Good News for Today

The Louisiana House passed a bill May 21 designating abortion pills as controlled substances, classifying their use as racketeering and creating the crime of coerced criminal abortion.

Designating mifepristone and misoprostol as Schedule IV controlled substances is on par with various sedatives, pain pills and depression and anxiety drugs with a low potential for abuse and dependence.

The Senate’s approval of the amended bill, on the chamber’s May 22 docket, would make Louisiana the first state to designate as controlled substances the drugs used in combination to induce abortion, and for other pregnancy-related conditions including managing miscarriages and inducing labor.

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More than 500 pregnant women and new moms crowded Clinton Church in Clinton, Maryland  May 11 for a Community Baby Shower and Resource Fair. The church linked arms with one of its favorite long-time partners, MedStar Health of Southern Maryland, for the win-win event.

In addition to the needed resources, the church also used the opportunity to build bridges with its community and offer care and prayer support. A prayer room was open near the front, and the church’s outreach team was throughout the building, chatting with moms, encouraging them, giving out tracts, and sharing with those they met as they felt led. Two young women made professions of faith.

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The Bible describes itself as a special book, says seminary leaders David Dockery and Malcolm Yarnell.

Even before the canonization of the sacred texts, importance was attached to the prophetic and apostolic writings. Moses wrote “all the words of the Lord” in the “covenant scroll.” Joshua’s farewell address was written “in the book of the law of God.” Samuel spoke words about the manner of the kingdom and “wrote them on a scroll, which he placed in the presence of the Lord.” Jesus repeatedly appealed to the authoritative Scriptures. Similarly, Paul and the apostles thought of the scrolls as the “very words of God.”

Jesus Himself declared that Scripture is the Word of God which “cannot be broken.” Similarly, the apostles noted it is “the prophetic word strongly confirmed” which the prophets and apostles wrote, because these words were spoken from God as the writers “were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” The Bible itself thus acknowledges that the prophetic-apostolic word is God’s Word written. Without the sacred writings there would be no Holy Scripture and therefore no Word of God available to us.

God’s revelation of Himself

The Bible affirms God has made Himself known in a variety of ways. Thankfully, God has not abandoned us to our own devices but has manifested Himself to us. We know Him not due to our seeking Him, but because He has made Himself known to us. God has acted and spoken in history. The word “revelation” means an uncovering, a removal of the veil, a disclosure of what was previously not known.

All of that is found in God’s Word. Read the full piece from Yarnell and Dockery at Baptist Press.

Trail Life USA was founded in 2013. Mark Hancock, CEO of Trail Life, and others formed the organization to offer a Christ-centered alternative to BSA. 

Since 2019, Boy Scouts of America has experienced a significant decline in membership, losing over half of its members, influenced by policy changes, a sex abuse scandal, and COVID-19. In contrast, Trail Life has grown steadily, with over 1,200 troops and nearly 60,000 members across the United States.

Trail Life emphasizes a Biblical approach to scouting, focusing on boys' development within a Christian framework. 

Highland Church in Merdian, Mississippi was one of the first to adopt Trail Life, seeking a biblically-based scouting program. Pastor David Hopkins supports the program, highlighting its positive impact on both boys and men in the church community. 

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A Lifeway Research study of both U.S. Protestant pastors and churchgoers found most in both groups believe it’s OK to miss church occasionally for a kid’s game or travel sporting event, but those in the pews are more lax on the issue than those behind the pulpit.

More than 1 in 3 U.S. Protestant pastors (36 percent) say it’s never OK to skip a weekly worship service for kids’ games or travel sporting events, but almost 3 in 5 (58 percent) see at least some allowance for missing in those circumstances. Around 3 in 10 (29 percent) believe it’s acceptable once or twice a year. A quarter (26 percent) say a few times a year, while 3 percent say many times a year. Another 6 percent say they aren’t sure.

