by the Contributing Editors of SBC Today
This is a list of recent blog posts which we found interesting. That we found them interesting doesn’t mean we necessarily agree with or endorse the ideas presented in the posts, but that we found them to be intriguing and thought-provoking. (They are listed in no particular order of interest). Please post your comments to discuss any article that strikes your interest. If you have recent blog posts to nominate, please send the link to sbctoday@gmail.com.
About Theology
- “John More (d. 1592) on Christ’s Sufficient Death for the World,” by Tony Byrne in the Theological Meditations blog, with a citation from this Calvinist Puritan thinker about the extent of the atonement.
- “God, Free Will, and 1 Timothy 2:3-4,” by “the Seeking Disciple” (Roy Engle) in the Armininan Today blog, arguing that the most straightforward reading of this Scripture affirms the unlimited atonement perspective.
- “Where Calvinism Gets Romans 9 Wrong: ‘Not of Works’ Means ‘No Conditions,’” by J. C. Thibodaux in the SEA blog, arguing that the fact that salvation is not of works does not necessitate that no conditions are involved.
- “Grace Is Not a Substance,” by Matt O’Reilly in the Incarnatio blog, pointing out a flaw in Craig Bloberg’s critique of prevenient grace – that grace is not a thing or substance, but God offering some of Himself.
- “Professor Anthony Flew Reviews The God Delusion,” with citations at bethinking.org from former atheist Anthony Flew in his affirmation of Christianity and his evaluation of atheist Richard Dawkins’ book The God Delusion.
About the SBC Name Change
- “Anatomy of a Name Change,” by Micah Fries on his blog, who speaks as a member of the SBC Name Change task force why the proposal was made for Great Commission Baptists name.
- “Did the Task Force Violate SBC Bylaws,” by Dave Miller in SBC Voices, arguing that the task force did not violate SBC bylaws in making its recommendations.
- “Twenty Polite Reasons to Oppose GCB, Part 1,” by Rick Patrick in the SBC Voices blog, with the first five “polite” reasons why Patrick finds the “Great Commission Baptists” tagline to be inadequate.
- “SBC Nickname: Confusion, Clarity, and More Questions,” by Howell Scott in the From Law and Grace blog, with more questions about the Great Commission Baptists tagline.
- “SBC Name Change: It’s Good, It’s Bad, It’s Ugly, Part 1,” “Part 2,” and “Part 3,” by Peter Lumpkins in SBC Tomorrow, with an extended discussion of the positive and negative aspects of the proposed Great Commission Baptists tagline.
- “Where Everyone Knows Your Name,” by Hariette Petersen in the Selah V Today blog, with thoughts on the importance of being proud of your name in reference to the SBC name change proposal.
Other Issues in the SBC
- “What Ever Happened to the GCR? And How We Can Still Have One,” by Alan Cross in the Downshore Drift blog, with what it would be like for Southern Baptists to get back to doing the Great Commission with excellence.
- “New Orleans Pastor Poised to Lead the Southern Baptist Convention,” by Bob Smietgana in The Tennessean, with a profile of Fred Luter, the likely person to be elected President of the SBC in the convention in New Orleans.
- “Not Your Grandfather’s Southern Baptist,” by Naomi Schaefer Riley in the online version of the Wall Street Journal, about how Southern Baptists are changing their reputation by the election of Fred Luter as SBC President, if not their name.
About Ministry and Worship
- “The Spirit-Led Church Is the Only Real Church,” by Dan Edelen in the Cerulean Sanctum blog, with a reminder of the crucial role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the church.
- “Doing the Work of Ministry,” by Waylon Bailey in his blog, telling how he led his church to double their gifts to missions through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for Foreign Missions.
- “Stealing Someone’s Thunder,” by Lynn Jones in the FBC Booneville blog, about the integrity issue involved in stealing other people’s material and presenting it as your own.
- “Perils of an Unbalanced Ministry,” by Ed Steele in the Worship HeartCries blog, reminding us of the need for balance in our ministries in at least three specific areas.
- “The Personality Traits of Effective Leaders,” by Thom Rainer on his blog, with a list as promised in the title.
- “Want to Understand Millennials? Become a ‘Trader’,” by Alvin Reed in his blog, with a suggestion about how to reach millennials.
About the Personal Devotional Life
- “This Is NOT What I Signed Up For,” by Alan Knox in the Assembling of the Church blog, making a strong appeal for selfless Kingdom service.
- “Out of the Kettle and into the Fire,” by Tobey Pitman in the Church Breaking Out blog, telling the sad story of one man’s struggle with alcohol addiction.
- “When Men Disappoint You,” by Hariette Petersen in the Selah V blog, about how to deal with a person whom you admire who disappoints you.
- “’O That Christ May Be . . .’: A Prayer of John Wesley,” by Trevin Wax in the Kingdom People blog, with a prayer worth reading by John Wesley.
About Christians and Society
- “Rick Santorum and Secular Natural Law,” by Peter Leithart in the Public Square blog of First Things, on whether Christian moral claims should be based in Scripture or in natural law.
- “Statement of Faith,” by Ron Paul on his presidential campaign website, with a testimony of his personal faith.
- “God Is Red,” by Ken Keathley in the Theology for the Church blog, with a strong affirmation of Liao Yiwu’s new book God Is Red: The Secret Story of How Christianity Thrived and Flourished in Communist China.
- “Divorce, Remarriage, and Ministry: Were Paul’s Views Scripture or Opinion?” by Dave Miller in the SBC Voices blog, with more on his series on divorce and remarriage.
- “Santorum, Stats, and Dropout Rates of Religious College Students,” by Ed Stetzer on his blog, with data to address the question raised by presidential candidate Rick Santorum about religious students having their faith challenged at college.
- “The Santorum Predicament: A Sign of the Times,” by Albert Mohler in his blog, describing the dilemma that presidential candidate Rick Santorum and other conservative candidates face when they face a landslide of liberal media who react with hostility to conservatives.