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Dave Miller

Southern Baptist Identity: A Journey in Denominational Self-Discovery

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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

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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

The Culture of the Moral Negative

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America has now become a “Culture of the Moral Negative.” I am not talking about “negativity,” the bogie man of the new age.   Actually, I am convinced negativity can be honorable.  Of God’s ten laws, eight of them are stated in the negative.  “Thou shalt not.”  That is an 80% negativity rate - from God.  Flawed human beings need limits to inhibit our sinful behavior. But that is another topic. I am talking about the kind of negative we used to get when cameras had something called film inside.   On the photographic negative, everything was reversed; dark colors appear as light and light … [Read more...] about The Culture of the Moral Negative

A Word of Warning about Change in Churches

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I was such a young whippersnapper when I went to seminary. I graduated from college at age 20 and from SWBTS (M.Div) at age 23, so I am really not kidding. I was a seminary grad before I could grow any significant facial hair. I had been active in churches and raised as a pastor's son, but I had very little practical knowledge of what it took to pastor a church. I learned a lot about theology, Greek and Hebrew and inductive Bible study (in my days at Dallas Seminary) and I got a lot of "practical" advice, most of which I had no frame of reference to judge. So, being the self-important young … [Read more...] about A Word of Warning about Change in Churches

Will We Gain the White House and Lose Our Souls?

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Let me start off by making two statements, just to clarify. I want to see a new occupant in the White House in 2013, in the worst way. I think Barack Obama's policies are dangerous and destructive to the future of America. I don't have a huge problem voting for a Mormon to be the next president. Romney was not my first choice (Tim Pawlenty), my second choice (Herman Cain) or my third choice (Rick Santorum - for whom I caucused). His false religion was a part of my desire to find another candidate. But when he became the nominee, I made peace with that. So, I am a conservative … [Read more...] about Will We Gain the White House and Lose Our Souls?

Whither “Prayer Meeting?”

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It wasn't that long ago that Baptist churches were marked by five key services a week - Sunday School, Morning Worship, Training Union, Evening Worship and Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting. Training union was the first to enter the endangered species list, and Sunday night worship is not far behind. I would guess that Sunday night worship is now held at a minority of Baptist churches, but I've not seen statistical evidence on that. Certainly, it is true in Iowa. Wednesday night prayer meeting may be the next on that list. I am just wondering, as a discussion question, what you do at your … [Read more...] about Whither “Prayer Meeting?”

How Much Discipleship Ought We Do BEFORE Baptism?

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If you have been in ministry any length of time, you could compile a list for me of people who have offered themselves for baptism, seemed to know all the right answers and evidenced a strong profession of faith. Then, after the baptism, the faith that flamed fizzles fast. Where are they now? Who knows? It is an all-too-common story. And any genuine minister of the gospel is bothered by that story. Did I fail to examine the candidate for baptism well enough? Should I have done something more? Something different? One human and understandable response to this unfortunate story is for … [Read more...] about How Much Discipleship Ought We Do BEFORE Baptism?

Two Lists Worth Reading

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I perused two blog posts today - both were lists.  Both were worth reading and devoting some time to. The first was from Ron Edmondson and the post was called "7 of my biggest frustrations as a leader." He mentioned pettiness, selfishness, rudeness, narrow-mindedness, stubbornness, unforgiveness and recklessness. These are also evident in large supply in the blogging world (as are just about every form of fleshly behavior).  But what is most chilling is how often I see them in me. But the prize for "he stopped preaching and started meddling" goes to Joe Thorn, who wrote, "25 Marks of … [Read more...] about Two Lists Worth Reading