Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
Called, commissioned, and …
Retiring executive coordinator Daniel Vestal leads a prayer of commissioning for new field personnel and their supporters..More than 1,600 supporters of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF) gathered in Fort Worth,...
Bishops in Winner-Takes-All Fight for Religious Liberty
"TheBishopsandReligiousLiberty," the cover topic in Commonweal this past week, brings together opinion by six Catholics who know their way around and through issues of "church and state." What prompts the issue is the...
Evolution and Christians: 5 Questions Answered
No. 1: Isn't evolution only a theory? While in everyday language "theory" means something uncertain and unproven, that is not what "theory" means in science. In science it means, "a hypothesis that has been confirmed...
Have Southern Baptists Entered Witness Protection?
One of the most popular TV series in recent years has been a weekly foray into the world of witness protection. The series, "In Plain Sight," chronicles the efforts of U.S. marshals trying to protect witnesses of major...
The Six-Second Christian
A sermon delivered by Joel Snider, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Rome, Ga., on June 17, 2012. Matthew 5:33-37 Meditation Text: Consistency, madam, is the first of Christian duties. ...
Inner Strength
A sermon delivered by David Hughes, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Winston-Salem, Nc., on June 10, 2012. Psalm 138; 2 Corinthians 4:7-5:1 Mark Twain was making a train trip. He didn’t want to carry his brief case with...
Too Deep For Words
A sermon delivered by David Hughes, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Winston-Salem, Nc., on May 27, 2012. John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15; Romans 8:22-27 Francis of Assisi is reputed to have said, “Preach the gospel at all times...
Least Likely
A sermon delivered by Keith Herron, Pastor, Holmeswood Baptist Church, Kansas City, Mo., on June 17, 2012. The Third Sunday after Pentecost I Samuel 15:34-16:13 David is the single person the Bible devotes more space...
CBF’s gentle spirit
The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF) 2012 General Assembly got underway June 20 with auxiliary meetings and a smoothly joyful "Evening of Music and Celebration" in honor of Dan and Earline Vestal, held at the...
Does Osteen’s Book Fit with Jesus’ Scandalous Gospel?
Joel Osteen has been deemed by many as America's Pastor. He is the pastor of the largest church in America and his books have sold in the millions. I recently scanned Osteen's book, "Your Best Life Now," in search of...
Seeds of Kindness May Take Years to Sprout
"I had the greatest thing happen today," Terri said during supper. "You got a big raise?" I asked. "Better." My mind went to another great thing, but if that happened at work I doubt she'd come home telling me about...
Science and God: Challenging Arrogance (Part 3)
Editor's note: This is the final part of a three-part column series. If Christianity is to be relevant to a world of genome-mapping and large hadron colliders, Christians need to be scientifically literate. And that...
Science and God: When The Impossible is Possible (Part 2)
Editor's note: This is part two of a three-part column series. If Christianity is to be relevant to a world of genome-mapping and large hadron colliders, Christians need to be scientifically literate. And that involves...
Land Sidesteps Plagiarism Issue at SBC Annual Meeting
As Richard Land, embattled head of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), faced Southern Baptist messengers yesterday for the first time since his controversial and...
Why Do We Fear Others Who Are Not Like Us?
President Obama announced this past Friday a change in the enforcement priorities regarding undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as children and who have become a part of this society. What does the...
Slowing down …
This posting is a day later than usual, largely because I accomplished the goal I'd mentioned in the last -- to slow down for a while during a weekend visit to the mountains. That also means I'm still in a bit of a...
What’s The Church’s Greatest Threat? The Church
FDR famously said, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." Similarly, I sometimes think the church's greatest threat is the church itself. These days, many people are intensely interested in Jesus, but, at the...
Science and God: No Excuse for Ignorance (Part 1)
Editor's note: This is part one of a three-part column series. Ignorance is no excuse anymore. In 2012, scientific literacy is not an optional extra for mission-minded Christians. It is essential. If we are to be able...
BWA to Participate in U.N. Conference in Rio
The Baptist World Alliance (BWA) is the lead organizer of a "side event" that takes place during the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, this week. Also known as...
Learning through the lens of history
By John Pierce The making of two new baseball-themed movies would be good enough news to me. The fact that they are being filmed in familiar environs adds to the excitement. Clint Eastwood rolled into Macon, Ga.,...
Why Science Should Matter to Christians
So why do faith and science often seem in conflict? For centuries a Christian commitment to the natural sciences has been rooted in the Bible, and a theology that argues that God is discernible in and through the...