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There was a time among Deep South Baptist churches when church discipline was no big deal — it was simply assumed to be a biblically appointed means of church purity and church health. There was no need to call... Continue Reading »
The choir was singing while we were in the middle of serving the Lord’s Supper one Sunday morning. The ushers were halfway down the middle aisle when the sanctuary’s rear doors flew open and a young man stepped in... Continue Reading »
In Western Civilization, people generally have two names — a first name and a middle name — in addition to their last name. However, they are usually only known by their first name. My first name is Jonathan. Others... Continue Reading »
After a failed attempt to legalize sports gambling in 2025, some members of the South Carolina legislature are trying again this year. If approved, HB 3625 or SB 444 would allow the legislature to create the South Carolina Sports... Continue Reading »
On New Year’s Eve, 1 million visitors flooded into Time Square hotels, neighboring blocks, and the immediate area awaiting the iconic ball drop. When the gates opened at 10 a.m., they flooded into the square to wait for 14... Continue Reading »
Pastors must be prepared to respond to tragedy. It is inevitable in our world. The experience may be a situation like: A family of four dies unexpectedly on the highway. A routine visit to the doctor’s office reveals a... Continue Reading »
We can learn the largest and loudest of life’s lessons from the smallest and quietest of God’s creatures. As a wide-eyed kid, I wanted to roar like a lion, stomp like an elephant, and tower like a giraffe. But... Continue Reading »
Thank you, South Carolina Baptists, for allowing me the privilege to serve as your president this year. The cooperative work we do together as Southern Baptists has been a part of my life from my earliest childhood memories. I... Continue Reading »
Invitations matter more than we often realize. Most people who visit a church do not come because of a clever slogan, a polished website, or even a well-timed social media post. They come because someone they know invited them.... Continue Reading »
Editor’s note: Sanctity of Life Sunday is Jan. 18. As King David wrote in praise to God, “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and... Continue Reading »
In August of last year, I packed up my belongings to move from Upstate South Carolina to a small rural town right along the S.C.-N.C. state line in Lancaster County. I had previously been working on the facilities team... Continue Reading »
Christmas is my favorite time of year … hands down. It’s the one season where we are encouraged to engage what Abraham Lincoln called our “better angels.” It is a season of love where we enter with awe into... Continue Reading »
The elliptical machine in 69-year-old Bob Stephens’ home gym is stretching its handlebars to hang three coats. A recumbent bike, various weights and a stationary rowing machine complete the 20-by-20-foot room. Stephens, a Focus on the Family senior public... Continue Reading »
I took my two young children to watch David, their first movie in a theater. I’d been anticipating the film for some time, but was unsure how the experience itself would go, especially for my autistic son, who remained... Continue Reading »
Over the last few years, there has been a slow attendance shift in the seats and pews of our churches. You may have already recognized it in the sea of faces in your congregation on an average Sunday morning.... Continue Reading »
It was perhaps the most famous sermon in U.S. history, a sermon God used to bring many sinners to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ: “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” preached in 1741 by the great... Continue Reading »
“A Charlie Brown Christmas,” the beloved animated television program, turns 60 this year. It is hard to imagine that it almost did not air. Network executives thought it moved too slowly for a Christmas special. They also were convinced... Continue Reading »
There are few things Southern Baptists love more than evangelism, worship, seminary education and the Cooperative Program. And, as for people, one could argue the top two on that list are Fred Luter and Don Currence. A bit of... Continue Reading »
We live in a day of shifting global geopolitical alliances coupled with a changing and chaotic political atmosphere here in the United States. In fact, it would not be an exaggeration to characterize all of Western civilization as enduring... Continue Reading »
“What do you want for Christmas?” I asked the young boy. “I probably won’t get gifts this year, but I want a superhero, a Power Ranger with the white outfit,” he said with longing in his eyes. When I... Continue Reading »
Next spring, Vanessa and I will have been married for 25 years. You accumulate a lot of stuff over 25 years. Some stuff breaks or fades. Some stuff outlives its usefulness. Some stuff gets buried in piles of other... Continue Reading »
To understand the nature of the unpardonable sin, one must consider both the passage’s broader biblical context and the immediate situation in which Jesus spoke. Jesus set the passage in its broader theological context when He affirmed a truth... Continue Reading »
My family and I went to serve with the International Mission Board in Portugal in 2017. Like many of my friends on the mission field, I felt the IMB knew me better than I did following a slew of... Continue Reading »
“He who does not find the great and perfect wisdom of God in His wonderful work of music is truly a clod and is not worthy to be considered a man!” — Martin Luther Want to know a simple... Continue Reading »
Pushing Back Against Gambling Leading up to the 2025 legislative session, the legislative rumor mill focused on major gambling interests eyeing South Carolina. Based on our commitment to God’s Word, we affirm that God’s intended design is for humanity... Continue Reading »
