Ministry Minded: Recent Episodes
Bradley Gray
A podcast that seeks to marvel at the mercy of God that meets us in our messy ministries.
www.graceupongrace.net
Mentioning the word “Israel” nowadays is a surefire way to stir political, theological, or eschatological pots. But Scripture gives us the grammar to make sense of it all through the lenses of fulfillment and expansion. Listen along as Chad Bird and I trace the story God’s telling of the people he’s forming and calling to himself, from Adam to Moses to today, and how every promise God has made is Yes and Amen in Jesus.
Chad and his wife Stacy live in Tyler, Texas, where he works as a Scholar-in-Residence for 1517. Along with writing, speaking, and teaching, you can also listen to him on the “40 Minutes in the Old Testament” podcast, which he co-hosts with Dan Price. Be sure to connect with him on Instagram and Facebook.
Resources: Hitchhiking with Prophets: A Ride Through the Salvation Story of the Old Testament, Chad BirdThe Christ Key: Unlocking the Centrality of Christ in the Old Testament, Chad Bird Limping with God: Jacob & the Old Testament Guide to Messy Discipleship, Chad BirdFrom Adam and Israel to the Church: A Biblical Theology of the People of God, Benjamin L. Gladd A New Testament Biblical Theology: The Unfolding of the Old Testament in the New, G. K. BealeRevelation: A Shorter Commentary, G. K. Beale Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray
Sponsor: You can support Ministry Minded by buying some coffee from Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use the offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order.Buy some coffee today!
Credits: Intro music: It Just Makes Me Happy Composer: DJ Quads, soundcloud.com/aka-dj-quads License: Creative Commons (BY-NC 3.0), creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ Music powered by BreakingCopyright: breakingcopyright.com
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In this episode, I’m joined once again by Raphael Mnkandhla for part two of a two-part mini-series reflecting on and reviewing the book The Clay Pot Conspiracy by Dave Harvey. Contrary to what many suppose, God often chooses to build his church through weak leaders, not polished ones. Those who shepherd the church best are those who know what it’s like to be wounded, knowing that theirs is a wounded Savior.
Raphael pastors City Church in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, where he lives and serves with his wife Heidi and their six children. You can follow him on Facebook, Instagram, and Substack.
Resources: The Clay Pot Conspiracy: God’s Plan to Use Weakness in Leaders, Dave Harvey Weakness Is the Way: Life with Christ Our Strength, J. I. Packer The Pastor’s Justification: Applying the Work of Christ in Your Life and Ministry, Jared C. Wilson Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray
Sponsor: You can support Ministry Minded by buying some coffee from Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use the offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order.Buy some coffee today!
Credits: Intro music: It Just Makes Me Happy Composer: DJ Quads, soundcloud.com/aka-dj-quads License: Creative Commons (BY-NC 3.0), creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ Music powered by BreakingCopyright: breakingcopyright.com
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In this episode, I’m delighted to share a conversation with my friend and brother in ministry, Dave Zahl, as we reflect on the strange yet holy overlap between writing and preaching. With the pressure to build platforms, establish brands, chase readership, and fine-tune every syllable for maximum virality, it’s easy to forget what moves us or drives us in the first place. But the gospel is a reliving word that reminds us that we’re in the showing-up business, and God’s in the results business.
David Zahl is the founder and director of Mockingbird Ministries and a cohost of The Mockingcast. He and his family live in Charlottesville, Virginia, where he also serves at Christ Episcopal Church. You can connect with him on Facebook, Substack, and Instagram.
Resources: “The Most Failed Writer of All Time,” David Zahl “The Death of the Author and the Preacher,” article by yours truly Law & Gospel: A Theology for Sinners (And Saints), 10th Anniversary Edition, William McDavid, Ethan Richardson, and David Zahl The Big Relief: The Urgency of Grace for a Worn-Out World, David Zahl Low Anthropology: The Unlikely Key to a Gracious View of Others (and Yourself), David Zahl Seculosity: How Career, Parenting, Technology, Food, Politics, and Romance Became Our New Religion and What to Do about It, David Zahl A Mess of Help: From the Crucified Soul of Rock N’ Roll, David ZahlFinding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray
Sponsor: You can support Ministry Minded by buying some coffee from Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use the offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order.Buy some coffee today!
Credits: Intro music: It Just Makes Me Happy Composer: DJ Quads, soundcloud.com/aka-dj-quads License: Creative Commons (BY-NC 3.0), creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ Music powered by BreakingCopyright: breakingcopyright.com
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In this episode, I’m thrilled to share part one of a two-part mini-series with my friend and brother in ministry, Raphael Mnkandhla, as we reflect on the book The Clay Pot Conspiracy by Dave Harvey. With so many voices telling you so many different things about what makes for good, capable leaders, God’s Word tells us something that’s surprising and endlessly compelling. Far from disqualifying you from leadership, your weaknesses are the very things God uses.
Raphael pastors City Church in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, where he lives and serves with his wife Heidi and their six children. You can follow him on Facebook, Instagram, and Substack.
Resources: The Clay Pot Conspiracy: God’s Plan to Use Weakness in Leaders, Dave Harvey Dying to Preach: Embracing the Cross in the Pulpit, Steven W. Smith Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers, Dane Ortlund Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray
Sponsor: You can support Ministry Minded by buying some coffee from Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use the offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order.Buy some coffee today!
Credits: Intro music: It Just Makes Me Happy Composer: DJ Quads, soundcloud.com/aka-dj-quads License: Creative Commons (BY-NC 3.0), creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ Music powered by BreakingCopyright: breakingcopyright.com
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In this episode, I’m joined by pastor and theologian Tony Phelps to talk about why it’s so important for preachers to preach God’s law and God’s gospel. Together, we trace this necessary distinction from Sinai’s altars to Luther’s breakthrough, and relish in the heartbeat of gospel preaching, which tells sinners not what they must do but what Christ has done.
Tony serves as the teaching elder of Christ Our Hope Presbyterian Church in Carolina, Rhode Island, where he lives with his wife, Donna. He’s a frequent contributor to The Heidelblog. You can also follow him on Facebook and YouTube.
Resources: “Not Man’s Gospel: An Exposition of Galatians 1:11–24 (Part 2),” Tony Phelps “A Letter to Recovering Pharisees: An Exposition of Galatians (Part 2),” Tony Phelps Commentary on Saint Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians (1535), Martin Luther Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray
Sponsor: You can support Ministry Minded by buying some coffee from Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use the offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order.Buy some coffee today!
Credits: Intro music: It Just Makes Me Happy Composer: DJ Quads, soundcloud.com/aka-dj-quads License: Creative Commons (BY-NC 3.0), creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ Music powered by BreakingCopyright: breakingcopyright.com
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In this episode, I’m joined by Bob Hiller to talk about the craft of preaching, how to navigate the pressures of pastoral ministry in 2026, and what belongs in the homiletical moment. We also discuss the danger of being a ministerial lone-wolf, why sermons aren’t TED talks, and why the preacher’s job is the same as it’s always been: deliver Christ, and get out of the way.
Bob Hiller serves as the senior pastor of Community Lutheran Church in Escondido, California, where he lives with his wife and three kids. He also serves as the content editor for The Craft of Preaching, along with co-hosting the White Horse Inn. You can follow him on Facebook and Instagram.
Resources: “Have No Fear, Little Flock,” Bob Hiller “The Craft of Preaching with Bob Hiller,” Outside Ourselves Finding Christ in the Straw: A Forty-Day Devotion on the Epistle of James, Bob Hiller Preaching, Fred B. CraddockFinding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray
Sponsor: You can support Ministry Minded by buying some coffee from Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use the offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order.Buy some coffee today!
Credits: Intro music: It Just Makes Me Happy Composer: DJ Quads, soundcloud.com/aka-dj-quads License: Creative Commons (BY-NC 3.0), creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ Music powered by BreakingCopyright: breakingcopyright.com
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In this episode, I’m joined once again by Obbie Tyler Todd to talk about life, pastoral ministry, and the challenges of preaching in post-Christian contexts. We also spent some time discussing the church’s role during times of cultural upheaval, the myth of America as a “Christian nation,” and why the church’s mission has never changed, no matter what the present crisis looks like.
Obbie is the pastor of teaching at Cross Community Church in Beaufort, South Carolina, where he lives with his wife, Kelly, and their two children, Roman and Ruby. He holds a Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and serves as an Adjunct Professor of Theology at Luther Rice College & Seminary. He’s the author of several books, and his writing has been featured in The Gospel Coalition, Christianity Today, Themelios, Desiring God, WORLD, and The Baptist Courier, among others. You can also follow him on Facebook and Instagram.
Resources: The Beechers: America’s Most Influential Family, Obbie Tyler Todd The Moral Governmental Theory of Atonement: Re-envisioning Penal Substitution, Obbie Tyler Todd A Baptist at the Crossroads: The Atonement in the Writings of Richard Furman (1755-1825), Obbie Tyler Todd “When were the ‘golden years’ in America?,” Obbie Tyler Todd Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray
Sponsor: You can support Ministry Minded by buying some coffee from Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use the offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order.Buy some coffee today!
Credits: Intro music: It Just Makes Me Happy Composer: DJ Quads, soundcloud.com/aka-dj-quads License: Creative Commons (BY-NC 3.0), creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ Music powered by BreakingCopyright: breakingcopyright.com
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In this episode, I sit down with Marc Sims to have an honest conversation about the current crises facing young men, the reality of living with depression in the Christian life, and how the gospel of Christ is the word of hope that speaks into all of that. In our darkest moments — personally, collectively, spiritually — God in Christ finds us and frees us from sin, suffering, and the grave.
Marc serves as the teaching elder of Quinault Baptist Church in Kennewick, Washington, where he lives with his wife, Hillary, and their three sons. He has published essays in outlets such as The Gospel Coalition, Mere Orthodoxy, and 9Marks, and is currently writing a book on sex, masculinity, and virtue, soon to be published by Baker Books. You can follow him on Facebook and Substack.
Resources: “The Depressed Christian,” Marc Sims “On Death Threats and Book Deals,” Marc Sims“Be A Man, Not Andrew Tate,” Marc Sims “Caring Enough to Stay: What Pastors Can Learn from the Good Shepherd,” Marc Sims Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray
Sponsor: You can support Ministry Minded by buying some coffee from Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use the offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order.Buy some coffee today!
Credits: Intro music: It Just Makes Me Happy Composer: DJ Quads, soundcloud.com/aka-dj-quads License: Creative Commons (BY-NC 3.0), creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ Music powered by BreakingCopyright: breakingcopyright.com
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In this episode, I’m joined by pastor, author, and professor Michael Cooper to talk about preaching, theological retrieval, and the rich history of Baptist homiletics. Through the lens of the post-Reformation Baptist preacher, Benjamin Keach, Michael and I examine how the preaching event isn’t merely a person giving a talk, but a divine act wherein God speaks through human abassadors.
Michael serves as the pastor of Grace Community Church in Mabank, Texas, where he lives with his wife, Kailie, and their two daughters. Michael holds a PhD from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he also serves as an Adjunct Professor. You can follow him on Facebook and Instagram.
Resources: The Word of This Salvation in the Mouths of Christ’s Ministers: Retrieving a Theology of Preaching as Reflected in the Sermons and Writings of Benjamin Keach (1640–1704), Michael R. Cooper, Jr. The Art of Prophesying and the Calling of the Ministry, William Perkins “The Great Ordinance: Retrieving a Theology of Preaching from Benjamin Keach,” Michael R. Cooper, Jr. Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray
Sponsor: You can support Ministry Minded by buying some coffee from Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use the offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order.Buy some coffee today!
Credits: Intro music: It Just Makes Me Happy Composer: DJ Quads, soundcloud.com/aka-dj-quads License: Creative Commons (BY-NC 3.0), creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ Music powered by BreakingCopyright: breakingcopyright.com
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In this episode, I’m delighted to welcome pastor, actor, and comedian Tommy Woodard to the show to talk about how faith and comedy overlap, and the role humor plays in the Christian life. Far from being a religion of stoic robots, Christians ought to be known for their laughter. Together, Tommy and I talk about comedy as a vehicle for grace and authenticity, and processing sorrow and loss, and ultimately why the church should laugh more.
