by Karen Kinnaird | Sep 25, 2018
I love it when God takes a life that the enemy was determined to destroy and not only redeems it but turns it completely around to use it for His glory.
Recently, I went to Bartlesville to hear the miraculous redemptive story of Laura Perry who struggled with issues of sexual identity and lived as a man for almost nine years. You can read about this in my article “Prodigal Prayer Ministry – The Fruit of a Mother and Daughter’s Transformed Lives” which will be featured in the Oct. 4 edition of the Baptist Messenger.
Laura spoke with a unique combination of vulnerability, gratitude and graciousness. Her testimony included humor along with tears of brokenness as she recalled the pain she experienced. She radiates a peace, joy and contentment that only comes from a God who can transform the heart. Laura’s testimony titled “Former Transgender Set Free by Jesus Christ” can be viewed at www.comegrowwithmeonline.com.
One of the unique parts of Laura’s story is that it is deeply interwoven with the relationship with her mother Francine. Often we pray for a prodigal’s return and overlook the work God wants to accomplish in the lives of their family members.
Francine has taught a growing Bible Study since 2013 and had always described herself as a “doer and fixer.” Out of desperation, she tried everything in her own strength to help her daughter.
She finally came to the point where she admitted this was something she could not fix. This was a pivotal moment of surrendering to the Lord and was a turning point for both mother and daughter.
As a matter of fact, Laura attributes the noticeable change in her mother’s life, along with the Word of God Francine was teaching in her Bible study lessons to change her. The change in her mother was an actual witness to Laura.
The ladies in Francine’s Bible study group prayed fervently for Laura in her darkest days. Upon Laura’s return home, they welcomed her home with complete acceptance and even provided funds for her to buy women’s clothing.
After hearing Laura’s testimony, I had the privilege of joining with a group of about 40 ladies who are committed to pray for prodigals. Inspired by the miraculous answer to their prayers for Laura, this prodigal prayer ministry began.
These women representing several local churches stay for one hour after Perry’s Bible study every few weeks to stand in the gap and intercede for prodigals. Nearly 500 people’s names from all over the world are listed on cards in a basket they call the prodigal prayer basket. To date, 16 names have been prayed out of the basket, and Laura herself is right there praying with them.
Afterward, I had lunch with Laura, Francine and the leader of the prodigal prayer ministry. They spoke with an intense burden for those trapped in sin and those who have abandoned their faith. But they also have confidence and hope that God is intervening in these young people’s lives.
Through prayer, repentance and surrender God will restore the years the locusts have eaten (Joel 2:25-32).
by Caleb Moore | Sep 18, 2018
What does discipleship look like? This is a question church staff ask themselves all the time, but it can be a hard one to answer. This should be an easy question since it is one of the primary focuses of the church.
However, I recently sat with a group of adults who had been raised in the church, and only a few of them had actually been discipled themselves. We have an entire generation of Christians who know they are called to disciple but have no solid example of what that should look like.
There is a wealth of resources available to help people disciple someone else, but even with those materials in hand, people still have unanswered questions. I think we often picture discipleship like a scene from the movie Karate Kid. We imagine an older and wiser person passing on his knowledge to an eager and moldable student.
The problem with that kind of mental picture is none of us see ourselves in the Mr. Miyagi role. In the Karate Kid movie, Mr. Miyagi was an old and quiet wise man, and so many Christians are waiting for that moment when they are finally old enough or wise enough to teach someone else. Yet while we wait for ourselves to be good enough, we miss the opportunities right in front of us.
If you want to know what discipleship looks like, all we have to do is look to Jesus. But there is another problem, we know we are not as good as Jesus either. So it seems as though the bar to become someone who can disciple others is set really high, and this discourages many believers.
This is the great thing about Jesus; He always brings it down to a level that anyone can reach. Whenever my dad would teach on discipleship he always went to the Gospel of John.
In John there is a story of Jesus healing a blind man. He doesn’t just lay hands on him; that would be too easy. No, he bends down and starts to spit into the mud.
