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by JEFF ROBINSON, Editor I grew skeptical when he called it “an offer you can’t refuse.” Either this man was hiding something about the house he was trying to sell me, or his sales technique was deeply influenced... Continue Reading »
Genesis 1:27-28 should settle all debate among believers about God’s creative purpose for humanity. God made them “male and female,” and He commanded them to be fruitful and multiply and to exercise stewardship and dominion over His creation. Transgender... Continue Reading »
“Never Again.” These words are inscribed on a monument in the Dachau Concentration Camp where tens of thousands of political prisoners were tortured and killed. The evil that occurred during Hitler’s regime is palpable inside the walls, culminating to... Continue Reading »
On July 13, I was eating dinner with my extended family at Garden City Beach when we saw the breaking news out of Butler, Pa., that former President Donald Trump barely escaped an assassination attempt. I found myself reflecting... Continue Reading »
Vanessa and I are invested, but these South Carolina weather patterns and soil variances are trying our patience. We planted some fruit trees last fall and have been taking care of them dutifully. We water them, feed them, prune... Continue Reading »
For many students and ministries, the start of a new school year feels the same as New Year’s resolutions for many adults. Most students see returning to school as offering more new opportunities and better chances to start over,... Continue Reading »
The foundation of a healthy and productive society begins with marriage and the family, and the foundation of a healthy and productive church also begins with marriage and the family. Everywhere you look in our world, you can see... Continue Reading »
Over the past two years, I’ve said very little in public about the so-called Law Amendment. As recording secretary, I’m an officer of the Southern Baptist Convention who is eligible for perpetual election. If elected, I’ll serve Southern Baptists... Continue Reading »
Less than one inch. That was the distance that separated former President Donald Trump from being struck in the temple by an assassin’s bullet on July 13 at a rally in Butler, Pa. Had the gunman hit his intended... Continue Reading »
Do you remember where you were when you heard the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade? Do you remember your first thought and how you felt at that moment? The Dobbs decision came on June 24, 2022. For 49... Continue Reading »
Once again, the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention has come and gone. There was a lot of hype leading up to the convention regarding the Law Amendment, the future of sexual abuse reform, the Credentials Committee’s recommendations... Continue Reading »
On Monday, June 10, 2024, about 350 SCBaptists gathered in an Indiana hotel conference room to fellowship, encourage one another, and be reminded of why we do what we do. The SCBaptist spirit of cooperation was rich and powerful.... Continue Reading »
William’s life changed as he watched two planes fly into the World Trade Center with his fellow cadets at the Citadel. Soon he would join his friends to defend freedom and fight against terrorism. He was commissioned into the... Continue Reading »
In 2022, the Louisiana House prepared to pass HB-813, the Abolition of Abortion in Louisiana Act. The bill garnered statewide support; a majority of House Republicans pledged to vote for it. On the eve of the vote, more than... Continue Reading »
In 1549, Thomas Cranmer organized the publication of the Book of Common Prayer, which is still used today by millions of people in the worldwide Anglican Communion. Speaking with a sense of humor, the late J.I. Packer said, “Long... Continue Reading »
My wife is mystified at my TV habits. She gets it that I’m glued to the Cincinnati Reds game nearly every night during summer, baseball highlights afterward, Georgia football in the fall, even occasional Seinfeld reruns. All that makes... Continue Reading »
When my youngest daughter was in high school, she was fast. How fast? She ran the 800-meter run, which is two laps around the track in 2:19. But it was the way she ran that kept me on the... Continue Reading »
As I walk down the street today, I can hear the call to prayer ringing through the neighborhood in an unnamed city in North Africa. A cashier from a stand serving snacks excuses himself and places his rug toward... Continue Reading »
On May 13, 1924, Southern Baptists from across the country gathered for their annual business session in Memphis, Tenn. Awakened to global opportunity, enlivened by organizational potential, unified by a burgeoning denominational consciousness, and determined to maximize their sacrifices... Continue Reading »
Like many Southern Baptists, I recently read the report of the Great Commission Resurgence (GCR) Evaluation Task Force with great interest. GCR was an initiative adopted by messengers to the 2010 Southern Baptist Convention in Orlando upon recommendation by... Continue Reading »
Five further insights on tone — continued from the May edition of The Baptist Courier. 6. SOFTEN YOUR LANGUAGE. Avoid harsh, judgmental language or attitudes. Avoid emotive language. Intentionally use gracious, non-combative words. Remember Proverbs 15:1: “A soft answer... Continue Reading »
Over the last year the two of us have benefited from many conversations with friends on the upcoming vote for the Law Amendment at the Southern Baptist Convention in Indianapolis. The constitutional amendment will require churches who seat messengers... Continue Reading »
Since 2022, and especially after the 2023 first vote to approve the so-called “Law amendment,” multiple authors and speakers have sought to sway messengers to vote in favor of or against changing the SBC Constitution. Ordinary church members, pastors,... Continue Reading »
Time flies when you’re having fun, and when legislators are trying to get last-minute pieces of legislation over the finish line before time runs out on the 2023-2024 legislative session. The current session ends Thursday, May 9. So far... Continue Reading »
When I was a kid, a movie hit the big screen that really captured the imaginations of my friends and me. The film “Big” is about a 12-year-old kid named Josh who was tired of being small. He drops... Continue Reading »
