For the Church

Mark Dever on Shepherding the Elderly

By Web Dev / Dec 10

We asked Mark Dever, Pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington D.C., “What should a young pastor know about shepherding elderly church members?”

Calling Out the Called: Joining the Work of International Missions

By Mike Brooks / Dec 9

My 13-year-old daughter and I took an adventure last summer. We canoed for seven days in the Boundary Waters, a wilderness area of over 1 million acres that extends for 150 miles along the border between the United States and Canada. The area is protected and only open for hiking, paddling, and tent camping; no boat motors or vehicles are allowed. You can go for days without seeing another human being.

It was my daughter’s first trip that deep in the wilderness, and it was fascinating to watch her. She’s a typical teenager, connected to her phone and her friends. With no cell service or friends—dads do not qualify as friends—I could tell she was getting a little bored around camp by the second day.

Everything changed when she found a box of 500 matchsticks in one of our gear bags. For the next five days, nothing in camp was safe. When she wasn’t burning something, she was content to simply sit and strike matches against the side of the box, one after another, watching them spark into a flame and burn themselves out, 500 hundred times.

You have probably done it. You strike a match, see the spark explode into flame, feel the heat, and watch it burn. It really is fascinating. What begins as a spark can light a stove and produce a hot meal, light a campfire to keep you warm, light a fuse, or, as my wife reminded me when I told her about our daughter and the 500 matches, burn down a house.

All of this is in the power of one spark.

A Light in the Darkness

For those of us who know Christ, thinking about the vast lostness around the world is astounding. When I was in the wilderness with my daughter, we were completely alone. Yet, I knew all along that, indeed, I was in the presence of the Creator of that wilderness. I have faith in His provision and trust in him for my eternal outcome, should anything ever go awry on an adventurous expedition.

Yet, those who are lost do not have such faith or trust in the One True God. The physical loneliness of the wilderness exemplifies what they must feel each day as they try to navigate this world without hope. Today, 155,473 people will die lost among the nations—precious souls who have given no indication that they have believed the gospel and trusted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Many simply have never heard the gospel—the good news of salvation in Jesus—spoken in their heart language in a way they can understand it.

While we may think of unreached people hidden in remote areas, much like where we were camping, the reality is that lostness is all around us. In London, where 300 different languages are spoken, it is estimated that 97% of individuals in their twenties are not believers and have never even met a follower of Jesus. Unreached people live in global cities as well as in the hardest-to-reach corners of the world.

Southern Baptists love the lost among the nations, and we want them to hear the gospel and be saved. Each Southern Baptist who answers God’s call to take the gospel to the lost is like the spark of a match in a dark wilderness, a bearer of hope in a spiritual wilderness, a light in the darkness.

And, we have every reason to praise God: his Spirit is moving in unprecedented ways around the world! The number of people groups not yet engaged with the gospel continues to decline. Nations that have benefited from Southern Baptists’ mission efforts have been reached with the gospel, and many are now sending out their own international missionaries. Even under the rule of governments absolutely hostile to Christianity, churches are multiplying by the thousands.

The Big Difference

The International Mission Board exists to fulfill the Revelation 7:9 vision that every nation, every tribe, every people, and every language will worship before the throne of God. But it is not our vision; this is the vision the Lord has given for his Church. This vision is what drives the ministry and mission of the Church to this very day. It will continue to drive the ministry and mission of the Church until the Lord Jesus comes to claim His Church. The vision is why, at the IMB, more than 91% of IMB missionary teams were actively involved in engaging unreached people groups in 2020. The vision is what we must look toward, what we give our lives to, and—if called upon—it is what we must give our lives for.

When we look closer at Revelation 7:9, we see that the multitude worshipping God will not be comprised of a crowd from some nations, many tribes, most peoples, and several languages. Rather, God promises in his Word that the multitude worshipping him will include representatives from every nation, all tribes, all peoples, and all languages.

That is a big difference, and that is where you and I come in.

For you see, the great, innumerable multitude could already be comprised of representatives from some nations, many tribes, most peoples, and several languages. If that is the vision, we can all stay home and wait for heaven. But the Lord’s vision is all-inclusive, comprised of people of every nation—all tribes, all peoples, and all languages.

His vision—the vision of heaven where all tears have been wiped away and there is no more death or sorrow or pain—is one where the Father is praised in every language he has placed on the tongues of men, and his beloved Son is worshipped by those who owe him everything. Praise the Lord we will be there in heaven, alongside those who, in far reaches of the world, have heard his Good News.

But not everyone has heard—yet.

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? How are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? How are they to hear without someone preaching? How are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” (Rm 10:14-15)

Feed the Flame

Imagine if my daughter had lit one match, and then used that match to light up the entire box at once. The power of that one match would have been exponentially greater in the darkness of the wilderness. That is how we, as Southern Baptists, approach our Great Commission task. We are committed to a collaborative approach to missions which pools our resources for greater impact in the Kingdom.

For such a collective effort to be successful, many must work together as one. We—all believers—must commit to seeing the stark statistics of lostness decline. More missionaries must be sent to the edges of lostness so that more people can hear the Good News. More people must be challenged to answer God’s call for them to go. More generous gifts must be given to support those who are going. Undergirding it all, more believers must commit to lay a foundation of faithful, fervent prayer for the nations, and for those who go.

We all have a part of the mission. You can be a light in the darkness.

The omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent God of the universe, who is merciful, loving, and kind, is deserving of praise in every language he has placed on the tongues of men and women. He is worthy to be worshipped by all peoples, tribes, and nations.

