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Otto von Bismarck called politics “the art of the possible.” There was a time when politics brought people together to discuss their competing ideas, priorities, and agendas and find a middle ground that would serve all of their constituencies. Oh, there was name-calling back then, too. But campaigns were largely confined to election years; with election night Read more . . .

At TBC, we talk a lot about freedom. So much that sometimes the purpose of that freedom gets lost. It is through Christ that we are free. But it is also for Christ that we are free. We are passionate about freedom because we are passionate about Jesus. At least that’s the way it should be. Read more . . .

Two of our great Baptist statesmen shared a conviction that all believers are called to be prophets. In November 1987, Foy Valentine, longtime executive director of the SBC Christian Life Commission, accepted the first T. B. Maston Christian Ethics Award with a ringing address entitled Crying in the Wilderness: Streaking in Jerusalem: The Prophethood of All Believers. In November Read more . . .

NOTE: This article was originally published on June 10, 2011, on the Associated Baptist Press Web site. Written by J. Zachary Bailes, an M.Div. candidate at Wake Forest University Divinity School and editor of the blog Crazy Liberals . . . and Conservatives In his Letter to the Hebrew Congregation at Newport, George Washington wrote in Read more . . .

NOTE: This article was originally published on May 11, 2011, on the Associated Baptist Press Web site. written by Laura Rector, a Ph.D. candidate in Christian Ethics at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California I’m in the bookstore at an egalitarian seminary. Unfortunately, not everyone there is an egalitarian. An older gentleman waylays me, finds out what I Read more . . .

This morning, we observed Pentecost Sunday in our church. The lectionary Scripture passage was from Acts 2. As it was read aloud from the pulpit, I was struck by one verse in particular. After the author (Luke, according to tradition) tells us that the apostles were “filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak Read more . . .

Last week, a prominent Baptist leader called Barack Obama “the worst president of the United States that Israel has ever had.” But that was only one of what I consider to be a series of careless, thoughtless proclamations. Here are a few of them: “The reason I am a social conservative is because I believe the Bible.” “President Obama and Read more . . .

My Father’s Day gift came a couple of weeks early this year – our son, Travis, got married last night, and I got a beautiful, sweet daughter-in-law, Christy. And the gifts just keep on coming, because our daughter, Alison, will be delivering our second grandchild right around Father’s Day. I daresay none of you fathers will Read more . . .

It’s an old refrain, but I seem to be hearing it more these days – from more and different corners of society. From friends, acquaintances, and strangers alike, I hear “I believe in God, and I love Jesus, but I just don’t believe in ‘organized religion.’” Now I realize I’m preaching mostly to the choir Read more . . .

Last week, I attended the annual meeting of the Baptist History & Heritage Society, held on the campus of Dallas Baptist University. This year’s theme was Baptists and Education. Among the many topics addressed by speakers in both general and breakout sessions were the legacy of Baptists in securing religious liberty in the U.S.; a comparison Read more . . .