Gospel-Centered Resources from Midwestern Seminary
On this episode of the FTC Podcast, Jared Wilson talks with pastor and author Jonathan Dodson about his new book, The Unwavering Pastor, and how ministry leaders can navigate this strange and trying new season with grace and endurance.
For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
— 1 Corinthians 4:15
As I get older, I think more and more about this claim from Paul — and the concept of “spiritual fatherhood” generally — and it seems a pressing issue to me, not just “culturally,” but personally. I won’t say I’ve done a great job of being a spiritual father, but by God’s grace, I want to be. And I’ve certainly benefited from spiritual fatherhood. These are some thoughts on what this practice looks like that I’ve been kicking around for some time and thought might be worth sharing.
1. Spiritual fatherhood is fatherhood, not guru-dom.
In other words, it does not consist in handing down spiritual proverbs from on high like some kind of authoritative oracle, but rather leads from alongside, encourages through relationship, coaches as one invested. By “guides,” I take Paul to mean theological and moral influences — both good and bad, perhaps — and these kinds of voices are of course many, especially in our day of talking head religious media and Internet know-it-alls. There is of course wisdom and positive influence to be found in these arenas. But nothing beats the wisdom of one who knows you and speaks into your growth and can even tailor and customize guidance according to one’s personality, giftedness, experience, and calling. Just as a father may speak to his own children in different ways according to their capacities, a spiritual father, unlike so many of our self-appointed gurus, knows how to relate to different believers in different ways. And while a guru only knows how to dispense all the right information, the spiritual father is honest about his own sin and struggles, transparent about his own mistakes and misunderstandings, and doesn’t claim to have all the answers. He just keeps pointing you to the One who does.
2. Spiritual fatherhood is spiritual, not fleshly.
I’m thinking of spiritual guidance of young men here especially, though this is an equally important point for those discipling young women as well. So much of the guidance Christian young men receive, even from Christian guides, is bound up in baptizing their baser instincts. They are led by many talking heads to equate belligerence with boldness and quarrelsomeness with courage. Their unchecked aggression is celebrated and their unkindness treated as a virtue. This is all packaged as some kind of un-squishining of the male wiring, when what it really is an affront to the fruit of the Spirit. Of course, spiritual maturity must be worked out practically — enfleshed, if you will — and for men in particular we want to home in on what male headship in the home and church looks like. But this work is so much more than simply “manning up;” it is growing up into Christlikeness. And this work inevitably orients around self-control, gentleness, patience, etc.
3. Spiritual fatherhood is about a legacy of faithfulness, not a record of successes.
I know some folks will say it’s wrong to think about one’s legacy, but I think it depends more on how one thinks about it. If a man getting older is focusing primarily on making his own name great, making sure everybody remembers him, and how he might connect himself to greater visibility via books, speaking engagements, market share, building placards, etc., then, yes, this is a prideful exaltation. However, it’s not wrong to want to leave behind something that lasts. And this is why spiritual fatherhood is more invested in leaving behind practices, commitments, and habits that will continue in the exaltation of Christ. Whether they remember our names is not the point; remembering what we are “passing down” is. Spiritual fathers begin passing the baton to the next generation, giving them the stewardship not of their own name but of fidelity to God’s word, commitment to the local church, and so on.
4. Spiritual fatherhood is local, not distant.
Similar to my thoughts from point 1, I just want to make the case that real spiritual growth — of all kinds — comes from the Holy Spirit normatively through the discipleship of the local church. Undoubtedly the people we read, go to hear at conferences, follow online, etc. can edify us and positively shape and influence us. But there’s no substitute for a dad. I think about this in terms of my own father quite a bit these days. I’ve had numerous Christian men speak into my life, including one or two who I would say have fathered me spiritually, and I’ve benefited from countless theologians and other ministry leaders, but the single greatest impact on my commitment to Christ’s church, I’m convinced, was having a dad and mom who were undeterred churchfolk. My dad was not a pastor. He did not come from a family of pastors. He was a school teacher, then worked retail most of his life until retirement. But no matter where we lived, no matter the stage of life or the state of the family finances or the work schedule or their marriage, we went to church. Up close faithfulness over a long period of time will have much more of an impact than an endless number of fire tweets.
Spiritual fathers speaking into the lives of young men realize that accountability comes with access, that authority comes with availability, that ambition must come with authenticity — and that lasting, formative influence comes from closeness. You cannot be a spiritual father simply by monitoring someone’s intellectual progress. You have to get up in someone’s business. Spiritual fatherhood is local.
