A Ministry Role of Timothy we can overlook

When I think of Timothy in the Bible I often think about the Pastoral Epistles, an assistant of Paul and a missionary of sorts.

But there’s one thing that I have been thinking about lately concerning Timothy’s role.

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Christians Need to Hear the Gospel Too

Christians: When you hear the Gospel preach, do you feel its something not for you, but for the non-Christians?

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Summary Paragraph of the Gospel: Paul Washer’s Quote

I rarely write a post before I finish it; usually after I’m done I write a review.

But today I thought I share a quote from what I’m reading that summarizes the Gospel.

As a preacher I love ending the sermon with hope and turning listeners attention to Jesus and the Gospel.  So in a way I’m always thinking about how to summarize the Gospel (so its not two sermons in one!).  Of course I do believe the whole Bible has a trajectory towards the Gospel.  But I also think in closing a sermon there needs to be a clear, simple and accurate summary of the Gospel that is a part of the call to listeners to respond to the Gospel.

So with that as background I really enjoyed this Gospel summary:

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This Sunday at Church: Share your application from the preaching

This Sunday before Church I want to encourage you to do the following:  Share your application from the preaching.

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This Sunday at Church: Delight in God’s Word at Church

This Sunday at Church I want to encourage you to do the following:  Delight in God’s Word at Church.

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Preaching with Passion by Alex Montoya: 2019 Winterim Lectures

Pastor Alex Montoya has been instrumental in God shaping how I preach and also with wisdom concerning pastoral ministry.  He’s to me the Hispanic Charles Spurgeon and I lament that he’s retired from teaching in seminary.

Last week he’s recently taught for a Seminary Winterim session on the passion of preaching.  In a one week intensive course he taught a future generation of those entering ministry on homiletic (how to preach).

I thought I share them with viewers to help preachers and those who are teachers.

Here are the videos:

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The Four P’s of Expository Preaching

Sometimes people think of Expository Preaching as preaching from the Word of God that is “boring” because it is so heavily based upon the Word of God.  I disagree.  I think there is a difference between exegetical data dumping and expository preaching.

What is something helpful and practical that can help those teaching the Word of God not end up just go on like a run-on vocal Bible commentary?

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Review: The Evangelistic Zeal of George Whitefield

As we approach the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation I thought it would be timely to also share this book review of a biography of an important Reformed preacher in Protestant history: George Whitefield.

5 out of 5

Purchase: Westminster | Amazon

Many years ago I heard John MacArthur say that when he’s on vacation he often read an encouraging Christian biography.  I started reading this biography on the famous George Whitefield while on a short family vacation and I’m glad I read it since it was encouraging and spiritually edifying.  This book is part of “A Long Line of Godly Men Profile” series published by Reformation Trust Publishing and like the other two works in this series that I read this particular volume did not disappoint.

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Hymn: Speak, O Lord

I got to admit I’m not much of a music guy.  Sadly I don’t know the words to most of my favorite hymns.  A few weeks ago I preached at another church and they sand this song and it really ministered to me right before I got up to the pulpit.

I enjoyed the video I linked because its congregational singing though of course its not just a church but a conference for the video.

Here’s the lyrics and may it minister to other preachers, teachers and believers!

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Sunday Morning Motivations for Preachers and Teachers: Your Spiritual Gift Bestowed by God

It’s Sunday!  I know teaching, preaching and ministering is not always easy.  Here is another short post providing you with the motivation from the Word of God for preachers before you enter your pulpit and teachers before you go in to instruct your class.

Today’s post comes from 1 Timothy 4:14:

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Sunday Morning Motivation for Preachers and Teachers: Used by God to bring People to Salvation

It’s Sunday Morning.  I know sometimes ministry is not easy.  So here’s another little motivation from the Word of God for preachers before you enter your pulpit and teachers before you go in to instruct your class.

1 Timothy 2:5-7 states:

For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time. 7 For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying) as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

Here’s a question for mediation based upon the passage:

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Sunday Morning Motivation for Preachers: Be Worthy of Your Wages!

It’s Sunday Morning.  Here’s a little motivation for preachers before you enter your pulpit from the Word of God.

 

1 Timothy 5:17-19 states

 The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. ¹⁸ For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing,” and “The laborer is worthy of his wages.” ¹⁹ Do not receive an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses.

Note in verse 17 that Paul’s intention in writing this is so that those who serve in the church as Elders/Pastors to “work hard at preaching and teaching.”  Verse 18 tips us that he’s going to give us the reasons for this with the use of the word “for” which shows the motivation.  I want to look at one of the motivation for this Sunday and Lord willing another next Sunday.

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Review: Preaching Old Testament Narratives by Benjamin Walton

Benjamin Walton. Preaching Old Testament Narratives.  Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, June 27th 2016.  256 pp.

4 out of 5

Purchase:  Amazon

Most Christian preachers are probably more comfortable preaching from New Testament epistles than Old Testament narrative.  Yet as the book points out forty percent of the Bible is narrative with a large part of that found in the Old Testament.  If preachers are to be faithful in preaching all of God’s Word they need to do it well.  The author Benjamin Walton has written an excellent resource for expositional preachers who want to preach faithfully the Word of God from Old Testament narratives while at the same time desiring to preach with the intention of impacting contemporary audiences today.  Unlike most works on preaching this is a “two-in-one” in that it covers the interpretative skills that a preacher needs as he studies Old Testament narratives and also the practical skills of crafting a sermon.  You really get the bang for your buck with this book.  One really gets the feeling that the author is writing for the purpose of pastors and teachers able to do all the aspects of expositional preaching well.

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One Witty Ditty For Your Memory of Theology: Why Preachers Must talk about Sin

I posted a little ditty on our Facebook page and Twitter but I thought I post this on the blog as well.  (If you haven’t followed us on social media feel free to like and follow us).

Biblically faithful preaching is harder to find today in more ways than one.  Perhaps the most common problem is that some no longer like to preach on sin.  If that is true I imagine it is more true that most people do not like Biblical preaching because it talks about sin.

But Why Must Preachers talk about Sin?

Here’s why:

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Preachers, are you studying to be zealous for the Lord? A Spurgeon Quote

In Charles Spurgeon’s Lectures to My Students the famous Victorian Era preacher he has a chapter on “Earnestness: Its Marring and Maintenance.”  I appreciated how Spurgeon talked about how the preacher could have his zeal or earnestness marred through various predicaments.  Among them is the lack of studying.

I’ll let Spurgeon speak for himself as he said it better than I could:

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