Christian Living

Filter by:

Christian Living Categories
  • All
  • Family
  • Missions
  • Movies
  • Music
  • Young Adults
  • Youth

The Sun of Righteousness Rises Across the Palmetto State

When I first moved to Columbia from Texas in the spring of 2023, several South Carolinians told me to brace myself for the summer heat. “There’s nothing like it,” they said. “It sticks to you.” They weren’t wrong. I... Continue Reading »

New and Noteworthy Books — July 2025

In the Midst of the Years: A History of Reformation and Revival in America (Founders Press) by Thomas J. Nettles Christians yearn for rapid advances in the progress of conversion in the world, holiness in their lives, and fruitful... Continue Reading »

Watch Out for Communication’s Two Catastrophic Cousins

The following article is an adapted excerpt from Jeff Robinson’s 2021 book, Taming the Tongue: How the Gospel Transforms our Talk (TGC). _____ Joseph Stowell calls them “catastrophic cousins,” and it wouldn’t be difficult to make the case from... Continue Reading »

Next Month’s Global Hunger Sunday Provides Opportunity to Support Gospel-Centered Hunger Relief

During Send Relief’s presentation to the Southern Baptist Convention last month, Paul Chitwood and Kevin Ezell highlighted Global Hunger Sunday, which will take place on August 24 this year. “We aren’t seeing much in the news about it, but... Continue Reading »

North to Alaska: SC Vet Marks 20 Volunteer Years at The Iditarod

In 2001, South Carolina Baptist layman and veterinarian Roger Troutman stepped out of his comfort zone and traveled to Alaska to serve as a volunteer trail veterinarian for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, commonly referred to as The... Continue Reading »

From Fearful to Free: Delighting in Evangelism

Keeping in step with the competitive nature of my family, as kids my brother Samuel and I tried to outdo each other passing out gospel tracts. Mission teams visited my family overseas, and we’d prayer walk through neighborhoods, invite... Continue Reading »

Church Membership Matters: Joining a Church in College

Making the commitment to regularly attend and even become a member at a local church is one of the most positively influential decisions a college student can, and should, make. Many Christian college students spend their Sundays migrating from... Continue Reading »

The Most Audacious Claim: There is Salvation in No Other Name

One of the more challenging aspects of the Christian apologetic task is defending Christianity against the objection that the gospel is exclusivist. Christian exclusivism means that the Christian faith is the only true faith, that Jesus Christ is the... Continue Reading »

BF&M 100, Part 3: The Baptist Faith and Message Committee

Editor’s note: This piece is the third in a five-part series in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Baptist Faith and Message at the 2025 SBC Annual Meeting in Dallas. The Southern Baptist Convention messengers arriving in Memphis... Continue Reading »

The Image of God in Man (Part 2)

In the creation account in Genesis 1 and 2, God deliberately distinguished human beings from all other beings as His crowning work. He created humans only after everything else, setting the stage for man’s grand entrance. He assigned humans... Continue Reading »

Should Christians Attend ‘Gay Weddings’?

I have been writing and speaking about gender and sexuality for over decade and a half. Whenever I talk about transgenderism, one of the first practical questions I hear concerns the use of pronouns. Whenever I talk about homosexuality,... Continue Reading »

Resources for Further Reading and Thinking about Gender and Sexuality

Books: • Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood: A Response to Evangelical Feminism (Revised edition) (Crossway, 2021), edited by John Piper and Wayne Grudem. This book has long been the gold standard in unpacking complementarianism from all perspectives — biblical,... Continue Reading »

The Increasing Social Cost of Complementiarianism

We live in an age where steadfast faithfulness to biblical conviction increasingly exacts a social cost. Churches and entire denominations, feeling the mounting pressure of an increasingly secular culture, capitulate on fundamental doctrines and core teachings of the Christian... Continue Reading »

New and Noteworthy Books — June 2025

A Unity of Purpose: 100 Years of the SBC Cooperative Program (B&H, 2025), edited by Tony Wolfe and W. Madison Grace II The nations were calling. A theology of cooperation was formalizing. Best business practices of the day were... Continue Reading »

Spurgeon’s 3 R’s Offer a Solid Biblical Starting Point for Evangelism

A few years ago, I led the church I pastored in a community evangelism effort. Our outreach was a little old-fashioned: We knocked on doors and talked to people, hoping the Lord would draw some to Himself through the... Continue Reading »

Ten Years After Obergefell: Can the U.S. Reverse Course on Marriage?

