Brian Hobbs

One of the best parts of summer is Vacation Bible School (VBS). One of the impactful ways the Gospel is presented through VBS is the “ABC’s of Salvation.” The “A” stands for Admit (“A person must admit to God that he or she is a sinner.”); “B” stands for Believe (“A person must believe that Je

Did you know that Southern Baptists, together through our Cooperative Program giving and our International Mission Board (IMB) work, currently have some 3,600 missionaries now serving in 155 countries? These missionaries are working overtime to reach the lost and spread the Good News of Jesus to peo

Did you know Oklahoma ranks in the top 10 in the United States in many key categories? We are ranked 5th in the U.S. for beef production. We are ranked in the top 5 in energy production and 7th in wind energy production. Sadly, Oklahoma is also ranked 6th in the nation when it comes to gambling a

The holidays are upon us. If your household is anything like mine, a Christmas tree will soon appear, as well as eggnog, a manger scene, all accompanied by continual Christmas music and movies. Signs of the holidays are all around us. There’s something etched into American society as a whole that

In a matter of days, the 2024 Election Day arrives. All the attention is fixed on who will be our next President of the United States. Certainly, that consequential vote deserves a huge amount of prayer, thought and consideration. Meanwhile, there are other key votes happening, concerning Congres

On Tuesday, Nov. 5, voters across America will flock to the polls to decide who will be the next President of the United States, among many other important votes this Election Day. Many have called this one of the most important elections in U.S. history, some even calling it “the most important

We live in a world of bad news. You do not have to look far to find news of mishaps, scandal and misfortune. I heard someone say, “Isn’t there any good news anymore?” One of the central purposes of the Baptist Messenger has been to highlight inspiring stories of life change— examples of lives tha

Nearly 100 years ago, the British writer Aldous Huxley composed his classic dystopian novel, “Brave New World.” Huxley depicted a world in which all people were on drugs/medication, babies were created in science labs, young people were indoctrinated, the sexual act was treated casually and life had

DAVIS—Every summer, thousands of students come to Falls Creek for times of spiritual enrichment, fellowship and fun. On any given afternoon of camp, you will see students from Oklahoma Baptist churches and elsewhere enjoying all Falls Creek has to offer. The zip line, waterfront activities, sport

Today is July 4th, a truly great holiday in which we recognize and celebrate the freedom we enjoy in this great land. Today we also can remind ourselves at what a high price that freedom was won, and what we can do with it. Like many of you, I cannot express enough appreciation or admiration for

Social media was ablaze recently over a viral video that showed a transgender male receiving a newborn baby from a surrogate mother, mere moments after she gave birth. The video was repugnant to many observers, who witnessed the sight of the bare-chested, long-finger-nailed transgender male holding

You may have heard the slogan “Pray, Vote, Pray.” That is an excellent reminder for voters of faith living in America. What do I mean by “Voters of Faith”? One time, during a U.S. Vice-Presidential debate, the candidates were asked what role, if any, faith plays in their policy-making decisions.

I once heard about a statue on display in a small town in America from the 1950s. The sculpture shows a mother, a father, a son and a daughter, all holding hands. The statue was named “The Normals” for how it depicted what Americans viewed as a “normal family” at the time—what is also called the nuc

Julie Busler found herself in a place that many others have experienced, and it was only the relentless love of God that rescued her. Busler, WMU leader for Oklahoma, experienced years ago the untimely loss of both of her parents—one due to illness and the other to suicide. Like so many others

If you look at different surveys about people’s greatest fears, you see some common responses. People are afraid of public speaking. They are afraid of snakes, spiders, sharks. They fear the dark and fear death. Surveys also show that people are sometimes afraid of the future. A new Lifeway Re

With such high gas prices these days, most of us are trying to obtain a vehicle with good fuel economy. Something similar could be said in the world of charities, non-profits and missions organizations, which are struggling more and more to make the most of every dollar. In the Cooperative Progra

LEXINGTON—Miguel is like many other Oklahoma Baptist University (OBU) students. On any given day, he wakes up, gets dressed, has his quiet time, eats breakfast, then heads off to class. What makes Miguel’s experience unique, though, is that all of these activities happen behind bars. Miguel is se

As part of his popular TV program “Dirty Jobs,” Mike Rowe “performs difficult, strange, disgusting, or messy occupational duties alongside the job’s current employees.” Each episode shows jobs that we under-appreciate as a society and are much more difficult than we realize. If there ever were an

DAVIS—On Sept. 12, Oklahoma Baptists’ board of directors met at Falls Creek Conference Center for a regularly-scheduled business meeting. Members of the board spent time in fellowship, prayer and conducting key business. Oklahoma Baptists Executive Director-Treasurer Todd Fisher addressed mem

Josiah Presley was born in South Korea. The circumstances surrounding his birth are surprising and compelling. Josiah was adopted by his parents—Randy and Kathy Presley, who are members of Norman, Trinity, where Randy serves on staff. Josiah grew up with 11 siblings—many of whom also were ado