BrotherTony

Paul Chappell had Dan Quayle come to his Church but he was the FORMER VP and I do not think he was candidating for office (this was around 93 or 94, right before I got there). He also had JC Watt speak and often had other government dignitaries making appearances during special events and so forth. I was going to say that I never heard anyone actively "Candidating" for office but then I remember LA County Sheriff Lee Baca who was up for reelection at the time and was DEFINITELY doing some political posturing as he was addressing the congregation!
I said all that to say this: My personal view is that I would not have someone who was an active candidate for political office addressing my congregation. You are just asking for trouble especially if you are a conservative, fundamentalist church hosting a conservative political candidate.
In this day and age, I believe it best to avoid anything even resembling political posturing and especially with the Trump candidacy. This may not be popular but I am also for removing the flags from our auditoriums and forgoing "God and Country" Sunday and so forth. Christianity is not an "American" or "Western" thing nor is it exclusively a "Republican" thing! We need to express solidarity with our Christian brothers and sisters around the globe and ESPECIALLY those in countries that are adversarial to the United States! I believe it is good to express our support for Israel but we also need to acknowledge the fact that there are Palestinian Christians (genuine brothers and sisters) who are caught in the middle and suffering greatly as a result of the current warfare! Same goes for the Christians in Iran, Russia, China, and so forth!
Off my soap box now...

Preachers who say "God told me" are automatically on my "DO NOT TRUST" list. The pastor and president of what was then Fellowship Baptist College said this about buying several duplexes adjacent to the church, saying that the Lord had told him that the church/college needed to buy them because the college was going to dramatically grow. They bought the property and though the college did go on for several years, it ended up closing without the growth the pastor had claimed God had promised. We left that church especially in light of the fact we had been set up and suspended with the help of the college administration and his son, over something we had allegedly said to others in the college study room. It was one of our friends that had made the statements and we were guilty by association whether we agreed with our friend or not. We weren't even given a chance to defend ourselves. 
So, to be clear, I have very little patience or interest in ANY pastor/preacher who make such claims.

Preachers who say "God told me" are automatically on my "DO NOT TRUST" list. The pastor and president of what was then Fellowship Baptist College said this about buying several duplexes adjacent to the church, saying that the Lord had told him that the church/college needed to buy them because the college was going to dramatically grow. They bought the property and though the college did go on for several years, it ended up closing without the growth the pastor had claimed God had promised. We left that church especially in light of the fact we had been set up and suspended with the help of the college administration and his son, over something we had allegedly said to others in the college study room. It was one of our friends that had made the statements and we were guilty by association whether we agreed with our friend or not. We weren't even given a chance to defend ourselves. 
So, to be clear, I have very little patience or interest in ANY pastor/preacher who make such claims.

Good question. Still, it doesn't negate salvation if it was a genuine act of faith.

I've found material he produced for Christian families to be very helpful. Particularly 'The Christian Home.'
 

I just couldn't pass this by any longer.
1st, as mentioned above, raffles are gambling. Last I checked that was only okay for Catholics.
Then there's the quote:
"The church said the flamethrower is a "powerful tool" that can be used for "self-defense, hunting, and other purposes."
Really?
Self-defense? The only place this would be practical would be in your home and the resultant property damage would pretty much take away the practicality.
Hunting? Hunting what? That comment was just plain stupid; which is what this raffle is. 
A church is supposed to be a place that reaches out to the community with the Gospel and feeds those with an ear to hear. Firearms and flamethrowers just don't resonate as an adjunct to Jesus Christ. Given the current spiritual and political environment there are many that just salivate at stories like this to discredit Christianity. 
Stupidity like this does nothing but hinder the Gospel from being received. Just a few more doors slammed in the face of a door-knocker. Sad.
 

I have heard him preach many times. My wife and I almost went to Crown College years ago. What a wonderful servant of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

TGL, even in the smaller chuches there are many hunters. If I'm not mistaken about 40 percent of the men are hunters and over 30 percent of the women. 

I agree. Personally, I don't think he's got a leg to stand on. The university having been founded by his dad has every legal right to use the founders likeness and materials to promote itself. Jr is just ticked off because ke got caught in his wickedness and has lost his prestige and income to support his deluded and devilish lifestyle. Shameful.

I'm really not sure what to call him. He doesn't seem to stand for the fundamentals of the faith. I think I would consider calling him an apostate leader of a renegade group of heretics. If that's too strong for some people's sensibilities I guess that's just too bad. I call them as I see them compared to scripture.?

