Author: Jayson Larson

Meaningful theology is accessible to everyone

For some in our congregations, theology can seem like an intimidating subject. Many folks view theology as inaccessible—assuming the theological task is reserved for a special few and believing the lie that they are not well-read enough or smart enough to practice meaningful theology. But when we understand that theology is the study of God and all things in relation to God, we recognize it is a journey for everyone.

As we set out on the adventure of contemplating God and all things in relation to him, we will be transformed. Moreover, this transformation should be a transformation into Christlikeness leading to spiritual fruit. To state it plainly, the life of the mind can, and should, lead to the fruit of the Spirit. The result of theology done well should be love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22).

Here are three biblical reminders to help people in your congregation see theology is a journey for every believer:

Think about these things (Philippians 4:8)

You possess something of immense value—your attention. The world wants it, and it will throw much at you to get it. There are folks whose primary job is to continually maintain and upgrade sophisticated algorithms to guarantee that your attention will stay fixed on your phone. Neil Postman was correct in his incredibly insightful book, “Amusing Ourselves to Death,” when he warned that we are people in danger of simply becoming an audience. The world is a stage where your gaze and attention are the commodity.

For this reason and countless others, Paul’s conclusion to his letter to the Philippians is just as relevant today as it was in first-century Philippi. Concluding his letter, Paul instructs the saints at Philippi, saying, “Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things” (Philippians 4:8).

What Paul understood, and what we must understand, is that whatever we give our attention to will form us as people. If our minds stay on the ever-changing and increasingly shallow events of our culture, we will continue to decline in our wisdom and reasonableness as followers of Christ. However, if we let Paul’s command sink into our lives and have the self-control to look up and out of the dizzying array of distractions surrounding us, giving instead a hard, sustained look at that which is good, true, and beautiful, we may be transformed into wise and stable men and women.

Be transformed (Romans 12:2)

Paul’s letter to the Philippians was not the only place where he made clear the connection between our thought lives and our actions. In his epistle to the Romans, Paul writes: “Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2). Renewing our minds has the power to transform us so that we might be wise and able to discern the will of God, finding what is good and perfect.

It is sad that in our day theology often receives the caricature of being obsolete. Some discuss theology as if it is a pastime for those who are out of touch, an irrelevant exercise providing nothing more than intellectual stimulation.

But contemplating God in Christian theology is no mere intellectualism. On the contrary, setting our minds on God and all things in relation to God allows us to gaze at him who is love. In so doing, we will be transformed by the renewal of our minds. A mind full of truth should lead to a heart full of love and hands full of care.

Behold the glory of the Lord (2 Corinthians 3:18)

In this glorious chapter, Paul contrasts the saints of the old covenant and those of the new. He recalls the scene in which Moses, after seeing the goodness of the Lord in Exodus 33, comes down from Mount Sinai with his face veiled so that he might not startle the other Israelites. Paul says that reading the old covenant is like attempting to look at God through a veil, like Moses. On the contrary, seeing God in the face of Jesus Christ is like seeing God with the veil removed so that we can behold his beauty and splendor uninhibited.

Paul writes, “We all, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18).

It is easy to miss Paul’s progression here, but it is important for us to see his argument unfold. Working backwards through this verse helps the meaning come forward:

The Holy Spirit ministers to us by giving us,
The grace to move from one degree of glory to another,
Until we are transformed into the same glorious image of Jesus Christ,
Which occurs as we behold his glory.

This passage is brimming with beauty. One of the greatest benefits of Christian theology is simply beholding the glory of God. And one of the most practical things you can do in your life—counter to the idea that theology is an irrelevant ivory-tower pastime—is catch an eyeful of God’s grandeur and grace. This is the vision we can give our congregations. While we should always attempt to work out our theology and ask important questions like “How can I live this truth out today?” we should not forget that there is immense wisdom in simply beholding this great God of ours. When we behold him, we begin to look like him, as we are transformed from one degree of glory to another.

May we have strong minds and gentle spirits that seek to use Christian theology for the glory of God and the good of others. May the task of Christian theology give us even a small taste of heaven on earth as we join in that eternal joy of gazing upon the glory of our Lord. May our theology be the death of the works of the flesh and the manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. May the life of the mind lead to the life of the soul in all of us as we spend our days contemplating God and all things in relation to God.

A commitment to solid theology can cure many ills

In his book “Rejoice and Tremble,” Michael Reaves writes this:

“ … Infatuated with new theological concepts, the young theologian is filled with gnostic pride. His love dies in the devilish thrill of acquiring a knowledge that means power. Then this skewed knowledge proves its own perversity in his character as he becomes a graceless theological thug, ever itching for a chance to show off his prowess.”

