Happy Reformation Day! I was privileged to speak in chapel today at Union University for our Reformation Day chapel and chose as my topic, “The Care of Souls: The Heart of the Reformation.” My main point is that the Reformation was not simply an academic or abstract discussion but arose from the pastoral care of …
As a lead up to Reformation Day, here is a quote from Martin Luther on the need for hard work in the preaching. I have taken the quote from John Piper’s ebook, Martin Luther: Lessons from His Life and Labor, which is currently available free. Some pastors and preachers are lazy and no good. They …
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I had the privilege yesterday of preaching Psalm 100 at First Baptist Church here in Jackson, TN, where Justin Wainscott is pastor. I have commented here several times on this rich psalm, and I continue to be blessed by it. Here is a quote on the command in verse 3 to “Know that the LORD …
A couple of times recently I have encountered the story of Charles A. Tindley (1851-1933) and reference to some of his hymns. When Robert Smith recently spoke at Union he briefly told the story of Tindley, the son of former slaves who taught himself to read and write, put himself through school while working as …
Gregory the Great, in his book, Pastoral Care (written in AD 590), speaks well to the importance of training for the significant task of guarding and guiding souls. “No one ventured to teach any art unless he has learned it after deep thought. With what rashness, then, would the pastoral office be undertaken by the …
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Recently David King, pastor of Concord Baptist Church in Chattanooga, visited my pastoral ministry class and shared ten key reflections on pastoral ministry. I asked David to come because he is a great example of faithful, patient ministry, holding fast to the Word and really loving his people. We all benefited greatly from David’s comments, …
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I absolutely love wrestling with my boys. I began wrestling with them when they were very little and this “wrestling” consisted of rolling around on the floor and rolling them over. We progressed to flipping them upside down, tossing them into the air and various other forms of roughhousing which they loved as much as …
A week ago Tom Fox preached a wonderful message on the book of Esther as whole. In discussing God’s providential work in preventing the king from sleeping and how that lead to Mordecai’s exaltation and eventually the thwarting of Haman, Tom used the phrase, “Death to life, a sleepless night.” That wording struck me and …
I am pleased to say Forgotten Songs: Reclaiming the Psalms for Christian Worship (B&H), edited by Richard Wells and myself is now available. At Amazon you can see the table of contents as well as preview the book quite well. The preface and conclusion will give you a feel for the aim of the book. …