The distance between science and faith is not as great as some atheists would have people believe, according to mathematician and philosopher John Lennox.
Speaking on the topic of “the new atheism,” Lennox, who is a world-renowned mathematician, scientist and philosopher, delivered an argument for compatibility between the existence of God, faith and science during Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary’s Carver-Barnes Lecture Series, sponsored by the school’s L. Russ Bush Center for Faith and Culture.
His addresses on the topics of science, philosophy and religion were held on March 11 and 12.
The so-called “new atheism,” Lennox said, is virtually the same as the old in content, albeit with a different tone and aggressiveness. The change in tone has come about recently, he said, in response to the events of September 11, 2001. Read the rest of this entry »
Jonathan Merritt, a 25-year-old Southeastern student, captured widespread media attention earlier this week in releasing a statement titled “A Southern Baptist Declaration on the Environment and Climate Change.”
The student’s project was signed by a number of high-profile Southern Baptist leaders including his father, James Merritt, pastor of Cross Pointe, the Church at Gwinnett Center in Duluth, Ga.; a former president of the Southern Baptist Convention, and Southeastern president Daniel Akin. Frank Page, pastor of First Baptist Church in Taylors, S.C., and the current SBC president, and Jack Graham, pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, and a past president of the SBC, also signed the document.
While the statement is supported by many Southern Baptists, the declaration has not been considered as an official position of the Southern Baptist Convention.
In a teleconference with media March 10, Merritt said the idea for the initiative came to him during a theology class.
“In the lecture,” he said, “my professor made the statement that when we destroy creation, which is God’s revelation, it is no different than tearing a page out of the Bible. At that moment, God began to work in my heart and call me to do something. [This document] is the product of that nudge from God that day.” Merritt has been identified as the project director of the Southern Baptist Environment and Climate Initiative, which is behind the document.
The comment came about during a systematic theology class taught by professor John Hammett, professor at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. As he was discussing the topic of universal revelation, that is, God being revealed in all things including nature, Hammett said he made the comparison which sparked Merritt’s declaration. Read the rest of this entry »
by Kayla Oliver; Brewton-Parker College marketing staff writer
MOUNT VERNON— Chapel at Brewton-Parker College is always meant to be a time of inspiration, fellowship, and the journey towards the fulfillment of God’s word. However, on Tuesday, Feb. 26, BPC students were addressed by a speaker who challenged them to take God’s word to those who have never heard it before.
Dr. Daniel Akin, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS), delivered a message primarily focusing on the importance of mission work as followers of Christ. Dr. Akin’s lecture was part of a larger series known as the Horton Lectures, which was offered last week on BPC’s Mount Vernon campus.
Dr. Akin and his wife, Charlotte, have four sons who are all involved in the ministry. Their sons, Nathan, John and Paul, attend seminary and their son, Tim, is involved in missionary work.
Worship through song was provided by BPC faculty and staff, Dr. Don Wallace, professor of communication, and Karl Hay, chief information officer.
Brewton-Parker College is the only four-year accredited Christian college in south Georgia.
Knowing the will of God is not entirely impossible.
There are four principles, all part of God’s will for his people, to be gleaned from the “little jewel” of Philemon, said Thom Rainer. Rainer, who is president of LifeWay Christian Resources, addressed Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary during chapel on March 4, 2008.
Rainer began by challenging students, staff and faculty to think about their lives, and whether or not they are living them well.
Teaching from the text of Philemon, beginning in verse eight, Rainer said, “I don’t want to look at my life and say, ‘Was it lived well, or was it mostly wasted?’
Whether it has been in pastoral ministry or whether it has been in any other position I have held, a common question that comes to me is, ‘I want to live my life well.’ That’s the statement, and the question is, ‘How can I know the will of God for my life?’” Read the rest of this entry »
To have a healthy, God-proclaiming church, Mark Dever said it is important for the leadership to pray for its people as the Apostle Paul did.