Tommy is the lead pastor of New Church in Edmond, Oklahoma, where he lives with his wife and children. Besides pastoring, Tommy is also the founder of the 231 Collective, which was formerly The Skit Guys, where he endeavors to create sacred, excellent, joy-filled stories designed to make people laugh, think, and see God’s love in new ways. He’s also produced and acted in several faith-based projects, including Family Camp and The Forge. You can follow him on Facebook and Instagram.
Resources: 231 Worship God’s Chisel Remastered, The Skit Guys The Skit Guys Archive, YouTube “Should We Be Laughing Right Now?,” article by yours truly “Laughing with Moses All the Way to the Promised Land,” article by yours truly Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray
Sponsor: You can support Ministry Minded by buying some coffee from Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use the offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order.Buy some coffee today!
Credits: Intro music: It Just Makes Me Happy Composer: DJ Quads, soundcloud.com/aka-dj-quads License: Creative Commons (BY-NC 3.0), creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ Music powered by BreakingCopyright: breakingcopyright.com
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In this episode, I’m joined once again by my friend and fellow pastor Jordan Moody to talk about his new book about heaven and eternity, and the hope that heaven offers to those who are walking through grief and loss. Far from being some Pollyanna escapist’s hope, heaven fills believers with purpose and hope, both now and for the future.
Jordan is the lead pastor of Hope Fellowship Church in Jaffrey, New Hampshire, where he lives with his wife, Jamie, and their four kids. He’s the author of Heaven & Earth: Awakening Hope for Eternity with God. You can follow him on Facebook and Instagram.
Resources: Heaven & Earth: Awakening Hope for Eternity with God, Jordan Moody Jesus and the Tree: A Holy Week Study, Jordan Moody Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray
Sponsor: You can support Ministry Minded by buying some coffee from Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use the offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order.Buy some coffee today!
Credits: Intro music: It Just Makes Me Happy Composer: DJ Quads, soundcloud.com/aka-dj-quads License: Creative Commons (BY-NC 3.0), creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ Music powered by BreakingCopyright: breakingcopyright.com
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In this episode, I sit down with my friend and fellow pastor Josiah Ott to talk about what it means to be a young pastor and how preaching and studying the book of Ecclesiastes changed his life. The turbulence of our days isn’t anything to slough off. But what keeps pastors and churches grounded is the Word of God and the deep current of joy that courses through its pages and promises.
Josiah is the lead pastor of Grace Chapel in Shamokin, Pennsylvania, where he lives with his wife and their three kids. He’s the author of From Vanity to Joy: How Ecclesiastes Changed My Life & Could Change Yours Too. You can follow him on Substack, Facebook, and Instagram.
Resources: From Vanity to Joy: How Ecclesiastes Changed My Life & Could Change Yours Too, Josiah Ott Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray
Sponsor: You can support Ministry Minded by buying some coffee from Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use the offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order.Buy some coffee today!
Credits: Intro music: It Just Makes Me Happy Composer: DJ Quads, soundcloud.com/aka-dj-quads License: Creative Commons (BY-NC 3.0), creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ Music powered by BreakingCopyright: breakingcopyright.com
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In this episode, I’m thrilled to be joined by author, speaker, and founder of Love and Respect Ministries, Dr. Emerson Eggerichs, to talk about some lightbulb moments that comprehensively change our views of love, marriage, and relationships. Drawing on Scripture and decades of counseling experience and research, Dr. Eggerichs shows how couples can move from presumption and conflict to understanding and grace.
Dr. Eggerichs is an internationally known public speaker on the topic of male-female relationships. He has authored many books, including the national bestseller Love & Respect, which is a Platinum and Book of the Year award winner, selling over two million copies. He is also the Founder and President of Love and Respect Ministries, along with his wife, Sarah, who serves as Vice President. Married since 1973, they live in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and have three adult children.
Resources: Lightbulb Moments in Marriage: 12 Biblical Perspectives for Successful and Satisfied Couples, Emerson Eggerichs Love & Respect: The Love She Most Desires; The Respect He Desperately Needs, Emerson Eggerichs Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray
Sponsor: You can support Ministry Minded by buying some coffee from Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use the offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order.Buy some coffee today!
Credits: Intro music: It Just Makes Me Happy Composer: DJ Quads, soundcloud.com/aka-dj-quads License: Creative Commons (BY-NC 3.0), creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ Music powered by BreakingCopyright: breakingcopyright.com
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In this episode, I’m joined once again by writer, professor, and fellow Substack-er, Griffin Gooch, to talk about navigating expectations as young leaders, the crippling effects of social perfectionism, the paralyzing fear of failure, and how the gospel relieves all those pressures. It’s Jesus’s good news that frees believers from status-driven achievement, giving them grace and courage to try, fail, and grow.
Griffin is currently working on a PhD in theology from the University of Aberdeen. He is also an adjunct professor at Northpoint College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Apart from his Substack, Griffin’s writing has been featured in other outlets, such as Christianity Today, Mere Orthodoxy, Inkwell, and Ekstasis. Griffin and his wife, Tiffany, live in Kalamazoo, Michigan. You can follow him on Instagram.
Resources: “Your Ethics Might Be Making You a Terrible Person,” Griffin Gooch “The Art and Science of Reading Deeper,” Griffin Gooch “We Haven’t Lost Our Attention Spans Yet,” Griffin Gooch Do Not Lose Heart: An Assault on Apathy, Griffin Gooch Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray
Sponsor: You can support Ministry Minded by buying some coffee from Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use the offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order.Buy some coffee today!
Credits: Intro music: It Just Makes Me Happy Composer: DJ Quads, soundcloud.com/aka-dj-quads License: Creative Commons (BY-NC 3.0), creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ Music powered by BreakingCopyright: breakingcopyright.com
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In this episode, I’m joined by pastor, author, and professor Pilgrim Benham to talk candidly about the grief and grace that’s found in pastoral ministry. We discuss the necessity of pastoral rest, how to navigate seasons of confusion and hurt in the church, and why ministry is a lifelong lesson in the sufficiency of grace.
Pilgrim lives in Bradenton, Florida, where he lives with his wife and children. He currently serves as the Dean of Students for Calvary Chapel Bible College. You can follow him on Facebook, Instagram, and Substack.
Resources: The Unnecessary Pastor: Rediscovering the Call, Eugene Peterson Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places: A Conversation in Spiritual Theology, Eugene Peterson Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray
Sponsor: You can support Ministry Minded by buying some coffee from Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use the offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order.Buy some coffee today!
Credits: Intro music: It Just Makes Me Happy Composer: DJ Quads, soundcloud.com/aka-dj-quads License: Creative Commons (BY-NC 3.0), creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ Music powered by BreakingCopyright: breakingcopyright.com
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In this episode, I’m joined by pastors Raphael Mnkandhla and Trevor Route for a delightful conversation about pastoral ministry, the necessity for community, and the meaning of Advent. Among other things, we talk about the need for brotherhood among pastors and why the Christian life isn’t meant to be an isolated endeavor. We also discuss how the Psalms give the church a language for the Advent season and how the incarnation, shared worship, and the rhythms of the Christian calendar renew hope, strengthen weary faith, and remind us that Christ has come, and will come again.
Raphael pastors City Church in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, where he lives and serves with his wife Heidi and their six children. You can follow him on Facebook, Instagram, and Substack.
Trevor also serves on staff at City Church, where he lives with his wife, Kelsey. You can follow him on Facebook.
Resources: Cur Deus Homo, St. Anselm On the Incarnation, St. Athanasius Gospel Wakefulness, Jared C. Wilson Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray
Sponsor: You can support Ministry Minded by buying some coffee from Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use the offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order.Buy some coffee today!
Credits: Intro music: It Just Makes Me Happy Composer: DJ Quads, soundcloud.com/aka-dj-quads License: Creative Commons (BY-NC 3.0), creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ Music powered by BreakingCopyright: breakingcopyright.com
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In this episode, I’m delighted to be joined by author, theologian, and scholar Jonathan A. Linebaugh to talk about his new book The Well That Washes What It Shows, which explores the heart of the Christian message through the lens of the law and the gospel. We also chat about the unity of academic theology and pastoral ministry, the Reformer Thomas Cranmer, and how Scripture’s deepest truths meet troubled consciences with the comfort of grace.
Jono serves as the Anglican Chair of Divinity and professor of New Testament and Christian theology at Beeson Divinity School, Samford University. He is also the author or editor of several books, including The New Perspective on Grace, The Word of the Cross, God’s Two Words, and The Well That Washes What It Shows, all of which you can find on Amazon.
Resources: The Well That Washes What It Shows: An Invitation to Holy Scripture, Jonathan A. Linebaugh The Word of the Cross: Reading Paul, Jonathan A. Linebaugh God’s Two Words: Law and Gospel in the Lutheran and Reformed Traditions, Jonathan A. Linebaugh “The Gracious Heart of the Sermon on the Mount,” an article by yours truly “Two Words That Make Us Whole,” an article by yours truly Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray
Sponsor: You can support Ministry Minded by buying some coffee from Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use the offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order.Buy some coffee today!
Credits: Intro music: It Just Makes Me Happy Composer: DJ Quads, soundcloud.com/aka-dj-quads License: Creative Commons (BY-NC 3.0), creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ Music powered by BreakingCopyright: breakingcopyright.com
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In this episode, I get to chat with author and pastor Luke Kjolhaug about his book Sinner Saint and why the sinner-saint paradigm, commonly known as simul iustus et peccator, is so formative for understanding the life of faith. We explore how this dynamic shapes preaching, pastoral care, sanctification, and our daily Christian lives.
Luke is the pastor of Elim Lutheran Church in Osakis, Minnesota, where he lives with his wife, Bethannie, and their two daughters. He holds degrees from Wheaton College and Lutheran Brethren Seminary. You can connect with him on Facebook and Instagram.
Resources: Sinner Saint: A Surprising Primer for the Christian Life, Luke Kjolhaug “A Sermon is Not a Ted Talk,” Luke Kjolhaug “Sin and the Christian Life with Luke Kjolhaug,” Outside Ourselves with Kelsi Klembara The Righteousness of Faith According to Luther, Hans J. Iwand Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray
Sponsor: You can support Ministry Minded by buying some coffee from Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use the offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order.Buy some coffee today!
Credits: Intro music: It Just Makes Me Happy Composer: DJ Quads, soundcloud.com/aka-dj-quads License: Creative Commons (BY-NC 3.0), creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ Music powered by BreakingCopyright: breakingcopyright.com
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In this episode, I’m joined by my good friend Brad Kafer to discuss the crucial distinction between God’s law and God’s gospel, and the fallout when those two words get confused. We explore how the law-gospel paradigm is foundational for the Christian life, informing what the church preaches, how it worships, and where its members go to find assurance.
Click here to watch the video version!
Brad lives in Wausau, Wisconsin, with his wife, Bethany, and their five children. He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree from Reformed Theological Seminary. You can connect with him on Facebook.
Resources
The Reclamation Podcast, Brad Kafer and Michael Lewis
Commentary on St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians (1535), Martin Luther
A Treatise on the Law and Gospel, John Colquhoun
Learning God’s Two Words: A Brief Catechism on the Law and the Gospel, Jay Wipf
God’s Two Words: Law and Gospel in the Lutheran and Reformed Traditions, Jonathan Linebaugh
Law and Gospel: A Theology for Sinners (and Saints), William McDavid, Ethan Richardson, and David Zahl
Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray
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You can support Ministry Minded by buying some coffee from Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order.Buy some coffee today!
Credits
Intro music: “It Just Makes Me Happy”
Composer: DJ Quads, soundcloud.com/aka-dj-quads
License: Creative Commons (BY-NC 3.0), creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/
Music powered by BreakingCopyright: breakingcopyright.com
Get full access to Grace Upon Grace at www.graceupongrace.net/subscribe
In this episode, Pastor Eric and I tackle the timely and difficult subject of the fallout when ministry leaders fall into public sin. We discuss how the church should respond to such moral failures in light of the words of God’s law and God’s gospel, ministering to all involved with discernment, compassion, and grace. We also explore the tension between these public scandals and the responsibility of the local church, the danger of knee-jerk reactions on social media, and the question of whether a fallen leader’s past teachings remain valid.
Click here to watch the video version!