Agreed ?

There are differences between coffee and water...coffee is hot and can scald if someone is not careful and  spills it on someone. Drinking-temp water is not/would not.  Coffee stains if spilled, water does not. Coffee stinks as it sits and dries if not thoroughly cleaned up. Water does not. As I mentioned earlier, coffee will also mold. Water will not. (now, granted, if someone is on the ball and thoroughly cleans the spill, there are not real problems...but when the church cleaner isn't thorough, or when a spill is not mentioned, problems come).
Aside from that, coffee is also a beverage that many folks enjoy while chatting with friends. No problem with that. But we have experienced the casual attitude that takes over when everyone's holding a cup of coffee (in some cases it was tea and hot chocolate - you can't say no to those if you say yes to coffee).  Anyone who is familiar with human nature knows that an irreverent attitude during worship service is a heart issue. That's not even my point...my point is if the pastor KNOWS that something is going to encourage a casual atmosphere and allows it, that pastor is guilty of encouraging what will likely lead to an irreverent - and then worldly - atmosphere, and heart issues amongst those who are irreverent. If you haven't experienced a church that is actually irreverent due to casual atmosphere, it's not uplifting at all.
Again, each church has to make its own decision. But I have to disagree that church is a  "private social club." God's church is not a club, social or otherwise, and shouldn't be treated as such. It is the called out assembly of believers joining together to worship a Holy God. Fellowshipping at church does not equate to the club atmosphere. True Christian fellowship far surpasses that of any social club. IMO.  (That does not mean churches that allow coffee during the morning service are sinning, FWIW.)
I don't think anyone is going to be able to point to scripture that forbids coffee during the worship service. But there are many principles regarding behavior in the House of God that might give folks pause.

No, it's not supposed to be a "social club" per se.. But being "social" is the whole point of  "the assembling of yourselves together".
Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

It's supposed to be a place of worship, but it has to be a social club, and I hate that word "club." But, it is a club of sorts. One can't get away from that fact.

I drink coffee in Sunday School and leave my cup there when church starts.  I don't believe it belongs in the preaching service and I can do without it for an hour. But I wouldn't attend John Piper's church regardless of whether he let me drink coffee in the sanctuary or not. He has much more pressing things to get right on, than "drinking coffee" in church.

Acts 20:9 And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead.
Maybe he should of had some coffee????

My hubs has told folks no coffee in the sanctuary at all, nor other drinks besides water. We meet in a manufactured home, so the living room area (which is our sanctuary) is open and connected with the kitchen. When we first began attending, Sunday and Wednesday nights were around the table where everyone had coffee or whatever.  Atmosphere was WAY too casual, and more general talking took place than anything else. People would bring whatever they were drinking into the sanctuary on Sunday mornings. And there was a spill. Stained the (already messy) carpet, but worse than that it wasn't wiped off the chairs...and it molded. Ugh!
So when  hubs became pastor, he shook things up...no more sitting around the table in the evenings, and nothing but water in the sanctuary. Made some folks pretty unhappy  (and the resulting gossip is what led to the church split about a year later). But he stuck to his guns.  Coffee was always ready when folks arrived, so they could sip and chat before services.
However, it was a habit for one of the men to start another pot just before the service ended...hubs put a stop to that, so the new pot was made earlier (we were given some carafes which kept the coffee hot, so that helped).
Fast forward to a guest beginning to attend. He had absolutely no respect for the fact that we were a church. He treated the building like it was a house (even wanted us to let him move in to the kids' Sunday School room since at the time we had no kids attending...even though he was told no, he began bringing some of his stuff and leaving it in there, hanging his clothes in the closet, etc). He did awful  things like hanging his wet socks on the fire extinguisher in the kitchen and walking around barefoot, getting upset when hubs told him to put shoes on because we are a church, not someone's house. There was a lot of other stuff. Like bringing breakfast in late to Sunday School and eating it over the island, rummaging through the fridge and the cupboards while hubs was teaching, etc. Leaving a mess, yada yada.
So hubs instituted a new thing: kitchen is closed 5minutes before Sunday School and not open again until after the morning service. Also closed during evening services. Everybody understood why and had no problem with it.
Our son is a major coffee drinker, as are two of the other men. But they don't even try to carry it into the sanctuary. And coffee drinking stops at 5 til service time.
All of that said is anecdotal, but it is why we don't have coffee during service times. There was not a reverent attitude and it really did hurt the atmosphere. No, coffee wasn't the culprit, but sitting there drinking it during service time helped create the atmosphere.
 

