There are three types of people in our country. There are, first of all, those who are able to read but do not read books. An AP-Ipsos poll recently revealed that 25% of Americans do not read books, while other polls have put the number higher, at around 50%. It is not that these Americans cannot read or that they do not accumulate knowledge. (No country’s citizens—and I mean none—bring more gravitas and enthusiasm to … [Read More]
The Sword of the Lord…and of John R Rice
John R. Rice was, arguably, the leading voice of Fundamentalism in the 20th century. At its peak in the early 1970’s, his weekly paper, The Sword of the Lord, boasted a circulation of over 130,000. Back in those days, as a young Southern Baptist disturbed by the direction of the Convention, I read the Sword faithfully. Articles such as “Southern Baptists–Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing,” “Death in the Pot at Furman University,” and “Liberalism at Southern Seminary … [Read More]
An Invitation to Study Evangelism and Missions at Southeastern
The Christian Scriptures make clear that God is a missionary God. In the immediate aftermath of Adam and Eve’s rebellion, God responded by promising a Seed who would defeat sin and Satan and death. Throughout the pages of the Scriptures, we see the triumphant march of God to bring forth the Messiah who would redeem God’s image-bearers and restore God’s good creation. In the New Testament, we learn that the Messiah is Jesus of Nazareth, … [Read More]
On the Dangers of Seminary (Pt. 2): The Danger of Losing Your First Love for God and Your Love for the Lost
Revelation 2:4: “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen.”
Romans 10:15: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!”
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In the summer of 2000, I returned home from having spent two years in a predominantly Muslim context in Central Asia, where I found opportunities to share the gospel nearly every day. It … [Read More]
Making Friends for Christ: A Practical Approach to Relational Evangelism
Wayne is best known for being a practitioner, advocate, and teacher of expositional preaching. His most well-known books are probably his two preaching textbooks: The Twelve Essential Skills for Great Preaching, 2d. ed. (B&H Academic, 2006) and The Moment of Truth: A Guide to Effective Sermon Delivery (B&H Academic, 1999). Both of these textbooks are used in numerous seminaries and colleges. Wayne has also mentored dozens of doctoral students over the years, most of whom … [Read More]
What is the Missional Gospel? Part 5: The Evangelical Missional Church
What is the Missional Gospel? Part 5: The Evangelical Missional Church
By Keith Whitfield
At a recent conference, Tim Keller addressed the challenges of evangelism in a post-modern context and gave six principles on how to pursue evangelism in this context. The first principle was “Gospel Theologizing,” and what he meant by this is phrase that all theology should articulate the gospel message. He says our theology should be an exposition of the gospel, and our presentation … [Read More]
A City within a City: Church, Culture, & Counter-Culture
We at BtT invite you to join us for our February conference, “City within a City: Church, Culture, & Counter-Culture (Feb 5-6, 2010). The conference features five plenary sessions (Danny Akin, Matt Chandler, David Platt, JD Greear, and Clayton King) and 30 breakout sessions (Chandler, Platt, McKinion, Reid, Finn, Ashford, King, Greear, etc.).
This is our annual collegiate conference and is focused on college-aged students, but we welcome seminary students, young professionals, and mature high school students. We expect … [Read More]
Messenger Insight Podcast with Alvin Reid
In the most recent Messenger Insight Podcast, Baptist Messenger editor Doug Baker talks with BtT contributor Alvin Reid about his new Evangelism Handbook, what it means to be missional, contextualization, and the future of the SBC’s North American and international mission efforts. They also discuss the recent numerical decline in the SBC, a historical reality that is denied by some observers. You can listen to the podcast at the Messenger Insight website.
Fifteen Factors That Have Changed the SBC since 1979, Part 2
This is the second article in a (now) four-part series on fifteen factors that have changed the SBC since 1979. As I noted in my previous article, this list is not exhaustive, overlap exists between some factors, and I list them in no particular order of importance. You can read the first article in this series here.
6. Changing Paradigms in Education Ministry
Whatever happened to the old-fashioned education minister? There was a time when virtually every … [Read More]
On The GCR Declaration, Part 5
This is the fifth article in a series on the GCR Declaration in anticipation of next week’s SBC Annual Meeting in Louisville, Kentucky. As you read, please remember that while Between the Times is a group blog that includes a number of Southeastern Seminary professors, these articles (and every article I write) represent my own personal opinions. I speak only for myself, so please avoid imputing my views to any of my fellow contributors unless … [Read More]