Pastors 65 and older (43 percent) are among the most likely to say it’s never acceptable. Evangelical pastors are more likely than mainline pastors to say never (40 percent v. 28 percent). Those at the smallest churches, less than 50 in attendance, are also more likely than pastors at the largest churches, 250 or more, to believe skipping for sports is never OK (38 percent v. 24 percent).

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The discovery of a former branch of the Nile offers clues to the construction of the pyramids and Egyptian culture when the Israelites were in bondage, Southern Baptist Archeologist Jim Parker told Baptist Press.

Using satellite imagery, geophysical surveys and sediment samples in the Nile Valley, researchers led by University of North Carolina Wilmington Professor Eman Ghoneim made the discovery announced May 16 in the Communications Earth and Environment journal. While experts have suspected for some time that the Nile had shifted, the new research is the first confirmation of the former riverbed.

The abandoned branch, about three miles west of the current Nile’s location, would have flowed between 2686 BC and 1649 BC, researchers said, overlapping with when the pyramid were erected between 3000 and 2300 BC, as well as during the Israelites’ enslavement that began in the late 1800s BC and continued about 400 years.

A cross-denominational belief in believers’ baptism allowed Southern Baptist pastor Mark Brown and Pentecostal pastor Mark Francey to collaborate in sponsoring Baptize California, a statewide event that baptized more than 6,000 believers May 18-19.

The Pentecost Sunday weekend event chiefly sponsored by Francey’s multisite Oceans Church in Orange County and supported by Brown’s 14-campus Sandals Church in Southern California drew support and participation from 300 churches across the state, according to BaptizeCalifornia.com.

Baptize California was the largest baptism in the state’s history, Brown said, exceeding the May 2023 BaptizeSoCal sponsored by Oceans Church, and the July 2023 Pirates Cove baptism sponsored by Harvest Church, Greg Laurie’s pastorate.

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They can laugh now, three years after the fire that destroyed their youth building, about things like the name of the ministry: Ignite.

“We’ve since rebranded,” said Phil Spann, the longtime student minister at Southside Baptist Church in Paris, Texas.

Despite the challenges from losing a facility, Spann says God has been faithful.

The results are more than just increased participation. Southside has seen a harvest. The recent fruit of the student ministry includes salvations and baptisms. During the last two years, the church has celebrated more than 60 baptisms. Norris said they’ve been predominantly children and youth. He rejoices in the 34 decisions for Christ made at camp two years ago, and a similar number last summer.

Spann knows the Southside youth ministry has lived through an example of his favorite Scripture passage, Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

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Cole Rogers said he picked up numerous new ideas during the 2024 Collegiate Leadership Summit last week near Memphis, Tennessee. 

But Rogers, collegiate ministry specialist at Belmont University, said that wasn’t his biggest take-away from the three-day event.

Instead, Rogers said that being reminded that college ministry is about “being centered on prayer more than trying to plan things and get down all the details” is what had the biggest impact on him during the event, which was held this year at First Baptist Church, Collierville. 

The Collegiate Leadership Summit, held every three years, is sponsored byBaptist Collegiate Network — an organization of state convention collegiate leaders.

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More than 150 Mexican believers in Hidalgo, Mexico that have been forced from their homes because of their faith are protesting a local government plan to let them return home if they pay their persecutors $9,026, CSW (formerly Christian Solidarity Worldwide) said May 16.

Under the plan offered by the city, the members of Great Commission Baptist Church would pay the collective fine (150,000 Mexican Pesos) to the very Roman Catholic community leaders who forced them from their homes and property, CSW said, and would continue to suffer religious liberty restrictions imposed under the Law of Uses and Customs.

Three families would still be banned from their homes, and the Roman Catholic community leaders would face no penalties.

The displaced families, initially sheltered in the Municipal Presidency building, have been moved to another location and are dependent on community donations and aid from local churches for food and water.

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Churchgoers are more interested than involved in prison ministry, but most say they’d be fine sharing a street or a pew with someone who has been incarcerated.

A Lifeway Research study sponsored by multiple prison ministries surveyed U.S. Protestant churchgoers’ actions and attitudes toward inmates and those who have previously been in jail, prison or a juvenile facility.

