SBC Voices

Stuffed Baboon Reading Darwin

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Upon entering the office of the President of Southwestern Seminary, one finds to the immediate right a baboon hunted by Dr. Paige Patterson. Resting in the primate's hands is a copy of Charles Darwin's "Origin of the Species." If you don't find this the least bit amusing, may I suggest that you get out more. After exiting the President's office, I walked down the hallway and noticed the portrait of one of my retired professors in the field of Biblical Backgrounds, who was open about his belief in evolution. I'm sure he must be pleased to know that Darwin's theories continue to enjoy … [Read more...] about Stuffed Baboon Reading Darwin

Is This What I Was Called For?

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Ever have those days when you think “am I really called for this?” Those days where everyone is a critic and no one is happy with anything you do, the messages seem to fall on deaf ears and people seem more concerned with the lighting and the volume of the music than with what the scripture is says. Have those moments? I am currently not serving in vocational ministry, and it leaves me heart broken some days. I know my calling, and I have shared it on here, so I'm not going to rehash all those things. There is bi-vocational work in my immediate future, and I feel blessed that God's calling on … [Read more...] about Is This What I Was Called For?

Christmas Preaching: What Do You Do?

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I'm in my Sunday School hour break - recuperating from the 8:30 service and readying for 11:00. I am between series right now (finished Proverbs and didn't want to start something new until after the holidays).  So, I preached a Christmas-themed sermon today. That means I will probably preach 4 Christmas sermons during this year - it's not easy to keep that many sermons fresh and free of sappy sentimentality. I have often said that the reason pastors move from church to church is that they run out of fresh ideas for Christmas. I was at my last church 14 Christmases, and this is my 8th … [Read more...] about Christmas Preaching: What Do You Do?

A Hill On Which To Live

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Earlier this week, it was my pleasure to visit the campus of Southwestern Seminary for the first time in many years. Not certain what to expect, I came away pleasantly surprised and profoundly impressed with the tremendous progress being made at my alma mater. Allow me to highlight just a few areas where God's Hand is clearly at work: New Student Housing: Chad, a student from Georgia who read Scripture in Chapel, was kind enough to take me to dinner and show me the new student housing that is still being constructed in phases. Suffice it to say that the new units are attractive and … [Read more...] about A Hill On Which To Live

3 Reasons I’m Not a Fan of the “I Went to Heaven” Books

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Within the last couple of years I have had an influx of requests from publishers to read and review a host of “I went to heaven” books.  The more popular varieties of these books have often led many within our congregation to ask whether or not I’ve read these books and what I thought. I’ll start out by saying that more than likely I have not read the books.  I’ve maybe skimmed a couple of them.  Before you criticize me, though, for dogging books that I haven’t read please hear me say that you don’t need to read the books to make these statements.  The very presence of the books is the … [Read more...] about 3 Reasons I’m Not a Fan of the “I Went to Heaven” Books

Are We Entering a Post-Cooperative Program Era in SBC Life?

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I am a CP guy. My current church gives 12% to missions through the Cooperative Program and that is the smallest percentage of the 4 churches I have been involved in during my 31 years of ministry. A couple of my churches gave in the neighborhood of 20% and my last church was giving near 15% - I believe in the Cooperative Program! I think it is an amazing and genius idea that has enabled us to fund an unparalleled world missions program. I have fought against tendencies to fix our church's financial problems by cutting missions giving - that is the easy way out, and I am convinced, the wrong … [Read more...] about Are We Entering a Post-Cooperative Program Era in SBC Life?

What I Have Learned from Dwight McKissic about Racial Reconciliation in the SBC

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It can always be a little bit of a minefield for a lily-white Iowa guy like me (not enough sun to even maintain a decent tan!) to talk about racial issues. Years ago, my church and my association in Cedar Rapids were making specific efforts to reach out and fellowship with a predominantly black church in town. We had a wonderful joint service. A representative of our state convention was there and stood to make remarks about the meeting. In the process, he made a statement that made me cringe and evidently gave great offense to the choir from the black church. He was simply trying to say … [Read more...] about What I Have Learned from Dwight McKissic about Racial Reconciliation in the SBC

Why Born-Again Believers Should Boycott the Jamie Foxx Movie “Django Unchained” (by Wm. Dwight McKissic, Sr)

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Wm Dwight McKissic, Sr. is the pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington, TX. He blogs at Wm Dwight McKissic, Sr. While watching the Dallas Cowboys versus the Washington Redskins on Thanksgiving Day, I was excited to see the advertisement of the Christmas Day release of a movie featuring Jamie Foxx entitled, “Django Unchained.” I am not a movie-goer. I am a man in love with my wife, and she loves to go to movies. Therefore, from three to six times a year, we make our way to the movies together. One of our favorite times to go together is during the Christmas Holidays. This … [Read more...] about Why Born-Again Believers Should Boycott the Jamie Foxx Movie “Django Unchained” (by Wm. Dwight McKissic, Sr)