I want to address those of you who, like me, have a Baptist past but have often found yourself wondering, regarding the Southern Baptist Convention, “What is the point? Aren’t denominations a thing of the past?” I want to try and persuade you that this movement, the Great Commission Resurgence, is something of God, is valuable for the Kingdom, and worth the investment of your time. I do so simply as a pastor of a young Southern Baptist … [Read More]
J. D. Greear
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| Email: | pastor@summitchurch.cc |
Recent Posts
Why I think Younger Southern Baptists who Care about Reaching the World but are Not so Sure About the Convention should be Very Attentive the Next Two Weeks
May 31st, 2010 by J. D. Greear
Why the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force (GCR) recommendations are good for small churches
May 3rd, 2010 by J. D. Greear
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Is ‘license’ really the opposite of ‘legalism’?
Apr 29th, 2010 by J. D. Greear
I’m working something out theologically… will you help me?
Quite often I will hear legalism and license presented as two ditches on either side of the Gospel that we must avoid. By “legalism” I mean the idea that Christianity is a set of commands which, if you obey them, will improve your standing in the eyes of God and make you a “faithful Christian.” By “license” I mean the idea that because Christ has redeemed us … [Read More]
Deep Church // A Review
Mar 17th, 2010 by J. D. Greear
I wanted to commend to you a new book I just finished reading over the weekend, Jim Belcher’s Deep Church. The book is a good one… somewhere between good and great… on the great side of good though not necessarily on the awesome side of great… (Blogs are great because you can write ‘stream of consciousness…’)
The phrase “Deep Church” comes from an offhand reference by C. S. Lewis to describe the kind of church that … [Read More]
Tullian Tchividjian on Contextualization Without Compromise
Mar 15th, 2010 by J. D. Greear
Thought this was a great paragraph in an article by our friend Tullian Tchividjian on “Contextualization w/o Compromise.” Tullian, who is named for Tertullian, is speaking at our Advance The Church 2010 conference in April. Have you seen the list of speakers for this thing? I can’t think of a better group (present company excluded) to discuss “Contextualizing the Gospel in the New South!” It should be a great mix between the practical and the … [Read More]
Why did Jesus have to die?… and what liberal and some emerging theologians and Muslims have in common
Mar 4th, 2010 by J. D. Greear
There are multiple things that Christ accomplished for us when he died on the cross. He “paid” our sin debt (Romans 3:25-26), “cleansed us” from defilement (1 John 1:9), defeated the powers of darkness (Colossians 2:15), reversed the curse of death (Galatians 3:13), gave us a model for how to love others and overcome injustice (1 Peter 2:21), and demonstrated to us how much God loves us (Romans 5:8), just to name a few. Theologians … [Read More]
What Advice Do You Have for a Newlywed Husband?
Mar 1st, 2010 by J. D. Greear
I do a series on my blog called “Ask Anything Friday.” This is a question that was recently submitted, and my response.
If Veronica sees that I am answering this question, she may burst out laughing or post angry comments below. I didn’t do a good job leading my wife the 1st year of our marriage. As I often say, I’ve been married for 8 wonderful years and 1 other one for a total of 9. … [Read More]
For the 1st time in US history, the church in the South is shrinking
Feb 25th, 2010 by J. D. Greear
Guest Blogger: Mike McDaniel, Director of SendRDU
“Contextualizing the Gospel in the New South.” That’s the title for this year’s Advance Conference, April 26-27 in RDU. Last year we called for a resurgence of the local church. This year we’re focusing on the major issues that are standing in the way of that happening here in the South.
The South is changing. Urbanization and the vibrant growth of our cities have transformed the cultural landscape. Cities like … [Read More]
Will the GCR only include people who fit a certain style?
Jan 29th, 2010 by J. D. Greear
This question was asked to “me” publicly in the Biblical Recorder by Steve Davis, pastor of a really exciting NC church, Spout Springs Church, in Cameron. Here is the original question, and here is an answer (though, I must add, though I am on the task force, I am not an officially recognized spokesperson for the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force, hereafter “GCR.”)
I can certainly understand Steve’s question… and hate that it has to be asked. … [Read More]
What I Hope the SBC Looks Like in 5 Years
Dec 10th, 2009 by J. D. Greear
I serve on the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force for the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). Our responsibility is to offer guidance as to how the cooperative efforts of like-minded churches can thrive in the next generation. People often note (correctly) that “denominations” are not in the Bible. That is true, but cooperation is biblical, and “conventions” are a way like-minded Christians can cooperate together. As Jesus taught, we can do much more when all the … [Read More]
