35 As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 36 And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. 37 They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” 38 And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39 And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 40 And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” 42 And Jesus said to … [Read more...] about I Want to Want Jesus THIS Much
Do We Really Believe What We’re Saying? by David Platt
I have to admit a small degree of jealousy of David Platt. I have preached this exact point myself. But somehow, it just sounds more compelling and powerful coming from him. Most of you probably read Provocations and Pantings (you should if you don't) and have already viewed this, but I thought that I would copy this over here for those few of you who have not seen it at Timmy Brister's site. Here, David Platt asks a simple question. With all of the Rob Bell discussion that has gone on, do our actions really validate our belief that those without Christ will spend eternity in hell? Is … [Read more...] about Do We Really Believe What We’re Saying? by David Platt
The Excluded Middle, the Ignored Edge, and The Battle for the Empire in the SBC (by Todd Littleton)
Todd Littleton blogs at "The Edge of the Inside." There is much to consider here and much to discuss. The Ring of Fire just gave us a tectonic shift punishing Japan with a devastating 8.9 magnitude earthquake. Tsunami waves washed over acres of land, destroying property and killing people. There will no doubt be someone with an Internet connection firing up the keyboard to announce that Japan suffered judgement for ancestor worship, or some social ill. (Paragraph 7) Quickly the suffering and pain will be marginalized as the train wreck of such wretched projections make the rounds on the … [Read more...] about The Excluded Middle, the Ignored Edge, and The Battle for the Empire in the SBC (by Todd Littleton)
Dropping Like a Rock: The Cooperative Program (by William Thornton)
Editor: William Thornton is the SBC Plodder and a keen observer of SBC life. This is a repost from his site It follows up on the discussion of the previous article he posted here, "SBC Presidents and the Cooperative Program." A 2007 survey yielded the unlikely statistic that 87% of SBC pastors were "generally satisfied" with the Cooperative Program. Come on, 87% of SBC pastors will not agree that the sun rises in the east...but there you have it - SBC pastors happy with the CP. So, why is it dropping like a rock, a trend over three decades long? We may have more mental angst over … [Read more...] about Dropping Like a Rock: The Cooperative Program (by William Thornton)
Could Jesus Be on Staff at Your Church?
Over my years in ministry, I have been able to serve in a variety of capacities in the local church and in the association. I have met a lot of pastors, read a lot of books, visited a lot of blogs and gone to a lot of meetings. Something occurred to me the other day, that the expectations we have for men in ministry are such that Jesus wouldn't last long in staff at the local church. I want to toss out three areas in which I think Jesus would have been in trouble. 1. He didn't respect the elder leadership. In many churches, for a young guy in his 30s to call out the elders, the leaders … [Read more...] about Could Jesus Be on Staff at Your Church?
SBC Pastors Conference: Vance Pitman Responds to the Critics
Since the brouhaha about the 2011 Pastor's Conference hit the blogs, there has been a somewhat surprising silence from Vance Pitman, the president of the PC and the one responsible for the slate of speakers. Associated Baptist Press has an article up in which Pitman responds to some of the criticisms that have been made. There have been three primary criticisms. 1) The inclusion of Jamar Jones as pianist raised theological hackles. He is part of TD Jakes' church. Some have labeled Jakes a modalist. I did some research, though I have to admit that it was not extensive or exhaustive. … [Read more...] about SBC Pastors Conference: Vance Pitman Responds to the Critics
Choices in Giving: The Other Side of the Coin
If you had twenty bucks right now to give to a cause, where would you give it? Better yet, let me walk you through an average day of credible needs and see where that twenty dollars goes. First there’s the homeless guy at the intersection on your way into the office. He has the requisite tattered cardboard sign that ends with “God Bless”, but does not have the gift, say, of a perfect radio voice to propel him out of his plight. Does he get the money—perhaps partly to assuage your sudden guilt for stopping on the way to get yourself a pastry and an overpriced coffee drink? What about … [Read more...] about Choices in Giving: The Other Side of the Coin
Go Read David Roger’s Post: “The One True Universal Faith” (at sbcIMPACT)
Because I said so! Don't argue with me, y0ung man. As long as you blog on my blog (it's not really mine, I know), you will blog by my rules. Respect your elders! Maybe bossing you around isn't the best approach. But David has written an excellent article at sbcIMPACT on "The One True Universal Faith" dealing with universalism, pluralism, and how Western Christians can obey the Great Commission without reproducing Western culture. Excellent article. Warning though - this is not fast food, it is a juicy steak. I am closing comments here. The comment stream at sbcIMPACT is open. … [Read more...] about Go Read David Roger’s Post: “The One True Universal Faith” (at sbcIMPACT)
What Must We Do To Be Relevant
With all the problems in the world, we often question who to help and how to help them. We worry about giving and having our hard-earned money being mis-spent. As a child I learned that the money Baptists give to missions is one of the best ways to give and be assured the assistance we give makes all the difference in the world--the difference between clean water and filthy contaminated water. Southern Baptist have been digging wells, stocking streams with fish, and teaching agriculture skills to get more bountiful crops for decades. We have annual offerings for all kinds of things. … [Read more...] about What Must We Do To Be Relevant
Things we left behind
I put this on my blog on March 17. Yes, every bit of the history is oversimplified. I think, though, we would do well to consider whether we've chosen to neglect too much of the last 2000 years.--Doug For those of you that didn’t realize it, today is St. Patrick’s Day. What does that mean? Well, if you grew up in the Southern US, it means you wear green and maybe pretend you’re Irish. Other places, though, it means other things. For some, it’s a much more important day. Why? Because they know who St. Patrick is. Unfortunately for a lot of us Baptists, we’re not so aware. You see, … [Read more...] about Things we left behind