I’m sure it has always been difficult for parents to speak with their children about matters related to sex and sexuality. I’m not just talking about the birds and the bees, but about the wider issues that may be unique to every time and culture. I expect parents in the New Testament era needed to consider how they would speak to their children about pederasty, concubinage, temple prostitution, and many other societal perversions.

So while there is nothing unique about today’s parents needing to discuss sex and sexuality with their children, there is something unique about the particular issues. There are entire categories that are unfamiliar, novel, and just plain made up. And even among Christians there may be debates about what’s right and what’s wrong. Is it sinful to experience same-sex attraction or only sinful to act on it? Does it matter how a person identifies as long as they don’t actually embrace a forbidden lifestyle? What is gender dysphoria and how should we guide people who experience it? Many of these questions would have been considered absurd when today’s parents were growing up. But now they are having to address them in order to equip their children to live in this world.
With so many issues to consider, with so many of them being new, and with so much at stake, parents would benefit from some guidance. And it has come in The Holy Sexuality Project, a new video curriculum by Christopher Yuan.
I have told Christopher’s story before in a series I titled “Christian Men and Their Godly Moms.” The short version, which he recounts in the opening lesson of this series, is that in his younger days he was agnostic and proudly living a homosexual lifestyle. His mother determined she would pray him into the Kingdom and, through a series of events that included arrest, imprisonment, and a diagnosis of HIV, he came to Christ and committed himself to the Lord’s cause. He has since co-written a book with his mother (Out of a Far Country) that tells his story and a written a second book on God’s design for sexuality (Holy Sexuality and the Gospel). The Holy Sexuality Project is a natural follow-up.
The series is comprised of 12 lessons, each of which is in the neighborhood of 20 minutes long. He begins by telling his story and then progresses to matters of identity, attraction, and action. In these lessons, he discusses the image of God, the doctrine of sin, and the nature of desire and temptation. He explains why God created sex and how he means for us to use this gift. From here he considers marriage and singleness. With this in place, he moves to the issues that are most pertinent today—same-sex attraction, homosexuality, transgenderism, and so on. He examines the Bible passages opponents of Christianity use to refute long-accepted sexual morality. In the final set of lessons, he considers how to minister to those who struggle with their sexuality and calls on Christians to be willing to simply follow Jesus, no matter the cost. All of this is filmed and edited with extremely high production values, making it a package that is easy and enjoyable to watch. There’s a guide for parents to help them as they lead their teens in discussions related to the lessons.
Of great importance is the fact that Christopher discusses each of these things in a manner that is plain but not explicit. While he needs to include some details about his own story, he never crosses boundaries and never revels in his past (as, sadly, some Christians seem to do). This curriculum is designed specifically for parents and teens, and families can watch it together without cringing and without it being awkward. It is tremendous value at just $20.
I was able to watch the series before it launched and was glad to write this little endorsement: I am so thankful for The Holy Sexuality Project! It addresses many of today’s most urgent issues on matters of sex and sexuality and does so in a way that is deeply grounded in the Bible’s timeless truths. The material is presented in a sober and dignified way that makes it appropriate for Christian families or church groups. Dr. Christopher Yuan is just the right person to speak on this subject and this series is in just the right format. It would be difficult to recommend it too highly.
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With 2023 already half over, I thought I’d put together a list of my top books from 2023 (so far). 10ofThose is offering a 40% discount on all of them. Use coupon code 40CHALLIES23.

