Forgiveness makes second chances possible
It was a fearful time in 2006 when a number of rural churches were burned in Alabama.
I remember a deacons meeting in which we discussed whether we ought to take night shifts at our church to protect our property. One of our deacons dismissed the idea: “We’d probably end up shooting each other,” he growled.
A short time later three college students were arrested. The FBI tracked them down, quite literally, by their tire tracks. But in the middle of this crisis, the pastor of one of the destroyed churches became an advocate for the arsonists.
Jim Parker taught at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary’s Birmingham extension and served Ashby Baptist Church in Bibb County as bivocational pastor. He met the arsonists and their families and became their pastor and friend.
Parker lobbied for state charges to run concurrent with federal charges, thus reducing their jail time, and for the boys, in turn, to make some restitution for their crimes. He cited Exodus 22:6 about the burning of a neighbor’s field without loss of life.
“In property crimes, the overarching scriptural approach is restitution,” he said.
Parker, now a professor at New Orleans Seminary, was an advocate who pressed for a second chance.
A similar story is found in the New Testament. John Mark accompanied Barnabas and Paul on what is popularly known as Paul’s first missionary journey. Midstream, Mark abandoned the mission (Acts 13:13). We don’t know if he was sick, homesick or angry, but he became an AWOL missionary.
The two leaders later determined to go back and visit the churches they’d planted. Barnabas wanted to take Mark again, but Paul refused. The men parted in conflict and, as far as we know, never met again.
Lo, many years later Paul was on death row in a Roman prison. He wrote to Timothy urging him to make haste to visit him. “And bring Mark too,” he said, “for he is now profitable for my ministry” (2 Tim. 4:11).
Another gospel warhorse, Simon Peter, likewise acknowledged the contribution of Mark in 1 Peter 5:13.
Early church leaders insisted Mark was Peter’s interpreter and recorded Peter’s first-hand accounts of Jesus’ life in the Gospel of Mark. This gospel has blessed the world. We have it in Scripture in large measure because three missionaries gave a young man a second chance.
We’re never more godly than when we forgiven sinners pass forgiveness along to others.
Pastor Michael J. Brooks
Siluria Baptist Church, Alabaster
Thank you for your insightful Rashional Thoughts editorial in the July 21 edition.
Not sure just when it happened, but somewhere along the line it would seem Southern Baptists moved from a called ministry to professionalism, from the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit to marketing. Rather than being culture changers, Southern Baptists, and I might add other groups that claim the Christian name, have become culture adapters. Does Scripture not say, “Friendship with the world is enmity with God“?
Satan is most effective in his deceit when he causes belief in a system over faith in a person, the person of Christ. For some reason the thought prevails that the work of the Holy Spirit can be programmed.
I am convinced that less worry about production and greater focus on preaching repentance, as did Christ, and on the power of the gospel would bring an enlivening in our churches reminiscent of Great Awakenings of the past.
Bob Sandifer
Former pastor and retired hospice chaplain
With the issue of abortion back in the hands of voters and representatives, we should face the reality that many children and families may struggle.
Christ-followers must prove they are more than politically motivated and genuinely pro-life. This will require us to grapple with how we may best serve single mothers, support foster care and partner with those seeking to place a newborn for adoption.
We prayed for children to be protected from abortion. Now we must act prayerfully and creatively to do what we can to provide for these children.
Mark Bordeaux
Taylors, South Carolina
No matter how small or plain or simple your church may be, never forget you have two great assets. You have content and community.
Make the most of those and watch God energize your work for His glory!
President Jeff Iorg
Gateway Seminary
Let us worship the God who deserves to be praised for His goodness during both the blessings and hardships of our lives.
Selah Vetter
the-scroll.com
“No matter what life pitches at you, [God] will catch it in His mighty and strong hands.”
Leann Sanders Shelton
Head softball coach
Columbus Christian Academy in Columbus, Mississippi
Desperate need for discipleship
Many Christians have quit growing because they are not being discipled.
According to Barna, just over 1 in 4 U.S. Christians (28%) are fully engaged in discipleship. Praise God for them!
Another 28% are being discipled but are not helping others grow closer to Christ. A very small percentage (5%) is discipling others but not being discipled themselves. That means 39% of Christians are not engaged in discipleship in any direction. Why is that?
