Click to Login or Sign Up

Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Questionable (Cartoon: Preacher’s Kids) Group hug fears (Cartoon: Fletch) Prayer thoughts (Cartoon: Joe McKeever)
  • John 3:16
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Archive
  • Cartoons
    • Joe McKeever
    • Beyond the Ark
    • Church of the Covered Dish
    • Fletch
    • Preacher’s Kids
  • Contact
  • Louisiana
  • U.S. & Intl
  • Facts & Finds
  • Culture & Society
  • Editorial

Steve Horn

My reflection on the ministry of Billy Graham

May 16, 2024

By Steve Horn

“For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” – 1 Corinthians 2:2 NIV

ALEXANDRIA, La. – Today, in Washington, D.C., a statue of Billy Graham will be unveiled. My understanding is that the statue depicts Graham pointing toward an open Bible. John 3:16 and John 14:6 are inscribed on the statue. This inscription is appropriate for the evangelist who in his last public sermon preached:

I have one message—that Jesus Christ came, He died on a cross, He rose again, and He asked us to repent of our sins and receive him by faith as Lord and Savior, and if we do, we have forgiveness of all our sins.

My earliest memory of Billy Graham is watching his Crusades on television as a child with my mother. I would later in life learn that Billy and my mother shared November 7as a birthday. Indeed, he was the most famous preacher of my lifetime. The quality, however, that I admire most about Graham is that he never set out to be famous, just faithful.

As I have reflected on Graham’s life, I note these characteristics.

He was a man of integrity.

Early in his ministry, he wrote out four principles to govern his ministry. He and his associates agreed together that they would secure money for their crusades in advance through local committees rather than through love offerings at the meetings, never be alone with a woman not their wife, support the local church, and not emphasize numbers in their publicity.

He was humble.

This humility allowed him to point others always to Jesus.

He preached the Gospel.

On May 2, 1996, Congress awarded Graham the Congressional Gold Medal. Instead of the perfunctory expected acceptance speech, he preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

He seemed to balance, better than most, preaching the same Gospel in changing times.

He preached the message of Jesus to changing cultures without becoming unbalanced in his methodology. I think my generation of preachers has much to learn in this area.

He seemed to balance, better than anyone of my lifetime, the right engagement with politics.

He had a hearing with every president from Truman to Obama. He influenced the influencers, but never made politics the focus of his ministry.

All of this causes me to pray….Oh, Lord, in your mercy, give us another Billy Graham!

Steve Horn is the Louisiana Baptist executive director.

Comments

Editorial

FIRST PERSON: As goes the family, so goes the culture

By Gene Mills, Louisiana Family Forum president BATON ROUGE, La. (LBM) – Public policy matters, especially regarding the health and growth of families, the basic building block of any flourishing society. As we have seen throughout history, as goes the family, so goes the culture. Unfortunately, for too long … Read More

Search

  • Trending
  • Recent
  • Must Read

Recent

PEW study: Thirty percent of Americans consult astrology, tarot cards or fortune tellers

Kay Arthur, Christian author and Bible teacher, dies at 91

PAKISTAN: Bill to curb child marriages passes parliament

Must Read

Foundation Executive Director
Jeffrey Steed to retire

Speaker Johnson to Calvary students:

Live to make an ‘impact’

FIRST PERSON: Silent Saturday

Copyright © 2025 · News Pro Theme 2.1 On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in