This summer, I finally decided to open a book my mom gifted me last year called Where the Crawdads Sing. Since it is one of the best-selling books of all time and has a theater debut in July, it went from the bottom of my bookshelf to the top of my summer fiction reading list.
My hesitancy in exploring the narrative sooner came from a warning I received about how heartbreaking the journey would be. Without going into detail, these cautions were not unfounded. Yet, as I read the life of marsh-dwelling protagonist Kya, coming face-to-face with the reality of human depravity filled me anew with care for those in this broken world who do not know Jesus Christ.
Romans 1:28-32 tells us this about the unrighteous:
And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They are filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.
But this passage is not just speaking to an outside world: it speaks to our state without the grace of God. This passage isn’t just calling out the person or group of people who may come to your mind when you think “evil,” “boastful,” or “ruthless.” Without God’s work, this is you. This is me. This is the culture of death that we daily exist in.
It may sound harsh, but watch how quickly the veneer of love, grace, and patience disappears when our idols are jeopardized. In writing to the early churches, James exhorts fellow believers:
What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions (4:1-3).
People with good intentions (myself included) can end up defending themselves rather than listening to the pains of another. Those who claim to be passionate about truth can resort to weaponizing God’s Word to prove a point rather than guiding to living water. Even the brief haughty response given at a slight inconvenience reveals the selfishness of our nature. We don’t want to admit it, but we can be cruel.
This is important for me to remember not only as I flip through the pages of Where the Crawdads Sing, but also as I experience cruelty against me or observe it festering in the world. One of the best places to go to recall God’s compassion, even on the darkest of nights, is his Word.
God’s Word comforts those in affliction while also instructing us when we are tempted to go our own way:
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘Therefore I will hope in him.’” (Lamentations 3:22-24).
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).
“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony” (Colossians 3:12-14).
Though salvation is guaranteed secure through Jesus, we can’t assume that confession of a surrendered life means living a life submitted to the gospel—for us or anyone else. To “lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely,” and “run with endurance the race that is set before us,” as commanded in Hebrews 12:1 means acknowledging that pursuing righteousness is a daily decision.
If you confess Christ as Lord, I implore you to keep going. Even when waves of hatred threaten to drown you, remain steadfast in Jesus. When you grow weary of doing good, cast yourself upon your never-changing God. Remember when you come face-to-face with human cruelty, you have a God who showers compassion upon you and upon this hurting world through the mercy of his Son. Recall that by the power of the Holy Spirit:
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies (2 Corinthians 4:8-10).
Let us consider how we may reach out our hands to the hurting and guide them toward God’s goodness today.
“Thy Redeemer.”
Isaiah 54:5
Jesus, the Redeemer, is altogether ours and ours forever. All the offices of Christ are held on our behalf. He is king for us, priest for us, and prophet for us. Whenever we read a new title of the Redeemer, let us appropriate him as ours under that name as much as under any other. The shepherd’s staff, the father’s rod, the captain’s sword, the priest’s mitre, the prince’s sceptre, the prophet’s mantle, all are ours. Jesus hath no dignity which he will not employ for our exaltation, and no prerogative which he will not exercise for our defence. His fulness of Godhead is our unfailing, inexhaustible treasure-house.
His manhood also, which he took upon him for us, is ours in all its perfection. To us our gracious Lord communicates the spotless virtue of a stainless character; to us he gives the meritorious efficacy of a devoted life; on us he bestows the reward procured by obedient submission and incessant service. He makes the unsullied garment of his life our covering beauty; the glittering virtues of his character our ornaments and jewels; and the superhuman meekness of his death our boast and glory. He bequeaths us his manger, from which to learn how God came down to man; and his Cross to teach us how man may go up to God. All his thoughts, emotions, actions, utterances, miracles, and intercessions, were for us. He trod the road of sorrow on our behalf, and hath made over to us as his heavenly legacy the full results of all the labours of his life. He is now as much ours as heretofore; and he blushes not to acknowledge himself “our Lord Jesus Christ,” though he is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords. Christ everywhere and every way is our Christ, forever and ever most richly to enjoy. O my soul, by the power of the Holy Spirit! call him this morning, “thy Redeemer.”
What is a key ingredient for longevity in marriage?
