Archives for 2013

That title is misleading. It needs to be more Edwardsean to be accurate. It should be titled How a Wrong-Headed Application of Jonathan Edwards Has Nearly Made Shipwreck of My Soul. Let me explain. About seven years ago I read this Resolution of Jonathan Edwards: 5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can. Since that moment I have made it my ambition to not lose one moment of time for the glory of God. I have failed at this on numerous occasions. But one thing you could say about me is that I have been driven. I have been driven to … [Read more...] about How Jonathan Edwards Wrecked My Soul

For those of you participating in the Fat Pastor, Fit Pastor Challenge, it is time for our first weigh-in and progress report. You can post your weigh-in numbers here if you are brave, or you can send them to my Voices email (yes, it's real - davemillerisajerk@hotmail.com ).  I am off on a long walk/hike with my lovely wife, so let us know what's happening, guys! By the way, if you've had a bad month and failed - we still want you to be a part of this challenge. Do better next month! God bless you. … [Read more...] about Fat Pastor, Fit Pastor Challenge: It’s Weigh-In Time

A friend took me out to a little tea shop for some “fellowship” one day about 3 years ago – someone I had known in high school and had only recently reconnected with. I was actually doing some ministry where he lived and worked and he was my host. It was great to catch up and renew our friendship. But then, that day, he dropped a bomb on me. I don’t remember his exact words, but it was something like this. “Dave, you make a lot of jokes about your weight, but maybe you should start taking this a little more seriously.” He is my age, but a highly conditioned athlete who has remained … [Read more...] about Fat Pastor, Fit Pastor: Speaking the Truth in Love

This week we will complete the 31 Day Pray For Your Wife Challenge. It has been an amazing experience to dedicate an entire month to pray for my wife. I believe other men have been blessed as well. I’ve been taken aback by the way that God has answered prayers in the life of these men. Many have asked how they could continue praying for their wives. I know I intend to keep praying for my wife as well. To help men continue to pray for their wives, and to extend this beyond the initial group, I’ve decided to make available a free eBook for all those that participated in the prayer … [Read more...] about Free Pray For Your Wife eBook

Joshua Breland blogs at "A Return to Faith." Right now, there are jaded people among your church body. Some are laypeople, some are deacons, some are perhaps elders or pastors. But know this, there are Christians in your congregation who are hurting and struggling with their faith and their relationship to the church. Merriam-Webster can help us understand what I mean by “jaded”: jaded: made dull, apathetic, or cynical by experience Merriam-Webster accurately describes where I am at in regards to the local church, Christian organizations, and theSouthern Baptist Convention. I do not admit … [Read more...] about Love The Jaded Among The Church (by Joshua Breland)

My wife and I were at the Mall of America on Monday, part of our celebration of our 35th wedding anniversary. We were wandering that behemoth aimlessly when we found the fourth floor cinema. Jenni wanted to see the movie "The Butler." I wasn't excited about seeing that movie, but I went to please my wife. I was wrong. She was right. This is a must-see movie for every American. It is a powerful and moving portrayal of the progress of race relations in America from the despicable era of desegregation to the election of a black president in 2008. I am aware that some of the more strident … [Read more...] about Lee Daniel’s “The Butler” – A Powerful Telling of the Race Story in America

Alan Cross blogs at Downshore Drift. Today marks the 50th Anniversary of one of the most important speeches in American history, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's "I Have a Dream" speech given on the Washington Mall on August 28, 1963. It marked a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement and it had such galvanizing power because it called America back to who we claimed to really be. It lifted up our nation to what we were supposed to be - to what we could be together. An excerpt: I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will … [Read more...] about Is Dr. King’s Dream Dead? (by Alan Cross)

Joel Rainey is the Director of Missions at Mid-Maryland Baptist Association, an adjunct professor at Capital Bible Seminary and blogs at Themelios. This post was originally published at his site. Much is being written of late about the milennial generation (b. 1978-circa 2000) and the profound effect they are already having on our culture, including the western church.  Since two members of that generation live in the same house as me, I have a front-row seat to how their perceptions, choices, and preferences are driving everything from marketing and education to social policy and perceptions … [Read more...] about The Promise and Peril of Young Evangelicals: Passion, Politics, and Idolatry (by Joel Rainey)

A few weeks ago, someone raised a question in a comment regarding church discipline. I don't remember exactly how it was phrased or who raised it. What I recall as the essence of the question was this: What is church discipline, specifically in a Baptist context? Which is, of course, a great question. I would attempt to give you a blog-length answer, and I will start at the end and work backwards. The first point to consider is this: What is a "Baptist context?" What is it about Baptists that makes this question different? Here are some key truths regarding Baptists that matter for … [Read more...] about Church Discipline