Merry Christmas from South Georgia There is so much to be thankful for this Christmas season. A lot has changed…
–> It’s been a while since I posted a new blog. Most of my energies have been spent in recent…
Character, Reputation, and the Difference Another leader is in the news recently for a moral failure. All of the details…
Lessons From United Airlines The recent debacle experienced by United Airlines remains in media headlines as additional details become public…
New Members’ Class I recently had the opportunity to put together a new members’ class at our church. My pastor…
It seems whenever sin comes calling, it usually finds a willing accomplice. Never mind that it is easy to find…
I am an education guy! I earnestly believe education has the power to change people in profound ways and alter…
In my role as an education pastor, I spend a good bit of time thinking about how the church can…
I am grateful for the interest in my summer reading list. The first part I posted yesterday received pretty good…
Summer is upon us and it is a really fun time of year. I have enjoyed seeing the commencement photos…
Recently I was asked about using discussion in Sunday School classes and thought it might be a pretty good idea for a blog…
Like many Americans, I have been following the political primary season with interest. The truth is it is difficult to…
I had planned to return to blogging more regularly once 2016 began but did not anticipate just how busy I…
Apparently Starbucks has altered their coffee cups for this Christmas season and I am supposed to be either a) really,…
From left: Dr. John David Trentham (Chair), Dr. Christopher Sanchez, Dr. Barry Gibson, Dr. Bruce Cannon, Dr. Danny Bowen (2nd…
As a Southern Baptist, I try to keep up with the happenings going on within our convention. I am especially…
Some of my newer friends may not know I am a graduate of Liberty University (MRE 2012 / Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary)…
I had lunch with a ministry friend of mine recently and the topic of social media came up. Let me…
For those of my readers who are not connected to me via social media, you may not be aware that…
“Many people confuse Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Memorial Day is a day for remembering and honoring military personnel who…
The grand jury charged with reviewing the actions of Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown in…
Kids are back in school, summer is winding down and it is time to start looking ahead towards the holiday…
So many opinions being expressed about the SCOTUS’ decision this morning concerning Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties which I…
I was having a conversation with a friend recently who is struggling with some of the things he finds in…
My regular readers have noticed that my blogging activity has slowed down considerably since beginning doctoral work at The SouthernBaptist…
Essentialism: a second reaction to pragmatism/experimentalism/progressivism, essentialism found common ground with the perennialist view of progressive educational practices attempting to…
Behaviorism: a major force in education since the middle of the twentieth century welcomed by those who prefer scientific methodology…
Neo-Scholasticism: scholasticism is an approach to understanding and blending the study of philosophy and theology. Early in the movement, which…
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past week, you are aware of recent remarks made by Phil…
This photo of Southern Seminary was posted to Twitter by Dr. Timothy Paul Jones. It is a beautiful campus any…
It’s been a while since I last wrote a column here. My current educational endeavors leave precious little time for…
What is Success for the Christian Academic? ObedienceMatthew 28:19-20; James 3:1 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the…
Most folks who know me know I usually attend the annual Johnny Hunt Men’s Conference each year. I am especially…
Praying for the families who lost loved ones on this day and for a nation that, since then, has struggled…
Wow! It has been two months since I posted anything here. My regular readers know that is a bit unusual…
As we gather with family and friends to celebrate Independence Day in the United States, remember that freedom is not…
My regular readers know I don’t do much in the way of social commentary here at the blog but recent…
Conclusion There is a great deal of agreement in the New Hampshire Baptist Confession of Faith (1833) and the…
Differences Clearly there are similarities in the two confessions being reviewed. However, the differences in the two statements abound. …
Similarities Upon close examination of these two confessions, one immediately notices the many areas of agreement. Both hold that…
This series was originally posted a couple of years ago while I was a seminary student at Liberty Baptist Theological…
It has been a few weeks since I last posted a new blog, a fact that was brought to my…
With the recent spate of evil rearing its ugly head, it strikes me that now would be a good time…
In the secular world, I have been a part of management for many years. My undergraduate degree is in management…
Like many, I was unaware of how interrelated the books of Ezra and Nehemiah are. In fact, until my time…