“Why are the two of you fighting?” I asked my dad as a young child. “Your mom and I aren’t fighting. We are having a discussion,” my dad would say. It sure sounded like a fight to me. The... Continue Reading »
On June 10–12, 2024, thousands of Southern Baptists will gather in Indianapolis for the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting. Hundreds of SCBaptists will be among them. My prayer is that the SCBaptist kind of cooperative spirit will prevail. SCBaptists... Continue Reading »
Southern Baptists have often joked that the SBC is America’s largest Protestant denomination due, in part, to the reality that our churches multiply by dividing. Translation: Many church plants should be more accurately labeled “church split.” In the early... Continue Reading »
H4624 — better known as the Do No Harm Act — has made its way through the Senate committee process. The next step will be the Senate Republican Caucus agreeing to set the bill for a special-order slot. All... Continue Reading »
Charles Martin published the book “What If It’s True” in 2019. Martin is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of fiction novels, but “What If It’s True” is a non-fiction work where the storyteller revisits the... Continue Reading »
“I’m going to pray that God helps me find a shiny Pokemon.” My son Corder and I were spending a little quality time together walking around the South Carolina State House grounds, playing a video game where you find... Continue Reading »
Late last year, I enjoyed casual conversation at an SCBaptist association’s monthly pastor gathering. We discussed Baptist doctrine, organization, mission, and funding. Several in the room asked for help with a practical strategy for funding our shared mission work... Continue Reading »
Most of us agree with John Maxwell’s well-known adage, “Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less.” By that definition, the pastor’s leadership influences the ministry of the local church. This is particularly true in building a culture of prayer.... Continue Reading »
Frederick Douglass was born a slave to an enslaved Black mother almost 50 years before slavery ended in America. School for slaves on the plantation was out of the question, so he learned to read when others helped him... Continue Reading »
Have you ever seen the bumper sticker that says, “If you can read this, thank a teacher”? Maybe we should say the same thing about prayer. Jesus is addressed 90 times in the Gospels, and 60 of those times... Continue Reading »
Americans are surprisingly optimistic about answered prayer. In fact, nearly 25 percent of people who pray told Lifeway that all their prayers are answered! The majority of people, 58 percent, report that “some” or “most” of their prayers get... Continue Reading »
Judith Greenberg, Ph.D., is not an evangelical. In fact, she is not even a Christian. She claims to be an atheist. Professor Greenberg studied at Yale and described herself as “a New York Upper West Side liberal, [and] a... Continue Reading »
Charles Spurgeon was right. He once said, “He who prays much will pray more and he who prays little will pray less.” In fact, a new survey finds that the Americans who want to pray more are the people... Continue Reading »
After Daddy died, I had another 12 years with my mama. Even though I didn’t live close, we kept up with each other, and I’d make it home when I could. One thing that bugged me, though, is that... Continue Reading »
In an unassuming office on the campus of Rice University, you can often find professor James Tour on a Zoom call. Is he chatting with other scientists around the world about his groundbreaking research in nanotechnology? Maybe. But more... Continue Reading »
The past few years have opened my eyes to so many of the non-medical things involved in the wellbeing of my patients and family members. Our world is awash in assorted forms and documents that are often, if not... Continue Reading »
“I appreciate the invitation, but no thanks.” This is a common response for those who faithfully invite others to church in today’s culture. The fastest-growing religion in South Carolina are the “Nones” or the “no thanks,” according to Lifeway... Continue Reading »
If you are a regular reader of The Courier, you may have noticed a significant uptick in our social media presence. At risk of undermining everything you are about to read, I would encourage you to follow us on... Continue Reading »
The South Carolina House passed H4624 by a strong 82 to 23 vote, sending this important piece of legislation to the Senate. H4624, also known as “Help, Not Harm,” would prevent minors from receiving puberty blockers, cross hormone treatments,... Continue Reading »
Many years ago, I pastored a normative size church in a rural town. Once a month I shared a meal with a pastor friend from a neighboring city whom I had met at an associational meeting. I needed that... Continue Reading »
In 1812, South Carolina’s own Sen. John C. Calhoun led a war hawk movement in Congress to deliver a declaration of war against the British to President Madison, officially beginning the War of 1812. Words cannot describe the despair... Continue Reading »
The 2024 South Carolina legislative session opened on Tuesday, Jan. 9, with House Republicans presenting three bills for sub-committee hearings. Usually, you can depend on the South Carolina Legislature to move slowly and deliberately, especially on the first day... Continue Reading »
I remember that call night so well. I was a first-year emergency medicine resident at Methodist Hospital of Indiana in 1991. I was on my pediatrics rotation. It was cold and flu season in Indianapolis. In that one night,... Continue Reading »
It’s hard to find a good black and white TV anymore. When they first came out in 1936 and were commercially sold, it was the hottest craze. The black and white TV was the fastest growing invention that entered... Continue Reading »
I went on my first mission trip while I was a teenager at Roebuck Baptist Church. We joined other South Carolina Baptists for a trip to the Caribbean island of Jamaica. The trip involved roof repair and other construction... Continue Reading »
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