And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. –Matthew 24:31 I don’t think I’ve ever felt this verse as I should. I’ve always focused on the sounds of the trumpet and I’ve missed it’s functioning; namely, the gathering together of all Christians. And I’ve missed that verse because I’ve never had to feel the ache. I’ve always been able to “go to church”. I have taken the gathered assembly for granted. These words of Bonhoeffer have been true of me: It is true, of course, that what is an … [Read more...] about Mourning What You Cannot Replace, Longing For What Cannot be Taken Away
If Your Local Church Disappeared Would You Notice?
I have heard a similar question asked to gauge our missional impact on our community. If your local church suddenly disappeared would the community notice? Would they feel the impact of you leaving? If the answer to that is “no” then it likely won’t be long until you actually do close the doors to your church. But I’d like to frame the question a little bit differently. If your local church disappeared would you notice. On one level this question is rather absurd. Of course, you’d notice if the place you go on Sunday’s was no longer open to you. You would most certainly notice. But I’m … [Read more...] about If Your Local Church Disappeared Would You Notice?
The Narcissism of Small Difference & the SBC
“I am not being melodramatic when I say that people from Eagleton are snobby and evil and would most likely exterminate everybody who isn’t from Eagleton if they weren’t so busy being obsessed with themselves.” — Leslie Knope Leslie Knope, of Parks and Recreation fame, abhorred folks from Eagleton. That’s what people from Pawnee did. It was part of an ongoing feud. But the writers of he show include a couple of entertaining story arcs. One is that viewers find out Leslie Knope was actually born in Eagleton. It creates a funny story. Another arc has the two towns attempting to unify. The big … [Read more...] about The Narcissism of Small Difference & the SBC
There Should Be Peace. A Response to Tom Ascol.
On November 21st, Tom Ascol of Founders Ministry, wrote a piece encouraging either Karen Swallow Prior to "reconsider her endorsement of Revoice and withdraw it or that Danny Akin will reconsider this hire and retract it." Though I'm not sure how viable that first option is for her because Ascol also framed the discussion this way: ...one of our seminaries just hired a professor who doesn’t have enough discernment to recognize a false religion for what it is. Is this who you want teaching your students? Is this how you want your Cooperative Program dollars to be spent? I'm hesitant to enter … [Read more...] about There Should Be Peace. A Response to Tom Ascol.
What I Learned When My Position Was Mocked
It was my favorite class. At least for the first half of the semester. I loved the passion with which the professor destroyed the arguments of opponents. His words helped to deepen my faith and my convictions. And I appreciated his humor and wit. He had a special way of pointing out the ignorance of those who disagreed with us theologically. Then I became a them instead of an us. The class wasn’t as fun anymore. His wit wasn’t humorous it was biting. His arguments weren’t air tight they seemed over confident, silly, and as if they weren’t presenting my side in the best light. He didn’t … [Read more...] about What I Learned When My Position Was Mocked
Biblical Sexuality Isn’t a Stump You Can Mow Around
I read a helpful illustration somewhere about the nature of pastoral ministry. The illustration likened ministry to mowing around a troublesome stump in your yard. Ultimately things would be easier if the stump were removed and you could just mow a straight path. But uprooting the thing might cause more trouble than it’s worth and so you just learn to mow around the stump. People and preferences are like this. There are hills to die on and there are stumps to mow around. I thought of this illustration when I read a recent interview with Lauren Daigle on the topic of homosexuality. She was … [Read more...] about Biblical Sexuality Isn’t a Stump You Can Mow Around
From the Voices That Matters Most: Ephesians 4:11-16
Do you remember Wordle? It was a fun little app we played with for awhile that made word clouds. About a decade ago Thom Rainer asked the question of many people what they thought of when they thought of Southern Baptists. This is what he got: Looking at this Wordle it is pretty clear that those that responded view Southern Baptist’s as legalistic, traditional, and old; concerned with missions and fried chicken. It does not take a religious scholar to figure out that something is wrong with a Christian denomination when people associate fried chicken with you more than they do Jesus. … [Read more...] about From the Voices That Matters Most: Ephesians 4:11-16
A Concern with Paige Patterson’s Apology
Editor: This article was originally posted at Mike’s website, Borrowed Light, on Friday, May 11. I really don’t want to write this. It is going to be seen as dog piling or as harboring bitterness and unforgiveness. I pray if those charges are leveled that they don’t have truth in them. I pray that my motives here are completely pure. Yesterday Paige Patterson issued an apology to God’s people. And it’s not sitting well with me. And, honestly, I feel it puts into a precarious position the women who signed the letter to trustees and have expressed concerns about Patterson. Allow me to … [Read more...] about A Concern with Paige Patterson’s Apology
The Radical Remedy: Ephesians 2:1-10
“It is a failure to recognize this gravity of the human condition which explains people’s naïve faith in superficial remedies…A radical disease requires a radical remedy.” -John Stott So what do you think is needed in order to provide change? What will it take to change the world? Your life? Are you thinking of circumstances? If so, then your change will be superficial—actually, probably non-existent. You will simply wait for the circumstance to change. And you will probably be discontent and even tempted to blame God or others until your circumstance changes. Are you thinking of … [Read more...] about The Radical Remedy: Ephesians 2:1-10
From the Voice that Matters Most: Ephesians 1:1-2 – Is This Someone Else’s Mail?
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: Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will: To the faithful saints in Christ Jesus at Ephesus. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1:1-2, CSB Expositional Devotion: There are massive consequences to intentionally … [Read more...] about From the Voice that Matters Most: Ephesians 1:1-2 – Is This Someone Else’s Mail?