Dever, who is the author of Nine Marks of a Healthy Church and the pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., spoke especially to those who currently pastor congregations, no matter the size. His fear, he said, is that 30-40 years from now, the church will see a majority of those who are just entering the ministry no longer active in it.
Speaking from the text of 1 Thessalonians 3:10-13, Dever said it is important to study the words of Paul and see what he desired for the early church in Thessalonica. He outlines three prayers Paul had for the early church and uses them as an example of how modern church leaders ought to encourage and pray for their own congregations. Read the rest of this entry »
Highlights from the 2008 20/20 Collegiate Conference, “Missio Dei.” If you haven’t heard, Mark Driscoll is among those who have committed to be our guests at the 2009 20/20 conference, with the theme “The Gospel Comes to Life.” Click here to learn more about it.
All of humanity is represented by one of two thieves who were crucified alongside Jesus, Buddy Gray said.
The pastor of Hunter Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala., Gray spoke to the Southeastern family during chapel on February 19. Speaking out of Luke 23:32-43, Gray discussed the relevancy of the two criminals, who were crucified alongside of Jesus, and related them to people today.“I want us to look at those three crosses. I want us to look at those two criminals. The Bible says they are criminals. They were on “Jerusalem’s Most Wanted List,” Gray said. “Both of them were heaping insults on Jesus. They have a great deal in common. One on the right, and one on the left. There is something very different about them, though. That is how they come to view Jesus Christ.” Read the rest of this entry »
Frank Page has a vision for the future of the Southern Baptist Convention, and it does not include bickering, placidity or boredom.
Page, who is the pastor of Taylors First Baptist Church in Taylors, S.C., as well as president of the SBC, spoke about the divisiveness that Satan brings to the people of God during Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary’s chapel service on February 12. His address came out of John 10:10, which teaches that the devil comes to kill, steal and destroy.
Drawing from the example of General Edward Braddock, an officer of the British Army during the beginning of the French and Indian War, Page said Christians must never underestimate the enemy. Despite repeated warnings about the tactics and competency of the French and Indians, Braddock believed his British troops were safe from the threats, Page said. Despite his confidence, the British army was severely ambushed, mortally wounding Braddock in the battle.
“You know the moral of that story, don’t you?” Page asked. “Never underestimate the enemy. To underestimate the enemy is to invite dire consequences upon ourselves and upon those with whom we have influence.” Read the rest of this entry »
When the lost world remains in darkness, Christians need to question whether it is their own unbelief in the power of God which is keeping the Gospel from reaching all people.
The challenge to address unbelief in the lives of Christians came from J.D. Greear, pastor of The Summit Church in Durham, N.C., when he spoke to the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary family during chapel on February 7. Greear said his role as a pastor is to help people believe. In other words, he said, his role is to help with vision.
“When the vision is correct, you have the motivation,” Greear said. “When you don’t have vision, there is no motivation.” He said vision is seeing something, not as it is, but as it would be. In this respect, Greear said vision is the topic of Paul’s letter to the Ephesian church, in which he prays the believers “will grasp the breadth, depth and height of God’s love for them.” Read the rest of this entry »
There is no comparison between how Christ felt as he bore humanity’s sin and any human situation, C.J. Mahaney said at Southeastern Smeinary’s annual “20/20 Collegaite Conference” February 1.
Mahaney, a longtime pastor and leader of Sovereign Grace Ministries, said he had sought divine assistance to understand what it meant for Christ to take away and bear the sins of humanity. The conference, which is an annual event geared toward college students and young adults, had the theme of Missio Dei this year, which means “the mission of God.” Mahaney opened the two-day conference as the first speaker on Friday evening. Read the rest of this entry »
Speaking on the topic of “the new atheism,” Lennox, who is a world-renowned mathematician, scientist and philosopher, delivered an argument for compatibility between the existence of God, faith and science during Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary’s Carver-Barnes Lecture Series, sponsored by the school’s L. Russ Bush Center for Faith and Culture.
