Last week Southern Baptists learned that one of their largest churches, Prestonwood Baptist Church, is going to push pause on Cooperative Program (CP) giving. For those who know the role CP giving plays in SBC life, this announcement is a big deal. CP giving is often a key standard by which leaders and churches are judged. The CP is significant …
It wasn’t the first time I’d heard it. “I feel dead on the inside.” This sentence, or some variation of it, has come up more often than I thought it would in my time as a pastor. It’s voiced by new Christians and seasoned Christians alike. I’ve said it. Somewhere along the way a person’s emotional energy, intellectual energy, spiritual …
It wasn’t the first time I’d heard it. In fact, it was something I’d been told quite a bit as a pastor. “I feel dead on the inside.” It’s voiced by new Christians and seasoned Christians alike. I’ve said it a surprising amount of times. You don’t see it coming typically. It seems to just happen. The energy-intellectual, emotional, …
As a pastor in the Nashville area—a place where churches are plentiful and Christianity is profitable—I’ve come across a lot of stories of relational pain caused by professing Christians. This reality is especially unfortunate, since most of the people I have pastored understand far more about what to do with their physical pain than they do with relational pain. …
Pain. It comes in many forms. Whether it’s a broken bone or a broken relationship, life in our fallen world means we all will experience some level of pain. And I think most would agree that relational pain hurts far more than any physical injury. And, perhaps, relational pain caused by professing Christians is the most painful. As a pastor …
Next week Southern Baptists from all around the globe will gather in St. Louis to carry out their annual business. It’s part revival, part business meeting, and part circus. Every year the convention offers great opportunities to renew relationships with old friends, to hear about the work God’s doing, and to discuss how we might better cooperate for the advancement …
Super Tuesday is upon us. If you’re anything like me, you’re probably on the verge of a panic attack from all of the political polls, commercials, and articles. Some people claim the earth will come to an end, if you don’t vote for their candidate. Others claim that the earth could be made new, if you vote for their candidate. …
Since the ERLC announced that they will be having a discussion about religious liberty with a couple of politicians at the SEND conference, we have been asked to respond. After all, we’ve been questioned, if we have concerns about the SBC pastors’ conference invitation of politician Ben Carson, shouldn’t we have concerns here? It’s a fair question. Perhaps those asking …
The heart of Baptist 21 beats to a Christ-centered rhythm. We love Jesus and we long to see “all things united in him” (Eph 1:10). This longing to see all things united to Jesus, of course, includes the way Scripture is read. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. That’s why we are excited to see the publication of Jon Akin’s …
“The Southern Baptist Convention is made up of many individuals, churches, and entities. Although most people understand the term Southern Baptist Convention to refer to the ongoing cooperative efforts of Southern Baptists, it can also be understood as referring to the annual two-day meeting. At this convention, messengers from Southern Baptist churches approve, adjust, or disapprove budgets, committee appointments, resolutions, …
