Our guest blogger today is Wade Phillips, who blogs at "A Good Infection". He's a TV news anchor in MS and a husband/father/deacon/SS Teacher combo! This is the first in a series of posts on life and faith, that was triggered by a recent segment I did on WMOX radio about Tim Tebow . . . Let me lay my cards on the table from the beginning. I really like Tim Tebow. I like him for a number of reasons. Some of them are related to his faith, some of them are related to his football skills, and some of them are related to the how entertaining he has made this year’s NFL season, on and off the … [Read more...] about Jesus and Tim Tebow, Part 1
Why I Believe in Expository Preaching
I'm a preacher's kid, so I grew up hearing 2 sermons a week, 52 weeks a year. We didn't miss back then. My dad was a bit of a fanatic about something that, I now know, was not so common back among preachers back then - verse-by-verse, expository preaching. Since I sat under his preaching every week, I assumed everyone got out a Bible, tackled a passage and went through it verse after verse, picking up this week where we left off last week. Dad didn't "do a series" - he preached a book. Romans. Ephesians. 2 Peter. I didn't know there was any other kind of preaching, except for dad's … [Read more...] about Why I Believe in Expository Preaching
What in God’s Name Are We Doing to Our Children?
I am a grandfather now and I am deeply concerned about how the church is ministering to and dealing with its children. Of course, I want my grandchildren to be raised in the church, but is being raised in the church today that much different than the world? The world my grandchildren will grow up in is a Pleasure Island designed to seduce young Pinocchios into a life of servitude to sin. But what is going on in the church? I'm afraid that too often in our children and youth ministries we are trying to out Pleasure Island the Disney vision. I am concerned that many of the trends designed … [Read more...] about What in God’s Name Are We Doing to Our Children?
Review of Welcome to the Story
In his book Disciple: Getting Your Identity From Jesus Bill Clem shares an analogy where he compares three drama students starring in a play they perform in their garage with a drama student auditioning for a small part in a Broadway play in New York. The difference between the two scenarios is the one student even with a walk-on part being part of something huge. The other students are delusional “believing their vision of the way things could be is the way things actually are”. He compares this analogy to the difference between inviting God into our little stories or being offered … [Read more...] about Review of Welcome to the Story
Manna One: Baptist Disaster Relief will AMAZE You
“Out of Control’ A Challenging Video
Do Not Give to the Cooperative Program! (Micah Fries)
Do not, under any circumstances, give your money to the Cooperative Program (CP). Seriously. I mean it. To many, I guess, this might seem odd since, Frederick Boulevard, the church I pastor gives 8% of our undesignated receipts through the Cooperative Program. Ahhh, but there is the difference. Giving TO the CP, I think, is something entirely different thing than giving THROUGH the CP. The CP is undeniably an impressive vehicle to take our church’s money and help disperse it to missions causes all over the US and the world. It really is genius, if you think about it. It allows our church to … [Read more...] about Do Not Give to the Cooperative Program! (Micah Fries)
Lottie Moon or Global Missions Offering? (William Thornton)
(The SBC Plodder writes a lot about CP, Lottie and other such issues. Here's one for your perusal.) No. Plodder has not gone moderate. The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship's Lottie Moon knockoff is called "Offering for Global Missions" although I've often seen it promoted as "Global Mission Offering." I don't know if any of the phrases are trademarked as are Lottie Moon and Annie Armstrong. The blog title comes from the church I attended Sunday which was in the midst of promoting what they labeled "Global Missions Offering," a composite (and they explain this in their promotional … [Read more...] about Lottie Moon or Global Missions Offering? (William Thornton)
Tebow Warning: Sound FX Reveals the Real Timmy
Watch this ten minute video and you will see some interesting things about this Christian quarterback phenom. Observations: 1) The way he deals with the receiver who dropped the easy TD pass should be shown to every leader. 2) His calm demeanor in the most difficult and tumultuous circumstances. 3) His prayer life. He prays continually throughout the game. I especially appreciated that he never asked God for the victory, but that in victory or defeat he would glorify Christ. 4) Timmy can do anything except sing. Oh, my, he butchers some praise choruses! But hearing an … [Read more...] about Tebow Warning: Sound FX Reveals the Real Timmy
If Santa Is a Myth, What Is the Jesus of the Baptist Funeral? (by CB Scott)
Some of you might think CB Scott is a newcomer to Baptist Blogging, but he's one of the original "Wild West" era Baptist bloggers and one of its key figures through the years. He took a break recently when his town (Birmingham, AL) was devastated by a tornado and he led relief efforts. His words here are very wise. It is the Christmas season. Therefore several posts have appeared here at SBC Voices related to the various issues concerning the way individuals celebrate the Advent. No one can doubt that a great deal of myth has been attached to the time of the year when we formally celebrate … [Read more...] about If Santa Is a Myth, What Is the Jesus of the Baptist Funeral? (by CB Scott)