RE: CHURCH

Pastors are called upon to conduct funerals in "good" circumstances and also in difficult ones. How can you best minister to families who need grace with the unexpected, premature, tragic, and deeply sad deaths of their loved ones? How can you give them comfort and hope? In this RE:CHURCH episode, Marshall Fant interviews Ron Allen about his experience of preaching funerals. Ron Allen, who has pastored at Bible Baptist Church in Matthews, NC, since 1997, shares different situations in which he has been called upon to preach at a funeral and describes how the Lord has enabled him to minister to grieving people. Marshall Fant shares, "We cannot do the shepherding side of ministry in the flesh." Five principles have guided Pastor Ron's preparations, which are included in the episode show notes posted at gfamissions.org/preaching-funerals/.

When preaching through a book of the Bible, what do you do when you come to a passage that is difficult to interpret? What does "laboring in the Word" look like in such circumstances? In this episode of RE:CHURCH, Marshall Fant interviews Greg Mazak about how he wrestled with the warning passages in Hebrews, specifically verses 4–6 in chapter 6. Dr. Mazak is pastor of Trinity Bible Church of Greer, SC, and a faculty member at BJU, overseeing both the undergraduate and graduate biblical counseling degrees. Dr. Mazak shares this advice, "Don't decide where you are going to land before you get there." Pastors must live by faith as they labor in the Word, pray, meditate, and ask God for clarity. A repeated theme of Hebrews is that "Salvation is a present-tense relationship with Jesus Christ. You can't get to Heaven without Jesus."

Why did Bible authors write the books they did? Not every author so clearly states his purpose as the Apostle John does at the end of his Gospel: "But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name" (John 20:31). With the emphasis so clearly on evangelism, Pastor Tim Richmond chose to preach the Gospel of John to his growing congregation at Grace Baptist Church in Queens, NY. Speaking of the value of the book, Tim Richmond says, "It's good for those who have been in the faith for many years. It's good for those who are not yet believing, and it's good for those who are young believers." Initially burdened for New York City through an internship, Tim Richmond planted Grace Baptist Church. This GFA church plant held its first service in September 2008 and is now self-supporting. Listen to Marshall Fant's interview with Tim Richmond on this episode of RE:CHURCH.

All Scripture is profitable for our instruction, but with Exodus focusing on the deliverance of God's people from slavery and the details of what God requires of His people under the Old Covenant, how does this book apply to us today? How does it fit into the history of redemption and also relate to the Christian life? In this episode of RE:CHURCH, Marshall Fant discusses the book of Exodus with Ken Casillas, seminary professor, author, and pastor of Cleveland Park Bible Church. Since understanding the Christian's relationship to the Old Testament law is essential, Dr. Casillas preached five messages in his series explaining this relationship. Much of the content of those sermons is from his book, Beyond Chapter and Verse: The Theology and Practice of Biblical Application. A second book he has authored, The Law and the Christian: God's Light Within God's Limits, also addresses the believer's relationship to the Old Testament law. Although there is no formula for how every Old Testament passage relates to Christ, one gospel connection is the reality and the power of the New Covenant for those of us who have been regenerated by the Spirit. "What these people could not do and what any unbeliever cannot do, if you are a believer—because of the indwelling influence of the Spirit from within—you can actually obey and grow in your obedience." Dr. Casillas has served as a seminary professor for over two decades and as a pastor since 2008.

What is a biblical church? What are the fundamentals of the local church? How can we effectively accomplish the goal that God sets out in Acts 1 and Matthew 28 and pictures in the book of Acts? Titus answers these questions. In this RE:CHURCH episode, Marshall Fant discusses preaching this pastoral epistle with Joe Fant, pastor of Community Baptist Church in South Bend, IN. He has served as senior pastor of this assembly for six years. Commenting on some of the takeaways for his congregation, Pastor Fant says, "The gathered people of God in a local church is not just an event, not just a place where I go to feel better, but it actually has a biblical function and purpose in my discipling relationships, and it is the center of what God has called us to do in our lives." You can reach out to Pastor Fant by email.

How do you preach a sensitive book of the Bible such as Song of Solomon? In this RE:CHURCH episode, Marshall Fant discusses this topic with Will Senn, pastor of Tri-City Baptist Church in Westminster, CO. Pastor Senn's interest in Song of Solomon began when he and his wife, Allissa, read through it during their devotional time together. This led to their studying it in depth and preaching and teaching it many times at couples retreats, college and career groups, and in premarital counseling. In his words, "This book has shaped us and our marriage more than any other book in the world." He believes it is a neglected book of the Bible, but it is pertinent to marriage and a believer's relationship with the Lord. The Senns have developed resources on Song of Solomon and would be happy to share them with any listener. You can reach out to Pastor Senn by email.

How can current events prompt a sermon series? Matt Fagan's desire to preach the book of Jude came as he observed and read about the rise of the exvangelical movement. Although authored about 2,000 years ago, Jude talks about the same phenomenon of people "deconstructing" their faith. In this episode of RE: CHURCH, Marshall Fant discusses the small book of Jude with Matt Fagan, pastor of Heritage Baptist Church in Windham, NH.  Speaking of the impact on him personally, Pastor Fagan says, "Jude teaches me that as a believer, I must be growing and maturing in my faith."

The 38 verses of Haggai record this minor prophet's five sermons to a post-exilic Israel. How do these messages apply to New Testament believers? In this episode of RE:CHURCH, Marshall Fant discusses Haggai with Eric Newton. Haggai lifts our focus from a day that doesn't seem as bright as other eras, to the grand redemption that God is working out in and through His people. Speaking of the personal impact of the messages on him, Pastor Newton explains, "It strengthened my confidence in God's Word even more." Pastor Newton serves as associate pastor at Mount Calvary Baptist Church in Greenville, SC.

Why preach prophesy? One third of the Bible is prophetic with many of those prophecies having already been literally fulfilled. But Paul's second letter to the Thessalonians focuses on a prophecy we are waiting to be fulfilled: the Lord’s second return. In this episode of RE:CHURCH, Marshall Fant interviews Chuck Phelps about preaching through 2 Thessalonians. For much of his 41 years of pastoral ministry, Pastor Chuck Phelps has mentored men preparing for ministry. He makes a plea for preaching prophetic books. Speaking of the blessing of preaching this prophetic book, Pastor Phelps says, “I’m looking forward to the coming of Christ on so many levels. That's where our comfort is; that's where the challenge for holy living is...and that's how we live without fear. If you're not settled on where we live within the timeline, there is cause for a whole lot of fear.” Pastor Phelps has pastored Colonial Hills Baptist Church for the last 14 years.

What would make a suitable series for services on Wednesday nights? Rick Arrowood chose Psalm 119 to help his people mature in their relationship with God’s Word. He explains, “Because you love your people, you see how the passage will affect their lives. You want to reach their hearts with God’s Word.” In this episode of RE:CHURCH, Marshall Fant interviews Rick Arrowood about his series on Psalm 119. Pastor Arrowood served as senior pastor in several churches during his 41 years in the pastorate. Most recently he pastored Crosspointe Baptist Church in Indianapolis, IN, before retiring in June 2020. He currently serves as an interim pastor with GFA.