Excited to launch a new website, Jesus in Genesis, featuring free resources for understanding Genesis:
▪️ Preaching Outlines
▪️ Christ connections
▪️ Application points
▪️ Sermon videos
If you are studying Genesis or teaching through it, this is for you!
Another big step on confronting sexual abuse, as
#SBC21
overwhelmingly passes a resolution declaring that those who commit sexual abuse is "permanently disqualified from holding the office of pastor"
"My love for my wife, my family, coaching, basketball are wonderful things, but when you line them up in comparison to Christ and a relationship with him, with what he’s done for me and given me, they don’t compare. That’s the greatest truth I know.”
This isn't a crowd of students for yell practice or an
@AggieFootball
game.
This is 8,000 Aggies students gathered for
@breakawaymin
at Kyle Field.
Praise God for what he's doing at
@TAMU
!
What was missing from the Urban Meyer press conference?
They apologized to the team.
They apologized to the school.
They apologized to the fans.
But they never apologized to the victim.
That was a big moment when
@vancepitman
and
@DannyAkin
spoke against the Executive Committee's attempt to expand their power.
#SBC21
nearly unanimously voted against the EC, signaling that the convention doesn't want to give more power to an organization under investigation
Things that shouldn't be partisan issues, but often are:
▪️The human dignity of every person, regardless of race or status
▪️The protection of every person from sexual assault or abuse
▪️The character of every person, regardless of leadership position
Huge breakthrough as
#sbc21
just overwhelmingly approved the
@DGrantGaines
motion to have a task force to supervise the third party investigation of the
@SBCExecComm
.
This is an essential step to ensure transparency as we seek the truth!
"Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards said he will sign the bill, making Louisiana the fourth state to enact laws banning abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, generally considered about six weeks."
You might be on a
@SouthwestAir
flight full of Aggies headed to the
@AggieFootball
game in Denver if the flight attendant leads the passengers in a yell practice!
Would you please take a minute to pray for the SBC?
I rarely put out prayer requests on Twitter, but there are several important things happening in the next 24 hours as we prepare to address the issue of abuse at
#SBC19
and beyond.
4 Reasons to Wear a Mask, Even if You Hate It |
@TGC
1. To Love Your Neighbor
2. To Respect Authorities
3. To Honor the Weak in Our Midst
4. To Use Freedom for the Sake of the Gospel
Another big moment this afternoon at
#sbc21
as messengers insisted on adding a 6th focus to Vision 2025 “to end all sexual abuse and racial discrimination in our churches.”
Big SBC news as the
@SBCExecComm
just voted 44-31 to waive attorney client privilege, allowing for a full third party investigation!
So grateful to see this important first step! As I said earlier, Southern Baptists often do the wrong thing before we finally do the right thing.
What a powerful, timely
#SBC21
presidential address by
@jdgreear
as he calls for unity even in the midst of those who are sowing discord amidst our efforts to confront abuse and pursue racial unity
For the first time,
@drmoore
has publicly shared how we canceled Ravi Zacharias from speaking at MLK50 after
@LoriAnneThomps2
's credible story emerged.
The pressure to reverse our decision from evangelical insiders was immense, but we refused to relent.
Congrats to
@jdgreear
, who was just elected as the new SBC president! Just like the Dallas convention in 1985, this moment solidifies a new chapter for the denomination. I couldn't be more excited for my friend and for our network of churches!
#SBC18
#SBCAM18
#SBC21
just spoke decisively in the passage of resolution 2 on racial unity.
It was a clear rebuke to the small but vocal wing of the SBC who is agitating about CRT.
It is time for Southern Baptists to put their distractions behind us and unite around our gospel mission!
It is the privilege of a lifetime to be called today as the next senior pastor of
@CentralBCS
! Our family is so excited to start this new journey. We can't wait to pour our best years of life and ministry into this amazing church!
When I was a college student wrestling with my faith, I read
@BethMooreLPM
's book Breaking Free, and her message to me through her writing was "keep going!"
When we faced resistance planning the
@ERLC
's MLK50 conference, her message to us behind the scenes was "keep going!"
.
@BethMooreLPM
is a faithful encourager. She sees the best in people and sticks with them. So, when she leaves the SBC because she can no longer say "keep going!" to the denomination that shaped her, that should have our attention. Don't we need to do some soul searching?
Grateful to God that
#SBC21
just finalized a revision to our constitution that specifically addresses sexual abuse. This was one of our key efforts begun at
#sbc19
in Birmingham.
There are thousands of churches serving millions of people every week. Calling churches a "major source" of coronavirus because of 650 cases seems like a major stretch to me.