Today’s Kindle deals include a couple of good picks.
Heresy at the Heart of Derek Webb’s ‘Boys Will Be Girls’
“Watching the music video for the new song ‘Boys Will Be Girls’ by former Caedmon’s Call lead singer Derek Webb, I experienced a strange mixture of disgust, pity, and clarity about the appeal of his message.” I did too.
Why Elisabeth Elliot Changed Her Beliefs about Finding God’s Will
I found this article (which is actually an excerpt from a new book) really, really interesting.
Follow Spurgeon’s example; give yourself to mercy ministry.
“Read Spurgeon and the Poor and see how the gospel Spurgeon preached fired his heart with loving zeal for the poor and needy in his own day.”—Conrad Mbewe (Sponsored Link)
Astronomy Photographer of the Year shortlist revealed
There are some stunning photos in this collection.
Celebrating Good Times When Life is Hard
“But (let’s face it), life isn’t always a party, and we don’t always feel like celebrating. Most days are full of routine, even drudgery, with conflicts, irritations, and frustrations sprinkled throughout like ugly confetti. Even worse are the unbearable days or seasons when we wish life were just routine and drudgery.”
How Do I Face the Deaths of Others?
This is a very helpful article that helps instruct Christians in facing the death of those they love.
Rethinking Hospitality in Our Churches
“Hospitality helps discipleship to flourish simply because it requires letting go of our expectations and control. It requires laying aside our agenda and allowing others into our space. Whether it’s our home, sharing a meal, or changing our schedules, it requires putting aside our needs and welcoming the newcomers. It is sacrificial.”

Because Jesus has covered all of our offenses, we can be among the least offensive and least offended people in the world. This is the way of the gentle answer. —Scott Sauls

Another month has come and gone. For readers, that means that publishers have released another batch of books. I am in the happy position of receiving most of them, so sorted through the various stacks to arrive at this list of new and notables. In each case, I’ve included the editorial description so you can get a sense of what the book is all about. I hope there’s something here that stands out to you!

