|
Courier Publishing
Filter by:
The addition of four Republican Senators and a House returning 88 Republicans have conservative hopes running high as the 2025 legislative session begins. Super Republican majorities in both houses could mean bills dealing with parental rights, school choice, and... Continue Reading »
Kelly* is a South Carolina Baptist “sent one.” I met her a few years ago while leading a trip to Los Angeles to serve people on Skid Row. She was educated at one of our South Carolina Baptist universities,... Continue Reading »
The 2024 election turned into a big night for Republicans on the state and national levels. Here in South Carolina, as of this writing, it appears Republicans will gain four seats in the Senate and pick up one additional... Continue Reading »
What did you get for Christmas? What are your New Year’s resolutions? I bet you’ve been asked those two questions more times than you can count over the last several weeks. Christmas feels like a season of gift-giving and... Continue Reading »
Those who know me well know that I love being a South Carolina Baptist. I am thankful for each church, association and ministry partner that make up our SCBaptist family. I stand in awe, filled with gratitude, as I... Continue Reading »
Psalm 119 teaches us that the Word of God is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. The message of the Bible is God’s amazing love for us, that He gave His only Son that... Continue Reading »
In 1925, the Southern Baptist Convention convened in Memphis, Tenn. At that momentous meeting, messengers made two decisions with far-reaching consequences. First, they adopted the Baptist Faith and Message. Second, they launched the Cooperative Program as a unified funding... Continue Reading »
I remember when I was a senior in high school and was gearing up to go to college to begin my pathway to becoming a heart surgeon. This had been a lifelong dream. No. Really. I had planned on... Continue Reading »
A few years ago, we were moving some things from my mother’s house, and I found a letter addressed to myself to be opened after 2016. Evidently, I wrote the letter in the summer of 1991 for a career... Continue Reading »
Imagine Mary’s surprise when Gabriel appeared, announcing she would conceive and bear the Son of God. This wasn’t an ordinary announcement; it was life-altering. Gabriel revealed that her child would be “the Son of the Most High” and that... Continue Reading »
People struggle from the end of November to the beginning of January. The holidays are difficult. Unrealistic expectations clash with cold, hard realities. Everyone around us is pretending and projecting the same false narrative: “All is merry and bright.”... Continue Reading »
Because this year’s Lottie Moon Christmas Offering is the most important offering in the history of the International Mission Board, I am asking every church to give 10 percent more to the IMB this year than you gave last... Continue Reading »
Chris lived in the shadow of a South Carolina Baptist steeple. He was lost. After years of decline, the church decided to be replanted. Pastor Ed Stewart birthed New Creation Baptist Church, one of our 34 funded church plants,... Continue Reading »
I write these words less than 24 hours from the closing gavel of our 2024 SCBaptist Convention at FBC Columbia. My heart is still swollen with gratitude to our God, love for our people, and hope for our future.... Continue Reading »
The holidays are a time of flavor. We walk into Grandma’s house on Thanksgiving or Christmas, and all the spices combine for amazing smells and delicious food — cinnamon, nutmeg, cranberry, butter, garlic, and much more. These are the... Continue Reading »
In the wee hours of Wednesday morning, Nov. 6, America’s hotly contested presidential election was called for Republican Donald J. Trump, who now becomes presidents 45 and 47. After four years of leadership from a Democrat administration that pushed... Continue Reading »
Heading into the busiest shopping season of the year, many Americans may find meaning and purpose while they’re picking up gifts for others and themselves. A Lifeway Research study asked 1,200 U.S. adults their level of agreement with 10... Continue Reading »
When I hear the question, “Do I have any hope in this life?” I immediately take note of the severe pain from which this question arises. Those who know little trouble and only acute hardship do not ask such... Continue Reading »
If the title of this column surprises or shocks you, you are not alone. When I read the data provided by Alliance Defending Freedom, it amazed me how South Carolina law does not clearly define parental rights and offers... Continue Reading »
The gospel of Jesus Christ is for all nations and ethnic groups. God makes this truth clear throughout the book of Acts. Each chapter reveals the Holy Spirit ensuring that the apostles would be witnesses “to the end of... Continue Reading »
Disasters have a way of getting your attention. Dylan was one of thousands of South Carolina residents whose homes were affected by downed trees from Hurricane Helene’s destructive path. The early morning hours of the storm for his street... Continue Reading »
As a combat veteran who deployed to and fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, I’ve heard the words “thank you for your service” more times than I can count. And while these five words are often spoken with genuine respect... Continue Reading »