More than 425,000 same-sex couples had already wed in the U.S. when the Supreme Court approved such unions in the historic Obergefell v. Hodges decision June 26, 2015. Ten years later, the number of gay marriages has risen by... Continue Reading »

Mission:Dignity Sunday an opportunity to champion widows

Editor’s note: Sunday, June 22, is Mission:Dignity Sunday in the Southern Baptist Convention.By Karoline Chapman Psalm 68:5 says, “God in his holy dwelling is a father to the fatherless and a champion of widows.” On June 22, Southern Baptists... Continue Reading »

Thankful for a Dad Who Modeled Biblical Manhood

The young paratrooper stood in the open door of the C-47 transport plane. Angry wind currents battered his army fatigues with the ferocity of a Category 5 hurricane. He paused momentarily, double-checked his static line, and leaped into the... Continue Reading »

Photo taken from Unsplash

The Necessity of Local Church Partnership

In America, we love individual accomplishment. When discussing a team sport like basketball, the chat is more likely to be about the greatest player of all time (Kareem, Michael, or LeBron?) or the best individual statistics. We pride ourselves... Continue Reading »

Resources for Further Reading and Thinking about Gender and Sexuality

Books: • Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood: A Response to Evangelical Feminism (Revised edition) (Crossway, 2021), edited by John Piper and Wayne Grudem. This book has long been the gold standard in unpacking complementarianism from all perspectives — biblical,... Continue Reading »

Hunter Baker Authors New Book — Postliberal Protestants: Baptists Between Obergefell and Christian Nationalism

We asked Hunter Baker, author of Postliberal Protestants: Baptists Between Obergefell and Christian Nationalism, a few questions about his recently published book. The Baptist Courier: Why did you write this book? Baker: I wrote my first book, The End... Continue Reading »

The Sufficiency of Christ for Salvation and Assurance — Phil Newton Authors New Book Entitled, “Are You A Christian?”

Church members fumble through the gospel trying to find the right words to explain what they know to be true, but they can’t express it clearly. Unbelievers have heard about Christians but don’t know how to define them. Sincere... Continue Reading »

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made to Be a Woman

I’ve often liked guys better than girls. I’ve thought guys were cooler, and I felt like I could relate better to them. Growing up, I almost viewed being a girl as a negative thing. I never wanted to be... Continue Reading »

How the Church Cares for the Soul: The Importance of Acknowledging our Mental Health

Psalm 121:1–2: “I lift my eyes toward the mountains. Where will my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth” (CSB). I watched my mom, lovingly called “Bola,” take her last breath... Continue Reading »

Thirty Years On, We Still Do

Thirty years. Three decades. It couldn’t have been that long, could it? Yes, it has been. The Jeff Robinson family came into existence a few minutes after 3:30 p.m. on June 3, 1995, at House of Prayer Church in... Continue Reading »

The Plain Truth of Scripture: It Doesn’t Whisper on Gender and Sexuality

Does Scripture whisper about some matters and shout about others? In recent years, I’ve heard prominent evangelical teachers suggest that God’s Word “whispers” about issues like homosexuality and gender confusion, but shouts about sin and salvation. I agree that... Continue Reading »

BF&M 100: The Overlooked Legacy of a Fallen Soldier

Editor’s note: This piece is a bonus piece in a five-part series leading up to the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Baptist Faith and Message at the 2025 SBC Annual Meeting in Dallas. “His going cast the... Continue Reading »

Is Gambling Solution for SC’s Underdeveloped Economic Areas?

After years of limiting gambling to the elusive dream of instant wealth by finding that lucky lottery ticket, the South Carolina Legislature is considering three bills that would transform our state into a gambler’s paradise. The Equine Advancement Act... Continue Reading »

When the Forms of Ministry Get in the Way of Ministry (Part Two)

I came across a viral clip a few years back where a faithful Baptist pastor was rebuking his congregation for minimal investment. They arrived late, left early, sat in the back, attended half the time, and treated church like... Continue Reading »

Once a Journeyman, Always a Journeyman

By Nancy Lyons Thomas When I started my third year of teaching history at Poynor Junior High in Florence, S.C., following graduation from Furman University in 1962, I could not have imagined that I would start the 1965 school... Continue Reading »

The Most Perfect Lost City in the U.S.

