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LIVONIA, MI – Recently, while wearing a VBS t-shirt, I was asked by a 20-something young man, “What does VBS stand for?” (Yes, I continue to wear the shirts after VBS.) I replied, “Vacation Bible School.’ He said, “I know what those words mean but I don’t know what that is.” I explained, but it saddened me to know we have a generation that does not know the happiness, joy, love and truth that is all part of VBS. VBS, Vacation Bible School, evokes many precious and wonderful emotions; from the love of the leaders, to the happiness of being with friends, to the joy of learning about Jesus. They all are part of my fond memories. But there is no greater emotion than that created by the many wonderful opportunities VBS provides the church member. Taking a walk down memory lane first takes me back to childhood, where it seemed that everyone had a VBS. Not only did I attend our church’s VBS, but also those of my friends and relatives. Yes, there were different themes and new verses, but I encountered the same caring servants of God. It was also a first opportunity for me to invite others to enjoy VBS in the fun environment that included the gospel in both message and the lives of the children and leaders. As a very young Christian, I was able to be a witness in my Jerusalem, as Acts 1:8 admonishes. Fast forward a few years to my life as a teen. That was my first opportunity to serve as a VBS helper. It was there that I learned the importance of service in the church and my role in that. From that first exposure, I went on to minister, as a teenager, in children’s choir and as a bus captain. VBS was the door that opened my heart to service. As an adult, I have had the opportunity to continue that desire for ministry both in and out of VBS. God has provided several VBS roles in which I have been privileged to serve—from nursery to crafts to teacher and, most recently, to VBS director. Having attended our church for more than 25 years, I have had the privilege of watching many of the children I’ve ministered to grow up and, in turn, serve the Lord. Now, as a grandmother, I love that the Lifeway curriculum gives me a connection with my grandchildren, even those in other states. They love showing me that they know the songs, motions and Bible verses. Some of the songs are so memorable that we continue to sing them years later. Although VBS is a significant starting point, the relationships we create can and should be nurtured beyond that. Since we our church has VBS for the whole family—from birth through adulthood—we, the whole church, can find a place to minister and someone to whom we can minister. We then need to build on those relationships to make disciples as directed in Matthew 28. Yes, VBS is an opportunity. It is an opportunity to serve God and others, to create and build relationships, and to share the gospel with those who need it. These are all part of our responsibility as the body of Christ. Let’s ensure that this ministry opportunity remains by each supporting our own church’s VBS. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Elaine Weathers serves as VBS Director at Merriman Road Baptist Church in Livonia, MI. #JULY18

ROSCOMMON, MI – Except for Christmas, my best day as a kid was the last day of school! No more teachers, no more tests, no more sack lunches, no more getting up early, no more homework, just complete freedom! Freedom to have fun, go to the beach, stay up late, play in the woods and freedom to stay with grandma for weeks at a time, and eat as much ice cream as possible out of her magically stocked freezer. Sweet Freedom! Unfortunately, as we all know, this freedom was only temporary because school always came back around to enslave my time and imagination. Thankfully, there is a freedom that is eternal and magnificent. It is the freedom we have in Christ because He gave His life for us on the cross where He paid the ultimate price for our freedom. Yet, there is a price we must also pay - the price of humble surrender. Compared to the price Christ paid, humble surrender seems quite easy. Nevertheless, it is the most difficult act of the human will. Our pride and our ego are far too important to just surrender control. We know what’s best because we have all the answers. This unwillingness to surrender reminds me of an encounter between Captain Naaman and the prophet Elisha In the book of 2 Kings 5. Naaman was a great warrior, but he had leprosy. He was sent to the prophet Elisha for healing who told him to wash in the Jordan River seven times, and he would be healed (made clean and set free from the disease). The price of freedom was too high, too undignified, too humiliating so he stormed away full of pride and doomed to die. Proverbs 16:18 tells us “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling”. This was almost the end of Naaman’s story, and for many of us this scenario has become all too familiar. We desire to obey God’s word, and grow stronger and deeper in our faith until we reach the place where obedience and relationship demand too high a price. We choose disobedience over obedience, defeat over victory, ego over humility, self-reliance over surrender and captivity instead of freedom. Why? Because being free in Christ requires total reliance on him and not ourselves. For Naaman to be free he had to humble himself, surrender his ego, and assumptions. He literally had to allow himself to be “washed away”. Freedom comes through the blood of Christ washing away our self - all of our pride, vanity, ego and self-righteousness. When we choose to live in freedom, in victory, we discover healing for our souls, the desire to forgive and be forgiven, and the ability to see and want the best in others. The truth is, once you have experienced living free in Christ, anything less is unacceptable. We desire others to also live in Christ’s freedom. Freedom is contagious. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mick Schatz serves on the staff of the Baptist State Convention of Michigan. He is the State Director of Spiritual Enrichment and Retreats and lives at Bambi Lake. #JULY18

