Text So then, remember that at one time you were gentiles in the flesh—called the “uncircumcised” by those called “the circumcised,” which is done in the flesh by human hands. At that time you were without Christ, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God […]
From the Voice that Matters Most: Ephesians 1:3-6 – Holy and Blameless Children of God
We share our opinions and insights at SBC Voices, but we believe that the Voice that matters most is the one that comes from God’s Word. We present these daily expositional devotions, beginning with a tour of Ephesians called, “Walk Worthy,” in hopes of encouraging our readers to remember to Voice above every voice. Passage: […]
The World Needs More Foster Parents
Fostering—I’m writing on this topic being by no means an expert but being involved. When my wife and I married, we entered our union with a shared conviction: No matter what God gave us for biological children, we wanted our home to be a place to welcome children in need via fostering and adoption. We […]
The Good Ol’ Days
There’s a sign at a business in a town near mine that asks the question: When will we get back to the good old days? This is a question of nostalgia that doesn’t simply appreciate something old but sees an inferiority in the present and perhaps even a fear of the future. But the question […]
How about a PIE month?
Everybody likes pie, right? You might be like me and prefer cake, but if a good pie is sitting in front of you, you still have to eat a slice (and then another and then another and then another…). Pie is so good, in fact, that I think we should have a month dedicated to […]
A Reflection on Love
Originally written for my church blog as a devotion on Valentine’s Day Many of us know the passage well. People quote it, read it at weddings, hang it on plaques on the wall—Paul’s famous words on love from 1 Corinthians 13. Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is […]
Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs
Let the word of Christ dwell richly among you, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, signing to God with gratitude in your hearts. – Colossians 3:16 (CSB) A recent blog post by Mark Terry addressed the sad reality that what were once termed the “worship wars” still […]
A Funeral for an Infant
The very first funeral that I took part in as a pastor was for an infant. The child had died in the womb the day before her due date. I walked with the family through that in the best way that I could; though it is one of those experiences for which no book or […]
Rejecting the Utilitarian Image of Man (an examination of our attitudes about immigration and abortion)
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…” So Go created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” – Genesis 1:26-27 (ESV) From the opening pages of Scripture, we see that Christians are meant to have a high […]
What Do These Flags Mean?
It’s a decades long tradition in my church. Every year in December, our auditorium gets decked out with an array of flags from all over the world. It’s an awesome thing that I really enjoy, especially as it gives us a chance to explain to visitors and newcomers what they represent while we remind ourselves. […]
“Thank you!” to those who taught me the importance of expository preaching
This past Sunday, I preached the final sermon in a 12-week journey through Ecclesiastes. In 13+ years of pastoring, it marks the fifteenth book that I have preached all the way through, and the tenth in seven years at my current church.** Growing up in the same church for the first twenty years of my […]
My Top Three Reads for the First Half of 2017
We are halfway through 2017, and from my personal readings for these six months, I have made my way through 15 non-fiction works and 8 fiction. Seven of those non-fiction books are part of a year and a half journey to reread the works of Francis Schaeffer who greatly influenced my spiritual growth while in […]