In this episode, Pastor Eric and I chat about the daunting task of studying the Old Testament and how students of Scripture can and should dive into this challenge. Rather than “unhitching” the Old Testament from our faith, the first thirty-nine books of your Bible are vital to your understanding of the Bible itself.

Eric serves alongside me at Stonington Baptist Church in Paxinos, Pennsylvania, where he lives and serves with his wife Jade, and their son Rosco. You can connect with him on Facebook.

Resources.

“On David M. King’s ‘Your Old Testament Sermon Needs to Get Saved’,” an article by yours truly

“On Chad Bird’s ‘The Christ Key’,” an article by yours truly

Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray

Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, 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 offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order. Buy some coffee today!

Credits.

Intro music: “Explorers (Instrumental Version)” by The Midnight, The Midnight Music LLC, 2018.

In this episode, Pastor Eric and I talk about how aspiring pastors can discern and distinguish the “call to the ministry” and why that is such a serious endeavor. Using Paul’s words in 1 Timothy 3, we examine what qualifies one for pastoral ministry along with the side effects of churches being shepherded by pastors who haven’t been genuinely called to the ministry.

Eric serves alongside me at Stonington Baptist Church in Paxinos, Pennsylvania, where he lives and serves with his wife Jade, and their son Rosco. You can connect with him on Facebook.

Resources.

“On Dr. Jason Allen’s ‘Letters on Preaching’,” an article by yours truly

“Inadequacy and the pulpit,” an article by yours truly

“Look to yourselves,” an article by yours truly

“Good news for those with mental illness,” an article by yours truly

Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray

Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, 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 offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order. Buy some coffee today!

Credits.

Intro music: “Explorers (Instrumental Version)” by The Midnight, The Midnight Music LLC, 2018.

In this episode, Pastor Eric and I touch on the subject of pastoral encouragement, how pastors can battle it, and why they shouldn’t try to hide it if they are serious about equipping the church to do the work of the ministry. After all, the Body of Christ is built up not by the pastor’s eloquence or excellence but by the grace of Christ that manifests in weakness.

Eric Attinger serves alongside me at Stonington Baptist Church in Paxinos, Pennsylvania, where he lives and serves with his wife Jade, and their son Rosco. You can connect with him on Facebook.

Resources.

“The day after Sunday,” an article by yours truly

“Good news for those with mental illness,” an article by yours truly

Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray

Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, 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 offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order. Buy some coffee today!

Credits.

Intro music: “Explorers (Instrumental Version)” by The Midnight, The Midnight Music LLC, 2018.

In this episode, I am once again joined by Pastor Eric Attinger as we continue unpacking what makes for a biblically faithful sermon. This time, we chat about the heart of worship and how a preacher’s delivery of a sermon can lead to mistaken views of the preaching event itself. We also talk about the worship service itself and why it is not just about singing.

Eric serves alongside me at Stonington Baptist Church in Paxinos, Pennsylvania, where he lives and serves with his wife Jade, and their son Rosco. You can connect with him on Facebook.

Resources.

“The fragrance of faithful ministry,” an article by yours truly

“A high view of preaching the Word,” an article by yours truly

“Get rid of songs that entertain,” an article by yours truly

Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray

Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, 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 offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order. Buy some coffee today!

Credits.

Intro music: “Explorers (Instrumental Version)” by The Midnight, The Midnight Music LLC, 2018.

In this episode, I am once again joined by Pastor Eric Attinger to continue our conversation concerning biblically faithful sermons. This time, we discuss what makes a sermon authoritative, the source of a preacher’s authority, and the pitfalls that arise when a preacher starts to buy his own press.

Eric serves alongside me at Stonington Baptist Church in Paxinos, Pennsylvania, where he lives and serves with his wife Jade, and their son Rosco. You can connect with him on Facebook.

Resources.

The Priority of Preaching, Christopher Ash

“The Word did it all,” an article by yours truly

“The book that brings deliverance,” an article by yours truly

“Peanut skins and porterhouse steaks,” an article by yours truly

Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray

Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, 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 offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order. Buy some coffee today!

Credits.

Intro music: “Explorers (Instrumental Version)” by The Midnight, The Midnight Music LLC, 2018.

In this episode, I am joined by Pastor Eric Attinger to chat about what makes for a biblically faithful sermon and why preachers should preach with an Emmaus Road hermeneutic.

