Month: May 2026

God puts people in our lives to help us

Editor’s note: Chip Parmer is pastor of First Baptist Church in Marlin. He recently shared part of his testimony with the Texan’s Gary Ledbetter.

Every church I’ve pastored for my 19 years has been a revitalization effort. We’ve been here [First Baptist Church of Marlin, southeast of Waco] for nearly two years. The church was running about 50 people at the time. One of the first things we noticed about the ministry was the church had no children’s ministry or youth ministry; they hadn’t for a long time. 

That was something we wanted to address, because if we’re going to try to reach our community, we need to reach younger families. That means we had to have something for their kids. 

Right away, we reached out to the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention and they put us in contact with Lexi Hood, who is a consultant for the convention. Lexi came in and worked with us, helping us develop a plan and a system for our first year of children’s ministry. 

That was about the time we met Janet Evans. Janet was from Marlin, but she had been with Cru for 40 years working all around the country, though mainly in New York. She was an amazing woman, a godly woman of prayer. And though she never had really worked with children, she said, “There’s a need and I’m going to step in.” 

Janet became our children’s director and she was faithful, plugged in. She helped so much in making sure the structure was there and that everybody had what they needed. And we started to see some slow growth. Last year, we probably ran two to three kids (after having no children’s ministry previously), but we were faithful with it. This year we transitioned to Awana, and Janet became our Awana director. And again, she just went all in, making sure we had well-equipped teachers and doing an amazing job helping everything run smoothly and on the right track. Once again, we saw some growth so that we now were seeing five or six kids each Sunday night. Janet was a way that God had answered a new pastor’s prayers. Overall, our church attendance had also risen by 10-15, and we’d even had some baptisms following our second VBS. 

[In February], Janet had gone out to dinner with some friends and got back in her car to go home and had an aneurysm and passed away. I was at a loss. I really didn’t know how to respond. I haven’t ever experienced that, didn’t know what to do. Our adult ladies, our teachers were crying. I mean, they were just so emotional about losing Janet, losing a best friend. Janet had played an integral part in leading some of them to Christ, developing their relationship with Christ.

SBTC consultant Lexi Hood leads Awana students at FBC Marlin.

So, I started praying and the Lord prompted me to reach back out to Lexi. I made the call, and Lexi was just amazing. She was comforting. She was compassionate. She prayed with us and then she said, “I’m going to start working on some things.” Within, I want to say 24 hours, she was formulating a plan to come help us minister to our kids and to our adults, because I think that’s the thing [the adult workers] that is sometimes missed. I mean, the kids are so important, but the teachers, they had such a close relationship with Janet and they were suffering, too. 

My wife, Clarissa, and I were at the Empower Conference about a week later and Lexi introduced us to Karen Kennemur. Karen leads children’s and family ministries for the SBTC, and she was like, “Hey, let me meet with y’all in the morning.” The next morning, Karen proposed to send a counselor to come to our church to talk with the kids and the children’s workers. That’s the plan we formulated, that they were going to come in, Karen and Lexi, and Lexi would lead it and then take the kids. The kids did a painting project honoring Janet that we hung up in the church, a stained-glass cross with her favorite Scripture on there for her. Then they brought in a counselor from Houston and she talked with the adults. Our adults needed that so much.

Awana students at FBC Marlin made this stained glass art in memory of their late Awana director, Janet Evans.

It just helped remind me that God puts people in our lives to help us and to be there—that we don’t have to have all the answers because God has all the answers. We can go to Him and He will direct us. Especially for me, it solidified that our state convention cares no matter what size your church is. When there’s a need, they’re going to meet it. Jeff Lynn [SBTC’s senior strategist for Church Health and Leadership] was also helping in the background. I heard from [SBTC Executive Director] Nathan Lorick. Everybody reached out to me, and that was a blessing and an encouragement.