Are you willing to ask the Lord how he might use your life in fulfilling the Revelation 7:9 vision? You and I know that the vision will be fulfilled; the great privilege we have is to be part of it.

*For more information on how you can partner with the International Mission Board, visit www.imb.org

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in Midwestern Magazine.

Advent, Time, and God-Centered Rhythms in a Me-Centered Age

By Mike Brooks / Dec 9

When every moment of our iWorld existence conditions us to celebrate the self, the church boldly celebrates something bigger and grander and more compelling. In an age of nauseating narcissism where everyone clamors for stardom and Instagram likes, the church humbles us and weekly reminds us: this is not about you. This is about God. You are welcome here, you are wanted, your presence in the body is important. You are part of the story. But God is the star, not you. What a freeing and wonderful thing.

A healthy church proclaims a message that is radically God-centered, not me-centered. Trevin Wax puts it this way:

Expressive individualism would have us look deep into our hearts to discover our inner essence and express that to the world. But the gospel shows how the depths of our hearts are steeped in sin; it claims that what we need most is not expression, but redemption. The world says we should look inward, while the gospel says to look upward. In an expressive individualist society, that message is countercultural.

Upward, not inward. Redemption, not expression. These are just some of the radical alternatives the church offers our me-centered age. In a world that is constantly on the move, church worship forces us to be still. In a “quick to speak” world that is deafeningly loud, church worship allows us to sit quietly and listen, basking in God’s word preached and his wisdom imparted. In a world where we spend way too much time talking about ourselves—on social media, blogs, YouTube, and so forth—church worship allows us to talk about God and to God. We sing of his attributes, his love and mercy toward us. We declare it in liturgy, creeds, and prayers. We are shaped by his story, in Bible readings, preaching, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, confession, singing together, and other regular rituals.

Wisdom isn’t just about concepts. It’s about the orientations of our time and energy, the postures that shape our hearts, often on subconscious levels. Prayer, for example, is a crucial habit for gaining wisdom—not only because the Bible says gaining wisdom can be as simple as praying for it (James 1:5, Col. 1:9), but also because the posture of prayer itself cultivates wisdom. Every prayer is a rebuttal to the “look within” logic of our age. To pray is to acknowledge that we don’t have all the answers in ourselves. We don’t have sufficient wisdom to make complex decisions. We must humbly turn to God, the giver of wisdom (Prov. 2:6), seeking his guidance in all things. We are utterly reliant on him.

The church helps habituate us to these crucial counter-formational practices, like prayer. We neglect them at our peril, especially in a world so apt at forming us to be unwise. As Mark Sayers puts it in Reappearing Church:

Do we sense the possibilities of embodied and enfleshed Christian community in a time of disembodied isolation? In a time of anxiety and mental exhaustion, are we seeing the rich traditions of prayer, contemplation, and meditation upon God as antidotes to our exhausted brains? In a time of social fracturing and cultural polarization, do we understand the powerful place that exists at the communion table?

I also find that the annual rhythms of the church calendar provide a coherent ordering to time that we need in an unstructured age. Today, time tends to be ordered around whatever is currently trending in the news, whatever hashtag day it might be (e.g., #NationalDonutDay, #InternationalWomensDay, #WorldBookDay), or whatever commercial “holiday” it is where we are encouraged to buy stuff (e.g., Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day). In contrast, time in the Christian tradition orients us around God and his story. Advent is a period of anticipation and longing as we ponder Christ’s incarnation. Christmas is a feast for celebrating the gift of Christ’s coming to earth. Lent is a season of simplicity and meditation as we prepare our hearts to remember Christ’s sacrifice. Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday are the four-day climax of the Christian year, but sadly many Christians are more familiar with the “secular holy week” of Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday.

The ancient church calendar rhythms and weekly worship rhythms of the local church can be powerful counter-formational forces in our lives. Like anything, it’s all about regularity and habit. Occasional or when-convenient appearances at church will hardly shape us. But showing up weekly and immersing yourself in a church’s “not- about-me” orientation can do wonders for your spiritual sanity in an unwise age.

Note: This post is an excerpt from Brett’s book, The Wisdom Pyramid: Feeding Your Soul in a Post-Truth World (Crossway, February 2021).

Sticks, Stones, and Words…Can Cut Me Deeply

By gsutton / Dec 8

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”

Really?

Speaking for myself, I relate more to this revised edition of the cliche: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, and words can cut me deeply.”

Words are potent. Words change things. Words brought galaxies into being when “God said…and there was”(Gen 1:3). God’s words have impact (Isa 55:11), are living, active, and sharp (Heb 4:12), illuminate dark places (Ps 119:105), nourish souls (Mt 4:4), and defeat death (Lk 11:43). The words of the gospel are “the power (literally, dynamite) of God.”

Words transform. They heal. And they can…and sometimes do…“hurt me.”

Mariah Carey once said in an interview that for her, one criticism will instantly overrule 1,000 praises. There is something to this. Words have power.

Words can wound and steal life. Gossip and slander bring a cheap thrill to some, while exploiting and objectifying others (the similarities to pornography are striking). False testimony uses words to misrepresent, caricature, or malign the reputation of fellow humans, usually for selfish gain. Words of condemnation, accusation, and cutting sarcasm create pain as they shame, belittle, and discourage. Coarse joking uses humor to draw attention to oneself, while sending rotten fruit in the atmosphere.