DALLAS, TX (BP) – Messengers to the 2018 Southern Baptist Convention affirmed the dignity and worth of women, denounced all forms of abuse and called for sexual purity among Christian leaders in adopting 16 resolutions Tuesday (June 12). Passage of the resolutions on women, abuse and pastoral purity by nearly unanimous votes late in the afternoon session came after months of disclosures of sexual abuse and misconduct by male leaders had rocked Southern Baptist and other evangelical churches and institutions. The resolution on women recognized May 15 as the 100th anniversary of female messengers to the SBC meeting and honored "the immeasurable contribution of women to our cooperative mission of Great Commission work." It also affirmed women's gifts "in their distinctive God-assigned roles" and urged Southern Baptists "to encourage, cultivate, and celebrate the diverse gifts, callings, and contributions of women in biblically appropriate ways." The measure on abuse renounced "all abusive behavior as unquestionably sinful" and called for decisive action to report abuse allegations to law enforcement authorities. It also offered compassion to abuse victims, "being careful to remind the abused that such injustice is undeserved and not a result of personal guilt or fault." In the resolution on clergy purity, messengers repudiated actions that undermine the New Testament standard of holiness for Christian leaders and urged churches "to exercise appropriate redemptive church discipline" when needed. While the subjects of these first three resolutions had some overlap, the Resolutions Committee -- which received 38 resolutions, the most since 1997 -- "determined to address each theme individually" because of the number of proposed statements it received, Chairman Jason Duesing told reporters afterward. "It was clear to us that the convention wanted to speak to those themes," and separate resolutions allowed the committee to meet that desire, said Duesing, provost and associate professor of historical theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Mo., and a member of Antioch Bible Baptist Church in Gladstone, Mo. Russell Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, commented on the three resolutions by commending the Resolutions Committee "for strong, positive resolutions that address a crisis in our country and in our world right now." The resolution process not only speaks "to the outside world for the convention" but also serves "to help educate and equip" Southern Baptists, Moore said at the news conference. "And my hope is that these resolutions, as weighty and biblically crafted and worded as they are, would help to spark conversations and actions in local Southern Baptist churches and other churches about how can we best respond to those who are being abused." In addition to Duesing, the other committee members, in alphabetical order, were: Ken Alford, pastor, Crossroads Baptist Church, Valdosta, Ga.; Byron Day, pastor, Emmanuel Baptist Church, Laurel, Md.; Candi Finch, assistant professor of theology in women's studies, Southwestern Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas and member of Hope Church, Fort Worth; Willie McLaurin, special assistant to the executive director, Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, Franklin, Tenn., and member of Simeon Baptist Church, Antioch, Tenn.; Chris Metcalf, pastor, Lihue Baptist Church, Lihue, Hawaii; Jason Paredes, lead pastor, Fielder Church, Arlington, Texas; Adron Robinson, senior pastor, Hillcrest Baptist Church, Country Club Hills, Ill.; Alicia Wong, associate professor of women's ministry, Gateway Seminary, Ontario, Calif., and member of Rosena Church, San Bernardino, Calif.; and Curtis Woods, associate executive director for convention relations, Kentucky Baptist Convention, Louisville, Ky., and member of Watson Memorial Baptist Church, Louisville. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tom Strode is Washington bureau chief for Baptist Press, the Southern Baptist Convention's news service. BP reports on missions, ministry and witness advanced through the Cooperative Program and on news related to Southern Baptists' concerns nationally and globally. #JULY18

DALLAS, TX (BP) – Lay persons, pastors, churches, state conventions and Southern Baptist Convention entities have a role in an evangelism renewal plan Southern Baptists adopted Wednesday (June 13). Messengers adopted an eight-pronged approach recommended by an Evangelism Task Force Steve Gaines appointed in 2017 in his final term as SBC president. Task Force vice chairman Adam W. Greenway presented the plan to messengers after first releasing the document June 11. "It will take all of us working together in unity for the task of the Great Commission to be accomplished," said Greenway, dean of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary's Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism and Ministry. "Every one of us has a part to play. This is a critical task for us." Before the vote, the task force concurrently submitted to messengers a 12-point Evangelism Articles of Affirmation and Denial, based on and supported by Scripture. "We wanted to take the opportunity to provide a clear set of principles in terms of things we believe Southern Baptists can heartily affirm as it comes to speaking about evangelism," Greenway said, "and with clarity saying things we do not believe evangelism entails. "One of the most important things we can give to our convention of churches, and to a watching world, is a clear statement about ... where Southern Baptists stand on the issues related to evangelism." Southern Baptist churches are autonomous and are not obligated to put the recommendations in action; but are encouraged to embrace the report as a ready and viable church resource. The task force called on all Southern Baptists to "renew with great urgency the priority of evangelizing the next generations," and to adapt the recommended methodology to individual environments "without changing our theology." "If the only people who ever hear you talk about the Gospel are already believers," Greenway said on the annual meeting stage, "then you are not being Gospel centered. You're not committed to sharing the Gospel. "It was never meant to be merely an intramural