SBC Voices

Editor: Rob Freshour is the Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church of South Lyon, Michigan. When my son was twelve years old, he got my attention one Monday after school with an unusual question.  He asked me, “Dad, what’s the biggest problem you have ever faced and how did you solve it?” As any sane father should always do before blurting out whatever comes to mind, I responded to Joshua’s question with one of my own: “Why do you ask?” “I need to interview someone and write about it for school tomorrow,” he responded. Immediately, I began to make a mental short list of the … [Read more...] about My Biggest Problem … Ever (by Rob Freshour)

Marla Rogers is a pastor’s wife and blogger who lives in Biscoe, AR with her three cats and her husband David. (Note: David is a regular commenter here at SBC Voices, but is not the David Rogers who is a regular contributor here.) Remember the days when you were a kid that making an adult “promise” seemed like some magical binding contract to force them to do what was promised. Now, of course, we know there is no “power to the promise.” Or is there? Why do we keep some promises with gritted teeth, yet toss others away like yesterday’s garbage? Why are some promises so central to who we are … [Read more...] about Promises, Promises (by Marla Rogers)

Short paragraph - a brief summary. Tell us about your sermon today. I'm always interested to hear what other guys are preaching on. … [Read more...] about What’s Your Sermon Today?

When I was a young whippersnapper like many of you here, I disdained some older pastors who stood somewhat aloof from their congregations. I determined to be myself, to be vulnerable, to be "real" with my congregation. I had my closest friends within the congregation. I refused to be called anything but Dave, rejecting any honorific titles. But as time went on, I began to notice something. This may come as a bit of shock to some of you, but I am not perfect. No, really, I'm not kidding. I have flaws. And what I found is that a lot of people in my churches had trouble dealing with seeing … [Read more...] about A Voices Forum: Should a Pastor Have Close Friends in His Church?

Editor: Bill is a pastor in East Texas and blogs at Broken and Undone. Enjoying some good banter over at SBC Voices, somebody made the argument that football was better than baseball AND that it would continue to replace baseball as America’s Nat’l pastime. Obviously that is insane… over a century of baseball cannot possibly be overrun by mere decades with the pigskin.  So, having consulted with other baseball lists, here are substantive reasons (unlike those offered in support of football) for the supremacy of baseball over other sports (in no particular order). Spring … [Read more...] about An Argument for the Supremacy of Baseball (by Bill Gernenz)

Editor: Joe Blackmon attends an SBC church in Tennessee.  He blogs at Hear God Speak.  You can follow him on Twitter @joe_blackmon_72 As Peter comes to close out his marvelous epistle, he gives his readers four imperatives, directions to follow, to help them as they endure the false teachers that he has told them will be coming their way (II Peter 2:1). In short, because Peter knows he won’t be around forever, he wants to make sure these people, his spiritual children, know how to defend themselves against the destructive heresies of false teachers. You and I, even 2,000 years later, need to … [Read more...] about II Peter 3:14 Four Imperatives of a Forward Looking Faith – Part 1 (by Joe Blackmon)

As I think about the future of the SBC, I think about the leaders, the decisions and the direction.  What is happening today, will it be continued and build upon, or will there be a new direction?  Will things change and make sweeping changes?  Will all the decisions and direction of today be wiped away in 20 years?  I guess you will have to ask the leaders who will be leading in twenty years.  That will be. . . me and my friends.  Scary thought isn't it. At the risk of losing all credibility, I am 35 years old.  I have waited for the day I'll be old enough to be taken seriously, but I … [Read more...] about The Future of the SBC

Wm Dwight McKissic, Sr. is the pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington, TX. This post appeared on August 30 at his personal blog. This should be a good discussion! Denny Burk recently posted an interesting and provocative piece regarding the relationship and importance of complementarianism and inerrancy to the Gospel. I have two responses to Denny Burk’s post which is summed up in the following quote: “The gymnastics required to get from ‘I do not allow a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man,’ in the Bible, to ‘I do allow a woman to teach and to exercise … [Read more...] about A Response to Denny Burk’s Post on the Importance of Complementarianism to the Gospel by Wm Dwight McKissic, SR.

It was so predictable. David Rogers posted some comments here from DA Carson about the dangers of angry Christians being involved in politics. Dr. Carson, not a left-winger by any reasonable standard, was simply saying that when we engage in anger on politics, we undermine evangelism - our ultimate goal. Here was Carson's money quote. But at the end of the day, if you can’t do it with compassion, and gently, and leave the doors open for evangelism, boy, you destroy everything. I think one of the devil’s tactics with respect to the church on the Right today is to make them so hate everybody … [Read more...] about Angry or Compromised? Shrill or Silent? Seeking Middle Ground in Christian Social Engagement