Many Christians are reluctant to engage in theological study because it is a place in which many others attempt to show off their prowess. Young pastors can be susceptible to this pitfall. For many, theology means debate. Knowing this, we over-correct and teach other things, as if to say we would rather give them something spiritual and life-giving instead of theological and dead.

Before I became the pastor, we had a member join our church from another church. They complained all the time about how bad their old church was. Well, we all know that soon the current church will replace the old as the one being complained about, and a tiger doesn’t change its stripes (unless the Holy Spirit gets involved).

Sure enough, practices at our church soon became the source of this curmudgeon’s complaining. Small groups, worship music, service style—everything was a problem to this person. But guess what—the Lord used the most unlikely thing to turn this person from a complaining curmudgeon to a strong advocate and servant in the church.

He used theology.

I blame JT English. I had read JT English’s “Deep Discipleship” and decided to start teaching some Wednesday night equip classes at the church. I was reluctant when I saw the previously mentioned curmudgeon step into class. Actually, I was reluctant because most of my class consisted of the older people of the church. They didn’t know what they signed up for. They were just there for Bible study with the pastor.

I cursed JT in my head as I handed out the outline for the lectures and readings that night. The class looked unsure, and I felt unsure. Fast forward two years, and after every Wednesday night, I would go home so excited about what God was doing in this class. He was using theology to transform our people. When I think about it, why was I surprised that learning about our God was transformative and made hearts sing? I was seeing people being transformed by the renewing of their minds (Romans 12:2).

Here are five reasons why I believe theology helped the “curmudgeon”:

Humility

When your identity is in the Lord, it will not need to be validated by people agreeing with you theologically. We explored doctrine together. Be willing to be wrong—you don’t have to win. At the same time, lead and guide those conversations.

Patience

There needs to be space for people to come along. We didn’t start to see serious fruit for at least a year. Shepherds shepherd, we don’t fight.

Scriptures

Establish early on that the Bible is the final say. Constantly appeal to the Scriptures. This probably means hours of preparing and teaching a robust biblical theology and hermeneutics before you start getting into systematic theology.

Truth

Many people are upset about things in the church because they just don’t know the theological “why.” If you are patient and humble and teach them to love the Scriptures, then lead them to the theological truth. If they are Christians, they will change. Do you know the theological “why” behind what you do?

Beauty

Theology is the study of God. Therefore, it is beautiful. When we are excited about the beautiful things of the Lord, our people will be. It was not uncommon for people to be tearful, including me, contemplating theology. When you are marveling, you are not fighting.

As a result, we have a group of people in our church that used to be complainers who are now advocates for what we are doing. They love, support, and pray for the pastors of the church.

So, brother, do not shy away from training your people theologically while resisting the urge to show off your prowess. Be humble, have patience, show them the beauty of truth.

JT English will be the guest speaker at this year’s Young Pastors Network Dinner held during the SBTC Annual Meeting. I would encourage you to come and listen to what he has to say.

SBTC pastors, leaders urged to oppose Respect for Marriage Act

GRAPEVINE—In the wake of the U.S. House of Representatives voting to pass the Respect for Marriage Act last month, the executive leadership of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention is calling on leaders and pastors to oppose its passage in the Senate.

The bill, which passed in the House on July 19 by a vote of 267–157, is an attempt to enshrine the legal protections of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges into federal law by conjoining state definitions of marriage with federal protections.

SBTC Associate Executive Director Tony Wolfe sent an email to convention leaders and pastors Tuesday asking them to oppose H.R. 8404. Specifically, SBTC leadership is asking individuals to sign their names to a letter written by Alliance Defending Freedom which urges senators to oppose H.R. 8404.

Cindy Asmussen, public policy advisor to the SBTC’s Texas Ethics and Religious Liberty Committee (TERLC), said the consequences of the Respect for Marriage Act would be monumental because one state’s decision to expand the definition or protections of marriage would inherently affect other states.

“Under this bill, if even one state recognizes polygamy, polyamory, relative marriage, arranged marriage, lowering the age of consent to accommodate child marriage, or any other union, then every state would be forced to recognize it,” Asmussen said. “All tax deductions, welfare benefits, employee benefits, immigration status, and many other benefits and legal rights pertaining to marriage and families would automatically be granted.”

If passed by the Senate and signed by President Biden, H.R. 8404 would overturn the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriage as a union between a man and a woman. The bill would also jeopardize the tax-exempt status of religious non-profits that hold to a historic Christian position on marriage, and it would endanger any religious organization whose business practices overlap with the government.

“The Respect for Marriage Act effectively deputizes interest groups to sue religious individuals, organizations, and businesses that operate according to sincerely held beliefs that marriage is between one man and one woman, and that also act ‘under color of state law,’” the Alliance Defending Freedom letter reads. “Private organizations such as faith-based foster care providers and religious social service organizations that participate in a joint activity with the state or whose operations are entwined with government policies, will likely face litigation for merely practicing their faith.”

