This installment is the last one in which I deal with the dangers of seminary (although I plan to follow up with a post speaking to the many positive aspects of seminary). I am certainly not saying that there are no more dangers. In fact, more than a few of you have pounded my inbox with suggestions for additional “dangers” that could be mentioned. Some of the suggestions were serious, but most of them were…not … [Read More]
A Dangerous Book
Some books are dangerous, and Russ Moore’s Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families and Churches is a dangerous book. It is dangerous in the way Bonhoeffer’s Cost of Discipleship or Life Together is dangerous, because if you take the book seriously it may alter your life significantly and, to be honest, perhaps in ways not entirely welcome.
Adopted for Life is in many ways exactly what you would expect from Russ Moore, … [Read More]
New Video: Johnny Hunt on the GCR
The front page (and media section) of the Great Commission Resurgence website now includes a short video challenge from Johnny Hunt. Check it out.
For Future Generations
Over the past decade my passion to see people know Christ has pushed me repeatedly to the younger generation. Part of that stems from the simple truth that the overwhelming majority of people who become Christ followers do so under age 20. But it is also because the years I have spent studying, teaching about, and praying for spiritual awakening brings me again and again to the realization that God uses young adults often … [Read More]
On the Dangers of Seminary (Pt. 6): The Danger of Becoming an Arrogant, Narcissistic, Hyper-Critical Jerk
Leviticus 19:15-18: “You shall do no injustice in judgment…You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people; nor shall you take a stand against the life of your neighbor…You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.”
Galatians 6:10: “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.”
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Southern Baptist seminaries … [Read More]
The Future of the Southern Baptist Convention?
Union University knows how to throw a party. In celebration of the 400th anniversary of the Baptist movement they are hosting a conference, “Southern Baptists, Evangelicals, and the Future of Denominationalism.” The conference will be held Oct 6-9 on Union’s campus in Jackson, TN, featuring Timothy George, Danny Akin, Al Mohler, Ed Stetzer, Nathan Finn, and others.
Cost for the conference will be $85, which will include four meals and three continental breakfasts. More details, including a full schedule and … [Read More]
Akin Offers Specifics for GCR
Danny Akin recently gave an interview to editor Norman Jameson of the Biblical Recorder, the state paper of North Carolina Baptists. The topic was (of course) the Great Commission Resurgence. Jameson recounts the substance of that interview in an article titled “Akin Offers Specifics for GCR,” which can be read online.
Memorial Day Thoughts
Like most Americans, I have a number of relatives who have served in our nation’s wars of the last century. By God’s grace, none of my relatives died in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, or the Gulf War (though a great uncle took his life following World War II because of trauma related to his surviving Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor). But millions of Americans have died in wars, from the Revolutionary War to the … [Read More]
On the Dangers of Seminary (Pt. 5): The Danger of Seeking the Acclaim of the Academy
Ps. 111:10: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments.”
Titus 1:7-9: “For a bishop must be blameless…a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught….”
Sometimes seminary people forget that theology is primarily a spiritual task, primarily done for the glory of God and the good of his church. If you are at … [Read More]
On the Dangers of Seminary (Pt. 4): The Danger of Becoming a Dork
Dork: [dor'k] noun. USA pejorative slang for a quirky or socially inept person, or one who is out of touch with contemporary trends. Often confused with “nerd” and “geek,” but does not imply the same intelligence level.
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In this series of posts, I am dealing with the perils of the unique and sometimes bizarre world of seminary education. Most of the dangers of which I speak are dangers to which I have succumbed at one point … [Read More]