On this episode of the FTC Podcast, Jared Wilson and Ross Ferguson discuss how a Christian can know God’s will for their life.
Released at the height of pandemic binge-listening, The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill dominated church leadership discussions throughout the back half of 2021. It seemed like everyone was discussing and dissecting Christianity Today’s incredibly popular podcast.
With the first anniversary of the show’s release approaching, what was it that made Mars Hill a rich source of conversation? More than that, why did its message resonate so deeply with listeners?
Certainly, much of it has to do with the quality of the podcast. Mike Cosper and his team told a powerful story in a powerful way. It might also be true that part of the show’s popularity came from our cultural obsession with schadenfreude. It’s hard for us to look away when we know a train wreck is coming.
Yet, perhaps the greatest reason for its popularity comes from its relatability. If you’ve been in ministry for any time at all, chances are you’ve lived and led through your own version of the Mars Hill story. The characters and the stakes may have been different, but the drama felt all too familiar.
The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill reaffirmed our collective sense that something is broken in church leadership today.
Too many church leaders today know what it’s like to be bullied by their brothers and scarred by their fellow shepherds. Many of us have witnessed and even been wounded by power struggles within the church.
It’s not hard to see that we need a better way. We need a blessed way. We need a way of thinking about and practicing leadership that is both blessed by God and serves as a blessing to those in our care. For that reason, we must look at the Beatitudes.
While the opening words of Matthew 5 aren’t the first passage we think of when it comes to leadership, they should set the tone for all ministry. Jesus used these eight statements to define life in the kingdom. For that reason, they must also define kingdom leadership:
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
What do these Beatitudes look like in leadership? How can we be sure they define us both as followers of Christ and leaders in His church?
Church leadership is at a crossroads. It’s time for us to choose a better way – the “blessed” way.
God gave us his word in a book that is made up of multiple books. Whereas biblical theology (step 10) looks more at Scripture as a whole, literary context focuses on the individual parts as they come to us within their overall canonical context. It’s the difference between appreciating a whole quilt and looking carefully at one of its single squares, which itself has its own color, texture, and story.
The question in literary context is, “How does the passage contribute to the book’s overall story or argument?” To answer this, we need to have a solid grasp of the book’s thought-flow, which is best initiated by reading the whole book several times on your own, each in a single sitting, and while comparing several book outlines drafted by those who have spent far more time in the book than you have. As you examine your passage in view of the whole book, there are at least three areas you want to keep in mind: literary placement, literary function, and literary details.
Literary Placement: A Passage’s Location
Literary placement refers to your passage’s location. Is the passage part of a larger literary grouping with a discernible beginning, middle, or end? What leads up to the passage? What flows from it? How is the book organized, and how does the passage fit within the section, book, canonical division, Testament, and Bible––in that order?
The book of Daniel, for example, is most naturally structured in two parts: (1) God’s sovereign control in the present (chs. 1–6) and (2) God’s sovereign control in the future (chs. 7–12). Part one includes a progression of court stories about the exaltation of Daniel and his three friends. Together they stress that, while not always clear in the present, Israel’s God is sovereign over all things and is working for his own against the world’s rebellion. Part two then supplies a series of apocalyptic visions about the rise and fall of succeeding empires. Together these emphasize that, while it may not always be evident in the future, Israel’s God controls all things according to his purposes and will ultimately establish his kingdom through his Messiah, destroying all evil.
If you were studying the episode of the fiery furnace in Daniel 3, it would be good to know its placement in part one between the stories of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the image/statue in chapter 2 and the king’s punishment and restoration in chapter 4. It would also be good to know that in Jesus’ Bible, Daniel’s hope of God’s kingdom opens the final narrative portion of the Writings, which sought to remind the believers who were in exile and slavery (Ezra 9:9; Neh. 9:36) that Yahweh’s power and kingdom-purposes still stand. In this context, Daniel follows Lamentations and affirms the concluding statement, “But you, O LORD, reign forever; your throne endures to all generations” (Lam. 5:19). Furthermore, in response to the lamenter’s final cry, “Renew our days as of old––unless you have utterly rejected us, and you remain exceedingly angry with us” (5:22), Daniel declares that God had not completely rejected and would both restore and renew. Standing in the concluding portion of the Hebrew Scriptures, Daniel plays a vital role in thrusting the reader’s eyes toward the New Testament, which begins to realize God’s kingdom purposes.
