BIANNUAL MAGAZINE OF MIDWESTERN SEMINARY AND SPURGEON COLLEGE
“Until Christ is formed in you...”
GALATIANS 4: 1 9
Jason K. Allen
Michael A.G. Haykin
Ronnie Martin
Donald S. Whitney
Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 4:7–8, “Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” Disciplining our bodies is a good and right thing; however, the benefits cannot be compared to the benefits we receive through practicing the spiritual disciplines. As we exercise the spiritual disciplines, we not only get benefits in this life but, most importantly, in the life to come.
In this regard, as a new Christian, there were few books that made a more significant impact on me than Don Whitney’s Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life . Not only was the book instructional; it was also formative. Now, over the past quarter-century, I’ve seen the result of faithfully practicing the spiritual disciplines both in my life and in the life of my family. It’s incredible to reflect on journal entries from over two decades ago and see the spiritual development in my life.
That is why we have dedicated this edition of the Midwestern Magazine to the spiritual disciplines.
We have titled this edition “Until Christ Be Formed in You” because this is the chief end of the spiritual disciplines. We long to be conformed to Christ’s image, and we are praying that this magazine will help you to that end.
I am also pleased to announce the Center for Biblical Spirituality at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, which will be led by Dr. Don Whitney. Our hope is that this center will not only benefit our students on campus and local church pastors but also reap spiritual benefits for the Church everywhere.
Sincerely,
JASON K. ALLEN, PH.D. President, Professor of Preaching &
Pastoral Ministry
Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary Spurgeon College
EDITOR’S NOTE
ADMINISTRATION
Jason K. Allen
PRESIDENT
Jason G. Duesing PROVOST
James J. Kragenbring
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR INSTITUTIONAL ADMINISTRATION
5001 N. Oak Trafficway Kansas City, MO 64118 (816) 414-3700
Midwestern Seminary maintains professional and academic accreditation with three accrediting associations: The Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) in the United States and Canada, The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (HLC), and The Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE).
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In the Upper Room Discourse in John 15, Jesus shares one of the most central aspects of the Christian life: “Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
This truth is found elsewhere in Scripture, such as the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Galatians (“keep in step with the Spirit”) or where the Apostle Peter describes Christians as “partakers of the divine nature.” These biblical writers were after the centrality of the Christian life: fellowship with God—where He calls us no longer enemies or estranged, but friends.
The Christian life is life with God—tethered to His Word, dependent on His grace, centered on His glory. In an age increasingly detached from objectivity, this is what is meant by biblical spirituality.
In this 49th issue of the Midwestern Magazine, we aim to unpack a biblical spirituality for the Church. By God’s grace, we pray that Christ would be formed in you through the regular practice of the spiritual disciplines on which this magazine focuses. In the end, we hope that this magazine would be used by God toward your sanctification, living life coram Deo—before the face of God.
Since, as has been said, “You can’t lead someone to a place that you’ve never been,” I am thankful for God’s grace on display in the featured writers in this edition. Drs. Jason Allen, Don Whitney, Michael Haykin, and Ronnie Martin, thank you for giving your lives to training the next generation of ministry leaders for the Church.
Additionally, special thanks to Hyacin Todd, Gabriel Reyes-Ordeix, and Michaela Classen from the Midwestern Magazine team for representing, through art and editorial, the theme of this edition so well.
May this issue, “Until Christ Be Formed in You: Biblical Spirituality for the Church” be used in your life to cultivate habits of grace for deeper joy in Christ, both now and into eternity.
For the Church,
Brett Fredenberg Chief Editor, Midwestern Magazine Managing Editor, For the Church Director of Marketing &
SUBSCRIBE to Midwestern’s weekly e-mail newsletter, The Midwestern Weekly, at mbts.edu/subscribe.
A Historic Biblical Spirituality
Recovering the Puritans Today
by MICHAEL A.G. HAYKIN
Spirituality lies at the very core of English Puritanism, that late 16th- and 17th-century movement that sought to reform the Church of England and, failing to do so, splintered into a variety of denominations, such as English Presbyterian, Congregationalist, Particular (i.e. Calvinistic) and General (i.e. Arminian) Baptist. Whatever else the Puritans may have been— social, political, and ecclesiastical Reformers— they were primarily men and women intensely passionate about piety and Christian experience.
By and large united in their Calvinism, the Puritans believed that every aspect of their spiritual lives came from the work of the Holy Spirit. They had, in fact, inherited from the continental Reformers of the 16th century, and from John Calvin (1509–1564) in particular, what Richard B. Gaffin calls “a constant and even distinctive concern” with the person and work of the Holy Spirit.
Benjamin B. Warfield (1851–1921), the distinguished American Presbyterian theologian, speaks of Calvin as “preeminently the theologian of the Holy Spirit.” And of his Puritan heirs and their interest in the Spirit, Warfield says:
The formulation of the doctrine of the work of the Spirit waited for the Reformation and for Calvin, and … the further working out of the details of this doctrine and its enrichment by the profound study of Christian minds and meditation of Christian hearts has come down from Calvin only to the Puritans … it is only the truth to say that Puritan thought was almost entirely occupied with loving study of the work of the Holy Spirit, and found its highest expression in dogmatico-practical expositions of the several aspects of it.
In this article, I will examine this Puritan interest in the work of the Spirit and spirituality by means of the Puritan focus on the Bible, in keeping with the Reformation assertion of sola Scriptura, which led to an elevation of preaching as the primary means of grace and to a distinct spirituality of space.
A Spirituality of the Word
In 1994, the British Library paid the equivalent, at that time, of well over $2 million for a book which the library administration deemed to be the most important acquisition in the history of the library. The book? A copy of the New Testament. Of course, it was not just any copy. In fact, it turned out that there were only two other New Testaments like this one in existence.
The New Testament that the British Library purchased was lodged for many years in the library of the oldest Baptist seminary in the world, Bristol Baptist College in Bristol, England. It was printed in the German town of Worms (pronounced “warms”) on the press of Peter Schöffer in 1526 and is known as the Tyndale New Testament. The first printed New Testament to be translated into English out of the original Greek, it is indeed an invaluable book. Its translator, after whom it is named, was William Tyndale (c. 1494–1536). Of his overall significance in the history of the Church, the article on him in the eleventh edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica rightly states that he was “one of the greatest forces of the English Reformation,” a man whose writings “helped to shape the thought of the Puritan party in England.” Tyndale’s influence on the Puritans is nowhere clearer than in his view of the Scriptures, for he helped to give them a spirituality of the Word.
In strong contrast to medieval Roman Catholicism where piety was focused on the proper performance of certain external rituals, Tyndale, like the rest of the Reformers, emphasized that at the heart of Christianity was faith, which presupposes an understanding of what
is believed. Knowledge of the Scriptures was therefore essential to Christian spirituality.
Tyndale’s determination to give the people of England the Word of God so gripped him that from the mid1520s until his martyrdom in 1536, his life was directed to this sole end. What lay behind his single-minded vision was a particular view of God’s Word. In his “Prologue” to his translation of Genesis, which he wrote in 1530, Tyndale stated, “The Scripture is a light, and sheweth us the true way, both what to do and what to hope for; and a defence from all error, and a comfort in adversity that we despair not, and feareth us in prosperity that we sin not.”
Despite opposition from church authorities and the martyrdom of Tyndale in 1536, the Word of God became absolutely central to the English Reformation. As David Daniell has recently noted in what is the definitive biography of Tyndale, it was Tyndale’s translation that made the English people a “People of the Book.”
The Reformation thus involved a major shift of emphasis in the cultivation of Christian spirituality. Medieval Roman Catholicism had majored on symbols and images as the means for cultivating spirituality. The Reformation, coming as it did hard on the heels of the invention of the printing press, turned to words, both spoken and written, as the primary vehicle of spiritual cultivation. The Puritans were the sons and daughters of the Reformation, and thus not surprisingly, “Puritanism was first and foremost a movement centred in Scripture,” as Richard Land wrote. The London Baptist William Kiffen (1616–1701), writing about a fellow Puritan and Baptist, John
Norcott (1621–1676), well captures the heart of this bibliocentric spirituality when he states:
He steered his whole course by the compass of the word, making Scripture precept or example his constant rule in matters of religion. Other men’s opinions or interpretations were not the standard by which he went; but, through the assistance of the Holy Spirit, he laboured to find out what the Lord himself had said in his word.
In other words, the Puritan fascination with, and interest in, the work of the Holy Spirit did not lead them to divorce the Spirit from His inspired Scriptures. As the Puritan Benjamin Keach (1640–1704), the most important Baptist theologian of his generation, pointed out in 1681, “The Spirit always leads and directs according to the written Word: ‘He shall bring my Word,’ saith Christ, ‘to your remembrance’ [cf. John 14:26].”
A Spirituality of Space
Given this focus on the Scriptures, it is not surprising that the preaching of the Word was regarded by the Puritans as utterly vital to spirituality. As Irwony Morgan puts it, “The essential thing in understanding the Puritans is that they were preachers before they were anything else.” One could borrow Michael J. Walker’s description of the 19th-century Baptist pulpit, also true of Puritan preaching, to say the pulpit was, for the Puritans, “a place of nurture, of fire and light,” a place that stirred up hearts to follow after Christ, a place that brought sight to the blind and further enlightenment to believers.
Nicholas Bound, a Suffolk Puritan minister, who published the first major Puritan exposition of Sunday as the Sabbath, A True Doctrine of the Sabbath (1595), declared that preaching the Word of God is “the greatest part of God’s service.” The Elizabethan Puritan Richard Sibbes (1577–1635) was just as enthusiastic about preaching. “It is a gift of all gifts,” he wrote. “God esteems it so, Christ esteems it so, and so should we esteem it.” In the association records of the Northern Baptist Association, which was composed of Baptist churches in the old counties of Northumberland, Cumberland, Westmoreland, and Durham, we read
the following answer to a question posed in 1701 as to whether “any preaching disciple may administer the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper and baptism”: “Those persons that the Church approves of to preach the gospel we think it safe to approve likewise for the administering other ordinances, preaching being the greater work” (italics added).