There are also “healing words” (Prov 12:18). Words of praise have healing power. Communities thrive in a culture of mutual celebration, of “catching each other doing good.” This is a hallmark of life together as Spirit-filled daughters and sons. Words of encouragement will “put courage into” those who are weak, afraid, and torn down. A timely rebuke protects a friend from self-destructive patterns. A gentle word turns away wrath (Pr 15:1) and halts the cycle of evil. Grace-filled words engage skeptical minds and doubting hearts (1 Pet 3:15-16).

The question remains, how are toxic words transformed into healing words? Scripture tells us how. It begins by identifying the source of our words: “…out of the heart, the mouth speaks” (Lk 6:45). Our words are healed as we replace what fills our hearts.

Why do we gossip, slander, condemn, accuse, slash with sarcasm, joke crudely, boast, and lie? Every toxic word traces to some sort of pseudo-savior—something that the heart is clinging to more tightly than Jesus. The comedian Tom Arnold once admitted that he uses humor in order to have something out there so people will like him. “It’s the reason behind almost everything I do,” he said. For some, human approval is the preferred narcotic. For others like Rachel, it’s having children: “Give me children or I’ll die” (Gen 30:1). For the Pharisee, it’s the feeling of superiority: “Thank you, my God, that I’m not like other men” (Lk 18:9-14). The options are endless. Our words echo the beat of our hearts.

Words are transformed through what Chalmers called “the expulsive power of a new affection.” For our words to become life-giving, and for toxic words to fade from our vocabularies, this new affection must be Jesus. Hearts taken by the beauty of Jesus will yield beautiful words.

What makes Jesus beautiful? Jesus only spoke beautiful words—never careless, unkind, hateful, or untruthful. Even his sharp, strong words were beautiful, always perfectly suited for the occasion. But there’s more. Jesus also IS the Beautiful Word Incarnate, the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:1-14). His perfect words flowed naturally from his perfect life, which secured the benediction or “good word” of his Father: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased.” This same benediction has since been transferred toward and secured for us who believe—when we are at our best and when we are at our worst.

Throughout their childhood and even into the teen years, at bedtime I have regularly pronounced a benediction over them:

God made you beautiful and special,
and he loves you so much.
So does your Dad.
Don’t ever forget that.

My hope is that these last words of many days past (both our girls are adults now) will register as the first words of tomorrow. Abby and Ellie crave a paternal blessing that overrules the negative verdicts that the outside world, as well as their own hearts, so easily pronounce against them. Words of life hearken them back to their true identity as daughters, precious and beloved—an identity that’s fixed when they’re at their best and when they’re at their worst.

The Father’s benediction, his irrevocable paternal blessing, is ours. Through Christ and because of Christ, we are pronounced as his beloved. We can enjoy deep rest because the last word of Jesus’ life—“It is finished”—is the first word for ours. Through Christ, with us he is well pleased. Nothing can change this.

There’s one more thing. For us to gain the Father’s benediction, Jesus had to lose it. At his baptism, Jesus received the “good word” from on high. On the cross, he heard no word from the Father. Just shaming, condemning, deafening silence. The silence did not break Jesus’ bones like sticks and stones, but it broke every other part of him. This was for our healing. The Word Incarnate receiving silence from heaven opened heaven’s heart, and secured the Father’s “good word” toward us.

If this does not melt our hearts and transform our words,

…what will?

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published at scottsauls.com .

Five Ways to Balance Ministry and Marriage

By gsutton / Dec 8

Balancing marriage and ministry is like walking a tightrope.

Several patterns of thinking throw marriages off-balance, and the unique demands of ministry—especially missions—complicate one’s work/life balance, threatening paralyzing guilt at every turn.

Consider a few of these scenarios that effect work/life balance drawn from our experience visiting missionaries on the field:

You are traveling for two days to a seminar where you are the speaker. Do those travel days count as “work?”
You are having dinner with friends who support you for $100/month. Is it personal time with your spouse and friends or ministry?
After a church function, you go out to eat with your sending church pastor and his wife. Are you “on the clock”?
The family of one of your teammates is sick, so you bring them a meal. Was that work?

It is not important how you answered the above questions, because there are no right answers. Ministry is complicated. What is important is that you and your spouse answered them the same way.

Take a moment to reflect on these questions with your spouse:

Have you struggled with these types of scenarios, as we have?
What circumstances tend to trigger guilt about your marriage?
What circumstances trigger guilt about your ministry?

Danger, conflict, miscommunication, and hurt feelings lurk nearby when you and your spouse disagree about ministry. When one spouse begins tracking time differently, it won’t be long until simple ministry tasks become sources of frustration and guilt. These innocent differences of opinion can turn arguments into fights and fights into bitterness.

How can our marriages and ministries be freed from constant guilt? We have relied upon these guidelines when our roles as spouses and ministry partners come into conflict, and they have been game-changers for us, sustaining us through seasons of complexity in life and work.

1. Make Expectations Crystal Clear

Unmet expectations are a leading reason for struggle in ministry. When ministry and marriage fail to reflect our dreams of what they should be, we become easily disillusioned. Balancing ministry and marriage means managing these expectations.

We all tend to envision ministry idealistically. We daydream of impact, growth, and receiving human praise. We do the same with our marriages, assuming conflict will never arise and romance will never subside. When reality hits, these uncommunicated expectations are dashed, and we are tempted to blame our spouse.

When expectations go unmet for long periods of time, our minds become breeding grounds for bitterness, resentment, anger, and discontentment. The consequence is that we disengage from marriage, ministry, or both. We think to ourselves:

This isn’t what I signed up for.
Is ministry worth the cost?
This job was supposed to be fulfilling.
Why am I so lonely?

