Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
Lebanese Baptists Reach Out to Syrian Neighbors
Not long ago the U.S. considered Iran to be one of the "axis of evil" countries while the latter referred to U.S. as the "great Satan." Now we see leaders of both countries hugging each other in what appears to be the...
Add Al Jazeera America to Your Media Reading List
Yep. It's an Arabic-named media company, owned by an Arab government and headquartered in the Middle East – Qatar. I read the website daily, check its app on my iPhone throughout the day and follow it on Twitter. I...
Undercover evil …
Observing the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. has become iconic on our calendars, though for many it marks more of a free weekend for skiing or traveling than for remembering the Civil Rights pioneer. The MLK...
Are You Spiritual But Not Religious? It Isn’t Enough
When is being "spiritual but not religious" not enough? Lillian Daniel has written a very good book titled "When 'Spiritual But Not Religious' Is Not Enough: Seeing God in Surprising Places, Even the Church" in which...
Global Baptists Contribute to Global Church Observation – Lent
EthicsDaily.com has available a Lenten Bible study to which Baptists from North America, Latin America and Europe contributed lessons. Student and leader guides for the eight-week study, "Eyeing Easter, Walking through...
Regular Worship Visits Linked to Lower Crime Levels
People who regularly visit a place of worship are less likely to be involved in low-level crime and delinquency, according to new research. The project, led by University of Manchester doctoral student Mark Littler,...
Of calendars and light …
The calendar is an amazing thing. From antiquity, when time was measured by the cycles of the moon, until the present, when years are measured to the fraction of a second, humans have wanted a system that allows them...
The last shall be … last, again?
Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, Atlanta. Photo by John D. Pierce. By John Pierce On this weekend honoring the memory, courage and significant social and spiritual impact of Martin Luther King Jr., my mind goes again...
What Does the Future Look Like for Smaller Churches?
Our nation is dotted with smaller churches. Some have very effective ministries while others struggle to keep their doors open. Some are led by student-pastors and others have found bivocational leadership; growing...
Prescription Drug Abuse, Overdose Is Growing Trend Leading to Imprisonment
Prescription drug abuse is a growing trend in the U.S., becoming a leading factor in U.S. imprisonments. In New York's Staten Island, deaths from prescription drug overdoses have become so frequent that a pilot program...
’12 Years a Slave’
I am still recovering from watching "12 Years a Slave," just released in the United Kingdom. The film focuses on the tribulations faced by Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a successful New Yorker who is duped,...
One Truth at a Time: Beloved Son
A sermon by Jim Somerville, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Richmond, Va. January 12, 2014 The Baptism of the Lord Matthew 3:13-17 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to...
The Voice of Truth
A sermon by Michael Cheuk, Pastor, University Baptist Church, Charlottesville, Va. January 12, 2014. Psalm 29; Matthew 3:13-17 When you were growing up, have you ever noticed how you can tell you were in trouble by the...
At the River
A sermon by Keith Herron, Pastor, Holmeswood Baptist Church, Kansas City, Mo. Baptism of the Lord Matthew 3:13-17 January 9, 2005 Isaiah 42:1-9; Psalm 29; Acts 10:34-43 The New Testament begins with Jesus’ birth but...
Seen and Not Heard
A sermon Randy Hyde, Pastor, Pulaski Heights Baptist Church, Little Rock, Ar. January 12, 2014 Deacon Ordination and Installation Numbers 27:15-23; Acts 6:1-7 Doing church is not easy. Never has been, never will be....
How No New Clothes Will Help Me Support Syrian Refugees
A year ago I started reading news reports about the humanitarian crisis faced by millions – literally – of Syrian refugees chased by ongoing civil war across the borders of their country into Turkey, Lebanon and...
9 Principles for Christians to Engage with Muslims
Rick Love's book, "Grace and Truth: Toward Christ-like Relationships with Muslims," focuses on nine biblical principles for seeking Christ-like relationships with Muslims. They are: Be faithful to God's truth – the...
Failing Governments Lead to Increased Christian Persecution
Pressure on Christians intensified in a number of countries in 2013, with the situation deteriorating most rapidly across northern Africa, the Middle East and the Gulf in countries where sectarian violence has advanced...
Celebrating the Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
One winter, after my wife, June, and I had visited my "snowbird" parents in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, we set out from there to make the long road trip to the Washington, D.C., area by way of Atlanta. On our...
Will Racism Always Be an Elephant in the Room?
Our half-century commemorations of the courage and accomplishments of the civil rights struggle have appropriately reminded us of the valiant heroes, sung and unsung, of that historic era. The reflections and...
How Should Christians Form Relationships with Muslims?
I think I am allergic to interfaith dialogue. When I get near "interfaith dialogue" events, I begin to gnash my teeth in frustration at the tendency toward superficial, lowest-common-denominator discussions about how...