– Reflections from a spouse for ministers who support their communities during a season of funerals and tragedies Clergy, beware the calling and tread carefully before you enter into its wake. Beware the calling for it is disguised in nobility,…
When the Klan came to our revival
By Brett Younger Melanie was — depending on who you talked to — sharing the love of Christ or trying to cause trouble. Forty-five years later I like to think it was both. Nixon was president, gas was 36 cents…
Forgiveness breaks the Devil’s back
Fresh from wrestling with the Devil through forty days and forty nights, Jesus shows up in his home church of Nazareth and uses the ancient words of the prophet Isaiah to lay down his manifesto: The Spirit of the Lord…
Is CBF allergic to “contemporary” worship?
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF), young adults, “contemporary” worship, progressive theology, and “nice” Christians—let’s talk about it. To begin, I guess you, as the reader, should know I’m a 27-year-old, white male in full time ministry, and some of my closest…
Pursuing a well-lived life
By Molly T. Marshall Recently I had the privilege of attending a presentation at the Yale Club in New York City to hear a report on the project that seeks to ascertain what it means to live a well-lived life….
Bible: The Pope and Jeb Bush
[This is the fifth of a nine-part series on empowering a faith community to impact the world. Already hospitality, evangelism, missions, and ethics have been explored.] Did you hear Pope Francis? “Jeb!” was all over it. Immediately following the released…
Preserve religious liberty: Exercise your freedom to worship
In the good ol’ USA, July 4th is a time to give thanks for our unrivaled freedom, and a great time to highlight and celebrate our religious liberty. Religious liberty refers to the right to worship freely without fear of persecution….
I want to belong
By Nora O. Lozano I recently taught a lesson for my Sunday school class titled “Equipping the Saints for Ministry” (Eph. 4:1-16). According to this passage, the reason church leaders receive different gifts is to train believers for their particular…
What does it mean to be a Bible believer?
Kevin DeYoung, pastor of University Reformed Church in East Lansing, Michigan recently wrote a piece titled, “40 Questions for Christians Now Waving Rainbow Flags.” He laments that some within his evangelical ranks (friends, family members, church members) are “giving their…