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(Editors’ note: This article was originally published at Baptist21.) A little over a year ago, I deleted my X account. I told myself it was because of what I was seeing: Christians speaking about other people with contempt. Cruelty... Continue Reading »
(Editors’ note: This article was originally published at Reformation21.) The thief who was saved on the cross has been the occasion of far too many unnecessary debates over whether one can be saved apart from baptism or without performing... Continue Reading »
(Editors’ note: This article was originally published at The Pillar Network.) “Coach, You Alright?” The 6’7” 315-pound high school senior and college football prospect, Kevin Wiggins, stared at me from the passenger seat. We had just finished an Elite... Continue Reading »
The Old Testament as a Portal for Seeing and Savoring the Heart of Christ In recent months, I had the privilege of reading through 1 and 2 Samuel. We (at least most Christians I know) don’t usually spend much... Continue Reading »
(Editors’ note: This article was originally published at 9Marks and was taken from Church Matters, the 9Marks journal for pastors, in the issue titled “The Pastor and Suffering.”) I will never forget the phone call from the chairman of... Continue Reading »
(Editors’ note: This article was originally published at 9Marks.) Must someone be baptized before he or she can join a church? I’ve been told by people who know history better than I do that Christians of almost all traditions... Continue Reading »
(Editors’ note: This article was originally published in Lexington Road, the magazine of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky.) “And have mercy on those who doubt” (Jude 11) The Discovery of Doubt Around here, faith isn’t easy.... Continue Reading »
God and Country: Upholding Faith, History, and National Identity (B&H Academic, 2026) by John D. Wilsey Is nationalism always a threat to Christian faith? In this timely work, Wilsey argues that nationalism is a complex phenomenon with varied expressions,... Continue Reading »
As a church, we preached through 2 Corinthians during the 2025-2026 school year. Throughout the book, Paul defends his apostolicity and ministry in Corinth against false teachers whom he facetiously calls “super-apostles” (2 Cor. 11:5; 12:11). These super-apostles undermine... Continue Reading »
Martin Luther famously said, “Every week I preach justification by faith to my people because every week they forget it.” Even today, Christians easily drift into relying on their good works to make themselves acceptable before God. A clear... Continue Reading »
Recently, a man approached me with a three-fold statement regarding Christians who work for the government. The first argument was that those in public office were bound by the Constitution in a different way, primarily regarding the First Amendment.... Continue Reading »
(Editors’ note: The following is the final installment of a four-part series devoted to the role of Baptists in the development of religious liberty in America in recognition of the nation’s 250th anniversary.) The passage of the First Amendment,... Continue Reading »
(Editors’ note: The following is Part 3 of a four-part series devoted to the role of Baptists in the development of religious liberty in America.) “This battle for religious liberty was fought and won largely by Virginia Baptists, but... Continue Reading »
What does it mean to “do” church in a way that’s human? This is the question I found myself asking after reading Carl Trueman’s most recent book, The Desecration of Man. The Desecration of Man Trueman argues that we... Continue Reading »
(Editors’ note: The following is Part 2 of a four-part series devoted to the role of Baptists, particularly South Carolinians, in the development of religious liberty in America. Additional pieces will run in recognition to the nation’s 250th anniversary.)... Continue Reading »
(Editors’ note: this article was originally published at Southern Equip) Whether at public school or in a workplace, we must equip teenagers to love their LGBT-identifying friends without sacrificing the truth. I’m a professor who is almost 40 years... Continue Reading »
So what is a Christian? In short, a Christian is a believer in the person and work of Christ. This means that a Christian has concluded in mind and conscience that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God... Continue Reading »
It’s the simple gestures and acts of kindness that sometimes mean the most and can brighten someone’s day — like receiving a handwritten note in the mail. That’s what Allison Bond realized. But little did she know the impact... Continue Reading »
If you want to get Mark Clifton talking, ask him about a church’s impact on its community and beyond. Want to see him find another gear? Call those churches “small.” “About 13,000 [Southern Baptist] churches last Sunday morning had... Continue Reading »
Pastor Mike Thompson has a picture in mind for what the body of Christ should look like. It comes from the Parable of the Banquet Table, where a master sends his servant out to invite more and more people... Continue Reading »
The Departure from Church-Based Soul Care For centuries, the church was regarded as the epicenter of personal care. Pastors and priests, using God’s Word, served as primary sources of wisdom, counsel, and confession for church members. In the early... Continue Reading »
This daily Bible reading plan is provided courtesy of Crossway. (Note: Bible reading plan goes through the New Testament twice.) July-Dec 2026 Bible Reading
1976 was one of my favorite childhood years. I was nine years old, and late that year the Lord began opening my spiritual eyes to my heart’s true condition — sin and self sat atop its throne, and I... Continue Reading »
Baptists have a confessional responsibility. In line with this confessional responsibility is an agreement about cooperation in the calling of training ministers of the gospel and planting of churches at home and abroad. The specific issue about confessional identity... Continue Reading »
(Editors’ note: This article originally appeared at The Gospel Coalition.) Just a few days after my grandfather died, I found a video cassette of our oldest son’s birth. I transferred the video to a digital file, and Corina and... Continue Reading »
