Monthly Archives: May 2007

10 Questions: Ross Strader

The Unashamed Workman blog has interviewed several pastors {Tim Keller, Philip Ryken, Thabiti Anyabwile} with these 10 questions, so I thought I’d start interviewing a few pastors that I know.

My good friend Ross Strader is Senior Pastor of Bethel Bible Church in Tyler, Texas. He blogs at Charcoal Fires.

1. Where do you place the importance of preaching in the grand scheme of church life?
Preaching the life of the church is very important. It anchors the church. It is the place that doctrine and vision come together. People are grounded in God’s Word and inspired to life in the kingdom. If the church is a ship, a battle cruiser, then preaching is the helm.

2. In a paragraph, how did you discover your gifts in preaching?
By accident. When I was young (like 10) I remember sitting in church and feeling this overwhelming desire of wanting to do THAT (standing before the people and teaching God’s Word)… but I discarded it as something everybody wanted to do. I didn’t realize it was the first echos of my calling. While in seminary I had several opportunities to teach and preach. It was different from what I had done while on staff with Young Life. I absolutely loved it. It was what I was made to do. Along with my training and opportunities, there was affirmation from the body of Christ – both the places I would speak as well as our local body while in seminary. The Lord was very gracious to make it clear to me because it is also a place I feel the most vulnerable and insecure.

3. How long (on average) does it take you to prepare a sermon?
About 15 hours. I would love 20 hours but I seem to run myself out of time during the week. I find that I have to be very disciplined early in the week so I have time to think later in the week. The prayer and meditation over the passage is the most important time spent.

4. Is it important to you that a sermon contain one major theme or idea? If so, how do you crystallise it?
When that happens it is great. Sometimes it happens on purpose. Sometimes it happens on accident. Sometimes it doesn’t happen. I am committed to preaching through the Bible verse by verse. I begin books of the bible and walk through them with the congregation verse by verse. I usually start out with preaching calendar at the beginning of the series. I have a rough outline of the series and many of the weeks ahead. If I follow the preaching calendar like it is on paper… then yes. I have yet to do that however. If you ask my creative team, we hold it all loosely. My priority is to be faithful to the text… no matter where that takes me or how much time it needs.

5. What is the most important aspect of a preacher’s style and what should he avoid?
Be yourself. I am still learning this one. Every time I speak I still hear Chuck Rodgers in my head (a mentor and regional director for Young Life). Also, make sure your words are your words through your personality and life experience. Even if you want to capture an idea for your congregation that you have heard from Piper or Begg or a commentary you read, do the hard work to internalize it so that it becomes your idea in your words. If you can’t do that… then it is not for your congregation.

6. What notes, if any, do you use?
It depends on the week. Sometimes I feel the freedom to go without notes. Sometimes I take a full manuscript. I ask everybody I know who preaches what they take into the pulpit… and everyone is different. So, my conclusion this last year is – go with what works for you… what makes you the most comfortable and confident. For me that changes about every three weeks!

7. What are the greatest perils that a preacher must avoid?
Not reading, not praying and not listening to others. When you become your only voice… look out! Turn off the tv and and read a book. Turn off the radio and pray. Listen to a healthy variety of guys that are committed to God’s word and humble yourself under their teaching. Learn, Learn, Learn… then you are ready to teach.

8. How do you fight to balance preparation for preaching with other important responsibilities (eg. pastoral care, leadershipresponsibilities)?
This is the most difficult place in ministry for me. I often find myself overworking during the week because I did not balance the week well. I do not say No enough and Yes at the right time enough. You will have to find wisdom from another source on this one… and I will be reading!

9. What books on preaching, or exemplars of it, have you found most influential in your own preaching?
Piper’s, Brother’s We are Not Professionals, stand at the top of the list. Haddon Robinson’s Biblical Preaching is also up there. Ramesh Richards has done a great job in his book, Preparing Expository Sermons. Also, anything written by Mark Baily and Timothy Warren (mostly articles).

10. What steps do you take to nurture or encourage developing or future preachers?
Right now I am not. I plan in the next year to take on a pastoral intern. This question convicts me that I need to be thinking more strategically about that!

