Thinking About Deacons (Part Two)

[Our friend and frequent contributor, Thomas Overmiller, is working through a series of studies on the office of deacon. He is posting these as short studies, we are combining several posts into this post. We hope it is profitable for you. See part one here. – Editor.] Deacons in the Church: Essential Personal Qualities A…

Read More

Silence is Golden … or is it?

Silence is golden…or is it? As a father of four, there are very few days in our home that have been silent, especially in the early years. I remember one afternoon we were sitting in the living room talking with a missionary and the kids were being extremely quiet. After a little while, I told…

Read More

4 Lessons I’ve Learned Through Sickness.

Last week on social media author Carey Nieuwhof asked a simple question: “What’s your biggest leadership challenge right now?” Lying in my hospital bed I laughed and said to myself, “Funny you should ask.” At that very moment, our church team was planning a large 4th of July outdoor picnic and service while I was…

Read More

The Subtlety of Self-Deception

“Samuel went to Saul, and Saul said to him, ‘Blessed are you of the Lord! I have performed the commandment of the Lord.’ But Samuel said, ‘What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?’ And Saul said, ‘They have brought them from the…

Read More

Should We Legislate Morality?

For years I have been perplexed when it comes to religious liberty. Should gay marriage be illegal? Definitely. What about adultery? Not so sure. No question in my mind that heroin should be illegal. But should we outlaw alcohol too? One over-worn stock phrase is that “you can’t legislate morality.” And in fact, history demonstrates…

Read More

Have Your Leaders Lost Their Minds?

See if any of this sounds familiar. First, imagine a time of tremendous prosperity for your country – the like of which the world has rarely seen. Then think of a political leader. Riding that wave of prosperity, perhaps the leader you have in mind grows proud and pompous. He credits himself with making his…

Read More

Three Marks of a Real Man

We live in a society that seems low on doses of masculinity. Moreover, the occasional representations of masculinity we do encounter often twist and pervert God’s biblical intention for men. What, then, is masculinity according to Scripture? In the book of Ruth, Boaz demonstrates three qualities every man needs. He provides: When Boaz discovers his…

Read More

2019 Torchbearer Award – Dr. Ed Nelson

Tonight at the opening service of the Foundations Baptist Fellowship Annual Fellowship, it was our pleasure to honor Dr. Ed Nelson for his many years of service. Dr. Nelson is 95 years old. He climbed the steps to the podium to offer his thanks, not wanting to wait for a portable mic. Of course, that…

Read More

Overseeing Church Music without Musical Expertise

The music at our recent conference at First Baptist Church of Troy, Michigan (also see here), was one of the outstanding features of the meeting. It reflected the good gifts God gave to Pastor Harding and his wife which bless their church every week. Many others on their team who contribute to this part of…

Read More

The Importance of Strong Biblical Leadership

In the headlines, we occasionally see stories of abuse of power and failure of leadership. Some of these stories are of failures at a church or other religious organization. Many voices rise up when these events occur, clamoring for a renovation of church polity, denigrating the status quo, calling for change to forms of church…

Read More