Reclaiming Masculinity: Seven Biblical Principles for Being the Man God Wants You to Be by Matt Fuller. “In a world where masculinity is often associated with toxicity, what does it mean to ‘be a man’? In a straightforward and empathetic way, Matt Fuller gets beyond cultural confusion and stereotypes as he examines what the Bible says is distinctive about being a man. He outlines a positive vision of biblical masculinity and shows what that might look like in real life today. Men will be encouraged to be sacrificial when leading, to work hard and to protect and invest in others. Whatever your personality and interests—whether you would rather skin a rabbit, read a book or remodel your house—this book will give you confidence and direction to be the man God wants you to be.” (Buy it at Amazon or Westminster Books)
The Reformation as Renewal: Retrieving the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church by Matthew Barrett. “In the sixteenth century Rome charged the Reformers with novelty, as if they were heretics departing from the catholic (universal) church. But the Reformers believed they were more catholic than Rome. Distinguishing themselves from Radicals, the Reformers were convinced they were retrieving the faith of the church fathers and the best of the medieval Scholastics. The Reformers saw themselves as faithful stewards of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church preserved across history, and they insisted on a restoration of true worship in their own day. By listening to the Reformers’ own voices, The Reformation as Renewal helps readers explore: The Reformation’s roots in patristic and medieval thought and its response to late medieval innovations; Key philosophical and theological differences between Scholasticism in the High Middle Ages and deviations in the Late Middle Ages; The many ways sixteenth and seventeenth century Protestant Scholastics critically appropriated Thomas Aquinas; The Reformation’s response to the charge of novelty by an appeal to the Augustinian tradition; Common caricatures that charge the Reformation with schism or assume the Reformation was the gateway to secularism; The spread of Reformation catholicity across Europe, as seen in first and second-generation leaders from Luther and Melanchthon in Wittenberg to Zwingli and Bullinger in Zurich to Bucer and Calvin in Strasbourg and Geneva to Tyndale, Cranmer, and Jewel in England, and many others; The theology of the Reformers, with special attention on their writings defending the catholicity of the Reformation.” (Buy it at Amazon or Westminster Books)
Clothed With Strength: Women Who Built the Church and Changed the World by Sarah Allen. “It’s easy to imagine that Christian women of the past were shrinking violets who were side-lined and excluded from making a difference in the church and in the world. The truth is that God has always raised up strong and courageous women to do his work. You might never have heard of Rebecca Protten, Hannah More, Ellen Raynard and Josephine Butler, but you’ll never forget how God used these four very different women to fight against injustice and poverty and to transform lives. These eighteenth and nineteenth century women worked in partnership with men to shape the evangelical church. Let their stories challenge you and fuel your faith today.” (Buy it at Amazon or Westminster Books)
Justification: An Introduction (Short Studies in Systematic Theology) by Thomas Schreiner. “When we see the fallenness of the world, it is often challenging to understand how sinners can stand before a holy God, but the gospel gives hope—justification that comes through Jesus Christ. This doctrine is essential to the gospel but has sparked countless academic and theological disagreements throughout church history, even contributing to the Protestant Reformation in the sixteenth century. In this addition to the Short Studies in Systematic Theology series, Thomas R. Schreiner examines the biblical and historical background of the doctrine of justification. Schreiner explores it throughout church history and analyzes both the Old and New Testament teachings. By examining the relationship between justification and other doctrines of salvation—such as redemption, reconciliation, adoption, and sanctification—Schreiner shows how it gives peace, assurance, and joy to sinners through Jesus and hope for life today.” (Buy it at Amazon or Westminster Books)
Elisabeth Elliot: A Life by Lucy S.R. Austen. “Elisabeth Elliot (1926-2015) is one of the most widely known Christians of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. After the death of her husband, Jim, and four other missionaries at the hands of Waorani tribesmen in Ecuador, Elliot famously returned to live among the same people who had killed her husband. Her legacy, however, extends far beyond these events. In the years that followed, Elliot became a prolific writer and speaker, touching the lives of countless people around the world. In this single-volume biography, Lucy S. R. Austen takes readers on an in-depth journey through the life of Elisabeth Elliot—her birth to missionary parents, her courtship and marriage to Jim Elliot, her missions work in Ecuador, and her private life and public work after she returned to the United States. Through Elliot’s example of love for God and obedience to his commands, readers will ponder what it means to follow Jesus.” (Buy it at Amazon or Westminster Books)
How to Read and Understand the Psalms by Fred Zaspel and Bruce Waltke. “Written over the course of 1,000 years, the book of Psalms is a collection of religious poetry voicing a wide variety of human emotions expressed in different genres–imprecatory psalms, psalms of praise, and more. It has become one of the most popular books of the Bible, but most readers have only a surface level understanding of the Psalms and how it fits into the larger historical and scriptural context. In How to Read and Understand the Psalms, Bruce K. Waltke and Fred G. Zaspel give readers tools to learn how to properly interpret and internalize the Psalms. Developed primarily from decades of lectures by Waltke, they explain the various types of psalms, Hebrew poetry, rhetorical techniques, and more. Armed with these tools, believers will discover how the 150 psalms can further fuel their knowledge and love of God.” (Buy it at Amazon or Westminster Books)
Anxiety: Finding the Better Story (31-Day Devotionals for Teenagers) by Liz Edrington. “Have you ever stood in front of an ocean wave, put your hand out in front of you, and said, ‘Stop, wave!?’ That would be ridiculous! . . . But have you ever tried the same approach with your anxiety? ‘Stop, anxiety!’ It probably hasn’t worked either. Liz gets it. As a teenager, she was stressed out and trying to survive her anxiety each day. Now that she’s a mental health counselor, she wants to pass on what she’s learned to other teenagers. Just understanding what anxiety is makes a big difference, but what makes an even bigger difference is understanding what God has to say about it. With daily Scripture readings, breathing exercises, and additional mental-health resources, this little book offers you comfort and help in your anxiety. See how your anxiety fits into the big story of your life—and of the whole universe–and learn how Jesus can bring you peace.” (Buy it at Amazon or Westminster Books)
The Beginning and End of All Things: A Biblical Theology of Creation and New Creation by Edward Klink III. “Many Christians think of the doctrine of creation primarily as relating to the world’s origins. In The Beginning and End of All Things, Edward W. Klink III presents a more holistic understanding of creation–a story that is unfolded throughout all of Scripture and is at the core of the gospel itself. From beginning to end, the theme of creation and new creation not only directs the movement of the entire biblical story but also unifies its message. Klink explores the goodness of the physical world and how it will be perfected in the new creation of heaven and earth. Along with offering rich insights about God and his purposes for the world, a biblical theology of creation guides how we engage nature, culture, and life as embodied beings. Essential Studies in Biblical Theology (ESBT), edited by Benjamin L. Gladd, explore the central or essential themes of the Bible’s grand storyline. Taking cues from Genesis 1-3, authors trace the presence of these themes throughout the entire sweep of redemptive history. Written for students, church leaders, and laypeople, the ESBT offers an introduction to biblical theology.” (Buy it at Amazon or Westminster Books)
Reformed Worship by Jonty Rhodes. “Have you ever woken up on a Sunday morning and wondered if it was worth getting out of bed? Have you wondered why you should bother to attend corporate worship every week? Unfortunately, it can be easy to miss the excitement of corporate worship–but the excitement is there. Because God is all-sufficient, he commands worship for his glory but our gain! A Reformed view of worship is shaped by God’s Word and has the gospel as its context: God desires to meet with his people, and that meeting comes only in and through Christ, by the Holy Spirit. Jesus is our worship leader, and as our prophet, priest and king he teaches us what worship should look like. Writing with winsome enthusiasm, Jonty Rhodes celebrates the simplicity and freedom of Reformed worship and shows readers the joys of meeting with God in the means and manner he promises to bless.” (Buy it at Amazon or Westminster Books)
Sanctification as Set Apart and Growing in Christ by Margaret Elizabeth Köstenberger. “The entire biblical narrative declares the righteousness of God and the consecration of his people. In this book, Marny Köstenberger explores the topic of sanctification―being set apart by God for holiness. Surveying the Bible from beginning to end, Köstenberger shows that sanctification is grounded in the eternal holiness of God, who created humanity in his image. Now, in Christ, the Spirit sets believers apart and restores them to the original image. Sanctification often takes place in the midst of suffering and equips believers for their God-given mission.” (Buy it at Amazon or Westminster Books)
Introduction to Early Church History: The First 500 Years by Perry Edwards. “As an introduction to early church history, this book is not intended to cover any subject exhaustively. Its goal is to provide an overview of the most significant leaders of the church while adding stories of ordinary Christians who remained faithful to the Lord in the face of persecution. It will introduce readers to how the church, in its first five centuries, sought to answer the primary theological questions of the day. This book is meant to whet the appetite of those who have never read early church history and refresh the minds of those who have. For some, the reading of this book will be the beginning of a journey that will lead to a deep and abiding love for the history of God’s sovereign working in the church and in the world.” (Buy it at Amazon)
The Character of Christ: The Fruit of the Spirit in the Life of Our Saviour by Jonathan Landry Cruse. “Most experienced Christians are familiar with the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians. Love, peace, patience, and so on are often considered both gracious marks of true Christian character and ideals to aim for. But what do they look like when lived to the fullest? This book answers this question by studying the fullness of the fruit of the Spirit in the life of Christ. In a warm and engaging style, Jonathan Landry Cruse examines these godly attributes in the Lord’s example, comparing them with our own faltering efforts at holiness, and shows that we can only bear true fruit for God by our union to the life-giving Vine. The work is God’s, not ours – and this is good news for all those who yearn for greater sanctification.” (Buy it at Amazon)