The solution? Talk about the elephant in the room. Realize that ministry is complicated. Grow in your understanding of your spouse and their expectations of your personal time versus ministry time. Be as explicit with your expectations. Some expectations should be made explicit, agreed upon, and be set in stone; through conversation, others will be revealed as unhealthy or unrealistic, and should be suppressed. Either way, the specifics need to be addressed.

Can you look at your phone during “personal” time?
Can you return an email during “personal” time?
Can you listen to music during “work”?
Can you wash the dishes during “work”?
Can you have a baby on your hip during “work”?

Having conversations about each other’s expectations for time and attention will help you see how much personal time is needed—and when it is needed. This helps eliminate the undue guilt that arises from unclear expectations.

This is an area in which spouses can truly minister to one another. Do not suffer in silence, nor allow your spouse to suffer alone either. We all have unmet expectations. Talk about them.

2. Practice Sabbath Rest

Understand the Sabbath principle. Sometimes, the very best use of your spiritual gifts is for them to stop. Biblical rest is about the ceasing from work and realigning your priorities.

Prioritize first your personal walk with God and, secondly, your personal walk with your spouse. Take these verses seriously from Deuteronomy:

“Observe the Sabbath day to keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you. ‘Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant or your ox or your donkey or any of your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you, so that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you” (Deuteronomy 5:12-14, emphasis added).

It’s interesting that the command for Sabbath is the only commandment in which each member of the family is listed. You, your spouse, your children, your servants—even your animals—are all commanded to rest, and rest together (Exodus 20:8-11).

Sometimes, we need a reality check. Ministry is meant to be demanding, and as a result, it is necessarily emotionally and spiritually draining. You must rest and realign every week. Be honest with yourself: if you are leading a church, Sunday is not typically restful.

Set aside a day that works for both you and your spouse, and rest unto the glory of God as a couple devoted to following his call. Practicing Sabbath delights God as much as ministry, because it honors both his command and his design for human flourishing.

3. Set Boundaries that Best Serve You

Every game has rules. Without boundaries, there would be nothing to distinguish football from baseball, or the field from the parking lot. Good boundaries make for good games.

Boundaries can also make for good marriages. While some bristle at the concept of rules, we have found that personal boundaries are what make our marriage enjoyable—even fun. Every couple needs to tailor specific guardrails for themselves.

For many couples, 11 p.m. may not be the right time to ask a spouse about their plans for the following day. If one spouse tends to make calendar inquiries as the other is heading to bed, while the other is completely unprepared or too exhausted to think, a personalized boundary may need to be erected here. Achieving balance is all about timing. Perhaps the couple should hold themselves accountable to sort out their schedules over dinner instead. Healthy limitations like these maximize the potential for growth in the marital relationship and increase the potential for ministry fruitfulness.

This will look different for each couple, but boundaries must still be clear, particularly those that govern when it’s time to work hard and when it’s time to shut down. Establishing clear, proactively-defined boundary lines helps prevent nagging remorse.

Don’t neglect the degree to which your marital expectations flow out of your theology.

4. Remember Why You Got Married: To Glorify God

This is simple, but critical: you must get on the same page about who God is, why you are married, and why you are serving him. Be serious and intentional about growing your relationship with the Lord, your theology, and your view of marriage.

In his book Sacred Marriage: What If God Designed Marriage to Make Us Holy More Than to Make Us Happy?, Gary Thomas’ premise is that your marriage is not about your personal happiness; it is about God helping you know and trust him more fully. Adopt this approach, and address you and your spouse’s disparate, piled-up expectations of each other by building instead a deep, rich theology of marriage. Don’t neglect the degree to which your marital expectations flow out of your theology. Do not neglect your personal spiritual formation or that of your spouse.

5. Engage in Proactive Life Planning

Go back to the basics and ask your spouse these questions:

Who are we?
Where are we going?
What are we doing?
Why are we doing this?

If you and your spouse’s answers vary widely, do the hard work of getting on the same page. Without doing so, it will be both impossible to be truly intimate and to minister together.

Two years into pastoral ministry, I was ready to quit. I was frustrated with another pastor and frustrated with my wife. I worked harder and harder to please both and ended up pleasing neither. I lost track of who I was, where I was going, and what I was doing. I was exhausted, and I thought I might even be done with ministry.

Then, Martha and I started talking about life and what we would do together if we could do anything. We asked ourselves honestly: “Why are we in ministry?” We ended up leaving that role but staying in ministry for the last 28 years.

Many couples feel lost because they haven’t yet decided on a direction for their marriage and ministry. Without a unified direction, no amount of communication skills or counseling sessions will save a marriage from wandering off-course. Devote time to pray together, asking the Lord to make clear what he has called you to do together. Listen to each other. Listen to the Bible. Listen for what the Lord may be leading you to do. Then, act on that call. The rest is simply details.

Conclusion

Ministry can put a lot of pressure on a marriage. Take it all in stride.

In all the chaos that can come along with ministry, remember that God created us as limited creatures. When he calls a couple to ministry, he does not call them to be boundless superheroes with limitless energy, focus, and time. Everyone has limits.

Every divinely ordained vocation is fitted to the couple and their calling. Through clear communication, patient conversation, Sabbath rest, shared vision, and healthy personal rules, Christian husbands and wives can live faithfully both in ministry and the covenant of marriage.

Episode 146 Developing a Pulpit Presence

By gsutton / Dec 8

On this episode of the FTC Podcast, Jared Wilson and Ronni Kurtz talk about ways preachers can improve their sermon delivery.