I think anytime you come in and start facing adversity, you can get discouraged. At the same time, God used what has taken place with Janet to bring joy and even a little bit of rejuvenation and growth out of death. I often think about that passage where Jesus is talking about how unless a seed falls to the ground and dies, it doesn’t bear fruit. This is one of those instances where a death, although tragic and sudden—and we miss her—has produced spiritual fruit that I believe is going to be lasting and impactful. 

I think that’s a great testimony to a life lived for Jesus, that even when a great saint passes, God can still use that moment to bring forth more spiritual fruit. I think that’s a great testimony to Janet.

Sabbath is a person

Editor’s note: The following excerpt is being published with permission from Mark Dance’s latest book, Rest Well, Lead Well.

The Bible’s conversation about Sabbath began in creation (Genesis 2), which was ultimately fulfilled in the Lord of the Sabbath Himself—Jesus Christ. All Christians can rest in His peace because they have found eternal rest for their souls through the love of Jesus Christ.

Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins (1 John 4:10, CSB).

The bottom line is that we can rest in our salvation today and forever because Jesus did all the heavy lifting on the cross. He promised to carry the weight of our worry and our sin every step of the way because He promised, “My yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:30, CSB).

Pastors believe and teach about the soul-saving, soul-quenching presence of God, but sometimes we struggle with enjoying it ourselves. He is still offering to personally rehydrate us with His living water in our daily Sabbaths (aka: quiet times), as well as our weekly sabbaths in corporate worship with our faith families.

To enjoy the peace and presence of God, we will need to consistently stop and rest.

In my awkward attempt to cry out to the Lord during my ministry meltdown 15 years ago, I reluctantly placed my church back into the capable hands of her true leader. Jesus’s yoke of grace not only lightened my load, but Jesus altogether carried it when I let Him. Today, He will likewise give you rest when you cease striving and rest in Him.

Pastor Pete Scazzero describes sabbath as “stopping to surrender to God in trust. I give up control and trust God to run His world without me.”

The word “soul” is sometimes translated “life” or even “breath.” Neglecting your soul won’t cause you to lose your salvation (nothing can), but it will cause you to lose the joy of your salvation. There are occasions when a soul bound for heaven feels like it’s living in hell. Too many Christians live this way indefinitely and do not know what to do about it.

King David was very familiar with the pressures of leadership and occasionally even walked through the dark hallway of depression. His most beloved psalm shows us how to get back to where we need to be spiritually:

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me besides the still waters. He restores my soul. (Psalm 23:1–3, NKJV, emphasis added)

Only God could “make” a terminally driven warrior-king like David “lie down.” For that matter, only the Lord could “restore” his soul. Like David, I am a shepherd who needs to be shepherded and a leader who needs to be led. The Lord is my Shepherd, and he restores my soul every time I “stop” to let him.

A battle plan for defeating envy

Editor’s note: This column was written by a member of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention’s Shepherds Collective. For more information, visit sbtexas.com/networks/shepherds-collective.

Envy.

Every pastor has dealt with it. It can raise its head when a brother pastor gives thanks for a spike in Sunday morning attendance or baptism numbers. It wakes from slumber when we hear about the healthy budget of the church across town. Maybe you’ve experienced envy about a church’s location, their biblical polity, or their standing in the community.

Envy is having a feeling of unhappiness at the fortune of others. Historically, it’s considered one of the seven deadly sins. Solomon wrote this in Proverbs 14:30:

“A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot.”

That’s a vivid image. Tranquility is a pond untouched by wind or waves. It’s the idea of peace and contentment. A heart that is at peace in Christ is like a still pond which gives life to the flesh. In other words, inner spiritual health brings about outer health. But envy, Solomon says, makes the bones rot. An inner corrosion through the sin of envy brings about outer wasting.

Personally, I’ve dealt with envy in ministry because I’m competitive. I grew up in Texas playing every sport I could, and an unintentional consequence of this type of raising was I brought that competitive edge into every area of my life—including pastoral ministry. I’ve felt envious in meetings when someone else receives praise. I’ve been unhappy when I’ve seen attendance spikes in places other than my church. What pastor hasn’t seen another church building and felt a tinge of jealousy and envy?

