What about ministry gives you joy? – Jed Coppenger

By / Apr 15

FTC. co asks Jed Coppenger ‘What about ministry gives you joy?’.



The Problem of Good

By / Apr 9

“I feel drawn to the idea of God, but I don’t think I can get over the reality of things like childhood cancer, spousal abuse, and sexual assault. If God is out there, why is He letting these things happen? If I were driving down the road and saw someone attacking someone, I’d be morally obligated to intervene. Yet this God who we’re supposed to worship is passive? If He is real, is He even worthy of our love or glory?”

A new person to our church asked me this question a few weeks ago. She wasn’t being a smug skeptic; she was genuinely wrestling with the nature of a personal deity who tolerates such decay.

The problem of evil isn’t merely a topic to be discussed in Philosophy 101 courses; it’s a wound that exists in the heart of every person who loves suffering persons and is simultaneously trying to hold onto the twin doctrines of God’s providence and God’s goodness. Like a mother trying to attend to three crying kids all at once, the problem of evil harasses the soul, pulling it in three directions.

“Tread lightly,” I warned. “Do you know what you’re starting to sound like?”

“I know, I know,” she responded, “I’m not smarter than God, blah blah blah. I sound like a Reddit atheist who’s socially awkward, who only knows how to connect with people by antagonizing them.”

“No, that’s not what I was getting at. You’re starting to sound like a biblical author.”

She stared back at me, surprised. “What? I’m telling you about obstacles to my faith, just to be clear.”

“Yes, I hear that. And your obstacles to faith sound like faith. The questions you are raising sound like what we read about in Job, Psalms, Lamentations, and even what we hear from Jesus when He’s suffering. ‘How long, oh Lord? Why have You forsaken me? Why do You stand by idly in the face of evil? You said You hate evil, yet the evil ones flourish.’ What you’re describing as doubts are actually the seeds of faith. About a third of the prayers in the Psalms and a few of the whole books in the Bible sound like this.”

“I didn’t know about that. I thought that was ‘unbeliever’ language,” she said.

“Oh, quite the opposite,” I continued. “In order to be angry at evil, you have to have a concrete belief in the existence of not-evil, or goodness. This shouldn’t be assumed.”

Where Does Good Come From?

“Okay, tell me more.” She leaned in. “Part of what brought me here today is a sense that there has to be a design to all of this; like, for my kids to be objectively and not just subjectively meaningful, there has to be some moral structure to the world.”

“Yes! Exactly!” I said. “That belief in order, meaning, goodness, and beauty—where can it come from? For childhood cancer to be not good, it must be violating some standard of goodness that exists not just in your mind, but above your mind. The same with spousal abuse. If you want to be able to say that these things are objectively bad, there must be an objective good, a standard that is over-and-above subjective preferences or cultural sensibilities.”

“Okay, but how does that connect to faith in God or Jesus?” she asked.

“Here’s how. If everything came from nothing, on accident, then, so the story goes, all that exists is physics and chemistry. Protons and electrons. Atoms. Chemicals and chemical reactions. Your consciousness is just an illusion, a fizzing bag of the periodic table colliding together. Science and scientific inquiry cannot give you an ‘ought,’ but only an ‘is.’ They can’t say what should be. They can only describe what has been. There is no moral or immoral. No good or not good. No beautiful. No ugly. Just a view on reality.

“But,” I continued, “if we aren’t inhabiting mere ‘nature’ but instead a ‘creation,’ then there is a ‘should’—a ‘how things are supposed to be.’ There, evil can be truly evil, not just ‘against my preferences.’”

“I see,” she replied. “I think I’ve been sensing that, and that’s why my family is here today.”

“I can see that. And what a step you’ve taken. The problem of evil is difficult, but the problem of goodness is more difficult. It is certainly part of why I am a Christian today. I have an answer to the problem of goodness, but I’m rarely satisfied by my answer to the problem of evil.”

Trust in the Ultimate Good

“How?” she asked. “How can you not have an answer?”

“Oh, I have an answer,” I said. “But it is only sometimes emotionally satisfying. Often it isn’t. Then I start to pray like the biblical authors. ‘How long, oh Lord? Why do You do what You do? I don’t like what You’re up to!’ The genre is called lament. In Hebrew, Lama means ‘why?’ Many of the laments offered up in the Scriptures are not answered. It is frustrating. When Jesus laments on the cross, He still dies. God in the flesh took His own medicine. So I can at least trust that He gets my emotional state.”

