On April 14, I will have been a pastor in Iowa for twenty years. I spent 14 1/2 years in Cedar Rapids and now have been in Sioux City for (you could probably do the math yourself) nearly 5 1/2 years. Iowa has some pretty unpleasant winters (though Jeff Musgrave can probably tell stories that will make me feel like a Floridian). This morning when I drove my daughter to school, it was 11 degrees below zero - actual temps, not windchills. We had a pretty brutal storm on Monday, which dumped several inches of snow on us, which blew sideways in blizzard conditions. The snow let up during … [Read more...] about “Snowmageddon” and Why Your Theology Matters!
House Hunting with Spoiled Brats
I am laying on the floor of my family room right now, hovering between Stage 1 and Stage 2 of influenza. Stage 1: I want to die. Please let me die. Stage 2: I guess I'm going to live, but I'm not that thrilled about it. Stage 3: Jimmy Stewart on the Bridge - I want to live again, Clarence. I want to live. Over the last week, as I have dipped in and out of Stage 1, I have done more of one thing than ever before. I've watched HGTV. I live in the same house I've lived in for 5 years and have no plans to move or to sell any time soon. But I have gotten engrossed in "House Hunters," "House … [Read more...] about House Hunting with Spoiled Brats
If Any Doubts Remain about Planned Parenthood…
Watch this video. Planned Parenthood, New Jersey, counsels a man posing as a pimp and a woman who "works" for him how to skirt laws and get abortions and other services for girls as young as 14 who are working as prostitutes. The video is shocking, and not for the young or the weak of heart. But if anyone needs more evidence of the immorality or utter craven motives of Planned Parenthood, watch this video. What is shocking is how enthusiastic the Planned Parenthood worker is about advising this "pimp" on the ins and outs of skirting the law. She even gives advice about how to … [Read more...] about If Any Doubts Remain about Planned Parenthood…
Church or Super Bowl? An Old-School View
So, are you having church Sunday night (if you normally do)? Services cancelled? A Super Bowl party on the church's big screen? At Southern Hills Baptist Church, we will be having our regularly scheduled service at our regularly scheduled time. Are we the last church in America that carries on as normal on Super Bowl Sunday night? I would love it if the only voice in my head was the still small voice of the Lord leading and guiding me. But I have another voice there. It's the voice of Lew Miller. I grew up in a preacher's home - one who had some pretty strong beliefs about some … [Read more...] about Church or Super Bowl? An Old-School View
A Moral Dilemma: Can I Cheer for Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers in the Super Bowl?
(This was originally posted Wednesday at sbcIMPACT. Thought it might be a good Super Bowl Week discussion starter) I’ve been a Steeler’s fan since my high school years, when Terry Bradshaw had hair and was rifling passes to Lynn Swann and John Stallworth; since Jack Hamm, Jack Lambert and Mean Joe Greene erected a Steel Curtain that brought even the most powerful offenses to their knees. Four times I cheered passionately as they crushed their Super Bowl foes in the 70's. My passion for the Steelers waned a bit in recent years. I still cheered for them, but as I got to know the life … [Read more...] about A Moral Dilemma: Can I Cheer for Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers in the Super Bowl?
Still the Best Church Ad EVER!
I saw this some time ago and was deeply impressed. Frankly, I think a lot of church advertisement lacks biblical quality. This is the "Grace Community Church" in San Antonio. I don't know anything about the church. It is not, I believe, Southern Baptist, but it does use the London Baptist Confession as a doctrinal basis for church life. Their website has this video that is exactly what church ads should be. Its not about how hip, happening and cool the people of the church are. In fact, it is a confession of their sinfulness. It is about the saving and transforming power of Christ. … [Read more...] about Still the Best Church Ad EVER!
Ezell’s Strategy for NAMB Begins to Unfold
Kevin Ezell has begun to share his new vision for NAMB and Baptist Press is reporting it. He is planning to divide NAMB into 5 regions, each of which will have a VP who will report directly to him. He has named the VPs for the Midwest and Canadian regions. Here is the map of the regions that NAMB has published in BP: He claims that each of the regional supervisors will work with the state convention executives in partnership. There has been a persistent fear (long before Ezell took the helm) that NAMB has been wanting to move away from partnerships and wants to work directly with … [Read more...] about Ezell’s Strategy for NAMB Begins to Unfold
Aspire 2011! A Different Kind of Pastor’s Conference
ASPIRE 2011 from Hope Baptist Church, Las Vegas on Vimeo. Pastors (and everyone else), check out this video. It looks like the 2011 Pastor's Conference will be well worth the time. You will hear more as time goes on, but for now, check out the video. Here is the Pastor's Conference website. Here is a link to the list of speakers. Also, check out their goals - especially the one to raise $100,000 to "take the gospel to an unreached people group in the Arabian Peninsula through a translation project and humanitarian relief." Novel concept - actually making the Pastor's Conference … [Read more...] about Aspire 2011! A Different Kind of Pastor’s Conference
The Eternal Subordination of the Son Is the Historic Doctrine of the Church
I see this old post is circulating anew today. I don't delete posts generally but I am no longer certain of my position on this topic. Dishonest, brethren-attacking Baptists use some of my older posts against me and others. The simple thing would be to delete this, but I see these posts and comment streams as a record of modern denominational history. A remarkable claim has been made by some egalitarian scholars, which has been parroted on this site in discussions of gender roles in the Bible. It has been said that the doctrine of the Eternal Subordination of the Son … [Read more...] about The Eternal Subordination of the Son Is the Historic Doctrine of the Church
They’re BADD
A friend just turned me on to the Belair Drama Department (out of Belair Pres in the LA area). Not endorsing all the theology, and I'm old enough to be a little conflicted about drama/comedy as a part of worship. But these guys are worth watching. Back in college, my roommate and I used to perform "Who's On First?' and seeing this theological knock-off was worth the watching. Enjoy. And, yes, I know that the theology is debatable - but the brilliance of the writing and acting is beyond disputation. … [Read more...] about They’re BADD