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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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How to Pray for the SBC 2022
In just a few short weeks, Southern Baptists from all around the nation and world will gather in Anaheim, California for the Annual...
Ben Francis
May 7, 20223 min read
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0 comments
In Praise of My Wife…
Mother’s Day is right around the corner, and while the holiday is man-made, the regular celebration of mothers is a good and right gift...
Ben Francis
May 6, 20223 min read
273 views
0 comments
What I’m Learning about Food
It might seem like an odd thing to say, but I’ve never really known how food works. I know that we eat it, our bodies process it to some...
Ben Francis
May 1, 20225 min read
137 views
1 comment
A Health Check-In
April 2022 In several previous posts (which can be read here, here, and here), I’ve talked about my own personal struggles with food, my...
Ben Francis
Apr 29, 20224 min read
161 views
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They're Teaching Kids What!? - Culture Shifts...
American culture is changing. In some ways, that is no great news. Culture is always changing and shifting to some degree. But right now,...
Ben Francis
Apr 18, 20226 min read
128 views
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What I'm Reading These Days...
It will come as no surprise to anyone that I am a big fan of books. I love books. Books make up a big part of my life. I turn to them for...
Ben Francis
Apr 18, 20223 min read
123 views
1 comment
The Commodification of Discipleship.
A building Crisis comes calling… Have you ever thought about how odd it is to walk into a grocery store? It is odd to walk into a store...
Ben Francis
Apr 3, 20227 min read
66 views
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Transgenderism: A Sin against the Body
Our modern times are bringing change to us faster than we ever thought possible. Nothing stays the same. Everything is changing. Change...
Ben Francis
Mar 30, 20227 min read
110 views
1 comment
The Crooked Path of the Christian Life
“The Christian life is a long obedience in the same direction.” - Eugene Peterson. The Christian life is a long obedience…full of twists...
Ben Francis
Mar 28, 20225 min read
158 views
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The "Power" of Transgenderism
Transgenderism: A Study in Power No one actually believes in Transgenderism. What I mean is, no one actually, truly believes that men and...
Ben Francis
Mar 24, 20226 min read
113 views
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Presidential Uncertainty...Again!
The SBC Presidential race heats up… It seems like the Southern Baptist Convention is gearing up for another fight for the Presidency....
Ben Francis
Mar 23, 20223 min read
83 views
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Is Our Discipleship in the Right Order?
Keeping the Horse and the Cart in the Right Place Discipleship: … How would you define it? Do you think most Church folks would know how...
Ben Francis
Mar 21, 20225 min read
148 views
1 comment
You Can't Have it Both Ways
A Cultural Moment Unfolding… “ATLANTA -- Lia Thomas is a national champion. Thomas, who is a transgender woman, touched the wall in 4...
Ben Francis
Mar 19, 20223 min read
194 views
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The Evangelical Industrial Complex and the Fall of Discipleship.
What Happened to Discipleship? The Evangelical Industrial Complex — “Big Eva” - Big Evangelicalism. If someone were to ask you, “ What is...
Ben Francis
Mar 13, 20228 min read
1,055 views
1 comment
Elitism and Power in the SBC - A Follow-Up
Elitism and Power in the SBC - Part 2 In August of 2021, I wrote a post entitled, “Elitism and Power in the SBC.” It was meant to serve...
Ben Francis
Mar 2, 20224 min read
146 views
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Should Christians Read the Left Behind book Series?
This will be a longer post, but I want to be thorough and offer some helpful material as I interact with Dispensational teaching. If you...
Ben Francis
Mar 1, 202212 min read
851 views
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Fast Discipleship is Not always Good Discipleship
More reflections from Wendell Berry We live in a microwave economy. You know what I mean — we live in an economy where we can have pretty...
Ben Francis
Feb 27, 20227 min read
98 views
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Farming for Healthy Families.
Discipleship is Household Work. A Mountain Morning. I greatly enjoy the writings of Wendell Berry, particularly his essays on farming,...
Ben Francis
Feb 26, 20225 min read
88 views
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The New Female Oppression
Above: Will Thomas, clad in a feminine swimsuit, raises his hands in victory, standing just ahead of the women he defeated. The New...
Ben Francis
Feb 21, 20227 min read
400 views
0 comments
How does Discipleship Happen?
I hear the question a lot. “I want to grow in my faith. I want to know the Bible better. I want to pray better. I want to be a better...
Ben Francis
Feb 17, 20225 min read
85 views
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