SBC Voices

Lessons from a Dusty Stack of Papers

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I had to do something rather painful last night.  It is something that I am certain that I will have to do again at some point, though I will dread it.  What am I talking about? While doing some Fall cleaning I discovered a dusty old stack of papers that needed to be gone through.  This stack of papers was the happy home of old papers I had written in my freshman year of college.  Yesterday, I had to go through them and read some of them. Ouch. At the time I wrote them they were really good.  They were well written treatises explaining the intricacies of the Christian faith (that I … [Read more...] about Lessons from a Dusty Stack of Papers

9/11, 2 Chronicles 7:14, and Prayers for Revival

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Last night, several of the churches of Siouxland (the general term for Sioux City, South Sioux City, NE and North Sioux City, SD) came together for a time of prayer for our nation.  There were two Baptist pastors involved, three Assemblies of God, a Lutheran church and a couple of Reformed fellowships.  Each of us had five minutes to introduce a topic related to our national plight, lead in prayer, then give those involved time to prayer in small groups about the issue. Before I get to my point, some observations: 1)  I really enjoy doing things like this and I believe that God is … [Read more...] about 9/11, 2 Chronicles 7:14, and Prayers for Revival

Open Thread: How Should Churches and Christians Commemorate 9/11?

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Ten years ago the unthinkable happened - our homeland was attacked.  This year, September 11 is a Sunday and so it is natural that there would be questions about what churches should do to commemorate this event.  Nothing?  Patriotic Services?  Prayer Times? 1)  Tell us about what your church is doing. 2)  Tell us what you think churches should or should not be doing. 3)  Discuss the Christian's response to Islam and to Muslims.  We've had a couple of good posts on the issue the last couple of days.  Somehow, we need to stand as a nation against Islamic terrorism while also loving … [Read more...] about Open Thread: How Should Churches and Christians Commemorate 9/11?

Contrasting Missions

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Upon its tenth anniversary, the tragedy of 9/11 will be considered from many different perspectives.  One, however, fascinates me the most, as it provides such a stark contrast between the mission of the Islamo-fascist terrorist and the evangelical Christian missionary.  While their methods are surprisingly similar, their mandates are polar opposites.  We can observe a contrast between love and hate, life and death, martyrdom and suicide.  Both groups seek to influence the other in completely different ways, which I believe points to the supremacy of the vision Jesus gave His church through … [Read more...] about Contrasting Missions

Why We Practice “Open” Communion

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I appreciate the Baptist Faith and Message as a general and systematic declaration of our faith, and I agree with the majority of what it states—that’s part of the reason why I am, have been, and plan to continue to be Southern Baptist.  There is one aspect, however, that I and the church I pastor differ with—their statement on baptism in relationship to the Lord’s Supper. Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer's faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, the … [Read more...] about Why We Practice “Open” Communion

Excuse Me, I Need to Let You Know How Awesome I Am

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(HT: 22 Words) If you have spent any time in college or grad school you know “that guy” from class.  If you don’t know that guy from class there may be a good chance that you are him. I’m pretty sure that this dude is probably a blogger too.  At least he likes to leave comments on those blogs that still draw a good amount of comments.  Homeboy likes to hear himself speak (and he likes to read what he types). “Who has wisdom and understanding among you?” This guy, of course. And he will not stop until everybody knows that he is the one with wisdom and understanding.  If somebody … [Read more...] about Excuse Me, I Need to Let You Know How Awesome I Am

The Fragrance of Forgiveness

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My favorite cologne is Curve. I've grown so fond of it that I'm experimenting with all sorts of different Curve scents - Wave, Crush, Chill, and Connect, just to name a few. I consider Liz Claiborne to be a genius when it comes to men's cologne - but not even she could manufacture the fragrance poured on me last night. "Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it." - Mark Twain Yesterday I rediscovered the joy of forgiveness. It has been said that you can't undo anything you've already done, but you can face up to it. You can tell the truth. You can … [Read more...] about The Fragrance of Forgiveness

It’s Time to Retire the KJV

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The KJV is celebrating its 400th birthday this year and it has served the church of Jesus Christ well over those years.  Its time for the church to offer the KJV a gold watch, shake its hand, and let it fade into history. Andrew Wencl, at sbcIMPACT posted an article today which facetiously (I think) suggested a resolution for the 2012 SBC Annual Meeting calling us to state that it is not an acceptable translation for use in Christian churches today - as per previous resolutions concerning the TNIV and NIV.  He is on to something.  It is time for serious Bible students and people in the pews to … [Read more...] about It’s Time to Retire the KJV