Eric serves alongside me at Stonington Baptist Church in Paxinos, Pennsylvania, where he lives and serves with his wife Jade, and their son Rosco. You can connect with him on Facebook.

Resources.

“Delivering the goods,” an article by yours truly

“Rightly handling the word of truth,” an article by yours truly

Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray

Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, 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 offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order. Buy some coffee today!

Credits.

Intro music: “Explorers (Instrumental Version)” by The Midnight, The Midnight Music LLC, 2018.

Ad music: “Coffee Stains” by Finley, licensed under CC BY 4.0.

In this edition of the Ministry Minded Podcast, I am thrilled to be joined by my friend, Chad Bird, to talk about his new book, Hitchhiking with Prophets, and what it looks like to pursue a biblical theology that is centered on Christ alone.

Chad and his wife Stacy live in Tyler, Texas, where he works as a Scholar-in-Residence for 1517. Along with writing, speaking, and teaching, you can also listen to him on the “40 Minutes in the Old Testament” podcast, which he co-hosts with Dan Price. Be sure to connect with him on Instagram and Facebook.

Resources.

Hitchhiking with Prophets: A Ride Through the Salvation Story of the Old Testament, Chad Bird

A Field Guide to the Bible, a 1517 Podcast

“The Bible’s panoramic preoccupation,” an article by yours truly

The Christ Key: Unlocking the Centrality of Christ in the Old Testament, Chad Bird

Limping with God: Jacob & the Old Testament Guide to Messy Discipleship, Chad Bird

Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray

Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, 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 offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order. Buy some coffee today!

Credits.

Intro music: “Explorers (Instrumental Version)” by The Midnight, The Midnight Music LLC, 2018.

In this episode, I am joined by pastor and writer Sam Schuldheisz who accompanies me on a short excursion to Middle Earth to chat about the ubiquity of storytelling, especially as it relates to the greatest story of all — namely, the gospel. Along with Tolkien and Lewis, we also talk about the theology of Inklings and the eucatastrophe of God’s grace.

Sam pastors Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in Milton, Washington, where he lives with his wife and two children. You can follow him on Facebook and Instagram.

Resources.

“The Inklings: Apostles and Apologists of the Imagination,” Sam Schuldheisz’s 1517 Academy Class

“The Inklings,” Sam Schuldheisz at the 2023 HWSS Conference

“Law and Gospel and the Imagination,” Sam Schuldheisz

“Psalms of Eucatastrophe,” Sam Schuldheisz

“Easter with the Inklings,” Sam Schuldheisz

Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray

Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, 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 offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order. Buy some coffee today!

Credits.

Intro music: “Explorers (Instrumental Version)” by The Midnight, The Midnight Music LLC, 2018.

In this episode, I am joined by essayist Amy Mantravadi as we dive into the particulars of the Reformation movement of the 1500s, the theological and historical ramifications of which are still being unpacked today. We discuss the importance of the Reformation, its impact on preaching, and its continued relevance for modern disciples.

Amy lives in Dayton, Ohio with her husband and son. She is an avid writer and historian with two forthcoming historical fiction novels set to be released through 1517 Publishing. You can follow her on Substack and Instagram.

Resources.

“An Analysis of The Rest is History’s Episodes on Martin Luther – Part One,” Amy Mantravadi

“An Analysis of The Rest is History’s Episodes on Martin Luther – Part Two,” Amy Mantravadi

“Johannes Agricola and the Distinction between Law and Gospel,” Amy Mantravadi

“Luther vs Karlstadt: The Other Leipzig Disputation,” Amy Mantravadi

Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray

Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, 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 offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order. Buy some coffee today!

Credits.

Intro music: “Explorers (Instrumental Version)” by The Midnight, The Midnight Music LLC, 2018.

Ad music: “Coffee Stains” by Finley, licensed under CC BY 4.0.

In this episode, I am joined by Pastor Raphael Mnkandhla to talk about the importance of historical theology and church history not only for pastors and theologians but also for everyday disciples of Jesus.

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 and Instagram.

Resources.

On the Incarnation, St. Athanasius

Know the Creeds and Councils, Justin S. Holcomb

Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray

Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, 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 offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order. Buy some coffee today!

Credits.

Intro music: “Explorers (Instrumental Version)” by The Midnight, The Midnight Music LLC, 2018.

Ad music: “Coffee Stains” by Finley, licensed under CC BY 4.0.