I talked to a friend a few days ago, and our conversation turned toward his pastor. His pastor is a mess, and not your typical everyone's a sinner mess, but a dangerous mess. I immediately thought of Andrew Stocklein, the California pastor who took his life a few weeks ago. Two years ago, I struggled through a bout of situational depression. I didn't want to get out of bed, and I wasn't excited about anything. I remember feeling like everyone would be better off if I just left. There were some other mitigating factors to this season of my life, but after several visits to the … [Read more...] about Thoughts on Depression Among Pastors
Have We Taken God out of School?
I fell for it. I fell for it, hook line and sinker. I parroted this critique of the liberal public education establishment: they’ve taken God out of our schools. That was before I became involved with our local school. There are many who believe that the cause of our societal decline began when The Supreme Court outlawed prayer in public schools. The Supreme Court’s decision in Engel vs. Vitale has become an easy scapegoat for the moral decline in our nation. It’s convenient to blame nine dead justices for everything we revile about our society, but in our righteous” anger, we’re … [Read more...] about Have We Taken God out of School?
Encouragement for Churches?
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, and you can listen to Dr. Rainer's interview here: NINE KEY STATISTICAL INSIGHTS FROM CHURCHES IN 2018. Without giving away the entire podcast, here are 10 encouraging statistics for pastors and churches: CP giving: … [Read more...] about Encouragement for Churches?
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 when Dr. Tony Evans used their story as a sermon illustration. I decided to research the story and found Davidson's book. I'll give a summary and then three strengths and three weaknesses of Davidson's work. Summary During the first half of the 20th century, Durham, North … [Read more...] about The Best of Enemies
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 awesome. He was young and full of energy. He preached outstanding sermons, and he even counseled me when I wanted to surrender my life to the ministry. Then came the phone call. My father is a deacon and one night he was summoned to church for an emergency deacons meeting. The new pastor had been caught … [Read more...] about We Can Do Something – Thoughts on Protecting our Churches from Sexual Predators
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 for the SBC Annual meeting in Birmingham. 1. The Bailey amendment—I thought about calling this the Osceola amendment, but that’s unfair to the good people of Osceola Arkansas, so it shall henceforth be known as the Bailey amendment. My prediction is that Steve Bailey of Calvary Baptist Church in … [Read more...] about 10 Predictions for the 2019 Annual Meeting
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 wife and I are Dave Ramsey fans and as soon as we get our house paid off, we're going to Nashville to do our debt-free scream. My kids even have the introduction to his radio show memorized. I was disappointed to hear grumbling in my section, and then murmurings afterward about his appearance. There were those who thought … [Read more...] about Why Dave Ramsey Was Not a Waste of Time at the SBC
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 marry couples who are living together. That's against what God's Word says, so we'll have to talk about that." I'll never forget that conversation. I was right. However, I did a poor job of loving my neighbor. I loved being right more than I loved that young man, and it cost me the opportunity to influence … [Read more...] about Thoughts on J.D. Greear’s Comments on Homosexuality
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 be thankful for SBC2018 We continue our belief in the inerrancy of scripture--There was no debate over Biblical interpretation, and there was nothing done that moved us towards a more liberal theology. while other denominations continue their liberal slide, … [Read more...] about SBC 2018–Thankful
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 marketplaces of Ashkelon, or the daughters of the Philistines will rejoice, and the daughters of the uncircumcised will celebrate. Mountains of Gilboa, let no dew or rain be on you, or fields of offerings, for there the shield of the mighty was defiled--the shield of … [Read more...] about 2 Samuel 1 – The Fall of Saul