The bill is currently before the Senate, meaning it could come to a vote at any time. While passage of a bill in the Senate requires only a simple majority, the filibuster rule requiring 60 votes to end debate on a bill and move it to a vote means Democrats will need to swing at least 10 Republican votes.

Dan Darling, who leads the Land Center for Cultural Engagement at Southwestern Seminary and joined as a signer of the ADF letter, told the Texan that the Christian defense of biblical marriage is rooted in the imago dei and Jesus’ command to love our neighbors.

“Loving our neighbors means working for their human flourishing, and marriage between men and women is a foundational building block of society that is integral to that flourishing,” Darling said. “This bill not only enshrines the redefinition of the family into law, but it also fails to offer protections for religious institutions who adhere to their 2,000-year-old teachings on the meaning of marriage. It is one more tool in the hands of the state that marginalizes those who dissent from the sexual revolution.”

SBTC leaders are asking that as many people as possible sign the letter by Friday, September 2, although people can sign as late as September 9.

“At its most foundational level, God’s good design for marriage is as a covenant relationship between one man and one woman. Marriage is much more than a social construct or a legal contract,” Wolfe said. “The Respect for Marriage Act does not respect this biblical design at all.”

Con un enfoque en la revitalización, las sesiones de Equip en español atraen a un gran número de personas

FORT WORTH – La conferencia anual Equip, organizada por la Convención de los Bautistas del Sur de Texas (SBTC) y celebrada este año en el Seminario Teológico Bautista del Suroeste, hizo historia el 13 de agosto.

Durante años, la SBTC ha ofrecido talleres en español durante Equip, pero este año, por primera vez, Equip ofreció una conferencia completa, incluyendo una sesión general de apertura, en español — una iniciativa que fue recibida con gran aceptación y apoyo por parte de la comunidad hispana presente. El auditorio estaba repleto de líderes y pastores de habla hispana en busca de ideas para promover un avivamiento y crecimiento en sus iglesias.

Equip en español contó con una sesión de apertura, un panel de discusión para ayudar a los pastores y líderes a ser más fructíferos en sus iglesias y una variedad de talleres. La conferencia comenzó con un tiempo de adoración, dirigido por Jesse Contreras, asociado de SBTC en español, quien también regaló algunas Biblias y recurso didáctico para los participantes (auspiciado por LifeWay español).

Chuy Ávila, asociado principal de SBTC en español y asociado de plantación de iglesias, fue el orador principal de la sesión de apertura, en donde hizo “Un llamado a la Renovación Espiritual” destacando cómo la visión de Dios es esencial para una iglesia saludable. Cuando esa visión se asegura, se disfruta, se comparte, dijo Ávila, el pueblo de Dios se unirá a la visión.

Ávila también compartió principios fundamentales para establecer iglesias sanas para que pueda ocurrir un despertar espiritual en las congregaciones de habla hispana: la dirección y obra del Espíritu Santo (Hechos 1:2); el recurso humano (Hechos 1:8); y la oración intencional de la congregación (Hechos 4:31).

La conferencia también ofreció una variedad de talleres. Cristina Ochoa y Diana Puente dirigieron los talleres para mujeres, Amanda Gladden se enfocó en el ministerio infantil, Vidal Valentín en la escuela dominical y Juan Puente enseñó sobre los dones espirituales y ofreció un taller para matrimonios junto con su esposa, Diana. Además, Luis González capacitó a los participantes en evangelismo y José Santiago sobre soluciones visuales para la iglesia.

José Pacheco, pastor y escritor, ofreció un taller bajo el tema “La Iglesia que Cristo soñó”, inspirado en el título y temática de su libro. El libro se basa en una investigación que realizó en busca de un modelo bíblico que pudiera utilizarse para hablar sobre la revitalización. Eso le llevó a realizar un estudio basado en el ciclo de vida de la iglesia de Éfeso. El taller se desarrolló en dos partes, que en conjunto presentó a los asistentes una evaluación positiva de Dios (Apocalipsis 2:1-3) que describe a la iglesia de Éfeso como un modelo de iglesia saludable.

Pacheco también presentó una evaluación negativa de la iglesia de Éfeso (Apocalipsis 2:4-6), que puede servir a las iglesias y a los líderes como guía de auto evaluación. También trató los acontecimientos y características de la iglesia de Éfeso que pueden guiar al liderazgo de la iglesia en el proceso de iniciar una revitalización.

El panel de discusión se ofreció durante la hora del almuerzo y fue dirigido por Bruno Molina, asociado de evangelismo entre creencias e idiomas de la SBTC. El panel estaba formado por Juan y Diana Puente, González y Pacheco. Entre las preguntas presentadas al panel estaban: “¿Cómo podemos ayudar a las iglesias a ver la necesidad de la revitalización y qué pasos deben darse para comenzar?”