Erickson outlines three views of the image of God; substantive, relational, and functional. I will briefly discuss each view, offer…
Back on January 6th I let everyone know that I had been invited to participate in the second phase of…
Conclusion There is certainly more than one approach to teaching in general and teaching Scripture in particular. It is…
Three Possibilities In their discussion of communicators determining their goal, Andy Stanley and Lane Jones state there are three…
INTRODUCTION For a teacher, understanding how those whom they teach learn is probably second only to understanding the material…
So I was having a conversation recently with someone about the character of God (big surprise right! His reason for…
Biblical criticism does not mean that people are criticizing the Bible though in our day and age there is certainly…
Have you ever been involved in a discussion with another believer that turned towards what one of you assumed was…
Happy New Year everyone! I trust all of my regular readers enjoyed the holiday season that just concluded and is…
The approach to discipleship ministries is as diverse as the churches that seek to obey…
As overwhelming as the points covered in my last few posts might seem, there is…
As Christians, we have a strong desire to reach people where they are and share the…
Clearly, culture plans a critical role in communicating the gospel whether that is in different…
“It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God; to obey His will; to be…
Much like the idea of culture itself, the concept of worldview would seem to be rather simple. In passing…
Early missionaries went out into the world with unbridled enthusiasm to reach the world for…
Decades before the call of the Lord to ministry was placed on this seminarian’s life,…
A Journal Review of THE LOCAL CHURCH IN MISSION: BECOMING A MISSIONAL CONGREGATION IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY GLOBAL CONTEXT AND…
Eleven years ago today terrorism on a scale once thought unimaginable visited the shores of the United States. That day…
I love blogging! Most people who know me know this about me and are often very kind and visit my…
My regular readers know I usually attend Johnny Hunt’s conference, most years anyway. I am not a big fan of…
There can be no doubt about the tense political climate in the United States in recent years. This is particularly…
266 days before I was born, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins made history. Armstrong was the first man…
Yesterday afternoon I sat down and took the last final exam in my Master of Religious Education program at Liberty…
Stetzer, Ed. Subversive Kingdom: Living as Agents of Gospel Transformation. Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2012. 236 pp. $14.99. ISBN…
July 26th at Six Flags Over Georgia…
Let me begin with the passage that nearly everyone in will reference when considering world evangelism: Matthew 28:18-20: And…
Conclusion For the missionary, it should be comforting to know that the Bible itself is a…
Mission Theology: Two Key Motifs A motif is a recurring element in a story that has…
Mission Theology and Other Aspects of Theology Through the centuries, Christians have done a good job…
The Nature of God and Mission What has been demonstrated thus far is the fact that…
Scriptures Related to Missions From beginning to end, the Bible is a missionary book telling the story of God reaching…
Happy 4th of July! May this day be a day of family and friends while remembering the reason we celebrate…
I have been toying around with refreshing the blog for quite some time but have been reluctant to do so.…
Please consider supporting MUST Ministries as they serve our neighbors in need in Cherokee County!
**This series began as an assignment for a class at Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary** INTRODUCTION The notion of sending missionaries…
William Carey once said, “Expect great things; attempt great things”.[1] And attempt great things he did! Carey was born August…
Happy Father’s Day everyone! The love of our parents is to be cherished all of our days and we are…
Let’s talk about the Apostle Paul and his missions. As the Apostle to the Gentiles, Paul undertook several lengthy mission…
My regular readers know I am wrapping up my MRE with a couple of classes focused on missions. Well, as…
Life is filled with milestones as the years roll by and recently my family and I celebrated Commencement 2012 at…
The question of the role giving should play in the lives of Christians arises fairly often and in my experience…
Conclusion The matter of whether gambling should be permitted or not has a long history. At present, the perception of…
The Case Against the Permissibility of Gambling A thorough case that supports gambling both in the context of larger society…
The Case for the Permissibility of Gambling There are a number of reasons given for allowing gambling, even among professing…
The Different Forms of Gambling When discussing the topic of gambling, an image of casino-style gambling such as that found…
**This series originated as part of my studies at Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary** INTRODUCTION In Christendom, whenever discussions of so-called…
This past weekend was an amazing experience for me and my family. If you are connected to me via Twitter…
Have a blessed day!