Good morning, my friends. May the Lord be with you and bless you today.

(Yesterday on the blog: When the Sermon Fizzles Instead of Sizzles)
Marriage Is Better for Your Adult Kids Than You May Think
I can’t even tell you how much I appreciate this one. “While there are a variety of cultural forces shaping people’s choices around marriage and children, I’m most intrigued by the way Western culture has convinced multiple generations that life’s highest value is personal autonomy, as measured by financial independence. From that perspective, family commitments will naturally be viewed as obstacles to overcome—if not completely avoid—because they hinder the good life.”
A Pastor’s Journey with Anxiety
Roger Sappington explains his long journey with anxiety and offers counsel for others who are prone to it.
Was Charles Spurgeon “Woke?”
The Prince of Preachers was widely regarded for his care for the poor, but was he “woke” by today’s standards? While his chief concern was always the gospel, Spurgeon argued that benevolent social concern has always been a distinguishing trait of the people of God. (Sponsored Link)
Is There a Danger of Worshipping the Bible Instead of God?
Randy Alcorn takes on so-called bibliolatry: “I agree that there is a danger of having our faith in the wrong object. And there have been some people who seemingly hold the Bible in higher esteem than they do Jesus. But seen properly, the Bible is not a competitor with God; on the contrary, it is our God-given means of knowing Him through His revealed truth.”
Don’t Share That Clip
Samuel James wants you to consider “that the Internet is an ecosystem that treats everything like a kind of pornography. Separated from physical reality by the screen, the digital user encounters all of existence as a consumable substance, a substance that often distorts the true nature of the thing being depicted.”
For Worship Bands, Auto-Tune Covers a Multitude of Sins
What a strange time we live in when churches are turning to auto-tune to perfect their production. “Ryan Flanigan, a longtime church musician who is now an artist in residence at Baylor University, worries that pitch-tuning is one more sign that church musicians are trying to aspire to be performers—rather than leading people in worship.” Amen to that!
My Most Influential Teacher: A Tribute to Daniel Fuller (1925–2023)
John Piper says that “until June 21, 2023, I would have said that Edwards was my most influential dead theologian.” He sweetly pays tribute to his most influential teacher.
Flashback: Follow the Way You Want To Be Followed
We should follow in such a way that if people imitate us, they themselves will be good followers. We should follow in exactly the same way we want to be followed.

