“Preach the Word.” No matter what new technologies or methods are developed, they cannot replace the primacy of preaching and teaching God’s Word—all of it. When pastors abandon messages filled with Scripture, they starve their congregations. And when a Christian forsakes a steady diet of study and meditation on God’s Word, he harms his own spiritual life and endangers his families’ growth also. But God’s Word illuminated by the Holy Spirit can radically change any life.

My prayer is that this issue, “Dig Deep,” would encourage you to renew your passion for God’s Word. Whether you are a young couple learning to pray and study together, a dad with a family to lead, or a pastor with a church entrusted to your care, you are utterly dependent on the Bible to guide you through the problems you will face.

In “The Master’s Recipe,” Scott Wendal stresses the importance of following the Master’s recipe when preparing a spiritual meal. As pastors we can’t rely on trends to direct our sermons. We need God to guide our topics and studies.

Once we remove the polished outlines and clever illustrations, what the Bible says is really all that matters. John Goetsch helps us remember this in his article, “Doctrinal Drift.” He gives preachers three reminders to help avoid drifting from sound doctrine.

But the burden of communicating God’s Word doesn’t just fall on pastors. R.B. Ouellette teaches that it takes two to send and receive the Bible message in “Truth Revealed.” Our obligation to hear God’s Word is clear, and we must soften our hearts to receive the seed of the Word.

And sowing the seed of the Word is the main calling of a missionary. In “Tell the World,” Don Sisk points out one of the most important, and sometimes most neglected, part of Christ’s last command—“teaching them to observe all things.” Once someone is saved and baptized, his spiritual journey is just beginning.

Also in this issue, Cary Schmidt teaches how to discern your child’s needs and respond biblically in “Deep Parenting.” Life can be frantic, but find out how to make your house a haven of peace in “Mom’s Survival Kit” by Terrie Chappell.

One of our commitments at The Baptist Voice is to publish biblically-based articles no matter what the topic. I pray this issue would draw extra attention to our great need for God’s Word.