Welcome to a new episode of the Front Pew, and welcome to October! As you are probably already aware, this month marks the 500th anniversary of an event known in history as the "Protestant Reformation." On October 31, 1517, a monk named Martin Luther nailed his infamous 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, and that one little act spark a reformation fire that still burns today. God used that event to literally change the world.

So, this month, in remembrance of that moment we want to spend the month of October talking about the Five Solas, which are the main doctrinal tenets that were recovered in this moment. They are: sola Scriptura, sola Fide, sola Gratia, solus Christus, and soli Deo Gloria. This week we get started by discussing "Scripture Alone."

Also, we have announce a big give-away for October in honor the reformation and Pastor Appreciation Month! The way you enter to win is by leaving us a review on iTunes. If you don't know how to do that, Google it or find a video on YouTube to help you!

Here are some resources we mentioned in the show that we would encourage you to read as you grow in your appreciation for the reformation:

"Here I Stand," Roland Bainton

"The Refomation: How a Monk and a Mallet Changed the World," Stephen Nichols

"The Unquenchable Flame: Discovering the Heart of the Reformation," Michael Reeves

Thanks again for listening! Be sure to subscribe on iTunes, leave us a review and share us with your friends! You can connect with us through email ([email protected]), Twitter (@thefrontpew) and on our Face Book page.

Welcome to a fresh episode of the Front Pew! This week we are continuing our discussion on the importance and roles of the deacon in the local church. We are asking, "Who can be a deacon?" We also deal with some issues surrounding deacon ministry, such as, can a deacon be divorced? Can they drink? Can a woman be a deacon?

We started by talking about the recent church shooting in TN, then discussed the NFL protests, and even talked a little bit about funerals. Then we got on with it! We had fun with this one, and we hope you enjoy the conversation!

We appreciate all our listeners, and we love to hear from you as well. You can connect with us through email ([email protected]), Twitter (@thefrontpew) and on our Face Book page. We would love to have you share some show ideas with us, or to answer any questions you might have for us. 

If you are able, please subscribe to our little podcast on iTunes, leave us a review and share us with your friends! Thanks again for listening!

Welcome to a fresh episode of the Front Pew! This week we decided to talk about deacons. Of course, this is definitely one of those subjects that pastors talk about on the front pew! We love those who serve as deacons in our churches, but we also know that sometimes the relationship between pastor and deacons can be difficult and confusing. So, we thought we would chat a little bit about it.

Also, in this episode we try to answer some listener email. It's the first time in a month that we have all been together to record, and we had a good time. We hope you enjoy listening.

We really do appreciate our listeners, and we invite you to interact with us! You can connect with us through email ([email protected]), Twitter (@thefrontpew) and on our Face Book page. Subscribe on iTunes, leave us a review and share us with your friends!

Welcome to a new episode of the Front Pew! We are glad you are listening in. This week is part 2 of our topic on knowing when it is time to resign and move to another ministry position. Last time we talked about this from the perspective of a senior pastor, and this week we jump in and talk about it from the perspective of a staff pastor. 

Ben is out of the country, so it is just Chris and Matt. We hope that if you are a staff pastor, that this episode will be an encouragement and a help to you as you seek to serve the Lord faithfully in your ministry.

Be sure to subscribe on iTunes and leave us a review! Share us with your friends and connect with us either through email ([email protected]), Twitter (@thefrontpew), or on our Face Book page. 

Happy Labor Day! Welcome to a new episode of the Front Pew! We really do appreciate you listening to our little podcast, and we hope that in some way the Lord will use it to help you grow in your trust in Jesus.

Since our life on the Front Pew has been quite hectic of late, we thought that we would drop another sermon for you, that we hope is an encouragement to your soul. Ben has been preaching through Galatians, and in this sermon he deals with the issue of genuine transformation.

Have you subscribed to the podcast yet? It's easy to do through iTunes. Have you left us a glowing 5-star review yet? If not, then why not? Share us with your friends and connect with us! You can do that through email ([email protected]), Twitter (@thefrontpew) and on our Face Book page. 