Eric is on staff with me at Stonington Baptist Church in Paxinos, Pennsylvania, where he lives and serves with his wife, Jade, and their son, Rosco. You can connect with him on Facebook.
Resources
“What Can Wash Away My Sin?” an article by yours truly
“Trimmed & Burning Bible Study: 2 Samuel, Part 9 (2 Sam. 11:1-27),” Eric Attinger
“Trimmed & Burning Bible Study: 2 Samuel, Part 10 (2 Sam. 12:1–31),” Eric Attinger
Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray
Sponsor
You can support Ministry Minded by buying some coffee from Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order.Buy some coffee today!
Credits
Intro music: “It Just Makes Me Happy”
Composer: DJ Quads, soundcloud.com/aka-dj-quads
License: Creative Commons (BY-NC 3.0), creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/
Music powered by BreakingCopyright: breakingcopyright.com
Get full access to Grace Upon Grace at www.graceupongrace.net/subscribe
In this episode, I’m thrilled to chat with essayist and fellow Substack-er Griffin Gooch! Throughout this episode, we explore the intersections of theology, writing, and storytelling. We also talk about the subtle ways social status and comparison shape the way we live our lives as Christians, even when we think they don’t. Whether you’re an aspiring writer wrestling with your latest draft, a pastor preparing for another sermon, or just someone who’s trying to live authentically amid the constant barrage of virtue signaling and curated identities, this conversation is for you.
Griffin is currently working on a PhD in theology from the University of Aberdeen. He is also an adjunct professor at Northpoint College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Apart from his Substack, Griffin’s writing has been featured in other outlets, such as Christianity Today, Mere Orthodoxy, and Ekstasis. Griffin and his wife, Tiffany, live in Kalamazoo, Michigan. You can follow him on Instagram.
Resources
“The Witch Trials of John Mark Comer,” Griffin Gooch
Do Not Lose Heart: An Assault on Apathy, Griffin Gooch
On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction, William Zinsser
A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life, George Saunders
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, Anne Lamott
Write Useful Books: A modern approach to designing and refining recommendable nonfiction, Rob Fitzpatrick
Smart Brevity: The Power of Saying More with Less, Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen, and Roy Schwartz
The Art and Business of Online Writing: How to Beat the Game of Capturing and Keeping Attention, Nicolas Cole
“You need theology,” an article by yours truly
Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray
Sponsor
You can support Ministry Minded by buying some coffee from Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order.Buy some coffee today!
Credits
Intro music: “It Just Makes Me Happy”
Composer: DJ Quads, soundcloud.com/aka-dj-quads
License: Creative Commons (BY-NC 3.0), creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/
Music powered by BreakingCopyright: breakingcopyright.com
Get full access to Grace Upon Grace at www.graceupongrace.net/subscribe
In this episode, I chat with Dr. Jason Alligood about the value of studying theology both in the academy and for the church. We aim to show how theology is the life-giving discipline of knowing God that equips the church for faithful Christian living. We also discuss Christian liberty, how those in the church can disagree well, and the importance of theological retrieval for the health of the church.
Jason Alligood is an assistant professor of theology at Cedarville University and an adjunct professor at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Prior to that, Jason served in the local church in various capacities for twenty-seven years, the last of which was as the teaching pastor of Fellowship Bible Church in Peoria, Illinois. Jason and his wife, Amber, currently reside in Dayton, Ohio. You can connect with him on Facebook and Instagram.
Resources
Raised in Splendor: The Hope of Glorification for a Secular Age, Jason B. Alligood
“Retrieving Christian Liberty,” Mortification of Spin podcast
“Being a Pastor Isn’t ‘Just a Job’,” Jared C. Wilson
“You need theology,” an article by yours truly
Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray
Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, Bradley Gray
Sponsor
You can support Ministry Minded by buying some coffee from Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order.Buy some coffee today!
Credits
Intro music: “It Just Makes Me Happy”
Composer: DJ Quads, soundcloud.com/aka-dj-quads
License: Creative Commons (BY-NC 3.0), creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/
Music powered by BreakingCopyright: breakingcopyright.com
Get full access to Grace Upon Grace at www.graceupongrace.net/subscribe
In this episode, Pastor Eric and I discuss the rise of deliverance ministries and how Christians can discern spiritual warfare through a biblical lens. Looking at Acts 16 and Paul’s encounter with the demon-possessed girl in Philippi, we explore the dangers of both denying and sensationalizing demonic activity, showing how many modern ministries stray from Scripture and exploit fear for profit. True deliverance, of course, never points anywhere but to Christ alone.
Eric is on staff with me at Stonington Baptist Church in Paxinos, Pennsylvania, where he lives and serves with his wife, Jade, and their son, Rosco. You can connect with him on Facebook.
Resources
Trimmed & Burning, Eric Attinger’s teaching ministry
Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray
Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, Bradley Gray
Sponsor
You can support Ministry Minded by buying some coffee from Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order.Buy some coffee today!
Credits
Intro music: “It Just Makes Me Happy”
Composer: DJ Quads, soundcloud.com/aka-dj-quads
License: Creative Commons (BY-NC 3.0), creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/
Music powered by BreakingCopyright: breakingcopyright.com
Get full access to Grace Upon Grace at www.graceupongrace.net/subscribe
In this episode, I get to chat with David Zahl about his brand new book, The Big Relief, which explores what makes the message of grace so essential not only to the Christian faith but also to the human experience. In a world that is fraught with weariness, brokenness, and the incessant pressure to perform, the gospel of grace is the counterintuitive announcement of the gift of relief. Dave and I unpack this message and what it means to believe and share a gospel that is inherently lopsided.
David Zahl is the founder and director of Mockingbird Ministries and a cohost of The Mockingcast. He and his family live in Charlottesville, Virginia, where he also serves on the staff of Christ Episcopal Church. You can connect with him on Facebook and Instagram.
Resources
The Big Relief: The Urgency of Grace for a Worn-Out World, David Zahl
Low Anthropology: The Unlikely Key to a Gracious View of Others (and Yourself), David Zahl
Seculosity: How Career, Parenting, Technology, Food, Politics, and Romance Became Our New Religion and What to Do about It, David Zahl
“One Noun & Five Adjectives: Refreshing Our Vocabulary of Grace,” David Zahl at the 2024 Mockingbird Tyler, TX conference
Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray
Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, Bradley Gray
Sponsor
You can support Ministry Minded by buying some coffee from Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order.Buy some coffee today!
Credits
Intro music: “It Just Makes Me Happy”
Composer: DJ Quads, soundcloud.com/aka-dj-quads
License: Creative Commons (BY-NC 3.0), creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/
Music powered by BreakingCopyright: breakingcopyright.com
Get full access to Grace Upon Grace at www.graceupongrace.net/subscribe
In this episode, I chat with Philip Nation about how Bible publishers can promote more engagement with Scripture and help stem the tide of biblical illiteracy in churches and some of the current challenges facing church leaders. Philip also shares his heart for encouraging and shepherding pastors in a cultural climate that is rapidly changing and offers some insight into the unique benefits of Thomas Nelson’s The OPEN Bible.
Philip Nation is the Vice-President/Publisher of Thomas Nelson Bibles. He has served as a pastor, church planter, and education minister in local churches. He frequently travels to speak in churches and at conferences. Philip earned a Doctor of Ministry from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has authored and edited numerous books and Bible studies. Philip is a University Fellow for Arizona Christian University and has been a professor at Union University and Houston Christian University. You can connect with him on Facebook, X/Twitter, and Threads.
Resources
The OPEN Bible
The NET Bible, Full Notes Edition
The Forgotten Preface: Surprising Insights on the Translation Philosophy of the King James Translator, Joshua Barzon
Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray
Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, Bradley Gray
Sponsor
You can support Ministry Minded by buying some coffee from Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use the offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order.Buy some coffee today!
Credits
Intro music: “It Just Makes Me Happy”
Composer: DJ Quads, soundcloud.com/aka-dj-quads
License: Creative Commons (BY-NC 3.0), creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/
Music powered by BreakingCopyright: breakingcopyright.com
Get full access to Grace Upon Grace at www.graceupongrace.net/subscribe
In this episode, Pastor Eric and I discuss how Christians can biblically and thoughtfully navigate the blistering speed of social media and the omnipresence of social media. Similar to stand-up comedians who are constantly mining their lives for material, unchecked social media use can quickly lead to distraction and inauthenticity. Our aim is to think theologically about how believers can engage with social media without over-consumption.
Eric is on staff with me at Stonington Baptist Church in Paxinos, Pennsylvania, where he lives and serves with his wife, Jade, and their son, Rosco. You can connect with him on Facebook.
Resources
“The Best Part Of Quitting Comedy,” Peter James
“Quitting Comedy: Relief or Regret?” Peter James
“Push notification masochism,” an article by yours truly
“I’m not who I want to be,” an article by yours truly
The Remarkable Ordinary, Griffin Gooch
Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray
Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, Bradley Gray
Sponsor
You can support Ministry Minded by buying some coffee from Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order.Buy some coffee today!
Credits
Intro music: “Night In Kyoto” by AVBE via Uppbeat. License code: NZW9CUKLWDL4PMYI.
Get full access to Grace Upon Grace at www.graceupongrace.net/subscribe
In this episode, Pastor Eric and I explore the reasons why systematic theology is so important for the church. Those who study systematic theology will deepen their faith and guard themselves against false teachers. From the prodigal son to the Good Samaritan, we endeavor to uncover Scripture’s deeper truths and challenge biblical illiteracy.
Eric is on staff with me at Stonington Baptist Church in Paxinos, Pennsylvania, where he lives and serves with his wife, Jade, and their son, Rosco. You can connect with him on Facebook.
Resources
“Evangelical controversies and the LeBron problem,” an article by yours truly
“You need theology,” an article by yours truly
Christian Theology: An Introduction, Alister E. McGrath
Christian Theology, Millard J. Erickson
The Moody Handbook of Theology, Paul P. Enns
Stonington Baptist Church, sermons podcast
Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray
Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, Bradley Gray
Sponsor
You can support Ministry Minded by buying some coffee from Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order.Buy some coffee today!
Credits
Intro music: “Night In Kyoto” by AVBE via Uppbeat. License code: NZW9CUKLWDL4PMYI.
Get full access to Grace Upon Grace at www.graceupongrace.net/subscribe
In this episode, Pastor Eric and I talk about what happens when a preacher’s sermon outline goes from helpful to hazardous. We discuss the purpose of preaching from an outline and why sermons are more like stories than they are like lectures.
Eric serves alongside me at Stonington Baptist Church in Paxinos, Pennsylvania, where he lives and serves with his wife Jade, and their son Rosco. You can connect with him on Facebook.
Resources.
“The heart of Protestant preaching,” an article by yours truly
“The oxymoronic message of modernity,” an article by yours truly
Christ-Centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon, Bryan Chappell
Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray
Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, Bradley Gray
Sponsor.
You can support Ministry Minded by buying some coffee from Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order.Buy some coffee today!
Credits.
Intro music: “Explorers (Instrumental Version)” by The Midnight, The Midnight Music LLC, 2018.
Get full access to Grace Upon Grace at www.graceupongrace.net/subscribe
In this episode, Pastor Eric and I talk about what it means to preach the Bible with a “fallen condition focus” and how without the honest recognition of everyone’s fallenness, there is no true hope to be preached. We also talk about the overlap between stand-up comedy and preaching the gospel and why it is so crucial to confront the aches of the world through the preaching of the Word so that the comfort of Christ can be given.
Eric serves alongside me at Stonington Baptist Church in Paxinos, Pennsylvania, where he lives and serves with his wife Jade, and their son Rosco. You can connect with him on Facebook.
Resources.
Christ-Centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon, Bryan Chappell
“Preach as though you were dying,” an article by yours truly
“Should we be laughing right now?,” an article by yours truly
“Trapped ‘Inside’ with Bo Burnham,” an article by yours truly
Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray
Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, Bradley Gray
Sponsor.
You can support Ministry Minded by buying some coffee from Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order.Buy some coffee today!
Credits.
Intro music: “Explorers (Instrumental Version)” by The Midnight, The Midnight Music LLC, 2018.