Literary Function: A Passage’s Purpose
Literary function addresses your text’s purpose. What is the book’s main thrust, and how does this passage advance the book’s storyline or reasoning? Do the verses fill in, add on to, introduce, bring to completion, or counterbalance the portion or book of which it is a part? What does the passage contribute to the overall picture? What does the overall picture add to it? If this passage were missing from the book, what would be lost?
If the book of Daniel as a whole supplies a glorious, hopeful vision of God’s kingship over all the created sphere, how does the story of Daniel 3 contribute to this message? In Daniel 2, King Nebuchadnezzar dreamed of a statue-like image with four parts, each of which represented earthly kingdoms that would ultimately be overthrown by God’s kingdom that would never perish (Dan. 2:44). Babylon, led by Nebuchadnezzar, was the first of these kingdoms (2:37–38). In Daniel 3, Nebuchadnezzar appears to have gotten caught up in his dream from chapter 2, but he is determined to be not just the head of gold but the whole. He erected a massive image that appears to have represented himself. All peoples, nations, and languages were to worship it, lest they immediately be cast into a blazing furnace (3:1–7). Daniel’s three friends––Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego––were unrelenting in their commitment to Yahweh and refused to bow down (3:16–18), thus resulting in their punishment. But they were not burnt, for one “like a son of the gods” protected them (3:25). As such, Nebuchadnezzar declared them to be “servants of the Most High God” (3:26), praised their God for his mighty act (3:28), and then decreed that none should speak against their God (3:29).
This episode plays a key role in showing how Nebuchadnezzar grew in his awareness of Yahweh’s sovereign control of the present. This recognition would only expand until we read, “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble” (4:37).
Literary Details: A Passage’s Distinctive Contributions
Literary details are the particular features or aspects of the text that set it apart and that help identify its overall contribution. How comprehensive or selective is the passage? Do any details help you decide whether the author wrote it in connection with a specific cultural or historical situation? Does the passage relay material from a distinctive perspective? What does this tell you about the author’s intentions?
The biblical author clearly wrote Daniel 3 to remind the audience of Yahweh’s greatness and worth and of his ability to save either out of or through suffering. Nebuchadnezzar initially displayed pride when he questioned the three: “Who is the god who will deliver out of my hands?” (3:15). This stands in contrast with his later declaration, “There is no other god who is able to rescue in this way” (3:29). The king’s initial challenge is also countered by Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s relentless commitment to the true God and their confidence that he was able to rescue. “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up” (3:17–18). The three did not presume that they fully knew Yahweh’s will, but regardless of his pleasure, they would trust and obey. Such details force readers to decide whether we will equally surrender to the supreme Sovereign and Savior in this story.
Furthermore, when read in view of the whole book, the emphasis that one “like a son of the gods” protected the three in the furnace (3:25) likely anticipates the “one like a son of man” who will reign over God’s kingdom (7:13–14). Later this figure is probably tagged the “Messiah,” during whose ministry God intends “to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place” (9:24, 26). As such, Daniel 3 does not merely add general hope in a delivering God; it also fuels anticipation for the Messiah’s reign.
Psalm 121 in Its Literary Context
In Psalm 121 the psalmist expresses his confidence in Yahweh as his helper, and he builds his belief in God’s protection by rehearsing to himself and to others the qualities of God’s faithfulness that he has grown to know are true. Psalms like this predictively provided Christ with words to capture his own heart cries, and now, for those in Christ, they model how to remain Godward and hopeful at points of desperation, both individually and corporately.
Psalm 121 occurs in the fifth book of the Psalms (Pss. 107–150). This section offers reflections on the restoration after exile and presents Yahweh as one who will renew his people in fulfillment of his Davidic kingdom-promises. Much like David’s own prayer in Psalm 14:7 (cf. 1 Chron. 16:35), Book 4 ended with the psalmist praying for return from exile. He cries in Psalm 106:47: “Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise.” The psalmist is most likely hoping not simply for a physical return to the land (cf. Deut. 30:3–5) but for the climactic second exodus of which the prophet’s spoke and that would align with the coming messianic kingdom (e.g., Isa. 11:1–12:5; 49:1–6; Jer. 23:5–8; Ezek. 34:16, 22–24; 37:20–28; Hos. 3:5). Now Book 5 opens in Psalm 107 with praise to God for answering this prayer. We read in Psalm 107:1–3: “Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.”
