Dave Miller

I am really angry about something. No, it has nothing to do with anything here at SBC Voices or with any of my social media interactions. Those sometimes raise my blood pressure, but usually only for a moment. The specifics of my anger are unimportant and will remain secret. In general terms, some people I thought were my friends did something that hurt me pretty deeply and made me realize that they evidently did not share the respect I had for them. Sometimes, I will start stewing about this, and my blood pressure rises until I think it is going to boil over. I think about whether I should … [Read more...] about Anger: A Growth-Killing, Soul-Chilling Sin

One of the signs of advancing age is growing nostalgia. I no longer ridicule those who say, "back in my day" since I'm often now the one saying it. Oh, I'm not anti-technology, nor do I automatically think that things were better back in my day. But I am convinced that there was one thing dramatically better back in my day. Thanksgiving. We would have a large gathering of family and friends; the meal started around noon. Turkey. Dressing. Mashed potatoes. All the expected delicacies! Grandma made ambrosia with fresh Florida oranges  and shredded coconut. After the food came the football. … [Read more...] about “Black Thanksgiving”: It Is Time to Draw the Line

Have you ever flown on a dreary, rainy day? You taxi down the runway and everything is gray, dark and damp. You pick up a little speed and the front of the plane points up just a little. It tilts a bit more and you feel the wheels come off the ground. The plane rises into the sky and things get worse. As you enter the clouds, you can’t see a thing as the fog closes all around you. That is when it happens. You burst out of the clouds and suddenly, the sun is shining brightly all around you. It is no longer dark or dreary, it is beautiful, cheerful. Everything that seemed to be true as you … [Read more...] about Thanksgiving: Rising above the Clouds

We just finished the off-cycle elections and the next round of Congressional elections will be ramping up in the coming months. Will the split remain between the House and the Senate? Will one side or the other take both houses? Will the Senate have a veto-proof majority? These questions will be answered in 11 and 1/2 months. While the political fires are in at least a brief hiatus, I'd like to make some personal observations about the coming elections and my participation in it. I am thinking through whether I should continue to be affiliated with the Republican party and support its … [Read more...] about What the Republican Party Must Do to Keep My Vote

I don't mean to sound cold or unfeeling, but I'd like to make a point today. It hasn't happened much lately, because at my advanced and doddering age, no one really wants me as a pastoral candidate anymore (that's a rant for another post!), but through the years I have been asked a question many times. "Hey, Dave, are you happy in your ministry?"  When someone asks you that question, they are implying something. If you are not happy where you are, you must be willing to move to a new ministry. It is another way of asking, "Are you willing to put your resume in at such-and-such church?" … [Read more...] about Are You Happy in Your Ministry? Does It Matter?

Rick Reilly manages, by accident every once in a while, to dig deep and strike sportswriter gold! He wrote a thought-provoking article, published at ESPN recently, that expressed his growing angst at being a football fan. As stories of the long terms effects of the violence of the game pile one on top of the other, civilized human beings, and especially Christians, are going to have to ask this question: Does the brutality of football make it immoral?  You can follow the link above to read the entire article, but let me cull some clips that make his point most clearly. After talking about … [Read more...] about Is It Time to End Our Love-Affair with Football?

It is a trite saying, but also true - we must not throw the baby out with the bathwater. That is precisely what a lot of Bible-believing, Christ-loving Christians have done on the topic of the subjective voice of God. There can be little doubt that "God told me" or "God spoke to me" are some of the most abused words in the church. People claim that God has told them things that I am quite sure did not come from God. But, does the fact that God's subjective voice - speaking to the human mind and heart directly by His Spirit - is abused mean that it is invalid? For many, the abuses of the … [Read more...] about The Macedonian Call and the Voice of God: An Examination of Acts 16:6-10

Our Fat Pastor, Fit Pastor challenge has only two months left. A group of pastors and other readers of SBC Voices joined together to challenge and encourage one another in this weight loss challenge. At the end of every month, we check-in and give progress reports. So, how are you guys doing? Making progress? Having struggles? There are still almost 2 months to make progress. Of course, it is the toughest time to make a change - the dreaded holiday season. Halloween Candy. Thanksgiving feasts (and leftovers). Christmas (no more need be said). But with the self-control built into us by … [Read more...] about Fat Pastor, Fit Pastor: Down the Backstretch!

I will admit it; I'm obsessed. I've been home from Israel for nearly three weeks now and I can't stop thinking about it. I've wasted time in my office looking through pictures and maps, reading about Israel and planning my next couple of trips back! I continue to recommend that every pastor who has not yet done so go over for a week or ten days to walk where Jesus (and David and...well, you get it) walked. I have a tendency to analyse things and categorize them. As you plan your trip, there are some recommendations that I would make, based on those categories. We went a lot of places and … [Read more...] about When You Visit Israel…

I am going to be in Des Moines on Friday and Saturday for the the Baptist Convention of Iowa 2013 annual meeting. It doesn't look like ours will be particularly eventful this year. Last year was an anomalous and tumultuous year for the BCI, but this year looks to be a return to the norm. I will mention if anything significant happens here over the weekend, but the trip got me to thinking and wondering - what is happening in State Conventions? Are they trending up or down in attendance? Are there a lot of issues? Do some of the issues at the national level find their way down to the state … [Read more...] about An SBC Voices Forum: What Happened at Your State Convention?