What makes someone a Pharisee? We have a tendency to use the term as a pejorative, to label those with whom we disagree. It is common for those who lean a little to the left to label fundamentalists and conservatives as Pharisees. The appellation was common, and I believe largely unfair, in the Baptist Identity debate that dominated Baptist blogs a few years back. We tend to put this bullet in the gun and aim it at those on the other side of whatever debate in which we are currently involved. That is not what this series of posts is going to be about. There is little to be gained from … [Read more...] about You Might Be a Pharisee If…You Attempt in the Flesh What Only God Can Do
Am I a Pharisee? (Introduction)
We live in a world of laws. There is, for instance, the law of gravity – one that I have grown less enthused about as I have grown older and heavier. There are the laws of thermodynamics and physics and mathematics – most of which I do not really understand. There are also laws of human interaction, observations about the way things are in our crazy world. Perhaps the most famous of those laws is the one that takes effect every time I pick up a tool to try to do something mechanical – Murphy’s Law. If anything can go wrong, IT WILL! There is another law, which perhaps, like the pirates … [Read more...] about Am I a Pharisee? (Introduction)
Six Tips for Helping the Busiest of Pastors to Start Writing
In his book, 25 Principles for Leadership That Matters, Albert Mohler states that, “Leaders who want to make a difference, and to make that difference last, must write.” I am passionate about writing. I’ve often wondered if I’m a pastor who writes or a writer who pastors. In actuality I don’t think these two can be easily separated. Writing is a huge part of my pastoral ministry. It’s easy for me to heed Mohler’s advice to write. Other pastors have to work harder at writing. For those of you that read my article yesterday on 7 Reasons Why Pastors Should Be Writers, and immediately thought … [Read more...] about Six Tips for Helping the Busiest of Pastors to Start Writing
When a Leader Leads: Dr. Paul Chitwood’s Response to Campbellsville University
I have written many an article questioning the decisions and actions of those in leadership in our convention. I think it is one of blogging's purposes and, if done rightly, a way that our big ol' blogging mouths can serve the convention well. It is also important that we note leaders who lead well. Dr. Paul Chitwood is one of those leaders. He is the Executive Director of the Kentucky Baptist Convention and is demonstrating repeatedly that he should and can be an important leader for our denomination's future. Last year, he sponsored a conference on Calvinism that attempted to bridge the … [Read more...] about When a Leader Leads: Dr. Paul Chitwood’s Response to Campbellsville University
The “Old Path” Is Not Always the Best Path – The KJV Is a Great Example!
I've seen it several times recently. "We are following the old paths!" I got an invitation to an "Old-Fashioned" tent revival. As the modern world rushes headlong in new, strange and frightening ways, there is a tendency for us to try to hold on to what is old, what is comfortable - that which we have known. We look back to the middle of the 20th Century as a golden age for the church (well, white Americans do - blacks probably don't remember that era of church-approved racism, discrimination and segregation quite so fondly!). I've known people (lots of them) who think that everything that … [Read more...] about The “Old Path” Is Not Always the Best Path – The KJV Is a Great Example!
The SBC Needs Some J. Lee Gradys!
J. Lee Grady is a former editor of Charisma magazine and the director of The Mordecai Project, who still writes for the magazine. Charisma is a leading charismatic journal, one with which most of us would have a lot of disagreement. I read a recent Charisma article by him, "No More Pentecostal Popemobiles." It was a great article on its own merits, but it also was an example of what we need to see more of in the SBC. In the article, he suggests that charismatics draw a line in the sand and not put up with any more shenanigans from big name charismatic preachers. NO MORE BODYGUARDS. We have … [Read more...] about The SBC Needs Some J. Lee Gradys!
A Word From an Inadequate Preacher
All genuine preaching is rooted in a feeling of desperation. You wake up on Sunday morning and you can smell the smoke of hell on one side and feel the crisp breezes of heaven on the other. You go to your study and look down at your pitiful manuscript, and you kneel down and cry, ‘O God, this is so weak! Who do I think I am? What audacity to think that in three hours my words will be the odor of death to death and the fragrance of life to life (2 Cor. 2:16). My God, who is sufficient for these things?” -John Piper, The Supremacy of God in Preaching, 41-42 If a pastor is not convinced that he … [Read more...] about A Word From an Inadequate Preacher
Why I Almost Hope They Don’t Catch The Boston Bomber
The key word there is almost. I do hope they catch the Boston bomber(s) and that whoever it may be is actually brought to justice. It’s okay to pray for justice. So long as we know what we are actually praying for. But part of me hopes that they never catch the bomber. I say this because of the irresponsibility of our media and because of our growing culture of narcissism. At present we don’t know the identity of the bomber(s). We know nothing of his/her story. We can’t put a face to it. There are no stories asking, “What caused _____ to do this?” Because of that our attention has to … [Read more...] about Why I Almost Hope They Don’t Catch The Boston Bomber
A Word to Weary Pastors
“75% of pastors report severe stress causing anguish, worry, bewilderment, anger, depression, fear, and alienation.” –Pastor Burnout In the loneliness of the pastors office, with the walls closing in around him, the pastor mumbles to himself. “Why do I even do this?” With complaints and unhelpful criticism assaulting his fraying mind he stares at a stack of papers and books that cry for his attention. As he sits down on Friday afternoon to begin sermon preparation, his mind wanders to all of the ministers that are faltering, marriages crashing, teenagers rebelling. It’s no wonder that he asks … [Read more...] about A Word to Weary Pastors
Make Disciples, not Clones
We are waist deep in a new focus on discipleship, but I want to touch an issue that I am seeing in our new "culture of discipleship". We are working hard to make a packaged product that we can use, calling it multiplication and reproduction, but it's more like cloning. Reproducing disciples is good, cloning however is not working. We can see the difference with a simple look at biology. In reproduction, a new individual is created that has similarities to the parents, but is unique. This new individual has opportunity to grow and mature in it's own way. It's a unique person. Cloning however … [Read more...] about Make Disciples, not Clones