Chapter 4: Sweet Hour of Prayer Arriving at the third of the three classic ethical systems, Reuschling provides the definition…
INTRODUCTION Dr. Wyndy Corbin Reuschling’s book, Reviving Evangelical Ethics: The Promises and Pitfalls of Classic Models of Morality, seeks to…
Strategy: a simple little word that so many in our congregations use daily in their secular employment. Yet when it…
As I stated in a previous post, I have become a fan of social media. I believe that churches should…
We are well into the 21st century and believe it or not there are still churches out there that have…
Interesting that the GOP-controlled House of Representatives declined to protect users of social media. More on this in subsequent posts…
It has been over three years since I first touched on the topic of social networking. Since December 2008, much…
Application The letter to the church at Laodicea is the final letter of seven written to the churches of the…
Literary Analysis Revelation, apocalyptic in its genre, was written to the Roman province of Asia. There were a number of…
Historical Context There are varying opinions as to the authorship and date of writing of Revelation. The author identifies himself…
**This series originated as an assignment for my studies at Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary** INTRODUCTION Perhaps the most complex book…
Michael Fabarez. Preaching that Changes Lives. Grand Rapids: Wipf and Stock Publishers., 2002. 224 Pg. $24.99. ISBN 1-59752-368-2. Reviewed by…
John R.W. Stott. Between Two Worlds: The Art of Preaching in the Twentieth Century. Grand Rapids: W.M. Eerdmans Publishing Co.,…
Southern Baptists are all abuzz over the recent discussions concerning the possibility of changing the name of the Southern Baptist…
Annie Sudduth SALTILLO – Annie Mae Hester Sudduth, 83, died Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2012, at Gilmore Memorial Hospital in Amory.…
The funeral service for pop star Whitney Houston has come and gone and the world gathered to remember her music,…
A small group of men from our church attended the 20th Johnny Hunt Men’s Conference this weekend. I was amazed…
Howard G. Hendricks & William D. Hendricks. Living by the Book: The Art and Science of Reading the Bible. Orlando:…
This is the state of our pizza delivered earlier by Domino’s. Needless to say it was in pretty sad condition…
Conclusion In the nine verses studies in this passage of Scripture, a great deal of theological truth has been unpacked.…
Application for the Modern Christian The Apostle John said a great deal to his readers in this short passage of…
Verses 18 – 21: Faith Provides Understanding “18 We know that everyone who has been born of God does not…
Verses 14 – 17: Faith Enables Prayer “14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if…
**This series originated as an assignment for my studies at Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary** Without actually breaking from the preceding…
Wishing everyone blessings in the New Year!
I am very excited about the upcoming Johnny Hunt Men’s Conference! A small group from Northside Baptist Church will be…
I am completely amazed at just how quickly 2011 has come and gone! I spent a rather significant amount of…
Merry Christmas from our family to yours!
One of the cornerstones of sound hermeneutics is to understand the context of a passage…
My regular readers may have noticed that all but one of my October posts have disappeared. Sadly, a professor from…
So the follow up question in this discussion was whether or not Jesus implies that all Scripture is inerrant. I…
Recently I was involved in an online discussion about the inerrancy of Scripture. An interesting question was posed when I…
The Lord has poured our His many blessings on me and my family this year including the readers of my…
Introduction Originally published in 1981 and now in its third edition, Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart’s How to Read the…
Conclusion There is much that the Anabaptists have contributed to the Free Church movement over the years. As a Southern…
Pacifism Pacifism is a term derived from the Latin word for peacemaking and is defined as the belief that disputes…
Economic Sharing The Anabaptists came to be in the earliest days of the German Reformation. The German Reformation was essentially…
Communion As with baptism, virtually the all Christian churches have some observance of Communion or the Lord’s Supper. The Greek…
Baptism Virtually all Christian churches perform the rite of baptism. As such, baptism is an important part in the life…
**This series originated as an assignment for my studies at Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary** INTRODUCTION Baptist history is far more…
Several days ago Steve Jobs passed away into eternity. The accomplishments he made during his 56 years on Earth will…
Like so many others, ten years ago this morning I watched the second jet liner slam into the second of…
The Plural-Elder-Led Church As with the single-elder-led church, there is ample biblical evidence to support a plurality of elders in…
The Bishop-Led Church The Bishop-led church exhibits a loose hierarchy system where the decisions of the church made by its…
The Congregation-Led Church At the center of congregationalism is the firm belief that Christ is the head of his church…
The Presbytery-Led Church Presbyterianism emphasizes the importance of elders, or presbyters, though adherents do not generally hold this polity is…
The Single-Elder-Led Church Akin spends thirty-eight of his forty-nine pages describing congregationalism before arriving at a place where he begins…
**This series began as an assignment for my studies at Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary** INTRODUCTION Church government should be a…
Bounds, E. M. The Necessity of Prayer. Baker Book House (1976), ISBN 0-8010-0659-7. Digitized by Harry Platinga, 1994. Available: http://www.ccel.org/ccel/bounds/necessity.toc.html.…
It has just occurred to me that I have not been a very good blogger of late! New posts coming…
Remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the cause of American freedom.
