Dave Miller

I hate when I see churches and Christian organizations engaged in hype, in PR. I think it is contrary to the way of Christ. We are used to hype and PR in the secular world. Lance Armstrong engaged in a massive campaign of PR hype for years, claiming to be clean, to be a victim of a massive conspiracy. Then the truth came out. How many times heave politicians or businessmen or sports executives played the "nothing is wrong" or "deny, deny, deny" game right up until the world crashes around them. And then the truth comes out. Now, instead of following Scripture, the church has bought into … [Read more...] about The Pernicious Effects of Hype and PR in Christian Organizations

It is not as bad as it sounds. I am in 99% enthusiastic support of the Baptist Faith and Message statement of 2000. I also agree that we need to have a confession of faith that defines our common doctrine and practice. I do not view the BF&M as an authoritative document - it is not a creed. But it is a useful doctrinal statement to which I give my essential support. But I do not completely and fully adhere to the document. Some of my disagreements are picky and essentially insignificant - quarrels over wording. I have one area in which I stand in strong disagreement with and violation … [Read more...] about I Disagree with the BF&M: Does It Matter?

I enjoyed watching the twitter comments scroll by almost as much as the game. Baptists really love their football. But right after the Dodge Ram Commercial about farmers, my Twitter feed lit up. For the people I follow, that commercial was the unquestioned winner of the night. Here's the ad. Now, here is what Owen Strachan said about the commercial. The commercial breaks show the polar Americas: one loving nobility & honor & country, the other loving lust & hedonism & self Nailed it! GoDaddy.com has stooped as low as they can to sell their product. I will not … [Read more...] about Dodge Ram, GoDaddy and Owen Strachan

  Here is my prediction on the game: I don't care. Since the two teams-of-great-evil were defeated (Green Bay Packers and New Evil Patriots), and my man-crush Peyton Manning got knocked out, I don't care. If San Fran wins, cool. If Ray Lewis wins, cool. I will make one prediction: Coach Harbaugh's team will win. I will be in church tonight, feeling smug and superior to all of you who cancelled church. But the DVR will be recording it. … [Read more...] about A Harbaugh Bowl Open Forum

I was surprised last night, when my wife and I dined at a local eatery, that our server had not heard the now infamous story of the lady in St. Louis, Alois Bell, pastor of a church of about 15 people, who lost her cool after an 18% gratuity was added to her bill. Applebees tacks that on automatically if a party is 8 or more people, even if you split the bill as Ms Bell did. Angered by the automatic amount, Ms. Bell crossed out the tip and added a message that said, "I give God 10%, why do you get 18?" She then took the extra step to sign her bill "Pastor Alois Bell." Well done. If you are … [Read more...] about Reflections on the Credit Card Receipt Heard Round the World

Haggai leveled an accusation against the people of God, that their priorities were out of order. They were more concerned about their own comfort and ease than they were about building the House of God. Several times, he called them to, "Give careful thought to your ways." Stop what you are doing and think about it, he demanded. Where is your life life headed? Are you on the right path? I think we have lost, by and large, the concept of self-reflection and repentance in much of  the modern church. I had two conversations recently that brought this issue to my attention. First, I … [Read more...] about The Lost Art of Self-Reflection and Repentance

One positive sign, as of this writing, there were 3179 dislikes on YouTube and only 138 likes. To treat the death of 55 million pre-born babies as fodder for this kind of humor is reprehensible. … [Read more...] about Just When You Think the Death Culture Can’t Sink Any Lower…

One of my closest ministry friends called me this week and asked me for advice about pre-marital counseling. What approach did I take? What materials did I use? Could I recommend books? Let me share a secret with you: After 31 years of doing weddings, I still feel like I stink (substitute the semi-inappropriate word that is more accurate) at pre-marital counseling. In my own humble but correct opinion, I am a Jedi master at funerals. I am okay at helping a couple plan, prepare and perform a wedding ceremony. But premarital counseling is a real struggle. It all started with one of my … [Read more...] about Forum: Tell Me About Your Pre-Marital Counseling

There is an interesting new website called SBCJobs.net (twitter - @sbcjobsnet; Facebook - here) to help churches and pastors find each other. I've wandered through the site to get a feel for it. It is well constructed, easy to navigate and very useful. If you are part of a church that has a job opening, I would encourage you to use the site. If you are in search of a ministry position, I would also recommend the site. Here is a press release from SBCJobs.net: SBCjobs.net Launches as New Premium Job Board for SBC Ministers, Churches, and Entities NASHVILLE, Tenn. — We are excited to … [Read more...] about SBCJobs.net: A New Website for SBC Ministry Placement