SBC Issues

It's that time of year again, where everyone wants to reflect on the near term history. So, what mattered most in 2008? What impacted you - was it a news story, a personal event, SBC issue or something else? Leave your comments below. … [Read more...] about 2008 Is History – So What?

This Christmas, my church purchased ESV study Bibles for Sunday School teachers. The thinking was to give them an all-in-one resource to help them work out sticky passages and better grasp the meaning of the Bible. But there is a downside to these type of Bibles, even if they are very well done. I've often found myself checking the notes before I struggle to understand the text on its own merits. That is why I normally recommend plain text Bibles with minimal notes. What do you think? Which Bible would you recommend and to what types of readers? … [Read more...] about Study Notes Or Plain Text: Which Bible Is Better?

The centrality of preaching has been on my mind lately. Mainly because of some conviction God has been giving, and also because of some excellent books I'm reading. For example, I read this statement by Dr. Mohler in his contribution to the book Feed My Sheep: A Passionate Plea For Preaching. "This is not to say that there are not other responsibilities or that there are not even other priorities for a pastor. However, there is one central, non-negotiable, immovable, essential priority, and that is the preaching of the Word of God." Does it follow that maintaining the preaching of the Word … [Read more...] about Should Preaching Be The #1 Priority Of The Church?

Once upon a time, Southern Baptists believed the church had a mission. We held that our aim and authority came from the mouth of Jesus himself when he said, "Go and make disciples of all nations." (Matthew 28:18-20). So, churches were specialists in one thing. That one thing was proclaiming the Gospel so that the lost could hear, believe and follow Christ. We were passionate about this one sacred task and began to send preachers to the nations. We insisted that everything our churches would do must related clearly back to that mission. After all, our local bodies belong to Christ and exist … [Read more...] about Have We Really Fallen This Far?

I was about to post a video that used satire to highlight some flaws in contemporary preaching, but something stopped me. While the video made some great points, I began to think about the hubris it takes for me to scoff at God's ministers. Who am I to pass judgment on another congregation's shepherd? At the same time, some types of modern preaching clearly exchange the Gospel for something else. My default response is to mock and scoff, while giving little though to the real spiritual peril they in which they stand. I have not prayed for these guys or their people, but I am too glad to … [Read more...] about Is It Wrong To Mock Other Preachers?

LifeWay Research is constantly releasing new data and helpful insights. But the most interesting part of their latest study was the purpose of the research. This new study was "conducted on behalf of the SBC's Executive Committee." I would like to address the purpose of this research. Here is the stated purpose of the XComm in their official description. The Executive Committee initiated the survey of all Southern Baptist churches to collect data that would provide an empirical baseline of our churches’ thoughts, feelings and perceptions about the Cooperative Program and stewardship, and to … [Read more...] about Marketing The Cooperative Program

Many have been guessing, including me, that the Cooperative Program is in trouble over the next few years. There is no prophecy in that statement, just sniffing the wind and thinking through some demographics. But the 2008 - 2009 global recession is already making the situation deteriorate much faster. In a recent letter from Southern Seminary, Dr. Mohler shared his concerns about their budget. In his explanation, he revealed the concerns are growing among denominational leaders. Here is a quote and I've emphasized the relevant portion. The Cooperative Program remains the mainstay of our … [Read more...] about The Money Quote: What To Expect From The Cooperative Program