“La revitalización surge de un liderazgo dispuesto a preguntarle a Dios, ‘¿Qué quieres que hagamos?’ y [entonces] estar dispuestos a hacer cosas que nunca hemos hecho antes”, dijo Juan Puente. Su esposa, Diana, añadió: “Es necesario evaluarnos constantemente. Los cambios empiezan por uno mismo. La clave es reevaluar lo que estamos haciendo y hacia dónde queremos ir”.

Pacheco compartió que cuando se trata de la revitalización, es importante “recordarnos cuál es el sueño de Dios para la iglesia, reconocer nuestra realidad y evaluar, luego tomar una decisión -aunque duela- y poner siempre a Cristo como centro.”

Molina añadió: “Una iglesia vibrante es como un árbol fructífero, es decir, [que da] frutos de carácter y frutos evangelísticos. Esa debe de ser la marca de una iglesia”. González dijo: “No debemos esperar a que la iglesia se esté cayendo para dar un paso. Estar aquí (en Equip) es un avivamiento, es un ánimo que Dios está trayendo”.

La Conferencia Equip, cuyo tema este año fue “Renovar, Reponer, Restaurar” (1 Pedro 5:10), se celebra cada año gracias al Programa Cooperativo de la SBTC.

Equip Spanish sessions draw capacity crowds, focus on revival

FORT WORTH—The annual Equip Conference, organized by the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention (SBTC) and hosted this year at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, made a little history on August 13.

For years, SBTC has offered Spanish breakout sessions during Equip. But this year, for the first time ever, Equip offered a full conference, including a general opening session, in Spanish—a move that was received with great acceptance and support from the Hispanic community in attendance. The auditorium was packed with Spanish-speaking leaders and pastors looking for ideas to promote revival and growth in their churches.

Equip en Español featured an opening session, a panel discussion to help pastors and leaders be more fruitful in their churches, and a variety of workshops. The conference started with a time of worship, led by SBTC en Español associate Jesse Contreras, who also gave away Bibles and some teaching resources for the participants (sponsored by LifeWay Español).

Chuy Avila, SBTC en Español lead associate and church planting associate, was the keynote speaker of the opening session, where he made “A Call to Spiritual Renewal” highlighting how God’s vision is essential for a healthy church. When that vision is ensured, enjoyed and shared, Avila said, God’s people will embrace the vision.

Avila also shared the fundamental principles for establishing healthy churches so that a spiritual awakening can occur in Spanish-speaking congregations: the guidance and work of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:2); the human resource (Acts 1:8); and the intentional prayer of the congregation (Acts 4:31).

The conference also offered a variety of workshops. Cristina Ochoa and Diana Puente led workshops for women, Amanda Gladden focused on children’s ministry, Vidal Valentine offered information about Sunday school, and Juan Puente taught on spiritual gifts and offered a workshop for married couples along with his wife, Diana. Additionally, Luis Gonzalez trained participants in evangelism and José Santiago taught about visual solutions for the church.

Jose Pacheco, a pastor and writer, led a workshop called “La Iglesia que Cristo soñó” (“The Church that Jesus Dreamed Of”), which was inspired by the title and theme of his book. The book is based on research he conducted in search of a biblical model that could be used to talk about revitalization. That led him to conduct a study based on the life cycle of the church of Ephesus. The workshop was developed in two parts, which together presented the attendees with a positive evaluation from God (Revelation 2:1-3) that describes the church in Ephesus as a model of a healthy church.

Pacheco also offered a negative evaluation of the church in Ephesus (Revelation 2:4-6), which can serve churches and leaders as a guide for evaluation. He also covered those events and characteristics of the church in Ephesus that can guide church leadership in the process of initiating a revitalization.

The panel discussion was offered during lunchtime, led by Bruno Molina—SBTC’s language and interfaith evangelism associate. The panel consisted of Juan and Diana Puente, Gonzalez, and Pacheco. Among the questions presented to the panel were: “How can we help churches see the need for revitalization, and what steps should be taken to begin?”

“Revitalization comes from a leadership willing to ask God, ‘What do you want us to do?’ and [then being] willing to do things we have never done before,” Juan Puente said. Elaborating on the theme of revitalization, his wife, Diana, added, “It is necessary to constantly evaluate ourselves. Changes begin with oneself. The key is to reevaluate what we are doing and where we want to go.

Pacheco shared that when it comes to revitalization, it is important to “remind ourselves what God’s dream is for the church, recognize our reality and evaluate, then make a decision—even if it hurts—and always put Christ as the center.”

