tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194761052011-10-16T21:44:39.852-07:00Engaging Christian Thought from a Baptist PerspectiveJason Samplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12367229760044048730noreply@blogger.comBlogger401100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19476105.post-1149083023719405392006-05-31T06:15:00.000-07:002006-05-31T06:43:43.863-07:00

Starting this afternoon, I am taking 3 days of well-needed vacation. I've been on staff at Edgewater Baptist Church since March, working with volunteers to gut out houses. Since March, we've had over 600 volunteers and have gutted over 90 houses. In addition, I have spoken with most every one of the home owners we have helped, along with many others we were not able to help. Hearing their stories

Jason Samplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12367229760044048730noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19476105.post-1148685864974883152006-05-26T16:00:00.000-07:002006-05-26T19:46:25.980-07:00

Either my FEMA trailer has been condemned by the mayor of New Orleans or I was vandalized. Based on today's post by Kevin Bussey, I'm guessing the answer is the latter. Kevin, pastor of Durham Memorial Baptist Church in Charolette, NC, brought a team of 9 men down to New Orleans this week to help in our community. Yesterday he and his guys rolled my trailer with toilet paper; today they

Jason Samplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12367229760044048730noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19476105.post-1146979790964047622006-05-06T22:26:00.000-07:002006-05-06T22:35:19.726-07:00

I had a phone conversation with a lady tonight who is about to turn 76. I had met her long ago through a mutual friend and she emailed me today asking to speak about Memphis. I called her and we exchanged pleasantries. I asked her how she got my email address. Her answer: "I read your blog every day." I almost lost it. Apparently blogs are no respecter of age. She has served on boards in her

Jason Samplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12367229760044048730noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19476105.post-1146894471646640452006-05-05T22:13:00.000-07:002006-05-05T22:58:48.196-07:00

I was conversing with a friend the other day about the term "Young Leader". I'm reluctant to use that term self-referentially because I don't feel 'young' when I get out of bed and, more importantly, 'leader' should not be a self-bestowed title. I'm just not comfortable with the phrase, but I know what others mean by it. Nevertheless, tonight I was reading essays from a book as I sat at a table

Jason Samplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12367229760044048730noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19476105.post-1146774871689201552006-05-04T13:15:00.000-07:002006-05-04T13:43:45.180-07:00

In the history of the Southern Baptist Convention, we have adopted three confessions to identify and proclaim our beliefs. These are the Baptist Faith and Message 1925, 1963, and 2000. I don't have the time to provide a detailed description of the history, content, and differences among these confessions. Such is not the purpose for this article. A confession, by nature, is descriptive. It

Jason Samplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12367229760044048730noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19476105.post-1145366663016025182006-04-18T05:56:00.000-07:002006-04-18T06:30:31.680-07:00

While reading J.I. Packer's classic Knowing God last night, I ran across a thought that gripped my soul. In the chapter "The Heart of the Gospel", he speaks of the death of Christ. He explores the meaning of the cross, its effect on the Father, the Son, and humanity. One particular thought jumped off the page. After a short paragraph refuting universalism (the belief that everyone will eventually

Jason Samplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12367229760044048730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19476105.post-1144017665024473692006-04-02T15:31:00.000-07:002006-04-02T16:41:40.436-07:00

I heard a story this morning that a youth director in Denver was in Wal-Mart the other day in Denver buying work clothes for the adults and youth that were coming to New Orleans to gut out houses. The cashier asked why he was buying so many work clothes. He told her he was leading a trip down to help out people in New Orleans. She responded, "Do they still need help in New Orleans?" Just because

Jason Samplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12367229760044048730noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19476105.post-1143866458846452222006-03-31T20:37:00.000-08:002006-03-31T21:28:53.340-08:00

March Madness is over! No, not the NCAA basketball tournament, but the blitz of college students who swarmed into New Orleans during their various spring breaks. I don't know all the numbers, but I do know there were thousands of college students in our city over the course of this month. In the last four weeks, our church worked with approximately 500 college and high school students (including