Scripture is our bookshelf; tradition is the record of what the church has read or misread there; reason is the set of spectacles we wear as we seek to make sense of what we read. —Michael Reeves

The sermon fizzles instead of sizzles. The text seems to become opaque rather than clear. The illustrations fall flat while the application somehow fails to strike the heart, the mind, or the hands. The pastor seems distracted and discouraged while the congregation seems uninterested and unmoved.

I expect we have all sat through a few sermons that, if not quite as bad as all that, were still strangely weak. I am certain we have all experienced sermons that seemed feeble and powerless, that ostensibly wielded the Word of God but did so with about as much strength as a plastic sword. I am sure we have all endured some sermons that struck us with all the power of a gentle gust of wind.
And when the sermon falls flat, I suppose we all tend to place the blame squarely on the shoulders of the preacher. Maybe he lacks skill or education or maybe he failed to give his sermon adequate time or preparation. Maybe he failed to pray earnestly in his study or failed to structure his week properly. If he’s the one who preached feebly, the fault must be his, right?
But who’s to say that, in the mind of God, the power of the preaching is entirely in the hands of the preacher? Who’s to say that the pastor’s task is to prepare the sermon while the congregation’s task is merely to prepare their own hearts to hear it? What if preaching is powerless not because of the pastor’s lack of preparation but because of the church’s lack of prayer? What if poor preaching is not the consequence of any failure on the pastor’s part but on the congregation’s?
Certainly every preacher should spend a good bit of his preparation time on his knees. Anyone who has preached will attest that God responds to those prayers in which we confess our sin, profess that we are overwhelmed before the text, and plead for divine clarity and ability. None of us is adequate for the task of preaching the Word. None of us, whether through clever words or rare skill or sheer determination, can generate the unction and anointing of the Spirit that we long to experience in the pulpit. None of us can force the Spirit to so “possess” and overtake us that he divinely empowers our words as we preach. That can only be called down, pleaded down, prayed down.
That being the case, why wouldn’t the congregation make it their responsibility to pray for the sermon—to pray for it to be accurate, to be effective, to be powerful? Why wouldn’t the church make it their task to plead with God to bless the preacher in his study, in his writing, in his preparation, and in his delivery? Why wouldn’t the church make it their duty to pray not only that their ears would hear, their minds understand, and their hearts receive, but that the preacher would be empowered by the Spirit in such a way that the listeners can’t help but hear, can’t help but understand, and can’t help but receive?
And so, on behalf of all the pastors who long to serve their church Sunday by Sunday, I call on all of us to plead with God for power in the pulpit. I call on all of us to make it our responsibility to pray for the preacher and the preaching. I call on all of us to consider that weak and powerless preaching may have as much to do—or even more to do—with the congregation’s lack of prayer than the pastor’s lack of preparation. I call on all of us to get involved in the preaching of the Word through our earnest prayers to God.

Westminster Books has identified some of their summer new and noteworthy books and put them on sale. There are some good books available.

