SBC Voices

So today I am climbing on a soap box. Some of you may disagree, some may agree and some may just plain get mad, but I'm gonna say it. It's a pet peeve, an annoyance, it's dangerous and makes pastors looks dumb (at least I think they look dumb). I really don't care of you think I'm wrong, cause honestly, I don't think most American pastors can exegete their way out of a wet paper bag. There are all sorts of examples for this, passages yanked out of context. Today I want to look at one. I hear this one pulled out of context, used and abused and it's just flat wrong. It's used in sermons, … [Read more...] about Learn to Exegete, you look really lame!

Another "Plodder" examination of the workings of the Cooperative Program.  William Thornton is the SBC Plodder and always has an interesting perspective on the SBC's inner workings. Editor's note:  If you want a good laugh, follow the link and read the Rev. Dr. Thornton's latest post about Theological Triage.  Nice work.  Now, back to the CP I blogged earlier in Cooperative Program Confusion about how state conventions, by utilizing accounting presentation techniques that are perfectly reasonable and understandable to them, probably confuse average Southern Baptists about the distribution … [Read more...] about CP Math: 50/50 = 55/45 or 60/40 (by William Thornton)

This post was originally published on From Law to Grace on May11, 2011. Advocates of a big tent believe that people with a broad variety of political approaches and viewpoints can unite within a single party to advance shared core issues, even if they disagree in other areas. This way the party can attract a large base of support at the polls. (full article here) The "Big Tent" political philosophy remains alive and well in our nation today.  We are beginning to see some Republicans -- particularly supporters of Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels -- advocate for the Big Tent.  What these people … [Read more...] about The SBC & a Collapsing Big Tent Philosophy

Les Puryear is in the process of planting a church with very little funding.  At his blog, "Joining God in His Work", he gave some very helpful suggestions how someone might plant a church without a large bankroll behind him.  I asked him for permission to reprint that here. With all the discussion over the funding of church planting, I thought I would share how we are planting a new Southern Baptist church with no outside funding. Yes, that's right; no outside funding. It can be done. Here's how we're doing it. 1. Get a secular job. Don't take any salary from the new church until the … [Read more...] about How to Plant a Church with Little or No Outside Funding (by Les Puryear)

Paul had some great churches that he had planted, but he had one dysfunctional fellowship that he was continually correcting and trying to set back on the right path - the church at Corinth.  Corinth was a splintered church in just about every way.  For goodness sakes, they even found a way to observe the Lord's Supper in a divisive way!  Paul corrected their arrogant, divisive attitudes, their immorality, their wrong attitudes about marriage, their disagreements over matters of personal conscience, their abuse of the Lord's Supper.  Then, in 1 Corinthians 12, Paul addressed their divisions … [Read more...] about The More Excellent Way! Paul’s Solution for a Splintered SBC

We love our drama.  We love putting other people down and raising ourselves up—it is a part of our sick, corrupt, twisted, and less-than-human (the way God created us, at least) nature. I talked to an ex-student of mine.  She told me about all the soap-opera like events going on at the school ranging from personal conflict to extreme favoritism.  She said it was better when I was in the administration there and I need to come back.  I smiled and shook my head and said, “People complained about the exact same stuff when I was there.”  It’s the same ol’ song and dance with the cards shuffled … [Read more...] about It’s My Party (I can cry if I want to…)

Yes, that's right, I love the SBC. I am a 34 year old Associate Pastor in Iowa, surrounded by people who either marginally like, don't care or just flat out dislike the Convention. I have been part of the SBC since 9 month before I was born, but it's not cause my parents were die hards. Before I was born, my dad wasn't a church goer and my mom never drove. Closest church to the house was an SBC church. By the time I was born, my dad was saved and Baptized and serving in the church. I got involved young, serving on youth counsel, doing different types of ministry in the youth … [Read more...] about Why I love the SBC

A pastor will typically spend hours studying over a text to preach it on a Sunday morning.  He wrestles through the difficult parts of the text.  There is much sweat and labor that goes into preparing a message.  Often times God will preach the sermon to our own hearts before we preach it to others. I think the best sermons that I have preached have been the ones that have rocked my heart and soul before I even stand in the pulpit.  When I feel the weight of a text and see the beauty of the gospel therein it causes me to be very passionate about the sermon I am getting ready to preach.  I … [Read more...] about Monday’s Ministry Musing: The Necessity of Harnessing Excitement