To
CORTLAND, KEITH, AND SUE
and to
THE PREACHERS
who willingly contributed the sermons
FOREWORD
I am not unfamiliar with Texas Baptists. I am a native Texan. I have attended Texas Baptist schools. I have attended scores of Texas Baptist Conventions—General, Sunday school, and Baptist Training Union. My first three pastorates were in Texas. After three pastorates in the great state of Oklahoma I am returning to Texas, to serve as a young people’s evangelist over the South. In Texas one out of every six, of her 6,200,000 people, is a Baptist. There are 1,001,125 Baptists (of all groups) in Texas. The largest of these groups, the Baptist General Convention of Texas, has over 630,000 members. The convention has 108 associations, 3,131 churches, 2,769 ordained ministers, 2,870 Sunday schools, property valued at $51,666,354 (These figures by Dr. E. P. Alldredge).
Here are 15 sermons by 15 leading Texas Baptist pastors. I consider this one of the greatest volumes of sermons published in recent years. Herein is clear thinking, sound doctrine, evangelistic fervor, spiritual food. These sermons magnify Christ, His Word, His Church. Herein is great preaching of “the unsearchable riches of Christ.” Wherever they go these sermons will bless, uplift, challenge, inspire And stir people.
I am deeply grateful to these noble preachers for their cooperation in making this volume possible, and hereby express my sincere appreciation of them.
Chester Melvin Savage
Young People’s Evangelist.
Dallas, Texas