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J.D. Greear on the sinner's prayer, praying to receive Christ, and accepting Jesus into your heart by Peter Lumpkins

Recently, David Platt made some controversial statements pertaining to asking Jesus into one's heart. At a talk during Verge 2012, Platt said  >>>

Former Liberty trustee asks, is Liberty University training champions or what? by Peter Lumpkins

Cool, hip extremism is extremism just the same: 'snake handling vs 'seeing things' by Peter Lumpkins

Below are two videos. Both are nutty. Both are extreme. Both miserably represent the Christian faith. Both display Scripture abuse. Both claim biblical authority. Both reveal perversion. Both have representatives in evangelicalism. There is at least one difference. One is rejected as extreme nuttiness by virtually every sector of the Christian church. The other is accepted by a large portion of evangelicalism--including many Southern Baptists--as hip, cool, and doing a great work for God. Guess who is hip and cool and who are considered nuts  >>>

Update on Rick Warren's bridge to Mecca by Peter Lumpkins

On March 1st, I posted a piece entitled "Rick Warren's bridge to Mecca" tenatively concluding that if  Jim Hinch, journalist with the Orange County Register,  characterized Warren correctly, "perhaps it's time to officially end any left-over love affairs with Saddleback"¹  >>>

Ed Stetzer, watchblogging, and Rick Warren's relationship with Muslims by Peter Lumpkins

Yesterday, I posted a short piece entitled "Rick Warren's bridge to Mecca" wherein I quoted a reputable news outlet in Orange County, California. A piece written by journalist, Jim Hinch, entitled "Rick Warren builds a bridge to Muslims" concluded Rick Warren and Saddleback church were apparently building a bridge far too close to Mecca's theological borders "acknowledging that Christians and Muslims worship the same God"   >>>

Jerry Falwell, Jr assures Massachusetts residents Liberty University students won't bother the locals by Peter Lumpkins

A story in the Boston Globe reports that Liberty University is among the top candidates in purchasing the old Northfield Mount Hermon School campus, Northfield, MA, a campus purchased in 2009 by Oklahoma tycoons, The David Green Family (think Hobby Lobby)  >>>

The Calvinists are here: a guest editorial by Gerald Harris

UPDATE: the word is LifeWay is preparing a detailed response to Gerald Harris' essay and is scheduled to post this evening on Baptist Press. I'm anticipating precisely what facts in the essay LifeWay intends to dispute.

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Below is the current editorial in The Christian Index, the Georiga Baptist Convention's state paper. Dr. Gerald Harris has served as editor of The Christian Index since May 2003. We happily publish by permission Dr. Harris' latest editoral, "The Calvinists are here"  >>>

SBC Tomorrow welcomes Gerald Harris as guest contributor*

Roy Hargrave: not all Calvinists are cut from the same young, restless, and reformed pattern by Peter Lumpkins

Dr. Roy Hargrave is the Senior Pastor of the Riverbend Community Church in Ormond Beach, Florida. I profiled him and the Riverbend church last summer. Below is proof positive that not all strong, convinced Calvinists are cut from the same mold. Listen to the excerpt as Dr. Hargrave preaches on "Serious Business"  >>>

Mark A. Rathel on the Calvinist-Arminian divide in the Southern Baptist Convention by Peter Lumpkins

Dr. Mark Rathel is Associate Professor of Theology and Philosophy at The Baptist College of Florida. Rathel is a graduate of William Carey (B.A.), New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (M.Div, Ph.D), and Biola University (M.A.)  >>>

On sincerity in offering the gospel: is there a difference between Calvinists and non-Calvinists? by Peter Lumpkins

Below is a little parable I created about two men--Sam and Jack. Perhaps the parable may offer some insight into why many non-Calvinists frequently express that, in their view, strict Calvinism insincerely offers the gospel    >>>

Calvinism's "deep, dark, dirty little secret" by Peter Lumpkins

Below is a quote from a paper entitled "Salvation and the Sovereignty of God: The Great Commission as the Expression of the Divine Will"¹ by Dr. Kenneth Keathley, Professor of Theology, Dean of the Faculty, and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (Keathley's blog is here)  >>>

The International Mission Board and Uninspired Missions Giving by Peter Lumpkins

UPDATE: Kentucky pastor, Jared Moore, has put up a piece responding to this post; or, in his words, a "calling out." I do not mind sincere critics. Critics assist us to be better authors and better researchers, and even hone our own critical skills. I try to be accurate and careful in my assertions and/or inferences I make from the data at my disposal. I also make links available or offer proper citations for the data from which I draw my conclusions. Hence, if I overreach in my conclusions, the public has the sources I cite to evaluate for themselves. I can and have made wrong inferences from the data available, and when it is shown I have, the only thing to do is admit it and learn from it and move on  >>>

Evangelism or Discipleship: a false dichotomy? by Peter Lumpkins

Frequently, one hears a critique of Southern Baptists which goes something like this:Southern Baptists have been excellent at getting disciples but lousy at making disciples. We have been good at baptisms but bad at developing those baptized. We have done well in evangelism but poor in discipleship.

Perhaps if I think hard enough, I will recall echoes of my own voice in those criticisms  >>>

Are Judgement House Ministries a Viable Means of Evangelism? A Response to Russell Moore by Norman Miller

An official at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Russ Moore reprised on Oct. 28, 2011 a 2008 Baptist Press editorial wherein he decries his perceived deficiencies of Judgement House ministries. Below is his editorial, and then my response to it.

Norm Miller

Evangelism: A Biblical Response to Today’s Questions: A Brief Review by Peter Lumpkins

J. D. Payne serves as a National Missionary with the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention and an Associate Professor of Church Planting and Evangelism in the Billy Graham School of Missions and Evangelism at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Evangelism: A Biblical Response to Today's Questions ($17.99 Biblica Publishing, 2011) answers questions about evangelism from an admittedly Calvinistic perspective (47) >>>