I’ve personally tried to recreate this scene to see how much spit it would take to make a mud ball to cover two eyes. Let me tell you, it takes a lot. I spent several minutes hacking and spitting into my hand. It wasn’t graceful or polite; it was dirty and awkward, and that’s exactly what discipleship should be like. After I was done I noticed my hands were a mess of dirt and grime, and messy is how real discipleship often leaves us feeling.
Jesus was always willing to get His hands dirty. I think one of the reasons we struggle so much with discipleship is because we have tried to clean it up and make it program-oriented.
If you want to disciple someone, just start visiting with them and ask them questions about their life. I find most people really want someone who will just listen and answer all the questions they have been afraid to ask. Ask them about their marriage, their money and their ministry and then be prepared for the avalanche of dirt and difficulties that can follow.
Discipleship is something that takes us into the dark places of a person where they feel trapped and alone. And in these moments, we get to point them toward the light that is found in Christ. We don’t lead the way bravely thinking we have all the answers. No, we stumble and fall with them as we walk together towards hope and honestly. We take people back into the light where Jesus heals us and refreshes us, and then we tell them to do the same for someone else.
Discipleship is often ugly, and that is also what makes it so beautiful.
by Angela Sanders | Sep 13, 2018
Bible study, big events, and fellowships.
Good food, big laughs, and photo ops.
Special emphases, small groups, and mission trips.
Vision casting, tearful prayers, and budget sweats.
This is the world of organizational ministry, but what’s it all for? What’s the goal?
Well, it’s not to create the most exciting atmosphere in town, although there’s much to be said for fostering an environment conducive to community and learning. It’s not to draw the largest crowds to your programs and events, although every body present represents a soul who needs Jesus. It’s not to teach the most engaging and culturally relevant lessons, although people need to know that Jesus is still the answer. It’s not even to produce people able to do what you do how you do it, although the Church desperately needs organizational leaders.
No, the ultimate goal of organizational ministry is the advancement of God’s Kingdom for His ultimate glory.
How do you reach a big goal like that? The process is much simpler than we sometimes make it.
Teach your people to SHARE the Gospel. Pick a plan, any plan—Roman Road, FAITH, One Hope (skopos.org)—and teach it to your people. Let them practice on each other regularly, and use it yourself when presenting the Gospel. Hopefully, this is happening every time you meet! If so, your people will pick up the script without even meaning to, just like they can’t help learning the latest ear worm. Then, when the opportunity to tell someone about the single greatest display of God’s grace and mercy in history presents itself, they’ll be ready.
Teach your people to PROVE the Gospel. If you didn’t grow up hearing it, the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection is a lot to take in. Most people need proof before they’ll believe it, much less put their faith in it. The only readily available proof we have that the Gospel is true is the presence of a supernatural Holy Spirit in our lives made possible by our faith in that very Gospel. When we ignore the Holy Spirit and live life by our own rules and/or under our own power, our Gospel message falls flat and people have reason to doubt, but when we let Him shine through us by obeying God’s Word consistently, we prove the Gospel true. Teach your people what the Bible says and urge them to obey it so the skeptics will have no excuse.
Teach your people to ILLUSTRATE the Gospel. Even those who believe the Gospel sometimes have a hard time believing God had them in mind when He sent Jesus to do what He did. When we dole out grace by treating people better than they deserve to be treated and extend mercy by showing compassion restraint in all situations, we give those people reason to believe they are part of the world God loves (John 3:16). When we forgive, believing and acting as if people don’t owe us for their mistakes, we demonstrate the nearness and accessibility of salvation. Love your people and teach them to love others completely, unconditionally, and self-sacrificially, like Jesus did. Together, become beacons that illuminate God’s path to eternal freedom from sin and its consequences.
Want your organizational ministry blood, sweat, and tears to count for something? Don’t just churn out more church mice. Produce, with the Holy Spirit’s help, men, women, teenagers and children equipped, willing, and able to direct the world’s attention to God’s divine perfection, the greatest display of which is the Gospel we’re called preach, prove, and illustrate. The Father will take it from there.
by Hannah Hanzel | Sep 12, 2018
Don’t play cards, don’t go dancing and don’t argue with a deacon. Don’t sass the church lady, don’t wear shorts to service and don’t drink alcohol. Don’t forget to tithe, don’t miss the meal afterwards and don’t run in church.