Added Molina: “A vibrant church is like a fruitful tree, that is, [one that grows] character fruits and evangelistic fruits. That should be the mark of a church.” Gonzalez said, “We should not wait until the church is falling to take a step. Being here (at Equip) is a revival, it’s an encouragement that God is bringing.”

The Equip Conference, whose theme this year was “Reset. Replenish. Rebuild” (1 Peter 5:10), is held every year thanks to the SBTC Cooperative Program.

Seeing growth on the horizon, Quinlan church builds facility to reach community

QUINLAN—Small town life is good in Quinlan, a community of just over 1,400 in rural Hunt County near Lake Tawakoni. But that doesn’t mean Quinlan, as with any community, is free of problems. Grace Baptist Church hopes to address some of the town’s issues with the construction of its new multi-purpose facility.

“There are some of the sweetest people in the world in Quinlan,” said Eddie Singleton, pastor of Grace Baptist Church since 2018. “It’s a great mission field. … God does the picking. I go where He leads me.”

“There’s no better place than Quinlan to see lives changed,” added J.D. Points, the church’s volunteer associate pastor. “In Hunt County, there is a mix of problems: racism, drug addiction, mental health issues.”

Crime can be a factor. The church’s outside air conditioning unit was recently vandalized, as a perpetrator stripped its copper, temporarily sidelining some activities but not stopping worship.

Points, 56, a contractor with his family’s company Dalco, said Grace desires to keep growing in numbers to see lives changed. He and his wife, Carey, “fell in love with [the] little church” four years ago, when they moved from the Buffalo Creek community in Heath into their RV on Tawakoni, downsizing from 3,500 square feet to 400.

“We are having the time of our life,” Points said.

New pastor arrives

Shortly after J.D. and Carey joined Grace, the pastor, a friend from Criswell College, moved to Georgia, but this did not deter Points and his wife, who stayed to welcome Singleton as the new pastor.

Singleton, 74, who says with a chuckle that Johnny Cash’s song “I’ve Been Everywhere” could have been written about him, had retired four times before coming to Grace, where he and his wife, Carolyn, commute from their home in Farmersville, 30 minutes away.

The veteran pastor served churches in the Hunt Baptist Association, Grayson County, Red River County, and Dallas County, in addition to filling several interim positions, before coming to the Quinlan congregation.

“I never intended to get back into the full-time pastorate,” Singleton said. But God had other ideas.

When Singleton arrived, attendance at Grace, which was the product of a merger between the old Bridgeview and Faith Baptist churches some years before, had declined to fewer than 20 on Sundays.

The problem was not in the church’s location.

The church occupies a prime corner in Quinlan at the intersection of highways 276 and 751. Attempts to sell the property for several years fell short and the church remodeled the worship area and decided to revitalize.

Points came about this time, followed within a year by Singleton, who asked Points to serve as his associate.

“He came, we started reaching out,” Points said. People came. The congregation swelled to over 100.

Then COVID hit.

“COVID really zapped us,” Points said, noting that several COVID-related deaths sadly occurred among the congregation.

Recently, attendance has been again “knocking on the door of 100,” Points said. “We are getting younger, too,” with families joining.

Filling a church and community need

To encourage younger families to attend, and to serve a community need—Quinlan lacks a large indoor facility that teens and groups can use—the church voted to construct a new 10,000-square-foot building for education, offices, and fellowship.

“There will be a kitchen, too,” Singleton said. “Man, we wouldn’t be Baptists if we didn’t have a kitchen. We are excited about it.”

“Quinlan has no large facilities that can be used to outsource ministries. It’s hard to reach children and youth without these facilities to draw them in,” Points said, adding that, following the pandemic, schools are reluctant to let outside groups use their gyms, auditoriums, and meeting rooms.

The congregation’s giving toward regular church expenses and the project has been very generous, Points said. With about a third of the funds for the new building in hand, they approached the Southern Baptists of Texas Foundation for a loan for the rest. SBTF responded favorably.

“We made a loan to Grace Quinlan for their construction project,” said Michael J. Rhine, SBTF director of church lending, explaining the Foundation’s lending ministry: “We make loans to qualified churches to purchase buildings, renovate property, refinance existing loans, and fund the construction of new facilities. We currently have over $96 million in outstanding loans to churches across Texas.”

Grace Baptist Church of Quinlan met the criteria for a loan, Rhine added. “The church has a history of reaching the community and had seen growth in its worship and Bible study attendance. The new facilities will allow the church to expand its outreach in order to reach its community for Christ.”

Singleton said the Mueller steel building has been purchased and is on-site, and now they are waiting for the crew to erect it as soon as COVID delays allow. Folks from Christian Volunteer Builders are scheduled to help in September with inside finish work. The building project, overseen by Dalco and Points, is expected to be complete by the end of the year, five months after the July 7 groundbreaking.

