• Christianity,  Culture

    Russell Moore Takes on ‘Orphan’ Movie

    Russell Moore guest-hosted “The Albert Mohler Program” (AMP) yesterday and took on the negative stereotyping of the new horror movie “Orphan.” It was a timely show, and you should listen to it. Below is the audio and description of the program from the AMP website. “How to Protect Orphans from Hollywood” [audio:http://www.sbts.edu/media/audio/totl/2009/AMP_07_07_2009.mp3] “Why are people so afraid of orphans? Orphans often find themselves demonized by Hollywood, and it’s happened again with the release of a new horror film about a deranged orphan girl called, Orphan. Why is it that the least of these are so easily preyed upon by those who should protect them? Guest host Dr. Russell Moore discusses…

  • Christianity

    Declaration of Dependence

    My family and I spent the 4th of July holiday on Logan Martin Lake in Pell City, Alabama; and on Sunday we worshiped at the First Baptist Church of Pell City. Dr. John Thweatt breaks the bread of life there every week, and on Sunday he called on the congregation to make a declaration of dependence. It was great message from a faithful servant of the gospel, and I am happy to share it with you. Humble Yourselves[audio:http://www.fbcpellcity.org/components/com_sermonspeaker/media/sermons/sermon07052009.mp3] Dr. Thweatt’s Blog | Twitter | FBC Pell City, AL

  • Christianity,  Music

    Sojourn Music: The Hymns of Isaac Watts

    Mike Cosper and Sojourn Music have just released another CD, and it is a block-buster: “Over The Grave: The Hymns Of Isaac Watts, volume one.” I heard these guys play live last week at the Baptist21 meeting held at Sojourn Community Church, and that is where I first heard the song that is my favorite on the album, “Only Your Blood Is Enough.” You can preview this and other songs from the album on their MySpace or Facebook pages. This is a great album, and I think you should buy it. The music and production value are excellent, and the lyrics are all from Isaac Watts. How can you go…

  • Christianity

    Danny Akin’s Reflections on the SBC

    I just finished reading Danny Akin’s reflections on the recent SBC meeting. Not only does he explain why he is encouraged about what happened in Louisville, he also answers questions about Mark Driscoll and Acts29. He writes: “It is possible years from now that we will look back on the 2009 SBC in Louisville and see it as a historic watershed moment in our history. It is possible that on the 30th anniversary of the beginning of the Conservative Resurgence (CR), we will have witnessed the natural and hoped for outcome of the CR in the genesis of a new movement of God among His people in a Great Commission…

  • Christianity

    Why there’s a buzz about the SBC Annual Meeting

    This year’s meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) in Louisville, Kentucky was nothing short of amazing. For me, the totally unexpected happened. I came away feeling more optimistic about the SBC than I ever have before. Why did I feel this way? 1. The Great Commission Resurgence (GCR). Danny Akin first cast his vision for a “Great Commission Resurgence” at the “Building Bridges” conference back in 2007. If you have not ever listened to this sermon, I encourage you to do so (audio below). It was prophetic, timely, and courageous.

  • Book Reviews,  Christianity,  Theology/Bible

    A Must-Read: Adopted for Life by Russell Moore

    If you haven’t done so already, you need to buy and read Russell Moore’s new book Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families & Churches. Not only is this book is a real page-turner, it also makes a compelling case for the cultivation of an adoption culture within churches for the sake of gospel witness. Moore writes, “The gospel of Jesus Christ means our families and churches ought to be at the forefront of the adoption of orphans close to home and around the world. . . Adoption is about an entire culture within our churches, a culture that sees adoption as part of our Great Commission…

  • Christianity,  Music

    What happened to CCM?

    Were you ever a reader of CCM magazine? I was… sort of. I was more of a casual browser than a reader. For the uninitiated, CCM stands for “Contemporary Christian Music,” and CCM magazine was like the evangelical version of Rolling Stone. In the late 90’s when I was a student at DTS, there was one particular issue on the shelf at the DTS bookstore that caught my attention. The glossy cover featured my favorite group, Caedmon’s Call. Believe it or not, I was such a fan of the band that I actually signed-up for a one-year subscription to CCM. A more thoughtful person might have stopped to ponder that…