Today’s Kindle deals include a bit of a mish-mash!
Becoming Writers Who Write the Truth Beautifully
“How do we grow to become writers who both write the truth and write it beautifully?” Lara has a wonderful reflection on this.
Involving Ourselves in Every Controversy?
“Part of the pernicious underbelly of the internet is that many allow themselves to be drawn into controversies about which they have no need to involve themselves. For many years, I too wanted juicy details about whatever controversy was swirling around in evangelical and Reformed circles.” This is an important topic.
Gospel-Driven Benevolence with Charles Spurgeon
Part theology and part biography, Spurgeon and the Poor examines how the Prince of Preachers’ belief that gospel preaching and soul-winning should be the church’s primary mission drove his mercy ministry. (Sponsored Link)
Will AI Help or Harm Content Creation?
“I’ll tell you at the beginning that I don’t know the answer to that question. But I do know that as with every tool, the wise and the foolish will use it differently. Therefore, whether it helps or harms content creation will be determined by which path we take. Will we take the path of fools or the path of the wise?”
Rejecting Your Maker Means Rejecting Your True Identity
“Society has jettisoned belief in God. When you reject your Maker, you reject the one who establishes your identity. People, though, naturally want to belong. They crave to connect with a community of people who share their values and feelings. With the Maker gone, there’s an identity vacuum that begs for a new way to view oneself. It makes sense that the concept of gender identity was born.” Alan Shlemon explains.
Make Sure You Don’t Join a Sexular Church
Stephen McAlpline: “The Sexular Age just keeps rolling on. Rolling on like waves on a beach. Tsunami waves. Crashing into a church near you. Let me explain.”
You asked: Why Visit Israel?
Lisa offers a few good reasons to consider a visit to Israel (for those for whom it’s possible).
Flashback: When God Seems Deaf To Our Cries
Joseph…died in peace and at a ripe old age, only because God had known better than to grant the most immediate answer to his most urgent prayers.

We see hardly one inch of the narrow lane of time. To our God, eternity lies open as a meadow. —Amy Carmichael

Be sure to take a look at the “Blue Friday” sale this week at Logos. There is lots of good material on sale—books, commentaries, reference works, series, and more.

(Yesterday on the blog: She Died Too Soon)
Why You Don’t Need to Worry (So Much) about Your Schooling Choices
“Some parents seem to know exactly how they’re going to school their children from a very early age—whether homeschool, private school, or public school—never second-guessing themselves at any point from kindergarten through twelfth grade. That’s awesome. Terrific! I applaud those parents and commend them for their commitment to whichever school choice they’ve made for their kids. But this article isn’t for those parents. This article is for the rest of us…”
Let The Fire Fall (Video)
The John 10:10 Project has such neat videos: like this new one that celebrates “Firefall,” the phenomenon that takes place in February at Yosemite.
Charles Spurgeon on Social Justice
In the past century, one question has constantly plagued the church: How should the people of God respond to social issues? Rather than buying in to the “social gospel,” Alex DiPrima looks back to an unexpected source for biblical clarity: Charles Haddon Spurgeon. (Sponsored Link)
Why Baptists Can’t Be Theonomists
“Two recent events highlight that being a Baptist is incompatible with being a theonomist or Christian nationalist.” Joe Carter explains why these two things tend to be incompatible.
What Is Mormonism?
Ligonier Ministries offers a really helpful introduction to Mormonism. “Mormonism teaches that there are many gods, with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit being three separate gods among many others. Furthermore, it is also possible for humans to ascend to godhood. Obedience to moral laws and observance of religious rituals are central to the Mormon faith.”
13 Pieces of Unconventional Preaching Advice
I don’t agree with all of this advice, but do think each of the 13 pieces is worth considering.
‘Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall’ Is No Longer a Fairy Tale
Trevin Wax: “Your phone is designed every day, every hour, to tell you that you’re the center of the universe. If your phone is your world, and if the settings and apps are tailored to you and your interests, then with you at all times is a world that revolves around you. No wonder we find it hard to set the phone aside. Nothing else has the same effect of putting us at the center. Nothing else makes us feel more in control, more Godlike, more knowledgeable, more connected.”
Flashback: The Beauty of Duty
In former days Christians…longed to be dutiful in devotion, dutiful in obedience, dutiful in every responsibility and every role. They believed that from their duty would grow a deepening delight.