I went on. “But He rose from the dead three days later. So we see that God can use evil for good. Rarely do we get such a clean demonstration of goodness like we do in the good news of Jesus. So we can choose to trust. We inhabit the tension. A preacher named Charles Spurgeon once said, ‘The Christian trusts Him where he cannot trace Him.’”[1]

“Well, I don’t love that, but I guess it makes sense.”

“Yes, but do you see how the problem of goodness has to come before the problem of evil? How beauty must precede ugliness? The chaos of naturalistic evolution cannot deliver on the problem of goodness.”

“Yes. Absolutely,” she said.

“The life God is inviting you into does require trust that grows over time. You have faith in the existence of a creation; next comes faith in the Creator. However, no matter how much you trust Him, you’ll never outgrow the prayers of lament until He returns and makes all things new. And even then, I’m not convinced I will understand all that He’s done in this life; He’ll always be infinite, and we’ll remain finite even into eternity. To trust the infinite One will require discomfort. You are already stepping into that by coming here today and speaking with me. It seems like the Lord has a hook in your mouth, but you’re not quite yet in the book. He will continue what He’s started.”

She teared up, thanked me for talking, and said she’d better go get her kids from the kids’ ministry.

Here’s the reality: No slick answer will solve the relational and emotional difficulty of the problem of evil. A cute answer may even unintentionally cheapen the suffering. Validating the inquirer’s concerns while simultaneously inviting them to consider an additional problem, the problem of goodness, can validate a small spark of faith while inviting the person into an honest life with God. In seeing the person behind the philosophical questions, we can faithfully represent the One who will hear them when they learn to call on His name.

__________

[1] Charles H. Spurgeon, “A Happy Christian,” from Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Volume 13, The Spurgeon Center, https://www.spurgeon.org/resource-library/sermons/a-happy-christian/#flipbook/.



Episode 310: Live Conference Episode Part 2

By / Apr 9

In the second of two live episodes recorded at the Federated Fellowship Bible Conference in Pella, Iowa, this time around Jared and Ross answer questions from the conference audience. No pre-screening. No safety net. Just a couple of guys, a couple of mics, and a handful of surprise queries.



What about ministry gives you joy? – Madison Grace

By / Apr 8

FTC.co asks Madison Grace ‘What about ministry gives you joy?’.



Harnessing the Winds of Revival

By / Apr 7

Editor’s note: This article is taken from the introduction to C. H. Spurgeon’s Sermons (Expanding Ministry—Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit: 1861 to 1876, Volumes 7–22) in vol. 7, pp. v–vii and pp. xiv–xv. Used by permission of Reformation Heritage Books. This collection is now available for purchase.

The first seven years (1854–1861) of C. H. Spurgeon’s ministry in London were accompanied by a surprising revival. No one could have expected it. Through a nineteen-year-old country preacher, a dying congregation was revitalized, and hundreds—perhaps thousands—were converted under his ministry during those early years. Though only a few dozen were in attendance when Spurgeon first arrived at New Park Street in 1853, by 1861 membership was at 1,473, with thousands more regularly attending.

But revival also brought its challenges. During those years Spurgeon warned his congregation, “If the Lord sends his Spirit like a hurricane, it is ours to deal with skill with the sails lest the hurricane should wreck us by driving us upon some fell rock that may do us serious injury.”[1] Spurgeon had seen churches shipwrecked in the winds of revival.[2] One church boasted of taking in a hundred or so new members in a year, only to excommunicate eighty of them the following year for “disorderly conduct and forsaking the truth.”[3] Other churches were happy to swell their ranks but gave no thought as to how to disciple or engage their people in ministry.[4] Some self-proclaimed revivalists had begun resorting to new tactics and emotionalism, hoping to fabricate the work of the Spirit.[5] Even as Spurgeon experienced a revival in his church, he refused to compromise his theological and ecclesiological convictions. “Take care, ye that are officers in the church, when ye see the people stirred up, that ye exercise still a holy caution, lest the church become lowered in its standard of piety by the admission of persons not truly saved.”[6]

