Weekly Email: June 16, 2025

It was wonderful to connect with many of you at the SBC Annual Meeting last week. If you were there, I hope it was a refreshing time to catch up with friends, have meaningful conversations, and take part in SBC life.

I left encouraged. Hearing your stories about ministry, how you’re building up Christ’s church in different contexts, and how the gospel is going forward in your communities and around the world reminded me again why this work matters. I’m grateful we get to partner with you through online theological education as you serve the church and proclaim the gospel.

In this week’s update, I’m asking a question I’ve wrestled with myself: Do you really do your best work under pressure? I’m also highlighting the urgent need for more theological leaders in Brazil, and how your studies might play a role in meeting that need.

Student Tip: The Myth of Thriving Under Pressure

Have you ever said, “I do my best work under pressure”?

I certainly have, many times. There’s a rush that comes with looming deadlines, that surge of intensity that suddenly propels you into action. But is this feeling truly indicative of your best work, or is it an illusion created by adrenaline and relief?

When we finish tasks under pressure, we often mistake the emotional high of completion for the quality of the work itself. You might even receive praise for rushed work. Perhaps someone says, “Great job!” after you pulled an all-nighter or completed a project just before a deadline. But pause and ask yourself: what exactly are you comparing this “great job” against?

• Are you comparing it to the thoughtful, polished outcome you could have achieved by starting earlier and revising methodically?

• Or are you simply comparing it to having done nothing at all or to some rushed effort you made in the past?

For example, when I write these weekly emails, I frequently fall into the last-minute productivity trap. Sure, many of you respond positively, but inevitably, days later, clarity arrives. I notice missed opportunities or better ways I could have expressed something. The real measure isn’t whether the work was acceptable or praised, but what it could have been had I managed my time more intentionally.

This pattern taught me something important about how we should actually measure our best work.

Here’s a clearer way to think about it: given the time you have available, your best work happens when you intentionally spread tasks out over multiple sessions.

The process looks like writing an initial draft and setting it aside, then returning later to allow your ideas to refine and mature, and finally revising thoughtfully with fresh perspective. It’s the difference between cramming and cultivating.

For example, with these newsletters, my best approach looks like this:

• Tuesday: Draft initial thoughts

• Thursday: Reread and revise, noting clarity issues and opportunities to strengthen the message

• Friday: Make final adjustments before scheduling to send on Monday morning

When I follow this rhythm, the result is consistently better. It’s clearer, deeper, and more thoughtful than anything I rush through at the last minute.

As you approach your next assignment, paper, or ministry project, reconsider how you define productivity and excellence. Don’t settle for the emotional illusion of thriving under pressure. Instead, deliberately structure your time to cultivate true quality.

The next time you catch yourself saying “I work best under pressure,” remember this: that rush you feel isn’t your work getting better. It’s just your relief getting louder.

Program News: Brazil Needs Theological Leaders. Southern Students Can Help

One thing that I love about the podcast, Amazon to the Himalayas, is the consistent reminder of what faithful missionaries are doing around the world to make the Gospel of Jesus Christ known to every tribe, tongue, and nation.

Evangelical Christianity in Brazil is growing rapidly. In just a few decades, evangelicals have increased from 5 percent to over 30 percent of the population. But that growth brings a serious question: Who is training the pastors and leaders shaping this movement?

In a recent episode of Amazon to the Himalayas, Dr. Paul Akin speaks with IMB missionary Dr. Mark Johnson, who has spent 32 years serving in Brazil. Johnson explains that the greatest challenge is not infrastructure or enthusiasm. It is the lack of trained leaders. Specifically, Brazil does not have enough PhDs to sustain healthy theological education across the country.

Dr. Johnson describes the need as one of critical mass. A single trained leader is not enough. Dozens are needed in each major field to train pastors and professors for the next generation. Without them, theological training risks drifting away from biblical faithfulness. When churches lack sound theological education, doctrinal confusion spreads, and the gospel witness weakens across entire regions.

As someone already investing in theological education, you understand the importance of sound training. Southern Seminary is uniquely positioned to meet this global need. Through rigorous master’s programs giving you the foundation for future advanced theological education along with our doctoral programs that equip and give you the credentials to teach, students at Southern are being equipped to serve not only as missionaries, but also as theological educators. This is not only a global missions opportunity. It is a long-term investment in the health of the global church.

The question isn’t whether this need exists. It’s whether God is calling you to help meet it. If doctoral education for global theological training resonates with you, let’s talk about how Southern’s programs can equip you for this critical work.

Quick Reference of Upcoming Term Dates:

• Current Week: Summer, Week 3 (June 16–22)

• Fall 1 Term Begins: August 4, 2025

• Fall 2 Term Begins: October 6, 2025

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