Lord I want more of You Living water rain down on me Lord I need more of You Living breath of life come fill me upWe are hungry We are hungry We are hungry for more of You We are thirsty, oh Jesus We are thirsty for more of you This was one of my favorite songs in college. It summarized the cry of my heart. I wanted to know God more. I wanted to have a deeper relationship with Jesus (whatever that means). I wanted more passion. But I think what I really wanted was some strawberry pie. Strawberry pie is the perfect cap to an awesome meal. It’s sugary sweet goodness on top of … [Read more...] about The Gospel Isn’t Meant To Be Strawberry Pie
Can you be a witness for Christ in the midst of your trial?
In 2 Timothy 4, Paul tells Timothy to preach the word “in season and out of season” and to “do the work of an evangelist.” He instructs his young mentee to preach the gospel at all times, no matter the situation or circumstance. As I post this from a hospital room where my wife is being treated for cancer, I think one of the times that often feels “out of season” is in the midst of adversity. When we are facing uncertainty, pain, grief, and all the things associated with trials, the last thing I’m thinking about is preaching the word. And yet, I find that God gives me tremendous … [Read more...] about Can you be a witness for Christ in the midst of your trial?
No One Prepared Me for the Loneliness (by Tony Jones)
This post is authored by Tony Jones. Tony is pastor of the First Baptist Church of Rich Hill, MO. He blogs at http://thespiritualwoodshed.com/. When I was a music minister, it seemed I was always surrounded by people. There was always someone there, in part, because music ministers are always part of a staff of ministers and there really is always someone else there. I enjoy the presence of others, and I always enjoyed spending my days amongst other people. When my office was located in the back of the church, I would hear the front door open and I would walk to the front office to see … [Read more...] about No One Prepared Me for the Loneliness (by Tony Jones)
Election Reflections
I didn't get much done last night, other than watch the election returns. Yesterday, before I left the office, I wrote out a worksheet of the 14 races which polls said were in dispute in the battle for control of the Senate. I tracked them, watched the numbers and finally called it a night around midnight. Here are some of my observations today. 1) It was a Red Tsunami. For most of the night, Juan Williams tried to argue against calling this a "wave" - I don't know why. By the end of the night, he was admitting the obvious. As best I can tell, there was only 1 of those 14 races in which … [Read more...] about Election Reflections
Should Christians Give Mark Driscoll the “Middle Finger”?
Some years ago I watched a nature series entitled Life that depicted the life of, well, life. One of the episodes included never-before-captured footage of a pack of Komodo dragons hunting a water buffalo. The event was unique because no one thought that a reptile would pursue a mammal, but the food situation was so dire that the Komodo dragons went outside of their normal hunting routines. The hunt started with what seemed like an insignificant bite, but the dragon’s bite was, as the narrator says, “a lethal concoction of bacteria and venom” that eventually took the life of the buffalo. … [Read more...] about Should Christians Give Mark Driscoll the “Middle Finger”?
A Lego Church
I love Lego bricks. They are, without question (in my opinion), the best toy ever invented. Give a kid thousands of tiny little bricks and the freedom of imagination, and he or she will spend hours creating and configuring and combining with other toys… I’ve also always been a fan of space dramas, particularly Star Trek and Babylon 5. Much of my childhood was spent creating spaceships and space stations engaged in intergalactic combat for the fate of the universe. The possibilities were endless with a slew of little bricks in hand… One of the best things about Lego is that the bricks … [Read more...] about A Lego Church
Why I Don’t Endorse Candidates from the Pulpit
There is a movement out there calling on pastors to endorse candidates for political office from the pulpit. I sympathize with the aims of this group. They are trying to make a statement to the government and to the IRS that the pulpit should remain free from government intrusion. The IRS, after getting spanked a few times recently for politically-motivated actions against conservatives, is refusing to take the bait. They have not stepped up enforcement against any of those pastors who have made this act of protest. It makes no difference to me. I have never endorsed a candidate for public … [Read more...] about Why I Don’t Endorse Candidates from the Pulpit
Being Gospel-Centered Is A Bloody Mess
I still remember my white-knuckled pew grabbing. When I really wanted to go forward at service and give my life to Christ. Maybe it was a rededication—maybe it was coming to Christ for the first time. I don’t know, but I know that at that time the gospel seemed so beautiful. But I was counting the cost and it seemed so huge. During that time in my life I wrote this rather choppy line: Standing on holy ground With one shoe Caught between a life of me And one devoted to you I deeply wanted to listen and follow the voice calling from the burning bush but I wanted to at least keep a … [Read more...] about Being Gospel-Centered Is A Bloody Mess
George Whitefield, Slavery, and Southern Seminary: Growing Baptist Recognition
Last week, (Oct. 21-22), Southern Baptist Theological Seminary held the 8th Annual Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies Conference on Whitefield and the Great Awakening. This year celebrates the 300th anniversary of Whitefield's birth. Like many Evangelicals, Whitefield (1714-1770) has been a hero of mine as a leader of the First Great Awakening in the 1700s. In my seminary days at Golden Gate, I studied him for an independent study class on evangelism and compared/contrasted the Great Awakening and the Enlightenment and have been familiar with his life, ministry, and influence ever … [Read more...] about George Whitefield, Slavery, and Southern Seminary: Growing Baptist Recognition
GUESS WHAT DAY IT IS!
It's hump day! Also, it's the day that our wandering Aramean has come home to the USA. But I can still just publish something without your review, right Dave? … [Read more...] about GUESS WHAT DAY IT IS!