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.

Why American Christians Can No Longer Vote for Democrats.

For much of American political history, American citizens have shared a common worldview, which led to basic agreement on a great many...

Ben Francis

Oct 22, 20245 min read

Walking Our Wives through the Valley of Miscarriage: An Encouragement to Husbands

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they...

Ben Francis

Sep 9, 20247 min read

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...

Ben Francis

Mar 1, 20246 min read

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...

Ben Francis

Feb 15, 202410 min read

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...

Ben Francis

Dec 26, 202311 min read

The Unique Grief of Miscarriage and the hope and help of Jesus Christ.

We recently lost our daughter to miscarriage. It happened somewhere in the 10-14 week range of the pregnancy. My dear friend summed up...

Ben Francis

Jul 20, 202315 min read

Minnesota Oversteps: Christian Parents Beware...

Trans Rights and the Loss of Parental Authority The Transgender Revolution marches on… “Silence in the face of evil is evil itself. Not...

Ben Francis

Apr 30, 20233 min read

Pregnant Men? The Transgender Revolution Marches On...

A New Fight for Life... In the mid 2000's, Thomas Beatie was announced as the first ever pregnant man. It took the media by storm, but...

Ben Francis

Feb 4, 20238 min read

Food, Exercise, and Struggle: A Personal Health Update - January 23'

I’ve been on a health journey for the past few years. I’ve written about it on the blog, so I won’t rehash everything here. But, it's...

Ben Francis

Jan 25, 20235 min read

The Sanctity of Human Life.

Sunday, January 22, 2023 is Sanctity of Human Life Day. Sanctity: The quality or state of being holy or sacred : INVIOLABILITY. What is...

Ben Francis

Jan 18, 20236 min read

A few Days Among the Giants: Our Trip to California's National Parks...

Sequoia Kings and The Yosemite This past summer (June 22'), my wife and I, along with some of our dearest friends (Jason and Charity...

Ben Francis

Dec 11, 20224 min read

Lord, Thank You for this Sickness.

Learning to thank God for our afflictions… Throughout our lives, we all experience the normal pains, sufferings, and struggles of having...

Ben Francis

Nov 14, 20225 min read

About Exercise...

A Christian View of Dieting, Pt. 4 - The Exercise Exercise is about personal health, not body image. The Lure of Body Image. I remember...

Ben Francis

Aug 26, 20224 min read

A Christian View of Dieting, Part 1

In this series of posts, I want to think through dieting and its implications, not only for our physical bodies, but for our spiritual...

Ben Francis

Jul 21, 20224 min read

The Pastor and the Dietitian...

Over the last year or so—as I have been reading and educating myself about food, diet, exercise, and the like— it occurs to me that...

Ben Francis

Jul 5, 20226 min read