Why Mature Christians Need Gospel-Centered Preaching

By Mike Brooks / Dec 7

Anwar is one of our elders and a father of three in his 50s. He teaches adult education classes, he leads Bible studies in both English and Arabic, and he meets with a platoon of men weekly at 6:30 a.m. before church for accountability and discipleship. The brother is a shepherding machine. He fearlessly wades into sticky pastoral situations and commands the respect and trust of the congregation.

Deborah has walked with her savior for 58 years. She listens to my sermons with her Bible open, pen in hand. She takes the treasures from the Word into her week to mentor others. Deborah prays like she has a direct line to God. She’s faced many difficulties over the years, but these struggles only drive the stake of her faith deeper into Jesus. Her white hair is a glorious crown of wisdom and maturity.

Do seasoned saints like Anwar and Deborah need gospel-centered preaching? Haven’t they progressed way past the basic truths of Jesus’ death and resurrection? Isn’t proclaiming Christ crucified week after week to them like telling a gourmet chef how to fry an egg, or reminding an ER doctor how to check vital signs? Aren’t we supposed to “leave behind the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity” (Hebrews 6:1)? [1]

In my experience, mature believers not only need gospel-centered preaching, but in fact savor it. Here are four things this type of preaching does for those grown-up in their faith.

1. It connects the Bible.

Mature Christians love the Scriptures. You can sometimes spot the veteran believers at church by the worn Bibles they carry, filled with highlighted pages. But these life-long Scripture students still need help putting their Bibles together. They know the stories, but often they haven’t been shown how all those stories connect to form a single narrative that culminates in Jesus Christ.

They’ve heard sermons, for example, about how to imitate Joseph’s integrity by fleeing sexual temptation. But they often haven’t been shown how Joseph prefigures the betrayal, innocent suffering, death, resurrection, ascension, and global salvation of Jesus. They can tell you all about Adam in the garden and draw good morals from the story. But they likely can’t articulate Adam’s royal-priestly calling or map out God’s successive, but unsuccessful, Adamic “reboots” through Noah, Abraham, Israel, and David. They can’t explain how all this climaxes in Jesus, the last Adam, the true Son of God.

Gospel-centered preaching threads together the Bible’s precious texts into a sparkling necklace, and Jesus is the crown jewel in the center. It creates biblical-theological “aha” moments that thrill mature Christians like Anwar and Deborah. Seeing Jesus in all of Scripture is like going through the attic and finding letters or old photos from your beloved grandmother whom you’ve known for years. They help you know her and treasure her all the more by learning more of her story.

2. It inspires spiritual growth.

Anwar and Deborah would be quick to tell you that they haven’t arrived yet spiritually. They have a long way to go. “Mature” and “maturing” aren’t mutually exclusive categories. Even the apostle Paul said of himself:

Not that I have already obtained all this or am already perfect (teleioo), but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining for what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature (teleios) think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.” (Phil 3:12–15)

According to Paul, mature (teleios) Christians like himself press on to be perfect (teleioo). And what does perfection entail? Perfection is knowing Christ and having a life shaped by his death and resurrection. Paul again:

Indeed I count everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes from faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. (Phil 3:8–11)

Even mature believers experience mission drift. The world, the flesh, and the devil distract us from the great aim of knowing Christ. Gospel-centered preaching empowers precisely the kind of Christ-pursuing mindset and sanctification Paul describes by holding Christ up before saints like Anwar and Deborah. We all need someone to stand before us weekly and call us to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. The Bible is not ultimately an instruction book for life, or a moral encyclopedia of do’s and don’ts. It’s a great drama, an epic saga in which Jesus Christ is the heroic leading man who’s death and resurrection enables us to know him and be like him.

3. It fosters unity.

The Roman Christians seemed to be mature. Their faith was being proclaimed throughout the whole world (Romans 1:8), and Paul was convinced that they were “full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another” (Romans 15:14). Yet he was “eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome” (Romans 1:15) and in fact spent the first 11 chapters doing so.

Why?

Part of the reason Paul sent this gospel-soaked letter was because the Roman church struggled with unity. Rifts between Jew and Gentile, between the strong and the weak (Romans 14), strained their fellowship. Yes, even mature Christians can struggle to maintain unity. Even proven gospel workers like Euodia and Synthche needed help agreeing (Philippians 4:2–3). I’ve noticed over the years that often the ugliest church splits revolve around conflict between long-time, pillar members.

Regular gospel-centered preaching reminds mature Christians of our unity in Christ. Those who have been reconciled to God through Jesus’ death and resurrection have no excuse to be at odds with one another because the gospel is the power of salvation for both Jews and Gentiles (Romans 1:16). The gospel destroys walls of hostility and makes one new man out of two (Ephesians 2:13–18). Preaching Christ crucified weekly reminds us that Jesus laid down his rights to serve and save us. That’s why Paul reminded the Romans that both strong and weak Christians should respect one another’s consciences in debatable matters. Christ lived and died for them, and both the strong and weak were trying to live for Christ according to their conscience (Romans 14:1–9).

4. It stokes worship.

Most importantly, gospel-centered preaching fuels awe of Jesus. Our hearts swell with affection for Christ when we see him and his gospel as the center of history, the ground and model of our sanctification, and the source of our unity in the church.

Mature believers need this desperately. Our flesh still craves idols, even after decades of walking with God. Our fear of God leaks. The bonfire of devotion burns low. We living sacrifices keep crawling off the altar. Even the most mature believer can grow numb at Jesus’ worth and take the wonder of our salvation for granted. We need regular exposure to the glory of God as revealed in the cross.