Get full access to Grace Upon Grace at www.graceupongrace.net/subscribe
In this episode, Pastor Eric and I chat about the daunting task of studying the Old Testament and how students of Scripture can and should dive into this challenge. Rather than “unhitching” the Old Testament from our faith, the first thirty-nine books of your Bible are vital to your understanding of the Bible itself.
Eric serves alongside me at Stonington Baptist Church in Paxinos, Pennsylvania, where he lives and serves with his wife Jade, and their son Rosco. You can connect with him on Facebook.
Resources.
“On David M. King’s ‘Your Old Testament Sermon Needs to Get Saved’,” an article by yours truly
“On Chad Bird’s ‘The Christ Key’,” an article by yours truly
Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray
Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, Bradley Gray
Sponsor.
You can support Ministry Minded by buying some coffee from Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order.Buy some coffee today!
Credits.
Intro music: “Explorers (Instrumental Version)” by The Midnight, The Midnight Music LLC, 2018.
Get full access to Grace Upon Grace at www.graceupongrace.net/subscribe
In this episode, Pastor Eric and I talk about how aspiring pastors can discern and distinguish the “call to the ministry” and why that is such a serious endeavor. Using Paul’s words in 1 Timothy 3, we examine what qualifies one for pastoral ministry along with the side effects of churches being shepherded by pastors who haven’t been genuinely called to the ministry.
Eric serves alongside me at Stonington Baptist Church in Paxinos, Pennsylvania, where he lives and serves with his wife Jade, and their son Rosco. You can connect with him on Facebook.
Resources.
“On Dr. Jason Allen’s ‘Letters on Preaching’,” an article by yours truly
“Inadequacy and the pulpit,” an article by yours truly
“Look to yourselves,” an article by yours truly
“Good news for those with mental illness,” an article by yours truly
Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray
Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, Bradley Gray
Sponsor.
You can support Ministry Minded by buying some coffee from Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order.Buy some coffee today!
Credits.
Intro music: “Explorers (Instrumental Version)” by The Midnight, The Midnight Music LLC, 2018.
Get full access to Grace Upon Grace at www.graceupongrace.net/subscribe
In this episode, Pastor Eric and I touch on the subject of pastoral encouragement, how pastors can battle it, and why they shouldn’t try to hide it if they are serious about equipping the church to do the work of the ministry. After all, the Body of Christ is built up not by the pastor’s eloquence or excellence but by the grace of Christ that manifests in weakness.
Eric Attinger serves alongside me at Stonington Baptist Church in Paxinos, Pennsylvania, where he lives and serves with his wife Jade, and their son Rosco. You can connect with him on Facebook.
Resources.
“The day after Sunday,” an article by yours truly
“Good news for those with mental illness,” an article by yours truly
Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray
Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, Bradley Gray
Sponsor.
You can support Ministry Minded by buying some coffee from Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order.Buy some coffee today!
Credits.
Intro music: “Explorers (Instrumental Version)” by The Midnight, The Midnight Music LLC, 2018.
Get full access to Grace Upon Grace at www.graceupongrace.net/subscribe
In this episode, I am once again joined by Pastor Eric Attinger as we continue unpacking what makes for a biblically faithful sermon. This time, we chat about the heart of worship and how a preacher’s delivery of a sermon can lead to mistaken views of the preaching event itself. We also talk about the worship service itself and why it is not just about singing.
Eric serves alongside me at Stonington Baptist Church in Paxinos, Pennsylvania, where he lives and serves with his wife Jade, and their son Rosco. You can connect with him on Facebook.
Resources.
“The fragrance of faithful ministry,” an article by yours truly
“A high view of preaching the Word,” an article by yours truly
“Get rid of songs that entertain,” an article by yours truly
Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray
Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, Bradley Gray
Sponsor.
You can support Ministry Minded by buying some coffee from Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order.Buy some coffee today!
Credits.
Intro music: “Explorers (Instrumental Version)” by The Midnight, The Midnight Music LLC, 2018.
Get full access to Grace Upon Grace at www.graceupongrace.net/subscribe
In this episode, I am once again joined by Pastor Eric Attinger to continue our conversation concerning biblically faithful sermons. This time, we discuss what makes a sermon authoritative, the source of a preacher’s authority, and the pitfalls that arise when a preacher starts to buy his own press.
Eric serves alongside me at Stonington Baptist Church in Paxinos, Pennsylvania, where he lives and serves with his wife Jade, and their son Rosco. You can connect with him on Facebook.
Resources.
The Priority of Preaching, Christopher Ash
“The Word did it all,” an article by yours truly
“The book that brings deliverance,” an article by yours truly
“Peanut skins and porterhouse steaks,” an article by yours truly
Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray
Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, Bradley Gray
Sponsor.
You can support Ministry Minded by buying some coffee from Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order.Buy some coffee today!
Credits.
Intro music: “Explorers (Instrumental Version)” by The Midnight, The Midnight Music LLC, 2018.
Get full access to Grace Upon Grace at www.graceupongrace.net/subscribe
In this episode, I am joined by Pastor Eric Attinger to chat about what makes for a biblically faithful sermon and why preachers should preach with an Emmaus Road hermeneutic.
Eric serves alongside me at Stonington Baptist Church in Paxinos, Pennsylvania, where he lives and serves with his wife Jade, and their son Rosco. You can connect with him on Facebook.
Resources.
“Delivering the goods,” an article by yours truly
“Rightly handling the word of truth,” an article by yours truly
Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray
Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, Bradley Gray
Sponsor.
You can support Ministry Minded by buying some coffee from Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order.Buy some coffee today!
Credits.
Intro music: “Explorers (Instrumental Version)” by The Midnight, The Midnight Music LLC, 2018.
Ad music: “Coffee Stains” by Finley, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Get full access to Grace Upon Grace at www.graceupongrace.net/subscribe
In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I am thrilled to be joined by my friend, Chad Bird, to talk about his new book, Hitchhiking with Prophets, and what it looks like to pursue a biblical theology that is centered on Christ alone.
Chad and his wife Stacy live in Tyler, Texas, where he works as a Scholar-in-Residence for 1517. Along with writing, speaking, and teaching, you can also listen to him on the “40 Minutes in the Old Testament” podcast, which he co-hosts with Dan Price. Be sure to connect with him on Instagram and Facebook.
Resources.
Hitchhiking with Prophets: A Ride Through the Salvation Story of the Old Testament, Chad Bird
A Field Guide to the Bible, a 1517 Podcast
“The Bible’s panoramic preoccupation,” an article by yours truly
The Christ Key: Unlocking the Centrality of Christ in the Old Testament, Chad Bird
Limping with God: Jacob & the Old Testament Guide to Messy Discipleship, Chad Bird
Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray
Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, Bradley Gray
Sponsor.
You can support Ministry Minded by buying some coffee from Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order.Buy some coffee today!
Credits.
Intro music: “Explorers (Instrumental Version)” by The Midnight, The Midnight Music LLC, 2018.
Get full access to Grace Upon Grace at www.graceupongrace.net/subscribe
In this episode, I am joined by pastor and writer Sam Schuldheisz who accompanies me on a short excursion to Middle Earth to chat about the ubiquity of storytelling, especially as it relates to the greatest story of all — namely, the gospel. Along with Tolkien and Lewis, we also talk about the theology of Inklings and the eucatastrophe of God’s grace.
Sam pastors Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in Milton, Washington, where he lives with his wife and two children. You can follow him on Facebook and Instagram.
Resources.
“The Inklings: Apostles and Apologists of the Imagination,” Sam Schuldheisz’s 1517 Academy Class
“The Inklings,” Sam Schuldheisz at the 2023 HWSS Conference
“Law and Gospel and the Imagination,” Sam Schuldheisz
“Psalms of Eucatastrophe,” Sam Schuldheisz
“Easter with the Inklings,” Sam Schuldheisz
Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray
Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, Bradley Gray
Sponsor.
You can support Ministry Minded by buying some coffee from Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order.Buy some coffee today!
Credits.
Intro music: “Explorers (Instrumental Version)” by The Midnight, The Midnight Music LLC, 2018.
Get full access to Grace Upon Grace at www.graceupongrace.net/subscribe
In this episode, I am joined by essayist as we dive into the particulars of the Reformation movement of the 1500s, the theological and historical ramifications of which are still being unpacked today. We discuss the importance of the Reformation, its impact on preaching, and its continued relevance for modern disciples.
Amy lives in Dayton, Ohio with her husband and son. She is an avid writer and historian with two forthcoming historical fiction novels set to be released through 1517 Publishing. You can follow her on Substack and Instagram.
Resources.
“An Analysis of The Rest is History’s Episodes on Martin Luther – Part One,” Amy Mantravadi
“An Analysis of The Rest is History’s Episodes on Martin Luther – Part Two,” Amy Mantravadi
“Johannes Agricola and the Distinction between Law and Gospel,” Amy Mantravadi
“Luther vs Karlstadt: The Other Leipzig Disputation,” Amy Mantravadi
Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray
Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, Bradley Gray
Sponsor.
You can support Ministry Minded by buying some coffee from Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order.Buy some coffee today!
Credits.
Intro music: “Explorers (Instrumental Version)” by The Midnight, The Midnight Music LLC, 2018.
Ad music: “Coffee Stains” by Finley, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.graceupongrace.net
In this episode, I am joined by Pastor Raphael Mnkandhla to talk about the importance of historical theology and church history not only for pastors and theologians but also for everyday disciples of Jesus.
Raphael pastors City Church in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, where he lives and serves with his wife Heidi, and their six children. You can follow him on Facebook and Instagram.
Resources.
On the Incarnation, St. Athanasius
Know the Creeds and Councils, Justin S. Holcomb
Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray
Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, Bradley Gray
Sponsor.
You can support Ministry Minded by buying some coffee from Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order.Buy some coffee today!
Credits.
Intro music: “Explorers (Instrumental Version)” by The Midnight, The Midnight Music LLC, 2018.
Ad music: “Coffee Stains” by Finley, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.graceupongrace.net
In this episode, I am joined by Pastor Kris Estep to talk about the state of preaching in the modern church and why preaching expositionally through the Bible is so important for the good and the health of the local church.
Kris Estep pastors Barberville Baptist Church in Waynesville, North Carolina, where he lives and serves with his wife Becky, and their three children. You can follow him on Facebook and Instagram.
Resources.
The Imperfect Pastor: Discovering Joy in Our Limitations through a Daily Apprenticeship with Jesus, Zack Eswine
What Is Biblical Theology? A Guide to the Bible’s Story, Symbolism, and Patterns, James M. Hamilton Jr.
Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, J. I. Packer
Lectures to My Students, Charles Spurgeon
Preaching and Preachers, D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray
Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, Bradley Gray
Sponsor.
Ministry Minded is sponsored by Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order.Buy some coffee!
Credits.
Intro music: “Explorers (Instrumental Version)” by The Midnight, The Midnight Music LLC, 2018.
Ad music: “Coffee Stains” by Finley, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.graceupongrace.net
In this episode, I share some thoughts on what ought to undergird every sermon and why the good news of the gospel can be likened to a thunderstorm of grace.
Resources.
“God Goes Belonging,” Sam Bush
“Preaching That Connects,” Todd Brewer
“Rainstorms and Reformations,” Sam Schuldheisz
Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, Brad J. Gray
Sponsor.
Ministry Minded is sponsored by Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount off your next order.Buy some coffee!
Credits.
Intro music: “Explorers (Instrumental Version)” by The Midnight, The Midnight Music LLC, 2018.
Ad music: “Coffee Stains” by Finley, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.graceupongrace.net
In this episode of the Ministry Minded podcast, I share a helpful way to make heads-or-tails of the timing of Holy Week, along with some thoughts on the remarkably subversive story of Easter.
Resources.
“Raised for Our Justification,” Michael Bird
“Something to This Story,” David Clay
“The Hero Dies in This One,” Sam Bush
“Was Jesus in the Grave for Three Days and Three Nights?,” Chad Bird
“Did Jesus Rise on the Third Day?,” Andreas Köstenberger
Theology Is for Proclamation, Gerhard Forde
Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, Brad J. Gray
Sponsor.
Ministry Minded is sponsored by Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount off your next order.Buy some coffee!
Credits.
Intro music: “Explorers (Instrumental Version)” by The Midnight, The Midnight Music LLC, 2018.
