SBC Issues

“Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that ‘all of us possess knowledge.”  This knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.”  If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know.  But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.”  1 Corinthians 8:1-3 Concerning the question of eating food offered to idols, logically and theologically the “strong” Corinthians had this question nailed.  They rightly believed that there is only one God, “an idol has no real existence” and correctly deduced from this that a “nothing cannot affect meat”[1]  Yet, what they failed … [Read more...] about The Root of Angry and Divisive Calvinists: Part 4

I was saved at the age of 6.  I actually have no memory of the event and struggled with it for some time.  If I do not remember it, was it real? I believe it was. My dad used to read a book to us called, "Little Pilgrim's Progress", a children's adaptation of the Bunyan classic.  There is a scene in it in which little Christian takes his burden to the cross and lays it there.  My dad helped me to pray and place my faith in Christ. I was a "good kid" (except for the common refrain from teachers that I talked too much) but I did not serve the Lord until I was out of high school .  I … [Read more...] about In Honor of the Cross: Tell Us How God Saved You

I've got a headache today.  I'm sneezing.  I feel awful. It's not a mystery.  These are common symptoms known to anyone with seasonal allergies.  With this early spring, with every green thing God ever created blooming right now in Sioux City, the pollen count is rising like the national debt under President Obama. Symptoms are the outward expression of sickness inside. Feeling as I do, I have been sitting at my desk, pretending to work (oops, too many of my church members read this blog now - I've got to stop saying things like that) and I came upon an article by Joe McKeever called "10 … [Read more...] about Marks of an Unhealthy Church

  (Ricky Kirk blogs at Panta ta Ethne and was one of the Final Four in our recent Blue Collar Blog Madness.  Thank you, Ricky.) So the University of Kentucky achieved another win to add to their already stellar basketball program and legacy. Give credit where credit is due, but some know, and everyone will now know, I am not a UK fan. Yes, I was born and raised (for the most part) in Kentucky. For some reason I just never jumped on the bandwagon and became a fan, much less a follower. Speaking of bandwagons, what is it that makes a person decide to be a fan only when a team is … [Read more...] about of fans and bandwagons… (by Ricky Kirk)

Okay, the title is a bit of a misnomer.  There is not a single marker of Christlikeness.  Those who come to God by faith in Jesus Christ are marked by a series of characteristics - sound doctrine, holiness, joy, peace, patience - the list goes on.  There is no shortage of markers. But there is one that I believe stands out above the others both because of its rarity even among those who call themselves Christians and because of its supernatural nature. Romans 5:8 sets the groundwork for this concept.  We know that God demonstrated his love for us by sending his son to die for us on the … [Read more...] about Indentifying Christlikeness

Congratulations to Todd Littleton, (and his entire extended family) for running a fantastic campaign, coming from behind and winning an incredibly close race to become the 2012 Blue Collar Blog Madness Champion.  Well played! Let me mention the rest of the Final Four. Joe Blackmon, who blogs at "Hear God Speak" forged his way into the finals as an underdog.  In the finals, he garnered nearly 4% of the 1227 votes cast.  Just making it to through the first two rounds is a great honor. The same is true for Ricky Kirk and his blog, Panta ta Ethne.  Ricky made a really good showing and won … [Read more...] about And the Winner Is…Todd Littleton, The Edge of the Inside

(Editor's Note:  Back at Christmas my Frank Page hitting wife bought me a Kindle Fire, and my spoken Word poetry genius daughter got the book "The Hunger Games" for me.  Since I tend to do what my daughter tells me to do, I read the book.  Immediately, I got Kindle copies of the rest of the trilogy, then devoured the movie last week. So, I'm a fan. Alan Cross, who blogs at Downshore Drift, wrote this great article and I asked him to publish it here.  He said yes.  Here it is.) I found a lot of Biblical truth in The Hunger Games trilogy. I finished reading it yesterday and think that some … [Read more...] about How “The Hunger Games” Reflects Biblical Truth (by Alan Cross)

If it wasn’t seminary (or any other new found education) that caused mark to become angry and divisive what happened to Mark, then? Probably the same thing that happened to students in Newton’s day when he said: I do not mention this as the necessary fault of the institution, but as the frequent effect of notions too hastily picked up, when not sanctified by grace, nor balanced by a proportional depth of spiritual experience.[1] Newton is saying what Luther said 200 years prior, “experience alone makes the theologian[2]”. What happened to Mark and a host of students like him is that he … [Read more...] about The Root of Angry and Divisive Calvinists: Part 3