Be nice. Tell us what you think. It seems to me that we will know the likely outcome when they are finished counting Florida and Ohio. Romney probably needs both. Who will control the House and Senate? … [Read more...] about An Election Night Open Forum
SBC Voices’ 2000th Post
When I was a coach, I was a little bit of a stats nut. I tend to be the same way with my blogging. We don't publish our numbers, but they are tracked. I can't help but look at them. This is the 2000th post in SBC Voices history! It might surprise no one that I have written the most posts - 582 to this point. Tony Kummer (our fearless leader) has published 196, Jared Moore has added 168, and Mike Leake has published 12o. No one else is above 100 posts. We've had posts from 29 people, in addition to 167 that are classified under our "Guest Blogger" designation. In the approximately 5 … [Read more...] about SBC Voices’ 2000th Post
Observations on the Democrat Process in This Republic
1) I am amazed that I am not required to show any form of ID to vote. Every election there are accusations of massive fraud and yet we still allow people to vote without the simple requirement that I demonstrate that I am David Miller from 4330 Old Lakeport Road and I am duly registered and qualified to vote. Is there any legitimate reason NOT to require people to show proof of their identity before voting other than the desire to keep open the option to engage in electoral fraud? 2) Has there ever been an election with as many moral and spiritual quandaries as this one? The evangelical … [Read more...] about Observations on the Democrat Process in This Republic
“LifeChanger Missions” – Reaching Out to the Forgotten Areas of the USA
When World Changers pulled out of several Midwestern cities (and other non-Southern areas), it became clear that if we wanted to have this wonderful ministry continue, we would have to do it as an independent partnership. So, we have formed a network of churches in Northwest Iowa to develop a new mission project called LifeChanger Missions. It provides similar ministry opportunities to those World Changers used to provide, but with lower overhead and significantly lower cost to those who volunteer. Here are some highlights about this new ministry: Vision statement: Changing lives one house … [Read more...] about “LifeChanger Missions” – Reaching Out to the Forgotten Areas of the USA
Almost More Evil than I Can Bear….
What are the three greatest evils facing America today? Well, since baseball season is over and the Boston Red Sox have imploded, the answer to that has to be the Nebraska Cornshuckers, the Notre Dame Fighting Evils and the Alabama Crimson Crud. All men and women of goodwill join in denouncing that evil regardless of denominational or political affiliation. We know that in a fallen world, injustice often prevails and evil prospers. I'm used to that, especially in college football. I never believed the church would go through the Tribulation, but I think most scholars would agree that the … [Read more...] about Almost More Evil than I Can Bear….
Dear Everyone….
There are only two reasons to use an apostrophe - a contracted word or a possessive noun. You don't need to use one any other time. Please stop. The "overuse" of "quotation marks" is both "rampant" and "annoying." There is no such word as irregardless. Their, there, and they're are three different words. Learn the difference. Same principle applies with to, too and two. Internet abbreviations (lol, etc) are as onerous as emoticons. The last book of the Bible is the Revelation-singular. One revelation of Jesus Christ, not many little Revelations. The word went should generally not be … [Read more...] about Dear Everyone….
Southern Baptist Identity: Southern Baptists in the 21st Century
This article is a reflection on "Southern Baptist Identity: An Evangelical Denomination Faces the Future," edited by David S. Dockery. This post is based on the Introduction, "Southern Baptists in the 21st Century," also by David Dockery. The introduction to this series appeared yesterday. How important is your rear-view mirror? It is an important aid in driving, but you cannot make progress through busy streets if all you do is stare behind you! I've known a few Baptists who are trying to steer toward the future by gazing only in their rear-view mirrors! Every problem we face has … [Read more...] about Southern Baptist Identity: Southern Baptists in the 21st Century
How Did Your Church Handle Halloween?
I carried on with prayer and Bible study, but the children's ministry took the night off. Some of the leaders stayed home and did some evangelistic stuff in neighborhoods. We had our "Fall Festival" last weekend. I was out of town and haven't heard how things went. Sounds like a lot of churches had Halloween parties (though the word never appears - its all Fall Festival or Harvest Night or whatever cover we use). Those draw big numbers but are they evangelistically effective? Let's talk about it … [Read more...] about How Did Your Church Handle Halloween?
Southern Baptist Identity: A Journey in Denominational Self-Discovery
I've always been a cutting-edge kind of guy! It is now 2012 and I am getting ready to review and comment on a book edited by David Dockery and published in 2009. That is an eternity in blog years. But I published a review of this book by Wes Kenney on July 11 and my appetite was whetted to read and respond to what the book teaches. So, I am going to begin a series of chapter-by-chapter analysis of this book. The book has an introduction by Dockery, fourteen chapters and a conclusion by Danny Akin. It has articles by such unknowns as Al Mohler, Paige Patterson, Timothy George, Morris … [Read more...] about Southern Baptist Identity: A Journey in Denominational Self-Discovery
Can We Measure God’s Pleasure? Examining Baptists’ Passion for Numbers
Several years ago, in the "Wild West" days of Baptist blogging, I read a comment made by a prominent blogger, the pastor of a large church, disdaining the viewpoints of several others bloggers who pastored much smaller churches. Because their churches were smaller than his, their opinions evidently carried less weight than his did. It was strange to see those words on the screen, but they represent a prevalent opinion in the Baptist world - that numbers are an obvious measure of God's blessings. We Baptists tend to be a "bigger is better" bunch. Our denomination is dominated by those who have … [Read more...] about Can We Measure God’s Pleasure? Examining Baptists’ Passion for Numbers