SBC Voices

In our ongoing discussions of important issues, one perennial problem is breakdown in communication. An issue where this problem seems to occur often is in our discussions about Calvinism. Just what do we mean when we use the term “Calvinist”? Because the term is used in a variety of ways we often fail to communicate and misunderstanding occurs. Unfortunately, such misunderstanding too often leads to unnecessary division and offense. For positive dialogue on this or any issue, both the speaker and the hearer have a responsibility to strive for understanding. The speaker must communicate … [Read more...] about “Calvinism” — Breakdowns in Communication

My wife and I would really like to get rid of our dog.  We got him nearly 7 years ago as a bribe or our daughter.  I'd ripped her out of the only home, the only school, the only church she'd ever know and dragged her across Iowa to Sioux City and it seemed like fulfilling her longstanding request for a canine companion might be a way to mollify her. A friend arranged for us to adopt a 6-year-old, overly-friendly, odoriferous, and incredibly lazy black lab named Tubbs.  He's been a part of the family ever since - and a pain in the neck. He's made messes (of various kinds), chewed things he … [Read more...] about Pro-Life in America: Someone Switched the Price Tags

How about a little change of pace and mutual encouragement? Answer one of the following questions in the comment stream: What do you love about the SBC? Or What is something God is doing in your church, association, state convention, or other ministry?   Here are the guidelines  (for this post only and I know we can do it!): Positive comments only – if you don’t have anything nice to say, comment on a different post No hidden or subtle swipes at some other group or position No Convention politics No sarcasm, snarkiness, condescension, orneriness, or mentioning of … [Read more...] about An SBC Blog Experiment

Spring Training is in progress and the first pitch of the baseball season is only a month away.  It is time to address an evil that goes on in America's National League ballparks every day of the baseball season. Pitchers bat!  (That is not a misprint.  They actually make pitchers pretend to bat in the National League.) Ridiculous! Some people were created with the ability to hit a baseball and some with the ability to hurl it.  We don't ask Alex Rodriquez to pitch, why do we expect CC Sabathia to bat during interleague play?  It is a violation of nature. Sure, there is an exception to the … [Read more...] about An Evil In America: National League Baseball

It is surprising to me how many believers go through their Christian life with little or no concern for reaching people with the gospel. In a former church I remember one member, a leader in the church, commented that he really did not have a burden for the lost. He admitted that he had never thought of evangelism as an important aspect of his Christian faith. I am thankful that he was candidly honest about where he was. Unfortunately, this man is not an anomaly. His viewpoint is far too common and in many churches is the norm. Multiply that perspective by 100 church members and you have a … [Read more...] about A Great Commission People

In Part One we explored both the unilateral creation of the task force itself and the selection of its entire membership by our SBC President. We considered the relatively brief nature of their deliberations in light of the historic decision to change our denominational name by introducing a second officially approved term with which it would be forced to compete. We reviewed the confusion of identity this replacement name would cause outsiders and even addressed the questionable use of a term that may prove, in the course of time, to sound "churchy" as it does not resonate with the culture, … [Read more...] about Twenty POLITE Reasons to Oppose GCB (Part Two of Four)

(Alan Cross blogs at Downshore Drift.  If he's not in your feed, he should be.)   The Great Commission Resurgence. This was the rallying cry of the new SBC 2-3 years ago. Southern Baptists had a task force that met for a year and made recommendations to the convention that dealt with funding mechanisms, an emphasis on church planting, and a suggestion to get more money from state conventions to the International and North American Mission Boards. These are good suggestions, but they weren't exactly the things that would lead to a true, grassroots resurgence of the Great Commission on the … [Read more...] about Whatever Happened to the GCR? (And how we can still have one). (by Alan Cross)

NOTE: I have just released a book which compiles (and edits and expands) these posts. It is called "Disqualified? What the Bible Says about Divorce, Remarriage and Ministry."   It is available on Amazon.com. The Kindle version will be released in the next couple of days - not sure what the hold-up is there. This book reviews the biblical evidence on divorce and remarriage, beginning with the cornerstone in the Old Testament - the twin principles of God's intent of marriage as a lifelong covenant between a man and a woman and the understanding of the brokenness caused by sin. It then lays the … [Read more...] about Divorce, Remarriage and Ministry: Paul’s Groundbreaking Teaching – 1 Corinthians 7:10-24