Jason Samplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12367229760044048730noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19476105.post-1141947433820980652006-03-09T15:20:00.000-08:002006-03-09T15:40:09.290-08:00

Internet access is still few and far between for me, so updates are slow in coming. Let me start by saying Monday was absolutely the most stressful day of my life. Plans changed at the last minute and we received and extra 60 college students who were ready to work. The problem was they didn't have any tools and we had no idea they were coming. Everything worked out and the day got much better

Jason Samplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12367229760044048730noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19476105.post-1141523281703949992006-03-04T17:31:00.000-08:002006-03-04T17:59:25.356-08:00

Well, I need to begin by apologizing for the long absence since I last posted. Life is totally different in New Orleans. I arrived on Monday and, for a welcome back present, I was in a wreck. Unfortunately, it was my fault. I was pulling into Metairie on I-10 and a guy stopped in front of me. I slammed on my brakes but still rear-ended him. No injuries and minimal damage to his vehicle, but a

Jason Samplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12367229760044048730noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19476105.post-1141009042078072432006-02-26T18:55:00.000-08:002006-02-26T18:58:30.390-08:00

To quote George Castanza [sorry, Jeff Young, I couldn't help it :)], "I'm back, baby!" That's right, on Monday morning I'm moving back to the Big Easy. I'm leaving Ft. Worth behind in a cloud of dust and headed straight for Mardi Gras (ok, that's not true; I haven't been to Mardi Gras once in the five years I lived there, but maybe I'll go this year in honor of Katrina). I've finally received a

Jason Samplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12367229760044048730noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19476105.post-1140745276044989492006-02-23T16:46:00.000-08:002006-02-24T09:34:09.846-08:00

One of the things that should characterize us as Christians is our integrity. We should be strong enough to stand up for our beliefs and we should have enough integrity that, if we are wrong, we admit it. I am asking, in the name of Jesus, for someone to speak the truth in integrity. Here is the context:On Wednesday, January 10, 2006, the Board of Trustees of the International Mission Board

Jason Samplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12367229760044048730noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19476105.post-1140700165573625752006-02-23T05:08:00.000-08:002006-02-23T05:58:17.486-08:00

This morning, in my quiet time, I read portions of Scripture from Robert Murrey M'Cheyne's Bible reading plan. This plan has been incorporated by D. A. Carson in his book For the Love of God, Vol. 1 (there is also a volume 2, in case you are wondering). In M'Cheyne's Bible reading plan, there are four portions of Scripture for each day. Carson (usually) takes one of the first two portions and

Jason Samplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12367229760044048730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19476105.post-1140405049319456962006-02-19T19:06:00.000-08:002006-02-19T19:23:36.756-08:00

Marty Duren, in his latest post, has announced that the Second Annual Younger Leaders Conference will be held on Monday, June 12 at 9.30 PM, the evening before the first day of the 2006 SBC Annual Convention in Greensboro, N.C. It will be a time to meet and fellowship with younger leaders, as well as a chance to hear Wade Burleson, Oklahoma pastor and IMB Trustee, speak on polarizing issues that

Jason Samplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12367229760044048730noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19476105.post-1140216973043196012006-02-17T14:49:00.000-08:002006-02-19T17:32:30.990-08:00

Sometimes we just need to laugh, especially us bloggers. I love this cartoon strip. It's called "Pearls Before Swine". I saw this particular 'installment" the other day and laughed hard. I've just been a few days 'long' in posting it. If you know the personality of the characters, it's even funnier, but even a 'first time reader' should laugh.[The text in the cartoon is probably too small to read

Jason Samplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12367229760044048730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19476105.post-1140212180575852972006-02-17T13:15:00.000-08:002006-02-19T17:32:17.810-08:00

