Matt and Jon couldn't meet for a normal episode this week, so here's a pitch for our pastoral training program, The Cranmer Fellowship.

If you or someone you know might be interested in learning more about the Fellowship, please contact us at [email protected].

Here is Matt's sermon from Candlemas (2/2/2025)

In this episode Matt and Jonathan talk about the relationship between justification by faith and progressive sanctification. We also discuss all those times in the Bible that so-and-so is considered blameless before God because they keep the commandments. Is it possible to be righteous in God's sight by your works? How can sinners, even really obedient ones, be called blameless in God's sight?

In this episode Matt and Jonathan talk about what it means for a pastor to be compassionate. This is a bit touchy, because compassion, like empathy, is very loaded term. There is, like empathy, a wrong kind of "compassion." It's important for pastors especially to know the difference between biblical compassion and the counterfeit compassion the world is currently demanding the church live by. It's also important that pastors not let people's feelings inform their every decision in the church. That being said, a pastor isn't to be domineering over the flock. There's a lot to talk about. We hope it's helpful for you.

We're a week behind, but here's Matt's sermon from Ash Wednesday. We hope it serves as an encouragement to you as you go through Lent.

In today's episode, Matt and Jonathan discuss teaching Bible studies. What's different about prepping a Bible study from prepping a sermon? How do we typically approach leading a Bible study at Good Shepherd and why? How do you deal with troublesome ideas (or people) that come up while you're teaching? And why are Bible studies a great time to exercise pastoral care for parishioners?

In this episode Matt and Jonathan talk about what true repentance looks like. Can you be repentant and yet still have a besetting sin? What does it mean to "sincerely repent?" If you're sinning a lot, then should you come to the Lord's Table or skip that week? And how can a pastor counsel those in his parish who just can't kick some sinful habit?

This week we're bringing you one of Matt's sermons from Advent 2024. The text is on Luke 3:7-20.

In this episode, Matt and Jonathan discuss that little pastoral qualification that runs around your house, is way too loud, eats all your food, and can sometimes be hard to manage. You guessed it - this episode is for the children.

What does God mean when He says a pastor's children need to be "submissive" and "believers"? What about pastors whose kids leave the house and deconstruct their faith? Why is this a qualification for pastors anyway?

In this episode, Matt and Jonathan talk about the danger of treating the Bible like it's only a textbook. While learning the ins and outs of good Bible study is important, it's possible to let Bible study tactics actually keep one from submitting to God's word. It's easy to dissect Scripture. It's a lot harder to allow the Scripture to dissect us. But that's what it's meant to do.

"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart," Hebrews 4:12.