Like Daniel in the Old Testament, we are called to live out the lifestyle of the Jerusalem (above) to which we belong, even when we live in the Babylon (below) where we don’t really belong. —Sinclair Ferguson

Today’s post is sponsored by BJU Seminary and written by Greg Stiekes, professor of New Testament and Theology. BJU Seminary equips Christian leaders through an educational and ministry experience that is biblically shaped, theologically rich, historically significant, and evangelistically robust.

Christian authors who have an intriguing ability to take the pulse of the church and discern its health have been warning for some time now about the tendency pastors have to become the local attraction of their churches—ministerial superstars, the CEOs of their own kingdoms, or the rock stars of their own venues.
To be sure, pastors should be respected both inside and outside their congregations (1 Tim 3:2–7), and we should celebrate God’s sustaining grace in the life of a faithful, diligent shepherd, whose wisdom and ministry in the Word should be an example for younger pastors. But should those pastors be promoted and known as local celebrities? Should they be the center of attention in their churches? Should people commonly identify the name of the church by the name of a single pastor?
Intriguing Biblical Data
It seems to me that the pastor is practically invisible in the NT. I mean, try naming one man in the NT who had a pastoral title.
You may say, Timothy and Titus, the addressees of the “Pastoral Epistles.” But while these men likely fulfilled some of the duties associated with pastoral ministry, they are not referred to as pastors but were merely appointed by Paul to ordain them.
We may discern that James, the half-brother of Jesus, was an elder in the church in Jerusalem. (Talk about bragging rights for a church!) But when James writes to his scattered congregation, he does not call himself the “brother of Christ” or even an elder, but the “slave” of Christ (James 1:1). That’s the kind of humility that makes the NT pastor invisible.
There are two men who actually refer to themselves as elders. But these are the apostles Peter and John (1 Peter 5:1; 2 John 1:1; 3 John 1:1), so it is unclear whether they are actually “elders” in the sense of holding the pastoral office we think of today.
So, while a large number of elders were certainly ordained in the NT (Acts 14:23; 2 Tim 2:2; Titus 1:5), and the apostles addressed them in the aggregate (Acts 20:17–38; 1 Pet 5:1–4), and their qualifications were established (2 Tim 2:2; Titus 1:5), we struggle to name them! They are ubiquitous, yet virtually invisible.
Five Takeaways
First, we need to reflect seriously upon the critique of authors like John Piper that the pastoral office has become “professionalized.” While the office itself is honored in the NT, pastors are called to humbly fill that office sacrificially, as Jesus did. They are not called to be the center of attention in their churches.
Second, the practical invisibility of the pastor should encourage the congregation to serve. We can criticize a congregation for letting its pastor do all of the work himself. But I wonder whether pastors actually invite this kind of culture by putting themselves at the center of their ministries, rather than serving with their people as they equally depend on Christ, the Head and Chief Shepherd.
Third, the concept of the invisible pastor easily coincides with a shared-leadership approach to pastoral ministry. The church that does not exalt a single leader is able to appreciate the ample NT evidence for the plurality of pastoral leadership in the local church, even if one of these pastors naturally serves as a “lead” pastor.
Fourth, the invisible pastor is better able to focus on the work that God has called him to do. In today’s world of social media, it is too tempting and too easy for pastors to seek recognition for their accomplishments by putting their lives and ideas on display. But the invisible pastor is satisfied with ministering to his own congregation, performing the thankless tasks of a servant, even if no one will ever see, or know, or care.
Finally, pastors must be invisible so that the congregation sees clearly the Lord, honored and magnified. The church should never love and follow its pastor more than they love and follow Jesus himself. Jesus must increase; all others, including the pastor, must decrease. When people look at any church, they should not particularly notice the pastor first. But they should see a body of people devoted to the Lord and seeking to make him visible to the world.

It is engraved on many tombstones, inscribed in many cards, expressed in many obituaries: He died too soon. She was taken before her time.

