May 13 2026

Wednesday May 13

Pray For Our U.S. Military Chaplains

Welcome to Pastor’s Chat today. I thought you might notice the shirt I have on today. It represents the Liberty Baptist Fellowship Chaplaincy. This shirt represents the chaplains who are associated with Liberty University and have been endorsed by them to serve in the military. I believe this is a very good time to remind everyone—my friends and all those believers out there who might listen to our social media chats—to pray for them.

First, pray for Dr. Steve Keith, who heads up this team of chaplains around the world. Then specifically, you can remember two chaplains we are very close to. One is my son, Nathan Grooms, who is a U.S. Navy Chaplain and is presently deployed. Also, someone I call my adopted son, Shawn Taylor, who is an U.S. Air Force Chaplain. Shawn served as our worship leader for ten years at Rainbow Forest Baptist Church, and he is also presently deployed away from his family. Please do pray for them and for all of our chaplains.

Then right here in the community where I live, in Sneads Ferry, we have the large Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune military base. I have two dear friends who work with the military here. One is Justin Sterns, who does discipleship on base with many of the Marines there. Then also Dave Mason, who has a ministry of military evangelism to the Marines here and provides a place where they can come on Friday nights, listen to the Word of God, fellowship with one another, be encouraged, and walk as they should—not only as Marines, but as believers and followers of Christ. Both of these men are reaching others for Christ right here in our community.

So please pray for all our military today. Pray for our nation’s leadership as well, as we are living in a crucial time in our country especially with the conflict in the Middle East. Thank you again for your prayers. This shirt simply reminded me to ask you to pray.

Now, as we were studying Philippians chapter 2, especially verses 3 and 4, we read these words: “Let each esteem others better than himself. Let each one of you not look out for his own interests only, but also for the interests of others.” As I read those two verses, I could not help but think again of Psalm 15, which we have been studying together.

Yesterday, we talked about what was in verse 2b: “He who speaks the truth in his heart.” Now in verse 3, David moves to the use of our tongues: “He who does not backbite with his tongue.” The word “backbite” here means slander or gossip. You know how much damage is done by careless words. We used to say as children, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” But that is absolutely not true. Words can hurt more deeply than we can ever imagine.

Words are eternal. Once you say them, you cannot take them back. As a matter of fact, they are recorded in heaven because the Scripture says that one day we will give an account for every idle word that comes out of our mouths (Matthew 12:36). It is important what we say—and what we do not say.

So Psalm 15 says: “He who does not backbite with his tongue.” We are not to be backbiters, slanderers, or gossipers. Proverbs 18:21 says: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” A believer who walks closely with God must guard his speech. Gossip destroys friendships, churches, and testimonies. That is why Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:29—a passage we studied a few months ago: “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification.”

Instead of tearing people down, we should be building them up for the glory of God. I pray that the Lord will help us do that. The way to do that is to think good about people—to think positively about people. As Oswald Chambers said, we should see every person in Christ, or every person needing Christ. Then we can become people who encourage others and build them up rather than tear them down, despite what they may say or do against us. We do not retaliate and say what we should not say.

Remember, the Scripture says that when Jesus was reviled, He reviled not again (1 Peter 2:23). And His last words about those who crucified Him were: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34). May the Lord help us to live that way. And again, thank you for your prayers today, especially for our military chaplains.

God bless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!