Moore to the Point
By Russell D. Moore. Russell D. Moore serves as the teaching pastor at Highview Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky. In addition, Dr. Moore is the Dean of the School of Theology and Senior Vice President for Academic Administration at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Find sermons and other resources to help Christians engage the culture from a biblical worldview at www.russellmoore.com.

“Cup of Loneliness” by George Jones

— Friday, April 6th, 2012 —

Is Easter Too Violent for Kids?

— Monday, April 2nd, 2012 —

Every year, around this time, parents and churches ponder how to communicate the Easter story to children, as something more than dyed eggs. The problem is, of course, that it’s impossible to talk about the resurrection of Jesus without talking about [...]

“Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynrd

— Friday, March 30th, 2012 —

This week on “The Cross and the Jukebox” we’ll take a look at song that some have called “the anthem of the South.” For many who were born and raised in the state of Alabama, or the South itself, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama” evokes a love of home. But [...]

Should Christians Boycott Starbucks?

— Sunday, March 25th, 2012 —

A respected pro-family organization announced this week a boycott of Starbucks coffee. The group, which supports legal protection for traditional marriage, launched the “Dump Starbucks” campaign after a national board meeting in which the Seattle-based coffee company mentioned support for same-sex marriage as a core [...]

Peace and Justice in Iraq?

— Tuesday, March 20th, 2012 —

Today is the ninth anniversary of the start of the Iraq War. We might disagree about whether the war was the right decision, and about where U.S. policy should go from here. But those who belong to Christ ought to be able to agree on [...]

An Evangelical Looks at Saint Patrick

— Friday, March 16th, 2012 —

To our shame, most evangelical Protestants tend to think of Saint Patrick as a leprechaun. As we watch the annual drunken parades and pop-culture consumerism of the March holiday, no one could seem more removed from biblical Christianity than Patrick. And yet, [...]

Should I Divorce If I’m Miserable?

— Thursday, March 15th, 2012 —

Dear Dr. Moore,

My wife and I are at an impasse. There’s been no abandonment, no sexual immorality, and no abuse. We just don’t get along. We shouldn’t have married. We should have known we are incompatible. I know God hates divorce but I don’t have any other option. My pastor and some Christian [...]

“High Cost of Living” by Jamey Johnson

— Friday, March 9th, 2012 —

In this episode of “The Cross and the Jukebox,” we’ll take a look at a song called “High Cost of Living,” by one of my favorite relatively new country artists, Jamey Johnson.

This song tells the story of a man who was looking to escape the same old routine, and in the process, [...]

Why Impostors Love the Church

— Thursday, March 8th, 2012 —

Recently I read a book that kept me awake a couple of nights. It was about “Clark Rockefeller,” and the scare quotes are important. The man was neither “Clark” nor “Rockefeller.” He was a German immigrant who crafted an identity as an heir of one of America’s wealthiest dynasties. He married, fathered a child, and was involved in fraud, theft, and maybe even murder. And no one ever knew, until the very end.

What made me squirm was that fact that the fake Rockefeller’s inroad to all his deception were churches and relationships, particularly with women. He would make the connections he needed in local congregations, and he would charm the women there. At the same time, he would parasitically imitate the men, watching and mirroring back to them their convictions and opinions, even the inflections of their voices. But, behind all of that, there was nothing real but a predatory appetite.

The New Testament warns us, of course, about spiritual impostors. Sometimes these “wolves” are there to introduce subtly false doctrine. But, just as often, it seems, these spiritual carnivores hold to true doctrine, at least on the surface. But they use this doctrine and service for predatory ends. The sons of Eli, for instance, use their priestly calling to co-opt the fat of the offering and to lay with the women at the altar (1 Sam. 2).Virtually every New Testament letter warns us about the same phenomenon (e.g., 2 Pet. 2; Jude).

But why, when there is so much opportunity for debauchery out there in the world around us, do such people choose the church?

“Famous People” by Brad Paisley

— Friday, March 2nd, 2012 —

In this episode of “The Cross and the Jukebox,” we’ll take a look at a song by Brad Paisley called “Famous People.”

This song, about a Hollywood celebrity stopping into a small-town country service station, is farcical on one level. As Kurt the mechanic speaks to this movie star he refers to himself as famous—because [...]