What is pastoral preaching?

There has been a good deal said and written about expository preaching, Christ-centered preaching, redemptive-historical preaching, etc., but very little has been said about pastoral preaching. Pastoral preaching is at the heart of true pastoral ministry. It’s expository, based on biblical hermeneutics and Christ-centered, but it goes further. Pastoral preaching is directed to a particular …

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What are the duties of church members?

John Owen (1616 – 1683) wrote a wonderful little booklet titled, Duties of Christian Fellowship: A Manual for Church Members. Our church’s pastoral intern, Andrew Graham, has been teaching it to our youth on Wednesday nights. We’ve also made it available to the whole congregation. The book is among the clearest and most concise works …

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Can a whole church really subscribe to a detailed confession of faith?

There has been a good deal of debate about whether the Second London Baptist Confession of 1677/1689 (2LCF) is a serviceable confession for Baptist churches. Some have argued it's far too detailed for a whole congregation to affirm, and they suggest that a shorter confession like the New Hampshire Confession or the Abstract of Principles …

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Why preach through whole books of the Bible?

Preachers may faithfully preach thematic and topical sermons that explain the Bible. They are certainly free to preach sermons on particular texts of Scripture without preaching through whole books of the Bible. But here are some reasons that preaching through whole books of the Bible is valuable. 1. Preaching through books of the Bible forces …

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What are some essential aspects of pastoral ministry?

Much of what passes for pastoral ministry today is nothing other than the application of philosophies and methods of corporate America in the church. Too many pastors think of themselves as doing their jobs, and they don’t think of themselves as God’s men who are called to a whole-life pastoral ministry among God’s beloved people. …

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