Your Voice

Peace I leave with you. … Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. John 14:27

I came to faith in Christ in a Southern Baptist church, experienced my call to ministry in a SBC church and have served SBC churches for 30 years. … Much work remains to be done in our convention, but I will not be one of those that abandons my denomination. I will remain a committed Southern Baptist because:

1. The Baptist Faith and Message is my confessional statement and represents an unwavering fidelity to the doctrines revealed in Scripture.
2. Southern Baptists are caring and compassionate people who respond to disasters like few others. …
3. Southern Baptists are on the front lines in offering the highest quality theological training in the world.
4. Southern Baptists are missionary people. Through the gifts of the Cooperative Program, 3,597 international missionaries and 2,218 domestic missionaries are offering the hope of Christ to unreached people.
5. While the Guidepost Solutions report is sobering and heartbreaking, 99.9% of the SBC pastors I know are faithful, committed and gospel-centered people who love Jesus, love people and live with integrity.

Kevin Blackwell via Facebook

Jesus recounted a story about a woman denied justice by a judge (Luke 18:1–8). She persisted in filing appeals until the perturbed judge finally answered her request. She pounded. He opened.

Headlines about my church denomination rocked foundations this week. For many years victims of sexual abuse at the hands of church leaders were denied justice. The wounded persisted — phone calls, letters, emails, face to face. They were ignored, vilified, given excuses, laughed at, or told to keep quiet. Sometimes [they were] patted on the head and told to get lost.

Finally, folks paid attention to the door pounding. Prime opportunities to acknowledge the hurt, institute safeguards and enact justice are on the horizon. No one can undo the pain caused. But we’ve got to do better. All of us. For the victims. For the church. For the Lord.

Darryl Wood via Facebook

From the Twitterverse

@SamAllberry
Always remember:

1. Your identity is in Christ
2. Discipleship is hard
3. God’s word is good
4. The Church is vital
5. Your future is glorious

@shane_pruitt78
We complain about prayer being removed from schools, but we’re not even praying in our own homes.

Prepare your kids at home to be missionaries at school.

@philipnation
Disunity in church and distraction from God’s mission often starts with a “me-first Churchianity” instead of a Jesus-first Christianity.

@TGC
J.I. Packer says Christians should repeat these six truths to themselves daily:

1. I am a child of God.
2. God is my Father.
3. Heaven is my home.
4. Every day is one day nearer.
5. My Savior is my Brother.
6. Every Christian is my brother, too.

@DustyMcLemore
“Faith is belief with legs on it. Everything we truly believe, we obey. Everything else is just religious talk.” —@_cdixon

@trey_brunson
Lamenting — It shouldn’t be this way in your world, God.

Repenting — It shouldn’t be this way in my heart, God.

Both are necessary rhythms for living in a fallen world.

@mhenslee
… I have grieved and lamented over the SATF report. However, the pain in reading it does not remotely compare to the pain leading to it — and for that, I mourn.

We have much work to do.

We must listen.

We must respond.

Survivors, I’m sorry.

#sbc22 #sbcpc22

@BekahStoneking
One thing (and really, the only thing) giving me any sense of hope, any anchoring, any security is the unchanging, only-good, ever-good character of God. In a week where I’m certain about nothing, including my own life, I am certain about Jesus. And I’m so thankful for that.

@claysmith79
There are many issues facing the SBC. Always have been. But in this hour, there is no more pressing issue than working through the SATF report released last week. So many victims. So much shame. It is THE singular issue that needs to capture our attention. We must get this right.