It seems much of what people know about Baptist churches are the “don’ts.” To the list of “don’ts” above, many more could be added. Some are biblical, such as, “don’t disrespect your mama.” And some are maybe not so biblical like, “don’t sit in Barbara Jean’s pew.”
It breaks my heart when I meet someone who has fallen away from their Baptist roots because of the overwhelming amount of “don’ts” that were preached to them growing up.
There are a lot of pros and cons to being Baptist. In my opinion, the former far outweighs the latter. I grew up saturated in the Baptist world in the best kind of way.
Many people my age don’t understand the role of Baptists in history, let alone their impact on today. Several young adults in my own small group don’t know Baptist lingo and phrases like “CP”, “BGCO”, “Church Planting”, or even “IMB”- organizations and practices that are shaping the Church as we know it.
So, what is a Baptist?
Webster’s Dictionary defines a Baptist as “A member of a Protestant Christian denomination advocating baptism only of adult believers by total immersion.” Is this wrong? No. Is this all that Baptists are? Absolutely not!
Baptists, simply put, are Christ-followers who, seeing the Word of God as holy and of ultimate authority, live to glorify God through living in obedience to Him and all that entails. It entails fellowship (hence the potlucks), hospitality (small groups), evangelism (hence all the summer camps), generosity (love offerings), knowledge of God’s Word (hence Vacation Bible School), missional living (hence the mission trips), caring for the least of these (like OBHC and BVC), stewarding our money well (hence the BFO), training and growing new believers (hence the BGCO and OBU), and uniting in one cause across the country to do all of these things well and excellently (hence the Cooperative Program).
Now, I’m tired just having typed all of that out, but did you realize that the Baptist Church as a whole is angled to live like what is described above? Do Baptists fail at this? Often. Do Baptist church members still gossip about each other? Of course. Do small groups get comfortable and forget the mission? Most definitely. The definition of “Baptist” is not perfect. In fact, it’s because Baptists realize how imperfect they are that they view God’s Word as perfect and holy. Because when people fail, we know without a shadow of a doubt that God will not.
Being Baptist, in case you haven’t noticed from this blog alone, means you deal with a ton of acronyms. In fact, when you were the age to attend GA’s at FBC, you learned the ABC’s of salvation at VBS after you got back from CT, which is run through the BGCO, which affiliates with OBHC. Once you left FBC to go to OBU, you learned about BCM through FC. After you got older, you set up your estate with BFO and spent the rest of your elderly days in the BVC in OKC. The acronyms are endless! Let me break them down for you really quick:
- For kids: GAs (Girls in Action), RAs (Royal Ambassadors), Mission Friends, and more are programs that teach children of all ages to treasure God’s Word and live in obedience to Him. VBS (Vacation Bible School) is a week-long, Summer day camp where kids come to a church building for crafts, music and stories all centered around the Gospel message. CT (CrossTimbers Children’s Mission Adventure Camp) along with ACC (Associational Children’s Camp) both make up the exciting Summer camp opportunities for Baptist children (along with several other scattered associational camps). Lastly, OBHC (Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children) offers a safe place for children to live and grow in a Christian family environment, as well as offers training and support for foster parents.
- For students: High school and middle school students can attend the huge Oklahoma Baptist summer youth camp called Falls Creek (FC). The camp has been around for more than 100 years, investing in lives and ministries to come. Did you know that Baptists have multiple universities across the nation? The one in Oklahoma is simply called OBU (Oklahoma Baptist University). Don’t want to go to a Baptist college? That’s OK, because there is a Baptist ministry at nearly every college in the state of Oklahoma through BCM (Baptist Collegiate Ministry).