In the wee hours of Wednesday morning, America’s hotly contested presidential election was called for Republican Donald J. Trump, who now becomes presidents 45 and 47. After four years of leadership from a Democrat administration that pushed leftist policies... Continue Reading »
Nov. 11–12, SCBaptists from across the state will gather at Columbia’s First Baptist Church for our 204th annual meeting. The room will be full of pastors, associate ministry staff, lay leaders, and church members who are invested in our... Continue Reading »
I remember reading Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities while in high school. My imagination was instantly captured by one of the most iconic opening paragraphs in literature. “It was the best of times, it was the worst... Continue Reading »
As I sat at my desk this morning, staring at all the accoutrements of academia that surround me, I suddenly realized that I will soon celebrate 40 years of full-time Christian ministry. Over these decades, I’ve been privileged to... Continue Reading »
There’s a pretty significant vote going on in America. If you’ve been paying attention to the news or scrolling through social media, you know our country is in the thick of another intense political season. In my 68 years,... Continue Reading »
We live in a tumultuous, polarized, sharply divided partisan political environment. Everyday exchanges on social media and daily conversations with friends, co-workers, and family members can, and often do, devolve into heated debates over the issues of our day.... Continue Reading »
Ten days after the ascension of Christ, the disciples were in the upper room of Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost. The signs and miracles that took place on that day were numerous: the sound of a violent rushing... Continue Reading »
“Who is that? They’re not being very nice,” my 5-year-old son asked as he pointed at the TV. “Well, son, one of them will be the future president of the United States,” I said reluctantly. “You shouldn’t vote for... Continue Reading »
I miss being a pastor. Don’t get me wrong, I am confident in God’s calling on my life in this season, and I love it. Vanessa and I are very fulfilled, and there is nowhere we would rather be.... Continue Reading »
How often do your lost neighbors come to your house on their own initiative to connect with you? If your experience is anything like mine, the answer is essentially never. However, there is one exception: Halloween night. Halloween is... Continue Reading »
We are living in an age when politics seems to occupy more and more of our minds and hearts. There is a simple reason for that. The government was once a much simpler kind of affair with a relatively... Continue Reading »
My engagement with theonomy began before I was an adult. I have experienced two periods of intense interest in this movement and theory known as theonomy, Christian reconstructionism, dominion theology, or (more recently) a comprehensive model of Christian nationalism.... Continue Reading »
I remember when astronauts landed on the moon. I listened to music on records, eight tracks, cassettes, CDs, and MP3 players. I put $5 worth of gas in the car and drove all weekend on it. I saw “Star... Continue Reading »
In his book Meditations, the ancient emperor Marcus Aurelius wrote that any hindrance to action could itself be the way forward. The modern Stoic Ryan Holiday, inspired by this idea, even entitled a book The Obstacle Is the Way.... Continue Reading »
In 410 A.D., barbarian king Alaric led an army of Visigoths into Rome, besieging the city and starving it into submission. His troops then sacked the city for three days. After eight centuries of world dominance, the Roman Empire... Continue Reading »
What is the difference between a kind, generous unbeliever and a kind, generous believer? I stood on a bridge in Asheville, N.C., over the French Broad River and interviewed two men, Steve and Tom. Steve said he was a... Continue Reading »
You may know someone who has a condition called atrial fibrillation. You may have it yourself! In fact, a lot of people have it. I seem to see it more and more in the ER. But what is it?... Continue Reading »
Almost all the polling data monitoring people’s top concerns connected to the 2024 race for the White House lists three issues rising to the top in every poll. They are the economy (inflation), the border, and crime. In some... Continue Reading »
You can probably name a lot of famous people from the Bible, but I wonder if you remember a man named Ebed-melech? We read about him in Jeremiah 38 when the prophet Jeremiah was lowered into a cistern because... Continue Reading »
It’s my privilege to serve as the recording secretary of the Southern Baptist Convention. The recording secretary is elected each summer by messengers to the SBC Annual Meeting. Along with the registration secretary, a position currently held by my... Continue Reading »
I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turns his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live. (Psalm 116:1–2) How we view prayer enormously... Continue Reading »
French and British armies clashed with Germany at the First Battle of Marne 110 years ago this month, within 30 miles of Paris. The Germans hoped taking Paris would afford them a quick assurance of victory in the larger... Continue Reading »
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 »
Sign Up For Email Alerts
