My suitcase is packed. I am headed for Dallas. This will be my sixth Southern Baptist Convention. My first was in Houston in 2013, and I haven't missed one since. I am excited to hear reports of what God is doing among and through Southern Baptists. I am excited to enjoy some tasty tex-mex. And I am excited to get together with friends that I interact with all year but only see once a year. But before we gather in Dallas, I thought I would put together a brief list of questions that I have heading into #SBC18. Surely there are other questions. Surely there are things that will come up that … [Read more...] about Five Questions Heading into #SBC18
“Slaving to Serve” (Ephesians 6:5-9) – From the Voice that Matters Most
Passage: 5 Slaves, obey your human masters with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as you would Christ. 6 Don’t work only while being watched, as people-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, do God’s will from your heart. 7 Serve with a good attitude, as to the Lord and not to people, 8 knowing that whatever good each one does, slave or free, he will receive this back from the Lord. 9 And masters, treat your slaves the same way, without threatening them, because you know that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him. Ephesians 6:5-9 … [Read more...] about “Slaving to Serve” (Ephesians 6:5-9) – From the Voice that Matters Most
Breaking the SBC’s Addiction to the Wrong Kinds of Power
How big is your church? Small? Medium-sized? Large? Mega? How many baptisms? How much money do you take in? How much money do you give? How much money do you give to the Cooperative Program? How many were in church last Sunday? What kind of impact are your making? How many have you led to Christ? How hard are you working? What are the results? The measurables? How effective is your leadership? We did everything "right." Why didn't we see the same success as the church down the street? Why are they "stealing" our people? Who do they think they are? They're just growing because the … [Read more...] about Breaking the SBC’s Addiction to the Wrong Kinds of Power
Women, You Are Not The Backup Plan
Who doesn’t like a solid backup plan? I’m a self-proclaimed A-type and have great appreciation for a well thought out plan of a plan; I usually have, not one but three or four backup plans to the backup plan. The whole thought of a backup plan though is that you will only see its carefully crafted abilities and process if and when the first plan fails. I don’t remember the context of where I was or even who said it to me, but when speaking about women in leadership and ministry and trying to figure out my place, I somehow grabbed hold of the idea that I was only supposed to be the backup … [Read more...] about Women, You Are Not The Backup Plan
Breaking: Patterson Has Withdrawn from #SBC18 Convention Sermon and Evangelism Task Force Report
Being reported by SBC This Week and other sources on social media: BREAKING: Dr. Paige Patterson has withdrawn from the convention sermon and evangelism task force report. #SBC18 #SBCAM18 — SBC This Week (@SBCthisWeek) June 8, 2018 Scott Coulter, Patterson's former chief of staff, said on Twitter a full statement will release shortly and that the move was "in an effort to bring full harmony to the Southern Baptist Convention." We'll update this post with the statement when it's released. Update: 11:25 Statement is posted at the Southern Baptist Texan Website. Full … [Read more...] about Breaking: Patterson Has Withdrawn from #SBC18 Convention Sermon and Evangelism Task Force Report
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
An evaluation of Randy Adams’ SBC Recovery Program
Randy Adams is the Executive Director of the Northwest Baptist Convention, an area covering Oregon, Washington, and northern Idaho. He is a supporter of Ken Hemphill and a critic of J.D. Greear or at least of the type of Southern Baptist that JDG represents. Adams classified most SBC churches as "not fully cooperative" about which I had an earlier piece, Who fully supports the Cooperative Program? In that Adams wrote, "Southern Baptists are at a critical crossroad. One road leads to the continuation of decline in CP missions giving and the continuation of the decline of the SBC (that is a … [Read more...] about An evaluation of Randy Adams’ SBC Recovery Program
5 Lessons and Reasons for Hope In Spite of the Recent Tensions in the SBC (Chris Hefner)
As a Southern Baptist I have been following the recent controversies and tensions at a distance. There is no shortage of opinions, commentary, criticism and defense. The tenor leading up to next week’s convention in Dallas promises to be eventful and significant. There is ample reason for self-examination personally and denominationally. There are lessons we can learn and reasons we can have hope in spite of the controversy and tension. The SBC is an affirmation of the biblical narrative. When you look through the scriptural storyline, you will not find biblical heroes, but rather you … [Read more...] about 5 Lessons and Reasons for Hope In Spite of the Recent Tensions in the SBC (Chris Hefner)
Miami Church Planter Fabian Portunato on Why He’s Attending #SBC18
My name is Fabian Portunato and I am a Send Network planter in Miami, FL, in my 3rd year of this plant. This will be my 4thconsecutive year attending the SBC. It is a commitment I made to myself and my church, that if we were to be Southern Baptists then we would be involved in Southern Baptist life at the local, state and National level. The first year I attended was part of a requirement for my Baptist History class at SEBTS. It was pretty wild seeing characters from the books I had read about the conservative resurgence and it was like seeing those stories jump off the pages into real … [Read more...] about Miami Church Planter Fabian Portunato on Why He’s Attending #SBC18
Three Reasons I’m Looking Forward to #SBC18 (Jim Drake)
With all the controversy surrounding this year’s annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention, I have seriously considered canceling my hotel reservations and staying home. With each new “revelation” and Twitter storm, I have thought it might be emotionally easier to skip the trip to Dallas. After all, a 15-hour drive, wall-to-wall mini-conferences, meetings, and crowds are exhausting—not to mention the added ministry weight of planning and preparation that’s required to be away from our small church during the height of gearing up for summer ministry. With those things in mind, it … [Read more...] about Three Reasons I’m Looking Forward to #SBC18 (Jim Drake)