Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
Debt and Britain’s Children: Bullying, Anxiety, Going Without
Problem debt is putting stress on family relationships, damaging children and trapping families in a downward spiral of borrowing in the United Kingdom. A total of 2.5 million children live in families with problem...
Affirmation Statement on Admission of Muslim Ph.D. Student to SBC Seminary
Paige Patterson, president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS), took the right course of action, albeit a highly controversial one, in admitting a Muslim student to the school's doctoral program....
May 21, 2014
College is Torn: Can Darwin and Eden Coexist? (New York Times) Ruling Clears Way for Bible Study at Texas High School (KWTX) Evangelical Group: Climate Change is a ‘Pro-Life’ Issue (Think Progress) Iowa Faces Criticism...
Social Capital: Service that Forms Synergistic Relationships
First Baptist of Marietta, Georgia, began seven years ago a mission titled First Connection, which has received more than $1 million with the focus on home repair for senior adults and "those who fall in the cracks."...
4 Suggestions to Keep You From Avoiding Conflict
Sometimes people say I am crazy because I don't believe that conflict is a bad thing. Maybe it is because I spent nearly a decade managing national conflict resolution programs at the United States Postal Service. Or...
Nigerian Kidnapping Highlights Global Threat to Women
Parents across Nigeria are stunned by the abduction of the Chibok girls in northeastern Nigeria. Horrifically, kidnapping Nigerian girls is not new. Every occurrence is devastating to someone. The seizure of so many at...
May 20, 2014
Americans Lie About How Much They go to Church, Even it They Don’t Belong to One (Washington Post) Israel: Unity is a Difficult Mission for Christians (National Public Radio) Baptists in Virginia Mark 300 Years of...
A real sandy feat
If you like arts, crafts, and a nice walk on a beautiful day, Raleigh's 35th annual "Artsplosure" festival was the place to be May 17-18. The street festival surrounding Moore Square offers a nice opportunity for area...
Which World Have You Chosen to Inhabit?
I sat for a while on a bench near the Asheville, North Carolina, courthouse after a long walk around town late one afternoon. Almost directly in front of me on the stone-paved area in front of the amphitheater stage...
Social Capital: Ministering to Immigrants, Feeding the Hungry
I knew EthicsDaily.com's "Gospel Without Borders" was a documentary we needed to see after I received a complimentary copy from the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina. Piney Grove Baptist Church is a...
Why Many Churches Aren’t Developing Effective Leaders
Many churches struggle with how they can have a more effective ministry to their communities. At pastor gatherings and workshops, I will be asked by more than one pastor how their churches can get out of their ruts and...
How Prophetic Moms Can Oppose Injustice Against Girls
Like the prophets of old, Jesus spoke the truth into the lives of the people of God, whether that truth was welcomed or not. The followers of Jesus spoke the truth of the good news wherever they went, whether it was...
Social Capital: Investing in the Lives of Children
A missional wave has been gaining momentum at First Baptist Pensacola, Florida. It's not something we strategically planned, but a trend we noticed emerging. Over the past five years, as our folks have deepened their...
Skype Interview: David Hull on Death and Dying (Part 2)
William Hull, noted Baptist pastor, author and scholar, died at 83 in December 2013 after battling Lou Gehrig's disease since 2008. A posthumous book by Hull, who wrote or contributed to dozens of books, awaits...
He is the What!?
A sermon by Jim Somerville, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Richmond, Va. May 4, 2014 The Fourth Sunday of Easter John 10:1-10 “Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by...
I Can See
A sermon by Michael Cheuk, Pastor, University Baptist Church, Charlottesville, Va. May 4, 2014. Luke 24:13-35 Back in the mid 1990’s, there was a series of books called “Magic Eye” that had pages filled with patterns,...
Who Needs You to be a Good Shepherd?
Preached by Dr. Robert F. Browning, Pastor First Baptist Church Frankfort, Kentucky May 11, 2014 John 10:1-10 How much do you know about raising and taking care of sheep? Most of what I know about sheep I learned from...
What Jesus Said…About Abundnt Life
A sermon by Randy Hyde, Pastor, Pulaski Heights Baptist Church, Little Rock, Ar. May 11, 2014 Fourth Sunday of Easter Ezekiel 34:11-16; John 10:1-10 For hundreds of years, the Jewish people were largely ruled by...
Sacred space
A recent visit to Duke Chapel reminded me of how some places take on the nature of the sacred. There's just something about them. With their high, vaulted ceilings, formal sanctuaries like Duke Chapel and any number of...
Parents Learn Skills for Raising Highly Capable Kids
Twenty-nine parents from Manuel Jara Elementary School in Fort Worth, Texas, set aside time for 11 weeks this spring to learn tools, skills and confidence to raise healthy, caring and responsible children. A graduation...
Effective Church Leaders Must Anticipate Change
Effective leaders must not only be agile in navigating a changing context, but they must be anticipatory as well, perceiving what's ahead before it is clearly manifested. Business strategist Daniel Burrus makes this...