subject for debate," he said of the Gospel. "It was meant to be the intentional passion that we declare to lost people, that there is hope in Jesus Christ." Churches should set aside a day each month to pray for salvation of the lost and the effectiveness of the church's evangelistic efforts, conduct annual witness training, adopt a baptism goal and submit their Annual Church Profile to help judge the SBC's evangelism effectiveness. Pastors should model personal evangelism for their congregations, present public Gospel invitations of various kinds that call unbelievers to repent and believe; and "renew extending to followers of Christ God's call to the pastorate, to missions, to evangelism and to all other vocational ministries." Seminaries should train and engage employees and students in annual witness training and Gospel-sharing events, such as mission trips, local mission partnerships and local churches; and "consider enhancing curriculum requirements in evangelism." Directors of missions are encouraged to "identify, celebrate and use as a training model" churches and pastors that are effective in evangelism evidenced by baptisms, and to enlist support for churches from Baptist colleges, seminaries, state conventions and evangelistically effective churches. State convention executive directors should infuse all their ministry efforts with an awareness of lostness and the need for salvation, the report states, and should prioritize evangelism in staffing, training and ministry. The North American Mission Board should help reestablish evangelism as a denominational priority, the task force recommends, and NAMB's senior leadership should involve churches, associations and state conventions in evangelistic outreach. The task force recommended the Executive Committee of the SBC establish a Baptism Sunday on the SBC calendar. Churches would be "invited to work especially hard to lead people to Christ in the weeks prior to the selected date and to focus on a significant baptismal service in which the meaning of baptism is articulated in preaching and teaching," the task force said. Greenway presented the report instead of former task force chairman Paige Patterson, who resigned his chairmanship at the close of his tenure as Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS) president. In addition to Greenway, task force members included SWBTS professor of preaching David Allen; Englewood Baptist Church of Jackson, Tenn., pastor Jordan Easley; Cross Church of Fayetteville, Ark., campus pastor Nick Floyd; North Phoenix (Ariz.) Baptist Church pastor Noe Garcia; newly elected SBC president J.D. Greear; Gateway Seminary President Jeff Iorg; Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (MBTS) professor of preaching Robert Matz; Cross Pointe Church of Duluth, Ga. pastor James Merritt; and First Baptist Church of O'Fallon, Il., pastor Doug Mouton. Concluding the membership roster were New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary professor of evangelism Preston Nix; Brown Missionary Baptist Church of Southaven, Miss., pastor Bartholomew Orr; SWBTS professor of evangelism Matt Queen; Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS) professor of evangelism Alvin Reid; Family Church of West Palm Beach, Fla., pastor Jimmy Scroggins; SEBTS professor of preaching Jim Shaddix; and Gaines, ex-officio. See BP's June 11 story for the full text of the recommendations and evangelism articles. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Diana Chandler is Baptist Press' general assignment writer/editor. BP reports on missions, ministry and witness advanced through the Cooperative Program and on news related to Southern Baptists' concerns nationally and globally. #JULY18

CHARLESTON, SC – While our church is now more than 10 years old, I still call myself a church planter. I get away with holding onto this enigmatic title because our church has from the beginning planted other churches — our daughter churches. In our short history, we have planted seven autonomous churches, each of which are thriving today. Raising up church plants is much like raising children. Both require a great sacrifice, but also come with several very real blessings. To say “church planting has changed my life” is certainly cliché, but it is true, nonetheless. Here are five ways my life has been changed by staying in the church planting game after planting our own church: 1. Keeps me young. Church planting puts me around next generation leaders. Yes, they are Millennials, and they do things differently than any other generation before them. But don’t forget, Boomers, the generation before you referred to you as “hippies” when you were entering the workforce. We have something unique to offer to one another. We can complain, or we can train! 2. Keeps me focused. Like little else, church planting fixes my eyes on the Big-K Kingdom over my little-C church. Jesus’ favorite topic during his ministry was the Kingdom. He spoke of it 121 times in the Gospels. In comparison, he spoke of the church only twice. Being a multiplying church aligns us more with the idea Jesus himself was most passionate about. 3. Keeps me relevant. Mentoring other church planters forces me to stay on top of the latest ministry strategies. God consistently seems to entrust His next vision for our world to the upcoming generation. It’s likely because we “established” leaders can easily get stuck in what makes us comfortable. Instead of falling into the complacency trap, I want to continue to ride God’s wave all the way to the end, rather than getting stuck in my created rut. 4. Keeps me humble. Multiple times now, I have stood on the platform with a church planter by my side and told our congregation, “Everyone who feels compelled or called by this man’s vision, with gladness I release you to join him.” This keeps me humble because church planting reminds me that it was never my church to begin with. Giving away our resources (funds and people) for the benefit of others is a God-approved action He has used over and over again throughout history to conform us to his image. 