Conventional Thinking: 4th telling
On July 4, Americans will observe the 241st Independence Day, where we remember the great sacrifice our founders and others made to give birth and to build this great country, “one nation under God.” But did you know the city of Vicksburg, Miss. did not observe the Fourth of July holiday between the years 1863 to 1945? The reason for this 80-plus-year holdout, in part, is attributed to bitterness felt from the Civil War from perceived...
Conventional Thinking: Diversity & unity
Years ago, as I was about to attend my first Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), I was advised to take notice of the various Southern accents I would hear while at the meeting. It was true. I could clearly notice the distinction between how we speak in Oklahoma, versus people in South Carolina, Kentucky and Arkansas, for example. These years later, as I continue to participate in the SBC meetings, I cannot help but notice diversity of...
Conventional Thinking: Summer reading
It’s summertime, and that means extra daylight hours for fun in the sun. It also means that children and adults alike may have extra leisure time for reading. Here are a few books that have been on my reading list lately. “The Hiding Place” by Corrie Ten Boom This biography tells the amazing story about how one family risked it all by hiding Jews during the Nazi occupation of Holland and how God’s grace shined through even amid...
‘Jesus is enough,’ Hall says in SBC Pastors’ Conference sermon
PHOENIX, Ariz.—Oklahoma pastor Shane Hall, who has been facing a protracted battle with stomach cancer, delivered a sermon on June 12 in front of thousands of Southern Baptists at the 2017 Pastors’ Conference in Phoenix, Arizona. Preaching out of Philippians 4, Hall boldly proclaimed, “Jesus is enough!” Throughout the Pastors’ Conference, which had the theme “Above Every Name,” 12 preachers each took portions of the book of...
Conventional Thinking: Culture wars, continued
Did you know there are organized efforts underway to bring legalized marijuana to Oklahoma? Did you know that one state legislator recently attempted to change the law for doctor-assisted suicide to be legal in Oklahoma? All across America, there are people and groups actively working to push the moral boundaries to legalize what is now illegal and to make acceptable what was once considered by most to be immoral. As these legal...
