Dave Miller

I was furious last night after reading a statement by a friend on Facebook. He repeated the lies being promoted within the SBC, accusations against the doctrinal fidelity and spiritual integrity of our officers, professors, and some key leaders. He is a good man with no ill intent. He is lodging these accusations because he has been led to believe that false charges are true. People he respects say these things without conscience or concern and he believes them. Another friend said something in a private conversation a few days ago that roused me at first, but made me begin to think. … [Read more...] about Calling Out the Call-Out Culture

I woke up a couple of hours ago and I already wish I hadn't! That's perhaps a bit extreme, but it has been a gloomy 120 minutes. I got a call from our oldest member that his wife had died and since I'm about to leave on vacation to see my newest grandson, my schedule is in a tizzy. I'm in talks with my Sunday Leader about whether to open up our Sunday School ministry at the start of the school year and again I am confronted with the fact that I just don't have a clue! There are those who seem to know exactly what to do at every moment, self-assured to the core. I'm not blessed with such … [Read more...] about Ministry in a Pandemic is Wearing This Old Codger Down

"Woke" is a common insult thrown around by those who oppose the pursuit of justice as a Christian mandate. When they are upset at the stands that other conservative Christians take on racial issues, on sexual abuse issues, on political matters, when some refuse to acquiesce to GOP/conservative orthodoxy, they resort to dismissive name-calling. Derogations such as  liberal, "social justice warriors," or the ubiquitous "woke" are common. In certain circles, woke is synonymous with liberal, denying the Scriptures, or at least ignoring the primacy of the Gospel. I've objected to the insult because … [Read more...] about Is Being “Woke” So Bad?

This may come as a shock to most of you, but I am often not up to date on your whippersnapper, hipster lingo. I am thankful for the Google because I can go on the interwebs and look up stuff you guys talk about, appearing as if I was in the know all the time. Recently, I saw a word that intrigued me, another one of those acronyms that are so popular today. I've shared it with several friends, most of whom do not seem to have heard of it. The word is DARVO. Jennifer J. Freyd, PhD, a professor from the University of Oregon, wrote a paper entitled, "What is DARVO?" which gives a succinct … [Read more...] about Have You Met DARVO?

No, this one isn't about topical sermons vs expositional or that sort of thing. They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but during the shutdown, I've fallen into a new pattern for preaching that I hope to continue now that the slow march toward normalcy has begun. I used to preach from handwritten notes. If you saw my handwriting, you'd know why that can be a total disaster. I've been using my computer to study and prepare notes for a long time. Since I moved here to Sioux City, I have been relying more and more on presentation software (still using old faithful - Powerpoint) for … [Read more...] about How Do You Preach?

Our church has recently started up live services and I am glad. Sunday, we celebrated the Lord's Supper together for the first time since late February, a great moment. Things are not horrible, but something doesn't feel right either. I had a conversation with several friends last week about ministry during a pandemic and it helped me put some thoughts into words. It feels like I am living in a make-believe world, marking time until the world goes back to normal, and wondering if it ever will. Attendance at church has been decent, maybe 60% of normal, but offerings are slowly dwindling as … [Read more...] about Loneliness, Isolation, and Ministry in a Pandemic

A couple of evenings ago, I decided to zip over to Sam’s club about a half-hour before it was scheduled to close to pick up a couple of things we needed. They were closed and the parking lot was abandoned. I wasn’t sure what had happened until a couple of hours later when my wife told me about a Facebook post from a lady in our church who had been there when they suddenly made an announcement asking people to clear the building quickly. Walmart, a block away, also closed up. Evidently, there are busloads of folks going from town to town in the Heartland, stirring things up, and the rumor … [Read more...] about Racism, Riots, and the Future

No, it wasn't the suit - that is still classy after all these years. I remember when we first started facing the idea of a shutdown from the coronavirus, and my first thought was, "I won't have anything to do." It was going to be like a lengthy vacation. Sometimes, a man just isn't thinking clearly. Since we suspended services a couple of months ago, it has been a bit of a whirlwind. I've barely had time to look at this site. Other than a few posts on politics, I've pretty much contributed nothing. I'm looking forward to starting up again in the next couple of weeks. Sioux City had a … [Read more...] about That Time Dave Had a Really Stupid Thought

This is the final in my series of three posts about politics. I am not endorsing a candidate or telling anyone else for whom they should or shouldn't vote. My purpose is to attempt to define biblical principles for political engagement. Part 1 Part 2 Here's part 3, in which I put the final nails in my coffin - oops, my theses. 21. America is not the new Israel, chosen by God. I believe the American political system is exceptional in many ways – there’s not a system of government I’d like to switch it for – but the idea that our nation holds a special place in God’s heart is … [Read more...] about The Final Nails in My Coff…er..Theses