SBC Voices

In keeping with my commitment to the BIFF movement, I would like to address the issue of patriotism and Christian worship - certainly a hot-button issue here at SBC Voices.  A few days ago, we published an article by David Brumbelow which defended the validity of including patriotic aspects to Christian worship.   Then, yesterday, Mark Lamprecht published a response to David's article at Here I Blog.  It is not my intent to grade either articles, to pick a winner or to even enter a pony in the race.  What I would like to do is try to state what I see as areas of agreement - points of unity in … [Read more...] about A BIFF Perspective on Patriotism and Worship: On What Can We Agree?

This past week, I spent an afternoon at our association’s High School camp.  I was curious—I had never been to our camps and we have some teenagers in our church who rave about it.  During the afternoon chapel session, the director and counselors partook in a Q&A session, which I think is a good thing.  One question in particular came up that caught my attention: “How do you know if God is speaking to you?” This question is one that intrigues many people—kids and adults—and the following Sunday evening when I did the lesson for the youth group, since most of them were not able to go to … [Read more...] about Speak, O Lord

In today's busy world, the best way to get something done is hire someone else to do it.  Years ago, everyone worked on their own cars.  Now, we hire someone else.  We use to mow our own yards, but now we have landscape services.  At one time, people cooked for themselves, made their own clothes, raised their kids. . .well you get the idea.  It seems today it's easier to find money than it is to find time.  I'm not against some of these things.  If I could afford it, I'd hire someone to mow the grass and I'd get someone to cook and clean so my wife and I could just hang out with the kids. … [Read more...] about Outsourcing Ministry

I am now in my sixth year of blogging - in blogger years that is ancient.  I have been involved in discussions of baptism and private prayer language, opined on the Wade Burleson/IMB saga, crossed swords with several in both the BI camps and moderates.  I was a commenter, then had my own blog (which no one read), a contributor at a great blog called sbcIMPACT, then became part of the team here at SBC Voices. In all that time, I have been as much interested and concerned with the process of blogging as with the subjects we discuss.  I believe God cares as much about the means as he does the … [Read more...] about Ten Rules* for Blogging (*Well, more like guidelines than actual rules)

My father died 23 years ago at the age of 60 on a day I did not notice, busy with my own life, far removed from his. It shouldn't have been that kind of day. There was no late night bedside call for a last-gasp farewell. I did not even know he was so close to death, and, I fear, had he lived another decade, I would have known no more in 1998 than I did in 1988. At some point, I became so focused on him not being a good father that I completely neglected being a good son. I believed I had done what was best, surrendering to his belligerent determination to live life on his own terms, which … [Read more...] about Don’t Believe the Belief Thieves

David blogs at "Gulf Coast Pastor" and recently posted this article.  I am very well aware that it is a counterpoint to the views of some of our writing team and readers.  That is what we are about - discussing issues in a collegial way, even when we disagree (or that's the goal anyway).  So, let us set the bar high here.  A lively exchange free of personal insult and invective. Can we be patriotic in our July 4th Worship Service? Can we sing patriotic songs and have the American, Texas, and Christian flags in our sanctuary? Yes, of course we can. It seems rather strange that practices I … [Read more...] about Patriotism and Christian Worship (by David Brumbelow)

Fox News and Baptist Press are both reporting that the Southern Baptist Convention was the victim of an internet hoax today in which self-identified members of the "Southern Baptist Conference" announced that the EC had changed its position and would now support gay marriage. Here is the BP Link. Here is the Fox News Link. The "news release" included false quotes from several SBC leaders.  It might be nice in the next few weeks to be very careful about any quotes we see out there made by Baptist leaders on the subject. No point in writing about it extensively here.  Follow the … [Read more...] about The “Southern Baptist Conference” Gay Marriage Hoax

I have recently engaged in a conversation online with a friend who believes that paedobaptism removes the guilt of original sin, so the discuss was launched into what if the child dies before Baptism?  He argued that God is not held to the rules of the church, and can take that child to Heaven. So, I submit for you approval my opinion on the state of infants.  Feel free to disagree, argue, say what you like, I have probably heard it before anyway. First, I think we must look at what constitutes "sin".  Are we really guilty for the sin of Adam?  In the Old Testament, sin was all based on … [Read more...] about Are Kids Promised Heaven?

Here at the start of July many of us will barbeque, spend time with family and friends, and watch an explosion of color in the sky from fireworks.  We do this on July 4—Independence Day—to celebrate the freedoms we have in this country. Of course, our freedoms are great.  In the history of the world, ours has been one of the freest countries for Christians to worship God. But as patriotic as we can be as Americans we must remember that “American” at best is a secondary and mere temporary mark of our identity.  We have a much greater citizenship in an infinitely superior country.  Hebrews … [Read more...] about True Freedom