Ad music: “Coffee Stains” by Finley, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.graceupongrace.net
In this episode, I’m joined pastor and writer Randy Greenwald to talk about his newsletter, “Greatheart’s Table,” and why pastoral efficiency is a bad thing, along with a host of other topics relating to ministry in the local church.
Randy Greenwald is the pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Oviedo, Florida, where he lives and serves with his wife Barb. Along with serving the church, Randy is a visiting lecturer at the Orlando campus of Reformed Theological Seminary, as well as the author of the pastoral-helps newsletter Greatheart’s Table.
Resources.
Something Worth Living For: God, the World, Yourself, and the Shorter Catechism, Randall Greenwald
“Mr. Greatheart and This Metaphorical Table,” Randall Greenwald
“The Inefficiency of God,” Randall Greenwald
“Neurotics for the Kingdom of God,” Randall Greenwald
“On Breathing Deeply,” Randall Greenwald
“Futility Is Resistible,” Randall Greenwald
“Pastors Share Top Reasons They’ve Considered Quitting Ministry in the Past Year,” Barna Group
“The Pastors Aren’t All Right: 38% Consider Leaving Ministry,” Kate Shellnutt
Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, Brad J. Gray
Sponsor.
Ministry Minded is sponsored by Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount off your next order.Buy some coffee!
Credits.
Intro music: “Explorers (Instrumental Version)” by The Midnight, The Midnight Music LLC, 2018.
Ad music: “Coffee Stains” by Finley, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.graceupongrace.net
In this episode, I talk about the recent proliferation of articles and essays that speak to the negative side-effects of social media, and how this negativity can be discerned just by examining the ways in which social media has changed since ts inception. I also talk about the good news of God’s rest as found in Christ and why Thomas Jefferson’s “version” of the Bible was a complete and utter failure.
Resources.
“How Connectivity Made Us Miserable,” Samuel D. James
“Another Week Ends: Social Media’s End and the Cost of Love,” Bryan Jarrell
“The Age of Social Media is Ending,” Ian Bogost
“Doubting Thomas: On Peter Manseau’s ‘The Jefferson Bible’,” Ed Simon
“Thomas Jefferson on Jesus,” Colin Brown and Craig A. Evans
Christless Christianity: The Alternative Gospel of the American Church, Michael Horton
Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, Brad J. Gray
Sponsor.
Ministry Minded is sponsored by Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount off your next order.Buy some coffee!
Credits.
Intro music: “Explorers (Instrumental Version)” by The Midnight, The Midnight Music LLC, 2018.
Ad music: “Coffee Stains” by Finley, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.graceupongrace.net
In this episode, I reflect on some articles that talk about the emergence of the “therapeutic gospel” which, in effect, leads congregants into functional atheism. I also reflect on Bono’s Christian testimony and what falls within a pastor’s remit.
Resources.
“A therapeutic church is an atheist church,” Brad East
“Sin, preaching, and the therapeutic gospel,” Brad East
“Bono’s Punk-Rock Rebellion Was a Cry of Hopeful Lament,” Mike Cosper
“U2 @ 46,” Brian Mattson
“Abuse, Burnout, and the Pastoral Remit,” Harrison Perkins
Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, Brad J. Gray
Sponsor.
Ministry Minded is sponsored by Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount off your next order.Buy some coffee!
Credits.
Intro music: “Explorers (Instrumental Version)” by The Midnight, The Midnight Music LLC, 2018.
Ad music: “Coffee Stains” by Finley, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.graceupongrace.net
In this episode, I reflect on the holiday season and welcome the New Year by talking through a myriad of holiday-themed articles I’ve been chewing on recently, each of which serve to remind us of the one-way love of Christmas.
Resources.
“O Come All Ye Faithful, Except When Christmas Falls on a Sunday,” Ruth Graham
“There Is No Mary Problem in ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’,” Clare Coffey
“Link by Link, Yard by Yard,” Samuel D. James
“Christmas From Below,” John T. Pless
“The Child Who Came Among Us,” Stephen Freeman
Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, Brad J. Gray
Sponsor.
Ministry Minded is sponsored by Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount off your next order.Buy some coffee!
Credits.
Intro music: “Explorers (Instrumental Version)” by The Midnight, The Midnight Music LLC, 2018.
Ad music: “Coffee Stains” by Finley, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.graceupongrace.net
In this episode, I reflect on the scene where the doubt of poor ole “Doubting Thomas” was quelled — and why we, too, can find so much solace in the Christ of God condescending to his disciple’s deepest fears. I also highlight a new book from David Zahl and an essay by longtime friend Obbie Tyler Todd.
Resources.
“Fearless Thomas Apart From Christ,” Martin Luther
“Tommy Boy and the Case of the Doubts,” Ken Sundet Jones
“Good Friday and Unbelief,” Stephen Freeman
“Southern Yankees: Southern Baptist Clergy in the Antebellum North (1812–1861),” Obbie Tyler Todd
“Why I Wrote Low Anthropology,” David Zahl
Low Anthropology: The Unlikely Key to a Gracious View of Others (and Yourself), David Zahl
Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, Brad J. Gray
Sponsor.
Ministry Minded is sponsored by Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount off your next order.Buy some coffee!
Credits.
Intro music: “Explorers (Instrumental Version)” by The Midnight, The Midnight Music LLC, 2018.
Ad music: “Coffee Stains” by Finley, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.graceupongrace.net
In this episode, I talk about why Jesus never used carpentry in any of his parables, why Tobias Crisp is the “Black Swan of Puritanism,” and why studying the Bible doesn’t necessarily have to have a goal in order for it to be profitable and beneficial. Sometimes God’s just wants us to go to the Word for the enjoyment of it.
Resources.
“The Tales the Carpenter Told,” Todd Brewer
“Lost & Found: The Purpose of Jesus’ Parables,” article by yours truly
“That Passage Deserves Another Look,” Robert Kolb
Christ Alone Exalted, Tobias Crisp
Christ Made Sin, Samuel Crisp
Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, Brad J. Gray
Sponsor.
Ministry Minded is sponsored by Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount off your next order.Buy some coffee!
Credits.
Intro music: “Explorers (Instrumental Version)” by The Midnight, The Midnight Music LLC, 2018.
Ad music: “Coffee Stains” by Finley, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.graceupongrace.net
In this episode, I share a few brief thoughts on the recent reckoning in the Southern Baptist Convention before zeroing in on the truest hope for our times — namely, that God wastes nothing. Even the days which seem impossibly dark and incredibly inefficient are days in which God’s Word abides forever.
Resources.
“How Should Baptists and Christians Respond to the SBC Task Force’s Report on Sexual Abuse?” Griffin Gulledge
“How Tolkien’s Writings Were a Mythology for the History of England,” Matthew Theriault
The Preacher’s Catechism, Lewis Allen
“The Inefficiency of God,” Randall R. Greenwald
“Neurotics for the Kingdom of God,” Randall R. Greenwald
Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, Brad J. Gray
Sponsor.
Ministry Minded is sponsored by Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount off your next order.Buy some coffee!
Credits.
Intro music: “Explorers (Instrumental Version)” by The Midnight, The Midnight Music LLC, 2018.
Ad music: “Coffee Stains” by Finley, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.graceupongrace.net
In this episode, I share some thoughts on the recent hullabaloo surrounding the newest Disney/Pixar film Lightyear, plus why Lordship Salvation should be left behind.
Resources.
“If ‘Representation’ is the Issue, Where Are Pixar’s Religious Characters?” Samuel D. James
“Success Of ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’ Puts Excuses For Disney’s Failed, Woke ‘Lightyear’ To Bed,” Jordan Boyd
The Preacher’s Catechism, Lewis Allen
“My Pilgrimage from ‘Lordship’ to Law/Gospel Part 1,” Mike Abendroth
“My Pilgrimage from ‘Lordship’ to Law/Gospel Part 2,” Mike Abendroth
“My Pilgrimage from ‘Lordship’ to Law/Gospel Part 3,” Mike Abendroth
Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, Brad J. Gray
Sponsor.
Ministry Minded is sponsored by Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount off your next order.Buy some coffee!
Credits.
Intro music: “Explorers (Instrumental Version)” by The Midnight, The Midnight Music LLC, 2018.
Ad music: “Coffee Stains” by Finley, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.graceupongrace.net
I’m back! I know it’s been a while since the last time an episode dropped in the Ministry Minded feed, but I’m aiming to get back at it. And what better way to do that than to reflect on the recent “face-lift” the blog has received, courtesy of my dear friend Sara Bordner! She’s the brains behind all the new branding and logos that you see everywhere. In this episode, I reflect a little on that, plus I talk about some other stuff relating to social media and the understanding of the self, along with the incandescent hope that’s found in humor.
Resources.
Paint By S, Sara Bordner
Embodied Hope: A Theological Meditation on Pain and Suffering, Kelly M. Kapic
“The Demons Are Not What You Think They Are,” CJ Green
“The Hope of Humor,” Sam Bush
Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, Brad J. Gray
Sponsor.
Ministry Minded is sponsored by Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount off your next order.Buy some coffee!
Credits.
Intro music: “Explorers (Instrumental Version)” by The Midnight, The Midnight Music LLC, 2018.
Ad music: “Coffee Stains” by Finley, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.graceupongrace.net
In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I get to share a conversation my dad and I were able to have during our recent vacation in South Carolina on how to live fearlessly with “sound of mind” (2 Tim. 1:7) in these evil days.
Connect with the show: https://graceupongrace.net/
Buy Fresh Roasted Coffee: http://www.freshroastedcoffee.com Use code ‘GRACE10’ to get 10% off!
Notes:
Pastor Brad’s sermons
Stonington Baptist Church sermons
“The deeper magic of opportune obstacles,” article by yours truly
“Of mud and marigolds,” article by yours truly
Daily Grace: The Mockingbird Devotional, Vol. 2
Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, Brad J. Gray
This episode is sponsored by
· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.graceupongrace.net
In this episode of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I share some reflections on a much-needed vacation spent with family as well as some timely encouragement on the providence of God, whose sovereignty is never in doubt. What’s in front of us and all around might make us believe otherwise. We are very easily swayed into declaring the “end of all things.” But even when all seems dismal, the almighty wisdom of God is still true. Even when all else is uncertain, we can cling to the certain hope of the Father (Heb. 6:19). Even when it doesn’t make sense, we can still have faith.
Grace and peace.
Connect with the show: https://graceupongrace.net/
Buy Fresh Roasted Coffee: http://www.freshroastedcoffee.com Use code ‘GRACE10’ to get 10% off!
Notes:
Pastor Brad’s sermons
Stonington Baptist Church sermons
“When Faith Fails to Make Sense,” David Clay
“Don’t Say No: The Ludicrous Nature of Faith,” Sam Bush
“Camouflaged sovereignty and concern for God’s Word,” article by yours truly
“The rock of truth in the storm of fake news,” article by yours truly
Daily Grace: The Mockingbird Devotional, Vol. 2
Grace: So Much More Than You Know & So Much Better Than You Think, Brad J. Gray
This episode is sponsored by
· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.graceupongrace.net
In this episode of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I recap some sermons and talk about how God’s grace gives us the freedom to be present, right now, where we are. I also highlight some articles from around the web that have proven enlightening and encouraging. May you be blessed by this brief episode.
Grace and peace.
Connect with the show: https://graceupongrace.net/
Buy Fresh Roasted Coffee: http://www.freshroastedcoffee.com Use code ‘GRACE10’ to get 10% off!
Notes:
Pastor Brad’s sermons
Stonington Baptist Church sermons
“Grace for the now,” article by yours truly
“On not minding what happens,” Oliver Burkeman
“I’m Not Who I Want to Be,” article by yours truly
“The Pastoral Heart of Bunyan,” Jake Tanner
“Smells Like Groupie Spirit,” Randall R. Greenwald
Daily Grace: The Mockingbird Devotional, Vol. 2
Grace: So Much More Than You Know & So Much Better Than You Think, Brad J. Gray
This episode is sponsored by
· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.graceupongrace.net
In this episode of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I share some updates on this “beautifully exhausting” season of life and ministry, as well as the concrete hope of the Word to which the church can cling in times of doubt and fear and frenzy (Heb. 6:19).
Connect with the show: https://graceupongrace.net/
Buy Fresh Roasted Coffee: http://www.freshroastedcoffee.com Use code ‘GRACE10’ to get 10% off!
