Trinity Grace Podcast: Recent Episodes
Trinity Grace Church
Welcome to Trinity Grace Podcast. These podcasts exist for the edification of believers through the recovery of confessional Christianity. We seek to promote, uphold and defend the body of biblical truth set forth in the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith in the UK, we pray that you would be blessed and encouraged through these discussions and interviews. Soli Deo Gloria.
In this episode, we interview Darrin Gilchrist about Broken Wharfe, a new confessional Baptist resource base for the UK and Europe. We focus on Broken Wharfe's aim, work and upcoming publications. We also discuss the benefits of the Second London Baptist Confession for churches and ministers. Listen in to find out more.
In this episode, Dr Jason Montgomery returns to the show to discuss the hymnody of Benjamin Beddome, an 18th Century confessional Baptist. Beddome wrote a remarkable number of hymns, many that have not yet been resourced; these hymns covered topics from the free offer of the gospel to the Triune being of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Other themes that feature are the importance of good hymnody in church life and the 17th - 18th Century non-conformist debate between those that did not sing in worship, those that only sung the Psalms, and those (such as Benjamin Keach) that endorsed the singing of both Psalms and hymns.
To listen to our first podcast on Beddome, click here
How are Christians to respond to predictions that the world will end due to climate change? Does the church have a message of hope? Does the bible speak to these things?
In this podcast, we discuss the current issues surrounding climate change and how the Word of God should direct us in responding to these things. Tony Flanders joins us for the discussion.
The life of Benjamin Beddome (an 18th Century Confessional Baptist minister and author of the exposition of the baptist catechism) teaches us many lessons about the local church and pastoral ministry. Beddome ministered in the same church for over 50 years, he was thoroughly committed to the regional association of churches and his preaching reveals firm confidence in the Word of God. Listen in to hear more about Beddome's life and work, that God may be glorified and his Church victorious...
Where did the early Particular Baptists emerge from? Is the language that we use to describe early baptistic pastors and laypeople unhelpful? How does a good understanding of so called 'Reformed Baptist' history help us grasp and appreciate our theological identity now?
These questions and others are helpfully confronted by Dr Matthew Bingham in this episode as we interview him about his influential research and fascinating new book titled 'Orthodox Radicals- Baptist Identity in the English Revolution'.
Special episode previewing our upcoming youth conference on 'biblical worship'. Tune in to find out about the speakers, messages and more...
What is preaching? Is it just an exposition of an important text, or even just an exposition of a divinely authored text? In this podcast we discuss why preaching is an event where God speaks to his people through an ambassador, it is more than just an exposition, it is a means of grace!
"Formal association means real association, it has bite, it has accountability, formal means its actually happening."
In this episode we discuss the confessional necessity of churches associating together. If we are to be confessional we must be associational, this means real association, where we have fruitful communion with other like-minded Churches for 'their peace, love and mutual edification'. Tune in to hear more.
In this episode we discuss the biblical basis for association between Churches. Many seek proof texts for these matters, but like so many critical doctrines of the Christian faith (such as the Trinity) there is no chapter and verse that explicitly outlines the need for associations. Instead, the testimony of scripture is clear that associations between Churches are a necessity for faithful fulfilment of the local Churches' calling. Tune in to hear more.
Worship, particularly reformed worship, is viewed as boring in our contemporary culture. Here we discuss why corporate worship is the most joyous event that any human being can experience on this earth, as we commune with the Father, through the Son, by the proceeding power of the Holy Spirit. The notion that worship be boring, put next to a scriptural understanding of what true worship is, is simply preposterous. Tune into this devotional episode of Trinity Grace Podcast to hear our exciting discussion about the great joyful reality and experience of corporate worship.
In this podcast we speak with Austin Walker, previous minister at Maidenbower Baptist Church, about the importance of particular redemption.
Is this a secondary issue, the type that we can sweep under the carpet and dispatch of for the sake of greater outward unity with other believers?
It is certainly not secondary, as Austin shows, we must confess particular redemption alongside all the critical aspects of our faith that it is intertwined with, from the absolute sufficiency of Christ's work to the way that we offer the gospel in expository preaching.
The 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith is inherently communal. It is to be confessed by a communal body of believers- the local Church- and then moving outward this faith is to be confessed between Churches together. In a society of hyper-individualism, Churches are under pressure to fall into line and emphasize 'my faith' over 'the faith', in actively confessing the communal faith of scripture we avoid this tripwire and stand on the whole counsel of God.
In this episode we discuss Sam Renihan's new book 'Deity & Decree'. In this book, Sam helpfully shows us the theological reasoning behind the beautiful truths of the 1689 Baptist Confession chapters 2 and 3 on God and His Decree. This work is a goldmine of wonderful insights as Sam draws statements about God and the Divine Decree from many great theologians of the past such as Girolamo Zanchius and John Norton. We spend time discussing the nature and importance of the doctrine of Divine Simplicity in particular.
What does it mean to be Christ-centered? Here we discuss the rich implications of seeing the work of Jesus Christ in relation to covenant theology. The 1689 Confession presents 'Of God's Covenant' in chapter 7 next to 'Of Christ the Mediator' in chapter 8 for a reason, our discussion gets into these connections and shows the beautiful implications of this for Church life.
To be a confessional Christian is to be a creedal Christian. What does this mean? We approach the question of why creeds are so useful and furthermore, why the Scriptures require us to be creedal. If we are to follow the New Testament we must be creedal people. Tune in for our discussion.
Upholding a reformed confession of faith means upholding the holy scriptures in all their excellence and majesty as the highest authority for all Christian faith and practice. In this episode, we will not just discuss the scriptural nature of confessions of faith, but we also discuss the scriptural mandate for confessions of faith.
