Along the Way w/ Bro. Ryan

You've seen it: Passionate orating, fiery rhetoric, and rhythmic tunes accompanying the action on stage as the "preacher" (term used very loosely here) darts back and forth shouting victory and hallelujah and all kinds of other "churchy" jargon that ignites hundreds (if not thousands) to shouts echoing the same.  Then, one by one, seemingly normal, educated, impassioned people enter the stage to be touched or spoken to in hopes of healing of their various ailments or troubles.  The individual involved in the "faith-healing," once touched or shouted at, begins to shake, maybe even convulse, accompanied often by a loud shout, and then hits the ground shivering.  This process is repeated until the program goes off the air at the top of the hour.  Hallelujah!  Praise Jesus!  Many were healed on this fine day! Err......not really. There's a story recorded in the history of the early church in Acts 19:11-20 involving miraculous signs and wonders, a G...

I was recently tasked with a research assignment tied to a seminary professors' dissertation work regarding the spiritual growth and assimilation of new converts in the church.  The findings from the research were interesting as several new converts, individuals who had come to Christ within the past 1-3 years, shared their personal experiences and insights from being new believers in their local congregations of membership. What was most alarming probably than all of the data recorded was that several new converts could not articulate a biblical answer for the question, "If you were to stand before God and He asked you why should I let you into My heaven, what would you say?"  Many gave works-based answers to this question.  Coupled with these findings, new converts interviewed also shared that they could not identify an intentional discipleship training process or program in their churches.  Basically, once they became members, they were left to find what was nex...

This is my first post as the new Pastor of Northside Baptist Church in Garland, TX.  A lot has changed since the last time I blogged - I was a young, inexperienced youth minister, still attending college at Texas Tech, when a series of events and the leading of the Lord led me into the ministry.  I haven't looked back since that day. Now, I sit at this keyboard typing my first post on the new (and improved) "Along the Way" blogspot - with almost 10 years of ministry experience under my belt!  My family always told me that time flies and it only gets faster as you get older...this has increasingly become more evident as being the truth.  The name for this blog is in honor of my late grandfather, "Papa" Don Collins.  He served the Baptist Missionary Association of America for 55 years in capacities of pastor, missionary, college dean, and director of missions.  Before his death, Papa wrote two books, the first being titled " Along the Way " followed by...