Gospel-centered preaching does just that. If Christ and his saving work is like a perfect, million-carat diamond with thousands of facets, then gospel-centered preaching aims to lift up and slowly turn that diamond before the congregation so that everyone may be dazzled again and again by seeing Jesus’ excellency from different angles.

We gospel preachers have a great privilege. We get to walk every week with the blood-bought people of God—both spiritual babes and spiritual adults—just like Jesus walked with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. And like Jesus, we open our Bibles to Moses and all the Prophets and interpret to our hearers from all the Scriptures the things concerning Jesus. And when we do, Jesus exalts himself in their hearts and minds, and they exult in him. And by God’s grace, they will say, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” (Luke 24:32).

[1] Hebrews 6:1–3 might seem to suggest that the gospel is something that mature Christians leave behind. Jared Wilson and John Piper give helpful responses. It’s also noteworthy that the entire epistle of Hebrews gives us some of the richest, deepest theological reflections on the meaning of Christ’s death in the New Testament. It stretches credulity to think that the writer of Hebrews sees his letter as an elementary doctrine of Christ that should be left behind.

Editor’s Note: This post originally appeared at the 9Marks blog and is used with permission.

2021 For the Church Book Awards

By Ronni Kurtz / Dec 6

In a Washington Post review of the 2021 novel, Cloud Cuckoo Land, Ron Charles calls the book “a love letter to books.” Charles is correct, Anthony Doerr’s (best known for All the Light We Cannot See) newest novel is a centuries-jumping, continent-spanning love letter to books and libraries.

After reading the review, that phrase stuck with me: “love letter to books.” This is the kind of letter many of us bookish folks wouldn’t mind writing. Even in the strangeness that was 2021, many of us found consistent and faithful friends in good books. Because of the faithful friendship of these books, many readers could resonate with Roald Dahl’s touching sentence from one of his most beloved children’s books: “These books gave Matilda a hopeful and comforting message: You are not alone.”

To no one’s surprise, each member of the editorial board of For the Church would happily take on that odd epithet of bookish. As a people of the Book, we find it time well-spent to reflect on stories and truths in many books. Therefore, with eagerness, we look forward to participating in and publishing the annual For the Church Book Awards.

Like previous years, we are pleased to present our readers with a few books that stuck out as exceptional from this past year. In this, our fifth annual For the Church book awards, each member of the editorial team chose two books—a winner and a runner-up—to honor and to recommend to you. For us, like many of you, 2021 brought about the turning of thousands of pages and we collectively want to give a hearty “thank you” to the many faithful authors and publishers who worked to give us companions during these last twelve months.

Congratulations to this year’s winners of the 2021 For the Church Book Awards. They are as follows:

Dr. Jason K. Allen, President of Midwestern Seminary and FTC Editor-in-Chief

Winner: In the Name of God: The Colliding Lives, Legends, and Legacies of J. Frank Norris and George W. Truett by O.S. Hawkins

“One doesn’t have to be a Southern Baptist to find O.S. Hawkins’ In The Name of God: The Colliding Lives, Legends, and Legacies of J. Frank Norris and George W. Truett a true page-turner. As the title suggests, he unpacks the fascinating story of two of the 20^th century’s most prominent pastors and, in so doing, gives the reader a tutelage in Southern religion, Baptist power plays, and the consequences of leadership. All who want to better understand 20^th century church history, and these two titanic personalities who shaped it, will want to read this book.”

Get the book here.

Runner-Up (TIE): The Death of Porn: Men of Integrity Building a World of Nobility by Ray Ortlund AND Men & Women in the Church: A Short, Biblical, Practical Introduction by Kevin DeYoung

“Both The Death of Porn: Men of Integrity Building a World of Nobility and Men & Women in the Church: A Short, Biblical, Practical Introduction deserve wide distribution in the 21st-century church. These two skilled authors confront these pressing issues with biblical faithfulness and pastoral care. Love of family, neighbor, and church will motivate you to read these two books. Love of Christ and Scripture will motivate you to apply them.”

Get the books here and here.

Dr. Jason G. Duesing, Provost of Midwestern Seminary and FTC Editorial Council Member

Winner: The Glory Now Revealed: What We’ll Discover About God in Heaven by Andrew M. Davis

“In these days of trouble on Earth, we know we would be helped by thinking more of God in heaven. Yet, even though we desire to be more heavenly-minded, we struggle with exactly on what we should think and ponder. Thankfully, Andrew M. Davis’s, The Glory Now Revealed, arrives as a trusted guide to help. Davis, pastor, missionary, church historian, and Bible-memorizer, brings all his experience and gifts to each page in a way that instructs and edifies. This book does more than just direct your gaze to what is right and true in heaven; it stirs your heart and affections for the God who is both there and near.”

Get the book here.

Runner-Up: Men and Women in the Church: A Short, Biblical, Practical Introduction by Kevin DeYoung

“When discussing (and debating) controversial topics, churches have often been helped by clear, winsome voices. Kevin DeYoung regularly has been one of those voices and is once again with this book that presents ‘the divinely designed complementarity of men and women as it applies to life in general and especially to ministry in the church.’ This is a book to which all those in dialogue about this topic should say to one another, ‘Have you read yet Men and Women in the Church? You should.'”

Get the book here.

Jared Wilson, Assistant Professor of Pastoral Ministry, Spurgeon College; Author in Residence, and FTC Editorial Council Member

Winner: Holier Than Thou: How God’s Holiness Helps Us Trust Him by Jackie Hill Perry

“The best new release I read in 2021 is this thoughtful, wonderful staring at the glory of God. The pursuit of personal holiness comes not primarily through behaving but beholding, and page by page, combining classical theism with poetic language, Holier Than Thou excellently exemplifies this important truth.”

