“We have lost our saltiness.”This thought is what came to mind as I read an email response from the Dave Ramsey group to a reporter from the Religion News Service. I don’t want to pile on the Ramsey group, it was just the latest response from a popular Christian or group that discouraged me. All… Read More
For the last 12 months, I have been preaching through the Gospel of Matthew. This past week, November 15, 2020, our passage was Matthew 7:1-12. The title of the sermon was “The Cure for Criticism,” and you can watch/listen here: https://vimeo.com/479884369 One of the points that didn’t make it into the sermon dealt with the… Read More
“People are looking for friends, not friendliness.” – Ben Mandrell Ben wrote the sentence above in the most recent edition of Facts and Trends. I recommend that you read his article, the link is directly below: To make, mature, and multiply disciples, a church has to be more than friendly; it has to build friendships.… Read More
Confirmation bias has taken over the country. This happens when people look for the evidence they need to support their position/theory. It’s even happening as people disagree with one another use Scripture to support their varying perspectives. Confirmation bias is not the way of Christ, truth is, and right now we just don’t know everything… Read More
“While government has a worthy task to perform, and depends for its success on citizens of character, it can do little to create them,” – Chuck Colson, God & Government I read my first Colson book “How Now Shall We Live” in 2000. It was given as a gift to me, and it was truly… Read More
Today is Sunday, November 1, 2020. The day after Reformation Day… but you may not know about the Reformation, or why it is important. The following is a brief summary of the history of the reformation, and the Five Doctrines that flowed out of this glorious moment in the history of Christianity. Brief Historical Sketch… Read More
One of the most difficult conversations to have right now is the issue of character in a candidate versus the platform of his or her party. This struggle has brought to mind questions for Christians who disagree with how to vote and who to vote for in this years election. Questions like: 1. What do… Read More
The SBC is struggling with both a lack of evangelism and a decreasing number of children. Christianity isn’t dying, but our denomination is moving in that direction. In 2018 Southern Baptist churches reported 246,442 baptisms, the smallest number since 218,223 in 1944. There were almost twice that many baptisms in the 1970’s. This trend reveals… Read More
For a long time now I have read 30-40 books a year (or more of their small). This habit started in Seminary, and since I made Seminary last longer than most the habit stuck. But, not everyone likes to read books, so I like to put some links to articles I come across to spur… Read More
Today I read a few different articles I thought were worth sharing: Articles like this one from the NYTimes lead me to believe the impact of COVID is broader and deeper than it feels right now. Habits are changing, businesses are struggling, people are moving, and it’s impacting what life will be like in the… Read More
