He must increase, but I must decrease. -John 3:30
The ministry of John the Baptist preceded Jesus’ public ministry. People had speculated all kinds of things about John the Baptist but he was clear that another was coming after him that would be greater. John compared himself to a friend of the bridegroom. We might say today that his spotlight was fading and Jesus’ was coming up. His statement indicates that his popularity and even his ministry would be decreasing as Jesus’ ministry rose in prominence. It was his time. We sometimes apply this idea to our own lives. We must make less of ourselves and more of Jesus. I suggest there is more than one way to think about this. Continue reading
Yesterday the weekly 
I was thinking this morning about life being short. Find a person you think of as old – I’m not going to judge how many years that is – but ask a person older than you by some number of years if they would agree life is short. Even if they have lived 80 or 90 years I’m willing to wager they would at least agree it goes by quickly. I was thinking about the oldest member of our congregation; compared to eternity that person has lived but a moment. Consider though: how long will we live in Heaven? What is the time frame of eternity? 
In my own denomination 75 churches each week close for good. The attrition rate among pastors is staggering. According to LifeWay research (
When I was a kid it was a special treat to find them handing out free samples on grocery day. I remember asking my mother to buy whatever brand of sausage they were handing out and she told me that was already what she bought. I then asked if she could cook it in little one inch cubes and serve it on toothpicks because it tasted better that way. She never did that. 
It was somewhat expected by those in the know that J.D. Greear would be elected to serve as SBC President at the annual meeting in Dallas this week. I was still somewhat surprised by the 68% of ballots he received from messengers. While many were pleased with the announcement the reactions ranged from “Thank God” to talk of the downward spiral the SBC has been on for years. While I would make a good 3 1/2 point Calvinist at best I am going out on a limb and saying this choice will not seal our fate. Greear’s election is not the final nor any other nail in the coffin. 
The Master's Table 