5. Keeps me on my toes. Church planting is an adventure. I want to see fruits from my ministry grow on other people’s trees, as others’ fruits are now growing on mine. As a torch was passed down to me from the generation before, I have a legacy to continue. My glory is too small a thing to live for; therefore, I choose to join the adventure of creating a platform for the next generation. There is an adventure waiting for so many pastors, maybe you, who are waiting on the sidelines of church multiplication. Let me invite you into this life-altering adventure. Get yourself ready for the biggest joy of ministry you’ve experienced since you led your first person to Jesus. Become a sending church! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Will Browning, born in Barnwell, South Carolina, currently serves as the Lead Pastor at Journey Church, a multi-site church in the Charleston area. While studying Human Resource Management at Georgia Southern University (B.B.A., 1995) Will became a Christian. He continued his studies at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (M.Div., 2005) and completed his doctorate at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (D.Min., 2015). In October 1999, Will married the love of his life, Tarah. Will and Tarah have three kids: Piper, Ethan, and Jedidiah. Will is an avid South Carolina Gamecock fan, coach to church planters, developing writer, novice triathlete, curious reader and lifelong learner. #JULY18

NASHVILLE, TN – Most churchgoers will put up with a change in music style or a different preacher. But don’t mess with a church’s beliefs or there may be an exodus, according to a new study from Nashville-based LifeWay Research. The study of Protestant churchgoers found most are committed to staying at their church over the long haul. But more than half say they would strongly consider leaving if the church’s beliefs changed. Pastors often worry about changing church music and setting off a “worship war,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research. But few say they would leave over music. Churchgoers are much more concerned about their church’s beliefs. “Mess with the music and people may grumble,” he said. “Mess with theology and they’re out the door.” Churchgoers stay put LifeWay Research surveyed 1,010 Protestant churchgoers—those who attend services at least once a month—to see how strongly they are tied to their local congregations. Researchers found most churchgoers stay put. Thirty-five percent have been at their church between 10 and 24 years. Twenty-seven percent have been there for 25 years or more. Twenty-one percent have been there less than five years, while 17 percent have been at the same church for between five and nine years. Lutherans (52 percent), Methodists (40 percent) and Baptists (31 percent) are most likely to have been at their church for 25 years or more. Fewer nondenominational (11 percent) or Assemblies of God/Pentecostal churchgoers (13 percent) have such long tenure. “Most church members have been at their church longer than their pastor,” said McConnell. More than half (57 percent) of churchgoers say they are completely committed to continuing to attend their current church. About a quarter (28 percent) are “very much” committed, while 11 percent are moderately committed. Two percent are slightly committed, while 1 percent are not committed at all. The more people go to church, the more committed they are to attending their same church in the future. Those who attend at least once a week are twice as likely to be completely committed to attending their church (62 percent) than people who go once or twice a month (31 percent). Those who attend once or twice a month are more likely to be moderately committed (36 percent) than those who go at least once a week (7 percent). Churchgoers with evangelical beliefs are more likely to be completely committed (67 percent) than those who don’t have evangelical beliefs (45 percent). Baptists (60 percent) are more likely to be completely committed than Lutherans (47 percent). About two-thirds (63 percent) of churchgoers who are 65 or older are completely committed to attending their same church in the future. That drops to 50 percent for those younger than 35. Older churchgoers are also least likely to want to leave their church. When asked if they’ve thought about going to another church in their area, 92 percent of those 65 or older say no. Overall, 15 percent of churchgoers say they have thought about going to another church in the past six months. Eighty-five percent say they have not. Of those thinking about going to another church, about half (54 percent) have already visited another church. Forty-six percent have not. “If people are thinking about leaving your church, chances are they’ve already started looking,” said McConnell. “So they’re probably halfway out the door.” Most feel their beliefs line up with the church For the most part, churchgoers say they agree with their church’s teaching. About half (52 percent) say their beliefs are completely aligned with those of the church. Forty-two percent say their beliefs are mostly aligned. Fewer than 3 percent say their beliefs are slightly aligned, not aligned or they don’t know their church’s beliefs. Education plays some role in how churchgoers view their church’s theology. Churchgoers who have graduate degrees are less likely to accept all their church’s teachings. Only a third (35 percent) say their beliefs are completely aligned with those of the church. Sixty percent say their beliefs are mostly aligned. Two-thirds (62 percent) of churchgoers who have evangelical beliefs say they are completely aligned with their church’s theology, while a third are mostly aligned. By contrast, 39 percent of churchgoers who don’t have evangelical beliefs say they are completely aligned, and about half (53 percent) are mostly aligned. Sixty percent of churchgoers at big churches—those with more than 1,000 attenders—say they are completely aligned with their church’s theology. That drops to 46 percent at churches with fewer than 50 attenders. Baptists (57 percent) and nondenominational churchgoers (61 percent) are more likely to say they are completely aligned with their church’s theology than Lutherans (43 percent) or Methodists (25 percent). Still, churchgoers don’t like to see