Coffee is not allowed during our main worship service, but it is allowed during Sunday School and evening Bible Study. We found that coffee created a too-casual atmosphere during the worship service. Of course, every area is different, but that was the case for us.

Personally I would rather people NOT bring it into the sanctuary. Whether there are carpeted, lvp, marble, or plain hardwood floors, a spill would be messy and be a major distraction and possibly a tool the adversary could use. Yet, in the Cowboy Church we occasionally attend they allow coffee. The floor is concrete, and these people are used to stepping in and walking through things much worse than coffee. ?

Pastors are to instruct and guide those under his care in spiritual matters. He can give his opinion regarding physical things, but, when he goes as far as to twist scripture to fit his own ideology, and tries to force his opinion down his congregants throats, he's overstepped his authority. I have little respect or regard for such preachers.

The Bible does not explicitly state whether vaccines are a sin or not. Therefore, each individual must decide what is best for their family. A pastor should not try to play the role of the Holy Spirit and tell their congregation whether or not vaccines are a sin. Instead, they should encourage their congregation to pray and seek guidance from God on this matter.
@Sabrina Welcome to OB. 

Preachers have authority to remind people of the principles of God's Word. If a politician/political leaning is blatantly defying God's ways, then there is a place for pastors to remind people of truth and to remind them to pay attention to what their politicians support. They can share what they've learned re politics, what their personal choice is and why, but shouldn't outright tell people who to vote for, IMO. 

Health (and what goes/doesn't go) into our bodies is the responsible of the individual, and occasionally the family (for children).  Except where sin is involved, it is not the place or responsibility of the church to have an opinion therein. 

The SBC has it's liberals and even heresy infecting their circles, such as Calvinism, just like IFB churches do. Calvinism is very heretical if you ask me and I can't, for the life of me, comprehend why either a SBC church or IFB one would associate with such who teach it.  But just like IFB churches can choose not to affiliate or associate with certain churches with teach false doctrine(and many do have networks of churches they associate with), the SBC can do things like "kicking out" churches with women "preachers". And an SBC affiliated church can leave the SBC any time it wants to. An example, by contrast, I know of a little country Methodist church we used to visit in our area (to play music) which recently pulled out of the United Methodist organization; the organization took their church building, bank accounts and all other assets. I know of an Assembly of God church which went through basically the same thing. But I'd be willing to bet my pastor would pull out of the SBC if they condoned women preachers, homosexual preachers, or any other junk like that, and we wouldn't lose our church assets for doing it. How is that not actually independent?

Yet, churches can become so Independent" they end up with little or no accountability to their people, as the pastor becomes a dictator and usually ends up in some kind of trouble. Not all are like this, but, many do. Case in point is First Baptist in Hammond. And, as I have stated many times here, all SBC churches are Independent, autonomous, Baptist churches no matter how much some here will disagree. They decide whom they wish to fellowship with...and believe it or not, there are many IFB churches that fellowship with SBC churches. Jim, you're always welcome to your opinion on the subject. Yet, many in the IFB churches hate to admit they associate with other IFB churches through things like listings of IFB churches for travelers, or for people moving. And just as all IFB churches are not the same, neither are churches who fellowship with other SBC churches are not all the same. 

Brother Tony, I m aware of your position in this matter, and of course you are entitled to it. But, I respectfully disagree with your assertion in many posts that "all SBC churches are Independent, autonomous," 
I disagree for these reasons; if your church is listed as an SBC church, you are part of that organization, after all, it is an organization, something organized to exert some form of control over their membership churches. If your church uses SBC materials, supports their mission boards, or any of their programs or in any other way, toes the SBC line, you are not truly Independent. You may have limited Independence in that, your church membership votes and decides what other churches it will fellowship with. But if your church deviates from SBC guidelines, or if you break with their traditions you are no longer in good standing; that is control.
If the SBC has any authority to disfellowship or kick your church out of the SBC, your church is not truly Independent. This subject has been hashed over many times among Baptists and no agreement will result from this post at this time. But looking to scripture for justification of organizations in regard to churches will fail. Scripture is clear in its teaching that each church is to be Independent.