Get the book here.

Runner-Up: The Pastor as Counselor: The Call for Soul Care by David Powlison

“This slender monograph, published posthumously this year by Crossway, is a thoroughly rewarding reflection on the utter necessity of pastoral ministry for real human flourishing and the vital truth of the supernaturality of Christianity. Powlison’s work served to remind me again of the uniqueness of pastoral care and, through these reminders, actually refreshed me with the grace of Christ in a surprising way.”

Get the book here.

Dr. Charles W. Smith, Senior Vice President for Institutional Relations; Assistant Professor of Christian Leadership, and FTC Editorial Council Member

Winner: The God of the Garden: Thoughts on Creation, Culture, and the Kingdom by Andrew Peterson

“I’m so thankful that Peterson is writing books. For decades, God has used his lyrics to encourage the Church. Now, with books like Adorning the Dark and his latest, The God of the Garden, even more people can benefit from Peterson’s heart and mind. In this frantic and fearful world, it’s good to be reminded that God is the God of the Garden. ”

Get the book here.

Runner-Up: The Gospel Shaped Leader: Leaning on Jesus to Shepherd His People by Scott Thomas

“Biblical leadership is a work of the heart and the hands. And yet, it is rare to read a leadership book that balances character and competency, theology and practice. Thankfully, Scott Thomas has done just that. Readers will find this biblical, yet highly practical leadership book designed to encourage both inexperienced and experienced leaders. Highly recommended.”

Get the book here.

Dr. John Mark Yeats, Dean of Students and Student Success, Professor of Church History, and FTC Editorial Council Member

Winner: The Death of Porn: Men of Integrity Building a World of Nobility by Ray Ortlund

“Porn is destroying the lives of countless men and women, but Ortlund shows the way out of the trap with Gospel hope. Short and succinct, this is a great book for a father to work through with his son, or a men’s group to work through together.”

Get the book here.

Runner-Up: The Bible Told Them So: How Southern Evangelicals Fought to Preserve White Supremacy by J. Russell Hawkins

“Evangelicals are inheritors of a long and complex history relating to the challenges of race. Hawkins draws from a deep well of primary sources from the mid-20^th century to demonstrate how some evangelical communities argued for segregation and preserving Jim Crow from the Scriptures. In the tensions of the current moment, Hawkins helps us listen to the voices of the recent past to better understand the long shadow of theological error masquerading as Biblical truth within our churches.”

Get the book here.

Dr. Ronni Kurtz, Assistant Professor of Christian Studies and Managing Editor of For the Church

Winner: The Same God Who Works All Things: Inseparable Operations in Trinitarian Theology by Adonis Vidu

“The past few years have seen the publication of a few great volumes on Trinitarian theology. Adonis Vidu’s work is among the best of them. Vidu takes readers through an in-depth look at the classical doctrine of inseparable operations. In doing so, Vidu helps readers grapple with the notion of divine action. How does the one divine essence of the triune God act in inseparable, yet distinct, ways throughout the economy of redemption? Vidu’s treatment of inseparable operations, divine appropriations, and divine action will help students of theology make sense of this important question, and many more like them.”

Get the book here.

Runner-Up: You Are Not Your Own: Belonging to God in an Inhuman World by Alan Noble

“As depicted in the Sisyphean scene on the cover, the task of creating your own identity and forging your own meaning in life is never-ceasing and only adds burden where it promised to deliver. With a tone of kindness and gospel clarity, Alan Noble helps readers lay down the dizzying task of self-realization and self-aggrandizement. Instead, what if we were more free, not less, when we surrendered to the idea that ourselves and our future do not ultimately belong to us?”

Get the book here.

Mike Brooks, Associate Editor at For the Church

Winner: The Secular Creed: Engaging Five Contemporary Claims by Rebecca McLaughlin

“Rebecca McLaughlin is fast becoming a go-to guide for helping us make sense of the world around us and know when, where, and how we should engage. McLaughlin’s thoughtful analysis challenges prevailing modern sentiments as she suggests our cultural categories for ‘basic common moral sense’ are more reflective of core Christian commitments than many realize. Most importantly, McLaughlin contends for a way forward that is marked by Christian humility. ‘On all these fronts,’ she writes, ‘we must fight with the weapon God has given us: self-sacrificing, unrelenting love.'”

Get the book here.

Runner-up: Reading the Times: A Literary and Theological Inquiry into the News by Jeffrey Bilbro

“In Reading the Times, Jeffrey Bilbro helps readers in crafting a rightly ordered practical, theological understanding of the news. Centering his argument within a framework of attention, time, and community, Bilbro suggests faithfully consuming today’s news requires both a correct theological understanding of what the news is and isn’t, and the cultivation of healthy habits that form our approach. What’s at stake in faithfully attending to today’s headlines? Bilbro argues it is the opportunity for Christians to demonstrate God-honoring neighborly love.”

Get the book here.

Grace Sutton, Associate Editor at For the Church

Winner: Carved in Ebony: Lessons From the Black Women Who Shape Us by Jasmine Holmes

“The ten women profiled in this book were faithful, fierce, and forgotten. Their memories deserve to be resurrected with the reminder that God is really, truly for us. Even on the darkest pages of history, he shines his light. These women, in their various callings as educators, missionaries, midwives, authors, and mothers, could have given up and given over to the limitations and discriminations they experienced, but they persevered. If you question God’s plan for you, and fear pushback, division, or hardship in life or ministry—take up and read. These women serve as examples of faithfulness, but even more so, the faithfulness of God, who writes all our stories, and carved these in ebony.”