The architecture of 17th-century Puritan churches also bespoke this emphasis on the preached Word in worship: The central feature of these simple structures was the pulpit. Early Puritan chapels were “meeting houses designed for preaching,” as one author wrote. These meeting houses were generally square or rectangular structures, some of them from the outside even resembling barns. Inside the meeting house, the pulpit was made prominent and was well within the sight and sound of the entire congregation. Sometimes a sounding board was placed behind the pulpit to help project the preacher’s voice throughout the building. There was a noticeable lack of adornment in Puritan meeting houses, with nothing to distract the attention of the worshipers. It was the Puritan spirituality of the Word that shaped this way of using space for worship and for the cultivation of Christian piety.
A Brief Puritan Admonition
What then would the Puritans say to us? Their insistence that the Spirit’s presence and work are utterly vital for true spirituality would lead them to urge us, first and foremost, to “pray for the Spirit, that is, for more of [him], though God hath endued [us] … with him already,” as John Bunyan said. We need to pray for the Spirit to empower the preaching of the Word in our corporate worship. We need to pray for the Spirit to enable those hearing the Word to take it to heart. And, finally, we need to pray for the Spirit to equip us to engage in the various spiritual disciplines (such as the Lord’s Supper, prayer, and meditation) that are at the heart of walking with Him.
MICHAEL A.G. HAYKIN | Professor of Church History and Biblical Spirituality, Southern Seminary
GUARD YOUR LIFE
A PLEA FOR PASTORS & MINISTRY LEADERS
by JASON K. ALLEN
Paul writes to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:16, “Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.” This has rightly become the ministerial mantra for many pastors and ministry leaders today.
Understanding what these words mean is not that difficult. We must pay careful attention to our lives to ensure that we are living according to the truth, for we are holy and set apart for the Lord and His Word. We must pay careful attention to our teaching to ensure that we are teaching according to the truth, that we proclaim sound doctrine and build up the Church. But why must we do this? Why is it so urgent for us to guard our life and our doctrine? What is at stake? Consider these five reasons with me.
First, we guard our lives and doctrine because of the eternal realities.
As we serve our churches faithfully, guarding our lives and doctrine, there are eternal realities taking place for ourselves and for those to whom we are ministering. Each of our ministries is dependent upon our character. Any church that will hire you despite your character flaws is a church you don’t want to serve. Any church that will overlook your character flaws is a church that is flawed in its character. Paul is clear in 1 Timothy 3: 1–7 and Titus 1:6–9 that one’s character must be in order for that person even to get out of the batter’s box in ministry. Even if you have acute family or administrative abilities, a great imagination, or a compelling voice, these are merely ancillary to ministry qualifications.
As we look at 1 Timothy 3 carefully, we see that all the pastoral qualifications, other than the ability to teach, are character-oriented in nature. You must set good habits for yourself concerning the spiritual disciplines and create good patterns for godliness in your life to put you on a trajectory for a faithful and enduring ministry. In other words, you must guard your life and doctrine because your ministry is first dependent upon your character. The crucible of spiritual leadership demands that you guard your life. When the ministry pressures mount, the underlying cracks in your character will be revealed. Therefore, when you practice the spiritual disciplines and guard your doctrine in the easy times of ministry, all of this will help you survive in
times of ministry tumult. Our ministries serve eternal purposes, and we would be foolish to minimize these eternal realities by minimizing our character.
Second, we guard our lives and doctrine because the glory of God is at stake in our ministry.
In every century, the Church has been plagued by hypocrites, those who have done much reputational harm to God’s name and the cause of Christ. As ministers, we must make every effort to ensure that our names don’t show up on the list of those who did such harm to Christ’s Church.
I was in my early twenties when I interviewed for my first pastorate. With a young wife and a baby on the way, the church began asking me a set of routine questions. However, out of the blue, they asked, “How are your finances?” After being caught off guard a bit, I replied, “Well, I’m a seminary student. I don’t have much money. I don’t have any debt. But why do you ask?” They replied that about 40 years prior, the church had had a minister who had written some bad checks in town, and the deacons had been forced to clean up the mess. The deacons promptly fired the pastor, but despite their proper response, there remained a reputational stain on that church for nearly a half-century. To that day, some business owners in the town had never forgotten the incident.
Churches have stories. Towns have stories. Cities have stories. Denominations have stories. The glory of God is at stake in all these things. And a singular slippage that leads to a catastrophe that results in a fall brings reputational damage that may outlive all of us.
Third, we guard our lives and doctrine because doing so will better ensure that we will enjoy the simple pleasure of abiding in Christ.
Through all our service to Christ and His Church, we have the focused privilege of abiding in Him, growing in Him, and flourishing in Him.
And through this foundation of abiding in Christ, we function on an elevated plane that will be a propellant for us through more difficult seasons. It will propel us beyond more difficult conversations and guide us through seasons of relative dryness. We want that basic pleasure in our life of growing and abiding in Christ, and our abiding is aided through guarding our life and doctrine.
Fourth, we guard our lives and doctrine because it will grow our spiritual confidence.
The Bible conveys two components to the assurance of salvation, the objective and the subjective. In the objective component, we ask, “Have you called upon the name of Christ? Have you repented of your sins? Have you believed in Jesus? Has His blood washed you whiter than snow?”
In the subjective component, we see those questions verified in our lives. We sweetly observe the work of God in our lives and see our hearts being more conformed to the image of Christ. We become more sensitive to sin and, over time, our lives reflect Christ more and more.
So, as we guard our lives and doctrine, the assurance of our salvation grows, strengthens, and ripens with each passing year. Thus, by the time we get ready to meet Jesus face-to-face, we already recognize in our hearts that we’ve been walking with Him all along.
Fifth, we guard our lives and doctrine because we will enjoy a robust level of spiritual accountability.
Small groups can be helpful, accountability teams are appropriate, and a friend’s probing questions might be just what you need. However, in those environments, you can mislead other people. But if you will get in God’s Word and allow it to probe you and shape you, it will bring an additional level of accountability that no third party can give.
In conclusion, these five reasons aren’t comprehensive; there are several more reasons we should guard our lives and doctrine. Nonetheless, all these reasons
listed above are essential for a faithful ministry. As a minister writing to a fellow minister, I solemnly urge you to guard your life and doctrine for these reasons and many more. By so doing, you will protect yourself, your wife, your children, and the sheep whom the Lord has entrusted to you.
JASON K. ALLEN | President, Professor of Preaching and Pastoral Ministry
SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES FOR THE CHURCH
by DONALD S. WHITNEY
Everyone is “spiritual” today. A USA Today survey indicated that even most atheists consider themselves “spiritual.” But whenever spirituality is written about publicly or discussed privately, whether in the culture at large or within the church, it seems the focus is always on individual spirituality. Cultural spirituality—whether the emphasis is on meditation, mindfulness, yoga, or any of an infinite number of expressions—usually implies, “You have your spirituality, and I have mine. You do what works for you, and I’ll do what works for me.” Moreover, in cultural spirituality there is no widely accepted standard of what spirituality is, beyond the assumption that your spirituality should improve your life and make you a better person.
By contrast, key distinctives of true, biblically-based, Christian spirituality include: (1) the final authority is God’s Word (the Bible), (2) the standard is Christ, and (3) the power comes from the Holy Spirit, not merely self-effort. But even where these things are fervently believed, spirituality still tends to be considered primarily as an individual matter. “How’s your prayer life? Tell me about your quiet time.”
True Spirituality
The focal point of worldly spirituality is primarily the self. In general, it teaches that your greatest problems are outside you and that the solution is within you. Change your thinking and your habits, and you can overcome your problems. Biblical spirituality declares that your biggest problems are within you—sin against God and separation from God—and that the only solution is outside you: Jesus Christ.
Thus, at the center of Christian spirituality is Jesus. The gospel, that is, the good news about Jesus, is that His sinless life and His substitutionary death on the cross can erase all our sins and make us right with God forever. And by His resurrection, Jesus provided
incontrovertible evidence that all He claimed to be and to do for us is true.
The only response Jesus requires for us to enjoy these incomparable realities is to turn from the selfcenteredness of our sin and to trust in what He’s done for us. This means forsaking reliance upon ourselves and our spirituality and believing that the person and work of Jesus alone is sufficient to bring us to God and to experience the spiritually “abundant life” (John 10:10) that God offers to us.
“Biblical spirituality declares that your biggest problems are within you—sin against God and separation from God— and that the only solution is outside you: Jesus Christ.”
The Spiritual Life Begins with the Holy Spirit
The Bible says that all who trust in Christ and His righteousness (instead of their own) are “born again” (John 3:3) and indwelled by the third member of the Triune God, the Holy Spirit. This is when a person truly becomes “spiritual.” Until then, a person “does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him” (1 Cor. 2:14).
So, until a person turns to Christ and receives the gift of the Holy Spirit, all his or her “spiritual” searching and striving is ultimately in vain. Despite any perceived temporal benefits from worldly spirituality, they are useless for knowing God and produce no eternal value. Real spiritual life begins
Real spiritual life begins when a person looks in faith to Jesus and receives the Holy Spirit.
when a person looks in faith to Jesus and receives the Holy Spirit.
Spiritual Growth
The presence of the Holy Spirit causes a person to have new holy hungers, holy longings, and holy affinities for the holy things of God. Among them is a desire to know Jesus better and to become more like Him. The Bible uses terms like holiness, sanctification, Christlikeness, and godliness to describe the process of growing in one’s relationship with Jesus and increasing in conformity of life to Him.
In the Bible, God has given us means or practices by which we may experience Him and grow to become more like Jesus. These have come to be known as the “spiritual disciplines.” By engaging in them, we obey the command to “Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness” (1 Tim. 4:7, NASB). The Spirit gives us the desire and power to practice the spiritual disciplines, but it is our responsibility to live them out.