In the meantime, ministry goes on at Grace—not just church and Sunday school, but outreaches on the current church property in which they bring in video game trailers or bounce houses for kids. As community members see the new parking lot filled with cars for Sunday morning and evening services, Tuesday morning Bible study, and Wednesday evening activities, they know the church is back.

Many have stopped by and commented, “We thought this place was closed,” said Points, who added, “They know something is going on.”

Avoiding the unintentional pitfalls of discipleship

Discipleship is a big deal!

Every church desires to disciple people well and follow the command of Jesus to make disciples. I want to spotlight some common pitfalls churches make with their discipleship programs and provide some ways to avoid those mistakes.

Pitfall 1: Theoretical discipleship

Churches love to talk about discipleship. Pastors preach on it, parishioners celebrate it, and everyone wants to be a part of it. But few people do it. Most people expect discipleship to be the pastor’s responsibility or the duty of their Sunday school teacher. Although they love to theorize about discipleship, few, if any, make disciples.

Jesus modeled discipleship with His disciples. The four gospels describe how Jesus would invite people to follow Him, show them how to minister to others, and preach the kingdom of God to those who were far off. Matthew’s final chapter of the gospel tells the story of Jesus commissioning His disciples to continue making disciples in the future (Matt 28:18-20).

The point is that discipleship is not a theoretical concept the church holds dear. Making disciples is an act the church carries out as the core of its mission. The church must move beyond discussing discipleship and get to the work of making disciples.

Pitfall 2: Knowledge-driven discipleship

We have all been to churches that call their Bible studies “discipleship classes.” Churches love Bible study. Bible study is incredible. I love spending time with the Word and diving deep, growing my knowledge of Jesus, but Bible study is not the only element of discipleship. Discipleship is not just an increase in Bible knowledge or transference of knowledge. Discipleship includes life transformation.

Think about Jesus. Jesus led His disciples to change their lives and know more about God. When Jesus called His disciples, He did not allow them to remain living their old lives and study his ministry from afar. Jesus called them to cast off their old life and to live as He did (Mark 1:16-20). Jesus required his disciples to live differently and think differently.

Churches would do well to process the life transformation factor of discipleship when planning their approach to making disciples. Churches were commanded to teach people how to live like Christ and learn about Christ should cause churches to implement habit-forming teaching elements into discipleship.

Pitfall 3: Activity focused discipleship

I love celebrating big wins at a church. I love the excitement and feeling we get when expectations are met or exceeded for the glory of the Lord. A few weeks ago, I saw a church celebrating a big win that many churches celebrate. They had reached an all-time high attendance for their Vacation Bible School. That was great!

At the same time, it caused me to wonder about what the church celebrates. Are we content with celebrating people showing up or should we seek more?

As I look at the ministry of Jesus, I know that He celebrated His the progress of His disciples, but I never see Him celebrate the crowds. He would encourage his disciples when they would answer his questions correctly or act as they should. But the text never says anything about his response to preaching to the multitudes on the sea’s shore. From this, I think Jesus was more concerned with taking His discipleship to maturity than the crowds attending.

When it comes to discipleship in the church, churches can learn something from Jesus’ actions. Instead of focusing on the activity caused by an event, churches should focus on the spiritual depth produced by the event. The church is not a place to appeal to the masses. The church is the place that makes mature disciples.

Pitfall 4: Product-pushing discipleship

Think about the way churches market their discipleship classes for a second. What I hear most often is, “Come to this class as we work through (insert author’s name here)’s new Bible study (insert Bible study name here).” Although we mean well, it would seem that we are basing our proposition on a product and not a process.

Jesus’ example of discipleship was a process. He was not worried about the latest popular rabbi teaching series or other supplemental material. He was intentional about meeting His disciples where they were spiritually and encouraging them to maturity. He was concerned about the process of building them to maturity.

I wonder what it would look like if churches began to think this way. Instead of worrying about who wrote the book and promoting studies on the names of the latest authors, they looked at their people’s needs and encouraged their congregation to get involved because the gatherings would change their life and help them walk with Christ.

Church, let’s get to the work of making disciples. Let’s lead our people to live like Christ. Let’s celebrate when our people grow in faith, maturing in their relationship with Jesus. Let us seek life change in our people and take them through the process of discipleship.

Gospel seeds planted as SBTC DR teams work in flooded Missouri

ST. LOUIS—Rainfall of historic proportions pummeled Missouri and Illinois along the Interstate 70 and 64 corridors on July 26, when an estimated 11 inches of rain fell in an 8-hour period, according to the National Weather Service.

On August 9, the Biden administration approved Missouri’s major disaster declaration request, almost two weeks following flash flooding that swamped the St. Louis metropolitan area, damaging more than 750 homes and 130 businesses, news sources reported.

