Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
Into the Deep
Sermon delivered by Keith Herron, pastor of Holmeswood Baptist Church, Kansas City, Mo, on Feb. 7, 2010. Luke 5:1-11 There’s an old saying, “Life is what happens while you’re making other plans.” We make our plans, our...
The Power of Grace
Sermon delivered by Bob Browning, pastor of Smoke Rise Baptist Church in Stone Mountain, Ga., on Feb. 7, 2010. 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 “By the grace of God, I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been in vain” (I...
The Comfort Challenges in Living For God
This sermon was delivered by Wendell L. Griffen, pastor of New Millennium Church in Little Rock, Ark., on Feb. 7, 2010. Isaiah 6:1-13 Psalm 138 1Corinthians 15:1-11 Luke 5:1-11 Do you recall the first time you were...
Praise God and pass the azithromycin
For nearly a week, I fought a persistent head and chest cold that dropped my voice by two octaves, when I could use it at all. It was that stuffy-headed, sore-throated, chest-congested, generally miserable feeling that...
Revolutionary War Re-enactor Becomes A Face of Tea Party Movement
If Sarah Palin drew the lion's share of the media attention at last week's National Tea Party Convention in Nashville, William Temple, a Revolutionary War re-enactor, may be the runner-up. He was featured on CNN, had...
Needs Throughout Haiti Remain Critical
While most of the world's attention has been on the tragedy of Port-au-Prince, others throughout Haiti are suffering as well from the earthquake and lack of attention and response. Our church network in Haiti continues...
Why Don’t We Care About the Soul Anymore?
"How is it with your soul?" We probably wouldn't think of asking someone that question today, but maybe that's exactly what we should be doing. The question itself sounds outdated and very 19th century, certainly not...
Good timing, good teacher
Timing is everything, we often hear. So although I'm unable to join family and friends of Dr. John W. Eddins Jr. at Millbrook Baptist Church in Raleigh this afternoon, I have a strong and satisfying sense of good...
When Tragedy Strikes: Help; Don’t Question
My heart was broken when I discovered that one of my former professors, John Rawls, one of the greatest philosophers of the 20th century, stumbled in his faith when he came up against the problem of evil. He seemed to...
Woman Preacher’s Legacy Spans Generations
If it weren't for Martha Stearns Marshall, there's a good chance I would not be a Baptist today. I can count seven generations of Baptist blood in my family, and all of it started with what seemed to be an unfortunate...
How Electronics Could Ease Congo Conflict
Numbers can be overwhelming by any standard. The death toll from the recent earthquake in Haiti has risen to 212,000 people. The U.S. government has announced an unprecedented budget of $3.8 trillion. A popular auto...
It must be Monday
Scattered observations to begin the week ...When the Saints came marching in and then went strutting out with the Super Bowl trophy, most people who had seen the first quarter were quite surprised. In the end, I think,...
Maybe It’s Better When We Don’t Like the Sermon
EthicsDaily.com recently reported the results of a survey carried out for the College of Preachers in England. This story, headlined "Sermons May Be Popular But Rarely Lead to Action," says that a survey of 200...
Understanding the Congo’s Horrific Problems
New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof is writing again about the Democratic Republic of Congo, based on his brief trip there. In his column titled "Orphaned, Raped and Ignored," he wrote, "Sometimes I wish eastern...
In Tough Economy, Don’t Forget Your Call
When 10 percent of Americans are unemployed and many more live in daily fear of losing their jobs, people will say that if you have a job – any job – you should be grateful you can pay the bills. This is no time, they...
More than a double-wide on the move
A Roman Catholic congregation in Norcross, Ga., is seeking a larger building to serve its religious purposes. But rather than look to an architect, church leaders are focused on a century-old church building a mere 900...
God bless women who preach
If it weren't for Martha Stearns Marshall, there's a good chance I would not be a Baptist today. I can count seven generations of Baptist blood in my family, and all of it started with what seemed to be an unfortunate...
Is the Super Bowl Really Such Sacred Space As to Banish the Tebow Ad?
Given the outcry over Tim Tebow's TV ad during the Super Bowl, one would think that the Super Bowl is sacred space. For those who have missed the latest scrimmage in the American culture war, here's an overview. A...
Mission Teams Must Obey Nations’ Laws
The arrest of 10 Southern Baptist church members on a self-styled rescue mission in Haiti provides churches with a sobering reminder – even if your motives are pure, you must know and follow the laws of the country you...
Left Turn: Some Evangelicals Shun Rigid Ideology
According to a story in Newsweek magazine, it appears that at least some evangelicals are moving away from the political and theological right wing. Younger evangelicals seem to be shying away from the rigid...
Holy tragedy — even prayer divides
This morning President Obama speaks to the National Prayer Breakfast. It is an event dating back to 1953 — an era in which Communism drove U.S. leaders to more publicly affirm the Divine including adding "under God" to...