It’s sad because envy steals so much of the joy of ministry. Instead of rejoicing with others, we become a weird victim of the situation—like a child putting Band-Aids on make-believe wounds. The joy of seeing God work His kindness in the lives of others, the joy of our lives in Christ, and the joy of what we have been given are severely undermined when we host envy in our hearts. It rots our inner lives. It’s like soul termites.

So the question is: How do we slay the deadly sin of envy? How do we rid our souls of these termites?

First, it’s all about Jesus. We must cultivate a vertical life of contentment in Jesus Christ. Envy thrives when I use a horizontal measuring stick for my life: What does that pastor wear on Sundays? How much does he make? What does his welcoming center look like? Where does he office? It’s when I remember and cultivate what I have in Jesus that envy is rooted out. Every pastor needs the gospel. Every pastor needs to remember that what we have in Christ is better than what we lack in this life. Cultivate a vertical life of contentment in Jesus.

Second, we must learn to celebrate. This is a practical way to kill ministry competition and comparison. Paul said love does not envy. He also said to rejoice with those who rejoice. Every gospel believing pastor would agree they didn’t earn their salvation—it’s a gift. I hope you still rejoice at the gift of your salvation. And since we didn’t earn God’s favor or grace, we are freed to celebrate the grace and kindness of God in the lives of others. Make it a priority, a rhythm to pray for those you envy. You can rejoice with your staff by committing to only speak well of other faithful congregations and celebrate the work of God in places other than your church. Celebration might need to begin with repentance and grow into a prayer of thanksgiving for God’s work in the lives of others.

Brother pastor, you won’t age out of this deadly sin. You really can’t work your way out of it. There isn’t a dollar amount that can rescue you. There isn’t an attendance rate that can stop the rot. No amount of ministry success will eradicate this termite of the soul. What you need is Jesus, a good session of heartfelt repentance, and an ongoing rhythm of celebration. Remember the words of Solomon: A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh.

Make the most of every opportunity

Our family recently experienced major breaking news: Our 6-month-old grandson had his first taste of solid food. He started with mashed-up avocados and quickly graduated to sweet potatoes. He really liked the sweet potatoes, we’re told, and we know this because he apparently kept grabbing for the spoon to guide bite after bite into his mouth. 

Now, if you’re speeding along in life’s fast lane as a younger person, that may not land all soft and sentimental on your heart the way it did for new grandparents like us. Every “first” as a parent felt like a big moment; as grandparents, those feelings are sweetly amplified. The first time we held him. His first Christmas. The first time we heard him chattering some nonsense that sounded to us like a beautiful chorus … you get the idea. 

Not long ago, I came across a post on social media that provided a much different perspective: “At some point in your childhood, you and your friends went outside to play for the very last time—and nobody knew it.” I’d never thought about it that way and immediately began to consider other “lasts”—my last day of high school, my last day at work at the newspaper where I started my career, the last time I spoke to my mother before her death. 

Equally as fascinating to me are the “lasts” that are still to come. At some point, I’ll write my last article. Read my last book. Take my last breath.

"Be sanctified at work. Be sanctified with your family. Be sanctified at the ballpark. Be sanctified in the classroom. Be sanctified (gulp) on social media. Be sanctified in all things."

Jayson Larson Tweet

These realities ought not discourage us. Instead, they should excite us about the opportunities God will provide as we move through whatever time He has appointed for us. In Ephesians 5, Paul writes, “Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise—making the most of the time, because the days are evil.” Other translations say we are to make the most of every opportunity. 

Today is a gift. It may not feel like one, and you may feel like you’ve been giving a lot more than you’ve been getting lately. But for those in Christ, the gift is so much greater—we are promised eternity in heaven with our Lord and Creator, living in a perfect place with no more pain or sorrow or struggle. Until we get there, God has given each of us a mission. 