At the same time, Spurgeon did not want to let the winds of revival simply pass by. There was such a response to his preaching that he contemplated at one point becoming a traveling evangelist. But in his experience of itinerant preaching, it was hard to know what the long-term effect was. While preaching in an open field in Wales, Spurgeon describes how “the Spirit of God was poured upon us, and men and women were swayed to and fro under the Heavenly message.” Still, once the meeting ended, the people went their separate ways, and he would never see them again.[7]

While one must be careful not to let the winds destroy the ship, the skillful sailor will look for ways to harness that wind. But how does one harness the hurricane winds of revival? Spurgeon believed it was through the church. As converts gave credible professions of faith, they were brought into the membership of the church, where they could be cared for by the elders and discipled under the ministry of the word. Not only that, but these church members were then engaged in the work of ministry, in both caring for one another and bringing the gospel to the lost around them. Spurgeon’s effort to harness the winds of revival was represented by the building and opening of the Metropolitan Tabernacle in 1861. This magnificent new building that seated six thousand would become the base of operations for Spurgeon’s ministry for the next thirty years.

If the New Park Street Pulpit tells the story of a revival in London, then the Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit tells the story of the harnessing of that revival through an established and expanding church ministry. Like the previous volumes, they are a collection of the published Sunday morning sermons that were being preached week by week at the Metropolitan Tabernacle and then collected into a single volume at the end of each year. But just as God uses the preaching of the word to revive His people, He also uses it to sustain them and send them out. These sermons were the lifeblood of the Metropolitan Tabernacle, establishing that congregation in the word and providing the spiritual vitality needed for all the endeavors that would flow out of it.

~

The stories from Spurgeon’s ministry are remarkable: the vast audiences, the sermons published, the pastors trained, the churches planted, the orphans fed, the missionaries sent out, and the battles fought, all on a vast scale that is hard to imagine. Truly, it was a surprising work of God. It must be remembered, however, that Spurgeon did not do all that alone. He was surrounded in this work by his congregation. These sermons are a reminder that what motivated and sustained these congregational efforts was not human creativity or industry but God working powerfully through the preaching of the gospel. Through these gospel-rich sermons, God brought many to repentance and faith, uniting them to the church and motivating their service.

Church growth experts today will have thousands of new ideas on how to grow a church and keep people engaged. Some of those ideas may be useful. But not if they come at the expense of this one central call of the minister: preach Christ. Spurgeon’s fruitful ministry stands as a stirring commendation to the power of faithful gospel preaching. That’s not to say we can ever presume a particular kind of result. Spurgeon’s story was a surprising and unique work of God in a particular historical context.

Still, those who preach the gospel faithfully can pray and expect that God’s word will not return void. In his one thousandth published sermon, from the parable of the prodigal son, Spurgeon stated the aim of his sermon, once again echoing his words at the opening of the Tabernacle and continuing in the themes that he had already preached thousands of times before:

My desire this morning shall be to put plainly before every sinner here the exceeding abundance of the grace of God in Christ Jesus, hoping that the Lord will find out those who are his sons, and that they may catch at these words, and as they hear of the abundance of the bread in the Father’s house, may say, “I will arise and go to my Father.”[8]

__________

[1] C. H. Spurgeon, New Park Street Pulpit (1855–1916; repr., Grand Rapids: Refor- mation Heritage Books, 2024), 4:167.

[2] Though in some of these cases, Spurgeon would have questioned whether a real, Spirit-wrought revival took place at all.

[3] Spurgeon, New Park Street Pulpit, 2:76.

[4] Spurgeon states, “Alas! there is such a thing as having a large addition to the church of men that are of no use whatever. Many an army has swelled its ranks with recruits, who have in no way whatever contributed to its might.” New Park Street Pulpit, 2:76.

[5] Spurgeon recounts, “I have heard of the people crowding in the morning, the afternoon, and the evening, to hear some noted revivalist, and under his preach- ing some have screamed, have shrieked, have fallen down on the floor, have rolled themselves in convulsions, and afterwards, when he has set a form for penitents, employing one or two decoy ducks to run out from the rest and make a confession of sin, hundreds have come forward, impressed by that one sermon, and declared that they were, there and then, turned from the error of their ways.” New Park Street Pulpit, 4:162.