I have never done this sort of exercise here at the blog before so this should be interesting. Take a…
We do not need to go far into the OT before finding Scriptural support for small groups. We see that…
It occurs to me that I have been rather inactive here at the blog so I thought I should remedy…
Congratulations to the Class of 2011! You have reached a major milestone in your lives and you have every reason…
Have a great day!
Things have been kind of quiet here at the blog lately! I have been diligently working on the course work…
This is amazing! I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did…
Happy Easter! He is risen!
This single week is probably the greatest week in the history of the world! In this week Satan was defeated…
Now if you don’t believe the United States government has a spending problem, I can’t think of a better illustration.…
Conclusion Where there are two or more people involved, sooner or later there will be conflict. Conflict is not the…
Church Discipline in Conflict Does conflict reach a point where church discipline becomes necessary? Before this question can be answered,…
Resolution in Church World The ways conflict is resolved as discussed in the previous section all involved a third party…
Resolution As stated previously, not all conflict is negative. In fact, some conflict and tension is actually desirable if it…
Different Types of Conflict There is more than one type of conflict. It also bears mentioning…
Conflict Exactly what is conflict? According to Oxford Dictionary, conflict is a serious disagreement or argument, a prolonged armed struggle,…
**This series originated as an assignment for my studies at Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary** INTRODUCTION The topic at hand is…
I have just finished up my most recent class and wanted to let my readers know I am working on…
Paul’s relationship with the church at Philippi was always close and cordial. Paul established the church at Philippi during his…
There were many reasons given for the persecution of the early church which included social, political economic, and religious. There…
So just how do we know about the period between the Old and New Testaments? If you are like me,…
There is a lot of talk in the media these days about the federal budget and the cuts that the…
Calvin and Feral first attempted to reform the church in Geneva in 1536.[1] Not everyone was ready to follow Calvin…
Please be in prayer about the possibility of a trip to India. The details are not yet worked out but…
When answering the question of the authorship the book of Acts, it is important to note that acceptance of Lucan…
Paul on many occasions mentions his Jewish background and upbringing. Until his death, Paul remained proud of the fact that…
Paul’s theology can best be described as being Christocentric[1]. Paul’s view was that salvation was found “in Christ” and the…
It is apparent that Paul realized that he both “received” the Gospel through revelation and through the tradition imparted to…
Paul believed that careful observance of the Law was critically important as a faithful response to God’s love. It is…
Ephesians is among Paul’s letters referred to as the Prison Epistles. It is generally assumed that Paul wrote these epistles…
If you don’t already have tickets, there is still time to get them before the 19th Annual Johnny Hunt Men’s…
Both 1 & 2 Thessalonians were written by Paul and also include Timothy and Silas. Timothy was a young man…
From Acts 13-14 we have learned that Paul and Barnabas evangelized the southern part of Galatia[1] during their first missionary…
According to Acts 18, Paul first preached the Gospel in Corinth during his second missionary journey.[1] Corinth was an ancient…
The New Year is upon us and I am excited about the coming year! 2011 begins much differently than 2010…
Erickson describes two types of evil: natural evil that does not involve human willing or acting and moral evil that…
Is man free or is God sovereign? My answer is yes! For me, this continues to be one of the…
A number of milestones here at the blog. This is my 100th post this year and I wanted to make…
Adams points out students of the Bible should remember that the Bible we read today is not its original form.[1]…
THIS CRITIQUE ORIGINATED AS AN ASSIGNMENT FOR MY STUDIES AT LIBERTY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY Bibliographical Entry Pipes, Jerry F,, and…
The term theology is derived from the Greek words theos (meaning God) and logos (meaning speech or reason). B. B.…
The Pharisees, like all intertestamental Jewish groups, never questioned the sanctity of the written law. The Pharisees did have their…
The advantages and disadvantages of having four Gospels instead of one single Gospel abound. One advantage of having four gospels…
My regular readers know I don’t hit politics very often but I have a brief rant I need to get…
Bibliographical Entry Fay, William and Linda Evans Shepherd. Share Jesus Without Fear. Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 1999. Author Information William…
Application/Conclusion When it comes to placing our trust in men or in wealth, we see in this Old Testament Scripture…
What gets answered in this passage? So now you’re wondering where I am going with this, right. Of course, we…
Scripture Verses Now that we have a little background information, let’s move on to our text. Our study passage is…
**This study originated as one of my school projects** Introduction Before I get into this four part study of Psalm…
In a few more days all of those annoying political commercials will be over! Don’t forget to vote next Tuesday!!!