changes in their church’s doctrine. More than half (54 percent) say they’d seriously consider leaving if church doctrine changed. Researchers asked about other factors that might cause churchgoers to switch churches. Nearly half (48 percent) would change churches if the churchgoer moved to a new home. Some churchgoers would leave if the preaching style changed (19 percent), if the pastor left (12 percent) or if a family member wanted a new church (10 percent). Nine percent say they would leave over politics. Fewer would leave if they didn’t feel needed (6 percent), if the music style changed (5 percent), if they had a conflict (4 percent) or if a friend stopped attending (3 percent). The survey shows churchgoers care about doctrine, said McConnell. “Still, pastors can’t assume everyone in the pews agrees with their preaching,” McConnell said. “Overall, 94 percent believe most or all of their church’s teaching. But there’s still substantial wiggle room. “Every time a pastor gets up to preach, there’s a good chance more than a few people in the pews are going to disagree,” he said. Most find church programs helpful Researchers also looked at how effective churches are in helping people grow spiritually. Most churchgoers think their church is doing a good job. Three-quarters (76 percent) think their church has been either extremely helpful (36 percent) or very helpful (40 percent) in their spiritual growth. Sixteen percent say the church is moderately helpful. Relatively few say the church has not been helpful (1 percent) in their spiritual growth or are not sure (2 percent). Churchgoers did have some suggestions on ways churches can help them grow. Among them: 27 percent want their church to help them understand more about God and the Bible. 20 percent want their church to help them find new ways to serve. 19 percent want their church to provide more Bible study groups. 16 percent want their church to help them get to know more people in church. 14 percent say their church could provide forums to answer their spiritual questions. 13 percent want their church to give them more chances to serve. 13 percent want their church to provide worship experiences that fit their needs. 9 percent want their church to provide more interaction with the pastor. 8 percent want their church to provide them with a mentor. Even though most churchgoers are staying put and are relatively happy, there’s some reason for concern, McConnell said. At any given church, about 15 percent of the congregation is thinking about leaving. If they go, the church could suffer. “The average church in the United States has less than 100 attenders,” McConnell said. “Losing 10 or 15 people could make a huge impact.” For more information visit LifeWayResearch.com and read the complete survey PDF. Methodology: LifeWay Research conducted the study Aug. 22–30, 2017. The survey was conducted using the web-enabled KnowledgePanel®, a probability-based panel designed to be representative of the U.S. population. Initially, participants are chosen scientifically by a random selection of telephone numbers and residential addresses. People in selected households are then invited by telephone or by mail to participate in the web-enabled KnowledgePanel®. For those who agree to participate but do not already have internet access, GfK provides at no cost a laptop and ISP connection. For this survey, a nationally representative sample of U.S. Protestant and nondenominational adults (18 and older) who attend religious services once a month or more often was selected from the KnowledgePanel®. Sample stratification and base weights were used for gender, age, race/ethnicity, region, metro/non-metro, home ownership, education and income to reflect the most recent U.S. Census data. Study-specific weights included for gender by age, race/ethnicity, region and education to reflect GSS 2016 data. The completed sample is 1,010 surveys. The sample provides 95 percent confidence that the sampling error does not exceed plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. Margins of error are higher in sub-groups. Evangelical beliefs are defined using the NAE/LifeWay Research Evangelical Beliefs Research Definition based on respondent beliefs. Respondents are asked their level of agreement with four separate statements using a four-point, forced-choice scale (strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, strongly disagree). Respondents are categorized as having evangelical beliefs if they strongly agree with all four statements: The Bible is the highest authority for what I believe. It is very important for me personally to encourage non-Christians to trust Jesus Christ as their Savior. Jesus Christ’s death on the cross is the only sacrifice that could remove the penalty of my sin. Only those who trust in Jesus Christ alone as their Savior receive God’s free gift of eternal salvation. LifeWay Research is a Nashville-based, evangelical research firm that specializes in surveys about faith in culture and matters that affect churches. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Bob Smietana is senior writer for Facts & Trends at LifeWay Research in Nashville, TN. #JULY18

ALPHARETTA, GA – We had just packed up our kids moved to a new town to serve on church staff. Can you say culture shock?! This new place was way different than where we had previously lived. Women rarely met for bible study, mostly large double incomes, big houses and larger cars. Fancy vacations. Fancy everything. I was in over my head. I felt lonely and out of place everywhere I went. At the same time, I also felt like God was calling our family to live differently. To spend differently. To love differently than we ever have. I felt conflicted everywhere I went. I wanted to love the least of those but was surrounded by daily extravagances. I felt a bitterness rising up in me. I began to resent and dislike the very people God had called me to serve. I spent much time in what I call running prayers. Running prayers are me running around the neighborhood with my headphones blaring as I am pleading, yelling, crying, or dancing before the Lord. Yes, it is painful for others to watch but very necessary for my Christian walk. So I began ranting to the Lord about how I felt. As clear as the mailbox in front of me, I heard God say, "Kasey, I didn't call you here to fit in. I called you here to show them how to love Me." That day literally changed my life and how we, as a family, have lived ever since. We then packed up our kids and moved into a low income neighborhood. We spend our family vacations on the mission field. I often show up at church in jeans, missions t-shirt, and no makeup. That day I found freedom. Freedom to be who and what God has called me to be. Freedom to quit longing for the things of this world and desire the please the Creator of the Universe. Freedom found only in the Lord. Courtesy of: Planter Wives Blog, namb.net #JULY18

