In 2009, I led my first international mission trip. I led a group of twelve people from my church in Ponchatoula, Louisiana to Volgograd, Russia to work alongside one of our International Mission Board missionaries and a local church that he was a part of. If you’re not familiar with Russia, Volograd is about 500… Continue reading When Life is Hard
Author: Tommy Meador
Tommy Meador serves as the lead pastor of Northwood Baptist Church in North Charleston. He holds a Ph.D. in preaching from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He is married to Staci, and they have two boys: Luke and Hudson. You can email Tommy at tommy@northwoodbaptist.com
How to Know God’s Will
Life is full of decision-making, and if you are like me, you have struggled in your decision-making from time to time. Undoubtedly, when you’ve had a big decision to make you’ve asked the question, “What is God’s will?” When you have three job offers before you, you want to know, what job does God want… Continue reading How to Know God’s Will
A Praying Church
One of my favorite stories in church history is of Jeremiah Lanphier. Born in 1809, Lanphier converted to Christ in 1842 in a church in Lower Manhattan under the preaching of Charles Finney. Lanphier worked as a businessman for twenty years before being hired by the North Dutch Church to work as a local missionary.… Continue reading A Praying Church
How to Help Your Pastor Give an Effective Invitation this Sunday
Each Sunday morning, at the conclusion of the sermon, I offer an invitation for people to respond to how God is working in their lives through the message they just heard. If you are a part of a church like mine, chances are your pastor does the same thing. My church calls it an invitation,… Continue reading How to Help Your Pastor Give an Effective Invitation this Sunday
Defeating Envy
While I was in seminary, I had the opportunity to pastor two great churches. I was twenty-four when I pastored my first church, and twenty-six when I started pastoring my second church. Both of the churches took a risk when they hired me. I was young, single, and I had little experience. But, both churches… Continue reading Defeating Envy
Engaging in Short-Term Missions
At the church I pastor, summer is my favorite time of the year because during the summer we send short-term mission teams all over the world. We just had a team return from a week of serving alongside a church plant in Boston, and the next several months, our church will send teams to New… Continue reading Engaging in Short-Term Missions
Crucifying a Complaining Heart
I complain way too much, and if you are like me, you complain way too much as well. We complain about the weather, politics, our jobs, and anything else that doesn’t go our way. Unfortunately, we also complain way too much about the church. We complain when we don’t like the music, when the preaching… Continue reading Crucifying a Complaining Heart
How To Handle Criticism
I knew I shouldn’t have read it. They taught us in seminary to never read anonymous letters. My assistant screened my mail, and when she informed me that I had received an anonymous letter, my curiosity was piqued. I had to know what it said, and as I read through the letter, my heart sank.… Continue reading How To Handle Criticism
What I’ve Learned About Preaching from Billy Graham
Perhaps no one influenced twentieth century preaching like Billy Graham. Certainly, the twentieth century produced some great preachers. Preachers like George Truett, W.A. Criswell, Charles Stanley, Adrian Rogers, and others were used by God to clearly proclaim the Bible. While those men contributed greatly modeling faithful biblical exposition, Billy Graham greatly influenced the way preachers… Continue reading What I’ve Learned About Preaching from Billy Graham
Avoiding Ministry Burnout
Ministry is overwhelming! It seems as if the demands of ministry are endless. There are sermons to prepare, Bible studies to lead, meetings to facilitate, people to visit, mission trips to plan, counseling sessions to lead, denominational meetings to attend, and articles to write. Ministry is time consuming! However, having your time consumed by a… Continue reading Avoiding Ministry Burnout