For God Alone

One of my favorite scripture verses - and there are many - is Psalm 115:1. I have heard many preachers quote this verse throughout my nearly forty years of ministry, but none as frequently as Duane Brooks during our shared years of ministry at Tallowood Baptist in Houston. Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory,  for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness! I often sign my correspondence with this verse, not so much to point my readers to its truth, though that is true; but more as a personal reminder that my singular purpose in this life is to give God’s name glory, for the sake of His steadfast love and faithfulness. For the sake of God’s steadfast love and faithfulness. In August of 2013, I participated in a mission project in Dublin, Ireland with a small team from our church, Central Baptist Bearden in Knoxville, Tennessee. We were there as guests of a Romanian Baptist congregation to partner with them in their first Vacatio...

Today marks the conclusion of a decade of growing deeper through joy, contentment, as well as pain and sadness. On Monday, June 30, 2008, I drove into Tennessee to become Director of Music Ministries at Covenant Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Nashville. God had opened a door and pointed … east from our home in Frisco, Texas where, eighteen months earlier, I had begun serving as worship pastor at Stonebriar Community Church. While it had not been my plan to serve that pastor and congregation for such a brief time, it certainly was God’s plan. Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they...