SBC Voices

Dave Miller has posed this question, and the answers we’ve seen and given range from tragic to comic to, well, just this side of ridiculous.  This is a challenging question.  In recent years, there’s been an apparent shift to a post-denominational world in American Christianity, with many of the fastest growing churches either being non-denominational or being the head church of a new denomination.  Then there’s the age-old argument that Southern Baptists aren’t a denomination at all, but that’s another argument.  If solved in the comments, great, but if not, we’ll table that for another … [Read more...] about What is a Southern Baptist Church?

This is the sixth in an ongoing series of posts exploring how we can balance the demands of unity in the Body of Christ with the need for doctrinal accountability and discernment. In the first post, I introduced  the topic. In the second post, I identified the four levels of biblical truth  and the appropriate unity response at each level. In the third post, I introduced "Brick Wall Doctrine" - truths that are essential to the gospel and cannot be compromised in the church. In the fourth post, I started listing what I believe are Brick Wall truths, beginning with the perfection of … [Read more...] about Brick Walls, Picket Fences (6): Brick Wall Doctrine – Jesus, the Gospel, the Second Coming

You tell me. There are really two questions here: 1)  What is a Southern Baptist? 2)  What is a Southern Baptist church? The answer to the first question can be pretty simple - a Southern Baptist is someone who is a member of a Southern Baptist church (whether they identify themselves as such or not.)  We don't have a membership outside of the local church membership. But what is the sine qua non of Southern Baptist identity? What makes a church truly a Southern Baptist church? I usually write my opinion then let you interact with that.  I'm going to make this more of an … [Read more...] about What Is a Southern Baptist?

I'm always willing to promote something good in the blog world - and I think that sbcIMPACT! is one of the best sites out there.  I know, I'm biased.  I've been writing at that site for 2 years and think the world of the men who contribute there. But sbcIMPACT! has had a problem the last 6 months or so.  Something happened to the site, or the hosting company or something.  It became increasingly hard to log on to the site to comment, or even to read and the once lively site slowed a little. But the new (and improved) sbcIMPACT! has just been rolled out.  The contributors are pretty much … [Read more...] about Welcome Back, sbcIMPACT!

I know it’s interesting to have a topic like this on a blog, but I wonder about our online relationships and how they impact the Universal Body of Christ.  I have developed some great relationships online with people I would have never met otherwise.  I have learned a great deal from blogging, reading, writing and sharing online ideas.  I think blogging has a lot of validity, but what I want to ask about is community.  Is online community authentic?  Can we have true fellowship online?  Has the invention of the internet created a whole is community? The most popular social network … [Read more...] about Has Blogging Ruined the Church?

"We need to be less confrontational in our evangelism efforts.  We need to avoid offending people.  You catch more flies with honey that with vinegar, after all." I've heard this a thousand times.  Sometimes, a fellow-believer expresses their fear of witnessing because they know that sharing the gospel will offend their family, friends and neighbors and they do not want to be the bad guy.   We look for ways to share the saving message of Christ without offending those with whom we share. A church in my community has found a way to avoid offending people.  At their version of VBS they invited … [Read more...] about An Inoffensive Gospel is No Gospel At All

"You are arrogant to say that your way is the only way." "Christians are unloving because they do not respect or accept those of other faiths." We hear this all the time.  Our critics are right - we make a bold truth-assertion about our Savior.  We say that Jesus did, in fact, speak the words of John 14:6 "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through me." We believe the words of Acts 4:12, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." He is the only hope of every human being on … [Read more...] about If Jesus Is Not the ONLY Way, He Is A FOOL!

We have a wide-open and free debate policy at SBC Voices (one which I often enjoy and also very often regret - especially the last couple of days). But recently, every single comment thread has been turned into an interfaith dialogue about whether Jesus is the only way to God, whether other religions are equally valid to Christianity or whether we all worship the same God regardless of our faiths. I just want to make something clear. The gospel is a non-negotiable, Brick Wall doctrine for me. There are several regular commenters who do not believe the biblically-revealed gospel of Jesus … [Read more...] about The Gospel is NON-Negotiable

(Editor:  Dan Barnes is the Associate Pastor of Heartland Community Baptist Church  in Sioux City, Iowa.  He has some interesting perspectives here, so enjoy the discussion and play nice.) I am excited and encouraged by the movement taken by the Southern Baptist Convention with the Great Commission Resurgence.  I am excited to see so many coming together to focus on reaching the lost and touching the down and out.  I am excited to see where God’s Plan for Sharing takes us during this decade and I am optimistic.  I do have some concerns, however, that I think are holding us back.  More than … [Read more...] about What Is Holding the SBC Back?