Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
Will, Louie and the need to be free
By John Pierce Will Campbell spent some time at Mercer University in 1995 as writer-in-residence. So I drove down from Atlanta to sit in on a presentation that was mostly readings from two of his books, Brother to a...
Doing and Being: The Synergism that Shapes Your Life
My father believed the old proverb "Idle hands are the devil's workshop." He didn't like to see me sitting still, unless it was at the dinner table or in church. Otherwise, he wanted me to be doing something...
“Les Miserables”
I have a real problem: I love the story of "Les Miserables." The songs are magnificent. There are great actors doing wonderful scenes. But I hate the way this movie was made. There. I said it. The movie, which received...
7 Ways Your Church Can Become More Innovative
The old joke goes something like this. How many Baptists does it take to change a light bulb? The answer, "None. Why would we want to change anything?" Change is never easy and rarely sought, but change is going to...
Great Themes of the Bible: Forgiveness
A sermon delivered by Joel Snider, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Rome, Ga., on January 6, 2013. Matthew 18:21-35 Meditation Text: To forgive another person from the heart is an act of liberation. We set that person...
A Fresh Atonement
A sermon delivered by Randy Hyde, Pastor, Pulaski Heights Baptist Church, Little Rock, Ark., on January 6, 2013 Psalm 16:1-11; 1 Peter 1:3-9 Do you mind if I share with you a story I have told before? It’s been quite...
What Kind of God Is This?
A sermon delivered by Jim Somerville, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Richmond, Va., on January 6, 2013. The Epiphany of the Lord Matthew 2:1-12 The only two Gospels that tell the story of Christmas are Matthew and Luke,...
Star Watch
A sermon delivered by Keith Herron, Pastor, Holmeswood Baptist Church, Kansas City, Mo., on January 6, 2013. Matthew 2:1-12 The Epiphany of Our Lord Jeremiah 31:7-14; Psalm 147:12-20; John 1:(1-9) 10-18 This news...
After Christmas
A sermon delivered by Joel Snider, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Rome, Ga., on December 30, 2012. Luke 2:21-24 Meditation Text: Are you willing to believe that love is the strongest thing in the world—stronger than...
4 Habits to Build Healthy Leadership at Your Church
One of the key predictors of strong congregational health is the type of leadership the ministerial and paid staff of a congregation offers. When the staff of a congregation functions out of strong spiritual and...
Isn’t It Time You Took a Digital Sabbath?
We live in an age of technology where we are accessible at any time and at almost any place. Look at the Verizon and AT&T coverage maps and you will not see a lot of white spaces. Towers have connected us to each...
As Conflict Rages, Central African Baptist Seeks Prayer
A Baptist leader in the Central African Republic (CAR) has requested urgent prayer from Baptists around the world on a conflict in his country. "The situation of the Central African Republic is precarious. A rebel...
A presence missed, a presence gained
By John Pierce News this morning that Dr. Wallace C. McGill had reached the end of his earthly journey at age 84 brought both a heaviness of heart and that wonderfully strange kind of lightness. There was grief,...
Ancient Israel … still around
It's amazing how much of ancient Israel is still around, though beneath the ground. Archaeologists continue to do their work during the summer digging seasons, uncovering new finds every year. Archaeology doesn't...
An 8-Year-Old Who Understands Second Chances
His name was Chris. I don't remember his last name. He was about 8 years old and lived a few blocks from the Louisville, Ky., church where I served as associate minister of music. I only knew him a couple of months....
Why Your Church Can Throw Out Its Marketing Plan
I am not against intentional marketing efforts by churches. Using social media, mass media and even old-fashioned print media can be helpful. It's just that they are less helpful than disciples of Jesus pursuing an...
“A Thicker Jesus: Incarnational Discipleship in a Secular Age”
Christianity is an ethical faith so given our sinful inclinations, our lives as Christians are characterized by repentance and renewal. In "A Thicker Jesus: Incarnational Discipleship in a Secular Age," Glen Stassen,...
Stassen’s Book Named to Christian Magazine’s Top 10
EthicsDaily.com's 2012 Baptist of the Year, Glen Stassen, has a top 10 book, according to one of America's leading Christian magazines. Stassen's new book, "A Thicker Jesus: Incarnational Discipleship in a Secular...
EthicsDaily.com, BWA Offer Lenten Bible Study
A Lenten Bible study featuring Baptists from around the world is available from EthicsDaily.com. Student and leader guides for the eight-week study, "Eyeing Easter, Walking through Lent," may be ordered here. Sample...
President Obama’s Tax Rhetoric Doesn’t Match Reality
Has President Barack Obama become what he, his campaign and liberal pundits accused Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney of being? Romney was pulverized for flip-flopping, shading ideas to the point of...
The Wide World of Stuff Other Than Sports
Some folks might consider me an embarrassment to my gender, but I confess to being far more hyped over last night's American premier of Downton Abbey on PBS than today's BCS title game between Alabama and Notre Dame on...