The Spiritual Disciplines
Broadly speaking, these biblical activities may be divided into personal spiritual disciplines and interpersonal ones. The personal disciplines are those we practice alone, such as meditating on Scripture, praying alone, worshiping God in private, and more. These are essential for spiritual growth and godliness. But they are also the ones we hear about most often in any discussion of Christian spirituality.
However, equally important for growth in the knowledge of God and in Christlikeness—though emphasized less frequently—are the interpersonal spiritual disciplines. These are the practices found in Scripture which we do with other believers. Among them are hearing the Word of God read, taught, and preached, praying with others, worshiping God with His people, serving others, and fellowship (which includes not merely socializing with other Christians, but also talking with them about God and the things of God).
Most believers seem to be inclined a little more toward either the personal or the interpersonal disciplines, but we all need both. The Bible teaches both. Jesus practiced both. And without a proper proportion of both, our spiritual growth will be stunted.
There are experiences with God and blessings from God which He gives only when we are alone with Him. But the same is true when we practice the interpersonal spiritual disciplines. And it is to these that I want to direct your attention now.
Unique Blessings to Ourselves
God blesses His people in ways unique to the assembly. Others in the body of Christ have gifts, insights, and experiences that you do not possess, but the Lord intends for them to be a blessing to you. The apostle Paul expressed this in 1 Corinthians 12:14–31 in his analogy comparing the body of Christ to a human body. God made both in such a way that each part has a unique role and yet all the parts are interdependent. The eye can see that food looks tasty, but the health of the eye is dependent on the mouth and the digestive system. In the same way, your spiritual health is strengthened by your interaction with the abilities, wisdom, and examples of others in your church.
When you participate in the interpersonal disciplines, others can teach you important biblical truths you do not know. They can pray for you. Your church can help meet physical or financial needs, provide counsel, share encouraging testimonies, offer comfort in your struggles, and use the talents of others to enable you to worship God in ways you can never experience in private. Yes, you can worship God in the shower or alone in the woods, but there are unique blessings in being among a forest of voices singing “Holy, Holy, Holy.”
Unique Blessings to Others
In the same way, you can share your gifts, insights, and experiences to bless others in ways you never can when alone. The Lord put you in the body of Christ and gifted you for a purpose. God never intended for you, like some spiritual miser, to selfishly squander
all He has given you. The Bible says God “comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Cor. 1:4). What’s true about the purpose of His comforts is true for all He has given us.
There are people in your church you can comfort in ways that perhaps no one else can. You have helpful Scriptural insights that some do not have but need. You can put your arm around someone and pray for them when few, if any, know of the situation. God can use an experience of yours to encourage others. Your mere presence in the assembly encourages your pastor, and your voice strengthens the praise God hears from His people.
I once heard someone ask a pastor, “Is your church growing?”
The pastor thought for a moment, then said, “You know, I think we are more like Jesus today than we used to be.”
Your participation in the interpersonal spiritual disciplines can help make that true for your church.
DONALD S. WHITNEY | Professor
of Biblical
Spirituality,
John H. Powell Endowed Chair of Pastoral Ministry
Formed Through Friendship
by RONNIE MARTIN
“A GOOD FRIENDSHIP IS WORTH ITS WEIGHT IN GOLD.”
Friendships are hard to come by. They require sacrifice, intentionality, and longsuffering, and they are by nature very fragile and somewhat elusive. For those blessed with long-standing friendships, you have likely weathered many storms, forgiven many sins, and endured many hardships to cultivate and maintain the relationships you enjoy. And the reason why it’s been worth it is that a good friendship is worth its weight in gold.
For those of us who have not had the same success when it comes to friendships, it is still a necessary endeavor, which means it is a worthy thing to pursue, even if you find yourself in a season of scarcity. These words are primarily for you.
Before I share two personal stories with you, I want us to be reminded of some key passages that promote the significance of friendship.
“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a difficult time” (Prov. 17:17).
“Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. For if either falls, his
companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up. Also, if two lie down together, they can keep warm; but how can one person alone keep warm? And if someone overpowers one person, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not easily broken” (Ecc. 4:9–12).
“One with many friends may be harmed, but there is a friend who stays closer than a brother” (Prov. 18:24).
Friendships are where we learn how to be loyal and serve others sacrificially.
“No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants anymore, because a servant doesn’t know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from my Father” (John 15:13–15).
Here are three summary thoughts on a few of the underlying themes these verses provide:
1. Friendships help us endure life’s ongoing hardships. Sometimes it feels like our closest friends were literally “born” for difficult times. Whatever kind of distress we may be experiencing—physical, emotional, spiritual, or mental—we go to our friends to be seen, heard, and known. Just knowing that we have somebody unequivocally on our side is
oftentimes the way God shows His presence to us.
2. Friendships are where we find day-to-day support. It is not only in the peaks and valleys where our friends prove indispensable, but also in the ordinary moments of our dayto-day lives. Our friends are the ones we depend on to provide encouragement, humor, and meaningful conversations that bring levity and joy into all the mundane details.
3. Friendships are how we learn to love and serve others deeply. Friendships are where we learn how to be loyal and serve others sacrificially. I once overheard a friend telling someone I didn’t know that he would give me “the shirt off his back.” It immediately filled me with so much gratitude, as well as a desire to do the same for him.
When we consider the kind of friendship Jesus has with us, it inspires us to want to lay down our own lives for those we love.
Of course, these three thoughts are reasons why almost all of us desire to have close friends. The shadow side of this reality is when we don’t have friends like these, or when we’ve been hurt by friends and wonder if it is worth it to take the risk to pursue friendships again. I have two stories to share that will hopefully convince you that pursuing friendships (within or outside of a ministry context) is a necessary endeavor.
Friend-less
When we relocated from southern California to Ohio more than 14 years ago, I was immediately thrust into a place where we quite literally had no friends. What made it even more difficult was that I was in a cultural context where I stood out quite a bit and did not share the familial or generational roots prevalent with most of the locals. In other words, I was an outsider, and outsider status in a small or rural community is an incredibly hard thing to try to break through.
I was struggling pretty badly until a Gospel Coalition regional chapter in the city south of where I lived invited me to join them for their monthly gatherings. It became a balm to my soul like nothing else. Space prevents me from sharing how deeply it impacted my life, but I will tell you this—some of the brothers I met at this gathering have become my dearest friends, and one of them in particular was even responsible (in part) for my current vocation as a pastor to pastors today. This leads me to the second part of my story.
Friend-Leery
At the end of 2024, my wife and I relocated to Indiana to embark on some new ministry opportunities that we felt the Lord had called us to. Even though we left our previous church on good terms, not all our relationships remained as intact as we would have hoped. Because of this, we rolled into our new town and new church feeling a bit raw and risk averse. The easiest thing for us would have been to hide away, shut ourselves off from people, and create what may have initially felt like a safe haven in order to avoid the potential of being hurt again.
But we knew better.
Yes, we needed to go slow, seek good counsel, process our grief, and pray for healing, but what we didn’t want
to do was let our fear prevent us from fostering new friendships, if and when the Lord opened those doors.
The Fruit of Friendship
What we’ve learned in 20 years of ministry is that friendships play an invaluable role in our spiritual health and well-being. No, they don’t always last. They may come undone at the seams, and at times turn into some of the saddest catastrophes in life, but despite all the potential tragedies and complexities, we know that God has made us for friendship. We know that we would not be the people we are today without the friendships that have shaped us both positively and negatively.
Friendships are how the Lord has made His generosity, goodness, grace, and forgiveness more visible in our lives. Friendships are how He has given us greater knowledge of our sin and shortcomings, and greater empathy and compassion for others. Friendship has provided us with the practice of loving and being loved, knowing and being known, and without it we would never experience the presence of God as deeply as we have.
Whether you are friend-less or friend-leery right now, don’t give up on pursuing friendships. The rewards far outweigh the risks! They are a necessary endeavor for you and for the fruit of your life and ministry.
RONNIE MARTIN | Director of Leader Care and Renewal, Harbor Network; Pastor In Residence, Redeemer Community Church
Pursuing Biblical Spirituality for the Church
In the spring of 2025, Midwestern Seminary launched the Center for Biblical Spirituality. Led by Professor Donald S. Whitney, the center seeks to reaffirm the seminary’s commitment to the holistic formation of its students. President Jason K. Allen reflected on the new center, saying, “We want men and women who are lovers of the Lord Jesus Christ, men and women of prayer, of Scripture, and of all that Dr. Whitney’s teaching, books, and ministry at the new Center for Biblical Spirituality represent.”
LEARN M O RE . biblicalspirituality.org
A Model for Praying the Bible
by JED COPPENGER
In His Word, God speaks to us. He also gives us words to speak to Him. As Scripture teaches God’s people who He is, what He is like, and what He is doing in the world, it guides our prayers of praise, confession, petition, and thanksgiving.
Praying the words of Scripture is a great way to meditate on God’s Word and conform one’s mind and desires to His will. The Psalms in particular, as Spiritinspired songs and prayers to God from His people, give us a practical model for God-honoring prayer.
In this article, I want to share an example of how one might pray the words of Psalm 13.
Psalm 13 (ESV)
1 How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
Lord, I am struggling. I’m overwhelmed. I can’t handle the circumstances that I’m in—that You in Your infinite wisdom have providentially put me in.
I’ve asked You to change things, to provide what I don’t have, to remove the challenges I’m facing at home, at work, and at church. I’ve examined my life to see if there is some blatant sin that You might be disciplining me for, even asking those who love You and are close to me for their feedback. But there doesn’t seem to be anything particularly out of line. I’m living a life of integrity, genuinely seeking Your face. I’ve waited. I’ve prayed persistently. But still, nothing.
