By Ed Stetzer and Philip Nation
Part 3-What Values Will Drive Our Relationships With Young Leaders? (Part B)
In the previous post we considered how established leaders could lean into younger leaders to prepare them for the inevitable positions they, as our denominational sons and daughters, would eventually fill. It is important that relationships be preserved, that the hearts of the younger leaders be heard and understood, and that lines of communication remain open.
In this post, we … [Read More]
Ready or Not: Here They Come! A 5-part Series on Partnering with Our Sons and Daughters for a Great Commission Future
Mark Rooker on Ezekiel
I will have to work hard to avoid writing a book notice that is not an extended piece of unctuous flattery, in light of the fact that Mark Rooker was one of my favorite professors at Southeastern back in the mid-90s. He managed to be both an engaging classroom instructor, known for his (desperately) dry wit, and a serious research scholar at the same time. The 2010 Korean translation of Mark Rooker’s Ezekiel provides fresh … [Read More]
Ready or Not, Here They Come! A 5-part Series on Partnering with Our Sons and Daughters for a Great Commission Resurgence, Part Two
By Ed Stetzer and Philip Nation
Part 2: What Values Will Drive Our Relationships with Young Leaders?
In his book, The Present Future, Reggie McNeal proposed six mindset shifts critical to the future of the local church. One proposed shift is from planning for the future to preparing others for the future. Planning involves prediction and assumes control. Preparing involves prayerful strategy and succession plans. In McNeal’s language matrix the difference between planning and preparing is simple: … [Read More]
Is Baptism a Secondary Doctrine?
Several years ago, Southern Seminary president Albert Mohler wrote an influential essay titled “A Call for Theological Triage and Christian Maturity.” In that essay, Mohler argues that a key to spiritual maturity is being able to distinguish between primary, secondary, and tertiary doctrines. According to Mohler, primary or first-order doctrines are those that are essential to the faith—you cannot reject these beliefs and still be Christian in the biblical sense of the term. Mohler’s examples … [Read More]
Ready or Not, Here They Come! A 5-part Series on Partnering with Our Sons and Daughters for a Great Commission Resurgence
By Ed Stetzer and Philip Nation
Part 1: How Will We Treat Young Leaders?
It really comes as no surprise that the SBC is struggling with generational transition. Generational change is always filled with challenges whether in families, homes or churches, and these challenges should be seen as normal. The passing of the torch rarely occurs without someone bobbling it, running into the grass, or getting burned.
When our kids started school we experienced the same first-day-of school … [Read More]
The Jesus Paradigm
David Alan Black holds a D. Theol. from the University of Basel, is the author of more than a dozen books, and is a professor of New Testament and Greek at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Although he cut his authorial teeth publishing books on Greek and linguistics, he recently has published a book applying Jesus’ life and ministry to discipleship in the United States. In The Jesus Paradigm, he urges the American church to return … [Read More]
Guest Blog (Bruce Little): An Encounter with Francis Schaeffer
A Personal Encounter with Francis Schaeffer
I remember hearing Francis A. Schaeffer (1912-1984) in person, several weeks before his death, at a large gathering on the campus of a Christian University. Schaeffer was of particular importance to me. At the time, in April 1984, I was attending a graduate seminar on Schaeffer so it was perfect timing. Just a few years before, I had first felt the force of Schaeffer’s thought through reading his books, and … [Read More]
Briefly Noted: Justin Taylor, Tim Brister, and Trevin Wax
Today was a particularly fruitful day for the blogosphere, in my opinion. Of the several blogs I peruse regularly, three had posts I would like to note briefly.
First, over at Between Two Worlds, Justin Taylor linked to Andy Naselli’s post at Reformation 21, entitled, “Why You Should Organize Your Personal Theological Library and a Way How,” which is worth a look. For those of you who haven’t discovered Justin Taylor’s blog yet, shame on you … [Read More]
A Shocking Question
Since July I have had the privilege of serving as interim pastor of Olive Chapel Baptist Church, in Apex, NC. We received the following email last week inquiring about OCBC:
“Hello,
Our family has just moved to your area from Raleigh.
We are seeking a church home and have a few questions please:
*We know the Lord loves all of us, but we believe in honoring the Culture the Lord gave us, so we are seeking a traditionally ‘White’ church … [Read More]
Guest Blog (Katherine Carter): “Dealing with Criticism: Notes from the Field”
[Editor’s Note: This blogpost was written by one of our alumni who is an IMB worker in Central Asia. Although this essay was written for those who live and work in a Central Asian context, its wisdom and wit are applicable across the board.]
___________________________________________________________________________
“You know why your kids are sick all the time, don’t you? It’s because you don’t make them wear slippers or undershirts. You should take better care of your kids.”(From my closest … [Read More]