Churches are working hard to do what they can to be safe to attend.
5 things everyone is looking for when they make a hire:
1. Character - Do you have integrity?
2. Competence - Do you have the skills?
3. Culture - Do you fit with us?
4. Chemistry - Do you make us better?
5. Coachability - Do you desire to grow?
The SBC would do well to heed
@hershaelyork
's words from over a decade ago about anonymous criticism: "Little men with lots of time find it easy to discover faults in great men with little time."
Five years ago today, the
@drmoore
era began at the
@ERLC
. We came in with a vision to transform the direction of the organization to equip the younger generation to navigate the cultural and ethical issues of our day. What a joy it's been to see God at work through our team!
#JuneTeenth2021
is the first time this important day is being recognized as a federal holiday. Here's the historical marker from Galveston explaining its origin.
Let's be honest: turkey is the culinary equivalent of Olympic sports like badminton or curling; we only pretend to like them at a certain time in the year due to patriotic civic duty. If the pilgrims knew about ribeyes or chicken fried steak, they would've had those instead.
One of the most discouraging experiences I've repeatedly had in recent days is opening up books published 5-15 years ago that are endorsed by people who are now no longer in ministry due to moral failure or scandal.
It is a reminder for all of us to take heed lest we fall.
One of the problems with a non-stop news cycle is that the tension created by major developments rarely gets resolved. Instead, it gets replaced by newer drama. As a result, scar tissue forms that deadens our response to the next breaking story.
"No, you may not bring laser tag guns into where we are watching the online church service"
Things I never expected to have to say to the boys on Sunday mornings before the coronavirus shelter in place...
Major news: The SBC Executive Committee unanimously approved the following amended language to be added to Article 3 of the SBC Constitution to specifically address abuse and racism as grounds for disfellowshipping a church from the SBC.
For college students: "Of all the decisions you’ll face this year, the most important one may be whether you get up and go to church on the very first Sunday when no one is there to make sure that you go to church."
There is no one in Southern Baptist life who I would rather have answering media questions regarding our resolutions and our efforts on sexual abuse than
@drmoore
. He serves us so well in this way!
#SBC19
Six years ago today, the
@drmoore
era began at the
@ERLC
. We came in with a vision to transform the direction of the organization to equip the younger generation to navigate the cultural and ethical issues of our day. What a joy it's been to see God at work through our team!
Southern Baptists are not calling for the Michigan Model.
We are calling for the Nashville Model!
"What this motion is simply asking is...for the EC to waive attorney/client privilege, and then it would be expected that the EC would vote to do that."
I just proposed an important motion for the SBC to form a task force to address the important issues of sexual abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence, and related subjects. We must take next steps in this critical moment!
#SBC18
#sbcam18
This will be an important religious liberty case to keep an eye on coming into next year's SCOTUS rulings. Religious freedom inherently entails the ability for faith-based schools to choose to have people who *actually share their convictions* to teach their religion classes.
BREAKING:
#SCOTUS
will hear 2
@BECKETlaw
cases out of
#CA9
. In Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru & St. James Catholic School v. Biel the Court will decide whether govt can control who a church school chooses to teach its religion classes.
Let's not forget this language from the SBC alt-right resolution:
"RESOLVED, That we denounce and repudiate white supremacy and every form of racial and ethnic hatred as a scheme of the devil intended to bring suffering and division to our society."
Thank you for all the encouraging words today!
@camibethancourt
and I are honored that
@CentralBCS
has invited me to preach soon in view of a call.
I'm grateful for the incredible legacy of
@CentralRev
, and I'm excited to see the Lord at work in the church's next chapter.
Here are the 8 next steps on abuse that
@jdgreear
called
#SBC19
to embrace:
1. The right heart
2. The right statements
3. The right partnerships
4. The right training
5. The right resources
6. The right documents
7. The right screening processes
8. The right call to action
Evergreen tweet:
▪️It is never right to sexually assault, harass, or abuse someone.
▪️It is never OK to use your authority for sexual gain.
▪️This is true, regardless of the person or their politics.
▪️The church must stand for a gospel-shaped vision of sexuality.
Encouraging development related to abuse this morning at
#SBC21
:
Messengers just overrode an attempt to refer the motion of
@DGrantGaines
. This motion addressing the independent investigation of the Executive Committee will now be discussed this afternoon
Special moment this morning at the
@Johnhpowell
Memorial Toss as Katherine threw out the first pitch to John's dad, who was using John's glove.
Grateful for so many who came to support his legacy!
#SBC21
Now that Halloween is over, let's have some real talk about Thanksgiving: turkey is the candy corn of holiday meats. It is a subpar option no one prefers throughout the rest of the year, but it is put on a pedastal due to seasonal nostalgia.
