Kingdom Lifestyle: Motives

Have you ever asked yourself: “Why am I serving? What is my motivation for volunteering for this ministry or helping my neighbor?” We are wired from a very young age to seek approval from others. As children, we longed to hear our parents congratulate and praise us for our achievements. On a daily basis, my toddler does certain … Continued


Kingdom Lifestyle: Live a Kingdom Lifestyle

Life in God’s kingdom means ultimate happiness and fulfillment in God: “Whom have I in heaven but you? And besides you, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” –Psalm 73:25-26 Often, we look for fulfillment elsewhere and then … Continued


We Believe: Resurrection & Everlasting Life

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God … Continued


We Believe: Forgiveness of Sin

As we work through our series called, “We Believe,” it is vitally important that we not just profess what we believe but that we also actually believe it. It is important that we not just make assertions like, “We believe in the forgiveness of sin,” but that we also know why in fact this is … Continued


The Endowment Ministry

Back in the early 1990’s, I shared with Lakewood’s leadership the value of establishing an endowment for the purpose of funding ministry and missions outside the normal area of our operating budget. An endowment is a donation to a nonprofit (e.g., Lakewood Baptist Church) for the ongoing support of that organization. In Lakewood’s case the endowment is … Continued


We Believe: The Church

“I can worship God out here in the woods. I don’t need the church.” Each year approximately 2.7 million people in America cease to be active church members. I wonder if we have come to define Christianity almost exclusively as a privatized spirituality that either ignores the central role of the church in the life … Continued