Each Lord’s Day my congregation has morning and evening worship services. Old and New Testament readings are included at each service – a total of four readings. Along with singing Psalms, this method exposes the congregation to large amounts of scripture during the worship services of the church. At each service, one scripture passage is my preaching text. For the other reading, I prepare a brief introduction to the reading. I have found the following valuable resources in preparing my comments: Family Worship Bible Guide, Joel Beeke et al. Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible (6 volumes) Sabbath Scripture Readings (2 volumes), Thomas Chalmers Promise and Deliverance (volumes 1-4), S.G. DeGraaf I want my RTS Jackson students familiar…
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7 Big Questions Your Life Depends On, by William J. Edgar. Pittsburgh: Crown & Covenant, 2020, 68 pages, $9.00, paper. Only a rare book fits well in the hands of both the unbeliever (exploring what Christianity is all about) and the mature believer who wants to think deeply about the demands of God’s Word upon his life. William Edgar’s 7 Big Questions Your Life Depends On is one of those books. The author identifies four fundamental questions from Genesis: Did God really say? Where are you? Where is the lamb? Am I in the place of God? To these he adds three from the gospels: Where is the baby born to be King of the Jews? Do you want…
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Today is the 240th anniversary of the birth of pioneer missionary Henry Martyn, born February 18, 1781 in Truro, England. As a young man Martyn excelled in classical and mathematical studies. The tender concern of a believing sister, the pain of his father’s death, and the godly counsel of a Cambridge mathematic’s instructor compelled him to read the New Testament. During his personal study of the scriptures, Martyn came to a living faith in Jesus Christ and was soundly converted. While at St. John’s College in Cambridge, Martyn sat under the preaching of Charles Simeon, vicar of holy Trinity Church. Modern evangelicals, regrettably, have largely forgotten Simeon. Yet, his influence on evangelical history is incalculable. During his 54-year ministry at…
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When I finish reading or listening to a book, I add it to my annual “books read” list. My 2020 list is at the end of this post. 2020 Reading Highlights This year I devoted time to reading Scottish preachers and theologians. I returned to some old companions who have served me well through the years: the memoirs of Boston and McCheyne and John Macleod’s Scottish Theology, to name just three. A new favorite is Donald Macleod’s Therefore the Truth I Speak: Scottish Theology 1500-1700. His biographical sketches and survey of key events and theological literature of the period make for a compelling story, exceedingly well told. For readers who long for a deeper understanding of the heart, Craig…
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Albert N. Martin, Pastoral Theology, Volume 2: The Man of God: His Preaching and Teaching Labors. Montville, NJ: Trinity Pulpit Press, 2018. $32.50, clothbound. Forty years ago, I was a student pastor preaching weekly in four rural Tennessee churches. Lacking both a seminary education and field supervision, I was on my own and needed help. Books on preaching were a gift from God as they brought me through my first year in the pulpit. Since then, I have read at least two or three every year – a practice I commend to my seminary students. This practice of reading contributed to my maturity as a preacher. Without books, my ministry and preaching would be impoverished. Time spent talking about preaching with…
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I never knew my biological mother. Thirty years old and unmarried, she chose to deliver me, her fifth child, in another part of the state, away from family pressure to keep me. She had a ninth grade education. I am grateful to her for giving me life, for making a choice to put me up for adoption. Hers was a decision made for me, one that set the trajectory of my life. 61 years ago today – my Dad’s 36th birthday and two days before my second birthday – I was adopted into the family of George and Roberta Wingard. The decision to make me part of their family was wholly theirs. During my childhood and teenage years, they read…
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With All Your Heart: Orienting Your Mind, Desires and Will toward Christ, by A. Craig Troxel. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2020, 220 pages, $13.39, paper. Every redeemed saint aspires to love God with all his heart—nothing is more precious to him than cultivating a heart for God. But what is the heart? Like so many frequently used words, it can be spoken without much thought. For many, loving from the heart is to have strong feelings for someone else—like a romantic attachment or friendship. At best this is an incomplete understanding and will not satisfy the Christian. For readers who long for a deeper understanding of the heart, Craig Troxel’s With All Your Heart will prove valuable. With the skill…
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My approach to pastoral ministry is little more than doing what I saw my dad do. I cherish this 1951 article.* The second half describes the work of my dad, George Wingard, in his first pastorate. He was, it reads, “very much like an old-time circuit rider, except that he does his riding in a Chevrolet Carryall.” My father served in a home mission field in the rural mountains and valleys of Searcy County, Arkansas, a field that included Presbyterian Chapel, Welcome Church, Garrett Memorial Presbyterian Church, and Lyon Chapel. I remember my parents reminiscing about places like Marshall and Snowball. The article depicts my dad as I remember him: hardworking, cooperative with other Christian denominations, and willing to…
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The Preacher’s Catechism, by Lewis Allen. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2018, 226 pages, $10.92. Years ago someone pointed out to me that a principal value of a catechism is to teach students to ask the right questions. Since the seventeenth century the Westminster Shorter Catechism has taught believers to ask (and answer) the right questions about the Bible, the Trinity, the person and work of Christ, man’s duty to God, the way of salvation, and the means of grace. Employing the Westminster Shorter Catechism as his model, Lewis Allen’s The Preacher’s Catechism helps preachers ask the right questions about their lives and ministries. He is convinced that it “is an outstanding resource for the heart needs of every preacher” (21), a conviction…
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Imputation of the Active Obedience of Christ in the Westminster Standards, by Alan D. Strange. Grand Rapids: Reformation Heritage, 2019, xviii + 158 pages, $7.79, paper. The doctrine of the imputation of the active obedience of Christ in the justification of believers is vital to Reformed pastoral care. It is the desire of my heart that every sheep in my flock come to the assurance “that they are in the state of grace, and may rejoice in the hope of the glory of God” (WCF 18.1). Active obedience, correctly understood, is a joy and comfort to the believer, assuring him of his right standing before God. God is righteous and requires that all who come before him be righteous.…
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