Piper on Anger

Couldn’t pass this one up. I know, Piper again?! Yep. He’s got great things to say about fighting anger…

Kill Anger Before It Kills You or Your Marriage

By John Piper April 23, 2003

In marriage, anger rivals lust as a killer. My guess is that anger is a worse enemy than lust. It also destroys other kinds of camaraderie. Some people have more anger than they think, because it has disguises. When willpower hinders rage, anger smolders beneath the surface, and the teeth of the soul grind with frustration. It can come out in tears that look more like hurt. But the heart has learned that this may be the only way to hurt back. It may come out as silence because we have resolved not to fight. It may show up in picky criticism and relentless correction. It may strike out at persons that have nothing to do with its origin. It will often feel warranted by the wrongness of the cause. After all, Jesus got angry (Mark 3:5), and Paul says, “Be angry and do not sin” (Ephesians 4:26).

However, good anger among fallen people is rare. That’s why James says, “Be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:19-20). And Paul says, “Men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling” (1 Timothy 2:8). “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you” (Ephesians 4:31).

Therefore, one of the greatest battles of life is the battle to “put away anger,” not just control its expressions. To help you fight this battle, here are nine biblical weapons.

1. Ponder the rights of Christ to be angry, but how he endured the cross, as an example of long-suffering.
For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. (1 Peter 2:21)

2. Ponder how much you have been forgiven, and how much mercy you have been shown.
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32)

3. Ponder your own sinfulness and take the beam out of your own eye.
Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, “Let me take the speck out of your eye,” when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. (Matthew 7:3-5)

4. Think about how you do not want to give place to the devil, because harbored anger is the one thing the Bible explicitly says opens a door and invites him in.
Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. (Ephesians 4:26-27)

5. Ponder the folly of your own self-immolation, that is, numerous detrimental effects of anger to the one who is angry – some spiritual, some mental, some physical, and some relational.
Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. (Proverbs 3:7-8)

6. Confess your sin of anger to some trusted friend as well and as possible with the offender. This is a great healing act.
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. (James 5:16)

7. Let your anger be the key to unlock the dungeons of pride and self-pity in your heart and replace them with love.
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

8. Remember that God is going to work it all for your good as you trust in his future grace. Your offender is even doing you good, if you will respond with love.
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4)

9. Remember that God will vindicate your just cause and settle all accounts better than you could. Either your offender will pay in hell, or Christ has paid for him. Your payback would be double jeopardy or an offence to the cross.
Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” (Romans 12:19)

When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting [his cause] to him who judges justly. (1 Peter 2:23)

Fighting for joy and love with you,

Pastor John

Dead Sea Scrolls

templescroll_sm.jpg

Biblical Archaeology Society has added a new section to their website: The Dead Sea Scrolls and Why They Matter. Here’s a blurb:

“The Dead Sea Scrolls have been called the greatest manuscript find of all time. Discovered between 1947 and 1956, the Scrolls comprise some 800 documents but in many tens of thousands of fragments. The Scrolls date from about 350 B.C. to 68 A.D. and were written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek; they contain Biblical and apocryphal works, prayers and legal texts and sectarian documents.

This priceless collection of ancient manuscripts is invaluable to our understanding of the history of Judaism, the development of the Hebrew Bible, and the beginnings of Christianity.”

They also offer a free e-book, The Dead Sea Scrolls-What They Really Say.

Jesus and the 10 Commandments

Just found out about this book by Edmund Clowney- “How Jesus Transforms the 10 Commandments” and it looks like a great read. I’m excited about getting this one sometime down the road!! {Bear with me, I was an Old Testament major in seminary…}

Here’s some more info:

Author: Edmund P. Clowney

Description: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” For many Christians, conditioned to emphasize our freedom from the law, Jesus’ words seem strange, even incompatible with the gospel of grace. If Jesus did not abolish the law, then how should we look at the Ten Commandments today? Clowney explains how Jesus intensifies the law and expands its scope to every situation in life. But as the author did so often during his ministry, he goes further, finding Christ in the law and showing how he fulfills it for his people. Thus believers will learn more not only of God’s character revealed in the law, but also of the gospel with its focus on Christ. Divided into eleven chapters, each with study questions for reflection and application, this book is an ideal resource for group study and personal growth.

“The great expounder of biblical theology, Clowney guides us between the errors of lawless license and graceless legalism through this magnificent study of the Ten Commandments. – Bryan Chapell

“Here, Edmund Clowney writes simply, but profoundly. Nobody had a deeper understanding of how all Scripture witnesses to Christ. I highly recommend this book for adult classes in churches, and for all who seek a better knowledge of the Lord Jesus. – John Frame

Fighting Lust

Eric at the Irish Calvinist has a great post on fighting lust with lust.

