In his famous work, Lectures to My Students, Spurgeon writes, “Don’t you know, young man, that from every town and every village and every hamlet in England,
wherever it may be, there is a road to London? So from every text of Scripture there is a road to Christ. And my dear brother, your business is, when you get to a text, to
say, now, what is the road to Christ . . . for the sermon cannot do any good unless there is a savor of Christ in it.” What does it mean to “preach Christ” from every text? Are there legitimate “roads to Christ” in the Old Testament?
Current Online Media Resources
Preaching Christ from the OT - Session 1
52:24 Min.
Preaching Christ from the OT - Session 2
59:34 Min.
2010 - 2011 Meetings
March
8, 2011
DR.
JERRY BRIDGES
THE BOOKENDS OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
As Christians we know we are saved by grace. Many of us, however, tend to live our Christian lives out of a performance mentality, relying on our supposedly good works to earn God's daily favor, and on our own will-power to live the Christian life. The "Bookends" will help us learn to rely on Christ's righteousness for our daily favor with God, and on the Holy Spirit for the enabling power to live the Christian life.
Current Online Media Resources
The Bookends - Session 1
42:17 Min.
The Bookends - Session 2
56:28 Min.
January
11, 2011
PASTOR JOSH MCPHERSON
PASTOR COLE BROWN
THE MISSIONAL CHURCH | THE MISSIONAL PASTOR
Session 1: The church has obscured her identity and, consequently, the reason for her existence. This confusion has compromised the church’s effectiveness in accomplishing the mission of God. What will it take for the Church to remedy this dilemma and thus winsomely and effectively engage the culture with the gospel?
Session 2: We are relentlessly pulled in a number of directions, frequently finding ourselves short of the time necessary to accomplish the pastoral task. Therefore, we must discern what is central to our God-given mission. Together, we will examine the Scriptures to see what it means to be a missional pastor who faithfully pursues this call.
Current Online Media Resources
The Missional Church Session 1
53:25 Min.
The Missional Church Session 2
54:40 Min.
November 9, 2010
DR.
TOM SCHREINER
THE PASTORAL FUNCTION OF THE WARNINGS IN SCRIPTURE
The Bible is filled with strong, even severe, warning passages. They play a crucial role in our lives, yet they are too often ignored in our preaching, teaching, and counseling. How do we employ those passages (e.g. Hebrews 6) in our pastoral ministries?
Current Online Media Resources
The Pastoral Function Part 1
43:32 Min.
The Pastoral Function Part 2
58:12 Min.
September 21, 2010 (Tuesday)
Dr. Art Azurdia
Spirit Empowered Preaching
Apart from the empowerment of the Spirit, even our most diligent exegetical efforts fall short of transforming the people to whom we preach. But what does it mean to
preach “in the power of the Spirit?” Is this something to be sought by preachers? Can this experience be defined biblically and objectively, not merely anecdotally? What
role does the Holy Spirit play in the actual proclamation event?
Current Online Media Resources
Spirit Empowered Preaching Part 1
50:12 Min.
Spirit Empowered Preaching Part 2
50:18 Min.
2009 - 2010 Meetings
March
16, 2010 (Tuesday)
DR.
JOHN JOHNSON
DR. ROBERT SMITH, JR.
The Need
To Preach Ecclesiastes In An Age Of Folly
Doctrine That Dances
Session
1: Most congregants have a disparaging view of Ecclesiastes,
while most preachers tend to avoid this book. But could Ecclesiastes be one of the most timely, significant books for our present culture?
If so, how in the world do we preach it?
Session
2: "Ministers who dare to preach doctrinally must
always remember that they not only participate in rightly dividing
the word of truth before the congregation, but that they are also
divided by that same word.” But what happens to the man
who, while laboring at preaching, fails to experience the truth
being proclaimed? What are the effects of this on the congregation?
How can a preacher be touched by the Word he proclaims?
Current Online Media Resources
The Need to Preach Ecclesiastes
52:54 Min.
Doctrine that Dances
43:00 Min.
January
12, 2010 (Tuesday)
DR.
MIKE JONES
The Centrality of the Gospel
Current Online Media Resources
The Centrality of the Gospel - Part 1
50:03 Min.
The Centrality of the Gospel - Part 2
45:57 Min.
Gary Thomas "Pure Pleasure" Introduction
35:52 Min.