Tune into this podcast where we speak with Brett Shaw about his background, God's calling of him to the ministry and his reasons for coming to the UK all the way from Illinois.
It is of the highest importance that men are trained well and rigorously for the work of the gospel in Kenya and Pastor Oliver Allmand-Smith gives us some insight into the training and context there. Alongside this, we discuss the importance of biblical Christian evangelism and the danger of the altar call. Is it important that we do evangelism according to scripture or can we just use any methods and practices that we like?
The subject of this episode is simple, we speak about God. It is crucial for Christians to testify that "God Is" in this age where the world openly confesses that "God is Not", he is not in our lives, he is not in our government and he is increasingly ignored in more and more of our Churches. Listen to this episode and be encouraged to study the Triune God of Holy Scripture in your life so that you may develop a rich and deep communion with our wonderful creator.
In this episode Keith Underhill, a former missionary to Kenya gives his experience of God's providence in mission work. We explore why it is critically important for the local Church to be at the heart of supporting missions and for servants to go out into the mission field and preach the gospel in all parts of the world. May God lead us to pray for his work in these countries & for local Churches to send out men to give the gospel to the unreached.
The proposed Hate Crime Bill in Scotland will open the possibility for people to be charged for having a Bible on their person or believing basic biblical truths. In this podcast, we discuss the proposed bill with Pastor Ali McLachlan, of Grace Baptist Church Edinburgh.
"We humbly confess that we deserve Thy chastisement, because of our many national sins. But spare us, good Lord, according to Thy many mercies. Deal not with us according to our sins. Withdraw from us this grievous plague, and restore health to our people. Above all, stir up amongst us true repentance, and increase true religion in the land. We ask all in the name and through the mediation of Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with Thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory. Amen." A prayer by J.C. Ryle in the 19th Century amid the Cattle Plague.
Cultural Marxism has infiltrated the West and is increasingly showing it's ugly face in culture, the media and most worryingly, the Church. Melvin Tinker helpfully guides us through how the West was "lost" to this philosophy, what their anti-God agenda is and where it will guide our country in the future. Churches and Pastors must be prepared to take up their cross and stand for the truth of the gospel, even if this means suffering and oppression. We have a gospel of hope and salvation, but it is useless if we remain silent. Listen to this special podcast episode to find out more.
Does the end justify the means? How are Christians to relate to this question? What should the Church's end goal be & what does all this have to do with Church gatherings? In this podcast, we delve into these important and relevant questions.
"Chronological snobbery" was a term used by the 20th-century theologian C.S. Lewis. It is an approach to history and knowledge where we deem that new ideas are good and old ideas are bad. Evangelical Christians are increasingly doing this with theology and non-biblical ideas. In this podcast, we discuss the weaknesses of this approach for Christians and how "if it's recent, it's decent" is not necessarily true.
In many Evangelical Churches, the ideal leader is the celebrity. We pick our leaders over their past business success, or maybe their ability to appeal to teens, or their "zip", "pazazz", "wow factor" etc. These qualifications are not bad in themselves, but they are all secondary and unimportant when compared to the qualifications given in Scripture. Whether or not the leader is a person of truth seems to slip the minds of an increasing number of Churches when choosing a Pastor. How are we to tackle this issue? How are we to make sure that our leaders uphold the whole counsel of God and qualify for biblical leadership according to what the Bible teaches? This issue is discussed throughout the podcast.
The spirit of our age is one of hyper-individualism, where the self is sovereign over all things. Even the truth! In this podcast, we discuss how this attitude has seeped into Western Christianity and how we can tackle hyper-individualism in our Churches. We need to confess the whole truth of scripture, uphold it and teach it. This will turn us away from "me" and towards God.
If we really believed the Bible is inspired by God it would change everything! We wouldn't be late for church, we wouldn't rely on our own wisdom and we would seek to hear His word in the pulpit as often as possible. Paul charged Timothy with seriousness and conviction to "preach the word". In this podcast we explore the charge, why preaching the gospel was a matter of necessity for Paul, what true preaching is and why preaching is God's ordinary means of saving lowly sinners and building His people up in the faith.
Praedicatio Verbi Dei Est Verbum Dei: "The Preaching Of The Word Of God Is The Word Of God" — Heinrich Bullinger
Is philosophy a nuisance? Or can it be an aid to Christian's in their faith? In this podcast, we discuss how philosophy can help us in the Christian faith and the defending of it. It is through philosophy that we can show others the truth of scripture, but also understand their fundamental presuppositions and therefore show them their precommitment to unbelief. This can help us present the gospel effectively and clearly to those that deny it's truth.
Are we using our gifts for God's glory, or are we being complacent? Paul exhorted Timothy to "stir up" the God-given gift that was within him and he exhorted Timothy. Why? Because God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of "power and of love and of a sound mind". This theme is explored throughout the podcast on 2 Timothy Ch 1.
What is 2 Timothy about? What's the context of the letter? Where is Paul when writing it and why is the letter so intense and emotional?
These, alongside a number of other questions, are answered in this podcast as Pastor Rob Stredder explains to us the nature and context of 2 Timothy.
Are you making the most of the sermon? If it is true that Christ speaks to us through the preaching surely we must take listening very seriously. Listen to this interview with Pastor Tony Flanders where he gives us the importance of and some practical points on making the most of the sermon.
How are Christians to react to a crisis like the coronavirus pandemic?
We must approach these situations with biblical principles at the front of our mind. What are these principles, why are they important and how do they guide the Christian through every adversity.
Today Churches are facing pressure to compromise on what they believe. Orthodox Christian beliefs are now regarded as offensive and unacceptable by many. How are we to tackle this as Churches? Do we not need a bulwark to help us stand on scripture?