Even before the federal disaster declaration, disaster relief volunteers from the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention and other Southern Baptist Disaster Relief teams had already arrived in the Show Me State, partnering with Missouri Baptist DR to meet the needs of survivors.

“At one point, there were about 120 SBDR and other disaster relief workers onsite,” said James Palmer, SBTC DR unit leader and bi-vocational pastor of Eastside Baptist Church of Rusk. Palmer, with a team of five SBTC DR mud-out and chainsaw volunteers from the Tyler area all the way south to Del Rio, arrived in Bridgeton, a suburb of St. Louis, on August 7. They were housed at the Fee Fee Baptist Church in Bridgeton and began work on August 8 before departing for home on August 13.

The five-man team tackled four massive jobs, said Palmer, who also works part-time for the bridge and road department of Cherokee County.

Even getting to Bridgeton proved challenging, Palmer said. One SBTC DR group with two crew members pulled the recovery trailer stored by the Dogwood Trails Baptist Association while he and two others rode in a separate vehicle. That pickup’s GPS took Palmer and his co-workers on some unexpected short detours, he said. One such side trip delayed them slightly, but after making a U-turn and backtracking down the road, they witnessed a bad accident that had only recently occurred.

“Had we not taken that little detour, we might have been in the wreck,” Palmer mused. “God provides.”

God definitely provided a congenial team with which to work, Palmer said, noting the camaraderie of the SBTC DR volunteers and volunteers from the other Baptist groups, including Missouri.

Seeds planted

The work was intense. At one home, where the basement had filled with 40 inches of water, crew members spent an exhausting day-and-a-half hauling up hundreds of items, only some of which were salvageable. At another home, a tree had fallen through the back three bedrooms, knocking down ceilings. Not only had water flooded the bedroom but also the basement. That job took two days.

There were opportunities to share the gospel and pray with survivors, Palmer said. Some expressed interest. Others, like a man who made a call on his cell phone rather than joining the group to pray, did not. One survivor, a Jehovah’s Witness follower, chided Palmer for praying in the name of Jesus.

“I spent some time trying to communicate the gospel to him,” Palmer said. “I hope a seed was planted.”

In fact, the team leader added, the gospel was planted in the locations served.

“We’ll see what the Lord does next,” he said. “It was a blessing to go and help.”

An added benefit, Palmer said, was that he noted some ways that the homeowners might have been better prepared for disaster, calling it a learning experience for himself and his church.

SBTC DR Director Scottie Stice confirmed that two additional teams are scheduled to deploy to Missouri to continue to help with recovery efforts this week.

Hébert called to serve as lead pastor of Mobberly Baptist Church

LONGVIEW—Mobberly Baptist Church has called Andrew Hébert as its lead pastor after a 21-month search. Hébert’s first Sunday in the pulpit will be Sept. 11, 2022.

On Sunday evening, August 14, Mobberly voted to call Hébert as their lead pastor, and he accepted the call—capping a weekend that included multiple meetings and forums for the congregation and staff.

“I am humbled to steward the leadership of Mobberly Baptist Church and serve the East Texas community,” Hébert said. “Mobberly has an extraordinary legacy and a bright future. My prayer is that God will unleash a Great Commission engine that will reach East Texas and impact the world by helping people know Christ and grow in Christ so that homes, neighborhoods, and nations are changed.”

Hébert, 35, served as lead pastor of Paramount Baptist Church in Amarillo, a position he had held since 2016. During his time with Paramount, he led his congregation to form mission partnerships in Panama, London, and the Middle East, as well as establish two new churches, a college ministry, and a ministry in Spanish. Prior to leading Paramount, Hébert served as pastor of Taylor Memorial Baptist Church in Hobbs, N.M.

“As we have gotten to know Pastor Andrew and his wife Amy over the past month, I have seen God revealing giftings, abilities, and values that I think our church needs at this time,” said Reneé Robertson, a member of Mobberly’s Pastor Search Committee. “Pastor Andrew is an expositional preacher, so he preaches through books of the Bible verse by verse and has such a passion for the Word.”

Chairman of the Pastor Search Committee, Lanny Davis said, “The many prayers of our church family have been answered in Dr. Andrew Hébert. His heart of humility, love of God’s Word, and desire to love and shepherd the people of Mobberly is evident.”

Greg Martin, pastor of congregational care and staff liaison to the Pastor Search Committee, said, “We have seen God’s hand at work over and over again through the pastor search process.” He added, “We believe that God has taken us through this journey to prepare us and bring us God’s man in God’s perfect time … [Andrew] has a scriptural basis for what he believes. He loves the Word, he loves his family, and he loves to shepherd the people of God.”

Andrew and Amy met as students at Criswell College in Dallas. They have been married for 15 years and have four children.