- For everyone: The IMB (International Mission Board) is an organization that deploys and supports international missions, and NAMB (North American Mission Board) is an organization that plants and grows churches/ministries in North America. Did you know that every part of the United States is covered by some form of a Baptist convention, and the state of Oklahoma has it’s very own? The BGCO (Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma) is a resource center for many of the ministries mentioned above. It consists of ministry specialists, equipment, trainings and more. BVC (Baptist Village Communities) is an organization that reaches elderly or disabled people, and BFO (the Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma) is a ministry that assists in setting up Baptists’ estates and churches’ finances.
There are a ton more, but I really want to highlight one acronym that represents one of the most innovative and powerful aspects of the Baptist life and denomination:
CP (The Cooperative Program) is one of the most ground-breaking ideas I’ve ever experienced in my life. The whole concept behind the Cooperative Program, simply put, is that one church cannot do it alone. We need each other. When we give money in the offering plate at a Baptist church that gives to the Cooperative Program, we are giving a bottle of water through NAMB to a Disaster Relief site. We are giving a fun social event for that widow who lives alone at the BVC. We are giving a carabiner to the ropes course at Falls Creek where a student will accept Christ. We are giving a Christmas tree to the IMB missionary family in Central Asia on their first Christmas away from family. I could do none of these things on my own, but through the Cooperative Program, one penny is like a thousand dollars.
Someday I hope the world does not remember Baptists as the people with all the “don’ts” and all the acronyms. In fact, I don’t even hope the world remembers Baptists. I hope that when the world thinks of the denomination, they think of the Savior of sinners, dying on a cross for their sins. I pray the world thinks of God’s sacrifice and lovingkindness toward a thousand generations. May Baptists all over the world be the biggest, most imperfect flashing arrow pointing to our perfect God.
I offer one last Baptist “don’t” for the road…
Don’t forget the power of an imperfect denomination in the hands of a perfect God.
by Caleb Gordon | Sep 11, 2018
Depression and anxiety seem to be ruling the modern world today. Look at these stats. (source )
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
GAD affects 6.8 million adults, or 3.1 percent of the U.S. population, yet only 43.2 percent are receiving treatment.
Women are twice as likely to be affected as men. GAD often co-occurs with major depression.
Panic Disorder (PD)
PD affects 6 million adults, or 2.7 percent of the U.S. population. Women are twice as likely to be affected as men.
Social Anxiety Disorder
SAD affects 15 million adults, or 6.8 percent of the U.S. population. SAD is equally common among men and women and typically begins around age 13.
According to a 2007 ADAA survey, 36 percent of people with social anxiety disorder report experiencing symptoms for 10 or more years before seeking help.
Specific Phobias
Specific phobias affect 19 million adults, or 8.7 percent of the U.S. population. Women are twice as likely to be affected as men.
Symptoms typically begin in childhood; the average age-of-onset is 7 years old.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are closely related to anxiety disorders, which some may experience at the same time, along with depression.
It’s pretty clear our culture is struggling with fear and depression. We’ve clearly defined that there is a problem, but the question really is how in the world do we fight these things? How can we overcome these monsters?
Glad you asked!
Bottom line is this! We have to understand God better. I know that sounds like a really lazy answer, but in reality, if we understand what God has intended for us. He is our heavenly Father. More than that, he’s a PERFECT father who is not lacking in any area. Look at the following verses in Matthew 6:
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
You see what happened in this text. God is telling us here that if He does take care of grass and birds, who are simply just His creation how much more is He going to take care of his CHILDREN?
We have to know and trust what God is doing in our lives. And so often, I think that because we are looking at the wrong person we tend to get depressed. When we start looking at Jesus and stop looking at what’s going on around us things start to look at those things differently. When start viewing this life as a temporary thing and not an eternal thing. We start to change our actions and the things that we are wanting to chase after when we view Jesus as the end all be all.
When we view Jesus as our life everything else that might sparkle or seem horrible has a different appearance, because the KING is all we see.
If we are involved in His mission of spreading the His message to the people around us we will not have time to live in anxiety. The answer to understanding how to fight depression is realizing and understand that Jesus has given us everything we will ever need for life and Godliness.
“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence,” (2 Pet. 1:3).
