Recently, there has been some backlash against younger preachers (like myself) for blogging anything critical about the Independent Fundamental Baptist movement. It’s as if some are saying “Who are these young whippersnappers? How dare they criticize the great men of God upon whose shoulders they stand?” We young IFB pastors are beginning to hear, and [...]
This morning, I was shocked to read an article on independentbaptist.com entitled “Separation from Unbelievers in Marriage” written by the late Jack Hyles. If the point of the article/sermon was just that Christians should not date and marry unbelievers, then this article would not exist. But that’s not what that article was about, in it, [...]
Just a question here to start off the week: Is the “Leadership” emphasis biblical or is it just practical? We Independent Baptists have our “Leadership Conferences,” every year a multitude of new leadership books come off of Christian presses, and you’ll have no problem finding a multitude of blogs and podcasts featuring some one’s tips [...]
What if I were to tell you that there was a woman who had for over a decade lived as a committed lesbian, who was a professor of "queer studies" and feminism at a major university, and who had been an advocate for radical abortion rights and every other far left agenda you can think [...]
I believe wholeheartedly that the time has come for Independent Baptist pastors to take a firm stand against non-biblical preaching. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have started this site. Most independent Baptist preachers that I know would affirm that they are Bible preachers and they think Bible preaching is important. Most independent Baptist Bible colleges [...]
Yesterday I posted an article about “Why Obscurantism Does’t Work Anymore” where I wrote about the dangers of an obscurantist attitude toward questions and information. But a commentator (who I do not know) pointed out that there are times when a pastor needs to discourage his people from getting into certain kinds of information and [...]
Since announcing the IFBrevolution project the other day, several people have asked me questions about it. I thought it would be helpful if I took a post and answered those questions. 1. Why are you doing this? The sole purpose of the IFBRevolution project is to raise awareness about three unbiblical practices that too often [...]
A few weeks ago, I posted about some problems that we young Independent Baptists face. I named five of them, and I said that personally, I was going to obey the command to “mark and avoid” the people who are guilty of those things. I’m not satisfied with a single blog post, I really want [...]
If you’ve read my blog for any length of time, you should know two things about me:1) I am passionate about “the issues” that we fundamentalist have and want to do everything in my power to make them go away. I’ve risked alienation from my Independent Baptist peers by taking a strong stand against things [...]
I teach a Bible Survey class at a local Bible Institute. In preparation for that class this week, I’ve been reading through Joshua. As I was reading, I found a story in Joshua 22 which has amazing implications for preachers. Joshua 22 Way back in the Deuteronomy years, Isreal had conquered some land under Moses’ [...]
In the middle of 1 Corinthians 4, the apostle Paul launches on the most sarcastic rebuke recorded in scripture. What was he rebuking in this Corinthian church? Was it there bad views of spiritual gifts? their immorality? their lack of charity? No. He was rebuking their arrogance. And not just any arrogance, a certain kind [...]
My very first week at Bible Baptist, I started preaching series in Matthew and Exodus. Now, a year and a half later, I’m almost finished with Exodus and I’ve just reached the half way point in Matthew. I don’t say that to brag, I’m not trying to pass myself off as a noble expository preacher. [...]
Wednesday, I wrote a letter to the editor about the lack of coverage of the Kermit Gosnell trial. I didn’t use any heated language. I didn’t call anybody names. I merely stated that it was one of the most horrific things I’d ever seen, that it was gut wrenching to me as a parent, and [...]
Last night I preached a message on “Dealing with the Gray Areas.” I don’t preach topical messages very often, but I thought this would be helpful and it was very well received. Below is the link to the sermon audio for the sermon, and underneath that, a blog post summary of what I preached. Much [...]
I believe in ecclesiastical separation. I take the command of scripture to “mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.” (Romans 16:17) very seriously. I believe that we should “earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints.” (Jude 2) However, I think that [...]
Ryan Hayden