Notes:
Pastor Brad’s sermons
Stonington Baptist Church sermons
“Afghanistan, a Twofold Kingdom, Serpents, and Doves,” R. Scott Clark
The Christ Key: Unlocking the Centrality of Christ in the Old Testament, Chad Bird
Trusting God in the Darkness, Christopher Ash
“The ‘Rot’ of Evangelicalism Doesn’t Need Deconstruction. It Needs Church History,” Samuel D. James
“The Rise & Fall of Mars Hill: Compliments & Cautions,” Jesse Randolph
“Josh Harris’s Message Remains the Same,” Carl R. Trueman
“Camouflaged sovereignty and concern for God’s Word,” article by yours truly
Daily Grace: The Mockingbird Devotional, Vol. 2
Grace: So Much More Than You Know & So Much Better Than You Think, Brad J. Gray
This episode is sponsored by
· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.graceupongrace.net
In this episode of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I share some personal and ministerial updates for the week, as well as confess my affections for the newest Christian phenomenon, a.k.a., The Chosen. May you be blessed by these reflections.
Connect with the show: https://graceupongrace.net/
Buy Fresh Roasted Coffee: http://www.freshroastedcoffee.com Use code ‘GRACE10’ to get 10% off!
Notes:
Stonington Baptist Church sermons
“The Chosen: A Review,” Zack James Cole
“The Saving, Triune God at the River Jordan,” Kenneth Tanner
“Jesus Was Also Baptized,” Fred Sanders
Daily Grace: The Mockingbird Devotional, Vol. 2
Grace: So Much More Than You Know & So Much Better Than You Think, Brad J. Gray
This episode is sponsored by
· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.graceupongrace.net
In this episode of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I share some encouraging excerpts from 9Marks’ newest online journal, The Ordinary Means of Grace—Or, Don’t Do Weird Stuff. I also talk through 1 Kings 17 and how it might just be the best chapter to illustrate the habit of God to work in and through and with our suffering in order to reveal his saving power.
Connect with the show: https://graceupongrace.net/
Buy Fresh Roasted Coffee: http://www.freshroastedcoffee.com Use code ‘GRACE10’ to get 10% off!
Notes:
Stonington Baptist Church sermons
The Christ Key: Unlocking the Centrality of Christ in the Old Testament, Chad Bird
“The seriousness of sin and our cosmic salvation,” article by yours truly
“The Freedom that Comes from Being Boringly Biblical,” Eric Bancroft
“Good News, Ordinary Pastor! You Don’t Need a Winning Personality,” Dan Miller
“‘The Word Did It All’: The Necessity of Preaching According to the Protestant Reformers,” Shawn Wright
“Difficult Relationships,” Doug Wilson
Daily Grace: The Mockingbird Devotional, Vol. 2
Grace: So Much More Than You Know & So Much Better Than You Think, Brad J. Gray
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.graceupongrace.net
In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I am thrilled to share mine and Josh Hedger’s discussion of the pastorate and how modernity’s expectations of pastors can create unhealthy and unsustainable ministry environments. May you be blessed by this conversation notwithstanding your current ministerial context.
Connect with the show: https://graceupongrace.net/
Buy Fresh Roasted Coffee: http://www.freshroastedcoffee.com Use code ‘GRACE10’ to get 10% off!
Notes:
Stonington Baptist Church sermons
Resilient Ministry: What Pastors Told Us About Surviving and Thriving, Bob Burns, Tasha Chapman, & Donald Guthrie
MyCounselor.online
The Imperfect Pastor: Discovering Joy in Our Limitations through a Daily Apprenticeship with Jesus, Zack Eswine
The Gospel-Driven Church: Uniting Church-Growth Dreams with the Metrics of Grace, Jared C. Wilson
Daily Grace: The Mockingbird Devotional, Vol. 2
Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, Brad J. Gray
This episode is sponsored by
· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.graceupongrace.net
In this episode of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I get to reflect on some prescient thoughts and themes that I’ve been considering lately through the course of my sermon series on Philippians, especially as it relates to the ways God confounds our sense and challenges our faith through his divine and sovereign “Deep Magic.”
Connect with the show: https://graceupongrace.net/
Buy Fresh Roasted Coffee: http://www.freshroastedcoffee.com Use code ‘GRACE10’ to get 10% off!
Notes:
Stonington Baptist Church sermons
“The deeper magic of opportune obstacles,” article by yours truly
“In pretense or in truth: why Jesus plus nothing still equals everything,” article by yours truly
“Don’t Panic,” Randall R. Greenwald
“The Bird with a Leaf in Her Mouth,” Jared C. Wilson
The Word Became Fresh: How to Preach from Old Testament Narrative Texts, Dale Ralph Davis
Your Old Testament Sermon Needs to Get Saved: A Handbook for Preaching Christ from the Old Testament, David M. King
Daily Grace: The Mockingbird Devotional, Vol. 2
Grace: So Much More Than You Know & So Much Better Than You Think, Brad J. Gray
This episode is sponsored by
· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.graceupongrace.net
In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I share some updates on the podcast itself as well as talk through this past week’s sermons and why Psalm 131 constitutes, perhaps, the best picture of what it means to live the life of faith. I also get the thrill of sharing another conversation between myself and my dad, as he and I reflect on the past year of pastoral ministry and the unique challenges it presented.
Connect with the show: https://graceupongrace.net/
Buy Fresh Roasted Coffee: http://www.freshroastedcoffee.com Use code ‘GRACE10’ to get 10% off!
Notes:
Stonington Baptist Church sermons
“Church Membership: Loving What Jesus Loves,” David Prince
“Church Membership 101,” Jon English Lee
“11 Weak Reasons to Leave a Church,” Chuck Lawless
“Why the Way You Leave a Church is More Important than How You Came,” Chuck Lawless
Daily Grace: The Mockingbird Devotional, Vol. 2
Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, Brad J. Gray
This episode is sponsored by
· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.graceupongrace.net
In this episode of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I consider (again) Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount and I also highlight some recent articles from around the web that articulate the growing need for pastor-theologians. It is my aim to encourage the listener that theology isn’t meant to be sequestered in the halls of scholastic thought — it’s meant to richly rejoiced in, lived, and loved by one and all, in all walks of life.
Connect with the show: https://graceupongrace.net/
Buy Fresh Roasted Coffee: http://www.freshroastedcoffee.com Use code ‘GRACE10’ to get 10% off!
Notes:
Stonington Baptist Church sermons
“On ministry transition in the middle of a pandemic and making sense of the atonement with Obbie Tyler Todd,” podcast from yours truly
Luther’s Heidelberg Disputation
“Pastor-Theologians,” Tom Ascol
“The Challenges and Possibilities (and Continuing Need) for the Pastor Theologian,” Gerald Hiestand
“Gerhard Forde: A Recommendation,” John W. Hoyum
“The Evangelistic Zeal of the Vaxxers,” Michael Pohlman
Christ and Calamity: Grace & Gratitude in the Darkest Valley, Harold Senkbeil
On Being a Theologian of the Cross: Reflections on Luther’s Heidelberg Disputation, 1518, Gerhard O. Forde
Your Old Testament Sermon Needs to Get Saved: A Handbook for Preaching Christ from the Old Testament, David M. King
Daily Grace: The Mockingbird Devotional, Vol. 2
Grace: So Much More Than You Know & So Much Better Than You Think, Brad J. Gray
This episode is sponsored by
· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.graceupongrace.net
In this episode of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I am thrilled to be joined once again by my dear friend, Obbie Tyler Todd. In this lengthy dialogue, we reflect on an assortment of life- and church-lessons learned through the course of the pandemic. We also dissect his newest book, The Moral Governmental Theory of the Atonement: Re-Envisioning Penal Substitution, in which he endeavors to disseminate a thoroughly “American” doctrine of Christ’s atoning work and explain both its rise and fall from popular ecclesiastical favor.
Connect with the show: https://graceupongrace.net/
Buy Fresh Roasted Coffee: http://www.freshroastedcoffee.com Use code ‘GRACE10’ to get 10% off!
Notes:
The Moral Governmental Theory of Atonement: Re-envisioning Penal Substitution, Obbie Tyler Todd
“On Obbie Tyler Todd’s ‘The Moral Governmental Theory of Atonement’,” review by yours truly
Church Elders: How to Shepherd God’s People Like Jesus, Jeramie Rinne
Simple Church: Returning to God’s Process for Making Disciples, Thom S. Rainer
“Cutting through the glut of the theories of Jesus’s atonement,” article by yours truly
“Camouflaged sovereignty and concern for God’s Word,” article by yours truly
“7 Theories of the Atonement Summarized,” Stephen D. Morrison
Daily Grace: The Mockingbird Devotional, Vol. 2
Grace: So Much More Than You Know & So Much Better Than You Think, Brad J. Gray
This episode is sponsored by
· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.graceupongrace.net
In this episode of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I share some time-management advice via Oliver Burkeman. Also, I get to interact with that massive GQ cover-story profiling the life of troubled pop-star, Justin Bieber.
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Notes:
Stonington Baptist Church sermons
“The Redemption of Justin Bieber,” Zach Baron
“Ballerina Babies, Soul Mate Parenting, Forgiveness as Activism, and the Gracious God of Justin Bieber,” Bryan J.
“Episode 210: Don’t Stop Beliebing,” The Mockingcast
“On Anthony Bourdain: We Were Not Made to be Famous,” Sarah Condon
“Three or four hours,” Oliver Burkeman
Seven Wonders of Grace, Charles Spurgeon
Daily Grace: The Mockingbird Devotional, Vol. 2
Grace: So Much More Than You Know & So Much Better Than You Think, Brad J. Gray
This episode is sponsored by
· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.graceupongrace.net
It’s time for another edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast. In today’s show, I get to share some reflections on 1 Kings 11 and how the decline of Solomon’s empire actually points to the resolute truth of the God of all grace and the Governor of all history. Indeed, the fact that this history is extant for us at all points to a divine author behind it all.
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Notes:
Stonington Baptist Church sermons
“How to Read the Bible in Context and Stay on Track,” Daniel Rowlands
“Seeing Christ in the Shape of the Psalms,” Davy Ellison
“Your Whole Bible Is About Jesus,” Matt Smethurst
“The danger of the Aesop’s Fables Bible,” article by yours truly
“Lessons from Luther’s Stand at Worms: 500 Years Ago Today,” The Gospel Coalition
“Another 500th Anniversary: Luther at the Diet of Worms,” Ken Sundet Jones
Succeeding at Seminary: 12 Keys to Getting the Most Out of Your Theological Education, Jason K. Allen
Luther Examined and Reexamined: A Review of Catholic Criticism and a Plea for Revaluation, W. H. T. Dau
Daily Grace: The Mockingbird Devotional, Vol. 2
Grace: So Much More Than You Know & So Much Better Than You Think, Brad J. Gray
This episode is sponsored by
· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.graceupongrace.net
I’m back with another episode of the Ministry Minded Podcast! This time, I share some general thoughts on pastoral ministry before diving into some recent articles which have helped concretize my own convictions concerning the office of pastor. As a young man in ministry, I am so grateful to soak up resources like this which put me on a trajectory for long-term shepherding.
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Notes:
Stonington Baptist Church sermons
The Gospel Coalition, Central PA Regional Chapter Spring Gathering
“Advice to Young Preachers,” R. Scott Clark
“Preaching That Lasts, Nick Batzig
“The 8 Stages of Long-Term Pastoral Ministry,” Phil A. Newton
“The prevailing necessity of the pulpit,” article by yours truly
“The house that who built,” article by yours truly
Daily Grace: The Mockingbird Devotional, Vol. 2
Grace: So Much More Than You Know & So Much Better Than You Think, Brad J. Gray
This episode is sponsored by
· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.graceupongrace.net
In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I reflect on last week in which the Church celebrated Easter Sunday and the good news of Jesus’s resurrection from the dead. I spend some time talking through some events and ministry moments that encouraged me in the knowledge the fact of the resurrection, which, I think, is the point of the whole thing.
