Watts' Words

  As Southern Baptists gather in Orlando in just a few weeks, the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention will likely be about far more than reports, resolutions, elections, and procedural business. On paper, the SBC annual meeting is a gathering of messengers for worship, encouragement, and denominational business. In reality, Orlando may serve as something much deeper—a moment of reflection on the direction, trust, and future integrity of the Convention itself. Allow me a personal note: I love Southern Baptists for all kind of reasons. This has been my spiritual home for close to 70 years. The SBC has endured through the best and worst of times because they stayed true to Jesus, His word, and respected each other. This year may be a challenge for many reasons. As I shared with my small country congregation, "When you get to be a cooperative organization of this magnitude, issues will arise and have to be dealt with. The questions before Southern Baptists are not simp...

  America is living through a season of deep division. Nearly every headline, court decision, podcast, sermon, and political conversation is interpreted through one question: “Are you for Donald Trump or against him?” Supporters view him as a defender of forgotten Americans, traditional values, and the answers to this country's problems. Opponents see him as a threat to their power, the democratic norms and national unity. In many ways, President Donald Trump has become more than a political figure; he has become a symbol around which the frustrations, fears, hopes, and anger of an entire nation revolve. But this division did not begin with Donald Trump. His presidency revealed or exposed something that had already been growing in the American soul for decades: a nation slowly losing its moral center, its trust in institutions, and perhaps most importantly, its shared faith in something greater than itself. America has always experienced political disagreement. From the fierce deba...

The Anchor in the Shift: Finding Certainty in a Changing World We live in a culture that moves at the speed of emotion. Today, personal feelings are frequently elevated above objective facts, and what is considered "true" can shift from one day to the next. Navigating this landscape can feel like walking on quicksand. When the cultural ground constantly moves beneath our feet, it is natural to feel disoriented, anxious, or disconnected. Yet today, our culture moment presents a profound opportunity. Instead of reacting with frustration (which is our first reaction), we can view this shift as an invitation to anchor ourselves in something that never moves.  As a child, Dad and I would ocassionally fish in the Pearl River. When we rented a little boat, we made sure we had an anchor because without it, we would be at the mercy of the river. In today's culture, we need to drop anchor in objective truth not emotional opinion.   The Fragility of the Temporary Living by f...

  Candidly, I know that I must have learned these from 'someone' or a group of 'someones,' as they are certainly not original with me, but things that I wrote down from someone much smarter than I am.  All the same, time has a way of clarifying what truly matters. What once seemed urgent fades, and what once felt small becomes foundational. Years ago, I came across five simple truths about wise living. They’ve stayed with me—not because they are complicated, but because they are deeply true. Let me share them with you.   1. Most Important Is Not Things We live in a world that constantly tells us to gather more—more possessions, more recognition, more comfort. But wisdom quietly reminds us that the most important things in life are not things at all. Relationships matter. Character matters. Faith matters. You can fill a house with possessions and still feel empty. But when your life is rooted in love for God and people, there is a fullness that no material thing can ever...

  T he phrase “Church of Jesus Christ” has been quietly reduced in many minds to a location, a calendar event, or a weekly obligation. For some, it is a building you enter on Sunday morning and leave behind by noon. But when you listen carefully to the words of Jesus, that understanding begins to unravel. The church He described was never meant to be merely a place you go—it is something you are.   Jesus first introduces His church in a deeply personal way: “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). Notice what He does not say. He does not point to a structure, a schedule, or a system. He speaks of a people—living, moving, advancing. The word He uses for “church” (ekklesia) refers to a called-out assembly, not a physical location. From the very beginning, Jesus defines His church as something alive. When church is reduced to a place, commitment becomes minimal and manageable. You attend, you listen, you leave—and in man...

The other day, I found myself sitting quietly—thinking, praying, and examining what I see unfolding around me. In that stillness, a troubling thought settled deep within my heart. I marvel at how easily many people claim to “know the Lord Jesus,” and yet seem able to walk away from Him without hesitation, without grief, and without pause. It is not always done with open defiance, but often with subtle replacement—filling the space once reserved for Christ with comfort, convenience, and personal desire.   One of the clearest signs of this shift is what has happened to the Lord’s Day. Sunday, once set apart as a holy day of worship and rest unto God, has increasingly become nothing more than the “second day of my weekend.” It is now viewed as personal time—time to do what I want, when I want, without regard for the One who gave me breath, salvation, and purpose. What was once sacred has become optional. A few days ago I read a sobering and true statement: "Anything you make option...