Dave Miller

I hate talking about Calvinism on this blog. I hate it. For about 6 months, I pretty much banned it, with a few slip ups that I usually regretted. When the Calvinism committee issued its report, one of the things they called for was constructive engagement. Calvinists and non-Calvinists (including Traditionalists) need to talk to one another, calmly, biblically and graciously. So, I opened the door. And, of course, foodfights ensued! So, with much fear and trepidation, I am going to enter into the fray and try to add a perspective on the subject. I am committed to seeking to build unity … [Read more...] about Maintaining Unity: What Calvinists Must Do!

What is your role at LifeWay? My role is to serve as a catalyst for the advancement of God’s Word, specifically through the recent English translation called the Holman Christian Standard Bible (or HCSB). I have the privilege of working on the Bible and Reference team at LifeWay for the stewardship of this important translation, and I have the joy also of working with ministry leaders, laity, and consumers in general to understand the HCSB's distinctives. Why should people be interested in the HCSB—what are its distinctives? Let me suggest two reasons, broadly speaking: accuracy and … [Read more...] about The Holman Christian Standard Bible: An Interview with Micah Carter

I'm in Boston, surrounded by fans of the Boston Red Evils. I have limited time and no laptop. This old guy finds typing on an iPad to be cumbersome. I will try to keep an eye on the place, process comments, etc. You guys behave. Oh, and I've discovered something interesting visiting family in the vortex of sporting evil (housing the Red Evils, Celtics and the Patriot - perhaps the Bruins if hockey were a real sport). Boston is weird, strange, different, but it is kinda cool. Historic, Maybe there is a spiritual lesson in there somewhere. If a Yankee fan can enjoy Boston, maybe a 5-pointer … [Read more...] about In Enemy Territory

I am flying out today to Boston for a little vacation/grandkid time, so I can only put this out for your discussion. Frank Page's study group has issued its report, and it is well worth the read. While the results are hardly surprising, they do form the basis for a way forward for the SBC through the Calvinism quagmire that has bogged us down in recent years. Here is a link to the full report. The introductory paragraphs the discussion well. Southern Baptists are Great Commission people. We are also a doctrinal people, and those doctrinal convictions undergird our Great Commission vision … [Read more...] about The Calvinism Committee Report

Let's face it, folks, the unity movement can get a pretty bad rap. I remember a Christian comedian from 30 years ago saying, "Let's forget all this doctrine and just love Jesus." What a perfectly terrible idea! I was warned from childhood about the specter of the "ecumenical movement" that was going to unite the world into a dogma-free one-world-church. When I, or someone else, calls Southern Baptists to tone down the hostility and rhetoric over theological issues of the SBC, especially those related to Calvinism, an assumption is often made that either a) I don't care about theology or b) I … [Read more...] about Unity, Bad Theology and the SBC: The Heart of the Problem

Sergio Garcia and Tiger Woods are golfers who don't like each other very much. It's not hard to see why. Tiger is hyper-competitive and arrogant. I cheer for him, but have often been a little bothered by or even ashamed of his behavior. Sergio Garcia is, by most accounts, a whiner. He gets easily distracted and complains about what goes on around him. The tension that has been growing between the two of them over the years has exploded in recent days. They went head to head in the Players Championship a couple of weeks back. The crowd following Tiger made noise that distracted Sergio and he … [Read more...] about Racially Insensitive Jokes ARE Racist! (Duh!)

Bart Barber has posted two installments of his excellent series, "For the Propagation of the Gospel," about the work of the Southern Baptist Convention. Part 1. Part 2. He graciously asked if I might like to participate, and I offer this as a third installment in the series.  They say that confession is good for the soul, so here is mine. There was a time when I was flirting with leaving Southern Baptists and finding another denominational home. My years at Dallas Seminary had made me aware that though I was a lifelong Southern Baptist there was a great big evangelical world out there for me … [Read more...] about For the Propagation of the Gospel – Southern Baptist Missions

I have accidentally published 3 posts today. I'm not sure what happened or why. One of them happened when I wasn't even on the site. If there is a post title that doesn't appear when you click the link, its my fault - accidental publishing, then removing it! Hope to do better tomorrow! … [Read more...] about Evidence of My Senility

I hope this comes up. Here is the video about DR. … [Read more...] about Brian Williams and Harry Smith praise Baptist DR

What would you do? This weekend, some unnamed person in Zephyrhills, Florida, became an instant megamillionaire, winning $590 million (nearly 377 million one-time payout), in the Powerball lottery. What if this person was a member of your church? It would not be the first time that a church member won the lottery. What if this person came to you in a few weeks with a check  for $37.7 million (let's just make him a good Baptist tither for record)? What would you do? Would you take the check and get started with the plans for the new building project? Would you tell him to keep his … [Read more...] about So, Pastor, I Won the Lottery and I Want to Give