Dr. Viktor Frankl was an Austrian psychiatrist who lived as a prisoner in Auschwitz and other concentration camps during World War II. Dr. Frankl experienced unspeakable horror during his years of captivity, yet during that time he was able to discern the reasons why some people survived the camps and others didn’t. He wrote a […]
Grace and Truth: Thank You, Lord, for Another Year of Preserving Grace
I clicked on her Facebook page with eager anticipation of seeing her husband again — an old friend — and their two children, now grown and likely with families of their own. Our two families had been among the up-and-coming leaders in our church many years ago. I viewed them both as spiritual giants. They […]
Lost people facing hell is the world’s greatest problem, Chitwood tells SCBC
The digital numbers on the video screen counted upward in half-second intervals like an out-of-control speedometer: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, as IMB President Paul Chitwood preached from Revelation 20 before messengers of the 203rd annual South Carolina Baptist Convention Monday night at Shandon Baptist Church in Columbia. When the 28-minute sermon concluded, the counter abruptly […]
Lost people facing hell is the world’s greatest problem, Chitwood tells SCBC
The digital numbers on the video screen counted upward in half-second intervals like an out-of-control speedometer: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, as IMB President Paul Chitwood preached from Revelation 20 before messengers of the 203rd annual South Carolina Baptist Convention Monday night at Shandon Baptist Church in Columbia. When the 28-minute sermon concluded, the counter abruptly […]
New and Noteworthy Books: November 2023
Five Lies of Our Anti-Christian Age (Crossway) by Rosaria Butterfield Modern culture is increasingly outspoken against a biblical understanding of what it means to be a woman. Even some Christians, swayed by the LGBTQ+ movement, have rejected God’s Word on issues of sexuality and gender in favor of popular opinion. In light of these pressures, […]
What disasters preach: ‘Repent or you shall likewise perish’
My second Sunday as a full-time pastor came five days after the worst tornado outbreak in American history afflicted our city and its surrounding region. I preached from Job 1–2, and we put the sermon title on our marquee: “Where Was God?” Attendance that Sunday doubled and a couple of media members, intrigued by the […]
‘Why am I suffering?’ — When God gives you uncomfortable grace
A few years ago, I took a pastorate with the goal of shepherding that flock faithfully for at least 25 years. I told them as much after an overwhelming majority of members voted for me to occupy the sacred office. It was a mandate, and I pushed offshore for what I hoped would be at […]
Grace and Truth: God’s Alibi
It’s a question every Christian who has ever lived has asked: “I’m a follower of Christ, yet I’m going through some terrible adversity. Where is God?” Fundamentally, that question lurks behind the cover story for this issue of The Courier, what I like to call “uncomfortable grace” (a term borrowed from Paul David Tripp). What […]
New and Noteworthy Books: October 2023
Dangerous Calling: Confronting the Unique Challenges of Pastoral Ministry (Crossway, 2012) by Paul David Tripp If I could assign every young pastor and every local church member to read one book on ministry with the promise they’d work through it entirely, it would be this book. When I first read it a decade ago during […]
Two Bible Texts to Strengthen a Pastor on Monday
Church ministry — whether you’re serving as a preaching pastor, an elder, a missionary, or otherwise — is a lot like baseball. It’s an exercise in managing failure. Here’s what I mean: Ted Williams, arguably the greatest hitter in professional baseball history, finished with a .344 career batting average. This means the “Splendid Splinter” succeeded […]