Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
Sustained by Faith
A sermon by David Hughes, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Winston-Salem, N.C. June 16, 2013 Galatians 2:15-21 Whenever I get discouraged by my own spiritual transformation, or lack thereof, I remember that not even the...
Like a Sponge
A sermon by Howard Batson, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Amarillo, Tx. Proverbs 1-2 (focal passage 2:1-11) June 23, 2013 In his book, The Good Life, there is a story told by Peter Gomes that reflects well how we have...
When Despair Meets Hope
A sermon by Robert Browning, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Frankfort, Ky. June 23, 2013 Luke 8:26-39 “Once you choose hope, anything is possible,” Christopher Reeve once said. He was the actor who became a paraplegic...
The Grapes of Wrath
A sermon by Robert Browning, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Frankfort, Ky. June 16, 2013 I Kings 21:1-21a If you like stories with heroes and villains, you will love today’s text. There are four main characters, two of...
Forgiveness and Gratitude
A sermon by Randy Hyde, Pastor, Pulaski Heights Baptist Church, Little Rock, Ar. June 16, 2013 Psalm 32:1-11; Luke 7:36-50 It is interesting how a tiny, two-letter word can make such a huge, huge difference in the way...
Work of Grace
A sermon by Michael Cheuk, Pastor, University Baptist Church, Charlottesville, Va., on June 16, 2013. Galatians 2:15-21 For the last two Sundays, I’ve been preaching a sermon series from the book of Galatians. I’ve...
The Woman Who Loved Much
A sermon by Keith Herron, Pastor, Holmeswood Baptist Church, Kansas City, Mo. The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost Luke 7:36-8:3 June 16, 2013 1 Kings 21:1-10, (11-14), 15-21a; Psalm 32; Galatians 2:15-21 In the past few...
“We dare not lose heart.”
Baptist Women in Ministry (BWIM) came close to packing the house at First Baptist Church of Greensboro Wednesday night, and Nancy Sehested rocked it with a stirring call for women to remember how far they had come...
Caution, Courage Needed to Plan Fourth of July Worship
It has started again. The last week of June has arrived and so have the red, white and blue commercials. Car dealerships, fast food and furniture stores all want to tap into our emotional connection to our sense of...
Why Ending War Does Not Always End Suffering
Imagine a childhood like the one George had: Forced, at age 11, to leave his family behind and join the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in Uganda. Forced to fight. "I was given to the group of the commander," he says....
Proverbs: A Great Source for Little Threads of Life
Life looks big. That's the first thing we learn as children, and some carry that perception with them through every significant stage of life. Our point of view in childhood is mostly at knees and ankles. We look up,...
American Baptists: Listening to New Voices
American Baptists have just completed a remarkable Mission Summit (a felicitous rebranding of the Biennial) close by in Overland Park, Kan. How nice not to have to pack this time! The most exhilarating aspect of the...
Remember, God Works in Your Life’s Mundane Moments
The Bible covers a period of about 2,000 years if you start with Abraham. Given that the Bible contains about 788,000 words, on average, that only gives 394 words for each year. But because lots of words are devoted to...
How Pastors Can Cast a Compelling Church Vision
In the hyperdigital technocracy in which we live, innovation – the birthing of new products of the imagination – is the currency and pedigree of success. To be successful, one has to consistently stay in the...
What Paula Deen Should Have Learned But Didn’t
By now, the story that Paula Deen casually admitted she had used racial epithets is old news. Further revelations that she also considered a "plantation-themed" wedding complete with white-jacketed African American men...
Do Pastors Need Studio’s Sermon Notes for “Man of Steel”?
I recently saw the newest installment of the Superman franchise, "The Man of Steel." It was a powerful, entertaining and thinly veiled allegory for anyone paying attention. A recent CNN article has described how the...
Patriotism in Worship: The Fine Art of Compromise
I am an American. I am patriotic and I love our nation. I'm fascinated by her people, her history, her struggles as well as her moments of strength and vision. I am a Christian. My first and greatest allegiance is to...
The sweatered crusader
The summer blockbuster movies are sprinkled, as usual, with heroes who come from other planets, are altered by nuclear radiation, or are simply gifted at violence, but when I hear the word "hero," I don't think of...
Waving the Flag and Preaching the Gospel
Over the centuries, the church has readily baptized a number of sentimental and civic holidays. Some have actually complemented the purposes of the church quite well. For example, the "Hallmark holidays," such as...
While Flawed, Hollywood Recalls Bible’s Radical Nature
Being the religious nerd that I am, and one who likes to keep up with popular cultural expressions of faith, I've watched two documentaries of note. Namely, Christiane Amanpour's ABC News special, "Back to the...
3 Suggestions for Racial Reconciliation in Your Church
I am a black man and I am serving as interim pastor at a white church. Not just any white church, but one that was started 100 years ago specifically to serve white people in a suburban area. This is not the first time...