by Barry Creamer Every person experiences a tension between the desire to be an individual and to be part of a communityto act freely on immediate desires on the one hand, and to belong securely to a well-defined group on the other. But well-defined groups limit personal liberty. And personal liberties often perforate well-defined boundaries. Hence the tension. Some cultures (and the worldviews defining or entailed by them) favor the … Continue reading
by Kirk Spencer I was multi-tasking in my backyarddigging and listening to the radio and thinking about my Bible study. I was thinking about the darkness on the deep and the Spirit of God there hovering; about how the ancients feared the deep (the ocean). The deep came to represent danger and chaos and absurdity in life; like the chaos I was listening to on the radio, bad news all … Continue reading
by Barry Creamer Those who are committed to following Jesus learn over time that one of the most important aspects to their obedience to Him is helping others become better followers. In terms of the New Testament, it is as simple as the phrase, teaching them to observe all the things Ive commanded you in the Great Commission, or recognizing the prescriptive nature of Pauls direction to Timothy: the things … Continue reading
by Joe Wooddell The Bible says not to be taken captive through philosophy (Col. 2:8). The warning, however, is not against philosophy (or the love of wisdom) in general, but rather to empty, worldly philosophy instead of a philosophy according to Christ. In fact, Paul used not only Scripture on Mars Hill in Acts 17, but philosophy also. He knew about worldly philosophy, as evinced by his familiarity with their … Continue reading
by Joshua Crutchfield One of the great thrills of newborns is watching them grow. But I do not just mean in size, chubby cheeks, or diapers. I mean, it is exciting to see your child grow cognitively, learning that things can exist though they are hidden (e.g. peek-a-boo), making sounds with their mouth just so they can hear themselves coo and ah. But what is especially entertaining is when the … Continue reading
by Aaron Meraz In X-Men: Days of Future Past, the X-Men find themselves in a world where mutants are being systematically exterminated. Through the superpower of a mutant who could send ones consciousness back in time, the X-Men are able to pinpoint the time and events that resulted in their dismal future. Although I do not claim any mutant power, this blog will pinpoint the time that Southern Baptists began … Continue reading
by Kirk Spencer I recently heard a preaching talkingabout how Christians must breathe the cultural smog. It is true that the mass media has created a smutty atmosphere as of late, however, for some reason, the metaphor made me think of the fire-breathing dragon in the movie The Desolation of Smaug. His heart (or belly) glows with fire before it spews forth from his mouth. And this imagery made me … Continue reading
by Michael Cooper Since the inception of the Church on the day of Pentecost, the sermon has been a central part to the worship experience. The history of the sermon is quite intriguing. The communication of ancient wisdom and tradition passed down and delivered into the hearts and minds of the congregation is the task of the preacher. The preachers responsibility is to proclaim the faith that was once for … Continue reading
by Joshua Crutchfield I believe that my wife and I have such a unique story that even Nicholas Sparks would want to buy the rights for his next best seller. You see, we have been close friends for nearly sixteen years. We served together in our youth group, of which her father was the youth pastor. We performed skits together. We were in the praise band together. We also dated. … Continue reading
by Joe Wooddell In Jeffrey Balls interview with Vaclav Smil (Wall Street Journal Business and Environment page, April 9, Looking for a Global Energy Solution? Well, Dont), Mr. Smil rightly maintains that when looking for energy solutions, Its all regional. Its all local. And we just have to descend to that level to judge it. That is, there is no one-size-fits-all, top-down solution from the UN, Washington, Kyoto, or wherever. … Continue reading