DAVISON, MI – Since the beginning, every generation has been tasked with passing the knowledge of the works of God to the next generation; to make his power, beauty, and heart known to them. We are to teach them, not just tell them, that God loves them, and has a purpose for them, so they learn to get their strength in Him. There is no greater inheritance that we can leave our children, and our children’s future children, than a relationship with Jesus, and not just a religion. God has placed that responsibility on us as parents, grandparents, and leaders in the church. It’s a command and a privilege, but it can also be daunting. Years ago, as both a young parent and a new Christian, I knew He made it known to me that the responsibility of teaching my children was mine, but I remember thinking “How do I do this?” When we are so busy with the things of this world and everyday life, we can often forget the most important foundation we can give them: the ability to see Jesus. Thankfully, we’re not the first generation to encounter busyness. How do we know this? In Deuteronomy 6, God instructed the Israelites to teach the words of God “diligently unto thy children and shalt talk of them when thou sittest…walkest by the way…liest down…and risest up.” In other words: anywhere and everywhere you can. If it were written today, perhaps God would say “when you ride in the car,” “when you serve the elderly in your neighborhood,” or even “between innings at the t-ball game.” Every moment is a moment to teach. Even if we’re unaware, we’re still teaching something. Our children watch us like a hawk. They learn what from what we do and don’t say, and from what we do and don’t do. So why not make the most of every opportunity? If we’re looking, conversations and questions about God can be inserted into most moments. Pray for wisdom and He will guide you. Opportunities don’t have to be big or perfect. The examples in Deuteronomy 6 were from the mundane, daily routine. When my kids were little, I remember walking outside with them,looking up, and saying “Isn’t it great how God gave us trees?” It can be that easy. If children can learn to see God’s handiwork in the small, how much more will they recognize it in the big? We must also make sure we never stop learning as we guide them. One lesson I’m still learning is to really listen to what my children are saying, especially as they grow older. It’s hard to listen if my mind is already made up. But when I’ve been open, the Lord has used my children to teach me, and help me not be stuck in a generation. In the process, God has reminded me that He’s the real teacher, and that my children and I are learning together as we “walkest by the way.” ABOUT THE AUTHOR Leonia Ross served at Davison Meadows Baptist Church in Davison Michigan with her husband, pastor Randy Ross, for over 20 years. Pastor Randy went home to be with his Savior and Lord December of 2016. Leonia Ross continues to be a faithful member and regularly shares her faith with others and invites them to share in fellowship at Davison Meadows. #JULY18

ALPHARETTA, GA – If you are like most women, you are your own worst critic. Being hard on ourselves is what we do. If you live your life never feeling like what you do is enough, then read on, friend! Finding freedom from our own expectations is not impossible. Let’s just cut right to the chase. We all have the propensity to heap unhealthy expectations on ourselves. Certain events and influences from our past can increase that tendency. Ultimately, visiting those places in our lives can bring healing, but there are a few truths that we can all grab hold of now that can help us begin to break free. Here are some questions to ask to help find freedom from your own expectations: Do I know my purpose? Sometimes, we have expectations of ourselves that are outside our purpose. If I was a photographer, but I struggled with nagging thoughts like, “I don’t rescue enough people from burning buildings,” you would tell me to stick with my pictures and leave the rescues to firefighters. If I know clearly my purpose, then I can weed out other demands that inevitably fight for my attention. Are you clear on your purpose? If not, you may feel like you should do everything to cover your bases. That’s exhausting. Find your purpose. Am I pressured by the success of other women? Comparing ourselves can be overwhelming. Social media compounds that issue by constantly bombarding us with a filtered version of everyone’s best. Somehow, we think we should not only reach our goals for our own purpose, but do what other women are doing, as well. Besides not being realistic, that’s not healthy. The result? We live splintered lives, unable to do anything well as we attempt to do it all. And we’re exhausted. Run your race without comparing. Do I know that the world will keep turning if I stop? Ever find yourself thinking, “if I don’t do it, nobody will”? Perhaps, like me, you say it out loud, taking on a superwoman voice as you do. When we believe we are the only one who will or can do something, we might have an inflated view of ourselves. Yes, there are things that we have to do, but, based on the truth that “I” cannot do everything, there are others that must go. Someone else will and can. This might mean recruiting, and even training, your replacement. Perhaps an unrealistic expectation you placed on yourself is part of someone else’s purpose. Let them have it. Is God expecting this of me? It would be cruel of a father to demand