Guest Blogger

Alan Cross blogs at Downshore Drift. Preaching on the Ministry of the Spirit this Sunday for Pentecost and I picked up the massive and exhaustive God's Empowering Presence: The Holy Spirit in the Letters of Paul by Gordon D. Fee. He talks about a "Theology of the Spirit" and makes a great observation about how Paul did theology and how we are to similarly do theology each and every day in all circumstances. Sometimes, when we think about "theology" we think of learned academicians sitting in a dusty study pouring over obscure works and pontificating on things that do not really have relevance … [Read more...] about We Are All Doing Theology All The Time (by Alan Cross)

Dr. Kevin McFadden has been an  Assistant Professor of New Testament and Greek at Louisiana College. He is one of the professors whose contract was not renewed - the action that sent Louisiana College into the headlines. You can read his biography here. I appreciate both the wisdom and the spirit of this article.  How should Southern Baptists approach disagreements in theology? What should we do when we disagree about what the Bible says about God? My goal in this article is to help Southern Baptists think productively about the Calvinism controversy and other theological controversies in the … [Read more...] about How Southern Baptists Should Approach Disagreements in Theology (by Dr. Kevin McFadden)

Wm Dwight McKissic, Sr. is the pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington, TX. He blogs at Wm Dwight McKissic, Sr. Life is filled with twist and turns, choices and consequences, difficulties and sometimes even demonic opposition. For many, life is like a journey in a jungle, where there is danger and darkness lurking around the corner; the unknown and unimaginable; temptation and potential torment. Test, temptations, obstacles, hurdles, demons, distractions, disappointment and difficulties will inevitably cross our path. Jason Collins is not alone in terms of struggling with inner … [Read more...] about Jackie Robinson, Jason Collins and Jesus: Legacy Lessons – A Journey through a Jungle (by Wm Dwight McKissic, Sr)

Alan Cross blogs at Downshore Drift - a blog you should definitely read regularly! Psalm 110:1-2 The Lord says to my lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” The Lord will extend your mighty scepter from Zion, saying, “Rule in the midst of your enemies!” Psalm 110 is a Messianic Psalm used to describe Jesus and his ministry. Peter refers to this passage in his Pentecost sermon as referring to Jesus (Acts 2:34). In Psalm 110:4 it says, “you are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” The writer to the Hebrews (6:20; 7:17) used this … [Read more...] about Jesus Rules In the Midst of His Enemies (by Alan Cross)

Have we turned worship into a ritual?  Is worship something we have shown our people is a process they go through on Sunday morning?  Has worship become a concert we attend each Sunday?  I think we are suffering from decades of worship that has placed man as the center and not Christ. Here are the areas I think we are hurting in the most… Baptism There are certain denominations that teach a baptismal regeneration.  This is not a biblical concept, as if that shocks anyone.  But the doctrine is out there.  As Baptists, I think we have fled so far to the other extreme that we “over” … [Read more...] about When Worship Becomes Habitual (by Andy Hynes)

Our guest blogger today is Wade Phillips, who blogs at "A Good Infection".  He's a TV news anchor in MS and a husband/father/deacon/SS Teacher combo! After several years of prayer and thought, I have decided to make the leap. If all goes as planned, I will begin seminary classes during the summer session at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Since I currently work full-time in a non-ministry position, I will be taking classes online, at least in the beginning. At some point, I’ll have to come from behind my computer and take classes with the rest of the world. But for now, this is what … [Read more...] about The Ministry Journey: Some Questions at the Start (by Wade Phillips)

The SBC Plodder is blessing us again with his unique perspective. Thank you, William. ...if you check the latest job rankings. Clergy are ranked number 110 out of 200 job categories by CareerCast.com which analyzed data from the U.S. Labor Department, Bureau of Labor Statistics, other government agencies, trade associations and private survey firms. Depressed on Monday? You chose this rather meager and unsatisfying career path, but take heart: Your job ranking beats that of attorney (117) perhaps because attorneys slink around courthouses trying to scare up a retainer or two and … [Read more...] about Being a pastor is a pretty sorry job… (by William Thornton)

Bart Barber is the pastor of First Baptist Church, Farmersville, TX, and one of the mainstays of Baptist blogging through the years (Praisegod Barebones). Few things are as controversial among Southern Baptists as the employment status of a teacher or missionary. Counting the topics that have, each in their respective moment, sucked all of the oxygen out of the Southern Baptist blogosphere since 2006, the most populous category involves professorial employment. I'd like to take a few moments of your time to put forward some ideas I've come to embrace about how things ought to be in our … [Read more...] about A Few Thoughts about Denominational Hirings and Firings (by Bart Barber)

Andy Hynes is a PhD candidate at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary. Follow him @ABHYNES on Twitter. We live in a society that looks in every direction for assistance, help, and satisfaction.  We look to magazines, TV, movies, and the Internet to sooth our hurts, burdens, and disappointments.  When problems become greater, we turn to the “professionals” and seek their assistance in calming and settling our hurts, burdens, and disappointments. We are conditioning people to distrust the sovereignty and sufficiency of Christ.  Jesus is superior in the things pertaining to salvation … [Read more...] about Is Christ Enough for You? (by Andy Hynes)

Alan Cross blogs at Downshore Drift. What a horrible day in Boston. Evil broke in again and shocked us all, although at this point, I don't know why we should be surprised. The Aurora theatre shooting. Sandy Hook. Dr. Gosnell's House of Horrors. Now, the Boston Marathon Bombings. Today, we all grieved with those in Boston and could not help but think back to 9/11. But, there was another story being told today in Boston. When the bombs went off, people ran TO the victims to help instead of running away to save themselves. Howard Fineman of The Huffington Post writes: "Today, rescuers … [Read more...] about Boston Bombings, Evil Unleashed, and Light Triumphing Over Darkness (by Alan Cross)