Statistical data among churches is on an up-swing. Yes, you read that sentence correctly. There are many key statistics that should encourage beleaguered churches and pastors. The focus of this post is a summary of Dr. Thom Rainer’s podcast interview with Tony Morgan, head of The Unstuck Church Group. You can find The Unstuck Group here, […]
The Best of Enemies
Do you know the names Ann Atwater, CP Ellis, and Howard Fuller? I didn’t until I read the book “The Best of Enemies,” by Osha Gray Davidson. The book chronicles racial relations in Durham, North Carolina in the 1960’s. I heard about the story of CP Ellis and Ann Atwater during this year’s pastors’ conference […]
We Can Do Something – Thoughts on Protecting our Churches from Sexual Predators
When I was 16 years old, our church hired a new pastor. I was excited and intrigued because this was the first time I could remember our church hiring a new pastor. (Turns out there was a good reason for that, as the previous pastor had been there for 19 years.) The new pastor was […]
10 Predictions for the 2019 Annual Meeting
Dr. Rainer likes to devote a podcast episode or two at the end of the year to predicting current trends and their impact on churches in the coming year. He’s usually correct, and those episodes are some of my favorites. I’d like to take a page out of Dr. Rainer’s book and offer ten predictions […]
Why Dave Ramsey Was Not a Waste of Time at the SBC
My wife and I made sure we made it back into the convention hall Tuesday afternoon to hear Dave Ramsey speak. When we came in, he had already begun speaking. I was excited to hear him. I’m always excited to hear Dave speak; I’ll admit I see him as a bit of a hero. My […]
Thoughts on J.D. Greear’s Comments on Homosexuality
I was once asked to officiate a wedding for a young couple that had been attending our church. The young man had waited for me outside the building and he was very nervous. I knew the couple had been living together, and when he asked, I looked into his face and said, “I don’t normally […]
SBC 2018–Thankful
This post was originally posted at hiswordhisglory.wordpress.com I am a proud Southern Baptist and have spent the last 3 days at our annual meeting. There’s been plenty of negativity surrounding our annual meeting, but I’m going to stick those aspects of the annual meeting for which I am thankful. Here are my top ten reasons to […]
2 Samuel 1 – The Fall of Saul
I’ve enjoyed writing the devotional posts through Ephesians, and I intend to continue contributing those types of posts. This one comes from my quiet time this morning; 2 Samuel 1:19-25. Passage: The splendor of Israel lies slain on your heights. How the mighty have fallen! Do not tell it in Gath, don’t announce it in the […]
Parents and Children (Ephesians 6:1-4): From the Voice that Matters Most
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 […]
Putting On New – Ephesians 4:25-32 (From the Voice that Matters Most)
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: […]
Ephesians 2–an overview
I opened my bible for devotion this morning and it fell to Isaiah 12. I normally have a plan for my devotion time, and it doesn’t typically involve letting the pages fall where they may. This morning, however, I decided to just read and meditate on the first passage I saw. Isaiah 12 reads, “On […]
Some Observations on Religious Freedom
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released it’s annual report on April 18th. If you’re interested, you can read the full version here, or the abridged version here. If you’re unfamiliar with the work of USCIRF, they are responsible for monitoring the conditions of religious freedom around the globe and submitting reports […]