November
3, 2009 (Tuesday)
DR.
ALEX MONTOYA
Preaching And The Purpose
Of The Church
We
will examine the place of Biblical preaching as the primary means
for advancing the grand purpose of the church, the importance of
the pulpit as the driving force for the church, as well as the necessity
of the pulpit being in step with the Biblical purpose of the local
church.
Current Online Media Resources
Preaching & the Purpose of Church - Part 1
52:54 Min.
Preaching & the Purpose of Church - Part 2
1:07:57 Min.
September 15, 2009 (Tuesday)
DR. ART AZURDIA
Successful Or Faithful:
Shattering The Dichotomy
Every
year thousands of good men leave the pastoral ministry convinced
they are failures. Why? They’ve been seduced by what William
James bitingly calls “the bitch goddess of success.”
But is “success” always a dirty word, implying the inevitability
of compromise? Is failure, by default, the defining feature of faithfulness?
How should pastors measure success? How does Jesus shape our thinking
about success in gospel ministry?
Current Online Media Resources
Successful or Faithful - Part 1
50:16 Min.
Successful or Faithful - Part 2
1:01:18 Min.
2008 - 2009 Meetings
March 17, 2009 (Tuesday)
DR. ART AZURDIA
Worship: On Earth As It Is In Heaven
"I prefer seeker-sensitive worship.” “Given our postmodern context emergent worship is the best option.” “Liturgy is the real key to worship.” Is worship content and style a matter of personal preference and taste? Should expressions of worship be defined by our distinct cultural mores? How should the gospel influence our corporate worship?
Current Online Media Resources
Worship On Earth As It Is In Heaven - 1
56:08 Min.
Worship On Earth As It Is In Heaven - 2
48:00 Min.
January 13, 2009 (Tuesday)
DR. SCOTT GILCHRIST
Staying Fresh In The Pastorate
What is it that contributes to a fresh walk with God over the long haul? Why is it that some shepherds bear much fruit over an extended period of time while others seem to lose their effectiveness and joy? What can we do to ensure that we stay effective and God-honoring in our lives and ministries?
Current Online Media Resources
Staying Fresh in the Pastorate - 1
52:50 Min.
Staying Fresh in the Pastorate - 2
1:10:03 Min.
October 14, 2008 (Tuesday)
DR. TODD MILES
DR. DON CARSON
Todd Miles: The King Of The Kingdom
Don Carson: A Pastoral Theology Of Suffering And Evil
Session 1: "The King Of The Kingdom." The evangelical church has historically struggled with the tension between the proclamation of the gospel and a call to social action. Recently, the rise of the Emerging Church has shifted attention to the biblical theme of the kingdom of God, often couched in a call to social action and missional living. But can there be a kingdom without the gospel? Can there be a kingdom without a King?
Session 2: "A Pastoral Theology Of Suffering And Evil." In a world running over with suffering and evils of many kinds, one of the most urgent and yet perennial imperatives of pastors is helping people cope with such awful realities. This is a modest attempt to show how several complementary biblical perspectives must be melded together to forge a coherent pastoral theology, thereby grounding grief counseling in the Word of God and in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Current Online Media Resources
The King Of The Kingdom
48:53 Min.
A Pastoral Theology Of Suffering And Evil
1:04:03 Min.
September 9, 2008 (Tuesday)
DR. R. KENT HUGHES
A Prolegomenon To Biblical Exposition
Introductions . . . Illustrations . . . Transitions . . . Outlines . . . Conclusions. The acquisition of communicative skills seems to dominate present day discussions of preaching. But before a preacher ever seeks to master certain techniques he must be mastered by certain convictions. What are the foundational presuppositions indicative of a biblically informed commitment to preaching?
Current Online Media Resources
A Prolegomenon to Biblical Exposition-
Part l
56:04 Min.
A Prolegomenon to Biblical Exposition - Part
II
0:54:38 Min.
2007 - 2008 Meetings
March 18, 2008 (Tuesday)
DR. MIKE JONES
Do Not Lose Heart
Discouragement in ministry can give way to depression. Depression frequently succumbs to despair. Despair often eventuates in defeat. Sadly, statistics indicate that men are abandoning the pastoral ministry in unprecedented proportions. How can pastors successfully complete the marathon of ministry? By what means can they happily and faithfully persevere?