1. In Wade Burleson's most recent post, he lays out five themes for the upcoming SBC Annual Convention in Greensboro, NC.2. Art Rogers provides a post on his personal analysis of the recent decision announced by IMB Trustee Chairman Tom Hatley to recommend rescinding the motion to remove Burleson from the IMB BoT.3. Jason Shepherd calls for a much needed apology from Chairman Hatley and the

Jason Samplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12367229760044048730noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19476105.post-1140035580116244262006-02-15T12:31:00.000-08:002006-02-19T17:41:23.223-08:00

II left my apartment in Ft. Worth on Saturday, January 28. I returned home last night. Wow. What a 2.5 weeks. I traveled to OKC, Alabama, Atlanta, Lexington, Frankfort, and Louisville, KY, and New Orleans. I saw my best friend, spent time with my brother, drank lots of coffee in New Orleans, visited with lots of friends, and had a great time. The highlight, of course, was last Sunday. It was the

Jason Samplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12367229760044048730noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19476105.post-1140026830873067332006-02-15T09:22:00.000-08:002006-02-19T17:31:27.403-08:00

Well, in the 2.5 weeks that I was traveling, I got 'tagged' by multiple bloggers. I've only now gottent the chance to respond, so here goes:Four Jobs I've Had: (I've had way more than 4 jobs, but I'll list my four favorites, in no particular order)School bus driver (while an undergrad)Pastoral Intern/Building and Grounds Intern (at Edgewater Baptist Church as a PhD student)Interlibrary Loan

Jason Samplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12367229760044048730noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19476105.post-1139422780052214392006-02-08T10:10:00.000-08:002006-02-19T17:31:12.023-08:00

There is, no doubt, some debate as to whether the new IMB policy on baptism flows from Landmark theology. I have no desire to sling mud or call names at anyone. Such is neither a Christian method of interaction nor responsible academics. Instead, I wish to deal with the issues. I am grateful that in recent days two respected members of the "SBC academy" have weighed in on this issue. Dr. Hershael

Jason Samplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12367229760044048730noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19476105.post-1139344634936589242006-02-07T12:24:00.001-08:002006-02-19T17:30:48.723-08:00

Yesterday was my birthday. I turned 30. I tried not to make a big deal of it. However, some people found out and told others. I got calls from family and friends. I guess it was a good day, though I didn't have a birthday cake or any presents (which is fine by me; well, maybe I'm not so pleased about no cake!!!) .I've been traveling for the last week and was able to have lunch yesterday with a

Jason Samplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12367229760044048730noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19476105.post-1138428288282567412006-01-27T23:00:00.000-08:002006-02-19T17:29:38.973-08:00

In a recent post, I referenced my time spent reading old works on Baptist ecclesiology. I'm still trudging through Dargan's massive work. In light of the recent (and sometimes heated) discussion on changes in IMB baptism guidelines, I ran across a quote that I think is appropriate.After surveying the duty of Baptists to defend their beliefs on baptism against pedobaptists, anti-immersionists, and

Jason Samplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12367229760044048730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19476105.post-1138431155782987242006-01-27T22:51:00.000-08:002006-02-19T17:27:02.423-08:00

I'm all for clean pranks, and I think this is hilarious, though I'd never have the guts to do it. I think it's even funnier that they pulled it on Chirac.

Jason Samplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12367229760044048730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19476105.post-1138429773909555032006-01-27T22:05:00.000-08:002006-02-19T17:33:21.970-08:00

I'm looking forward to the next few weeks. On Saturday, I'm heading for OK, where I will be helping with the BGCO State Evangelism Conference. My mentor is heading it up and I'm going up to assist him (read: be his slave). I'll have a chance to see some old friends and hopefully meet some new ones.On Wednesday, I'm off to Atlanta for the second annual Greer-Heard Point-Counterpoint Forum. This

Jason Samplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12367229760044048730noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19476105.post-1138329991915430502006-01-26T18:31:00.000-08:002006-02-19T17:33:40.890-08:00

