In winter, trees lose their leaves, annuals die off completely, perennials die back and lose their color -- nature takes on an appearance of seeming fruitlessness. But then – spring! Those “dead” seeds are coaxed into life by the warming soil. The seed has enough stored food to live on for a few days until its roots get established, and soon it’s preparing for its annual purpose -- to bear fruit for the good of man and the glory of God. Our spiritual lives go through the winter-spring … [Read more...]
Gender confusion and child abuse
Which of the following options would you define as “child abuse”? A) a parent encourages a child to pursue desires that will cause irreparable physical, psychological and emotional damage. B) a parent protects the child from these desires, despite the child’s insistence on what’s best. The answer seems easy, but when it comes to the debate over treatment for gender-confused children, many medical professionals demonstrate competing worldviews that will prove disastrous for this … [Read more...]
‘Ministry in the New Marriage Culture’
We live in a culture that is increasingly hostile to what the Bible teaches us about sexuality, gender, and marriage. Christians seeking to live out their faith beyond their homes and churches have faced resistance, criticism, accusations of discrimination, and in some cases legal action. Religious liberty bills designed to safeguard the freedom of those who seek to live out a biblical ethic have recently been signed into law in both North Carolina and Mississippi, and they have met with … [Read more...]
What the Bible is and why it matters
I was in front of a group of Christians fielding questions about the nature of Scripture recently – what the Bible is and why it matters. I was struck by how many in the group, though they believed and appreciated the Bible, lacked sufficient grounding in the Holy Scriptures. They did not really grasp what the Bible is and why it matters. Do you? While most Americans grant the Bible unique status, and most churchgoers think of it – to some degree – as a book from God, confessional … [Read more...]
A mess of baby powder, sin
Our son Andrew really likes baby powder, sugar and salt. The only place he doesn’t like them is in the containers they usually come in. He loves for them to cover the floor, bed, toys, clothes, dishes and basically every surface and room in the house. I am still amazed at how quickly the latest supply of baby powder wound up on him, all over our bedroom, one of our cats and parts of the hallway. I had briefly turned away from him to fold some clothes when all of a sudden I smelled a very … [Read more...]
Jason Allen: Following the railway to a deeper prayer life
I had been anticipating a warm throwback to yesteryear when I boarded a train in Kansas City bound for Jefferson City to preach at the legislative prayer service marking the opening of the state’s legislative session. My trip, however, fell short of a Humphrey Bogart movie. At first glance, it was obvious Amtrak is government subsidized. In my car there were only three of us out of about 30 seats. The other cars were even less populated. Given the emptiness of the train, and the lack of … [Read more...]
Jesus Christ better than Old Saint Nick
Christmas – it is one of the most anticipated seasons of the year! It is a time of joy, of endless celebration, and peace. People bustle around in efforts to display kindness and love to one another. It is a season of extravagant lights and décor, of delicious treats and simmering meals. It is a time of familiar music, warm coffee, and corny movies that we watch over and over again. Christmas is one of the truly best times of the year, for a multitude of reasons. Why is that so? What is it … [Read more...]
Are men, women equal?
By complementarianism, I mean the view that men and women are equal as God’s fellow image bearers, but nonetheless have some differences of role in the church and in the home. The way I like to put it is equal, but not interchangeable. In other words, you cannot simply swap male and female in and out of different roles without any consequence; nor are the differences between male and female mere matters of anatomy. There are some fundamental, structural, psychological differences as well … [Read more...]
Mizzou student calls for Christian empathy
Daniel Woodman, a journalism student at the University of Missouri and 2015 Baptist Press intern, shares his perspective on recent student protests at his school. Racism will not end until God returns. I hear it all the time. It is not an incorrect statement, but it is an incomplete one. Racism will not end until God returns, but we have an obligation to fight racism around every corner until the trumpets sound. That is why the protests at my university have been so monumental; they show … [Read more...]
An inside look at Huckabee by former Pathway contributor Scott Lamb
In 2007 Mike Huckabee went from being a relatively unknown governor to a nationally known politician, coming in second for the Republican nomination for President in 2008. Since that time he has hosted a weekly cable news show, written several books, and championed conservative values and causes. In May 2015 he announced that he was running for President again, and he’s currently in the midst of that campaign. While many politicians have similar experiences and accomplishments, what makes … [Read more...]
Robin D. Hadaway: Understanding IMB’s financial crisis
I met David Platt at a meeting in the Dominican Republic 13 months before he was elected as IMB President. During a break, I asked him, “What are you going to do when you become IMB president?” Now I understand and I like what he’s doing. As Southern Baptists seek to discern the magnitude and urgency of the current IMB financial crisis, I would like to share some thoughts. I led one of the IMB field administrative regions for over six years with about 325 missionaries under my charge. … [Read more...]
Jason Allen: Pastor, guard your heart
Discouragement is not an emotion with which I am very familiar, but over the past several weeks I have felt it acutely. My sadness has been induced by the steady drip of ministerial sex scandals and the destruction they have wrought. In fact, I have found myself not wanting to check social media, dreading to learn about the next scandal. Most prominently, the Ashley Madison expose has shaken church after church, ministry after ministry, and family after family. And, as Russell Moore has … [Read more...]
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