And since we’re on the topic here, John Piper has some great thoughts on this as well:

A N T H E M
Strategies for Fighting Lust
By John PiperNovember 5, 2001

I have in mind men and women. For men it’s obvious. The need for warfare against the bombardment of visual temptation to fixate on sexual images is urgent. For women it is less obvious, but just as great if we broaden the scope of temptation to food or figure or relational fantasies. When I say “lust” I mean the realm of thought, imagination, and desire that leads to sexual misconduct. So here is one set of strategies in the war against wrong desires. I put it in the form of an acronym, A N T H E M.

A – AVOID as much as is possible and reasonable the sights and situations that arouse unfitting desire. I say “possible and reasonable” because some exposure to temptation is inevitable. And I say “unfitting desire” because not all desires for sex, food, and family are bad. We know when they are unfitting and unhelpful and on their way to becoming enslaving. We know our weaknesses and what triggers them. “Avoiding” is a Biblical strategy. “Flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness” (2 Timothy 2:22). “Make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires” (Romans 13:14).

N – Say NO to every lustful thought within five seconds. And say it with the authority of Jesus Christ. “In the name of Jesus, NO!” You don’t have much more than five seconds. Give it more unopposed time than that, and it will lodge itself with such force as to be almost immovable. Say it out loud if you dare. Be tough and warlike. As John Owen said, “Be killing sin or it will be killing you.” Strike fast and strike hard. “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” ( James 4:7).

T – TURN the mind forcefully toward Christ as a superior satisfaction. Saying “no” will not suffice. You must move from defense to offense. Fight fire with fire. Attack the promises of sin with the promises of Christ. The Bible calls lusts “deceitful desires” (Ephesians 4:22). They lie. They promise more than they can deliver. The Bible calls them “passions of your former ignorance” (1 Peter 1:14). Only fools yield. “All at once he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter” (Proverbs 7:22). Deceit is defeated by truth. Ignorance is defeated by knowledge. It must be glorious truth and beautiful knowledge. This is why I wrote Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ. We must stock our minds with the superior promises and pleasures of Jesus. Then we must turn to them immediately after saying, “NO!”

H – HOLD the promise and the pleasure of Christ firmly in your mind until it pushes the other images out. “Fix your eyes on Jesus” (Hebrews 3:1). Here is where many fail. They give in too soon. They say, “I tried to push it out, and it didn’t work.” I ask, “How long did you try?” How hard did you exert your mind? The mind is a muscle. You can flex it with vehemence. Take the kingdom violently (Matthew 11:12). Be brutal. Hold the promise of Christ before your eyes. Hold it. Hold it! Don’t let it go! Keep holding it! How long? As long as it takes. Fight! For Christ’s sake, fight till you win! If an electric garage door were about to crush your child you would hold it up with all our might and holler for help, and hold it and hold it and hold it and hold it.

E – ENJOY a superior satisfaction. Cultivate the capacities for pleasure in Christ. One reason lust reigns in so many is that Christ has so little appeal. We default to deceit because we have little delight in Christ. Don’t say, “That’s just not me.” What steps have you taken to waken affection for Jesus? Have you fought for joy? Don’t be fatalistic. You were created to treasure Christ with all your heart – more than you treasure sex or sugar. If you have little taste for Jesus, competing pleasures will triumph. Plead with God for the satisfaction you don’t have: “Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days” (Psalm 90:14). Then look, look, look at the most magnificent Person in the universe until you see him the way he is.

M – MOVE into a useful activity away from idleness and other vulnerable behaviors. Lust grows fast in the garden of leisure. Find a good work to do, and do it with all your might. “Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord” (Romans 12:11). “Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58). Abound in work. Get up and do something. Sweep a room. Hammer a nail. Write a letter. Fix a faucet. And do it for Jesus’ sake. You were made to manage and create. Christ died to make you “zealous for good deeds” (Titus 2:14). Displace deceitful lusts with a passion for good deeds.

Fighting at your side,

Pastor John

Puritan In Da Ipod, Boyee!

I’ve plugged Richard Baxter’s book “The Reformed Pastor” shamelessly on this blog countless times. Now, you can get a FREE (!!) audio version of it from Christian Audio. Here’s the link. Now, go get it and use your iPod for the glory of God!

Vacation {All I Ever Wanted}

rtd_photo_military01.jpg

Been on a much-needed vacation with the family…Been sleeping somewhere near 12 hours a night as opposed to my usual 3-4 hours…I feel re-born…I never knew I could be so nice!…..Been hanging out with Dolly Parton, stalagmites, riding World War II “ducks”, and hanging out in my old stomping grounds of Salty Meat…….I will be posting again soon!