Can you remember what your life was like before the iPhone? It was only 20 years ago, yet in the past two decades, culture change has shifted into overdrive. This constant change often makes the future seem dark, and... Continue Reading »
One of my favorite things is when our house is full of people. I love hospitality because, over the years, the Lord has taught me it’s not about my house, cooking skills, or picture-perfect decor. Instead, biblical hospitality is... Continue Reading »
When Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin finally wrapped his hands around the Stanley Cup and hoisted it over his head, he felt what every hockey player dreams about. “Pure excitement,” Slavin said nearly a week after the Hurricanes beat... Continue Reading »
It was a sunny Tuesday afternoon, November 2024. I was only three months into my new job when I had just finished our weekly Ladies Hangout, where homeless women would come for a shower and snacks. I put away... Continue Reading »
(Editor’s note: This article was originally published at 9marks.org.) Joe thought he’d be a better preacher. Did you? I don’t mean he had pretensions to glory, necessarily. Just that, of the range of things he knew he’d have to... Continue Reading »
As Americans celebrate the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding, half of pastors say their churches will join in the festivities. According to a Lifeway Research study, 50 percent of U.S. Protestant pastors believe their church should do something... Continue Reading »
Southern Baptist Convention President Clint Pressley urged messengers to live with doctrinal clarity, gospel conviction, humility, patience and unity, saying Southern Baptists must “walk worthy” of the calling they have received if they are to remain faithful to the... Continue Reading »
Have you ever counted yourself out of the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15 because you can’t relate to being the lost sheep? You admire God’s welcoming, loving heart toward the prodigal son, but you wonder if... Continue Reading »
(Editors’ note: this article was originally published at The Pillar Network) If you’d asked me 20 years ago, I would have told you that you would be wasting your breath speaking to me on the subject of zeal. An... Continue Reading »
(Editors’ note: This article was adapted from the commencement address at Bethlehem College and Seminary, originally published at Desiring God.) Fifty-five years ago this month, I was sitting in a seminary commencement service like this one, ready to receive... Continue Reading »
Battling Unbelief: Defeating Sin with Superior Pleasure (Crossway, 2026) by John Piper No one sins out of duty. We sin because it offers some promise of happiness. That promise enslaves us until we believe that God is more desirable... Continue Reading »
Geraldo Ortiz grew up in a loving home. He went to work. He paid his bills. He seemed to be an unlikely candidate for alcoholism. But emotions are either dealt with or numbed. Ortiz lived in Puerto Rico until... Continue Reading »
Christians often hear statements like, “I hope the car doesn’t run out of gas,” or “I hope he shows up for the appointment.” In everyday speech, “hope” carries no guarantee — it expresses a desire, not a certainty. So... Continue Reading »
You could hear a pin drop if weren’t for the subtle sound of weeping from the pulpit. The room was on edge, waiting to hear a single word from the preacher. It was hard to breathe. The weight of... Continue Reading »
(Editors’ note: this article was originally published at 9Marks) For many Christians, corporate worship and discipleship appear to have little connection. Though it’s called corporate worship, many churchgoers think of it in individualistic terms—“Sure, there are other people... Continue Reading »
(Editor’s note: This is Chapter 14 of an excerpt from What Is a Pastor?, recently released by Courier Publishing. To order, visit CourierPublishing.com.) By Nate Akin To answer the question, “What is a pastor?” it’s helpful to set... Continue Reading »
(Editors’ note: My son, Jake Robinson, graduates high school on May 22. He is the youngest of our four children and is the final Robinson child to bid farewell to high school and begin the tricky launch into adulthood.... Continue Reading »
Peter or Peter’s Confession? Imagine the scene—a group of rough-and-tumble guys living in first-century Palestine following another guy claiming to be the central figure of human history. Oh, to be a fly on some of those walls! One day,... Continue Reading »
As Artemis II completed its recent 10-day mission that included traveling to the far side of the moon, retired NASA rocket scientist Clifton Arnold reflected about his part in helping make the journey a success. “Seeing the takeoff, landing... Continue Reading »
The Treasure Principle: Unlocking the Secret of Joyful Giving — Revised and Updated (Multnomah, 2012) by Randy Alcorn Alcorn introduced readers to a revolution in material freedom and radical generosity with the release of the original The Treasure Principle... Continue Reading »
Let’s start with a statement I think every Christian will agree with: God intends for us to use our five senses (sight, taste, touch, smell, hearing) to engage with him. I hope this is not controversial. Yet there are... Continue Reading »
Richard Blackaby suggests pairing what he calls “godly habits” with daily routines. The firstborn son of Southern Baptist Convention elder statesman Henry Blackaby spoke May 18–20 at the Billy Graham Conference Center, two miles northeast of Asheville, about the... Continue Reading »
The Bible is not simply a guide to reaching heaven; it also reveals how God intends life to be lived along the way. Naturally, it speaks extensively about wealth and the accumulation of material riches. Foundational to understanding a... Continue Reading »
(Editors’ note: This article was originally published at Christ Over All) Like many parents throughout the centuries, we used catechisms to instruct our children in basic Christian doctrine. As a result of catechesis, our children were well-prepared to... Continue Reading »
I assume I’m not alone when I say that I don’t like to wait. At the store, I’m the guy scanning for the shortest checkout line, only to somehow end up in the longest one. At a fast-food restaurant... Continue Reading »
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