On the national scene, the role of the confession of faith in our Baptist cooperation has generated much discussion. Are Baptists primarily a confessional people or a cooperative people? Is the tie that binds us shared doctrine or shared mission? A case can be made from history that the answer is yes — both. Baptists […]
Grace and Truth: God Uses Ordinary Means to Accomplish Extraordinary Things
Cal Ripken Jr. became an extraordinary baseball player by doing an ordinary thing: He showed up for work. He did it again and again and again, a record 2,632 consecutive times. The Hall of Fame third baseman first appeared in the Baltimore Orioles starting lineup on May 30, 1982. His name wouldn’t be absent until […]
President’s Perspective: Holding Hands
Widespread understanding of the relationships between churches, associations, state/area conventions, and the Southern Baptist Convention used to be a given within our particular family of believers. In recent years, however, there has been an uptick in the use of seemingly benign, but inaccurate, expressions of the nature of these relationships. Whether due to lack of […]
Outside the Walls: Who’s In?
“You’re out!” Poor Colin struck out again. He was on my Little League baseball team, and struggled at the plate. The other kids on the team got frustrated with him, but I wasn’t going to kick him off the team for not doing everything right. Then, with humility, he came up to me one game […]
Legislative Update: Why Should S.C. Baptists Care About Judicial Reform?
God’s Word has much to say about justice. God told Amos, “Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream” (Amos 5:24). Solomon extols the virtue of wisdom, writing that “wisdom walks in the way of righteousness and in the paths of justice” (Proverbs 8:20). David wrote, “For the Word of the […]
Grace and Truth: Sundays Should Center on Sermons
For many years I wondered why Paul called preaching “foolishness” in 1 Corinthians 1:21. Preaching is the glorious means by which the Spirit saves and sanctifies sinners, the method by which the Lord builds His church. So how could Paul refer to it as folly? After preaching for a couple of decades now, I’ve come […]
Striking the Waters: The Joy of Cooperation
Although this article will publish after the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting in New Orleans, I am writing before that gathering and in anticipation of it. Among other matters, messengers to the national meeting will be asked to consider a contested mid-term presidential election, the Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force’s recommendations, a debated constitutional amendment, […]
Outside the Walls: Lights. Camera. Action.
“Is this a movie?” Christian asked as he raced toward the metro in Hollywood, Calif. Christian was homeless, broken, and in desperate need of hope. He had recently arrived in Los Angeles and had spent the last week in the depths of the subway. I was serving with our South Carolina Palmetto Collective group of […]
Legislative Update: Why a Biblical Worldview Matters for the Military
Recently, I had the honor and privilege of attending the commissioning service of Air Force 2nd Lt. Max Robbins. Max recently graduated from the University of North Carolina-Charlotte with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. I’ve known him, his sister, and his mom and dad for well over 30 years. Our relationship feels more like […]
Wholly Healthy: Fall Mortality
I have written many times about the importance of fitness and the fact that it is no less important as we age. However, this story drives it home: https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2023/05/15/fatal-falls-seniors/8501683914836/. Americans are dying of fall-related injuries at an alarming rate. However, it’s more than lack of fitness that is behind this gravitational epidemic. I don’t want […]