something from a child and then not give that child the time or resources to do it. If God has given you a task or responsibility, He will also equip you with what’s needed—including time. We beat ourselves up thinking, “if I could just figure out how to manage my time better, I could get it all done,” when in reality we are overloaded with things never given to us by our Savior. He is a good father who is not trying to work you to death and is certainly not demanding perfection. In fact, He wants you to rest. At times, we are overwhelmed by demands in life we cannot control, such as an illness or loss. During these times, our expectations of ourselves change; they should change. Our focus becomes rest and healing. Yet, even during these times, we can expect too much of ourselves instead of walking in His mercy and grace. At other times, we heap unhealthy expectations on ourselves unknowingly. Our desire to nurture, to help, to love and to be needed clouds our vision. We try harder and harder to do more than we were designed to do. Outside of God’s purpose, we find defeat and exhaustion. Jesus reminds us that He wants us working alongside Him—not running around trying to impress Him. When He tells us that His yoke is easy, He is giving us a picture of being yoked with Him, as two oxen were when plowing. Together, moving forward together. I believe He has the field already picked out and the seed ready. Are you where God wants you, or are you busy with work you heaped on yourself? Are you exhausted from trying to get it together? Ask the Father for clarity. Philippians 2:13 – For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Ephesians 2:10 – For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Courtesy of: Planter Wives Blog, namb.net via Marianna Dollyhigh blog post. ABOUT THE AUTHOR In the midst of a crazy life, Marianna Dollyhigh is searching for a connection with my Creator and with community.She is the wife of an amazing pastor who is truly wild at heart, a man’s man. They have six children of various ages, colors, and personalities. She loves to write, explaining, “It’s how God works things out in me.” #JULY18

“To as many as received Him, He gave the power to become God’s sons” – John 1:12 BAY CITY, MI – As we celebrate our nation’s independence on July 4th, Christians have a unique opportunity to renew their commitment to Christian freedom, which this verse describes as receiving both the power and potential to become more like Christ. The disciples of Jesus’ time totally misunderstood the concept of freedom in Christ. They would ask “can I divorce my wife?”, or “can I sue the person who owes me money?”, or “do I have to forgive my neighbor?” However, such questions totally miss the issue of Christian freedom. Freedom is not about “can I do what I want.” It’s about “how you can be more like Christ, not more like yourself.” It’s about “making God’s priorities your priorities…not the other way around.” It’s about “Christ setting you free…not about you setting yourself free.” The modern day false prophets have tried to create a religion where man is God and God is the servant. Church attenders often believe that if they say nice things about God, He will wipe their board clean, get their daughter into a Top 5 college, and give them new marketing ideas. While false religions imply that God’s role is to feed their selfishness may experience temporary success, commitment to selfishness creates a sinkhole trap from which they will never be free. It’s the same with ignoring God’s call to holy living. While sin can seem to be enjoyable, its pleasures are only for a short time. I recently had the “pleasure” of discovering that we had a cracked sewer line. We had to get down in the muck,dig out the line, and lift up the pipes. We hoped to eventually get to a place where the ground would be dry, but because the line was broken and continued to leak, the more we dug, the deeper the muck we had to stand in. Living life apart from God’s Spirit is the same way…that’s why Paul (Romans 6:1-5) notes that we are to be dead to sin, and righteous living alone will set us free. Many Christians embrace selfishness or sinful living because they wish to avoid the inevitable conflicts that come from confronting sin in either their personal situation or in society. The children of Israel thought by avoiding conflict they would spare their children from pain (Numbers 14); instead, they doomed them to wander in the desert for two more generations. Christian freedom won’t stop the battles, but they will keep the battles from stopping you and that is freedom found only in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The Romans thought being rich, powerful, educated, and in control they had everything, they had it all. And yet, the society that had all the power and wealth in the known world of that time used their “freedom” to become immoral, diseased, and corrupt. They savaged entire populations of people for their own gain, and eventually collapsed from internal rot and external attacks by weaker enemies. Paul recognized the real meaning of freedom in his writing to Philemon (1:10-21), which is highly instructive here…for all of the wealth and power of Rome, it was the slave who committed his life to Christ and was obedient to Him who was truly free. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Bill Livingston is an HR graduate professor, Baptist historian, and former Michigan Baptist pastor. He and his wife Anne live in Bay City, Michigan. #JULY18

