http://www.wieldingthesword.com A blog about Biblical Counseling, Spiritual Disciplines and living a Scripture-shaped life Sun, 27 Jun 2010 20:58:05 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en As I prepare to lead a church planting effort in Denver, Colorado, I am meeting with different pastors, planters and friends explaining our plans. If the person I am speaking to has ministry leadership experience, I usually ask if they have any advice for me. I recently received five minutes of ... http://www.wieldingthesword.com/2010/06/27/local-church/reminders-for-the-weary-or-not-so-weary-church-planterpastor/ I recently filled out a church planting internship application that contained the following question: What is the gospel? (i.e. theologically speaking, not how you would explain the gospel message to a non-Christian) Here was my answer: ------------------------------------------------------------- I must begin by saying that Greg Gilbert has helped me in this area greatly and my ... http://www.wieldingthesword.com/2010/05/06/gospel/my-answer-to-the-question-what-is-the-gospel/ Three weeks of madness are set to begin. This is the fifth year I have hosted a March Madness challenge. I bought trophies last year and handed them out to previous champions and then last year's champion. A trophy awaits this year's victor as well. ESPN Tournament Challenge Group: Wishall March Madness This is ... http://www.wieldingthesword.com/2010/03/14/march-madness/5th-annual-march-madness-challenge/ A biblical counseling course at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary helped cement in my mind the power of the Gospel and the Bible to address man's deepest needs. By this, I mean every need. All of them. Every last one. Viewing oneself as a fallen sinner who has rebelled against a perfect ... http://www.wieldingthesword.com/2010/03/08/biblical-counseling/does-the-gospel-address-mans-deepest-psychological-needs-im-staking-my-ministrylife-on-it/ Edmund Clowney, author of Preaching and Biblical Theology and Called to the Ministry, has also written a Biblical Theology of Prayer that is available free, via a downloadable PDF. Clowney's treatment of a call to the ministry (a term I don't really like) is one of the best I have read. ... http://www.wieldingthesword.com/2010/02/15/christ-centered-interpretation/clowneys-biblical-theology-of-prayer-free-pdf/ I'm working on developing a definition of the local church. The goal here is to be biblical. I believe God is most glorified and people are most satisfied, ala John Piper, when people do His will. And God's will is revealed in the Bible. Jesus called doing God's will His food ... http://www.wieldingthesword.com/2009/12/16/local-church/defining-a-local-church/ J.D. Greear has written a post called The Generosity MATRIX that contains the best stuff I have read on Christian giving to date. The best. Giving is something I've discussed a fair amount with my close friends, fellow church members and my college mentor. What does God expect of the Christian ... http://www.wieldingthesword.com/2009/12/09/giving/the-best-stuff-ive-ever-read-on-christians-and-giving/ By Garrett E. Wishall -- JEFFERSONVILLE, INDIANA - Alex Edgar Wishall, son of Garrett and Laura Wishall, was born at 2:12 p.m., Nov. 14, at Clark Memorial Hospital.1 Alex is the younger son of Timothy, 1, who was born 16 months and 1 day ago, also at Clark Memorial. Garrett and Laura said ... http://www.wieldingthesword.com/2009/11/15/personal/alex-edgar-wishall-born-nov-14/ As many have said, the Southern Baptist Convention is at a key crossroads in its history. The IMB, NAMB and Executive Committee are all in need of new heads. The denomination is in decline as far as number of members ... and the membership numbers are radically skewed (16 million ... http://www.wieldingthesword.com/2009/10/15/southern-baptist-convention/gcr-task-force-to-meet-with-sbc-state-convention-leaders/ I value the pastor as theologian model. I am thankful that there are several guys in training for pastoral ministry around me who value this model. However, I would like to hear more of an emphasis from scholarly-pastors in training on the shepherding element of pastoring, ala Richard Baxter's "Reformed ... http://www.wieldingthesword.com/2009/10/07/pastoral-ministry/pastors-are-theologians-but-they-are-shepherds-too/