For the sixth year in a row, I had the privilege of attending and exhibiting at the Shepherds 360 Church Leaders Conference, held at Shepherds Theological Seminary in Cary, N.C., on Monday through Wednesday of this week.

The theme of this year’s conference, which focused on dispensationalism, was “City of God—City of Man,” with the tagline: “Already? Not Yet? Let’s Get It Right!”

“The Babylon Bee and California attorney Kelly Chang Rickert, who argues the laws threaten her personal blog and social media accounts, filed a lawsuit to prevent enforcement of the laws. Alliance Defending Freedom represented them in court.” - Daily Citizen

“Once criticized by Catholic conservatives and the Vatican, Gutiérrez and his emphasis on caring for the poor were rehabilitated by Pope Francis.” - RNS

“If marijuana definitively destroys lives, should we be free to smoke?” - Breakpoint

“We tend to focus on things that belong at the tail end of stewardship discussions, not the beginning. In effect we’re trying to install the gutters before we’ve laid the foundation and started the framing.” - Randy Alcorn

“In Barna’s recently released researched report… researchers found that pornography use is so prevalent among all demographics and the gap in use among Christians and non-Christians, as well as men and women, has grown narrower over the last eight years.” - CPost

“cessationists and these kinds of (alleged) continuationists do not distinguish clearly enough between the subjective (inward) work of the Spirit and the revelatory and prophetic work of the Spirit.” - Churches Without Chests

“About half of U.S. adults rate Donald Trump and Kamala Harris positively on a 10-point favorability scale…. Trump’s current rating is similar to what he received in 2020 but significantly better than his 36% positive score in 2016, which is the record low.” - Gallup

The first step in studying God’s Word is to carefully observe what the passage is saying. In the observation stage, we give our complete attention to the text to find out what’s there. We must investigate the passage in the same way that a detective investigates a crime scene. How do we do that? Get the “big picture” and then discover the little details. Ask questions… lots of them! Look for certain key clues to discover meaning. See how the little details relate to the big picture.

“1. Don’t discount women…. 2. Pray for men to step up…. 3. Identify men whom you can challenge toward leadership…. 4. Equip men to lead.” - GARBC

“We look back and remember Jesus’ death and resurrection each time we celebrate the Lord’s Supper. But have we forgotten that we observe this ordinance ‘till He comes’?” - P&D

“In a statement issued Friday (Oct. 18) members of the International Bonhoeffer Society called on Metaxas and others to stop comparing the current election to the rise of the Nazis.” - RNS

“the diverse group of 70 million Americans designated as ‘Nones,’ 10 percent of whom say they’ve made a personal commitment to Jesus, are reachable by the Church, said John Plake, ABS chief innovation officer and State of the Bible editor in chief.” - Baptist Press

“When I do church consulting, I often encounter pastors who are just worn out… I usually learn that the battle had been ongoing long before I arrived to consult. Indeed, some of the following signs seem to be recurrent among wearying shepherds.” - Chuck Lawless

“I thought it would be interesting to poll our dear Voices readers to ask about their favorite hymn. I hope you will share the title of your favorite hymn (or hymns) and tell why it’s your favorite.” - SBC Voices

“Bart Ehrman argues that Jesus didn’t, himself, claim to be God, but this was a belief that arose subsequently after his death, among his followers.” - Gavin Ortlund

“Beyond its exploration of the past, Religion & Republic offers Protestants—and indeed any religious citizens—an option for civic engagement that avoids the extremes of apolitical submission and full-spectrum aggression.” - Acton

“These are all reasonable motivations, but how can a man know if/when it’s time to make a change? If God called you to the pastorate at Church A, how could you know if he is now calling you to Church B?” - London Lyceum

The United States in particular has always had a moralizing streak that was destined to take on an international bent. This should come as no surprise for a nation founded by the Puritans. - Providence

Read the series.

In his foundational self-description, the first thing God tells us about himself is that he’s compassionate. By nature, he feels deeply for the hurts and trials of his creatures—even the animals (Jon 4.11), but most especially those in his image.

He cares.

“This article isn’t meant to be a discussion about mental illness or its treatment, but I’d like to consider what ordered anxiety might look and feel like in the life of a follower of Jesus.” - TGC

“Christian pastors are miserably failing in this area of discipleship.” - P&D

“Today, 37% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents say they have a lot of or some trust in the information that comes from social media sites. This is nearly on par with the 40% of Republicans who express this level of trust in national news organizations.” - Pew

“Called the CSB Grace Bible for Kids, it’s intended for children ages 7 to 12 and aims to enhance readability for young readers who experience visual stress.” - CPost

“The show’s primary purpose is not to educate but to entertain — while remaining true to the source material.” - RNS

From Voice, Jan/Feb 2015. Adapted from Stephen Davey’s book In Pursuit of Prodigals. Kress Biblical Resources (The Woodlands, TX, 2010). Used by permission. Read Part 1 & Part 2.

When Is It Wrong to Judge?

1. It is wrong to judge someone before you know all the facts in the case.

The Apostle John wrote, “Our law does not judge a man unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing” (John 7:51). In other words, the believer should never judge on a whim, an impression, a rumor. The facts are necessary, and the believer should be quick to hear and slow to speak.

2. It is wrong to judge when judging is based on a person’s convictions and/or preferences.

Romans 14 makes it clear that personal decisions can direct activities in areas where the Scriptures are silent. For instance, the Bible doesn’t specifically address credit cards, dating practices, plastic surgery, watching television, using electric guitars in church, ad infinitum.

“The Bible provides no chapter-and-verse that directly tells us what to believe about technology. Nonetheless, as we’ll find, the theological concepts that undergird it are woven throughout the Bible’s overarching creation-to-new-creation storyline.” - Word by Word

“25% say people in the United States have mostly negative views of men who are ‘manly or masculine’ … . But among Republican men, 45% do think people have negative views of masculine men” - Pew

“Here is what, as a pastor, I want our church members to know. 1. It is an incredible privilege to be entrusted with this job….2. I love the local church and hope you do too…” - Lifeway

“It’s not like the Episcopalians only give money at high rates. They also score near the top on putting up a political sign and working for a candidate. One type of political activity is highly correlated with another type of political activity.” - Ryan Burge