Dave Miller

What is the foundation, the cornerstone of church discipleship programs? I realize that a lot of folks, especially some of my good friends, are not going to agree with this old fogey's take on this. The church has a lot of discipleship programs today - Sunday School, small groups, short-term studies, how-to classes. All of them have their effect and impact. But in my 32 years of ministry, I have come to believe that there is a specific discipleship program that is the ground of truly effective discipleship. The impact of the other programs is magnified if this discipleship program is … [Read more...] about Biblical Exposition: The Foundation of Effective Discipleship

This is the edited text for my message today at Southern Hills Baptist Church in Sioux City, IA.  It would be hard for the Bible to be clearer about anything than this fact: no one knows when Jesus is going to come back. There is a lot about the Second Coming that remains shrouded in mystery, but God has made it clear that this mystery will not be revealed until the moment the trumpet sounds. In spite of the unequivocal and adamant assertions of Jesus that no one knows the day or the hour of his return, people continue to be fooled by those who announce that they have either received some … [Read more...] about Be Awake, Be Ready: A Personal Journey

I am having some medical tests, and my normally prolific staff of writers has badly failed me, so here is one from the archives - published at my personal site "Word Processing" about a hundred years ago. Today, it meets a need for me, if no one else gets anything from it.  I sucked my thumb. There, I said it. My deep, dark secret is now out. I loved that thumb. It gave me security and pleasure. But my mother had a different opinion. She knew that my thumb-sucking needed to stop. So, she put “Thum” on my thumb. Thum tasted bad. Really bad. It wasn’t poison, but it tasted like it. Every time … [Read more...] about A Bad Taste

I may be stepping into a great big pile of...well...trouble. The SBC has a lot of critics, from those who love the SBC but have a few small areas of critique to those who think the denomination is dying, even some who seem to think that would be a boon to the Kingdom! Some have been productive and measured in their criticisms. Others, in my opinion, have been overly harsh, heaping condemnation on our convention. But what I would like to do today is to give some criticism to the critics.  More to the point, I want to challenge critics of the SBC to filter their criticism through a biblical … [Read more...] about A Plea to the Critics about Criticism

Authors Note: I have added a section at the end of this post spelling out what I believe would be a redemptive approach to this sad situation. As Christians, as the redeemed, our duty is to be avenues of redemption and healing. Okay, I will admit that the title is a bit melodramatic, but it reflects the angst I feel over an issue I have been made aware of in a Baptist College; one that reflects values I consider to be more Pharisaic than Christian. Let me tell you the story, then you can weigh in on whether I am right or wrong in my feelings about this. It all started when a young man who … [Read more...] about When Pharisees Attack (Addendum: What SHOULD Have Happened)

It is almost a truism today that it is best to wait until one is older to get married. I've heard Christian parents joke that they weren't going to let their kids (often daughters) date until they turned 25. People are marrying later and later than they ever have and many in the church approve of the trend. The assumption is that people who marry late have grown up, learned more about life, attained financial stability and personal maturity, and are therefore more ready for marriage. It is my belief that this reflects a fundamentally unbiblical mindset about marriage. God's plan is not the … [Read more...] about The Case for Marrying Young

My two weeks on vacation have been great. Lord willing, we are home by supper time tonight. But one thing is for sure, it ruined any chance I had of bragging about the success of my weight loss efforts. Christmas...Vacation...eating out...FAIL. I'm wondering how the rest of you made out.  Any great success stories? How did you do it? Why do you think we can't lose weight, though we know we should? Let's talk about it. … [Read more...] about Fat Pastor, Fit Pastor Final Weigh-In

I'm at a family reunion with my wife's family after enjoying some time with my side the last few days. We leave tomorrow for home (a depressing thought - not sure if you are aware but Florida has nicer weather these days than Iowa). So I'm not going to be around much the next couple of days. But I thought a discussion post  might be fun. What are your blessings and memories from 2013?  (Don't preacher-brag! That is annoying.) What are your goals, hopes and dreams for 2014? Talk to Uncle Davey. … [Read more...] about Reflections on 2013; Focusing on 2014

Doug posts his sermons on the internet, but some of you probably didn't know that Doug is also a talented singer. Here is his version of this Christmas classic.   … [Read more...] about Doug Hibbard Sings “O Holy Night”

Back when I lived in Virginia, we could barely get network TV in our rural area, and cable had not found its way that far into the country. So, we watched VHS tapes - generally tapes that my mom recorded in Florida and sent our way. One of those was a Christmas tape, and it had my three favorite Christmas movies. 1) It's a Wonderful Life - delightfully sentimental and sappy. No Christmas season is complete without it. 2) A Christmas Story - this was before the movie was driven into general consciousness by the 24 hour Ralphie-a-thon on TBS every year. There is barely a moment in that … [Read more...] about An SBC Voices Forum: What Is Your Favorite Christmas Movie?