When I left Cedar Rapids in 2005, after more than 14 years of ministry at my church there, it was a huge shock. I thought that I would one day retire as the pastor of that church and I used to tell people that my goal in ministry was to leave one solid church behind that would be my spiritual legacy. God showed me that this was not his will and I didn't understand it. We were settled in Cedar Rapids, happy in Cedar Rapids. Why did God move us? As time went on, I began to realize some reasons that God might have moved us across the state of Iowa to Southern Hills Baptist Church. The … [Read more...] about It’s About Lives Changed, Not Churches Built!
Where the 10 Commandments Belong
As I was driving to the office this morning, I heard a snip-it from Adrian Rogers. He said that God gave the Ten Commandments to families, and he talked about the commandment to fathers to teach it to your children. It really resonated with me, I agree. It seems like we want God to touch our nation. God isn't going to touch the nation, He is going to touch people, and we have the responsibility from there. The 10 Commandments don't belong in the Courthouse, they belong in your house. They don't belong in the classroom, they belong in the bedroom. The commands of God, his statues and … [Read more...] about Where the 10 Commandments Belong
We Do Missions Right!
Here's an article I was honored to have published in the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions section of "The Alabama Baptist" this past week. Alabama is not the largest state convention, nor are we the richest state convention. However, we lead all states in both total Cooperative Program giving and per capita Cooperative Program giving. In contrast to the growing popularity of many other missions giving paradigms, the Cooperative Program is a tried and true avenue for supporting the Great Commission. May we continue to do missions right! In 1988, when Kentucky Fried Chicken said, … [Read more...] about We Do Missions Right!
“Who Told You You Were Naked?”
One of the most discouraging aspects of battling a deeply-internalized sexual issue or other commanding presence of repetitive sin is that, even after you face it, fight it, and deprive it, something in that deep-internal goes right back to work to revive it. You choke it, pound it, bury it, surrender it and then, before you know it, you're back under it. You toss it out the window on your journey to freedom and about the time you peek in the rear-view mirror, it's splatting on the windshield. I've heard of . . . and would like to shake the hand of -- some people who faced-down the … [Read more...] about “Who Told You You Were Naked?”
Let’s talk crazy for a moment
I'm sitting here, perusing the Baptist Press article regarding NAMB President Kevin Ezell's goal of seeing 55,901 Southern Baptist congregations by the end of 2020. Especially telling is the closing paragraph of that article, which gives us this information: Ezell said within the Southern Baptist Convention in 1900 in America, there was one SBC church for every 3,900 people. Today, there is one SBC church for every 6,700. In Mississippi, there is one SBC congregation for every 1,400 people. In Canada, there is one congregation for every 124,000; in New Jersey, one congregation for every … [Read more...] about Let’s talk crazy for a moment
Mormons, Missionary Strategy, and American Politics
The place was Badajoz, Spain, the time about 15 years ago. I was at that time missionary-pastor of the local Baptist church, back when there was still a place for that type of assignment within IMB strategy. We were hosting a few volunteer workers from the States, and that night they wanted to eat hamburgers, so I took them to the local Burger King and ordered their food for them in Spanish. As we were waiting in line, speaking to each other in English, the store manager took notice and started up a conversation with us in broken English. He told us he was interested in improving his English … [Read more...] about Mormons, Missionary Strategy, and American Politics
What If We All Thought This Way?
On Wednesday nights, like a lot of “traditional” Southern Baptist Churches, we have a prayer meeting followed by a time of Bible study—basically like what we do on Sunday nights but without the music. We have spent the past 13 months quickly working through the entire Bible, doing a broad overview of all 66 books, one each week or sometimes one for a two week span. This past Wednesday we studied Philippians. The cool thing about short books is that in this study we actually get into more detail than we do with the longer ones like, say, Jeremiah. But I digress… Philippians is a book … [Read more...] about What If We All Thought This Way?
IMB’s Baptismal Policy and 4th Century Schismatics
In North Africa in the early 4th century, a presumably theological point of contention morphed into a ecclesiological debate that ultimately split the church in that area. Yawn. The issue behind it all related to Christians who had crumbled during one of the more recent rounds of persecution; specifically, church leaders who turned over copies of the Scriptures to the authorities for burning. Once the persecution ceased, the church had to decide what to do with these traditores of the faith. One group (the laxists) encouraged the church to respond gracefully, forgiving these lapsed … [Read more...] about IMB’s Baptismal Policy and 4th Century Schismatics
Time to Disc It Up
Out here on the Arkansas Grand Prairie, we've finished up this year's harvest. The soybeans are cut, the rice is at the mill, and the corn's gone to the river. It's now time to start doing a little field work to get ready for next year. Some farms will get this done and get wheat in the ground, while others will flood fields to grow a lucrative crop: duck hunters from the city. (Duck hunters from the city is a prized crop for winter time in these parts.) Most everyone right now, though, is out in the fields with a tractor, discing up the ground. The discs cut up the stubble that remains … [Read more...] about Time to Disc It Up
Is God a Narcissist?
I was talking with a student one day, that the most important thing in all of creation is that it reflects and gives God glory. In the dialogue I stated that is the most important thing is to give God glory, than God also does good by bringing Glory to Himself. The student replied "is God narcissistic?" That is an honest question from a student's vantage point. My gut reaction was "no, God is not a human and is not flawed, so it's glory He should get because He deserves all of it. That question however, took me to a larger train of thought. How do we usually look at God? Do we try to … [Read more...] about Is God a Narcissist?