On my best days, when I’m not sure what God wants me to do, I fall back on the command of 1 Thessalonians 4:3—“For this is the will of God, that you be sanctified.” In context, Paul is writing about sexual immorality, but the whole counsel of Scripture agrees that every follower of Christ is to apply this principle to every aspect of life. Be sanctified at work. Be sanctified with your family. Be sanctified at the ballpark. Be sanctified in the classroom. Be sanctified (gulp) on social media. Be sanctified in all things.

Why? Because someone within your hearing may be about to experience a first. It may be the first time they have interacted with someone who is a Christian. And in some cases, someone may be experiencing a last. I wonder how many times we come into contact with someone who is spending their last day on earth. It probably happens more than we think. 

All the more reason we should make the most of every opportunity. Be gracious. Be kind. Be honest. Be courageous. After all, we never know when it will be our first—or last—chance to do so.

East Texas church is experiencing a movement of God ‘in the middle of nowhere’ as it focuses on prayer, care

HALLSVILLE—Trebor and Taylor Webb had a problem.

Not long ago, they were working to persuade their insurance company to approve coverage for a medication needed by someone in their family. After several months of wrangling, they were left frustrated and without resolution.

It was a problem they knew needed prayer.

The Webbs decided to share their struggle with those attending the Wednesday night prayer meeting at Mulberry Springs Baptist Church, asking their brothers and sisters in Christ to join them in crying out to God for help. Before long, God provided a way for the family to receive the medication they had been seeking, leading the Webbs to report a simple but powerful message back to the prayer meeting the following week:

“God did that.”

Mulberry Springs has had a mid-week prayer gathering for years, according to Senior Pastor Danny Warbington. But over the past year or so, Warbington and other church leaders felt compelled to broaden the scope of their prayers and ask God to do things only He can do—including drawing the lost to be saved.

God continues to answer those prayers. On a recent Wednesday night, two women came forward and gave their lives to Christ. Both were baptized at the same meeting a week later. They are among the more than 80 people who have been baptized since Mulberry Springs moved into its new sanctuary a little more than a year ago.

‘God, what do you want us to do?’

Warbington, who recently marked his 20th anniversary as pastor of the church where he was saved and baptized in 1989, said the movement of God that Mulberry Springs is experiencing doesn’t make sense—at least geographically. The church is located on a rural farm-to-market road about 10 miles from Longview and about the same distance from the much smaller communities of Hallsville and Harleton.

“We’re just out here in the middle of nowhere,” Warbington said, “but way out here in no man’s land, God has just moved miraculously.”

The vibrant season Mulberry Springs is experiencing grew out of a time of reflection, Warbington said. Through that process, he and other church leaders realized that moments in the life of the church intended to create spiritual intimacy had often become mechanical and routine. Prayer times were filled with plenty of petitions but far less praise. In some instances, seeking had taken a back seat to strategy.

As leaders pondered what to do next, they asked themselves a question: “What does God want?” Warbington recalled. “Not what do we want, but what does He want?”

“The vision we had was good, but I feel like the Lord needed to revamp the vision to where we could reach the people He wants us to reach,” Warbington said. “I like routine—I’m a routine guy—but it almost became like we were trying to do what we knew to do week after week instead of asking God what He wanted us to do.

“When God transitioned us out of what we thought we needed to be doing to what He wanted us to do, it revolutionized everything. The floodgates have been opened and I hope He doesn’t close them.”

"We believe in the gospel," said Senior Pastor Danny Warbington, pictured at left. "We believe in preaching the gospel and sharing the gospel in every avenue that we can." SUBMITTED PHOTO

A culture of connection

Several shifts have happened at Mulberry Springs over the past couple years. One involves its deacon ministry. About a year ago, the number of deacons was increased to 22, and each one was assigned 10-12 families to minister to that make up a congregation of about 500 regular attenders. Deacons regularly check in with their families, eat and fellowship with them, and give reports back to the larger deacon body and church staff when necessary. New families that join the church are automatically assigned a deacon. Warbington said the shift has been “transformational.”