Many pastors, early in their ministry, will encounter a troubled, tenderhearted soul who will say, “Pastor, I think I’ve committed the unpardonable sin.” Often, when the pastor asks what specifically that sin is, the person replies, “I’m not sure... Continue Reading »
Maddison, Dan, Vanisha, and Zach were all lost last year, but God made them alive through SCBaptist cooperation. Maddison was invited to a One Night student event by her friends this past year where SCBaptists worked together to organize.... Continue Reading »
When people visit my office, they are often amazed at the number of Bibles that I keep on my “Bible shelf.” There was a time when Cindy and I were needing to tighten up financially that she asked me... Continue Reading »
J. Donald McManus’s 1990 book Martha Franks: One Link in God’s Chain outlines the courageous, faith-filled life of one of SCBaptists’ choicest servants. She overcame great odds both as a missionary in China and as a catalyst for mission... Continue Reading »
An astute reader of The Baptist Courier’s monthly magazine recently asked me: “It seems like The Courier has really emphasized that second ‘I’ in your slogan on the front, ‘Instruct.’ Why?’” Amazing question, and a vital one. I’m glad... Continue Reading »
On Aug. 21, the body of Christ saw one of its most beloved and recognized leaders enter his eternal reward. Dr. James Dobson was a towering figure in modern evangelical Christianity whose legacy continues to shape family life, political... Continue Reading »
He was standing in the middle of Bourbon Street with a megaphone. His message was loud and clear. “Repent! You are going to hell. God’s wrath is upon you.” I was in New Orleans on a mission trip doing... Continue Reading »
“It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.” Charles Dickens was the king of paradox. These two lines open one of his most famous works, A Tale of Two Cities (1859). The novel, a work... Continue Reading »
What is SCBAPTIST? The SCBaptist website states: “The South Carolina Baptist Convention (SCBaptist) is a family of more than 2,100 churches working together to advance the Great Commission. We mobilize missionaries and develop leaders so that every life will... 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 »
A growing number of teenagers are turning to artificial intelligence for friendship, according to a new national survey and an Associated Press article that has stirred conversations among parents, educators, and faith leaders. A Common Sense Media survey released... Continue Reading »
We are shaped and formed by our loves and affections. They inform what we think is important and what we value. As Augustine reminds us, our loves drive us toward a trajectory of worship.1 We worship what we love,... Continue Reading »
I’ll never forget those early days after bringing our oldest son, our first child, home from the hospital. I’d never really been comfortable holding an infant, but this was different; this was my flesh and blood. He had my... Continue Reading »
Before we dive into the history and current state of the Johnson Amendment, we need a quick review of our founding fathers’ understanding of the separation of church and state. As our 13 original colonies transitioned from a confederation... Continue Reading »
Lynette stepped off a plane on a remote island in South Asia this year where there was limited to no access to the gospel. Proclamation of the gospel could land her in prison or deported, and a native convert... Continue Reading »
This summer, I preached a session at Camp McCall. I was reminded how critical is the culture of ownership in Christian character and leadership that is facilitated and reproduced among generations of boys and men there, especially within our... Continue Reading »
I enjoy watching people who are good at their craft. I can sit for hours and watch someone carve things from wood or forge things through fire. We occasionally host a talent fellowship at church, and I listen and... Continue Reading »
The last few days have reminded us, once again, of the frailty of human life in the face of the human capacity to inflict sudden, deadly violence upon other people. The tragic death of Charlie Kirk yesterday came upon... Continue Reading »
I struggled to keep a straight face when he asked me the question. I was a candidate for the pastorate of this Baptist church, one that was nearly 200 years old, one that had sprung up as a result... Continue Reading »
Editor’s note: The following is an excerpt from “Every Member Matters” by Matthew Capps and Josh Wredberg, releasing Sept. 2, 2025, from B&H Publishing Group. “To equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body... Continue Reading »
Our country continues to enjoy the legal and cultural benefits of the legacy President Trump created with three legitimate conservative-leaning additions to the Supreme Court during his first term. A flurry of 6-3 decisions and one 9-0 decision reached... Continue Reading »
“We lived our entire lives in New York and moved to South Carolina for a change. Five years later, it still isn’t quite what we hoped for. Our religious and social differences have made it hard to make friends,”... Continue Reading »
As the rhythmic patterns of fall, family and church life return, I would like to ask you to act on two important legislative items coming in the 2026 session. The session officially begins the first week of January, but... Continue Reading »
I keep a packed duffle bag on the top shelf of my closet so that I can be ready to go at a moment’s notice when a disaster occurs. In the past two decades, I have been a part... Continue Reading »
In Charles Spurgeon’s day, ministry and merriment didn’t often mix. Evangelicals, particularly those of the Reformed variety, weren’t exactly known for their sense of humor. In his autobiography, Spurgeon quipped that the 12th commandment must have been, “Thou shalt... Continue Reading »
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