[6] Spurgeon, New Park Street Pulpit, 4:167.

[7] C. H. Spurgeon, C. H. Spurgeon’s Autobiography: Compiled from His Diary, Letters, and Records, by His Wife and His Private Secretary (London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1897–1900), 2:93–94.

[8] Spurgeon, Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, 17:386–87.



Episode 309: Live Conference Episode Part 1

By / Apr 2

Here’s a first for the FTC Podcast! Jared and Ross recorded this Mailbag episode live at the Federated Fellowship Bible Conference in Pella, Iowa on March 8, 2025 as the first part of two total live episodes. The questions submitted by listeners include: when should pastors speak out about politics, why evangelism feels “transactional,” the impact of conferences and podcasts on our understanding of pastors, and how uniform church members should be on doctrinal matters.



Why I love ministry – JT English

By / Apr 1

JT English answers ‘Why I love Minsitry” for ftc.co.



What Does Jesus Want Me to Do?

By / Mar 26

“I don’t know what God’s doing, but I feel like He’s calling me to do something. What does Jesus want me to do?”

Whether you’re a ministry resident weighing the future or a mid-career professional thinking about seminary, the question “Am I called?” can be overwhelming. For many, it represents a major life change, like moving or switching careers. Calling is important, and we’re right to take it seriously. But sometimes we overthink it. Discerning God’s will may not be as complicated as you think.

Before you rush into seminary or take a church job, here are some questions to consider.

“Am I Called?”

The question is broad, but if you believe in Jesus, the answer is simple: “Yes!”

Peter says you are “a royal priest” who is called to proclaim the excellencies of God (1 Peter 2:9). This calling is not vocational but ontological, meaning that it’s more about who we are than what we do. We are all royal priests who proclaim Christ, regardless of whether we work in ministry, or as a CEO, an accountant, or a teacher. So, are you called? Yes, you are called by God to proclaim God—no matter your job.

The Tension: Leave the Boat or Stay?

Peter has settled the big question. You’re called. However, even with 1 Peter 2:9, the feeling that God wants you to do more doesn’t go away so easily. How do we know what Jesus wants us individually to do?

The reality is that Jesus calls some to leave their boats and others to stay. Peter and Andrew were called to follow Jesus and become “fishers of men” (Matt. 4:18–20). But, in other cases, Jesus told people to stay. For example, after Jesus freed the Gerasene demoniac, the man begged to follow Him. Instead of letting him join the disciples, Jesus sent him home to tell others what God had done (Luke 8:38). For Peter, the calling meant to leave his boat, but for the former demoniac, it meant staying home. The calling was different for each, but their mission was the same: Tell people about Jesus.

Not all calls to ministry mean leaving your current career. So, how do you know if you’re called to leave the boat or stay? The answer starts with a little honest self-reflection.

Step One: Question

Start by questioning your internal stirrings. Sometimes, what feels like a calling may simply be discontentment. Some of the same rumblings that make people feel they’re being called into the ministry make some ministers believe they’re supposed to leave the ministry.

“I feel like my job is futile. It never ends and doesn’t feel like it’s going anywhere.” “I want to do something meaningful.” “I want freedom! Think of what I could do if I could just read my Bible and disciple people all day.” These are the sentiments I’ve heard from accountants, teachers, and even police officers who are thinking about selling everything to join a ministry. But I’ve also heard them from pastors as they leave the ministry!

Ministry, like any vocation, carries futility. God cursed human work, so all jobs have their “thorns and thistles” (Gen. 3:18). No job, including ministry, escapes this. Discontentment is discontentment, regardless of the field. Before jumping into something new, ask yourself: Am I really feeling the stirrings of a calling, or is it discontentment that Jesus alone can fix?

Step Two: Discover

The next step is accepting that discerning God’s call involves discovery, which takes time. It involves personal reflection and community input. Calling isn’t something you create; it’s something you receive. I’ve found that discovery comes easier when I ask three questions: What are the needs? What are my gifts and passions? What are the opportunities?

Your calling will be the intersection of those three things.