The drive from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Idaho Falls, Idaho, was three hours of pure beauty. On every side there were mountains, cows, and the occasional herd of mule deer. Not to mention I’d just eaten a burger... Continue Reading »

Mormon Temple in Greenville Concern for Baptists, Associational Mission Strategist Says

At the end of their Annual General Conference in April, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) announced the construction of 15 new temples, one of which will be built in Greenville. That announcement “was shocking” to... Continue Reading »

BF&M 100, Part 2: The Modernist Fundamentalist Controversy

(Editor’s note: This piece is the second in a five-part series leading up to the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Baptist Faith and Message at the 2025 SBC Annual Meeting in Dallas.) Baptists seldom go through the... Continue Reading »

Project 3000 Missionaries Report God Is At Work

It’s been two years since the International Mission Board re-emphasized finding and researching unengaged and unreached people groups around the world. Project 3000 was born out of Southern Baptists’ commitment to ensure every people group has access to the... Continue Reading »

New and Noteworthy Books — May 2025

Waiting Isn’t a Waste: The Surprising Comfort of Trusting God in the Uncertainties of Life (Crossway, 2024) by Mark Vroegop Throughout our lives, we experience countless periods of waiting. Some moments are mere nuisances — others are daunting seasons... Continue Reading »

The Image of God in Man (Part 1)

The Bible specifically states in both Testaments that human beings are made in the image of God (Gen. 1:26, 27; 5:1, and 9:6; 1 Cor. 11:7; Col. 3:10; and James 3:9). Even though explicit statements concerning God’s image in... Continue Reading »

The Missionary Life: Continually Waiting on God

I was born and raised a true Floridian. I grew up around mangroves and seafood. Outwardly, I was known as the football player and the “guy who could break dance” in high school. But inwardly I experienced intense, debilitating... Continue Reading »

God Never Wastes Waiting in Pastoral Ministry

During college, I served in several churches. I preached, taught, led discipleship groups, evangelized, and organized events — the kind of responsibilities one has when pastoring a church. After graduation, my wife and I headed to seminary so I... Continue Reading »

Finding Hope and Joy Again

I was sitting in church on Easter morning, my second Easter since my beloved wife of 35 years, Kay, passed away from pancreatic cancer almost two years ago. I was thinking of the hope I continue to find in... Continue Reading »

Four Reasons Your Kids Need to Hear and See You Do Your Devotions

For many years now, I’ve asked students about their quiet time with the Lord. Frankly, many struggle with consistency, especially with prayer. Anecdotally, though, here’s what I’ve learned: The students who struggle least tend to have had parents who... Continue Reading »

How Prayer Fights Back Against Trouble

Editor’s Note: Today is the National Day of Prayer observance: “Pour Out to the God of Hope and Be Filled.” Most Americans pray, and many pray every day; but what do we pray about? Not surprisingly, according to Lifeway... Continue Reading »

God’s Curriculum Instructs Us in Patience While We’re Enrolled in His School of Waiting

I don’t like to wait. No, let’s be completely frank: I despise waiting. There is a certain highway in the city where I lived until recently that is notorious for traffic snarled for hours on both sides of rush... Continue Reading »

National Day of Prayer Set for May 1

The National Day of Prayer will be Thursday, May 1. Christians all over the country will gather in or near courthouses, city squares and other central locations to cry to God for His blessing, forgiveness and leadership in their... Continue Reading »

Churches ‘Fill the Tank’ on Baptism Sunday, But That’s Not the Whole Story

Energy infused the worship center of West Edgecomb Baptist Church in Rocky Mount as the digital timer on the screen at front counted down the minutes. The congregation had reason to celebrate on Sunday, April 27. Five were baptized.... Continue Reading »

Report Shows Medical Missions Trip Yields Surprising Results

Short-term volunteer mission projects can make a long-term impact. The key, according to International Mission Board missionaries Cade and Ginny Wheeler, is for the local church to be fully invested and use volunteers within an already existing strategy. After... Continue Reading »

Coffee Ceremonies and Jewelry-making Bring Women Closer to Christ

The smell of freshly roasted coffee beans lingers as women listen to a Bible story at the end of the third round of the coffee ceremony. Ennat* is one of the women who have gathered as part of a... Continue Reading »

Young Girl’s Salvation Leads to Gospel Reach in Iran

Rarely do we get to see exactly how all of our ministry efforts bear fruit, but on occasion the Lord allows us to see and enjoy the fruits of our labor. These sweet moments of reflection on God’s sovereignty... Continue Reading »

Why You Should Want the Resurrection to Be True (Part Two)

The first part of this piece argued that we should want the resurrection to be true because it means freedom from sin and new life in Christ. (Read Part One here.) What’s the second reason? Reason Two: If it’s... Continue Reading »

Why You Should Want the Resurrection to Be True (Part One)

Is the Easter story true? Since the time of the gospels, every week and especially once a year, Christians gather to sing and worship the death-defeating Jesus of Nazareth. As then, through today, right now, all over the world... Continue Reading »

Jackie Robinson Had the Guts Not to Fight Back

Editors’ note: On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson made his debut for the Brooklyn Dodgers against the Boston Braves. In so doing, Robinson became the first black player to appear in a Major League game, and his arrival led... Continue Reading »