After this, the remaining parts of Psalm 107, along with Psalms 108–109 emphasize Yahweh’s unrelenting affection for all who trust him (cf. Pss. 107:33–43; 108:11). With glorious messianic hope, Psalm 110 then stresses that the Davidic covenant has not been set aside. Quoting Psalm 110, Hebrews 1:13 tell us that Jesus is David’s “Lord” of whom Yahweh declared, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet” (cf. Matt. 22:41–45). Psalms 111–118 stress that the God who works on behalf of his people deserves wholehearted worship and loyalty at all times and in all circumstances. Such a call stresses the importance of God’s word, which is celebrated in Psalm 119. It also requires the centrality of Yahweh’s presence in the lives of God’s people, which is the focus of the Songs of Ascent in Psalms 120–134. It is in these Songs of Ascent that we find Psalm 121, which supplies hope-filled assurance in Yahweh’s guardianship and gives cause for enjoying his presence. Building off Psalm 121:6, Revelation 7:16 declares that, for all who die in the great Tribulation, having identified themselves with the slain Lamb, “They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat.” The favor that God shows his Christ becomes the favor he shows all who are identified with him. The longest of the Songs of Ascent is Psalm 132, which emphasizes the fulfillment of Yahweh’s promise to David that he would indeed have a king on the throne of Jerusalem forever.
Psalms 135–138 summarize God’s work through creation and providence on behalf of his people, with Psalm 138 returning to psalms of David, which continue through Psalm 145. These psalms depict the anointed royal figure requesting God’s help in both in both spiritual and temporal matters (Pss. 139–144) and then celebrating Yahweh’s character and work (Ps. 145). The five books conclude with a string of five praise psalms that exalt the excellencies of God over all (Pss. 146–150).
Standing as the second of the Songs of Ascent, Psalm 121 sets the readers’ gaze upward toward God and his holy mountain. “I lift my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?” Looking up means one thing: the psalmist was down. Nevertheless, in his pain, in his anxiety he looked Godward to the one who made heaven and earth. He says, “He will not let your foot be moved” (Ps. 121:3). Your Guardian never sleeps, and because of that you can. He was a refuge for Christ, and he will continue to guard all who find refuge in him. You can rest today, because the all satisfying Savior reigns in the person of Jesus. The Davidic hope has reached its fulfillment, and now the very psalms that Jesus drew from to clarify his own mission of triumph through tribulation can become the very cries of our hearts. “The LORD is your keeper…. The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore” (Ps. 121:7–8).
“He openeth, and no man shutteth.”
Revelation 3:7
Jesus is the keeper of the gates of paradise and before every believing soul he setteth an open door, which no man or devil shall be able to close against it. What joy it will be to find that faith in him is the golden key to the everlasting doors. My soul, dost thou carry this key in thy bosom, or art thou trusting to some deceitful pick-lock, which will fail thee at last? Hear this parable of the preacher, and remember it. The great King has made a banquet, and he has proclaimed to all the world that none shall enter but those who bring with them the fairest flower that blooms. The spirits of men advance to the gate by thousands, and they bring each one the flower which he esteems the queen of the garden; but in crowds they are driven from the royal presence, and enter not into the festive halls. Some bear in their hand the deadly nightshade of superstition, or the flaunting poppies of Rome, or the hemlock of self- righteousness, but these are not dear to the King, the bearers are shut out of the pearly gates. My soul, hast thou gathered the rose of Sharon? Dost thou wear the lily of the valley in thy bosom constantly? If so, when thou comest up to the gates of heaven thou wilt know its value, for thou hast only to show this choicest of flowers, and the Porter will open: not for a moment will he deny thee admission, for to that rose the Porter openeth ever. Thou shalt find thy way with the rose of Sharon in thy hand up to the throne of God himself, for heaven itself possesses nothing that excels its radiant beauty, and of all the flowers that bloom in paradise there is none that can rival the lily of the valley. My soul, get Calvary’s blood-red rose into thy hand by faith, by love wear it, by communion preserve it, by daily watchfulness make it thine all in all, and thou shalt be blessed beyond all bliss, happy beyond a dream. Jesus, be mine forever, my God, my heaven, my all.
We asked Clint Pressley, senior pastor of Hickory Grove Baptist Church in Charlotte, NC, “What leadership qualities are needed in transitioning a church to greater gospel-centrality?”
