The next big thing in the Calvinism debate within the SBC has arrived. Ever since it was posted over on SBC Today, “A Statement of the Traditional Southern Baptist Understanding of God’s Plan of Salvation” has been gathering attention in comment streams and many blogs, including this one. This Statement attempts to define a common […]
A Calvinist Anthem
Though it’s quieted down a lot regarding Lifeway’s The Gospel Project, I thought I’d stoke the fires again. All the concerns about how some subtle Calvinistic influence will confuse church members and cause frustration and discord in otherwise non-Calvinist Baptist churches because of this material are a little melodramatic. After all, I’m quite confident that […]
Calvinists and The Gospel Project
I’ve been seeing a lot of criticism of Lifeway’s new curriculum, The Gospel Project, and it all revolves around Calvinism. Of course, I have yet to read a critical article from someone who actually claims to have read any of the materials that are posted online or cited them to prove their accusations. Many claims […]
Lot’s Lament: A New Take on the Direct TV Commercials (Gen 13, 19)
When you trust in wealth more than God, you move to a wealthy wicked city. When you move to a wealthy, wicked city, you don’t quite fit in. When you don’t quite fit in, people want to molest your house guests. When people want to molest your house guests, God destroys your city with sulfur […]
A Look at Jesus Messiah
For a while now I’ve thought about doing a special discipleship group or evening presentation about some of the songs we sing and what they teach us about God, the church, and the gospel. I’ve written once or twice about what songs communicate, and I’d like to look at another one that many of us […]
Sixteen Reasons Not To Read any More Articles on the Name Change (or Why the Lone Ranger Didn’t Ride a Hobby Horse)
1 SBC Name Change: What I HOPE Happens Today 2/20 2 My Wife Lucretia 2/20 3 Legally: SBC // Informally: Great Commission Baptists 2/20 4 Observations on “Great Commission Baptists” 2/20 5 The “Great Cop-Out Baptist” Convention 2/21 6 How Nicknames Work 2/21 7 Skirting Southern Sin 2/23 8 Why I Like “Great Commission Baptists” […]
Work Matters: A Book Review
Work Matters: Connecting Sunday Worship with Monday Work. Tom Nelson. Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2011. 234 pp. $15.99 Work Matters is a welcome addition to my digital bookshelf because Tom Nelson, writing as a pastor, has effectively bridged the gap not only between Sunday worship and Monday work, but between the pastorate and the laity. I’ve […]
Musings on Resolutions (updated)
This post is modified from one that appeared two years ago on sbcIMPACT. “Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God’s help, I do humbly entreat him by his grace to enable me to keep these resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ’s sake.” Thus begins […]
“Pleased as man with men to dwell”
This line from the song “Hark! the Herald Angels Sing” is one of my favorites from all Christmas songs. This line, from a later verse of the song, speaks of Christ in a rather poetic (and memorable) fashion that makes the ear tingle and the heart raise. I think one of the reasons why hymns […]
Applying Lessons from Penn State to Pine Chapel
The news and the general blogosphere have been giving a bigger emphasis to issues of child abuse and criminal sexual misconduct since the Penn State scandal broke loose. Within a short period of time Albert Mohler, President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, updated the school’s policy regarding the obligation to report instances of child […]
Theological Discrimination in Kentucky
After reading Dr. Steve Lemke’s first post on SBC Today about the decision of the Daviess-McLean Baptist Association in Kentucky to not allow Pleasant Valley Community Church to join their association, I began drafting a response. He stated he would post a second time, so I waited until I could read his whole argument. That […]