One in 4 churchgoers (25 percent) have been involved in ministry among the incarcerated, formerly incarcerated or their families, including 4 percent who say they are currently participating. Additionally, 10 percent say they have been involved in prison ministry activities or training.

When asked about specific examples of ministry, at least half of churchgoers said they had no experience in serving the incarcerated or their families. They are most active in assisting families with loved ones in prison. 

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Every human being who has ever walked on this planet has been wronged by someone. As difficult as it is to be mistreated by others, it is often more difficult to forgive others for what they’ve done to us. We may even think that reconciliation circumvents justice. We can learn from Joseph’s story in Genesis 45. God is directing our lives for His purposes, even when we experience mistreatment by others.

We, too, can learn to allow God to work in and through our relationships. We can rejoice over renewed relationships. We can affirm God’s plans for others’ lives. We can extend forgiveness. Acknowledging God’s sovereignty helps us seek reconciliation with others.

Salvation in Christ Jesus was offered in National Statuary Hall May 16 at the unveiling of a statue of the iconic late global evangelist Billy Graham, which has John 3:16 and John 14:6 carved in its base.

International Mission Board trustees approved 83 fully funded missionaries for appointment during their May 15-16 meeting. While gathered near Richmond, Virginia, trustees also affirmed numerous reports from around the world detailing Southern Baptists’ efforts in advancing the Gospel among the lost.

Homes were under water, but the hands of Texans on Mission volunteers kept hope afloat in Rising Star, a small town north of Brownwood.

Resident David Grissom experienced the heaviness of the effects of a May 3 flood as water began to fill his home. Grissom said he was in shock at the amount of water surrounding the house.

Delaware Raceway Ministry (DRM) is running strong after 31 years. And though the ministry techniques have evolved, the emphasis remains the same: sowing seeds, building relationships and sharing Jesus.

A coalition of 18 states filed suit May 13 against the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for including gender identity in Title VII protections against sex discrimination.

Florida Baptist Disaster Relief teams aid tornado victims In Tallahassee; Storms keep Missouri Disaster Relief active; Okla. tornado relief continues, prayer support needed; Texans on Mission volunteers keep hope afloat.

Bridging generations: The essential role of mentorship in the church

Messianic Jews expressed outrage over rising antisemitism in the U.S. at a recent conference for Jewish evangelism, energizing their Gospel mission and affirming the value of all human life amid the Israel-Hamas War.

A statue of the late Billy Graham set to stand inside the U.S. Capitol to represent North Carolina will be unveiled this week in a ceremony.

Over the past month, the Biden administration has finalized numerous problematic rules that undermine religious liberty, widen access to abortion, and harm children and families. Some rules, such as the rule implementing the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, directly conflict with direction from Congress.

As the security crisis in Haiti continues, the humanitarian aid group Haiti Family Care Network is urging U.S. Christian donors to refrain from worsening the situation by donating to orphanages and to redirect their efforts instead toward initiatives helping parents support their children.

As William Wilberforce, the 18th and 19th century member of Parliament, fought for the abolition of slavery, he also led a “manners” crusade in England. He saw a direct correlation in the public arena between the way citizens treated and spoke to each other, including toward those trapped in slavery, and what shaped their personal attitude.

Episode 616

Disaster Relief care for those affected by tornadoes, flooding; Most Americans don’t see spiritual benefit with AI; Wilberforce on civility

Disaster Relief teams cares for those affected by tornadoes, flooding; Most Americans don’t see spiritual benefit with AI; Wilberforce on civility

Host

Brandon Porter

Resources

BaptistPress.com

International Mission Board

Transcript

Every day, hundreds of thousands of people die without the hope of Jesus. Your faithful prayers will make a difference. That’s why the IMB created a free 18-month calendar, called “Impacting Lostness Through Prayer”. It provides guidance, reminders and encouragement as you pray for individuals and communities who have yet to hear the gospel. Learn more about this free resource at IMB.org/prayercalendar.

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