Current Online Media Resources
Do Not Lose Heart - Part I
1:06:43 Min.
Do Not Lose Heart - Part II
0:49:54 Min.
January 22, 2008 (Tuesday)
DR. GENE GETZ
DR. SCOTT REAVELY
Gene Getz: The Household Model
Scott Reavely: Jonathan Edwards on Conversion
Session 1. “The Household Model.” When we clearly understand the household model in Scripture and how it forms the foundation for leadership roles in the local church, it opens the door for creative thinking and freedom in function and form that helps resolve many misunderstandings and tensions within the body of Christ.
Someone has once said: “Great preaching is better caught than taught.” What can we “catch” from a man who faithfully proclaimed the Christian Gospel in Germany during World War II . . . a man executed by the Nazi regime for his stalwart resistance to Hitler?
Every week the religion section of the local newspaper is filled with sermon titles such as the following: “How To Be Content In Marriage” . . . “Putting An End To Sibling Rivalry” . . . “Sexual Satisfaction Guaranteed.” But are these kinds of
messages in keeping with the Spirit-intended purpose of the biblical text? Is a sermon “Christian” just because it purports to be biblical?
Current Online Media Resources
The Ultimate Hermeneutic - Part I
50:53 Min.
The Ultimate Hermeneutic - Part II
1:01:03 Min.
2006-2007 Meetings
March 20, 2007 (Tuesday)
DR. DON SUNUKJIAN
How To Increase Clarity In Your Preaching
We want our preaching to be effective. This necessitates a commitment to clarity. But unlike written clarity, speakers need a unique set of oral skills for listeners to follow along successfully. What are these oral skills? How are they cultivated? What are the factors that contribute to losing the enthusiastic engagement of the congregation?
Bio: Dr. Sunukjian is Professor of Christian Ministry/Leadership and Chair of Homiletics at Talbot Seminary in Los Angeles, California. He is a contributing author to Bibliotheca Sacra, Biblical Preaching, and conducts pastors’ conferences throughout the United States.
Current Online Media Resources
How to Increase Clarity
1:03:00 Hrs.
Recorded March 20, 2007
DR. PAUL JACKSON
Priority of Preaching the Cross of Christ
Current Online Media Resources
Priotity
of Preaching the Cross
56:00 Min.
January 16, 2007 (Tuesday)
DR. MIKE JONES
The Pastor’s Heart
Dispassion and indifference are death to the pastoral task. Yet the demands of ministry frequently exhaust our emotional resources. How do we maintain an ongoing affection for God and people? How do we ensure that our preaching is more than an academic exercise, but a fervent and personal communication of the heart?
Bio:Dr. Jones is pastor of Independent Bible Church in Port Angeles, Washington. He is a frequently sought-after conference speaker for pastors’ groups around the world, and the founder and former president of PAC-RIM Bible College and Seminary.
Current Online Media Resources
The Pastor's Heart - Part I
44:14 Min.
The Pastor's Heart - Part II
1:16:53 Min.
November 14, 2006 (Tuesday)
DR. SCOTT GILCHRIST
The Priority Of The Pastor(ate)
With the roguish autonomy that distinguishes much of American evangelicalism, a pastor is frequently regarded as unnecessary; a relic from a church era no longer relevant. But what is God’s place and purpose for the pastor of a local church? What is His calling for the man who would occupy this office?
Bio: Dr. Gilchrist is pastor of Southwest Bible Church in Portland, Oregon. He is an active conference speaker in the United States and has taught Christian leaders in Africa, Russia, India, Europe and Japan. His Downtown Bible Class radio program began in 1993 and has expanded to become a worldwide outreach.
Current Online Media Resources
The Priority Of The Pastor(ate) -
Part I
40:53 Min.
The Priority Of The Pastor(ate) - Part II
59:55 Min.
September 19, 2006 (Tuesday)
DR. ART AZURDIA
To Suffer And To Preach
We get tired. We feel depressed. Discouragement clouds our ability to see anything of value and fills us with doubt regarding our own calling to ministry. So how do we pastor during seasons of weakness? How do we preach when our heart is breaking? How do we proclaim the good news while enduring the dark night of the soul?
Bio: Dr. Azurdia is Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology at Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon. He is the author of Spirit Empowered Preaching and a contributing author to The Compromised Church and Reforming Pastoral Ministry.