I feel forgotten. My circumstances seem to tell me every day that Your good promises for me aren’t true. My heart is weary from the sorrow caused by this challenge. While it isn’t an enemy that is wrongly exalted over me like it was for David, it’s still something that doesn’t make sense to me. It still seems like it shouldn’t be, in light of who You are and what You’ve promised. How long, Lord? Another week? Another month? For the rest of my life here on earth?
3 Consider and answer me, O LORD my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, 4 lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.
Although I’ve gotten “no” after “no” from You, I’m asking You again. Have mercy on me. Consider and answer me. For You are still my Lord and my God. You remain the only one I look to for help. You alone can deliver me. You have the unmatchable power to “light up my eyes,” with an answer to my prayer. Would You do it today?
I can’t hold on by myself. Without Your intervention, my eyes won’t light up. I’m not strong enough to handle this. Spirit, strengthen me.
Please, Lord, make today the day You answer me so that I can testify that You enabled me to persevere through challenges I couldn’t handle. Don’t let the enemy say that what You meant for good, he was able to use for evil by overcoming me. Don’t let me fall in the midst of these challenging circumstances. Don’t let the enemy of Your
good purposes delight by seeing me stumble. Answer me today, Lord. Light up my eyes.
5 But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me.
I’m confident that You haven’t left me. Although my feelings and circumstances do their best to preach this anti-biblical message, I know Your promises are true and Your character is dependable. I’m sure I will sing to You again, just as I have in the past. I’m confident that a day is coming when my heart will feel differently than it does today. Soon, that which seemed impossible and unending will be done.
On that day, my heart won’t feel forgotten; it will feel like it has been treated bountifully. I’ll laugh easily on that day. I’ll encourage others with my story of grace on that day. You haven’t left me; You’re doing a work in me as You do this work for me. You are preparing me by purifying me and positioning me for what is to come. On that day, I’ll see that You were doing a spiritual surgery on me that I didn’t understand at the moment, in order to enable me to take spiritual strides that only a bountiful God could enable.
Thank You for Your grace, Lord. Even in the perceived distance, I realize the great patience You’re showing me— patience that allows me to bring these questions to You. I know that this patience was purchased by Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. I know that the punishing distance He endured on the cross, when He cried “my God, my God, why have you forsaken me,” ensured that You will never leave me nor forsake me. I know You hear me. I’m sure You are working all things for my good. I’m confident that even the Spirit and Jesus are interceding for me now. Yet, still, will You please make today the day that You light up my eyes with an answer to this prayer?
JED COPPENGER | Lead Pastor, First Baptist Church, Cumming, Georgia
Meet
RAÚL PÉREZ
Raúl Pérez and his sister, Tiara, moved to Kansas City from Juncos, Puerto Rico, in 2022 to attend Spurgeon College. Raul is training for pastoral ministry through the Accelerate program and serves in student leadership on campus as a Resident Assistant, cultivating community and discipleship for fellow college students.
MBTS Tell us about the degree program you're pursuing and what you hope to do after graduation.
RAÚL PÉREZ I am in my third year working on a B.A. in Biblical Studies and an M.Div. I have enjoyed every second of it. The Accelerate program has been great for my academic and pastoral training.
After I finish my degrees at Spurgeon College and Midwestern Seminary, my hope is to serve as a pastor overseas. I do not yet have a place in mind, yet it is my prayer that the Lord would make the place evident
over the next few years as I serve faithfully in Kansas City. I would love to be involved in the work of church planting, evangelism, and raising and training future leaders in the Church.
MBTS What drew you to move from your home in Puerto Rico to pursue your studies at Spurgeon College?
RAÚL It began with my pastor back home in Puerto Rico. When I met him, he shared with me the things he was learning through his program at Midwestern and how great the program has been in his life. I
was considering going to a college or seminary that could prepare me for vocational pastoral ministry, so Spurgeon College seemed to be a good fit. But because moving from home was something I did not want to do, I decided to embark on my theological studies journey online.
However, in August 2021, my sister, Tiara, and I received an email from Midwestern Seminary and Spurgeon College inviting us to a Preview Day during the For the Church National Conference. If we registered for it, we would get free tickets to attend For the Church National. Quickly after seeing the email, my sister and I decided to attend the Preview Day, joining a group of pastors from Puerto Rico. As soon as we arrived, I fell in love with the campus atmosphere, culture, and community. I met a couple of students in Accelerate and Fusion, met the director of Accelerate, Taylor DiRoberto, and met many faculty members, including President Allen.
God definitely used those three days to lead me (and thankfully Tiara as well!) to Spurgeon College and Midwestern Seminary. The joyful, Christcentered, and gospel-centered community was encouraging and attractive. After coming back from this short trip, I decided to apply, move to Kansas City, and commit to having five intentional years of formal training for ministry. By God’s grace, I am still here and enjoying my time at Spurgeon College!
MBTS What experiences at Spurgeon College have most contributed to forming your personal walk with Christ?
RAÚL There are many ways God has used my time at Spurgeon College to form and grow my personal walk with Christ. One that stands out was during my second semester. I was excited to take Introduction to Pastoral Ministry with one of my favorite authors, Jared Wilson. As the class started, Professor Wilson gave a brief introduction to what pastoral ministry is and what it requires for those embarking on it. He said to the class, “Men, the most important thing is that you become a Jesus-y person.”
The statement is true. The most important thing for the work of ministry—and certainly, for the life of the Christian—is that we become more like Jesus. The
most important thing is not having the best preaching skills, leadership prowess, or theological knowledge, but becoming more like Christ. This understanding has grown my affection and love for Christ and has increased my desire to behold Him, for when we behold Him, we become like Him (2 Cor. 3:18).
Since realizing this, I have made it my aim to become like Christ by beholding Him regularly. A key piece of beholding Christ is joining a body of believers committed to beholding Him as well. The local church is a glorious place where we behold Christ alongside one another. This truth has changed the way I serve others, preach, evangelize, and make disciples. Most importantly, it has changed my walk with Christ.
MBTS What advice would you offer to future college students for cultivating healthy spiritual disciplines during their college experience?
RAÚL First, behold the glory of Christ. The most important thing in your life is that you become more like Jesus. Read the Scriptures and see His character, person, and work. Behold Christ by reminding yourself of the gospel and what He has done for you. Fill your heart and mind with the glory of Jesus and imitate Him. May the glory of Christ be the fuel for your devotion to Him.
Second, be a faithful church member. I cannot express how instrumental the local church has been in my life for cultivating healthy spiritual disciplines as a college and seminary student. Since my first semester at Spurgeon College, I have been discipled and greatly encouraged by many brothers in my local church. They have led me in many areas of my Christian walk and been key in helping me grow in Christ. So, college student, do not forsake your local church. Be intentional. Be present. Love and serve them.
Meet
TIARA PÉREZ
Tiara Pérez and her brother, Raúl, moved to Kansas City from Juncos, Puerto Rico, in 2022 to attend Spurgeon College. Since graduating in 2024 with her B.A. in Worship Ministries, Tiara has begun a master's degree in Applied Theology at Midwestern Seminary, in further preparation to serve the Church.
MBTS What led you to pursue a master's degree at Midwestern Seminary, and how do you hope to use your studies for the Church?
TIARA PÉREZ It was impossible to overlook the For the Church vision. Midwestern Seminary fosters a warm campus community where love for ministry and serving the Church is clear. I experienced and saw such clear vision and fellowship as I pursued my
undergraduate degree at Spurgeon College, which was a great encouragement as I sought to continue theological education through graduate studies.
In 2020, I had the opportunity to serve at a local church plant near my hometown in Puerto Rico. Through it, I witnessed the beauty of the Great Commission and both the hardships and joys of ministry.
I have three hopes for how I want to use my studies for the Church. First, I desire to grow more in the knowledge and riches of Christ and the gospel story. Learning more about the profound riches believers have in Christ humbles us and leads us to exalt Jesus more. Second, I desire to better serve the believers of my current local church. Formal theological education prepares believers to walk alongside our churches as we grow more into the likeness of our Savior through life together. Third, I desire to be equipped for whatever God may call me to in the future. Whether the Lord calls me to serve in full-time ministry or not, theological education is never wasted.
MBTS In what ways has your theological education shaped your personal walk with Christ?
TIARA Theological education has stirred me up to love and seek Christ through loving and serving the local church. Life with other Christians in the local church is where we apply the theological knowledge taught in the classroom.
In addition, theological education has shaped my walk with Christ through sharing the good news. Being able to articulate, dialogue, and reason about the gospel with others has increased my awe for the gospel message and given me so much joy.
Theological education has also influenced growth in my prayer life and dependence on the Lord. Studying theology offers a reminder of God’s faithful and sovereign character, inspiring joy even in seasons of uncertainty.
MBTS How does the corporate spiritual discipline of worship through music aid the Christian's spiritual growth?
TIARA Worship through music reminds believers to look to Jesus. It points both the unbeliever and the believer to the truth that Christ is the only way to salvation, it provides profound insight into the nature of God, and it leads believers to depend, rest, and rejoice in Jesus as we await His second coming.
During my studies in Worship Ministries at Spurgeon College, I took a class on the history of music for
worship. In the weeks we studied hymnody, we saw how hymn writers used Scripture to provide profound descriptions of the gospel message. Understanding the theology behind each of the hymns studied and sung at churches today brings not only fresh insight but also sweet reminders of the gospel that changes each believer’s life.
MBTS You traveled a long way from home to pursue theological education residentially. What makes residential seminary education worth the move?
TIARA Two things served as an engine for me to seek residential theological education: gospel need and a warm, flourishing community. First, just as Jesus commissioned His disciples, believers today are sent to the world as ambassadors of the good news. Seminary education is not necessary to do the work faithfully, but it is so enriching to continue the work faithfully. Second, the Christian community I am a part of through my local church and with fellow students on campus has been a sweet gift from the Lord. Walking alongside fellow believers, praying with them, having fellowship with them, weeping with them, and rejoicing with them has helped me grow in my love for God and others.