Of all the mysteries in this universe, few are more perplexing than the mystery of God’s sovereignty over life and death. Why do some live to so advanced an age while others barely live at all? Why are some who display such promise taken before they can deploy their gifts? Why does God call some early to heaven who surely could have done so much good on earth? Why God, we ask? Why?
I’m quite sure that June is the best of the year here in Southern Ontario. The spring rains have given way to spring sun. The perennials that laid dormant through the long winter have burst out of the warming ground and the annuals that awaited the final frost have now been planted and begun to thrive. Yet because we have not yet reached the summer’s full heat, the grass is still unwithered and the lawns unscorched. The world is resplendent with every hue of green, every shade of red, yellow, and blue.
No one in this neighborhood gives more attention to her garden than Aileen. Her garden is her studio, her canvas, her gallery. She has designed it purposefully and tends to it carefully.
Some of the flowers in her garden sprang up when there was still snow on the ground. They bloomed quickly and beautifully, a foretaste of warmer days to come. And then they faded and were gone for another year. Some of the flowers waited until there was a long succession of warm afternoons before they began to stir and to push their shoots above the ground. And some of the flowers have yet to be seen as they await even warmer days, perhaps late in the summer or even early in the autumn. When the rest of the plants have already waned, these will provide a final splash of color before the snows return.
Whether these flowers bloom early or late, whether their blossoms last for a few days or for the whole summer, they each have their purpose, for they have each been planted by the hand of an expert gardener. This is true even of the ones that make only the earliest or only the briefest appearance. Their beauty is no less beautiful because of its brevity. Their role is no less important because they are the first to fade. In fact, we treasure those flowers all the more, for we know that our enjoyment will be short-lived.
The most beautiful gardens are the ones that are planned with the greatest skill and tended with the greatest care. And if we should give such attention and commit so much love to something as simple as a garden, shouldn’t we trust God to give even greater attention and even greater care to people crafted by his hand and made in his image? Shouldn’t we trust him to number the length of their days? Shouldn’t we trust him to know whether their purpose is to bloom for days or for decades? Shouldn’t we trust him to know how and when each will best display divine beauty?
The early flowers in our garden are every bit as beautiful as the late flowers, the ones that bloom for a day as wondrous as the ones that bloom for a summer. They are every bit as precious in our eyes, and surely in God’s as well. And so, too, the human beings that appear to die too soon or who seem to be taken before their time. These too can only have been planned to perfection by the mind of God. These, too, can only have fulfilled the purpose he assigned to them. These too, are precious in his sight.

I love a good loyalty program, and Westminster Books has just launched one. It’s worth a look!

Today’s Kindle deals include some good resources from Crossway.
(Yesterday on the blog: A Faithful Mother’s Love)
Christian Friendship is the Sweetest of all Connections
Michael Haykin has a sweet reflection here on Christian friendship.
Should Pastors Preach on Political Issues? (Video)
I appreciate Burk Parsons’ handling of a tricky issue in this Q&A.
The Prodigal Swine
“We all have a prodigal inside us, an embarrassing drive to satisfy ourselves, even at the expense of those who love us most. And so we leave others behind. We leave God behind. And we put ourselves first. That path leads to the trough, the lowest of lows, where we beg for what others consider garbage.”
A Theological College Principal’s Pastoral Wisdom and Prophetic Prayer
Mikey Lynch remembers the principal of a theological college who had some prescient wisdom at the beginning of the Young, Restless, Reformed movement.
When God Woke Up Wales
“The work in Wales was manifestly a work of mercy and grace. Little in the country at the time commended it.” Jeremy Walker recounts God’s work in Wales at a time of revival.
Finding My Place in the Battle
“My mom was very formative in teaching me how to manage my fears and anxiety. She knew that the enemy was the source of that fear, that sin and brokenness in this world were a result of the fall, and she gave me my armor and dressed me for the fight…”
Flashback: Tell God the Unvarnished Story
…if we are to confess our sins before him, we need to confess them all, for he knows them anyway. These words from F.B. Meyer encourage you to tell him the truth—the unvarnished truth.

The happiest and holiest children…are the children whose fathers succeed in winning both their tender affection and their reverential and loving fear. And they are the children who will come to understand most easily the mystery of the fatherhood of God. —John Piper