I mean I’ve struggled with depression. I really have. But the moment I got my eyes on the right Person, the other person’s issues did not seem that monumental.
Focus on JESUS! I mean it. Get alone. Spend time with him. Read his word regularly. Everything else will fall into place!
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you,” (Matt. 6:33).
by Karen Kinnaird | Sep 5, 2018
I walked past that empty bedroom for two years. Each time I peered in, my heart broke more. Each item, perfectly in place, untouched. A ghost of a room representative of years of pain and a life that took a path that was different than expected. The bedsheets that weren’t turned down, the dresser drawers that remained closed, even the clean, dry towels taunted me.
How many sleepless nights did I slip in that dark room and sit on the bed crying out to God on behalf of my daughter? How many times did I sit in her chair and weep in her room, begging for Him to intervene? How many times did I pace in the room praying out loud, quoting Scripture for her return “home”? How many times did I scream out to Satan in anger and fear to loosen his grip on my family?
Handwritten Scripture promises hidden under the pillows, between the mattresses and laid on the desk offered me some peace that God had a plan and a purpose. Over time, painfully confessing that fear and worry dominated my faith, I began to surrender and trust that God truly was intervening in the life of my daughter.
Is your child’s bedroom empty? Is it a long-term hospital stay? Drug rehab? Jail? Runaway? Perhaps you’ve had to tell them they can’t come home…yet. The hole in your heart is large and painful. I don’t know your circumstances, but I do know these 4 truths gave me hope and peace amid this difficult time:
- Trust God’s plan. I am a firm believer that there is purpose in the pain. For believers, there is great comfort in knowing that everything that touches us passes through His hands first. In Red Sea Rules, Robert Morgan writes, “Our whole perspective changes when, finding ourselves in a hard place, we realize the Lord has either placed us there or allowed us to be there, perhaps for reasons presently known only to Himself.” God uses heartaches in this type of season to accomplish several things, but most likely, there is a plan and a process for that plan, not only for the child but for the parents as well. Spurgeon said it well, “If you can’t trust His hand, trust His heart.”
“We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28).
- Trust God’s timing. Give God time to accomplish what He needs to. He has a specific schedule, and it’s different than ours. In Waiting on God, Charles Stanley writes, “What we desire is often what the Lord has purposed and will provide for us. But timing is everything, and key puzzle pieces are falling into place as we wait. God is changing hearts and engineering circumstances we have no idea even exist. Therefore, the delays we face are not a denial of His promises; rather, they are an integral part of His strategy to arrange all the details and get us positioned for His excellent plan.” Trials need to run their course. They must accomplish what they were intended for. Even when you don’t see Him working, He is. We must wait, patiently.
“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.
I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him” (Lam. 3:22-24).
- Trust God’s unique deliverance. Not all prodigals come home, but many do. Not all return to their family’s home. Home is where the Lord wants them. Our hope and prayer is that they return home to the Lord and to a healthy, productive and fulfilling life; one that God will use in new and unexpected ways for His glory.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight” (Prov. 3: 5-6).
- Trust God’s provision. God really does see you. He really does know. He really does care. He really does answer prayer, and He has not forgotten you. The promise of His presence is unconditional. Not only is He with you, He’s with your child. This is a spiritual battle, and God is strong and mighty in the battle. He will fight for your family. Nothing is too hard for Him.
“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still” (Exo. 14:14).
Charles Stanley has also written, “You cannot wait upon God without learning to truly trust Him.” Mom, Dad, how long will it be before you trust Him? What will it take for you to trust Him? Will you seek to try everything in your power to change the situation only to be thrust into desperation and finally turn to Him? Why not surrender to His plan, His timing and His provision today?
My prayer for parents thrust into this difficult season is that in God’s perfect timing, you will watch while His plan gradually unfolds and in love and forgiveness, open your arms and welcome your child “home.”
This blog is written with permission of a precious young lady who is home – and back in her bedroom.
“It’s one thing to have faith to ask, it’s another thing to have the faith that waits for the answer.”
Jim Cymbala