There is great comfort and joy where the Lord leads and provides. If you have considered pursuing theological education residentially, pray, seek advice from mature believers, take the step of faith, and trust the Lord! Wherever He leads you, He will provide, and He will not forsake you.
MBTS How did you come to pursue the field of biblical theology in Christian studies?
TRAVIS MONTGOMERY I have been fascinated by the interconnectivity of Scripture since I was first reading Scripture as a kid. The Lord blessed me with parents who took me to a church that sought to faithfully explain the Bible in each sermon, and one day my parents agreed to let me buy a cool “teen study Bible.” As I read the New Testament and the study notes, I was especially interested in the way Paul would refer to and argue from the Old Testament. That stuck with me.
Travis Montgomery
Assistant Dean of Global Campus and Assistant Professor of Christian Studies
Travis Montgomery serves as Assistant Dean of Global Campus and Assistant Professor of Christian Studies at Midwestern Seminary and Spurgeon College. He has been active in serving Southern Baptist churches and is one of the pastors of Northside Fellowship, a church plant in the Kansas City Northland. He earned both his M.Div. and his Ph.D. in Biblical Theology from Midwestern Seminary, and his dissertation considered the Bible’s use of the “covenant formula” (“I will be your God, and you will be My people”) and how it relates to Christ and the Church. Dr. Montgomery is currently co-writing an introduction to Christian spirituality through the lens of the seven classic virtues.
When it came time to choose a college and a major, I chose religion. The Lord quickly redirected me away from a school that undermined Scripture’s truthfulness and to a small Bible college where I was immersed in commentaries and exegetical studies. When the Lord eventually called me to seminary and then to a Ph.D., I wanted to keep myself close to the text, study its interconnectivity, and learn more about how Scripture and theology relate. Midwestern’s Ph.D. in Biblical Theology was designed perfectly for what I wanted to study.
MBTS How can understanding biblical theology help Christians grow in Christ as they read Scripture?
TRAVIS I love this question! Growing in Christ is God’s plan for us (Rom. 8:29), and Scripture is His school (2 Tim. 3:14–16). All creation is about Jesus (Col. 1:16), so all Scripture is about Jesus (Luke 24:44–47). Biblical theology, if it’s really following the Bible’s lead, will focus on the being and acts of the triune God, which are focused on the person and work of Christ (Eph. 1:9–10). By beholding Jesus, by the Spirit, in the Scriptures, with the Church, we grow into Christ’s glorious image, degree by degree (2 Cor. 3:18).
So how can Bible readers make sure they’re seeing Christ when they read the Word? The first hurdle for many of us is to actually read the Word. Without seeking God’s help in prayer, reading the Bible often feels like “line upon line, precept upon precept” without any delight (see Isa. 28:13). Second, we need the help of Jesus and the N.T. writers to make sense of the O.T. (1 Pet. 1:10–12), including the ways the O.T. stories, laws, and poems do and do not apply to us (1 Cor. 10:11). Third, we need to have our imaginations captivated by Scripture, so that we can pick up on the many ways the biblical authors refer to one another. Finally, we ought to seek out the help of capable teachers (in our churches, seminaries, and more broadly) and reliable tools (like reference Bibles, study software, biblical-theological books, and original-language study).
MBTS What are some ways that the biblical spiritual disciplines help cultivate virtue?
TRAVIS Though definitions of spiritual disciplines differ, it’s clear that Scripture calls Christians both to see God’s good gifts and to dwell on the invisible Giver (James 1:17). It’s also clear that dwelling on the unseen does not come naturally to us as we stumble toward heaven in this fallen world (2 Cor. 4:18). A “spiritual discipline,” then, is a practice of focused attention on the invisible God (1 Tim. 1:17) by strategically denying ourselves His good gifts for some time. This definition obviously fits fasting, but it also fits many other biblical practices. For example, private prayers and devotional reading of Scripture deny us earthly company and input so that we can attend to the presence of God and His written voice.
Christians throughout the centuries have talked about “virtue” as the growth and putting-right of a soul. Who we are determines what we do, just like a good tree produces good fruit (Matt. 7:18). For the believer, we are “good trees” because we have been grafted into (Rom. 11:17–18) the One hung on a tree for us (Gal. 3:13–14), and He is the Righteous One, like a fruitful and stable tree planted by streams of water (Ps. 1:3). Meditating on God’s Word (Ps. 1:2) and tending to God’s presence in prayer (Heb. 4:16) cultivate virtues by reorienting us to God’s presence, power, and promises, empowering us to live in light of what He has revealed (1 Pet. 4:11).
MBTS How does the Global Campus help online students cultivate spiritual growth alongside their education?
TRAVIS Our Global Campus students connect online, but they are embodied precisely where God has placed them, and they are studying to better serve the people He has given them. Fortunately, distance does not prevent us from communicating with one another, and communication always leads to formation; we can’t help but be shaped by the things we hear and say. Though a quality education will not always have an immediate payoff, it should always move us to love God and our neighbors. In that way, an education itself is a way to cultivate spiritual growth.
God has ordained the local church to be the primary instrument of our spiritual growth (Eph. 4:11–12). So, Global Campus students take classes that are carefully designed to communicate biblical truth with excellence and help them gain and apply knowledge in their local churches, families, and other vocations. Many assignments are meant to be deployed in each student’s own ministry context, right now. One of my absolute favorite features of our classes is a connection with a mentor in the student’s local context who can help the student consider how every class applies to their own life and ministry. We honor God’s providential place for each student and strive to help them study where they serve.
Meet
COREY JOHNSON
MBTS Tell us about your church and your current role there.
COREY JOHNSON Providence Baptist Church is a confessional Baptist church planted in July 2000. When I initially visited, I wasn’t looking for a ministerial position; I was looking for a good, healthy church for my family to join. But the Lord had different plans, and in 2015 I was appointed as one of the church’s pastors.
I have worn many hats at PBC, but my primary responsibilities include preaching, teaching, and
caring for the flock. I am grateful to God for PBC; the fellowship is sweet, and it is a joy to preach and teach to a congregation who loves God and His Word. While people initially visit for the expositional preaching and God-centered worship, they stay because of the people.
MBTS How did God lead you to pursue pastoral ministry and seminary?
COREY As a teenager, I felt the Lord constantly nudging me toward pastoral ministry, but I wanted nothing to do with it. Instead, I went the way of Jonah and spent many
Corey Johnson is a pastor at Providence Baptist Church in Pasadena, Texas, where he has served in various ministry roles since 2011. He graduated from Midwestern Seminary in 2021 with his Ph.D. in Historical Theology.
years pursuing the world. The Lord would not let me go, and through a series of events, He brought me back to Himself. This period of my life brought experiential meaning to Scriptures like Ephesians 2:4–5.
Along with deepening my understanding of His grace, God planted within me a desire to know Him more deeply and help others do the same. I spoke to my pastor at the time, and he recommended I attend seminary and pursue a Master of Divinity. I would not be where I am apart from the grace and guidance of the Lord through His Church.
MBTS How have your studies in historical theology equipped you practically in ministry?
COREY One great benefit of seminary is accumulating friends, some who you can call on the phone and others who have been in glory for many years. In my postgraduate studies at Midwestern Seminary, I became acquainted with Benjamin Keach (1640–1704), who has become a good friend that I often consult and a godly example to follow.
Keach has also been instrumental to my development as a preacher and teacher. Recently, I took a portion of one of his sermons and expanded it into a teaching series for the young people at PBC. In this sermon, Keach lists specific sins that are common to young people, such as pride, lusts of the flesh, and outbursts of anger. Adults, too, have these struggles, so Keach’s teaching on sins often finds its way into my preaching, both to the congregation and to myself. I am thankful that God uses men like Benjamin Keach to remind me of my daily need for Christ.
MBTS How can believers in Church history help encourage Christians today in the spiritual disciplines?
COREY When I look to the Puritans, I see men who spent ample time meditating upon God’s Word and subsequently drawing out pure gold from its pages. The inexhaustibility of Scripture is seen in the ministry of Thomas Brooks, who preached 58 sermons on Hebrews 12:14. While most of us will never preach 58 sermons on one verse of Scripture,
his example is a good reminder that we will never exhaust the treasure chest of God’s Word, which is more desirable than fine gold (Ps. 19:10).
Church history provides us with countless examples of men and women devoted to God’s Word and prayer. Some of their prayers are available for us to read; as we read them, my hope is that we will be encouraged to slow down, contemplate the wonders of God, and enjoy the communion we have with Him.
MBTS As a pastor, what are some ways you equip and encourage your members to pursue biblical spirituality in their everyday lives?
COREY The primary means is the regular preaching of God’s Word. Through the preached Word, I seek to equip our people to live lives of godly obedience that flow from the life we have in Christ. More than anything, I strive to preach Christ crucified, for it is God’s love in Christ that stirs up our hearts to love God and our neighbors all the more.
We also strive to equip and encourage our members to pursue biblical spirituality by providing classes, seminars, and good books. At times during our Sunday school hour, we teach classes on biblical spirituality, and one book we have found helpful in this endeavor is Habits of Grace by David Mathis. We also host a yearly seminar in which we have taught various spiritual disciplines. We aim to remind our people that these daily habits of devotion are one of our great privileges as children of the Most High. God has spoken to us, we have our Father’s ear, and He has given us the gift of Christian fellowship.
Grace Church
LOCATION: WACO, TX
Grace Church was founded nearly 14 years ago as a replant of Grace Community Church in Waco, Texas. Through a focus on the revelation of the gospel, Grace Church pursues its mission to make Jesus known in Waco and around the world. Drake Osborn and Dave Becker serve as co-pastors at Grace Church alongside two other pastor-elders. Both alumni of Midwestern Seminary, Drake graduated in 2019 with a Master of Divinity, and Dave graduated in 2017 with a Master of Theological Studies.
MBTS Tell us about the history of Grace Church and how the Lord called you to serve here.