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Notes:
“Not Escape, But Resurrection,” Cameron Hughes
“The Mystery Unfolding, Grasping: A Maundy Thursday Reflection,” Jared C. Wilson
“The Scandal of the Resurrection,” Tom Ascol
“A Resurrection Faith Retains Its Power, But Not the Power We Crave,” David French
Stonington Baptist Church sermons
Daily Grace: The Mockingbird Devotional, Vol. 2
Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, Brad J. Gray
This episode is sponsored by
· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.graceupongrace.net
In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I chat about a slew of articles that I’ve been chomping at the bit to share with you, including one that shows how Rush Limbaugh and Martin Luther were similar in use of language to make courageous stands for the truth. Of course, Limbaugh and Luther operated in very different fields of expertise, not to mention different centuries, but the truth holds: that we, in this moment, are given an abundance of reasons to “stand firm” in and for the “true grace of God” (1 Pt 5:12), even in this fiery trial.
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Notes:
Stonington Baptist Church sermons
“Of Luther, Limbaugh, And Losers,” R. Scott Clark
“Martin Luther would have ruled Twitter,” Tom Holland
“The Liturgy of the Guilty,” Jonathan Bailes
“Christian Preaching and ‘Public Health’: On Faithful Puritans & Our Fiery Trial,” Owen Strachan
Daily Grace: The Mockingbird Devotional, Vol. 2
Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, Brad J. Gray
This episode is sponsored by
· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.graceupongrace.net
In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I get the privilege to talk with two-thirds of the Theocast crew, pastors and podcasters Jon Moffitt and Justin Perdue. In this encouraging and enriching discussion, we chat about the sufficiency of Christ throughout the life of the Christian and why it’s so important to know that all things are settled already because of Jesus’s work. You can rest, pilgrim. It is finished.
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Notes:
Faith vs Faithfulness: A Primer On Rest, Jon Moffitt, Justin Perdue, and Jimmy Buehler
Jon Moffitt’s sermons
Justin Perdue’s sermons
“The Birthplace of Bad Theology,” Theocast
“Dazed and Confused: John 15 and Bearing Fruit,” Theocast
“Footnoting Grace,” Theocast
Daily Grace: The Mockingbird Devotional, Vol. 2
Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, Brad J. Gray
This episode is sponsored by
· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.graceupongrace.net
In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I take some time to think out loud about how to deal with the egregious failings of ministry leaders. How can you make sense of their platform life and their personal life? What hope is there for them in the midst of their failure? And what grace is there for those feeling the repercussions of their fall? This is my attempt to articulate some of those thoughts. Soli Deo Gloria.
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Notes:
Stonington Baptist Church sermons
“A Bag Full of Maggots,” Mike Pohlman
Daily Grace: The Mockingbird Devotional, Vol. 2
Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, Brad J. Gray
This episode is sponsored by
· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.graceupongrace.net
In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I reflect on the gospel of God’s comfort and the specific reason why it’s so comforting — namely, because we have a Substitute. I also talk about why Jesus is the true and better hero and why a religion of scorekeeping can never last. Soli Deo Gloria! Amen.
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Notes:
Stonington Baptist Church sermons
“The Bible Warned Us About This,” David McLemore
“Stop Keeping Score,” Arthur C. Brooks
God—Our Contemporary, John Henry Jowett
Daily Grace: The Mockingbird Devotional, Vol. 2
Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, Brad J. Gray
This episode is sponsored by
· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.graceupongrace.net
In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I think through several different instances and examples which given evidence for the necessity of God’s truth — specifically, the solid rock truth of Christ made sin for us. Such is the only message the world needs to hear. And good thing, too, it’s the only message the church has.
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Notes:
Stonington Baptist Church sermons
Reset: Living a Grace-Paced Life in a Burnout Culture, David Murray
Lectures on the Law and the Gospel, Stephen Tyng
“Preaching that Gives Certainty,” Bob Hiller
“A Bright Light in a World of Gray,” Sam Bush
Daily Grace: The Mockingbird Devotional, Vol. 2
Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, Brad J. Gray
This episode is sponsored by
· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.graceupongrace.net
In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I think through what it means that Jesus is our “great high priest” and why his is a ministry of mercy for the desperate. I also share some thoughts on the unfolding narrative of the Bible and why Christians everywhere ought to be gorging on the Scriptures. May you be blessed by these thoughts. Grace and peace!
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Notes:
“You Are Fullness,” Young Oceans
The Whole Story of the Bible in 16 Verses, Chris Bruno
They Spoke of Me: How Jesus Unlocks the Old Testament, Brandon D. Smith and Everett Berry
The Epistles General of I and II Peter and I John, Alexander Maclaren
Stonington Baptist Church sermons
Daily Grace: The Mockingbird Devotional, Vol. 2
Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, Brad J. Gray
This episode is sponsored by
· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.graceupongrace.net
In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I reflect on the God who wrestles with us out of the story of Genesis 32; I share the reason why the church can be “calm, cool, and collected” even when the “end of all things is at hand”; and why brotherly love means much more than you think it does. Soli Deo Gloria.
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Notes:
“Hang in There, Pastors! You Are Needed Now More Than Ever!,” Bob Russell
Night Driving: Notes from a Prodigal Soul, Chad Bird
Gleanings in Genesis, Arthur W. Pink
Suffering: Gospel Hope When Life Doesn’t Make Sense, Paul Tripp
Reset: Living a Grace-Paced Life in a Burnout Culture, David Murray
The Epistles of St. Peter and St. Jude Preached and Explained, Martin Luther
Stonington Baptist Church sermons
Daily Grace: The Mockingbird Devotional, Vol. 2
Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, Brad J. Gray
This episode is sponsored by
· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.graceupongrace.net
In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I chat about why church is so essential and the One who make it so. Plus I share some thoughts on the New Year, the importance of childlike Bible reading, and the resonance of Pixar’s new feature film, ‘Soul’.
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Notes:
“The pain of the past year, the hope of the New Year, and God’s boundless goodness,” article by yours truly
“One word for 2020,” Peter Heck
“Pixar’s Soul and the Joy of Incarnation,” Josh Larsen
Cinema Siblings Podcast, talking movies with my sister, Bethany
“The Bible Reading Plan I Recommend for 2021,” Tim Challies
Living Life Backward: How Ecclesiastes Teaches Us to Live in Light of the End, David Gibson
Suffering: Gospel Hope When Life Doesn’t Make Sense, Paul Tripp
Fools for Christ: Essays on the True, the Good, and the Beautiful, Jaroslav Pelikan
The Saint and his Saviour: The Progress of the Soul the Knowledge of Jesus, Charles Spurgeon
Stonington Baptist Church sermons
Daily Grace: The Mockingbird Devotional, Vol. 2
Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, Brad J. Gray
This episode is sponsored by
· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.graceupongrace.net
In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I reflect on this past Sunday’s sermons and the ramifications of a God who sits with us when life is going to pieces. Plus, I share an article which leans into “the gospel of Tenet.” Blessings!
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Notes:
Studies on Book One of the Psalms, H. A. Ironside
Suffering: Gospel Hope When Life Doesn’t Make Sense, Paul Tripp
“Hope rises from the rubble of my church,” Giles Fraser
“Envying the ‘Other Me’,” Larry Parsley
Stonington Baptist Church sermons
Daily Grace: The Mockingbird Devotional, Vol. 2
Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, Brad J. Gray
This episode is sponsored by
· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.graceupongrace.net
In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I wish you a very Merry Christmas by sharing some thoughts on the “reason for the season” along with a reflection on my favorite Christmas movie.
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Notes:
“Don’t Isolate Yourself This Holiday Season,” Arthur Brooks
“The God Who Makes George Bailey’s Life So Wonderful,” Sam Bush
“Home for the holidays,” article by yours truly
II Timothy, Titus, Philemon & Hebrews, Alexander Maclaren
Stonington Baptist Church sermons
Daily Grace: The Mockingbird Devotional, Vol. 2
Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, Brad J. Gray
This episode is sponsored by
· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.graceupongrace.net
In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I talk through my sermons from this past Sunday and reflect on the grandest miracle of all: the necessity of the Incarnation, of Jesus’s taking on human flesh.
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Notes:
Lectures on the Law and the Gospel, Stephen Tyng
“Incarnation: The Central Miracle of the Christian Faith,” John Clark and Marcus Johnson
“Incarnation and the Gospel,” John Clark and Marcus Johnson
The Incarnation of God: The Mystery of the Gospel as the Foundation of Evangelical Theology, John Clark and Marcus Johnson
Stonington Baptist Church sermons
Daily Grace: The Mockingbird Devotional, Vol. 2
Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, Brad J. Gray
This episode is sponsored by
· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.graceupongrace.net
In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I share a brief personal update announcing my upcoming break from seminary studies, along with some “Christmas-y” reflections regarding the God who willingly steps into our catastrophic world of sin in order to redeem it.
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In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I offer up this brief edition of “Pastor Brad’s Corner” to recap the Thanksgiving holidays and share some thoughts that have helped me think through the kingdom of God.
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In this episode of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I am thrilled to be joined by fellow blogger and budding theologian, Blake Long, to talk about his upcoming book — ‘Gospel Smugness’ — and the important role tone plays when testifying about God’s grace.
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This episode is sponsored by
· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.graceupongrace.net
In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, you’re invited back to “the corner” where I reflect on last week’s sermons and offer some insight on how to make your morning routine better.
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In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I share a surplus of thoughts that have been on my mind lately — namely, the fracturing of our illusion of control, and where grace and peace can be found in the midst of that.
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In this episode of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I am thrilled to be talking with the Provost and Professor of Historical Theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Dr. Jason Duesing, to talk about the necessity of ministerial training and theological slow-cooking.
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In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, you are invited back to “the corner” as I share some musings on these recent days of chaos and how the gift of grace ought to be esteemed in even greater importance during these times.
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In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I offer some of the lessons I have learned throughout this season of surgery recovery as well as what it means to be okay with God’s plans.
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In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I spend some time reflecting on last week’s sermons, which included themes of God’s answer to loneliness and God’s grace for sell-outs. I also share an encouraging passage on preaching Christ crucified.
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In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, you’re welcomed back to “Pastor Brad’s Corner” as I reflect on last weekend’s ordination service for my friend Caleb and the significance of that moment in light of what he and his family have endured the last few years. I chew on some thoughts relating to that on the subject of suffering and also talk about the movie ‘Tenet’.
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In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I invite you back to “Pastor Brad’s Corner” to talk about two weeks worth of sermons, including how to live peacefully in this present life that’s full of disruption, as well as what makes for a truly “successful” ministry.
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In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I reflect on some developments I have made in my sermon writing process, specifically as it regards to including quotes in my sermons. I also chew on Ecclesiastes 1 and the fallacy of living for sand, as well as the lesson on ministerial disappointment we can learn from the life of Elijah.
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In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I share some thoughts I am still chewing on from my sermons on Sunday, August 16, which were taken from Ecclesiastes and Colossians. I also talk about “ministerial second-hand smoke” and why we should be talking about pastoral depression.
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In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I am elated to share a conversation I was blessed to have with my mom, Kellie Gray, about her crisis of faith and journey with depression.
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In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, we go back to “the corner” to talk about the religion of busyness and our addiction to success and the grace of the Lord’s conviction which brings us to confession.
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In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, you’re invited to “Pastor Brad’s Corner” as I reflect on the unexpected good news of the cross as it is found in the Gospel of Mark, as well as an unlikely portion of Scripture to find God’s faithfulness.
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In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I am thrilled to be joined by Cole Russell Deike to talk about the mental toughness and preparedness necessary for pastoral ministry as well as why the gospel of grace is uniquely primed for quarantine seasons.
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In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, you are invited to join me in “Pastor Brad’s Corner” once again as I share some thoughts and comments on the futility of predicting the future and raging against the machine.
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In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, you are welcomed back to “Pastor Brad’s Corner,” where I offer an update on some health issues I’ve been dealing with lately while also reviewing two articles that present wonderfully encouraging messages to ministers who are inundated with messages and comments about addressing something ‘other than’ the gospel.
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In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I am thrilled to be joined once again by my dad, Dr. Mike Gray, to have a cathartic conversation regarding my mom’s incredible season of turmoil and battle with depression.
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In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I invite you back to “the corner” as I recap my recent vacation and relay some of the thoughts that I have been chewing on recently regarding “contextualizing the present.”
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In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, you are invited back to “Pastor Brad’s Corner” for another meditation on the sermons from this past Sunday, one from Mark 14 and another from Job 38, in which we are given a glimpse of the awful suffering to which Jesus was subjected which serves as the foundation all hope for sufferers.
