In Proverbs 19:23 we read “The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.” When you hear the word “fear,” what comes to your mind? Spiders? Snakes? Heights? Speaking in public? For me, I’m deathly afraid of snakes. Deathly. Afraid. Like, paralysis! And…
Colossians 3:5 says, “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you.” But how, Nate? How do I moment by moment “put to death sin”? First, we need to define/describe what putting sin to death actually means. Putting sin to death means to weaken, starve, eradicate, eliminate, kill or destroy sinful desires, words, thoughts, or…
Rest is a discipline I still need to learn. My sabbatical reminded me that stepping away from ministry responsibilities is not the same as truly resting. I often know how to stay busy, productive, and engaged, but I am still learning how to receive rest as a gift from God rather than feeling the need to justify…
Every generation has its own questions. Some generations wrestle openly with the authority of Scripture. Others debate the nature of justice, sexuality, truth, or human identity. Ours is no different. And faithful Christians cannot afford to retreat into silence simply because the questions of the moment are controversial. The church does not choose the questions…
I haven’t had much time to write in the last couple of weeks. Once the new year hit, I started to prepare for a longer trip away from home and the office. For the next several weeks, I’m in Ft Jackson, SC, attending CHBOLC (Chaplain Basic Officer Leadership Course at USA-IRL). It’s a course every…
Daniel Darling serves as the Director of the Land Center for Cultural Engagement and Assistant Professor of Faith and Culture at Texas Baptist College (the undergraduate school at Southwestern Seminary in Ft Worth, TX). Dan has also served on staff at the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. He is the…
In 2006, I had the chance to attend the first Together for the Gospel conference in Louisville, KY. As conferences go, I’ve been to dozens over the years. That conference (the singing, preaching, fellowship, and resources), and the various iterations (it happened every other year until 2022), was used by God to change my life…
In recent weeks, there has been renewed interest in the doctrine of hell. The reason for the renewed interest is due to the comments of Kirk Cameron, a public Christian figure. Cameron is well-known because of his time in Hollywood, his work with Ray Comfort, and his outspoken faith. Recently, however, Cameron has made headlines…
This past semester, I’ve been meeting with a few students here at SBU to read and talk about a book by John MacArthur (The Gospel According to Jesus). One of the things we’ve come back to time and again in our discussion is how Christians should see all of life through the lens of the…
Not all Christian schools are the same. There are various ways Christian schools understand how the Christian part of their identity intersects with the educational part. That is, there are various models of Christian higher education. Over the last few years, I’ve had the chance to be part of two Christian schools. The two schools…
This year, I’ve had the privilege of taking over the Center for Worldview and Culture at Southwest Baptist University. The aim of the center is the same as that of the University. Our aim isn’t merely vocational training but the formation of the entire person. At SBU, we want to shape our students’ hearts and…
It wasn’t too long ago that a prominent pastor named Andy Stanley said Christians might need to “unhitch” from the Old Testament. That comment drew considerable criticism (see Albert Mohler here). Over the last few weeks at Southwest Baptist University, we’ve preached several sermons from the OT (Exodus 17, Genesis 6, 1 Sam 16, and…
This past Sunday, I had the chance to preach at a church in Georgetown, KY. My friend, Andy Waldroup, has pastored this church for a long time, and I was privileged to visit and open the Bible with his people. As he introduced me, he said all the customary things one says when introducing a…
On Monday, I had the chance to spend an hour with our President’s Leadership Fellows here at Southwest Baptist University. These students (about 20 of them) are awarded a presidential scholarship as freshmen and have the chance to spend time with our President, Dr. Rick Melson, and other leaders at SBU. They take one class…
Cal Newport has become a household name with regard to work, the digital space, and productivity. His book, Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout, was a timely read for me. I presume you’re probably like me: you need to grow in your commitment and rhythm of not idolizing work (i.e., finding your…
