Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
‘The Lost City of Z’
"The Lost City of Z" tells the story of Percy Fawcett (Charlie Hunnam), who was an explorer at the early part of the 20th century. Fawcett is a major in the British Army - the son of an army officer who through a bout...
Why National Day of Prayer is More Urgent Than Ever
The U.S. has observed seasons of prayer throughout its history from log cabins to the White House and from family gatherings to crowded arenas. The official setting aside of special observances of prayer to God is not...
What Many People See When They Look at Today’s Church
Philip Yancey is one of those writers who reaches past the normal barriers faced by Christian authors to speak to the pain of a hurting world. He writes in such an engaging, thoughtful and undefensive style that he...
Report: Christians ‘Most Widely Targeted Religious Community’
Christians are "the most widely targeted religious community," according to a report from Under Caesar's Sword (UCS). Christians respond to persecution in a variety of ways, UCS explained, with nonviolent survival...
Are You Ready for the National Day of Prayer?
The National Day of Prayer served as an outreach opportunity for First Baptist of Nashville for several years. This usually involved renting the local convention center, securing a speaker and musical personalities to...
Statelessness: Banned from Belonging – Part 2
Statelessness is a truly global problem affecting an estimated 15 million people and stretching from Europe to Africa and Asia to the Americas. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region suffers chronic...
Australian Baptists Assess Fashion Companies’ Ethics
What is the cost of clothing? Not simply, what is the price paid at the register, but what is the human cost to produce them? What is "the story behind the barcode"? These questions are at the heart of a newly released...
Profiles in Goodwill: David Hardage
David Hardage is executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. 1. Where did you grow up? Lamesa, Texas 2. What is your favorite verse, book or story in the Bible? Why? The story of David. He is...
Statelessness: Banned from Belonging – Part 1
Much has been made of President Donald Trump's executive decisions temporarily banning select nationals and refugees from entering the U.S. The order has been met with opposition in forums ranging from airport...
Citizens of Sudan, Yemen Face Highest Mass-Atrocity Risk
Sudan and Yemen are most at risk for state-led mass atrocities, according to the Early Warning Project's (EWP's) annual analysis released on April 12. Myanmar (Burma), Nigeria and Afghanistan are also among the...
April 26, 2017
Bible is a Revelation to Most Americans – They Rarely Read it, Survey Shows (Salt Lake Tribune) Kentucky Puts Focus on Bible With New Laws, Executive Action (The Gleaner) What Role Will God Play in Alabama's Elections...
World Malaria Day: More Than Simply Awareness
What if you were told that all the residents of Tyler, Texas; Green Bay, Wisconsin; Burbank, California; and Cambridge, Massachusetts, were going to die over the next 12 months? Would you take notice? Would it make a...
3 Ways Your Church Can Respond to the Opioid Epidemic
Every Wednesday night, like many churches, our church has a prayer meeting followed by a Bible study. Several months ago, on Epiphany Sunday, I preached a sermon on listening to the Spirit's voice, and like the Magi...
Malaria Prevention Efforts See Progress; Major Gaps Remain
Cases of malaria are declining worldwide, yet millions are still infected annually, according to a new U.N. World Health Organization (WHO) report. "On a global scale, the rate of new malaria cases fell by 21 percent...
April 25, 2017
Christian Coalition Alabama Chairman to Run for U.S. Senate (WBRC) Report Seen as Evidence Election Hiked Anti-Semitism in U.S. (CBS News) These States are Observing Confederate Memorial Day (CNN) Baptist Pastor Says...
How Your Church Can Prevent Future Acts of Genocide
The word "holocaust" derives from a Greek word that means "sacrifice by fire." The genocide known as The Holocaust refers to the systematic, state-sponsored persecution and killing of approximately 6 million Jews by...
How Baptists Are Taking the Fight to Malaria
Malaria is a deadly disease but also one of the most preventable. Spread by infected mosquitoes that pass it on to humans, it affects countries in the tropics, mainly parts of Africa and Asia. "Malaria is the third...
The Secret to Church Growth Isn’t Really Secret
Some 2,000 years ago, Jesus said to a handful of disciples, "I will build my church and the powers of death shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18). At the time, it must have seemed the strangest of promises, but...
April 24, 2017
Jewish Group Criticizes Pope for Likening Refugee Centers to Concentration Camps (UPI) First New Catholic Church in Boston in Decades Opening (Crux) A Popular Public School Bible Class in West Virginia Faces Legal...
Baptist Church Plays Role in Curbing Malaria in Ghana
I was shocked by the universal response of villagers in Ghana to a question I asked on my most recent trip. NorthHaven Church in Norman, Oklahoma, has been sending teams to Ghana in West Africa for more than 10 years....
3 Biblical Themes as Christians Celebrate Earth Day
Happy Earth Day 2017! "But wait," you might say, "should Christians celebrate 'Earth Day?' How does our faith help us think about what the Bible calls 'Creation'?" Here are three important biblical themes for...