning, trained teachers, and […]
Content and Community
We enjoy attending live events—concerts, musicals, sporting events, etc. While we enjoy community theater and high school football, we are fortunate to live in the greater Los Angeles area where we also experience world-class entertainment. We have been to many events at stadiums, arenas, and concert halls in our area. When we leave, one of […]
California Christian Impact
In California, mission opportunities are endless which means the freedom to do ministry creatively is boundless. This is one of the best things about living in California. Yes, secular cultural ideas and ideals dominate the mindset—but that’s true in every global mission field. Rampant secularism demands a robust gospel, not a retreat from declaring the […]