DRAKE OSBORN Grace Church was planted in 1999 and re-planted in 2012 when the elders voted to move closer into town and join Acts29 and the SBC. I was a member of Grace during my undergraduate studies at Baylor University and came back to Waco
and Grace in 2018 directly after seminary. Originally called to help shepherd our many college students, I was quickly thrust into greater leadership after a sudden transition left our church without a pastor. I had to learn at an early age how to shoulder the joyful burdens of pastoral ministry, and I leaned heavily on my connections and support system from Midwestern.
DAVE BECKER I came to Grace in the summer of 2022 after a long and fruitful season of ministry in southwest Missouri. The Lord used some key relationships that Drake and I share through Midwestern in instrumental ways to bring my family and me to Grace. Once we connected, Drake and I realized that we had both been through similar kinds of leadership transitions and that the Lord had led us to similar places in our ecclesiology, philosophy of ministry, and pastoral theology. Coming to Grace and taking up her mission alongside her pastors and people has been a deep joy.
MBTS How have you seen theological education contribute to the spiritual growth of your members?
DRAKE The most transformative class I took in seminary was Attributes of God with Dr. Matthew Barrett. As a result, some of the first classes I taught at Grace were centered on the doctrine of God. We regularly run classes on classical theology alongside classes on spiritual disciplines such as sabbath and prayer.
DAVE Just this year, we launched an intensive lay-level theological training institute with two partner churches. Our first class has over 20 students meeting once a week for several hours in small cohorts, the goal of which is both robust theological development and deep spiritual formation.
MBTS For pastors and those who aspire to ministry, what encouragement would you offer to help them lead their churches in cultivating spiritual disciplines?
DRAKE Do not neglect the necessary work of developing and sustaining theological curiosity in the church. Contemplation of the beauty of God is the never-ending well from which we draw even our most tactile spirituality. Seminarians should get used to the practice of letting their serious study of God lead to devotional love for God in a never-ending loop.
DAVE At Grace, introducing our people to classical theology has acted as the foundation for our communion with God. For example, a study on union with Christ built the fence of protection which allowed our people the freedom to run confidently into more abstract conversations on friendship with Jesus or more concrete conversations on how to cultivate spiritual practices that lead to intimacy with Jesus.
MBTS As pastors, what practices have you found beneficial for investing in your own personal spiritual growth?
DRAKE One practice I have found helpful is to pick a “personal” spiritual discipline that is just between myself and God. This may be writing poetry, long walks, specific journaling, woodworking, or some other creative task. One way to think of it is as “wasting time” with God, but really it is anything where you can meet with God without the feeling or obligation to do something for God or prove something to God. Turning off that shepherding and teaching impulse, even just for a few minutes a day, and allowing yourself to be
welcomed by Christ as a son or daughter instead of a pastor or ministry leader is a key way to build endurance for the difficult work of ministry.
My family has also greatly benefited from the practice of sabbath. Sunday morning is not always a restful day for the minister, so our sabbath starts at sundown the night before. As often as we can, we enjoy a simple candlelit meal together, pray specific prayers for rest, and turn off any and all devices. All work is set aside, which means the sermon must be done ahead of time with no last-minute tweaks. This weekly practice orients our hearts in dependence and intentionally leaves some tasks undone so that we might depend on God to be God and remember that we are human.
DAVE One practice that my family and I have come to treasure, particularly since coming to Grace Church, is the regular confession of sin and receiving the assurance of pardon. The practice of giving corporate and private confession and receiving assurance of pardon is a fixture in our liturgy and in our community. There is no substitute for the liberating and grounding effect that confession and assurance have in the life of the Christian. To be fully known, fully loved, and fully forgiven by Christ Himself and by our brothers and sisters is the rich soil from which worship, mission, and unity spring up into bloom.
So That It Builds Itself Up
How Wayne Lee’s Service to Midwestern Seminary Highlights God’s Work Through the Church
Twelve miles north of downtown Kansas City, a 51-foot steeple rises from the Midwestern Seminary chapel. But when Wayne Lee arrived on campus in 2005 to begin serving as a trustee, the steeple did not exist.
Neither did the chapel.
At that time, Midwestern Seminary held chapel services in what is now the Spurgeon Library. Able to accommodate only around 250 people at once, “It was just four plain walls and a pulpit,” Wayne recalls.
Then-president Dr. Phil Roberts had a vision to build a larger chapel. As the central meeting place for the seminary community, a larger chapel would prepare for future enrollment growth, accommodating students, faculty, and seminary friends for chapel services and other events. A larger chapel would offer more opportunities for more people to hear God’s Word and worship Him together, advancing the seminary’s mission.
Dr. Roberts shared his vision with Wayne, who was immediately excited.
They began to pray. At the same time, Midwestern Seminary was facing a season of financial challenges, making the dream of a new chapel seem far from reach. But as they prayed, the dream didn’t die. The vision God had used to bring Wayne Lee to Midwestern Seminary made him eager to pursue it.
Rooted and Grounded in Love
Growing up on a seminary campus, Wayne gained a vision to see the Church grow. His father, Kenneth A. Lee, had followed the Lord’s call to ministry and enrolled at Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1944. A preacher and soul winner, Kenneth had a heart for reaching the unchurched. Witnessing a young girl’s baptism one Sunday and noticing that her parents were absent, he and a friend visited their house that evening. Their witness soon led the girl’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. O’Neal, to a life-changing commitment to the Lord.
“Mr. O’Neal became one of the greatest Christian laymen,” Wayne shared. A successful builder in the post-WWII construction industry, Mr. O’Neal helped many young preachers both financially and spiritually. He loved sharing the gospel so much that he rarely missed an opportunity to do so.
When Kenneth Lee graduated from seminary, he headed to the West Coast for ministry,
K. Wayne Lee served as a trustee of Midwestern Seminary from 2005 to 2016. With his wife, Berna Dean, Wayne has faithfully served the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention for more than six decades, including by helping plant churches and serving in convention leadership. “The Lees have been relentlessly generous with their time and financial resources,” said President Jason Allen. “At a very critical stage in the life of Midwestern Seminary, Wayne stepped forward with great courage and conviction as a trustee and as chairman of the board of trustees and gave heroic leadership.”
where he started groups for early church plants in Oregon and Washington and pastored a church plant in Seattle. By then, the Korean War was raging, and chaplains were needed, so he joined the Army. His family returned to Fort Worth, and while Wayne’s father served abroad, Mr. O’Neal took Wayne under his wing.
“He treated me like his own son,” Wayne shared. “He taught me how to drive a car, swim, play ball. I also learned so much about the building industry just by watching him.” Wayne watched Mr. O’Neal share the Lord wherever he went. “I saw him lead a gas station attendant, a barber, and a grocery store owner to the Lord,” Wayne recalls. “His witness affected my life.”
Building Up the Body
In 1957, when Wayne was 15, his father served as a National Guard chaplain for a unit in Kansas City. That year, Southern Baptists had voted to start a new seminary in Kansas City: Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Kenneth was very excited that a seminary was being built outside the Bible Belt. One day, he traveled to Kansas City for a National Guard meeting, bringing Wayne. They drove 12 miles past downtown into the rolling hills of the countryside where they watched builders constructing the white limestone walls of Midwestern Seminary’s first buildings.
“I had no idea that God was planting a seed in my mind that would one day grow into such a blessing for me,” Wayne reflects.
As he entered adulthood, Wayne followed the examples of his father and Mr. O’Neal and invested himself in the Church’s growth.
In 1976, Wayne and his wife, Berna Dean, returned to the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and joined First Baptist Church Euless. Wayne soon began teaching Sunday school and leading a large Sunday school department, was ordained as a deacon, and served as Mission Committee chairman. He led several work teams out West and built facilities to serve churches. For the next 30 years, he was actively involved in many mission organizations and traveled with mission groups throughout Europe, Asia, and North America.
In 2005, Wayne became chairman of the Committee on Nominations for the Southern Baptist Convention. When he completed his year of service, he was asked to serve on the board of trustees of Midwestern Seminary.
His Power at Work in Us
Two years after beginning his service as a trustee, Wayne was asked to chair a committee to pursue the possibility of building a larger chapel.
He got in contact with Builders for Christ, an Alabama-based organization that leads volunteer teams to build churches. Their architect was able to design a structure to fulfill the vision for a larger chapel. But the scope of the plans required additional expertise to construct the foundation and framework, beyond what volunteers could provide.
The board of trustees voted to have the plans drawn. Several trustees, including Wayne, committed to cover the costs.
However, as the committee sought bids for the foundation and framework, even the most cost-effective came to more than $20 million. The leader of J.E. Dunn, a national construction company based in Kansas City, learned of the seminary’s vision. He offered to lay the foundation and raise the steel frame for a significantly reduced cost.
“There were times when we wondered if we’d have to stop building,” Wayne said. “And all of a sudden, God provided.”
One trustee, Wendell Hudson, whom Wayne had helped bring to the board of trustees, owned a lumber company. He supplied all the framing lumber and much of the trim, shipping it from Mississippi at almost no charge, a savings of well over $1 million.
“That was divine appointment number two,” Wayne said.
For the chapel’s exterior, the committee sought white limestone to match the original campus buildings. Wayne had been purchasing limestone from a quarry in Texas for many years. He called the owner and asked him to take a plane ride to Kansas City.
Next, the committee needed to hire an experienced superintendent to oversee the project. As they gathered for a planning meeting, trusting the Lord with their next steps, in walked a very close friend of Wayne’s from First Baptist Euless, John Humphrey. John had been a superintendent for J.E. Dunn for many years. He and his wife, Anne, were prepared to come to campus for him to serve as superintendent for as long as it took to build the chapel—and he was willing to serve for free.
“That was a divine appointment,” Wayne reflects.
With prayers answered, the trustees approved the chapel project in the fall of 2009, and ground was broken in 2010. More than 1,000 volunteers had been recruited to join the work. But new challenges arose in the cost of building materials.
On the plane, Wayne told him the story of Midwestern Seminary and the vision for the chapel. Wayne encouraged him to pray about letting the seminary purchase the limestone for simply the cost of the labor to cut and stack it.