1. What Are the Needs?

Calling begins with seeing the needs around you. God does not call us to dream jobs but to service. Whatever your calling is, it was given to you so that you can serve the needs of God’s people. Paul was called to be an apostle to the Gentiles because they needed the gospel (Eph. 3:1–7). Similarly, Titus stayed in Crete to appoint elders the church needed (Titus 1:5). As you consider what ministry God is calling you to do, ask: What needs do I see in my church or community? In what way does the body of Christ need to be built up?

I remember a church planter who said he felt called to a certain community because “There are thousands of people and hardly any gospel-proclaiming steeples.” God calls us to meet needs, to fill gaps, and to strengthen weaknesses. So, what need is He placing in front of you?

2. What Are My Gifts and Passions?

When God calls you, He equips you. Your gifts are given by the Spirit “for the common good” (1 Cor. 12:7). Because they’re from the Spirit, our gifts are not given for comparison but for service. Some may wish they could preach, but every gift, from teaching to hospitality, has equal value in God’s Kingdom.

Alongside gifts, consider your passions. Passion isn’t just about loving something; it’s about loving something so much you’re willing to suffer for it. If you’re passionate about preaching or counseling, you will face challenges in growing that craft. Ministry, like all vocations, requires suffering. What hardships are you willing to endure for the calling God has placed on you?

3. What Opportunities Are in Front of Me?

There’s no ideal ministry; there are just opportunities to serve. Some may seem small or beneath you, but they are often the first steps. Oftentimes, discerning calling doesn’t mean discovering your destination but rather your next step. What does God want you to do next? When assessing your calling, be cautious about dismissing smaller opportunities. Those small opportunities may be big moments through which the Lord develops us into the people He wants us to become.

Kevin DeYoung offers valuable advice: “If God opens the door for you to do something good or necessary, be thankful for the opportunity. But don’t assume that ease or difficulty is a sign of God’s will. God’s will for you is sanctification, and He uses discomfort to make us holy.”

Step Three: Grow

Once you’ve reflected on your calling and the opportunities in front of you, the next step is growth. Ministry is a craft, and like any craft, growth comes through experience. Training may teach you the theory, but only experience will shape you into a craftsman.

Growth in ministry comes as you serve. If you want to preach, teach small groups first or faithfully teach in the children’s ministry (if you can teach kids, you can teach anyone). If you aspire to lead larger ministries, begin by learning to lead smaller volunteer teams. Growth is a process of developing character and skill as you go. The key is to embrace that process and gain experience from whatever opportunities are available, no matter how small.

Confirmation from the Community

In all these steps, involving your church in the discernment process is crucial. Calling is never a solo endeavor; it’s a community one. The church plays a key role in helping us identify our gifts, testing them, and assessing what opportunities are best for us to pursue.

In an article I wrote years ago, I encouraged readers to think of the church as your spiritual gifts test. It is the best place to receive honest feedback on your abilities, your readiness, and even your motives. True calling is affirmed by the community, not just by individual reflection. As we see in Acts 13, even though Paul and Barnabas were called by the Holy Spirit, it was the church who affirmed that calling. Timothy’s calling was affirmed by elders (1 Tim. 4:14). By God’s design, the church is an indispensable piece of discerning our callings.

Fulfill Your Calling

Finally, once you’ve wrestled with these questions and gained clarity, do what Paul told Timothy: “Fulfill your ministry” (2 Tim. 4:5). There comes a point when analysis must give way to action. Faithfulness means getting to work. The opportunities God provides will use your gifts to meet the needs around you—this is your calling.

Don’t overthink it. Take the next step, and trust that as you serve faithfully, God will guide you to fulfill your calling.



Episode 308: Beauty

By / Mar 26

Wonder and awe of the beautiful is essential to the human experience. Our souls are often shaped and formed by the aesthetic experiences provided by the Creator. When we neglect this aspect of our lives, we fail to realize how God has created us uniquely to not only enjoy beauty, but to also create the beautiful. A distinctly Christian vision of these realities opens our eyes to see how God has enchanted our world to draw us toward Him, the source and substance of beauty, for a deeper experience of the Christian life. On this episode, Jared Wilson talks with pastor and author Matt Capps about his new book Drawn by Beauty and the place of awe and wonder in the Christian life. We even talk about Christian movies!



What about ministry gives you joy? – Ashlyn Portero

By / Mar 25

Ftc.co asks Ashlyn Portero ‘What about ministry gives you joy?’.