The next When Heaven and Earth Collide podcast interview is up with Dr. Danny Akin, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Dr. Akin and I have a wide-ranging conversation about how loving and ministering to immigrants coming to America relates to Scriptural commands involving the Great Commission and loving our neighbor. Dr. Akin calls upon Christians to engage immigrants with the gospel, with service and sacrificial love, and to put aside fear of others and trust Christ in what God is doing in the people movements around the world. I asked Dr. Akin what he thought should … [Read more...] about Danny Akin Interview on the Great Commission, Immigration, and Rejecting Fear
Archives for July 2016
NONE of the Above: An Examination of Our Election Options
I've been voting since the first time an unelected president ran for reelection. You politics geeks can figure that one out, right? By my count, I've voted for president 10 times and I'm batting .500. This was going to be a tie-breaker election for me but now I'm seriously considering whether I should even vote at all. I know that offends some who consider voting a sacred duty, but so far I've found absolutely no options for me. So now, post-convention, in this break before the real electioneering fires up, I have a few things to say. After I say them, it is my intent to retire from writing … [Read more...] about NONE of the Above: An Examination of Our Election Options
Why do we teach?
As much as we gather to sing praises to God and to pray for one another, much of what we do as churches is to teach. This teaching takes different forms: large group, small group, and one-on-one. It uses different methods: sermons, Sunday School lessons, books, and videos. Yet, what is our goal in teaching? Paul wrote to Timothy, who he urged to stay on in Ephesus, to encourage the church and its teachers away from false and divisive teachings. They were to avoid clinging to “myths and endless genealogies” for such “breeds disputes” (1 Timothy 1:3-4). Rather, Paul urged “the instruction … [Read more...] about Why do we teach?
A Modest Proposal about the Sinner’s Prayer
Is it possibly a sign of our partisan ways that one of the most divisive things in the SBC today is the Sinner's Prayer? I attended a men's breakfast this morning where a nationally known sports figure was the featured speaker. Around 800 men (well, there were a few women who crashed the testosterone party!) ate a hearty meal then listened to this man share his life story and make a gospel presentation. All in all, I would say it was a biblically grounded message - I don't think even some of the angriest of the discernment bloggers would have found too much to quarrel with in his testimony … [Read more...] about A Modest Proposal about the Sinner’s Prayer
Richard Land Interview On Immigration Reform and the Rule of Law
The When Heaven and Earth Collide podcast airs next an interview that I conducted in June at the Southern Baptist Convention with Dr. Richard Land, president of Southern Evangelical Seminary in Charlotte, NC. Dr. Land is the former long-time president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) where he also helped organize the Evangelical Immigration Table (EIT) and was a founding member. I hosted an Evangelical Immigration Table booth at the SBC and was able to conduct almost two dozen interviews with Southern Baptist pastors and leaders, including Dr. … [Read more...] about Richard Land Interview On Immigration Reform and the Rule of Law
Ah, those pastoral ministry expectations
Brethren, we cannot all be large and megachurch pastors. You believe that God has called you to the Christian ministry so you leave the job you have and make a considerable investment in a seminary education in terms of finances, time, and family disruption. You rightly and properly understand that your new occupation, “calling” is the term you prefer, is sanctioned by God Himself and is a good work, an important work representing the Lord Himself in a local community, sharing the eternal Gospel and being a leader in Kingdom work. Then you take a church and struggle with congregational … [Read more...] about Ah, those pastoral ministry expectations
Podcast Interview on Immigrant Ministry/Advocacy and Religious Freedom with Bart Barber
I am launching a new podcast on my blog entitled When Heaven and Earth Collide, based on concepts that I covered in my 2014 book by the same name about how Jesus enables us to "tell a better story" in a world full of strife, violence, and division. Back at the SBC in June, at the Evangelical Immigration Table (EIT) booth that we hosted, I interviewed around 20 SBC leaders about their thoughts on immigrant ministry/advocacy, what God might be doing in and through global people movements (Diaspora Missions), what the church could do, and what the church had to say to a watching world that was in … [Read more...] about Podcast Interview on Immigrant Ministry/Advocacy and Religious Freedom with Bart Barber
The strange world of SBC baptism statistics
How should the guy in the pew react when he sees a headline like "IMB Baptisms hit lowest level since 1969"? Overseas baptisms for 2015 dropped to 54,762 from the 190,957 reported for 2014, according to information submitted by the International Mission Board in response to a request by the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee. Likewise, the number of new churches fell from 13,824 to 3,842 over the same one-year period. The baptism figure represents the lowest level reported in 46 years. Or when we get the annual statistical report which most years includes the depressing … [Read more...] about The strange world of SBC baptism statistics
Red Cup Redux (or: missions giving must be in our blood)
It was about a year ago that us Southern Baptists learned a somber truth: our International Mission Board had been deficit spending for several years and selling property to try to make ends meet to support the almost 5000 foreign missionaries on the field. This was not sustainable and to break even the IMB would need to find a way to bring hundreds of missionaries back home. The shock rippled throughout our churches and challenges were issued. If we did not find a way to increase support to our missions organizations then we were going to lose many seasoned frontline troops in the war to … [Read more...] about Red Cup Redux (or: missions giving must be in our blood)
Request for Reading Lists and Materials : Your Top Five Recommendations
Try never to be the smartest person in the room. And if you are, I suggest you invite smarter people … or find a different room. - Michael Dell A tremendous challenge I face as an international missionary is being, in a manner of speaking, the smartest person in the room, biblically speaking. My job is evangelism, church planting, and discipleship and as such, leadership deliberately places me in areas where Christians are few. As a result, I lack the fellowship of mature believers with more experience, knowledge, learning, and age who can challenge me. Even when local brothers in Christ … [Read more...] about Request for Reading Lists and Materials : Your Top Five Recommendations