Listen using the player below, or subscribe in iTunes by clicking the logo in this post or the iTunes link in the sidebar. Feel free to comment here with suggestions for how we can improve the podcast, and if you have a moment, leave us a comment or give us a rating in iTunes. And as always, thanks for listening.

Links to some of the items discussed in episode 13:

• Missouri Baptist Convention meeting
• FBC Dallas building plans
• NAMB’s Evangelism Response Center

I recently received in an email a link to this video about the work of NAMB Chaplain Robert Toney. To access the article click here. There has been a lot of discussion and buzz as of late concerning NAMB. Being a former missionary/church planter with NAMB, I continue to see the vital role this agency plays in Southern Baptist Life. While I do agree that a refocus of purpose and strategy is needed, I can look to the work of people like Bro. Toney and see that our cooperative program dollars are going to great causes where God is doing a tremendous work. Let us all take a minute and thank God for His grace and mercy that He provides through missionaries we support like Chaplain Toney. Let us also remember those Chaplains like Bro. Toney who are going into the darkness of our society and giving these inmates another chance to turn to Christ.

We began with a discussion prompted by a recent article in USA Today by two scientists who argue for a harmonization of Christian conviction and the theory of evolution. We then moved on to talk about musical styles and what they reveal about a church’s theology before discussing the dissolution of NAMB’s North American Missional Task Force. We finished up by taking a look at an article by J.D. Greear on the Great Commission Task Force’s prayer website.

Thanks, as always, for listening to the podcast. You can do that here using the built-in player, or you can subscribe in iTunes by clicking the logo. Feel free to comment here with suggestions for how we can improve, and help us out by rating us and/or leaving a review on our iTunes page.

Here are some links to the things we discussed during the podcast:

• USA Today Article on Evolution & God and Answers in Genesis response
• ABP Article on Church’s Musical preference
• BP Article on NAMB dissolution of GC Task Force
• GCR Blog post by J.D. Greear

First, the Supper is an ordinance that is to be practiced by believers. As a pastor, when I administer the Supper to my congregation, I emphasize this. As my students participated in the Tuesday evening service, the Supper was served to 3 of my students who had not accepted Christ. Therefore, they participated in an ordinance that was not intended for them and that, in contradiction to what their pastor has taught.

Second, the Supper is an ordinance which is restricted from those who are under church discipline. The church at Corinth had been infiltrated by pagan practices and immoral lifestyles. The Supper plays a prominent role in the book of 1 Corinthians, especially for the practice of church discipline. By administering the Lord’s Supper, Worldchangers runs the risk of serving the Supper to someone who may be under church discipline. If the first danger undermines the authority of the pastor of the local church, this one undermines the authority of the local church itself.

Third, it is a direct disregard for the Baptist Faith and Message. The primary definition of the church in Article VI says in part “A New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the two ordinances of Christ.” The students that gather at youth camps or missions endeavors are not covenanted together. The practice of covenant belongs to the local church, and not to a mission board, youth camp, or any other organization outside of the church.

I am pleased that NAMB has suspended this practice and believe that they have made a decision to honor the local congregation, respect the leadership of the pastor, and show agreement with the Baptist Faith and Message. I see far too many detriments to the practice of the Supper outside of the local congregation, and no benefit.

In this episode, we begin with a bit of talk about the GCR Taskforce and the NAMB trustee meeting. At the time of recording the GCR Taskforce had not yet begun their meeting, and the NAMB trustees were in executive session, so there really wasn’t much to discuss. We ended the program with prayer for both groups.

We also talked about polyamory, which is every bit as strange as it sounds. And in the middle, taking up the bulk of the time, is a discussion about the local church, the Great Commission, and baptism.

We hope you enjoy these podcasts. You can listen using the player below, or subscribe in iTunes and have them automatically downloaded each week when they’re ready. And while you’re at our iTunes page, give us a rating and/or a review. We welcome your feedback and suggestions, which you can leave in a comment on this post or by email. Just click on “About” at the top of the page, and you’ll find email links for each member of the team.

As always, here are links to some of the things we discussed.

• NAMB Trustee meeting
• GCR Task Force prayer page
• Dave Miller’s original sbcIMPACT post
• Wes Kenney’s response post
• Dave Miller’s second sbcIMPACT post
• Albert Mohler on “polyamory”

We welcome your suggestions for ways we can improve the podcast. Feel free to comment here, and also to leave a review for us on iTunes. Thanks for listening, and we’ll see you back here next week.

Here are links to some of the items we talked about during the episode:

• GCR Task Force prayer website
• WSJ article on the closing of Sunday schools
• De-baptisms
• Atheist camps
• Chaos at NAMB