Dave Miller

I was having one of my regular bouts with insomnia Monday night and I started perusing blogs.  There have been several articles in the last week or so that have been very critical of one of the past presidents of the Southern Baptist Convention, Dr. James Merritt.  He was, for a time, involved in some way in a financial program called Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing.  I had never heard of it until blog posts appeared questioning the organization and criticizing Merritt for his involvement in it. There was a video of Dr. Merritt posted on several sites in which he spoke highly of FHTM and even how … [Read more...] about Dr. James Merritt: FHTM and His Blogging Critics – His Response

I wrote an article Monday at sbcIMPACT about Harry Potter.  In it, I admitted my deep, dark secret - I'm a fan of the books and movies.  But I'm also a little wary about the subject.  Below is my original post, then some very insightful comments by David Rogers that present a reasonable case for why Christians should be careful about the Potter phenomena.  Both David and I believe this is a matter of liberty and conscience, but that does not mean that Christians should fail to exhibit discernment. So, here is my original post and David's comments.  Let us know what you think. TRUE … [Read more...] about A Christian Liberty Debate: What about Harry Potter?

I have had two conversations recently that revealed a similar concept, that if two Christians disagree on some theological or lifestyle issue, one or both of them is "in sin" and should repent.  Is that really true?  Are differences in doctrine rooted in sin?  Must disagreements be settled by repentance? Dr. Malcolm Yarnell of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary created some controversy a few years ago at the height of the Baptist Identity debate among Southern Baptists.  We believe that baptism is meant to be performed after conversion by immersion - that's why we are called … [Read more...] about Is It a Sin to Disagree? Picket Fence Doctrine: Brick Walls, Picket Fences (8)

I was in the middle of a series of posts entitled “Brick Walls and Picket Fences” a few months ago and got sidelined from it.  I continue to believe that one of the greatest needs in the SBC (and the greater evangelical church) is for us learn to balance the pursuit of doctrinal correctness and unity.  I have previously made 8 posts in this series, and plan to take it up again. You will notice the similarity between this and Dr. Mohler's Theological Triage rubric.  There are both similarities and differences.  The concept of both is that all doctrine is true but that does not mean that … [Read more...] about “Why Build a Brick Wall When a Picket Fence Will Do?” Brick Walls and Picket Fences (7)

This prayer has made the rounds and just about every blog has weighed in. Here's your chance. Is this a light and funny moment in which, as Pastor Nelms said, he obeyed the biblical injunction to "in everything give thanks?" Or was this a sacrilege against Christ? Did this Baptist (I'm not sure if he is Southern Baptist - no evidence that he is) pastor seem more intent on seeking God or on entertaining the crowds? Is it appropriate to give thanks for your "smoking hot wife?" And is saying, "In Jesus' name, boogety-boogety-boogety" an appropriate close? I love humor. I love a good … [Read more...] about Best Prayer Ever? Or an Embarrassment? You Make the Call!

It is crass to use a tragedy to buttress a political point, but it is a common tendency among politicians and theologians alike.  While the numerical decline in the SBC can hardly be classified as a tragedy compared to events in Norway, the way that everyone has used the statistics to make their point is an example of this tendency.  "Numbers are down so we have to seek new ways to relate to the culture." "Numbers are down so we have to go back to the traditional ways." When something bad occurs, we often want to use it make our point.  The greater the tragedy, the more tawdry the instinct to … [Read more...] about The Norway Murders, Christian Fundamentalism, and Media Bias

I read a post by Laura Ingraham that was a tease for a new book she is writing.  She listed several signs we are in a cultural meltdown: When our kids know more about the Kardashians than the Constitution-- When Ke$ha's "Get Sleazy" tour becomes the favorite summer stop for the tween set-- When grown men share their girlfriends' concealer and eyeliner-- When parents name their children after appliances, fruits, numbers, and one of the five boroughs of New York-- When people nurture their virtual crops on Farmville while subsisting on Lucky Charms in their parents' basements-- I … [Read more...] about You Know You Are in a Cultural Meltdown When…

After the compensation study we have been discussing, I decided to edit and reprint an article I published here in December.  Let me be clear, I am stating MY CONVICTIONS.  While I believe they have a biblical basis, I am not trying to make them a universal demand for all. I got my first paycheck from a church in 1980, and have been in "full-time Christian ministry" for the last 30 years.  I served as a youth pastor for five years in Tequesta, Florida, as a pastor for 4 years in Drakes Branch, Virginia, and am approaching my 20th year of ministry in Iowa - over 14 in Cedar Rapids and the last … [Read more...] about My Personal Conviction: I Will Not Negotiate Salary with my Churches

Dr. Nathan Finn, a prof at SEBTS, is doing a series of posts on Baptist Identity at his blog, "One Baptist Perspective."  It is a must-read for all of us who call ourselves Baptists. I think he is on his fourth or fifth post in the series - his blog posts appear on our blogroll on the left of the main pain.  Go back and read the whole series if you have missed it so far. Good stuff. … [Read more...] about Nathan Finn’s “Baptist Identity” Series – A MUST READ!! (Don’t argue! Because I said so, that’s why!)

I'm on vacation and I'm not going to take the time to write much here.  I've got a grandson to spoil and a limited time in which to do it.  I remember being frustrated when my kids would come home from my parents house and we had to spend a day "detoxing" them and reminding them that rules have to be obeyed.  It is much more fun on the other end - doing the spoiling and letting Faith and Josh worry about it later. 1)  I had a thought, and don't really have the time to work it through.  The Bible says that God loves us like a father.  I think of how I look at my grandson and there is just an … [Read more...] about Random Thoughts from the Black Hills