For my most recent project in school, I had to come up with some graphics. Let’s just say a graphic…
Conclusion The vast majority of modern churches would look far different today if the Biblical model described were adhered to…
Examples for Others to See In the NT we examine four passages of Scripture beginning with Mark 3:14. Here we…
Job Design Honesty must prevail and a hint of excitement confessed when discussing job design. Previous graduate studies that touched…
Here in the county I live in, a recent news article quoted a county official’s belief that voter turnout would…
**This series began as an assignment for Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary** INTRODUCTION Throughout the Scriptures, regardless of the situation being…
It’s hard to believe that fall is upon us and we are preparing for the holiday season once again. Believe…
Connection to Worship If Christian education, discipleship, and spiritual formation are all interrelated and the primary focus of church ministries…
Focus of Ministry If the ultimate goal is the creation of true disciple of Jesus, then this should be the…
Education What is Christian education? Howard Hendricks discusses at length the traits visible in student but fails to offer a…
One of the most important parts of my seminary studies is my Logos Bible Software. Back in January I blogged…
**THIS SERIES ORIGINATED AS AN ASSIGNMENT FOR MY STUDIES AT LIBERTY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY** INTRODUCTION During the preparation for this…
Conclusion Philip Schaff, in his History of the Christian Church, said that revolution is followed by reconstruction and consolidation and…
The Church There can be no doubt about the way Calvin came to view the Roman Catholic Church in general…
Fallen Man For Calvin, human beings are the noblest of all of God’s works as they are created in the…
The Lord Calvin firmly believed that everything we can know about God is strictly limited to what God has revealed…
The Scriptures To understand how John Calvin viewed the Scriptures, one need only arrive at the sixth chapter of his…
**This series was taken from a term paper submission for my studies at Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary** INTRODUCTION The number…
Noll, Mark A. The Rise of Evangelicalism: The Age of Edwards, Whitfield, and the Wesleys. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press,…
Conclusion The progression of the apostolic writings to actual recognition as Scripture is a process that spanned hundreds of…
Fourth Century Eusebius (ca. 265 – ca.339) could be written of in either the third or fourth centuries. A…
Third Century There are over thirty extant treatises by Tertullian (ca.160 – ca. 220). Converted in Rome where he…
Second Century Within thirty to thirty-five years of the apostle John’s death, there is ample evidence that all four…
First Century At the time of Jesus there was no New Testament as we know it today. Simply put,…
**PLEASE NOTE: This series originated as a term paper for a class at Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary** INTRODUCTION …
F. F. Bruce. The Canon of Scripture. Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 1988. 349 Pg. $18.30. ISBN-10 0-8308-1258-X. Reviewed by Christopher…
The sheer volume of scholarship on this topic presents a formidable task for a work…
Paul’s background and God’s choice of a man like Paul to be the apostle to…
Saunders has stated that Paul’s problem with Judaism is that it is not Christianity. This…
In defining what the law is, the purpose of the law is implied. The law…
Martin Luther saw the law as something terrifying and humbling as it revealed sin and…
Before one can come to an understanding of Paul’s view of the law, we must first know what the law…
**This 7 part series originated as a paper for my studies at Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary** Having written over…
Straight from the government…anyone feel like the economy is getting better?
Tears flowed freely earlier today when I learned that the Lord called home one of his saints serving in Afghanistan.…
David C. Deuel. “An Old Testament Pattern For Expository Preaching.” The Master’s Seminary Journal, Fall 1991: 125-140, http://www.tms.edu/tmsj/tmsj2f.pdf (accessed March 28, 2009) Like…
Conclusion While skepticism is necessary I have found most form criticism passes beyond skepticism and borders on a lack of…
Solutions to the Synoptic Problem There are many solutions offered for the Synoptic Problem. As stated previously, the parameters…
Similarities and Differences of the Synoptic Gospels There are a great many similarities to be found in the Synoptic…
Development of the Synoptic Gospels In what has become known as the prologue of Luke’s Gospel, the author describes…
Introduction: So What’s The Problem? In preparation for this project, I have asked a great many people in my…
David C. Deuel. Suggestions for Expositional Preaching of Old Testament Narrative. The Master’s Seminary Journal, Spring 1991: 45-63, http://www.tms.edu/tmsj/tmsj2c.pdf David…
I forget where I found this but thought I would share it.
Conclusion The view one takes concerning the Millennium essentially determines the answer to the question of whether or not one…