Most of my life, I've heard the phrase "baptism is the door to the church." I took this as gospel truth for I had no reason to think otherwise. However, when the issue arose with IMB trustees redefining what acceptable baptism is, I began to rethink my views on this issue. In tandem, I've been reading significantly in the area of Baptist ordinances for my dissertation. I've not come to a final

Jason Samplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12367229760044048730noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19476105.post-1138297606225001582006-01-26T09:38:00.000-08:002006-02-19T17:34:03.223-08:00

Many of you may have heard of the tragic accident yesterday in Florida, where a 15 year old was driving a van with six of her relatives. They were all coming home from school when a tractor-trailer rear-ended them into a bus, causing the van to catch on fire. All seven passengers died. They ranged in age from 15 years to 20 months. My heart broke for the mother of this family, as she lost 6

Jason Samplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12367229760044048730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19476105.post-1138213462941398652006-01-25T10:07:00.000-08:002006-02-19T17:34:16.703-08:00

Sometimes I'm amazed at funny little parts of Scripture. Have you ever been reading along and noticed that sometimes something's just not right with the picture?A funny passage I ran across the other day in my Bible reading time is found in Acts 23. If anything, it's a lesson in learning what kind of promises to make. After Paul is arrested in Jerusalem for causing a 'disturbance' in the Temple,

Jason Samplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12367229760044048730noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19476105.post-1137599297612640022006-01-18T07:42:00.000-08:002006-02-19T17:34:30.693-08:00

Over the last few days, I've felt that something in my life is a bit out of whack lately. I figured it out this morning when I woke up and the first thing that i wanted to do was hit the internet to scan the blogs for activity. I realized that i spend way too much time online looking at blogs.Therefore, I am taking a two-day break from blogging (some might say, that's no different than normal,

Jason Samplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12367229760044048730noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19476105.post-1137450885253910702006-01-16T14:23:00.000-08:002006-02-19T17:34:51.580-08:00

There seems to be some confusion, mostly my fault I think, regarding what my major issues with the IMB trustees are. Some of the readers of my blog may think that my cause is defending Wade Burleson. This is not my major issue. Do I think he is being treated unfairly? Most likely yes, but I don't know all of the sides. If the IMB Trustees are going to wait until Greensboro to present their side,

Jason Samplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12367229760044048730noreply@blogger.com43tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19476105.post-1137030783490612002006-01-11T17:44:00.000-08:002006-02-19T17:35:08.493-08:00

As I've thought on this more, I am changing an earlier statement I made. Instead of contacting the IMB trustees from your state, I think people should contact EVERY trustee. This change is based on two reasons:First, unlike the federal govenernment, the trustees in the SBC are not the representatives of each state's constituents. That is, they are not polling for the interests of their state

Jason Samplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12367229760044048730noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19476105.post-1137004211569852682006-01-11T10:28:00.000-08:002006-02-19T17:35:51.363-08:00

Wade Burleson has announced that the trustees of the IMB have requested that the convention vote to remove him from the IMB trustee board. As best I can tell, the by-laws of the constitution of the Southern Baptist Convention state that a majority vote is needed to remove him from the board. There is a proviso, stating the possibility that provisions may be made to make it a 'greater than

Jason Samplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12367229760044048730noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19476105.post-1137001696176187392006-01-11T09:42:00.000-08:002006-02-19T17:36:24.206-08:00

I am providing contact information for every IMB trustee. Please take the time to contact every trustee in your state. Be gracious and loving, honoring Christ with your words and your thoughts. Be firm, also. They are accountable to you for their actions and decisions. The names are arrainged by state, making it easier for you to find and contact all of your trustees.I tried to avoid posting home

Jason Samplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12367229760044048730noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19476105.post-1136338948308685242006-01-03T17:23:00.000-08:002006-02-19T17:36:43.773-08:00

As I was driving from state to state over the Christmas holiday, I was listening to the Bible on CD. I picked out one of the Genesis cd's and listened to the last half of the book. When I got to chapter 38, I was reminded of an interesting story. Judah, the fourth son of Jacob/Israel, leaves his father's house to find a wife. He marries and has three sons. The firstborn marries a woman named