In addition to his pastoral experience, Hébert has taught at Criswell College, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has served within the Southern Baptist Convention on multiple committees, most recently as a member of the SBC Sex Abuse Task Force. Hébert is also the author of “Shepherding Like Jesus: Returning to the Wild Idea that Character Matters in Ministry” (B&H Books, 2022).

Hébert is the sixth pastor in the 84-year history of Mobberly Baptist Church.

7 action steps to turn your church around

It is not altogether uncommon for a church member to feel as though the church has plateaued or has lost her way. Sometimes the feeling is justified. Sometimes it is based on false understandings or misguided expectations.

Still, church members who walk closely with Jesus want to see their churches thrive. There is a holy burden about them to take some action that might rekindle a fire and bring about a spiritual awakening. But what action is there to take?

Spiritual vitality is not a pursuit consigned to the vocational minister. Every church member is called to take those actions that would infuse the hope of the gospel into the daily life of the fellowship and advance the Great Commission in the community and around the world. Through the centuries God has used everyday Christians to ignite spiritual fire and to bring about biblical change. Pastors and other vocational leaders are gifts from God for the equipping of the saints to the work of ministry. But it is the saints who, having been equipped, are to deploy to this work and bring about substantive change for the sake of Great Commission advance.

When discontentment comes within your local church body, what can a church member do? What, exactly, are some practical action steps everyday church members can take to help turn the church around?

Here are seven action steps you can begin taking today to help turn your church around:

Pray

A praying church is a powerful church, and praying churches are made up of praying church members. Generally, when it comes to the intervention of the Holy Spirit in the life of a church, you will not see in public what you neglect to request of God in private. Many church members get nothing from their corporate spiritual community because they ask for nothing in their private spiritual rhythms. If you really believe that the Holy Spirit can turn your church around, get on your knees before God daily and ask Him to do just that.

Pursue holiness

When it comes to spiritual awakening, God uses those born-again believers in Jesus Christ who are pursuing personal holiness. They study Christ’s Scripture. They obey Christ’s commands. They conform to Christ’s character. If you want your church to be characterized by the peculiar grace of God, then be a church member whose life is a sincere, open display of that peculiar grace.

Evangelize the lost

Your church has this one core message—the message of salvation and the assurance of heaven through repentance from sin and faith in Jesus Christ. Share that message with those who are not yet Christians. Your circle of influence is your responsibility. God put you in their lives to reach them with the gospel before it’s too late. Thriving churches are those whose members actively share the gospel with unbelievers and invite them to respond in faith. If you want your church to be that church, you need to be that church member.

Disciple someone

Mature things reproduce. When spiritual maturity is in view, spiritual reproduction is happening. For millennia, spiritually mature church members have been systematically walking with new believers as they learn how to develop in Bible study, prayer, evangelism, and other devotional rhythms. If you want to see the next spiritual generation of church members become devoted to Christ and grow in the faith, find a small group to disciple. Ask your pastor if you need help identifying someone to disciple or for recommended tools for the discipleship process.

Encourage church leadership

While vocational ministry can be rewarding beyond measure, it can also be extremely discouraging. Every church leader I know faces constant discouragement. But it is God’s desire that they be able to do their jobs with joy and not with grief (Hebrews 13:17). When they can live out their calling with joy it is to the church member’s benefit. But often the church member himself or herself is the very source of discouragement. Be assured of this: encouraged church leaders lead better. Be the church member who intentionally encourages—or starts a movement of intentional encouragement for—your church leaders.

Choose grace

Grace is not a novel concept, but it is increasingly rare in Western churches. Grace gives. Grace sacrifices. Grace inspires. Grace is giving someone something they simply do not deserve. Words can be gifts. Smiles can be gifts. Simple acts of service can be a gift. Restraint can be a gift. Listening can be a gift. The benefit of the doubt can be a gift. In the gathering, be a gift-giver. Whether or not this changes your church, it will surely change you.

Be relentlessly optimistic

Anyone who has sat under my leadership, in any setting, has heard me use this phrase. There is no place for “cautious optimism” in the church. By God’s own design, everything moves forward toward the consummation of his redemptive plan. Every win and every failure. Every joy and every pain. Every crisis is an opportunity for God to prove Himself faithful to those who walk closely with him. And he will again and again. Be the church member, through seasons of crisis or change, who keeps an eye out for God’s gracious activity in it all, with full expectation that He will use it for His glory and your good. Be relentlessly optimistic.

In times of disillusionment with your church’s season, it is a false presumption that you can do nothing about it. Checking off these seven action steps may not produce your desired positive results in your church, but I promise that giving your regular attention to them will produce some positive results in you.

Every day you have the choice to be part of the problem or part of the solution. If you are dissatisfied with the direction of your church, resist the urge to think you’re already doing everything you can. Instead, start working through these seven action steps and watch how God will bring about renewed shape and purpose not just in your congregation, but in your own life as well.