GREENVILLE, SC – Regret is as deadly as worry. One confronts an unknown future, the other an unfortunate past. Both seem unwilling to relinquish their death-grip once they find their way into your mind. They paralyze your actions and plague your relationships. Pastors and church planters are prone to such regret, as we reflect on our personal failures and the ways these decisions have negatively influenced those we love and the churches we lead. Regret over sins or volition or inactivity is one of the major contributing factors to dark days among pastors. Clichés do little to lessen the pain. We cringe when we hear “live and learn,” “forgive and forget,” or “you are normal just like all the rest of us.” These trite statements, while true, provide little help in confronting the failures of our past. Our theology is the only hope we have when regret seems overwhelming. It’s in these moments that our active theology is seen. We can say we believe in God’s sovereignty all we want, but if we are crippled by worry, we show that we don’t really trust His good plan. In the same way, pastors can rattle off theological concepts like propitiation and justification, but regret proves we’ve got yet to apply these astounding truths to the real sin in our past and present. The life-giving promises of Scripture are the God-appointed means of renewing our mind when we feel regret. Promises like: “I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.” (Isaiah 43:25 ESV) or For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,” then he adds “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more”(Hebrews 10:14-17 ESV) The human mind struggles to grasp these truths. We have no mental framework for this type of response. When someone sins against us, we don’t respond this way. Perhaps, if God is gracious, we are able to forgive the person for the wrong they’ve done. Our offer of forgiveness means we will not seek to get even, we won’t hold the sin over their head, and we are willing to continue some level of relationship. But we don’t forget. We can’t. Yes, I’ve long since forgotten the name of the kid who stole my sandwich in the middle school cafeteria. Given enough time, we will forget such menial offenses. Deep wounds don’t work that way. The hurt lingers, hovering in our minds like an ever-present hummingbird. God doesn’t work that way. Certainly, He knows our every sin—after all sin is fundamentally an offense against God. And we’ve sinned against God in far more profound ways than anyone will ever sin against us. Yet, God remembers our sins no more. God doesn’t forget our sins, like an absent-minded husband does with the groceries he’s supposed to get from the store. He consciously chooses to not remember our sins. They are done, finished, fully paid for by the wrath-bearing substitute, Jesus Christ. He doesn’t bring them up again. God doesn’t think, “I know that guy, he’s the same guy who was once overcome with addiction or enslaved by anger.” He doesn’t question our repentance because, after all, we are the same person who’s broken promises repeatedly in our past. He doesn’t turn away from our corporate praise because we’ve failed to turn to Him in our private devotions. He remembers our sins no more. I’ll never be able to do the same with my past sins. From time to time, they will come to mind. But, when they do, I can choose to trust God at His word, embrace the forgiveness I’ve been given through Christ and find freedom from regret. As a pastor, this is my only hope for fighting regret in my own life and leading others to do the same. Courtesy of: Church Planters Blog, namb.net ABOUT THE AUTHOR Matt Rogers is the pastor of The Church at Cherrydale in Greenville, South Carolina - a church he planted in 2009. He’s married to Sarah and has four children. Matt loves to write and has a number of articles and blog posts published. #JULY18

I was born with SBC blood flowing through my veins. My parents were Southern Baptists as were my parent’s parents. So, attending vacation bible school was inevitable. It would never be a question asked in our home, not that I didn’t try. Like every other kid, during the school year I dreamed of summer vacation. I longed for those days when we played outside with friends, the many adventures down to the creek or out in the woods, and staying up late because we could. Who could possibly get excited about summer vacation with bible school? Just the sound of it screamed of summer school, and no one wanted that. It was as if adults added the word vacation in order to trick us or something. Ugh! Yes, I went because that is what we did in our home. From the very first time I can recall, it was fun! There was nothing about it like school. We marched in, sang songs, participated in crafts and outdoor activities, plus we always got a snack and fresh lemonade. Then there were biblical stories, too, where we learned life lessons and memorized scripture. Sometimes the person from the Bible would show up to tell the story themselves. Okay, so maybe it was the pastor dressed up and wearing a fake beard, but it was still fun. The week flew by and before I knew it, I was wishing it would last longer. Through the years I remember being introduced to real live missionaries and saw slide shows of far away places. They told us about people on the other side of the world who lived very different from us and needed Jesus. It was awesome! As I got older, it seemed a natural transition to move from participant to worker. This experience was also fun, in its own way. Now I was involved in the preparations, handing out cookies at snack time, and helping play games with the kids. As a VBS worker I learned many new skills and spent more time in my Bible. All those verses I had memorized through the years were coming back to me in a most helpful way. Now I was learning the stories behind them, and able to help others learn these life changing verses. VBS had become a vital part of my summer, I had gone from not looking forward to it and thinking it was something that it wasn’t, to loving it and enjoying the experience, and thrilled when the time came to serve. I still think the name is misleading and most kids aren’t interested in going to school during summer break. But, when you get there, feel the excitement, and learn of the love of Jesus your life changes. VBS has always been a blessing in my life and now in the lives of my own family. I am proud to be a Southern Baptist and blessed to serve each summer with our churches Vacation Bible School. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tom Scott is a media specialist who coordinates efforts for the Baptist Beacon each month. In addition to his editing and graphic design work, Tom lends his decades of experience in the classroom where he is preparing the next generation of media types. He and his wife, Cindy, have been married for 36 years and reside in Richmond, VA. #JULY18