Archives for 2013

It is Saturday morning. You are sitting on the back deck of your home. You are drinking coffee, strong and black. You normally drink a lot of coffee because you like it. However, you have been drinking much more of it for the last three days. One reason is because you are not very hungry so you are drinking coffee just so you will not be sitting at the table with your family staring off into another world as they try to eat their meals. However, you have noticed that your wife and teenage children are not eating much either. In addition, the normal table talk that takes place during meal times … [Read more...] about WHAT WOULD YOU DO? PART TWO (by CB Scott)

Strange things are happening for bloggers in the SBC. It was not long ago we were institutional pariahs viewed with horror and antipathy by the leaders of the SBC; regularly and roundly blasted by them. It was not unusual to sit at the SBC and hear pot-shots taken at us by people who claimed not to read anything we wrote, recommended that we be ignored, but still took the time to train their guns on us. It wasn't that long ago. Things have changed now. Both VPs of the SBC are bloggers. Entity heads are building bridges with us instead of seeking to burn them down. One of the must-read … [Read more...] about So, You Want to Be a Blogger…

Our esteemed and honored 1st VP suggested something on Facebook, and in the space of about 3 minutes, we have the core of a plan. However, its an idea that would require some pre-planning and organization, so I thought I'd float it and see what the folks at Voices thought of the idea. The SBC is in Baltimore next year. Baltimore is near Washington DC. I'm guessing most of you are aware that Washington DC is where the President and Congress work? I went over that for the sake of our SEC fans. Anyway, we were thinking of gathering in Washington DC, perhaps on Saturday before the … [Read more...] about An Idea for Baltimore 2014

You clicked here because of the title. If you are a blogger hopefully you know by now that one of the most important things you do as an author is craft a catchy title. To create an effective title you need one that predicts the content, promises reward for reading it, perks interest,paces the article, and promotes it to search engines and social media. Here is what I mean: Don’t put ‘Super Bowl’ in your title just because the game is on. Especially if your article is about the French Revolution. The title needs to predict the content. Put words like How, Quick, Why, What, etc. in … [Read more...] about Quick Tips for Writing Effective Blog Titles

"You never met a fence you didn't straddle."  Those were the words of a "frenemy" - someone I enjoy interacting with in the real world, but usually cross swords with online. We were discussing the Gospel Project breakfast in Houston and the interesting discussion between Ed Stetzer, Eric Hankins, Trevin Wax and Jonathan Akin. Akin articulated a hardcore "Christ-centered" hermeneutic. Eric Hankins advocated a hermeneutic that was more grammatical-historical and emphasized authorial intent more strongly. Trevin seemed, to me at least, to fall in between the two in his approach. I told this … [Read more...] about When Harsh Words Are God’s Will

For those who are familiar with my writing, this will come as no surprise: personal stories that examine the point of encounter between life and theology fascinate me.  However, I do not "out" people, spewing their private struggles across the internet for all to see.  Personal stories inspire my thoughts and drive my writing, yet I am not writing about any one person.  If you see yourself or someone you know in my  reflections, it is only because I'm referencing experiences that are far more common than any of us realize. Jeffrey is a Christian. He reads his Bible.  He lives as a … [Read more...] about Daily Wrongs and Consistent Forgiveness

“His mouth is most sweet….” Who may measure the sweetness which flows from the mouth of our dear Savior?! What a boundless metaphor of the beauty and distinguishing character of Him who is Altogether Lovely! He opens His mouth and endless rivers of salvation, comfort, and assurance pour forth in resplendent beauty. He but speaks and the winds and waves of this life’s trials obey His omnipotent voice. He whispers sweet words of peace and our troubled souls are afforded refuge in the midst of storms. Indeed, the words of his mouth are most sweet! Consider the posit of ancient Job, who … [Read more...] about “HIS MOUTH IS MOST SWEET” Song of Solomon 5:16 (by Randall Cofield)

I watched this clip earlier today: I’ve played Xbox with people like this before. Their joy is contagious. Their giddiness transcends the game itself and makes you want to enter into their happiness. I want to be this guy when I’m 84 (actually when I’m 34--which isn’t far away). And I want my son to be this guy too. That has me wondering what I can do not only in my own life but also in the life of my son to teach him not to take himself so seriously. Here’s what I’ve come up with. To the veteran dads that have cultivated the grace of a good time in the life of their children I could … [Read more...] about Teaching a Little Boy Not to Take Himself So Seriously

Dr. David W. Manner is the Associate Executive Director for the Kansas-Nebraska Convention of Southern Baptists. He blogs at  http://kncsb.org/blogs/dmanner . You can follow him on Twitter:  @dwmanner.  Now that I have your undivided attention, I do believe that full-time worship ministry is indeed a worthy calling and vocation that requires preparation, education and skills. And yes, it is a real job. But what if opportunities were no longer available for you to lead worship vocationally? What if you needed to voluntarily or were asked involuntarily to step aside from full-time worship … [Read more...] about Worship Leaders – Get a Real Job! (by Dr. David Manner)