Guest Blogger

William Thornton is the SBC Plodder. Among the things I’d like to see before I die is a climate where Christians can have reasonable, informed, civil, and illuminating conversations about evolution and creation without all the unreasonable, uninformed, uncivil, and obfuscating clutter that seems to accompany such things. Allow me to recount a sample, fictional conversation:   Evolutionist:  I don’t have all the answers but I join most scientists in a belief in evolution as the explanation for much of what we see today. Conservative Christian: You are an idiot. Darwin was … [Read more...] about Why All These Uncivil Christians? (by William Thornton)

Jerry Corbaley blogs at Think the Thoughts. Part One should be read before Part Two, or you could find this a little too salty. It is the Bible-believing Christian’s birthright to communicate with loving words of grace. It is within God’s ideal will for the Christian’s words to be patient, kind, modest, humble, polite, and with a clear attitude that a holy relationship is desired with those who receive such words. We say and write a great many things. We may be aware of the human consequences that our words ignite. Communication itself is an avenue for sin, and faithfulness to what God … [Read more...] about Loving Words of Grace: Part Two (by Jerry Corbaley)

Jerry Corbaley blogs at Think the Thoughts. One Birthright (of many) from the New Birth A ‘birthright’ is a right given to someone by their birth. Because they have been born, they have a right to something. That ‘something’ is theirs. That ‘something’ belongs to them and they can take advantage of it and use it for themselves or others. It is their right. It belongs to them. A Christian is born again through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Because they have been born this way, they have a right from God to express loving words of grace. This right to express loving words of … [Read more...] about Loving Words of Grace are the Christian’s Birthright – Part One (by Jerry Corbaley)

 Dr. David W. Manner is the Associate Executive Director for the Kansas-Nebraska Convention of Southern Baptists. He blogs at  http://kncsb.org/blogs/dmanner . You can follow him on Twitter:  @dwmanner.  No, don’t quit your ministry position...just quit doing or not doing those things that might be contributing to your discontent or the discontent of those to whom you are accountable to. If you aren't giving your best stuff to the place where God has you serving now and are saving it for where you are hoping He will call you next...why would He want to? When or if God chooses to call you … [Read more...] about If You Aren’t Happy in Your Ministry Position…Just Quit! (by Dr. David Manner)

Wm Dwight McKissic, Sr. is the pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington, TX. He blogs at Wm Dwight McKissic, Sr. While watching the Dallas Cowboys versus the Washington Redskins on Thanksgiving Day, I was excited to see the advertisement of the Christmas Day release of a movie featuring Jamie Foxx entitled, “Django Unchained.” I am not a movie-goer. I am a man in love with my wife, and she loves to go to movies. Therefore, from three to six times a year, we make our way to the movies together. One of our favorite times to go together is during the Christmas Holidays. This … [Read more...] about Why Born-Again Believers Should Boycott the Jamie Foxx Movie “Django Unchained” (by Wm. Dwight McKissic, Sr)

William Thornton is the SBC Plodder and always has an interesting take on the happenings in the SBC South Carolina Baptists are doing something that ought to raise at lease a single eyebrow around the Southern Baptist Convention. They are taking a significant portion of their Cooperative Program receipts from the churches and sending it directly to the International Mission Board thereby bypassing the Executive Committee, all of the seminaries, the North American Mission Board, and the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. I am unaware of any other state convention taking this … [Read more...] about New wrinkle to the Cooperative Program (by William Thornton)

Ron F. Hale -- serves on the pastoral staff of a Baptist church in his hometown of Jackson, TN.  He has served as church planter, pastor, director of associational missions, and evangelism director of a state convention. Dr. Al Mohler, president of the SBTS, received a “liberal lashing” from Dr. Miguel De La Torre in his Associated Baptist Press article on November 7th.  These days it seems that “fundamentalist” Christian white men who might also be Republican are scarier than plane-flying al-Qaeda hijackers bent on jihad. I am certainly no fan of Dr. Mohler’s reformed theology (with all … [Read more...] about The Post-election Chest-beating of Miguel De La Torre (by Ron F. Hale)

Alan Cross blogs at Downshore Drift. Acts 1:8 is where Jesus is speaking to his disciples right before his Ascension into Heaven where he says, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” This was spoken to a small group of Jesus' followers in Jerusalem around 33 AD. He was telling them that the Holy Spirit would come upon them and empower them to be witnesses/martyrs for him starting in Jerusalem. Then, the gospel would go throughout Judea and north to Samaria and then … [Read more...] about Are We Interpreting Acts 1:8 Wrong? (by Alan Cross)

..and I'm guessing that most of my ministerial colleagues will be loath to make such an admission as well. There is a perfectly good reason for such an attitude: No pastor wishes to be seen as damaged goods. I have admitted to being "a bit tired" and did so many times over the past couple of years when people in my church would ask why I am retiring at such a young (er, 62, young?) age. A feeling of mild ministerial fatigue was for me merely one of the Lord's signposts that my ministry at the church I had served for almost 15 years was drawing to a close - a normal progression. I will … [Read more...] about No sir, I’m not admitting to clergy burnout… (by William Thornton)