Preachers need books on the theology of preaching, works that demonstrate its biblical warrant. Preachers also need how-to books on the preparation and delivery of sermons. Carelessly crafted sermons dishonor the Savior, as does a delivery that fails to compel attention. But there is a third kind of book on preaching that preachers will do well to read. These books offer the mature reflections on the intangibles of preaching—matters of pastoral bearing, mental attitude, and habits of preparation. Jonathan T. Pennington, preaching pastor at Sojourn East Church in Louisville, Kentucky and associate professor at Southern Seminary, provides just this kind of book in Small Preaching. The book’s twenty-five brief essays fall under three headings: the person of the preacher, the…
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Vernon Dahmer is a hero of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement. A business owner and president of the Forrest County NAACP, he worked tirelessly to register black voters in Hattiesburg and surrounding communities. He was murdered in 1966 when members of the Laurel-based White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan set his home ablaze. This horrific crime is the subject of Curtis Wilkie’s When Evil Lived in Laurel: The “White Nights” and the Murder of Vernon Dahmer. At the center of this riveting story is Tom Landrum, a courageous FBI informant. His infiltration of the Klan helped bring about the arrest and trial of the man who authorized the deadly attack on Dahmer’s home – Sam Bowers – as well the…
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This is a transcript of brief remarks delivered by Dr. Wingard, Professor of Pastoral Theology and Dean of Students at the RTS Jackson Senior Banquet on Mary 14, 2021. Tonight, I’ve been asked to offer a few words of encouragement to graduating counselors and pastors. So, here we go: I encourage you – counselors and pastors – to acknowledge your need for each other. Pastors need working friendships with counselors, and counselors need working friendships with pastors. Both pastors and counselors will have more powerful ministries if they work with each other. Pastors deal with things corporately and cannot be involved intensely with the personal issues of each member of a growing congregation – the needs are too great.…
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I love how-to books that offer practical advice on church leadership. Most pastors benefit from step-by-step instruction about organizational management, church finances, crisis response, leadership recruitment and training, and other areas of church administration. Comparatively few seminary students come from backgrounds where they have received extensive training in these areas – and when they arrive at their first church, they need guidance. Right out of the starting gate, ministries can be crippled when godly men are ill-equipped to tend to the quotidian details and processes essential to effective leadership. The pastor who minimizes the importance of practical know-how is foolish. So you may be surprised that I am enthusiastic about Paul Tripp’s Lead, a leadership book that has little or nothing to…
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Reformed Theological Seminary is blessed to have campus presidents who are gifted theologians, skilled pastors, and accessible communicators – which is why I was eager to purchase Persistent Prayer by Guy Richard, president of Reformed Theological Seminary, Atlanta. God’s people are always in need of teaching on the nature of prayer and exhortations to its faithful practice. My goal as a pastor is for my church family to pursue lives of prayer: pouring out their hearts to the Lord in their private devotions, family worship, and the prayer meetings of the church. Persistent Prayer will prove a valuable tool in reaching that goal. Of all the helpful reminders I found in this book, perhaps this was most needed: “Prayer…
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When Lynne and I moved to Mississippi, we wanted to find a church home. We had two requirements: a church with both Sunday morning and evening worship services (we love the Lord’s Day!) and a pastor committed to expository preaching. What a blessing to find both at First Pres Jackson with David Strain’s preaching! David’s Expository Preaching is a gem – every Christian should read it. The Bible is indeed God’s word – and faithful preachers bring the words from God’s heart to the hearts of his dearly beloved people. Had David done no more than provide us with eleven arguments in favor of expository preaching, he would have served the church well. But his practical advice on getting…
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Covenantal Baptism is a concise and thorough explanation of the doctrine of infant – indeed, all covenant children’s – baptism. It is biblical in content, irenic in tone, and pastoral in application. I especially appreciate Jason Helopoulos‘s exposition of the vows PCA parents and congregations take – a feature that makes the book helpful in inquirers’ and new members’ classes. Many thanks to P&R Publishing for making this fine book available.
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For many believers, singing Psalms and traditional hymns is a new experience. One obstacle to singing them confidently is unfamiliarity with many of the tunes to which they are set. Last month I purchased the Trinity Psalter Hymnal App and have been using it in my devotions. It contains the texts and music for the entire Trinity Psalter Hymnal, which our church uses as its psalter. Piano recordings assist in learning unfamiliar tunes. My heart’s desire is for my congregation, First Presbyterian Church of Yazoo City, to know the psalms and great hymns of the church and to sing them with confidence. This app will prove a valuable resource in achieving that goal.
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“Mr. Wingard sure cut our hair short,” recalled Guy. He was speaking about my dad, George Wingard, who served as the assistant superintendent (and barber) of the Presbyterian Orphanage of Missouri in Farmington from 1959-1962. Guy grew up at the orphanage. In the 1990s it was converted to the senior apartments that are now his home. I met him last week before the start of the PCA’s General Assembly in St. Louis. But this wasn’t the first time our paths crossed. Guy and I would have been in church together often during my three years in Farmington. Children weren’t permitted to miss worship at Farmington Presbyterian Church unless they were sick. It was my family’s church home. My Uncle…
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Good, Good Father: Knowing God as He Wants to Be Known explores a grand theme: abiding in God’s fatherly care through Jesus our Lord. In twenty-six short meditations, readers are invited to experience the joy of knowing the God who lavishes his love on his adopted children. Identifying the promises of our heavenly Father and learning to claim them is the privilege Charley Chase wants every reader to enjoy. His scripture expositions are clear, his illustrations sparkle, and his plentiful quotations draw on the treasures of Reformed writers who have thought deeply about God’s fatherly love and care for his dear children
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