Revving Up a Rundown Romance
Drawing from the example of Samson's loss of strength in Judges 16, Southern Baptist Convention President Bobby Welch warned against squandering the opportunities God has given the Convention. "There is great consequence in the traumatic tragedy of unfulfilled potential," Welch told Executive Committee members in Nashville, Tennessee, February 20. He pointed to verse 20, which […]
CULTURE DIGEST: Government stops funding ‘Silver Ring Thing’; covenant marriages on the rise in Arkansas
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--The government funding for a faith-based abstinence program called Silver Ring Thing was suspended last August but now it will be ended altogether, due to a persistent attack by the American Civil Liberties Union. The program can be eligible to compete for federal grants in the future only if it ensures that the money will not be used for religious purposes.
Church’s 125 baptisms in one day reflect focus on evangelism
“Here in Bakersfield, [Calif.,] our goal is to tell everybody who lives here that Jesus Christ died on the cross for their sins and He rose again and that they can have a relationship with God through Christ.
“As churches, we need to make sure that we are doing everything we can to reach the people who live across the street and the people who live in our communities and neighborhoods,” Spradlin said, voicing appreciation that the Southern Baptist Convention has given focus to “the importance of the Gospel and its ability to change people’s lives.”
Marketplace is fertile ground for sharing faith, NBA exec says
LEXINGTON, Ky. (BP)--Those who work in the business community have opportunities to spread the Gospel that pastors and fulltime Christian workers just don’t encounter on a daily basis, said Pat Williams, senior vice president of the Orlando Magic.
CULTURE DIGEST: Parents wary of teens’ involvement in social websites; homosexual bishop treated for alcoholism
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--MySpace.com and other social websites that allow anyone to post photos and personal information about themselves for all the world to see are increasingly becoming the focus of investigations related to the molestation, rape and murder of teenagers, and parents may be starting to catch on to the potential hazards of such sites.
New book promotes CP by focusing on money management
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--In an effort to maximize the work of the Southern Baptist Convention’s mission boards and other ministry groups by boosting giving through the Cooperative Program, Ken Hemphill has developed a new resource called “Making Change: A Transformational Guide to Christian Money Management.”
SBC’s Welch concerned with ‘revving up rundown romance’ among Baptists
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Drawing from the example of Samson’s loss of strength in Judges 16, Southern Baptist Convention President Bobby Welch warned against squandering the opportunities God has given the convention.
“There is great consequence in the traumatic tragedy of unfulfilled potential,” Welch told Executive Committee members in Nashville, Tenn., Feb. 20.
He pointed to verse 20, which says Samson “awoke from his sleep and thought, ‘I'll go out as before and shake myself free.’ But he did not know that the Lord had left him.” Samson had lost his hair and his strength, and the Philistines were upon him.
American Idol’s Mandisa, now in contest’s final 24, makes her faith in Christ known
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (BP)--Mandisa Hundley, one of 24 to make the latest cut on television’s No. 1 show “American Idol,” is not ashamed of her faith in Christ and even publicly expressed forgiveness for one of the show’s judges after he sent a biting insult her way.
Mandisa -- who prefers to be known by her first name -- is a regular worship leader at Beth Moore’s Living Proof Live conferences throughout the country and one of 12 women and 12 men still competing for a chance to win the contest. She has made it known that a brief bout with fame is nothing compared to her relationship with Jesus Christ.
In fact, she put her faith into action recently when Simon Cowell, one of the show’s infamously cruel judges, flippantly remarked about her weight.
CULTURE DIGEST: Darwin draws celebration on ‘Evolution Sunday’; Black literature increasingly immoral, author says
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Under the banner of “Evolution Sunday,” several hundred churches nationwide marked the 197th birthday of Charles Darwin Feb. 12 by expressing their support for the theory that made him famous. Pastors, largely from mainline Protestant denominations, preached sermons on the importance of strictly teaching evolution without mention of Intelligent Design.
Ohio board of education votes 11-4
against language questioning evolution
Casey Luskin, Discovery Institute |
The model lesson plan, called “Critical Analysis of Evolution,” requires that students learn “how scientists continue to investigate and critically analyze aspects of evolutionary theory.” The guidelines did not mention Intelligent Design apart from a disclaimer, but critics said information for the lesson was derived from Intelligent Design and creationist literature, The Columbus Dispatch reported Feb. 15.