SBC Voices

So I have heard the giant debate about Calvinism, how it's the issue in the SBC and how wrong Calvinists are.  Blah blah blah.  I don't want to re-hash all of it, because I really think it's not the issue.  I think the number one issue facing us today is the number of members we have in our church that are not saved, because we have made it too easy. We as Southern Baptists have been so concerned about saying a prayer and getting Baptized that we have created a whole group of pew sitters that have no life change.  They have nothing in their lives that even begins to look like faith in … [Read more...] about Maybe Calvinism isn’t the Problem

I already know two things: 1)  As a long time Penn State and JoePa fan, I'm thinking with my heart here more than anything. 2)  I may get killed a little for these comments. Joe Paterno passed away just a few moments ago.  I checked ESPN.com just before I went into our early service and nothing was posted.  By the time I came out, his death had been announced.  And it makes me sad.  I can't remember a time when Joe Paterno was not the coach of the Nittany Lions.  He was an institution at the institution of higher education from which my father graduated. If Joe had died last year, … [Read more...] about Joe Paterno: A Life Defined by One Mistake?

One of the issues in the church in recent years has been the necessity of church discipline.  You may find tomorrow that your church is confronted by a serious moral quandary.  Can your church permit members who cheer for the NE Comrades to remain in full fellowship? It's a difficult issue.  Certainly, cheering for the spawn of Belichick is evil   - we all know that.  But is it the kind of evil we should divide over and institute church discipline because of? Ultimately, the question is, how can light partner with darkness?  How can good cheer for evil? So, I hope that each of you who … [Read more...] about Issue: Should NE Patriots’ Fans be Excommunicated?

… [Read more...] about Fear Not – (Richard Cisco)

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 Does Malachi 2:16 Condemn All Divorce?

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: The OT Foundation – Does God Hate All Divorce?

I spend almost 8 years in a very good Seminary & Bible College. I am greatly blessed by the correct information I received. But when I look back there was some dangerous lessons that never made the official syllabus. Who I am supposed to admire... What I am supposed to believe... Where I am supposed to find answers … Why I am supposed to think a certain way ... How I am supposed to deal with impossible questions... I had very good training for a ministry without risk. I've got heroes to emulate, mantras to disseminate, the right books to mediate, theological systems to … [Read more...] about Who Knew Good Seminaries Could Be So Dangerous?

Ever watch a bunch of cows jammed into a pen before an auction, branding, or health check?  Too many bovines packed into too little real estate; the crowding makes it easier to direct them all out the one-cow gate and down the chute.  It’d be fine if they didn’t all weigh 2,000 pounds and didn’t go around manuring all over the place while having large pointed weapons on their heads.  Invariably, one steer will back into another.  Somebody gets poked in an unpleasant place and before you know it, a large four-legged steak is lying on his rump roast wondering what in blue blazes just … [Read more...] about Does Intent Trump Impact?

With apologies to John Ondrasik's band of the same name, and in response to Dave Miller's humble yet impassioned plea for content, I introduce five "short" topics for your consideration. No, these ideas are not developed into full-length feature articles. Is that always necessary? I re-read Jack London's "To Build a Fire" this morning, appreciating both his master storytelling and his brevity. Why take forever to say something if you can say it briefly? 1.  Rooftop Sex in the Bible So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and he slept with his father’s concubines in the sight of … [Read more...] about Five For Fighting