Get the book here.

Runner-Up: R.C. Sproul: A Life by Stephen J. Nichols

“Even if you’re only acquainted with Sproul through his sermons, lectures, and books, you know he was a personal theologian. He shared much of his life, because to him, theology wasn’t just taught, but lived. This becomes even more evident in this first biography written on him, peering back the veneer of admiration we have for this theological giant to get to know him, and his God, a little more personally. Telling the story of his late-night conversion in a college chapel, to his final sermon on gospel awakening, Nichols has scoured through personal and teaching records of Sproul’s life to give us the portrait of a man who lived his doctrine to the death and encourages us to do the same.”

Get the book here.

Joseph Lanier, Manager, Sword & Trowel Bookstore and Tomlinson Cafe

Winner: A Theology of the Christian Life: Imitation and Participation in God by Christopher Holmes

“The Psalmist’s words ring loud: ‘For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.’ Holmes answers these questions: ‘What do they [essential names of God] say about God’s being, and what kind of life do they encourage?’ (xii) With Holy Scripture as the center and teacher, we become preoccupied with God by loving God through imitation (Eph. 5:1) and participation (2 Pet. 1:4). The Great I AM is existence itself, purely actual. The fool says in his heart that there is no god, yet God is life itself. God is not like the creature who has life from another and is subject to passions and change. God’s life and manner of life inform our relation to him as creatures. Thus, the life of the wise acknowledges the life and existence of God as creator and sustainer of life. Creatures participate in that life that is proper to God. True creaturely life, then, is imitative: ‘Our life accordingly takes on a heavenly hue, given over to pure praise insofar as we live in being itself, which is God’ (30). As the principle of all things, God works in us what he is timelessly and in perfection. The imitative and participative life of the Christian is located in the church. God’s gift of participation, making sinners anew in Him, is us becoming what he is through the way, truth, and the life. The happiness of God that dwells in infinitude is gifted to us and makes us happily complete.”

Get the book here.

Runner-up: When Home Hurts: A Guide for Responding Wisely to Domestic Abuse in your Church by Jeremy Pierre and Greg Wilson

“This book is written to equip pastors, church leaders, and church members to respond with the wisdom and love of God to domestic abuse situations that occur in their local church. Pierre and Wilson seek to help you be the kind of church leader, church member, friend, parent, sibling, or neighbor who responds in wisdom and compassion. This book acknowledges the reality and the horror of domestic abuse, but also the reality and power of God to heal. From understanding abuse and its dynamics to helping in the short and long term, When Home Hurts will be a helpful guide to anyone who suspects abuse within their church family but is unsure how to help without making things worse.”

Get the book here.

See our review of the book here.

Once again, we would like to extend a congratulations to the authors and publishers represented in the 2021 For the Church Book Awards. You can view previous winners of the FTC Book Awards here: 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017.

Links For the Church (12/06)

By gsutton / Dec 6

Women Need Accountability, Too

“Consider some common lies discouraging women from practicing confession—and the truths women need.”

As Long As It Is Called Today

“Since we all struggle with some form of procrastination, we should all benefit from thinking through what the Bible says about it in more detail.”

22 Questions that Reveal Character–Even Across Culture

“It’s hard to discern a potential leader’s character, even in our native cultures. Unlike physical features, the terrain of character is invisible, demonstrated over time through a person’s life.”

The Monday After

“We just celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday in America. We bowed our heads over tables laden with traditional dishes. But how did we approach our heart’s table? More to the point, how will we approach it today, the Monday after, when the feast has been consumed and life has resumed its ordinary rhythms?”

Unfiltered Christmas

“Material beauty will never be enough. The best of earth will never meet the deepest longing of our brokenness. We long, like pining Bethlehem, for our Mighty God to do great things for us. And He has.”

Groan for Glorification

By gsutton / Dec 4

“Even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.”
Romans 8:23

This groaning is universal among the saints: to a greater or less extent we all feel it. It is not the groan of murmuring or complaint: it is rather the note of desire than of distress. Having received an earnest, we desire the whole of our portion; we are sighing that our entire manhood, in its trinity of spirit, soul, and body, may be set free from the last vestige of the fall; we long to put off corruption, weakness, and dishonour, and to wrap ourselves in incorruption, in immortality, in glory, in the spiritual body which the Lord Jesus will bestow upon his people. We long for the manifestation of our adoption as the children of God. “We groan,” but it is “within ourselves.” It is not the hypocrite’s groan, by which he would make men believe that he is a saint because he is wretched. Our sighs are sacred things, too hallowed for us to tell abroad. We keep our longings to our Lord alone. Then the apostle says we are “waiting,” by which we learn that we are not to be petulant, like Jonah or Elijah, when they said, “Let me die”; nor are we to whimper and sigh for the end of life because we are tired of work, nor wish to escape from our present sufferings till the will of the Lord is done. We are to groan for glorification, but we are to wait patiently for it, knowing that what the Lord appoints is best. Waiting implies being ready. We are to stand at the door expecting the Beloved to open it and take us away to himself. This “groaning” is a test. You may judge of a man by what he groans after. Some men groan after wealth–they worship Mammon; some groan continually under the troubles of life–they are merely impatient; but the man who sighs after God, who is uneasy till he is made like Christ, that is the blessed man. May God help us to groan for the coming of the Lord, and the resurrection which he will bring to us.