Jason Samplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12367229760044048730noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19476105.post-1135014419383775662005-12-19T09:35:00.000-08:002005-12-20T12:39:48.653-08:00

Well, since 3 of my 4 readers have recently complained because I haven't posted in awhile, I thought I would take a moment and post some thoughts. There is no necessary order to any of these, just 'thoughts i'm thinking':1. As I sit in the library of my alma mater today, with snow covering the ground, I have reflected on many fond memories of my college days. I was pretty young and relatively

Jason Samplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12367229760044048730noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19476105.post-1134326861614250102005-12-11T10:43:00.000-08:002006-02-19T17:37:02.726-08:00

Wade Burleson, an IMB trustee from my home state of Oklahoma, has recently crafted a very compelling and heartfelt message to the churches of the Southern Baptist convention: join the fight to be a cooperating convention or stand by and let some continue to restrict Baptist identity. He has aptly titled his work Crusading Conservatives vs. Cooperating Conservatives: The War for the Future of the

Jason Samplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12367229760044048730noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19476105.post-1134223872853297852005-12-10T05:53:00.000-08:002006-02-19T17:37:18.243-08:00

Since mid-June, I've been in nothing short of an' emotional funk', to say the least. Those of you who know me well have watched me progress up and down through various stages of depression. I don't wish to recount the reasons, for some are very private. However, in addition to private hurts also comes the flooding of my city, New Orleans. I, like everyone, was forced out and, like many, lost

Jason Samplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12367229760044048730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19476105.post-1134152896201636382005-12-09T10:16:00.000-08:002006-02-19T17:37:41.736-08:00

CNN.com is reporting that a man in Rhode Island has decided to do something different this year for his Christmas decorations. Instead of a manger scene, or even Santa and some elves, he's decided to post near life-sized posters of Paris Hilton in his yard. It's causing quite a stir.Although I don't think this is right, I find it to be very creative and funny. The sad part, though, was the

Jason Samplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12367229760044048730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19476105.post-1133984520572754932005-12-07T11:31:00.000-08:002006-02-19T17:38:02.786-08:00

I woke up this morning and heard a strange sound. It was rainingoutside, which is unusual for this part of the country (Ft. Worth, TX). Then I realized that it was cold last night and that there might be some snow on the ground.Sure enough, I peered through the window to see snow/sleetfalling from the sky. What a beautiful, and unexpected, sight.Ok, so there isn't a whole lot of snow, but

Jason Samplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12367229760044048730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19476105.post-1133926132838116992005-12-06T19:22:00.000-08:002006-02-19T17:38:17.580-08:00

Marty Duren has recently alerted me to Dr. Jerry Rankin's email address: jrankin@imb.orgLet me encourage you to take a moment and email him. I already did today. As President of the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, he could always use our prayers and support. However, during such a time as this, he could use as much encouragement and support as he can get.I know

Jason Samplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12367229760044048730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19476105.post-1133924440152477642005-12-06T18:47:00.000-08:002006-02-19T17:38:41.793-08:00

An AP article today noted that many megachurches will be closed on Sunday, December 25. Of all of the days in the calendar year to be 'closed', it's shocking to me that many churches are canceling services on THE DAY chosen to commemorate the birth of it's founder, Jesus. Even more appalling are the reasons for closure. Here is a small quote from the article:Cally Parkinson, a spokeswoman for

Jason Samplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12367229760044048730noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19476105.post-1133417340976134122005-11-30T21:57:00.000-08:002006-02-19T17:39:05.740-08:00

In a recent article published by ABP, the IMB has recently voted to change guidelines for new missional appointees. While I am grateful for the trustees' stance on wishing to ensure IMB appointees are Baptistic, I am concerned with a certain caveat of their understanding of baptism. The ABP article states, in part, the following:Also on Nov. 15, IMB trustees elaborated on their policy for the

Jason Samplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12367229760044048730noreply@blogger.com6