Grace Upon Grace

In this episode, I’m thrilled to share part one of a two-part mini-series with my friend and brother in ministry, Raphael Mnkandhla, as we reflect on the book The Clay Pot Conspiracy by Dave Harvey. With so many voices telling you so many different things about what makes for good, capable leaders, God’s Word tells us something that’s surprising and endlessly compelling. Far from disqualifying you from leadership, your weaknesses are the very things God uses.

Raphael pastors City Church in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, where he lives and serves with his wife Heidi and their six children. You can follow him on Facebook, Instagram, and Substack.

Resources: The Clay Pot Conspiracy: God’s Plan to Use Weakness in Leaders, Dave Harvey Dying to Preach: Embracing the Cross in the Pulpit, Steven W. Smith Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers, Dane Ortlund Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray

Sponsor: You can support Ministry Minded by buying some coffee from Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use the offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order. Buy some coffee today!

Credits: Intro music: It Just Makes Me Happy Composer: DJ Quads, soundcloud.com/aka-dj-quads License: Creative Commons (BY-NC 3.0), creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ Music powered by BreakingCopyright: breakingcopyright.com

Title: The Priest Who Finally Sat Down Text: Exodus 27:20—30:21 Originally delivered on 21 June 2026 at Stonington Baptist Church, Paxinos, PA For more content like this, visit www.graceupongrace.net

Title: The Carpenter and the Kingdom Text: Luke 12:13—34Originally delivered on 14 June 2026 at Stonington Baptist Church, Paxinos, PA For more content like this, visit www.graceupongrace.net

In this episode, I’m joined by pastor and theologian Tony Phelps to talk about why it’s so important for preachers to preach God’s law and God’s gospel. Together, we trace this necessary distinction from Sinai’s altars to Luther’s breakthrough, and relish in the heartbeat of gospel preaching, which tells sinners not what they must do but what Christ has done.

Tony serves as the teaching elder of Christ Our Hope Presbyterian Church in Carolina, Rhode Island, where he lives with his wife, Donna. He’s a frequent contributor to The Heidelblog. You can also follow him on Facebook and YouTube.

Resources: “Not Man’s Gospel: An Exposition of Galatians 1:11–24 (Part 2),” Tony Phelps “A Letter to Recovering Pharisees: An Exposition of Galatians (Part 2),” Tony Phelps Commentary on Saint Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians (1535), Martin Luther Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray

Sponsor: You can support Ministry Minded by buying some coffee from Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use the offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order. Buy some coffee today!

Credits: Intro music: It Just Makes Me Happy Composer: DJ Quads, soundcloud.com/aka-dj-quads License: Creative Commons (BY-NC 3.0), creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ Music powered by BreakingCopyright: breakingcopyright.com

Title: Where God Meets Us Text: Exodus 24:12—30:10Originally delivered on 7 June 2026 at Stonington Baptist Church, Paxinos, PA For more content like this, visit www.graceupongrace.net

Title: Further Up and Further In Text: Exodus 24:1–11Originally delivered on 31 May 2026 at Stonington Baptist Church, Paxinos, PA For more content like this, visit www.graceupongrace.net

In this episode, I’m joined by Bob Hiller to talk about the craft of preaching, how to navigate the pressures of pastoral ministry in 2026, and what belongs in the homiletical moment. We also discuss the danger of being a ministerial lone-wolf, why sermons aren’t TED talks, and why the preacher’s job is the same as it’s always been: deliver Christ, and get out of the way.

Bob Hiller serves as the senior pastor of Community Lutheran Church in Escondido, California, where he lives with his wife and three kids. He also serves as the content editor for The Craft of Preaching, along with co-hosting the White Horse Inn. You can follow him on Facebook and Instagram.

Resources: “Have No Fear, Little Flock,” Bob Hiller “The Craft of Preaching with Bob Hiller,” Outside Ourselves Finding Christ in the Straw: A Forty-Day Devotion on the Epistle of James, Bob Hiller Preaching, Fred B. Craddock Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray

Sponsor: You can support Ministry Minded by buying some coffee from Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use the offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order. Buy some coffee today!

Credits: Intro music: It Just Makes Me Happy Composer: DJ Quads, soundcloud.com/aka-dj-quads License: Creative Commons (BY-NC 3.0), creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ Music powered by BreakingCopyright: breakingcopyright.com

Title: The God Who Goes Before Us Text: Exodus 23:20–33Originally delivered on 24 May 2026 at Stonington Baptist Church, Paxinos, PA For more content like this, visit www.graceupongrace.net

Title: The Law of Love and the People God’s Forming Text: Exodus 20:12–17; 21:1—23:9 Originally delivered on 17 May 2026 at Stonington Baptist Church, Paxinos, PA For more content like this, visit www.graceupongrace.net

In this episode, I’m joined once again by Obbie Tyler Todd to talk about life, pastoral ministry, and the challenges of preaching in post-Christian contexts. We also spent some time discussing the church’s role during times of cultural upheaval, the myth of America as a “Christian nation,” and why the church’s mission has never changed, no matter what the present crisis looks like.

Obbie is the pastor of teaching at Cross Community Church in Beaufort, South Carolina, where he lives with his wife, Kelly, and their two children, Roman and Ruby. He holds a Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and serves as an Adjunct Professor of Theology at Luther Rice College & Seminary. He’s the author of several books, and his writing has been featured in The Gospel Coalition, Christianity Today, Themelios, Desiring God, WORLD, and The Baptist Courier, among others. You can also follow him on Facebook and Instagram.

Resources: The Beechers: America’s Most Influential Family, Obbie Tyler Todd The Moral Governmental Theory of Atonement: Re-envisioning Penal Substitution, Obbie Tyler Todd A Baptist at the Crossroads: The Atonement in the Writings of Richard Furman (1755-1825), Obbie Tyler Todd “When were the ‘golden years’ in America?,” Obbie Tyler Todd Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray

Sponsor: You can support Ministry Minded by buying some coffee from Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use the offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order. Buy some coffee today!

Credits: Intro music: It Just Makes Me Happy Composer: DJ Quads, soundcloud.com/aka-dj-quads License: Creative Commons (BY-NC 3.0), creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ Music powered by BreakingCopyright: breakingcopyright.com