Over at Baptist21, Lampmode recording artist, Brian Davis (aka God’s Servant), chimes with a helpful response to the NCFIC panelists. Like many, I was shocked by the recently released panel from the NCFIC on “Reformed Rap”. I wanted to chime in on the dialogue and offer some thoughts- both as an individual that is sympathetic […]
History is alive. And in the United States that history is racial. I recently watched the PBS special, “The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross” with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. It is a multi-part series detailing centuries of African American history. The latest episode tells the story of the Civil Rights Movement. The Ruby Bridges Story […]
The Bible declares, “seek peace and pursue it” (Ps. 34:14; 1 Pt. 3:11). This phrase has implications for all areas of life, especially multi-ethnic ministry. Live in Peace We know that we as believers have been reconciled to God through our Savior (Rm. 5:1). But this reconciliation extends not just vertically between God and humankind […]
With a history spanning several hundred years, the Roman Empire was one of the most powerful empires in the history of humankind. In the First Century, Augustus became its first emperor and ruled from roughly 27 BC to 14 AD. He is credited with helping achieve 40 years of internal peace and prosperity in the […]
Dr. Carl Ellis, Jr. has been teaching principles of contextualized ministry for decades. Now he distills his vast knowledge into a three-day intensive course offered at RTS Jackson on January 22-24, 2014. I’ve been a fan of Dr. Ellis ever since a) I found out we were in the same denomination and b) I read his paradigm-shifting […]
I was outside not too long ago with my boys enjoying that one tried and true memory that every childhood must possess – blowing bubbles! I had the honor of blowing the bubbles and my boys had the happy yet empty privilege of catching the bubbles. I use “empty” because the task is one in […]
“I want you to keep dreaming big, but to do so in line with God’s will. I want you to dream big by faith.” How we measure success has been heavily influenced by how our culture measures success. Trip Lee uses the example of two athletes. We might consider a famous an athlete successful but […]
It’s every person’s dream. Imagine taking your hobby and moving it from the margins of your life to the center. Making your pastime your profession. That’s what seminary is for me. Ever since I became a Christian I knew I would go to seminary. It’s odd. I don’t know how it came about. Seminary certainly […]
It has happened to nearly every African American I know, and it continues happening to this day. “Shopping while Black”. If you’re unfamiliar with this terminology, let me explain. Imagine you walk into a store–you could be alone or with friends, with people of your same race or others–and you begin to browse. You may […]
“We’ve been told by our culture that the most important thing in life is the stuff we can acquire. A lot of people point the finger at hip-hop—but hip-hop isn’t the source of the problem. American culture is dripping with staunch materialism…We’ve bought into the lie that we are what we have, so we spend […]
Happy RAANiversary! One year ago today we launched the RAANetwork website. The date was deliberate. October 31st is Reformation Day–a fitting anniversary to commemorate the Reformed African American Network (RAAN) because of why we exist. RAAN exists to fuel modern reformation in the African American community with a multi-ethnic mindset. We fuel that reformation by […]
Kids are screaming, dinner is not done, bills need to be paid, homework needs to be checked, and you feel like you are on an island by yourself even though your spouse is a few feet away from you. Both husbands and wives have felt this before. Not only may one feel this way when […]
It’s happened to all of us. If you are a writer, public speaker, teacher, or communicator of any kind, you have felt misunderstood. You work long and hard to make a particular point about yourself or an idea. You try to live your life in a way that honors the Lord and loves your neighbor. […]
The first thing you would probably notice about Joseph Solomon is that he’s tall. Really tall. At six foot, seven inches, he tends to stand out in a crowd. But, once you’re in a conversation with Joe, it’s his warmth and love of Christ that begins to stand out. And if you’ve spent any time […]
How’s it coming? In a previous post, I elaborated on a certain kind of friendship—encouraging your friends towards their calling. In light of the Great Commission and Christ’s radical call, this kind of friendship makes sense. A strategic and intentional approach towards the growth and betterment of my friends makes sense, in theory. But since this […]
If there is one thing that humans all have in common it is the desire to make meaning out of life and to do so in a community that gives us a sense that we matter to others. We long for connection, love, and validation. We want to know that our life matters now and […]
It is absolutely impossible to go through life without any affection for anything. Many of us have experienced these affections in relationships or family, in the first car we received, in the new pair of shoes we just bought, or fill in the blank. Whether we like it or not, there are people that we […]
One the best arguments against the growing tentacles of the social assistance welfare state into the lives of people who are suffering is the practice of the Christian practice of adoption and orphan care. Progressives often charge classical liberals and conservatives as being heartless toward the poor because only progressives are willing to make sacrifices […]
We are in the third section of the book and it’s time to apply what it means to have the good life. This section is about practical application and we start by addressing good works. “Our sinful hearts are cruel dictators. And as long as they rule over us, we’re not free. We’re robots. But […]
Many scholars, pastors, and church leaders teach that the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation is all about God’s plan to save humankind from their sins. But if the whole Bible is about how God rescues human beings, doesn’t that make it all about us? [Tweet “If the whole Bible is about how God rescues […]
