SBC Issues

My wife and I are members of the Central Baptist Church in Crandall, Texas (Dallas area). I’ve told everyone who will listen that our pastor, Charles Wilson, is the best pastor I’ve ever known. (Disclaimer: I have not had the opportunity to observe Dave Miller and William Thornton in action.) Charles Wilson is not the best preacher I’ve heard (that is Adrian Rogers), but Brother Charlie does a great job. This prompted me to think about the question—What makes a great pastor? So, in this essay, I’ll try to answer that question. I’ll write about what makes a great preacher in a separate … [Read more...] about What Makes a Great Pastor?

This the Week of Prayer for International Missions, sponsored by the Woman’s Missionary Union. I join with all our missionaries in thanking the WMU for supporting our foreign missions work with prayer and financial support. The announcement of the Week of Prayer prompted me to think about effective praying for missionaries. We all agree that prayer support is essential, but what form should it take? I remember well growing up in the First Baptist Church of Siloam Springs, Arkansas. During the Wednesday night prayer meeting, the pastor would solicit prayer requests, and the members would … [Read more...] about How to Pray for Missionaries

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

I am thankful for the recent emphasis on Christ-centered interpretation of Scripture. It is a welcome balance to the tendency to turn Bible stories into mere moral lessons. However, while all Scripture points to Christ it does not follow that every Scripture has to be an allegory of the Cross. I am especially bothered by what some do with the book of Proverbs. Solomon gave his sons practical wisdom to guide them in choosing God's path over the world's folly. Lady Wisdom isn't a type of Christ but one of two options - two women - that he sets before his sons. Choose one, boys!  Walk with … [Read more...] about Harvest Is Coming: Choices Have Consequences

Lottie Moon, missionary to China from 1873 to her death in 1912, is the most famous person in Southern Baptist history. Our largest offering, the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions, is named for her. In time, her life came to be mythologized by Southern Baptists and her name invoked in order to raise money for missions. Over $1.5 billion has been received for overseas missions use since 1888. I hope your church has and will receive a Lottie Moon Offering for International Missions this year. Do your best. There are many good things to support. This is the best thing … [Read more...] about Interesting facts on the most famous Southern Baptist ever

...when you pry them from my cold dead fingers. The only exceptions to that are if my doctor gives me an especially grave lecture or my wife gives me a sidelong glance. After all, I spent most of 2018 answering the same question from the Kroger cashiers, "Did you find everything you needed?" My answer was always, "No. You didn't have white fudge Oreos," after which I'd usually get a puzzled look. Once or twice the nice cashier said, "Yeah, those are really good. I think they are a Christmas item." Indeed. But when I found them, I exercised notable restraint by buying only three boxes: … [Read more...] about Christmas food, and you can have my White Fudge Oreos…

In a way, too much has been said about the recent killing of an American missionary in the Andaman islands but since John Chau was quite active in publicly recounting his travels and adventures, a recent opinion piece by Southeastern Seminary professor Scott Hildreth that was carried by Religious News Service may be appropriate and relevant. John Chau and the dangers of missionary work The RNS story is worth reading in its entirety. I'll just put a couple of salient quotes here: The death of Chau raises questions for Christians and non-Christians alike. There are ethical questions, as … [Read more...] about A sober and sensible look at the danger of missionary work

While there are many worthy causes, the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions is clearly and always the best choice for missions giving among Southern Baptists. The offering, last year's came to $158.9 million, all directed to overseas needs. The LMCO provides over half of our International Mission Board's funding. Thank God that almost all Southern Baptist Churches continue to have a missions emphasis around Christmas and ask their members to give generously, sacrificially to the LMCO. IMB has been taking the Gospel to the nations for 173 years. Their work may be … [Read more...] about Lottie Moon is always the best choice for missions giving