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In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I welcome you back to “the corner” to reflect on two sermons I delivered, one from Mark 14 and another from Acts 13, both of which show, in their own way, what the new covenant blood of Christ does in and through the lives of sinners.
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In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, Obbie Todd and I dive into the murky waters of the current state of the Southern Baptist Convention and attempt find grace, hope, and peace along the way.
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In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, you are invited back to “Pastor Brad’s Corner” in order to meditate a bit more on the sermon from Sunday taken from Mark 14:1–11 and to do some introspection on ministerial vision.
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In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I invite you to join me back in “Pastor Brad’s Corner” as I reflect on this past Sunday’s doozy of a sermon from Mark 13 on Jesus’s “Olivet Discourse” and the Christian’s calling during the End Times.
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In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I am joined by Dan van Voorhis and Bob Hiller to reflect on ESPN’s eponymous doc-series, ‘The Last Dance’, which interweaves a chronicle of the controversy-laden 1998 title run of the Chicago Bulls with an examination of the life and legacy of Michael Jordan.
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In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I am honored to talk with Bob Hiller and attempt to dispel the discord between Paul’s and James’s treatments on faith and works in order to show that both present a unique face of the gospel diamond.
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In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I welcome you back to “Pastor Brad’s Corner” to reflect on preaching through Mark 12 and the leafy, pretend religion of the scribes and Pharisees, and to chew on the serious, glorious call of pastoral ministry.
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In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I am honored to have Chad Bird back to talk about the Book of Hebrews, its exemplary significance in the life of a believer and its unparalleled Christ-centered voice.
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In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I am bringing back an old feature from this blog, “Pastor Brad’s Corner,” and utilizing it as a space to pause, reflect, and chew on Scripture, sermons, and stories from the past week.
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In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I get the privilege of sitting down with my associate pastor, Nathan Clark, to talk about the life and legacy of a minister in the local church.
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In this edition of the Ministry Minded podcast, I get the privilege to talk to Samuel D. James about the world of Christian publishing and fundamental ironies of “living little” in an online world.
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In this edition of the Ministry Minded podcast, I have the privilege of talking with returning guest Pastor Jordan Moody about the worthiness and weirdness of pastoral ministry in the middle of a pandemic.
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In this edition of the Ministry Minded podcast, I spend some time talking about some of the habits, tools, and methods I use when studying for a sermon or writing a blog.
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In this edition of the Ministry Minded podcast, I share another insightful passage from a sermon by Alexander Maclaren that invites us to minister among the filth, among smelly, sinful sheep.
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In this edition of the Ministry Minded podcast, I reflect on the one-way love of God as it is seen and proclaimed in a wonderful passage from a sermon originally delivered by Alexander Maclaren.
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In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I am privileged to chat with long-time friends, Daniel Emery Price and Erick Sorensen to talk about the doctrine of universal objective justification and why it’s so important for an appropriate understanding of the gospel.
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In this edition of the Ministry Minded podcast, I share some thoughts and experiences from the first few months of pastoral ministry in Pennsylvania. I am so grateful yet at the same time so dumbfounded that I get to do ministry as my primary vocation.
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In this episode of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I share a devotional I gave to the youth of the previous church at which I ministered.
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In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I sit down with Cameron Wood, one of the brothers and founding members of the Christian indie-rock band, Seeker & Servant. We cover a lot of ground in this conversation, with topics ranging from the mass-marketed Christian music scene to living as sojourners with Christ in the world.
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In this episode of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I was privileged to sit down with the author of Seculosity and the director of Mockingbird himself, David Zahl. We discuss Dave’s book, Seculosity and its resonant influence along with the impact the book tour has had on Dave personally.
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In this edition of the Ministry Minded podcast, I attempt to show the surprising connection between aliens, basketball, and the confounding choice of God.
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In this episode of the Ministry Minded podcast, I was privileged to speak to pastor, church planter, and podcaster Jared Sparks to talk about pastoral ministry and ministers in crises.
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In this episode of Ministry Minded, I sit down with my mentor and former pastor, Dr. Jim Blalock, to have a conversation about the canon of Scripture and one’s approach to biblical criticism.
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In this episode of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I’m thrilled to be joined once again by Nick Lannon to take a deep-dive in his newly published book, “Life Is Impossible,” and how that’s actually really good news.
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In this episode of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I’m joined once again by Tullian Tchividjian to discuss the current church climate that craves the strong and ostracizes the vulnerable, and how church exiles can find their way back home.
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In this episode of Ministry Minded, I share some thoughts about God’s grace even in the midst of life’s terrifying seasons and how God’s goodness is always greater than we remember it — his goodness exceeds our expectations.
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In this episode of Ministry Minded, Gerald White returns to the podcast to talk about contextualizing and appropriating the gospel in the difficult ministry endeavors in Scotland’s “schemes.”
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In this episode of Ministry Minded, I share my salvation testimony, the story of how God drew me to himself.
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In this episode of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I’m joined once again by Tullian Tchividjian to discuss the phrase “simul justus et peccator” and all its vast implications in the life of a Christian.
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In this episode of Ministry Minded, I provide some personal updates and ponder some pastoral lessons that I learned in my first year of vocational ministry. After the whirlwind that was 2017, 2018 has, similarly, been filled to the brim — and 2019 shows no sign of slowing down.
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In this episode of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I’m thrilled to be joined by Nick to talk all things sports, the law, and the gospel, and how each of us are “Michael Jordan’s sons.”
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In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, Alex and I seek to discuss the messiness of Jesus’s mercy in rescuing and redeeming sinners and leading them to repentance.
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In this episode of Ministry Minded, Mitch and I delve into the intricacies of church revitalization, what makes it such a significant ministry for the health of a church, and what differentiates it from church planting.
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In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I’m joined by pastor and church planter Cole Russell Deike to talk about the incomparable grace of the gospel that wrestles us into God’s joy.
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In this edition of Ministry Minded, Charlotte Getz and I chat about the current youth ministry climate and the severe need for gospel-centered student ministries.
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In this edition of Ministry Minded, Meiko Seymour joins the show once again to discuss the role of busyness and scheduling in life and ministry.
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In this edition of Ministry Minded, Obbie and I attempt to dismember the common misconceptions regarding the life and ministry of John Calvin.
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In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I’m joined by church planter, David Morse. David longs for the people of Portland, Maine to be renewed and restored by the recovery of the grace of the gospel.
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In this episode, I’m joined by writer and speaker Tullian Tchividjian to talk about the truth of God’s stubborn grace for wrecks and rebels.
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In this show, we get into the story behind Mockingbird, where it’s been and where it’s going in the future. We also talk about the mission behind both Mockingbird as a whole and David’s own ministerial endeavors.
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In this episode, Nicholas Davis and I seek to speak to the reality of the bi-vocational minister and the common pitfalls that come along with that. We also speak to the significance of Christian writing and offer helpful advice for other young writers.
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In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I’m joined again by my dear friend, Obbie Tyler Todd. Obbie’s fondness for church history fuels this conversation as we take a deep-dive into the theology, successes, failures, and legacy of Martin Luther.
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In this installment of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I’m joined by Pastor Landon Coleman to talk about local pastors and speaking the paradigm-shifting gospel into their unique situations. I think this episode will greatly encourage you as Landon and I speak to the “regular realities” of the Christian faith and endeavor to continually point you back to Christ.
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In this episode of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I talk about my experience at the 2018 G3 Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. The solidarity of the people and the sincerity of the song services made this a conference I won’t soon forget.
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In this episode, I’m joined by pastor, author, and blogger Meiko Seymour. Meiko has a hunger for God and a zeal for relationship that is unlike anyone I’ve met before, and I am much better for knowing him. I am so thankful to call him brother.
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In this episode of Ministry Minded, I attempt to speak to the whirlwind that has been the year 2017. Filled with seemingly more ebbs and flows than normal, this year has been a veritable maelstrom of emotions and seasons of life. Trying to make sense of it all would be nigh impossible — if not for God’s grace.
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In this episode, I’m joined by Scott Garrison, a former police officer turned church planter turned Reformed Theology apologist. Scott shares the story of his salvation, recounting the marvelous way God drew him to himself.
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In this episode, I’m joined by Kyle George Jones to talk about how to teach the full gospel to kids. We endeavor to speak to these realities and remain true in our effort to show that Jesus is everywhere in your Bible, not just in the New Testament.
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In this episode, I’m thrilled to be joined by fellow Baptist and church historian, Obbie Tyler Todd, to about talk the failures and successes of the Baptist denomination, the pivotal role creeds and confessions have in the church today, and what it means to be a gospel-centered student minister.
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On today’s episode, I’m joined by Payte Johnson to talk about the realities and practicalities of gospel ministry, along with the process of planting and leading a campus church. Payte shares his passion and call for the ministry and why he and his wife feel a special calling to the city of Lindsborg, Kansas.
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In this episode of Ministry Minded, author and speaker Chad Bird joins the show to talk about his ministry writing and speaking on God’s radical gospel of grace. He and I dive into the deep waters of the theology of the cross and the distinction between God’s law and God’s gospel.
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In this episode, Gerald White joins the show to talk with me about the gospel and the call of God. We dive into knowing and understanding God’s calling, and how to be confident of that calling even as He moves you away from a church body.
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In this edition of Ministry Minded, I was honored to speak with Dan Price. Dan’s an ardent grace-addict, like myself, and I so appreciate his ministry through the Christ Hold Fast organization. In this lengthy conversation, we dive into the good news of the gospel and what it really means.
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In this episode of Ministry Minded, I read a lengthy passage from one of my favorite books of all time, Horatius Bonar’s The Story of Grace. What you’ll find in The Story of Grace is as real a discussion about the grace of God that can ever be found.
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In this edition of Ministry Minded, I sit down and talk with pastor and podcaster Byron Yawn. Byron provides a clear and informed perspective on the “edifice” of Reformed Theology, as well as the difference between the biblical notions of faith and faithfulness.
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In this week’s episode, David Brady joins the show to talk with me about life and God’s leading. You’ll be greatly blessed by this conversation as we talk ministry transition, vulnerability in ministry, and modern student ministries.
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In this edition of Ministry Minded, I sit down with pastor and church planter Erick Sorensen. In this stirring discussion, we focus on the ups and downs of church planting and the hard realities of everyday ministry.
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In this edition of Ministry Minded, I was honored to sit down with Rodney and Nathan, both of whom are church planters in Las Vegas, Nevada. Listen as we talk about God’s call to ministry, the radical effects of the gospel, and the nature of discipleship in “Sin City.”
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In this episode, Collin Coats and I sit down and go in-depth on preaching and what makes for a compelling Christ-centered sermon. If you’re serious about preaching and the craft of delivering sermons, I think you’ll find this show extremely beneficial.
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In this episode of Ministry Minded, I’m joined by Soul Thirst Church music pastor Bill Brimer to talk Lutheran theology, the beauty of liturgy, and the spiritual experience of leading music.
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It was such a blessing to sit down and talk about the ministry and the gospel and the Scriptures with my dad, Dr. Mike Gray. You’ll be uplifted by this episode, as we talk about preaching exegetically.
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In this episode, I sit down with Pastor Kevin Labby to discuss the intertwining of humor and ministry at length, along with touching on preaching law and gospel in a youth ministry setting. Kevin also shares a story about one of his first experiences preaching — one that didn’t go so well!
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In this conversation, Jordan Moody and I talk about God’s will and grace in planting a church and in everyday pastoral ministry. We delve into the art and focus of preaching in this conversation, along with what makes a good church leader.
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In this episode, Paul Dunk and I discuss God’s grace in preaching, ministering, and church-planting. We also talk about the importance of writing and blogging about the gospel. We also talk about the challenges of seminary and what it can do for young pastors.
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In this episode of Ministry Minded, Mitch Miller and I touch on an assortment of topics surrounding God’s grace, God’s will, and God’s church, and the inextricable connection between all three. Mitch also shares the story of how he was drawn back to pastor in Greenville, South Carolina.
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In this premier episode of Ministry Minded, I was afforded the opportunity to sit down with RJ and dive into the theology of the distinction between God’s law and God’s gospel, and it’s extreme significance for youth ministers and parents alike.
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