A huge percentage of Christians simply lack the confidence to disciple or the knowledge of the need for discipleship. While I find this to be alarming, I also see some hope.
These non-disciplers are not fundamentally opposed to discipleship; they just need to be better informed and equipped. All they need is some encouragement and opportunities to be discipled.
As pastors, we need to instill in our congregations the urgency and the necessity for growth in Christ. We have the opportunity to seek out varied methods and out-of-the-box approaches to allow people to grow in Christ.
As we lead others into that growth process, I firmly believe the “ill-equipped” can become fully equipped and ready to take on the journey toward Christlikeness.
The responsibility of equipping and engaging our congregation is on our shoulders. Let’s all get back to discipleship, to deepening the faith of those in our flock.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This article originally appeared in Pastor Connections, a semimonthly newsletter by pastors for pastors. Subscribe at thealabamabaptist.org/email-newsletter.
Pastor Dave Walsh
Ariton Baptist Church
For the gospel to go out, there are two core truths we have to remember:
First, we have to be in the community and be known in the community to see the gospel make a great impact. Would your community miss you if you as a church were no longer there?
Second, we have to share the gospel, and we share the gospel most effectively with people we have a relationship with in our community. That relationship can simply be one that is built through an acquaintance — meaning they know me, I know them and we share some type of common interest. (That common interest could be that we both love our community.)
As we serve in our local area, our purpose is to love them, know them and tell them about Jesus. Go serve and connect with your community to share the love of Christ with them.
Adam McCampbell
Russellville, Arkansas
Several months ago, I said my last earthly goodbye — verbal shorthand for “God be with you” — to the love of my life.
Visiting her grave recently, a gloomy gray curtain draped the sky. A sad, slight mist was falling. Not even Hollywood could have built a more perfect scenario for a pity party.
I thought myself alone in that vast, silent garden of weather-worn, upright granite headstones, flat bronze markers and plastic flowers that ranged from full color to fading. But I was mistaken. Badly mistaken.
In that time of renewed tears and heartbreak, I was overcome with a profound sense of love, gratitude, cherished memories, strength and hope. An unseen, powerful Presence was there and at work.
Retired pastor Jim Auchmuty
Birmingham
As we live each day, we touch countless lives. We have the privilege of helping folks or hurting folks, of pointing people to Jesus or giving them an excuse for not following Jesus. Which do you do?
David Chancey
Fayetteville, Georgia
From the Twitterverse
@macbrunson
The place to start with a problem is with God. He sees the problem in its totality; He sees it in all dimensions at once; He sees it with perfect clarity. If you want the right perspective on your problem, see God’s perspective on it.
@micahfries
One of the best leadership lessons I learned a long time ago was to quit pursuing balance in life. Balance is generally a myth and chasing it will further frustrate. Instead, recognize that life is a series of rhythms. Lean into the rhythms. Appreciate the rhythm of the moment.
@nathanafinn
The Webb telescope is a reminder that “outer space” is actually God’s vast canvas. He created it all for His own glory, and it reflects His infinite beauty. God delighted in His cosmic artistry long before we could even begin to fathom these images. Praise the Lord.
@MattSmethurst
The Christian Life
- Bible (God to man)
- Prayer (man to God)
- Fellowship (believer to believer)
- Witness (believer to unbeliever)
All in the context of a local church.
@markmac1023
Satan is known for limiting prayer time because your prayers are known for limiting him.
@jobymartin
The things that come out of your mouth, first started in your heart.
@AdamGreenway
“The democratic polity in our Baptist denomination rests upon the conviction that the composite mind of the entire constituency is likely to be right more often than the mind of any single organization or individual.” —Duke K. McCall, seventh president of @SBTS, 1951 #PointToPonder
@JCRyle
By affliction He teaches us many precious lessons, which without it we should never learn. By affliction He shows us our emptiness and weakness, draws us to the throne of grace, purifies our affections, weans us from the world, makes us long for heaven.
@keahbone
Most SBC churches are pillars of love, ministry and peace in their communities. They are not arguing on Twitter … debating denominational drift … or organizing factions. What you see on Twitter is not an accurate picture of who we are as Southern Baptists.
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