December 2008

30 December by Tony K

2008 Is History – So What?

6 comments

It’s that time of year again, where everyone wants to reflect on the near term history. So, what mattered most in 2008? What impacted you – was it a news story, a personal event, SBC issue or something else? Leave your comments below.

29 December by Tony K

Study Notes Or Plain Text: Which Bible Is Better?

14 comments

This Christmas, my church purchased ESV study Bibles for Sunday School teachers. The thinking was to give them an all-in-one resource to help them work out sticky passages and better grasp the meaning of the Bible. But there is a downside to these type of Bibles, even if they are very well done. I’ve often [...]

23 December by Todd Burus

No More Heroes

4 comments

I was listening to a sermon by John Piper on my iTunes the other day when he said something that really intrigued me. Now, Dr. Piper often says things which I find stimulating and inspiring, but this little blurb hit me harder than most. He said, “Following Jesus is first and foremost not heroic!” Not [...]

22 December by Tony K

Should Preaching Be The #1 Priority Of The Church?

49 comments

The centrality of preaching has been on my mind lately. Mainly because of some conviction God has been giving, and also because of some excellent books I’m reading. For example, I read this statement by Dr. Mohler in his contribution to the book Feed My Sheep: A Passionate Plea For Preaching. “This is not to [...]

20 December by Tony K

Have We Really Fallen This Far?

28 comments

Once upon a time, Southern Baptists believed the church had a mission. We held that our aim and authority came from the mouth of Jesus himself when he said, “Go and make disciples of all nations.” (Matthew 28:18-20). So, churches were specialists in one thing. That one thing was proclaiming the Gospel so that the [...]

19 December by Tony K

Is It Wrong To Mock Other Preachers?

10 comments

I was about to post a video that used satire to highlight some flaws in contemporary preaching, but something stopped me. While the video made some great points, I began to think about the hubris it takes for me to scoff at God’s ministers. Who am I to pass judgment on another congregation’s shepherd? At [...]

18 December by Tony K

Marketing The Cooperative Program

6 comments

LifeWay Research is constantly releasing new data and helpful insights. But the most interesting part of their latest study was the purpose of the research. This new study was “conducted on behalf of the SBC’s Executive Committee.” I would like to address the purpose of this research. Here is the stated purpose of the XComm [...]

17 December by Tony K

Southwestern Seminary $3.5 Million Shortfall

SWBTS has announced it must cut at least $3.5 million (about 10%) in expenses this year. The seminary is attempting to limit cuts to current employees or faculty, but “current economic trends would make this goal difficult to achieve.”  Two programs have already been suspended: Naylor Children’s Center, a laboratory school under the direction of [...]

17 December by Tony K

BF&M: Regeneration Comes Before Faith

59 comments

This post is inspired by a recent blog by Peter Lumpkins that details some views of B.H. Carroll on regeneration. I enjoy Peter’s writing, especially when I disagree with him. This is the mark of all competent writers. But what caught my attention was this sentence: Carroll clearly rejected Founders’ strange insistence upon “regeneration precedes [...]

16 December by Tony K

The Money Quote: What To Expect From The Cooperative Program

7 comments

Many have been guessing, including me, that the Cooperative Program is in trouble over the next few years. There is no prophecy in that statement, just sniffing the wind and thinking through some demographics. But the 2008 – 2009 global recession is already making the situation deteriorate much faster. In a recent letter from Southern [...]

15 December by Tony K

Southern Seminary Facing Layoffs & Tuition Increases?

4 comments

According to an lengthy email sent tonight by Dr. Mohler’s office, the seminary is facing a budget shortfall of up to $3.2 million for the remainder of this academic year. The President spoke of aggressive actions to balance the Seminary’s budget including: a hiring freeze on non-critical positions reductions in travel and related expenses an [...]

15 December by Todd Burus

The Error of Manufacturing Holiness

Some of the most eye-opening indictments on our own failings as the Church come when we look back to the warnings that the Old Testament prophets delivered to Israel. One such warning that struck me acutely is found in the book of Haggai. In chapter 2, verse 12, Haggai asks the priests presiding over the [...]

11 December by Matt Svoboda

Should We Change Our Name?

41 comments

I love the Southern Baptist Convention.  I am a Southern Baptist by conviction.  Theologically and missions wise I feel that the Southern Baptist Convention is the strongest.  I love the influence that the SBC has, but could our name be hurting our influence?  Could the name ‘Southern Baptist Convention‘ actually be holding our convention back? [...]

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