A few years ago,
@albertmohler
recalled hearing an
@NPR
segment in which a mall Santa said that "the hardest part of his job is when kids say what they want for Christmas is Mommy & Daddy back together." That's stuck with me ever since.
5 things everyone is looking for when they make a hire:
1. Character - Do you have integrity?
2. Competence - Do you have the skills?
3. Culture - Do you fit with us?
4. Chemistry - Do you make us better?
5. Coachability - Do you desire to grow?
Praise God as
#SBC22
just overwhelmingly passed both sexual abuse reform measures proposed by the task force!
Huge moment for our efforts in this area!
What a powerful and transparent statement from
@albertmohler
. This is a model apology: no deflections, no caveats, no minimization. I pray it fosters healing and restoration.
Great
#SBC18
moment: "I know this is not a question for
@DannyAkin
, but can y'all turn the heat up? It's cold in here!" It received one of the biggest applause lines all week.
#SBCAM18
Historic event at
#SBC19
as messengers overwhelmingly vote to approve constitutional amendments directly addressing abuse and racism. What a special moment!
On that note,
@drjamesmerritt
is a Southern Baptist hero on issues of racial unity.
He spoke from the floor to win the room on the confederate flag resolution a few years ago. Now, he reflected the will of the messengers in shepherding this excellent resolution.
One of the greatest joys of my life and ministry was serving with
@drmoore
for over a decade at
@SBTS
and then the
@ERLC
.
I'm excited for his new
@CTmagazine
role as he shapes the cultural engagement of the broader evangelical movement!
One of the biggest overlooked moments of
#SBC19
was the constitutional amendment opposing racism. A few years ago, the SBC declined to do this exact thing. But this year, we made it explicit that racism will not be tolerated. In prior years, that would've grabbed the headlines.
With
#SBC19
behind us, it is so important to recognize the invaluable contribution of
@ToddUnzicker
. Most people won't see what he does, but they reap the benefits of his selfless service.
I was so excited to announce this morning that our
@CentralBCS
search committee has unanimously invited
@DLPatterson
to come in view of a call as our Executive Pastor!
I can't wait for our church to meet Daniel, Molly, and the whole family this week!
Update on Christchurch mosque attacks:
• 49 dead
• Man in late twenties charged with murder
• Dozens injured
• New Zealand threat level raised from "low" to "high"
5 things everyone is looking for when they make a hire:
1. Character - Do you have integrity?
2. Competence - Do you have the skills?
3. Culture - Do you fit with us?
4. Chemistry - Do you make us better?
5. Coachability - Do you desire to grow?
I love hymns, like many other evangelical millennials. There is a persistent myth that younger generations prefer splash over substance in their singing.
The combination of theological depth and lyrical excellence in hymns is unmatched.
One of the great joys of my time in Nashville was working closely with
@dandarling
. I am so disappointed to see what is happening in his situation!
@NRBassociation
has lost one the most high character leaders I know
I love hymns, like many other evangelical millennials. There is a persistent myth that younger generations prefer splash over substance in their singing.
The combination of theological depth and lyrical excellence in hymns is unmatched.
Big
@CentralBCS
news tonight:
I'm so excited that our church has voted to call
@patrickrmcginty
as our next college minister!
It will be a joy to work with such a close friend as we seek to reach and disciple the 70K students here in Aggieland!
It has been such a special day reflecting with our Lone Star Family Camp crew on the one year mark of
@Johnhpowell
passing away.
The highlight was getting to commemorate the moment by baptizing John's son Gunner, who he led to Christ years before his death!
Love this family!
So glad to gather together again with hundreds of thousands of pro-lifers in DC at this year's
@March_for_Life
. The
@ERLC
is committed to stand for life!
Here's "the room where it happens" this afternoon at
#SBC21
as we prepare for the presidential vote and resolutions.
After a two year wait, we will have a good pulse on where the SBC actually is by the end of the day.
Last year, Southern Baptists planted 624 new churches in North America. An additional 254 began cooperating with the SBC, bringing the total number of new churches to 878. Of those new church plants, 62 percent were either non-Anglo or multi-ethnic.
5 years ago today was the Obergefell SCOTUS ruling that legalized same-sex marriage in the US. It totally transformed the landscape of our country.
But it can never change what God's word teaches about marriage being between one man and one woman.
When we faced denominational stonewalling and skepticism during our Caring Well efforts on addressing sexual abuse, her plea to us was "keep going!"
When we lost
@Johnhpowell
last year and weren't sure how we would make it, her timely encouragement to us was "keep going!"