Chris Morris, who has served as a Mulberry Springs deacon for about a year, said the deacon family ministry has contributed to a culture of connection among church members. It has not only helped church leaders bond with members, but as they become part of one another’s lives, they often end up branching out and connecting with others, creating a ripple effect that has strengthened the church’s ministry and unity.

“It’s been very powerful,” Morris said. “We’re seeing more people joining [the church] and staying, I think, because we’re seeing more people getting connected. It’s an awesome thing to see, and it has definitely made an improvement in our church.”

Another major shift has centered on prayer, which has been woven into the foundation of all the church’s ministries and efforts. Each Sunday morning, every man in the church is invited to come forward, as well as the sons in the room, to open the worship service in prayer. And on Wednesday nights, which is seeing a larger number of people engage, the prayer meeting begins with each person seeking personal consecration and what is on God’s heart first. Warbington then leads the congregation’s prayers to focus on three things:

  • That Mulberry Springs would be more discipleship-oriented;
  • That it would be community driven; and
  • That it would be more mission-minded, locally and around the world.

Warbington said church members recently returned from a mission trip to Pakistan, where the gospel was shared often and hundreds were saved. “But we really want our people to understand the need to be on mission every day, because if you can’t go across the street to see your neighbor, you may not go to a foreign country,” he said.

On a recent Wednesday night, Warbington said he was approached by a woman attending the prayer meeting with her husband.

“Pastor Danny,” she said, “the Lord is about to do something here.”

It’s the kind of expectation Warbington said Mulberry Springs members are expressing more often as the church commits to prayer, to evangelism, and to helping those they reach grow in their faith so they can reach others with the gospel.

“There’s an excitement out there that God’s going to do something miraculous today,” Warbington said. “We feel like we should teach that in our prayer service, that we should remind our deacons about that, and that in everything we do, there should be an expectation that God desires to move.”

 

SBTC DR crews rapidly deploy to help North Texas tornado survivors

WISE COUNTY—The EF-2 and EF-1 tornadoes that swept through Runaway Bay and Springtown northwest of Fort Worth on Saturday, April 25, claimed at least two lives and displaced dozens of families from homes damaged by the storm.

Southern Baptists of Texas Convention Disaster Relief teams rapidly deployed to help. Assessors and chaplains were in the field the next day, while SBTC DR recovery, feeding, and shower/laundry units began arriving on Monday, April 27.

SBTC DR volunteers even sheltered in place on Tuesday, April 28, when yet another tornado threatened.

“Just a lot of heavy rain, some wind, and marble-sized hail hit us,” said Debby Nichols, SBTC DR assessor and chaplain. “It was shaky for awhile but we were good.”

Volunteers are being housed at First Baptist Bridgeport. “We are working Springtown and Runaway Bay from that church,” SBTC DR Director Scottie Stice said.

Feeding, shower, recovery, incident management, chaplaincy, and assessment teams are tirelessly meeting needs. Crews and teams will change over the weekend, Stice confirmed.

To date, teams have contributed 600 volunteer hours, prepared 135 meals, and made more than 130 emotional/spiritual care contacts with survivors.

Stice praised Ryan Alexander, director of missions for the Harvest Association, for his focused and quick logistical assistance. He also lauded the help of the church, saying, “First Baptist Bridgeport is being an incredible host for us.”

“We just come to help wherever we can,” said Terry James, SBTC DR administrative volunteer. “That’s how we share Jesus in a practical way.”

Other SBTC DR crews are poised to deploy as needed. Volunteers are expected to be in the field at least through the first week of May, Stice said.

Visit the SBTC’s Disaster Relief page to learn how you and your church can make a gospel impact through this critical ministry. 

SBTC DR volunteers have been preparing meals in support of the response to devastating storms in North Texas late last month. SUBMITTED PHOTO