Baptist Standard

20 hours ago | baptiststandard.com | Eric Black

A couple of turning points happened recently. We celebrated Jesus’ resurrection, and I turned 50. These are nowhere near equal in their importance. For one, my turning 50 is a turning point for only a small group of people. Jesus’s resurrection turned world history. Turning 50 did spur some self-reflection, however. It’s a sobering thing to know—and not just casually—that I’ve lived most of my life. It’s also a somewhat electrifying experience to know the end of the road is closer than the beginning.

1 day ago | baptiststandard.com | Eric Black

As you read, I encourage you to pause and read the Scripture passages cited in each subheading below. Initial consult: Waiting (Philippians 4:6-7)It all started gradually—the blurriness creeping in, turning my daily life into a blur. My eyeglasses became unreliable after two long years. So, I finally decided it was time to see a new ophthalmologist. “Cataract surgery is necessary,” he said, confirming what I expected. Hearing those words felt like a stark realization I was indeed aging.

2 days ago | baptiststandard.com | Eric Black

The Book of Lamentations poses a challenge to biblical scholars. It is an elegant poetic book stuck in the middle of the prophetic books in the English Old Testament, whereas in the Hebrew Bible, it is in the Writings among the poetic books. So, should Lamentations be classified as a poetic book or as a prophetic book?

3 days ago | baptiststandard.com | Ken Camp

NASHVILLE (RNS)—American organized religion is a bit like a scene from “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.” It has been on the decline for decades, but churches aren’t dead yet. A new survey from Nashville-based Lifeway Research found 94 percent of Protestant pastors believe their church will still be open in 10 years, with 78 percent strongly agreeing that will be true.

3 days ago | baptiststandard.com | Ken Camp

MARSHALL—East Texas Baptist University’s Baptist Student Ministry recently hosted a prayer tent event, offering students 24 consecutive hours of prayer, reflection, confession and thanksgiving. Inside the prayer tent at East Texas Baptist University, students such as Christian Dews engaged in focus times of prayer and reflection. (Photo / Faith Pratt)The prayer tent was part of ETBU’s initiative to offer students, staff and faculty a time of focused prayer.