I find this deeply offensive. I attend a Southern Baptist Church (not a bastion of liberalism by any measure) and I can tell you we hold to all of these values stridently. I think you are falling prey to what our opponents say about us rather than the truth.

I’m always curious as to why when we examine the results of this transformation and begin to hold it against our own communities, we get a kind of leery suspicion and quickly assume social needs, etc., are to be placed in the liberal camp. Can we say that if this is what the Gospel produced by God’s power at work, we should not expect the same dynamic in our community? Should we not be concerned with real change, real social needs met, real acts of service which should then provoke the 1 Peter 3:15 question?

Let’s not assume because a church is concerned about such things that it holds to a diluted gospel without first being privy to the foundations of that church.

(1 Th 1:2-10) “We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; {3} Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father; {4} Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. {5} For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake. {6} And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost: {7} So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. {8} For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing. {9} For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; {10} And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.”

Today, we are largely sharing a diluted gospel and in a way that does not bring sinners to realize their need for mercy inn the light of Gods infinite holiness and perfect justice, but presents slavific grace as that which is hardly seen as the desperate need that it is. And part of that reason is because we are in a culture which itself is superficial, with little depth of conscience that can be quickly convicted. Thus many or most of the deeper conversions are in some other cultures, and paradoxically even in prisons. For which we seek and must pray.

“Its a new word for me. I haven’t heard about it.”

So many people (even churched) don’t have a clue what the Gospel is. We, the Church, should use the words “Good News” when talking about it & talk about it like it really is fabulous (extra! extra! read all about it!) news!

We need to talk about it as if no one has ever heard about it because either they haven’t ever heard about Jesus, or have a skewed idea of who he really is.

Good job on the video!

Blessings.

Mark Myles

God forgive me!

Thanks Dave

I just hope Acts 29/Total Church/etc. chooses to do one of these conferences during a week where there’s no midterms or finals! Until then, I’m overjoyed so much of the material is available online!