Wayne’s friend agreed, furnishing all the stone necessary. It was another divine appointment, and Wayne gladly paid the cost. The trustee who owned the lumber company offered to have his lumber trucks load and haul the stone to Kansas City at no charge. Even more, the limestone vendor sent a crew of experienced stone masons for simply the cost of their meals, lodging, and labor, and another friend of Wayne’s agreed to cover those costs.
Yet another friend of Wayne’s provided sheetrock at nearly half-price, and another other sent a crew to hang and
finish it. Wayne found another generous donor to cover these costs, and other business owners contributed the windows and light fixtures at reduced prices.
For almost three years, volunteers arrived on campus weekly to join in building the chapel. Some had construction skills, all had willing hands, and gradually, the chapel began to take shape. Some volunteers stayed several months. One electrician stayed the entire three years.
In October 2012, the board of trustees elected Dr. Jason Allen the fifth president of Midwestern Seminary. By this time, the chapel complex was nearly complete, including a large downstairs banquet hall, several classrooms, a large pavilion, and a prayer room with Jerusalem stone. The board of trustees voted to hire professionals to complete the final details of the interior, finishing the project. All but the last $1 million required was successfully fundraised—and this was soon paid off by another generous donor, Gene Downing.
To Christ Be Glory in the Church
The construction of the chapel reflects the means the Lord has chosen to advance His mission: through the Church.
“People love to give, especially if they see the vision,” Wayne reflects. “Building the chapel is just one of the blessings I’ve had through the years.”
Since its dedication in 2014, the Daniel Lee Chapel at Midwestern Seminary has hosted hundreds of chapel
services and more than 25 conferences, where thousands of students, faculty, and ministry leaders have worshiped Christ and heard His Word preached. Named for the longtime pastor of the Global Mission Church, which provided great financial support for the project, the chapel complex features numerous recognitions for other faithful supporters of Midwestern Seminary including Rich and Judy Hastings and O.S. and Susie Hawkins.
Since the completion of the chapel, Wayne and Berna Dean Lee have remained generous supporters of Midwestern Seminary’s vision for the Church. In 2022, they funded the establishment of the institution’s sixth endowed chair, the Wayne and Berna Dean Lee Endowed Chair of Church Music and Worship Ministries, signifying their ongoing support of Midwestern Seminary’s mission to train ministers for the Church. In early 2023, a $2.5 million gift was given in Wayne’s honor toward Midwestern Seminary’s Missions Moonshot, a goal to produce 100 missionaries annually.
“I’ve been so blessed and privileged to be involved with Midwestern Seminary for the past 20 years,” Wayne said. “The greatest blessing is to know that thousands of alumni and graduates are now pastoring churches, serving as missionaries around the world, and leading people to the Lord.”
Recent News
The latest news and events from Midwestern Seminary and Spurgeon College
BOOKS FOR THE CHURCH
SEPTEMBER – OCTOBER 2024 Midwestern Seminary celebrated new book releases from our faculty, including Christian History, Volume 2: From the Reformation to the Present by Dr. Thomas Kidd, The Army of God: Spurgeon’s Vision for the Church by Dr. Geoff Chang, and Proclaiming the Triune God: The Doctrine of the Trinity in the Life of the Church by Dr. Matthew Barrett.
OCTOBER 2, 2024 Southwestern Seminary President David Dockery and Blue Valley Church Pastor Derrick Lynch joined the Midwestern Seminary community for a special chapel service exploring Baptist distinctives.
“BEING BAPTIST” PANEL
POLITICS AND THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
OCTOBER 2, 2024 In the newest course from For the Church Institute, professors Jason Duesing, Thomas Kidd, and Patrick Schreiner explore faithful Christian witness in the political sphere. This course is available online for free, along with a variety of additional courses for individuals and groups.
SPURGEON LECTURES
OCTOBER 29–30, 2024 R. Albert Mohler Jr., President of Southern Seminary, delivered the annual Spurgeon Lectures on Biblical Preaching. In his lecture, Mohler said, “Spurgeon would want us to know that the power is in the Word of God. So we preach that Word in season and out of season.”
ENDOWED CHAIRS
OCTOBER 15, 2024 Midwestern Seminary celebrated the installation of Dr. Jason DeRouchie in the Rich and Judy Hastings Endowed Chair of Old Testament Studies, and Dr. Patrick Schreiner in the Gene and Jo Downing Endowed Chair of Biblical Studies.
INSTITUTE FOR PREACHING AND PREACHERS
OCTOBER 31, 2024 The new Midwestern Institute for Preaching and Preachers advances the seminary’s mission to train leaders for the Church by equipping and encouraging preachers of God’s Word.
FALL FESTIVAL
NOVEMBER 1, 2024 Hundreds gathered from the Midwestern Seminary and Spurgeon College community for the annual Fall Festival. Themed “Game Night,” the evening featured an array of attractions inspired by classic board games and concluded with the Spurgeon Knights Men’s Basketball home opener.
PASTOR APPRECIATION MONTH
OCTOBER 2024 Thousands of pastors were honored during Midwestern Seminary’s Pastor Appreciation Month, which included a $10,000 giveaway for a pastor’s family and his church. Speaking of the winner, Pastor Jay White, President Jason Allen said, “May the Lord continue to raise up faithful pastors, such as Jay, to serve and equip His Church.”
FIRST-YEAR FREE FOR 105 STUDENTS
NOVEMBER 18, 2024 Midwestern Seminary announced that full-tuition scholarships for first-year master’s students in For the Church Cohorts will be extended to 105 incoming students in the 2025–26 academic year.
SBC PRESIDENT IN CHAPEL
NOVEMBER 5, 2024 Midwestern Seminary welcomed Southern Baptist Convention President Clint Pressley to deliver a chapel sermon and join President Jason Allen for a Q&A luncheon. Pressley’s chapel sermon addressed five markers of real faith, drawn from Jesus’ teaching in Mark 7:1–13.
HISTORIC SEASON FOR SPURGEON KNIGHTS
NOVEMBER 18–21, 2024 The Spurgeon Knights Men’s Soccer team competed in the 2024 NCCAA DII National Championship Tournament, marking the Knights’ first National Tournament appearance in program history.
MBTS AT ETS
NOVEMBER 20–22, 2024 Midwestern Seminary faculty members, graduates, and Ph.D. students delivered 41 presentations at the 76th annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society in San Diego, California. “Presenting one’s research at ETS is a significant accomplishment for both the seasoned scholar and the Ph.D. student,” said Provost Jason Duesing.
CROSS CONFERENCE 2025
JANUARY 2–4, 2025 At the Cross Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, Midwestern Seminary joined thousands of young adults and ministry leaders, giving away custom patch hats to encourage attendees to live for the mission of God.
WINTER GRADUATION
DECEMBER 6, 2024 More than 300 graduates of Midwestern Seminary and Spurgeon College received their degrees during the 76th commencement exercises. Preaching from Matthew 1:21, which summarizes the gospel, President Jason Allen said, “This verse represents why all these men and women have chosen to study here and are graduating today.”
READY YOUTH CONFERENCE
JANUARY 24–25, 2025 Spurgeon College welcomed more than 1,000 students and youth ministers to campus for the 2025 Ready Conference, which featured preaching on the Beatitudes, a concert by nobigdyl., and a variety of workshops aimed at equipping the next generation to stand for Christ.
FEBRUARY 24, 2025 The Midwestern Institute for Preaching and Preachers hosted its inaugural regional preaching workshop at The Trails Church in Celina, Texas. Led by Jared Wilson, Matt Boswell, and Afshin Ziafat, participants were sharpened in expository preaching of “tough texts.”
NORTH TEXAS PREACHING WORKSHOP
Midwestern Seminary Announces New Faculty in Biblical Studies, Worship Ministries
SPRING 2025
Midwestern Seminary celebrated the addition of John D. Meade, Peter J. Gurry, and Matt Boswell to faculty. Dr. Meade and Dr. Gurry will serve as Professor of Old Testament and Associate Professor of New Testament, respectively. Dr. Boswell will serve in the Department of Worship Ministries as Professor of Worship Ministries and Visiting Worship Leader.
“No theological institution rises higher than the caliber of its faculty,” said President Jason Allen.
“In God’s kind providence, He has assembled a new and supremely gifted generation of scholars on this campus. I cannot be prouder of the men and women who teach here.”
Drs. Meade, Gurry, and Boswell will begin their faculty responsibilities in the Fall 2025 semester.
Meet Our New Faculty
“Everything we research, publish, teach, and preach is for the Church. I’m so glad to be joining a seminary that boldly and unapologetically says it.”
John Meade
Professor of Old Testament
“I love the range of expertise represented by the faculty. It’s a gift to teach alongside those who are experts in different fields of study.”
Peter Gurry
Associate
Professor
of New Testament
“By studying the theology and history of worship, my prayer is that students will be equipped to minister faithfully and effectively within their churches.”
Matt Boswell
Professor of Worship Ministries and Visiting Worship Leader
What People Are Saying
“To have the work of Dr. Peter Gurry and Dr. John Meade— exceptional scholars in textual criticism and the history of the canon—based at Midwestern Seminary is yet another win for one of the premier seminaries in the world.”
Peter Williams
Principal and CEO of Tyndale House, Cambridge
“Matt Boswell is a rare combination of pastor, hymn writer, and theologian. His songs have deeply blessed the Church, and his heart for the local congregation is evident in all he does. Midwestern Seminary is gaining a truly exceptional leader and teacher, and we know he’ll be a tremendous gift to the next generation of worship leaders.”
Keith Getty
Hymn Writer and Recording Artist
“A commitment to biblical studies and biblical languages has long served as the core of the Midwestern Seminary curriculum. The addition of John Meade and Peter Gurry signals, all the more, the continuation of that commitment.”
