Give us Preachers, not Shepherds!
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do...
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Shepherding Thoughts
by Pastor Ben Francis
Welcome to Shepherding Thoughts: An inside look at a Southern Baptist Pastor's comments on navigating popular topics in Christianity and Religion.
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Ben Francis
- Jul 2
- 6 min
How God Decorates our Lives
“Sunday morning worship is a Saturday night decision.” Maybe you’ve heard that said, or maybe you’ve said it yourself. And it's right. It...
79 views0 comments
Ben Francis
- Jun 13
- 13 min
The 2024 Southern Baptist Convention in Review…
For those of you interested in a recap of the 2024 Southern Baptist Convention, here is a broad, and hopefully fair overview of the main...
657 views0 comments
Ben Francis
- May 7
- 5 min
Down Go the Boy Scouts: Weak Men get Weaker
In an unsurprising move, the Boys Scouts of America (BSA) announced on Tuesday, May 7th, that the Organization would be changing its name...
360 views0 comments
Ben Francis
- Apr 5
- 11 min
Is the Southern Baptist Convention Overstepping its Authority?
A discussion of Creeds, Authority, and Autonomy There is a growing discussion in some corners of the SBC that the Convention is preparing...
564 views2 comments
Ben Francis
- Mar 27
- 8 min
Pastor Ben's Reading List: A Guide for Christians, Bible Students, Pastors, Parents, and More.
I’ve put this list of resources together for Christians, Church ministry leaders, Sunday School teachers and small groups leaders,...
524 views0 comments
Ben Francis
- Mar 18
- 7 min
What Are Pastors Doing During the Week? 10 Things...
I often get a lot of questions about how I spend my time as a Pastor. People are understandably curious about what I do. Some people are...
222 views0 comments
Ben Francis
- Mar 5
- 5 min
10 Leadership Lessons from the Movie: Greyhound
In 2020, the Movie Greyhound was released on AppleTv in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. It was a groundbreaking movie for several...
103 views0 comments
Ben Francis
- Mar 1
- 6 min
10 Lessons about Church I've learned from the Gym…
I go to the gym 5 days a week (most weeks anyhow). I do it for several reasons, but mostly for my own personal well-being. Caring for the...
162 views0 comments
Ben Francis
- Feb 23
- 13 min
What's Happening when the Pastor is Preaching?
Every single week, 52 weeks per year (and more if you include Sunday nights and Wednesday nights), Pastors rise to speak the Word of God...
88 views0 comments
Ben Francis
- Feb 15
- 10 min
A Pastoral Guide to Preparing for a Funeral.
**Note, this post is written in view of North Carolina Law.** Funeral planning comes during some of the most difficult moments of our...
130 views0 comments
Ben Francis
- Feb 10
- 2 min
Developing a Christian Political Worldview
The 2024 political season will be tumultuous. It already is. That much is a given. Lots will be said and written…and probably thrown. For...
63 views0 comments
Ben Francis
- Jan 26
- 8 min
Our Responsibilities in Baptizing Our Children
In Matthew 19:13-14, we read these words, “Then children were brought to Him that He might lay His hands on them and pray. The disciples...
180 views0 comments
Ben Francis
- Dec 26, 2023
- 11 min
Male and Female He Created Them: The Bible and Homosexuality
The issue of homosexuality confronts Christians everywhere we look today. Our twenty-first century culture is inundated with the full...
144 views0 comments
Ben Francis
- Nov 20, 2023
- 13 min
How Should Christians Practice Santa Claus?
Christians, Christmas, and Santa Claus. And Elf on the Shelf, the Easter Bunny, and More… SHHHHHHHHH! Don’t tell the kids…but, Santa...
626 views2 comments
Ben Francis
- Nov 13, 2023
- 7 min
The Priority of Sunday Christian Worship
Is Sunday morning Church important? With the rising list of activities and committments facing us today, is gathering with our Church...
212 views0 comments
Ben Francis
- Sep 21, 2023
- 7 min
How God is Saving Me from Preaching
Thoughts from a growing Pastor-Shepherd… I'm a Pastor-Shepherd, and I preach and teach every week; multiple times each week. And by God’s...
359 views0 comments
Ben Francis
- Sep 7, 2023
- 9 min
Why I'm Starting a PhD…
Well, now you know. I’m starting a PhD. I noted toward the end of last year that I was working on a large project that would take up some...
438 views0 comments
Ben Francis
- Sep 5, 2023
- 10 min
How do We Actually Experience God’s Sovereignty?
Sovereignty: God’s absolute and unquestioned control over every single detail of creation, including our lives and choices. So, how do we...
106 views0 comments
Ben Francis
- Aug 5, 2023
- 11 min
The "Secret" Mission of the American Library Association.
Are Public Libraries becoming Social Engines for the LGBTQ Agenda? How to use this post. If you would like to read a synopsis of this...
209 views0 comments
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