Don't eat too much on this Labor Day! 

Welcome to a new episode of the Front Pew! We really appreciate you listening and being a part of the conversation!

In today's episode we get really personal. How does a pastor know if or when he should resign? The average tenure of a pastor is between 5-7 years, so this is an issue a lot of churches and pastors wrestle with and walk through. Ben and Chris share some personal stories about their experiences in this area, as well as give some advice to a pastor or a church that finds themselves asking these same questions.

Have you subscribed to the podcast on iTunes yet? It is easy to do, and you can also give us a review! Share us with your friends, and connect with us through email ([email protected]), Twitter (@thefrontpew) and on our Face Book page!

Welcome to a new episode of the Front Pew! We really appreciate you listening! Today we are discussing a couple of important current events dominating the cultural conversation. First, today is the day of the big eclipse. Don't look at it without glasses or you'll go blind! We talk about why the Christian community is so interested in this event, especially when someone suggests that it could be a sign that the end of the world is near.

Second, we wade into a discussion about the recent events in Charlottesville, VA, where a white nationalist group marched in protest of the removal of a Confederate statue, and their clash with those who met in opposition to them. It has reminded us that there are serious issues in the human heart and in our culture when it comes to the sin of racism. How should we respond as Christians, and as pastors?

Have you subscribed to the podcast? You can on iTunes! If you can, leave us a review and share us with your friends. You can also connect with us through email ([email protected]), Twitter (@thefrontpew), or on our Face Book page. We love hearing from you, and welcome your comments and/or questions.

Enjoy the eclipse!

It's that time of year when students are returning back to school after their summer break. With that in mind, we thought we would talk about the need for pastors to "study to show themselves approved," and to position themselves to be lifelong learners. Ministry in this day and age is more complex and complicated than ever, and we are being forced to understand and grapple with cultural ideas that we couldn't have imagined 10-20 years ago. So, we dig into topics such as: should pastors go to seminary or is the Holy Spirit enough? If they do, how do they survive? How can they continue to grow as a learner after seminary?  

We really do appreciate you being a listener of this little podcast by pastors for pastors. Our prayer is that it will not only encourage you, but enable you to serve the local church well. 

Please feel free to contact us and connect with us! You can do so via email ([email protected]), Twitter (@thefrontpew) or on our Face Book page. You can also subscribe to the podcast on iTunes. We would love it if you would give us a review and share us with your friends!

Thanks again for listening and learning with us!

Welcome to a new episode of the Front Pew! This week we are talking about the practice of altar calls, or what is know as "the invitation." Is this biblical? Is it ok? What about emotionalism and manipulation? Should this be a part of our worship services?

To help us think through this, Chris interviewed Dr. Thomas Kidd who is a history professor at Baylor University, and is way, way, way smarter than any of us on the podcast. His insights are very helpful, and we hope that you find them to be so as well.

We had a fun time chatting through this important topic! Our prayer is that you will laugh with us and be encouraged in your ministry as we all seek to serve Jesus well.

Be sure to subscribe on iTunes, leave us a review, and share us with your friends! You can connect with us via email ([email protected]), Twitter (@thefrontpew) or on our Face Book page.

Music: "Softly and Tenderly," Johnny Cash

Welcome to a new, but delayed, episode of the Front Pew! Our summer schedules have finally crossed us up, and we just weren't able to get an episode done by Monday. So, that you for your patience!

Also, thank you for interacting with us. We appreciate the emails and comments that you send our way. You can subscribe on iTunes, leave us a review and share with your friends, and you can connect with us via email ([email protected]), Twitter (@thefrontpew) or on our Face Book page.

We knew the summer might be rough with our schedule to put out a fresh episode each week, so we thought that when necessary we would share a sermon from one of us. This week we offer a sermon preached by Chris a few years ago at Southeastern Baptist Theological seminary. Before the sermon, Chris and Matt talk a little bit about preaching then the sermon rolls out. The text is Mark 14:66-72 which deals with Peter's denial of Christ. The title is "Failure and Grace," and our hope is that you will be encouraged in the gospel as you listen!