Jason G. Duesing
Provost, Senior Vice President of Academic Administration
"Dr. Boswell’s faithful commitment to the Church and his artistic contributions as an internationally known hymn writer make him the perfect fit for our department’s mission to prepare musician-theologians for the Church."
Matthew & Angela Swain
Faculty, Department of Worship Ministries
FTC NATIONAL
MIDWESTERN FAMILY CHRISTMAS
FALL GRADUATION
MIDWESTERN WOMEN’S INSTITUTE
FALL FESTIVAL: GAME NIGHT
ATHLETICS
CROSS CONFERENCE
SPURGEON COLLEGE COHORTS
SALT CONFERENCE GIVEAWAY
FALL PREVIEW DAY
CLASS WITH PATRICK SCHREINER
CHAPEL WITH HEATH LAMBERT
NORTH OAK COLLECTIVE
Prayer: A Sweet Communion
by DRAKE BURROWS
The Beginning of Prayer
In the beginning, God breathed His breath into humanity. According to both Moses and Paul, this breath (or Spirit) caused Adam and Eve to be living souls (see Gen. 1:7; 1 Cor. 15:45).
What does it mean to be a living soul? At the very least, it means that we were created with a unique spiritual capacity to commune with God. But why would God give us this capacity?
The Bible’s answer is simple yet profound: God desires to dwell with humanity. This is evident in many places: the Garden of Eden (Gen. 1–2), the tabernacle of Israel (Ex. 40), the incarnation of Christ (Matt. 1; Luke 1; John 1), the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21–22), and others. Indeed, the entire biblical story culminates in the fulfillment of God’s desire: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God” (Rev. 21:3).
Thus, prayer can be described as an offshoot or implication of God’s desire to dwell with us. Prayer is a God-given means by which we commune with God—through speech and listening and meditative reflection—this side of heaven. Its great and final end, as noted above, is everlasting and unencumbered communion with the triune God.
The Fall of Prayer
How was prayer affected by the Fall of humanity? Did Adam and Eve’s sinful rebellion eradicate the possibility of prayerful communion with God?
According to the biblical story, prayer continues, even after the Fall. Indeed, God speaks to Adam and Eve as they hide from Him, and they speak back (see Gen. 3:9–10). And yet, a deep tension is revealed in the conversation, a tension which the New Testament calls “hostility” between God and humanity (Col. 1:21).
What did this hostility mean for prayer? Among other things, it meant that prayer became a means not only to commune with God but also to confess sin, lament suffering in the world, and seek deliverance from evil in all its forms.
The Restoration of Prayer
After the Fall, how is prayer restored? According to the New Testament, prayer finds its restoration through the person and work of Christ Jesus. On the cross, Jesus put an end to the dividing hostility between God and His people, declaring once and for all, “It is finished” (John 19:30). At that very moment, the temple veil was torn in two, and the people of God were welcomed back into the presence of God (see Mark 15:38). Prayerful communion with God stands restored in Christ.
Of course, our end of the conversation still bears marks of the distorting effects of sin. For this reason, we struggle to pray. Indeed, more often than not, we do not even know what we ought to pray for (see Rom. 8:26). And yet, in Christ, our weak and feeble prayers are made holy and are lifted up to God by the Spirit. As John the Revelator says, “[The angel] was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the
saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God” (Rev. 8:3–4). You see, God delights to smell the incense of our prayers. Every single one of them.
An Invitation to Prayer
Regarding prayer, C. S. Lewis said in Mere Christianity, “God has infinite attention to spare for each one of us. He does not have to deal with us in the mass. You are as much alone with Him as if you were the only being He had ever created.” In other words, despite the millions and millions of prayers that are lifted up to God every single hour of every single day, God does not get stressed out. At all.
This means that you and I are invited to approach God through prayer at any moment of any day with anything. From car trouble to stage-four cancer, the timeless God has more than enough “time” to care for you. In fact, He loves to do so (1 Pet. 5:7).
Ultimately, the goal of prayer is a sweet communion with God: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Yes, we might begin the praying life with nothing more than petitions and requests, but in the end, we will receive much more than answered prayers. We will receive God Himself.
A Word of Hope: Reflecting on Genesis 3
by ZACHARY M. BOWDEN
I teach Church history as part of my profession. In doing so, I’ve discovered it to be exactly what my teachers described: a wonderful means of keeping the faith. Of the figures from our past who have helped me, Martin Luther stands at the top of the list, as he continually points me away from myself and onto Christ and His word of promise.
Luther’s Lectures on Genesis, arguably begun in 1535, serve as a window into what Luther devoted his life to—teaching the Scriptures that provide no shortage of opportunities for faith. What follows is a brief reflection on Luther’s work and the work of God recorded in Genesis.
Hope in a Paradise Lost
The curse of Genesis 3 is a devastating read. Not knowing the rest of the story, one could easily think all is lost, especially considering what was lost. Eden.
Paradise. Perfection. It was all so right, until it all went so very wrong. The serpent had done his work.
But his work is not the last word. Even in the midst of their sentencing, Adam and Eve are not without hope. This hope is the remarkable thing we learn about God only three chapters into the Bible. God punishes this man and woman—justifiably, for sin must pay its wages. Yet, as Martin Luther reminds us, God’s words are “fatherly” words. Yes, the wonderful gift of childbirth will now be painful. The relationship between husband and wife won’t be what it once was. Now, the ground is cursed. Up will come thistles and thorns, and down will go man. Dust to dust. Ashes to ashes. Death has walked through the door that sin opened.
But in this new paradise-lost world, Eve still has Adam, and Adam still has Eve. Humanity still has a future. The possibility of
procreation remains, shameful and painful though it may be. There is still work to be done. There is still life for the living. In other words, there is hope in the midst of judgment. After all, God doesn’t approach Adam and Eve like He does the serpent. There is no fatherly approach for the father of lies, no kind questioning, no “where?” or “who?” or “why?” For the serpent, there is only judgment and condemnation. But for the man and woman, God clothes their shame. Adam doesn’t forsake his wife but names her “Eve.” As Luther teaches us, the naming and name is an act of prophetic hope. This woman shall be the “mother of all living.” More life and lives are to come.
Words that Promise Life
It is easy to miss all the good that remains in the midst of the bad. The curses overwhelm. But the fact is that God doesn’t take everything, does He? Fallen world
though it is, it is still a world within its Maker’s control. Beyond the fatherly kindness of keeping the first man and woman’s marriage together, God provides the most wonderful thing of all: a promise.
In the midst of His curse on the serpent, God declares, “I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel” (Gen. 3:15, CSB). Though Adam fell, God’s pronouncement, “Be fruitful and multiply,” remains. Though Eve ate the forbidden fruit, she still has good fruit to bear. Through her act of childbearing, God promises to put an end to the serpent’s schemes.
It is a promise God gives to Adam and Eve. And in that promise lies hope. These are words of life, words that say the serpent’s word is not the last word, and words that remind us that the serpent’s promises can never deliver like
the Lord’s. As Adam and Eve find themselves in a new, fallen reality, they do not find themselves bereft of blessing. In this world of death, they find the promise of life.
Luther’s Word of Hope
God’s Word is true, Genesis shows us. Eating the forbidden tree does bring death. Deceived into disbelief by the serpent, Adam and Eve gave birth to the sad biblical refrain, “And he died.” But God does not leave this man and woman abandoned. He gives them a promise to hold, a confidence to sustain, that just as He made all things, so shall He deliver them. In a word, God gives His people hope. Hear Luther:
“God’s power makes nothing out of that which is everything, just as it makes all things out of that which is nothing. Look at Adam and Eve. They are full of sin and death. And yet, because they hear the promise concerning the Seed who will crush
the serpent’s head, they have the same hope we have, namely, that death will be taken away, that sin will be abolished, and that righteousness will be restored.”
Adam and Eve’s world is our world, but even more, their hope is our hope, a hope whose name we know. Jesus. “He is the Lord of the issue of death,” Luther reminds us, in that “He frees those who are overwhelmed by death, and transports them into eternal life.”
Yes, we have to tell the truth. There is death in this world. However, as Luther says, “Even in the midst of death, the hope of life is kept, since the Word so teaches, directs, and promises.”
In a fallen world of judgment and condemnation, God’s Word comes near to us and says, “Not all is lost. Yes, this world is broken. But it’s still My world, created by My Word. And that Word remains. And in that Word, you shall find hope.”
The Job Only You Can Do
by LAURA CAMPBELL
In less than two years as a pastor’s wife, I missed one Christmas Eve service and both Easter Sundays. I didn’t volunteer for VBS, I neglected the church’s social media (which very much needed help), and I didn’t step in when the youth group needed a female leader. I had a master’s degree in theology, a nice little resume of ministry service experience under my belt, and a genuine desire to use my gifts in service for my church.
So what went wrong?
As a new pastor’s wife, I was also a new mom. I was learning how to parent a toddler (which included realizing how often they get sick!)
and transitioning to care for two kids after my second child was born. I was also working part-time, trying to love my neighbors, attend to my home, and care for my bivocational pastor-husband. Yet every time I said “no” to something else, I was sure I was a disappointment. I was ridden with guilt for not doing more.
During that time, I heard a story of another pastor’s wife who, when asked about how she serves her church, often responds, “I take care of the pastor.” Regardless of what her other involvements with the church might have looked like, she had a clear understanding of her primary responsibility: her family.
While my husband is not currently in pastoral ministry, I’m still learning the same lesson. Everything I do has to work concurrently with my roles as wife and mom. If anything infringes on my ability to faithfully fulfill those two roles, it is a problem. Discerning this requires wisdom from God; faithfulness will look different for different women in different seasons. The principle remains, as a dear friend and mentor of mine put it, “No one else can be his wife. No one else can be their mom.”
As Christians, we are commanded to do all things unto the glory of God. In that, there is so much freedom in what our lives can look like—what
work we do, where we live, how we spend our time. Do it all to the glory of God and make disciples as you go. Yet those of us who are wives and mothers have additional, more specific commands on our lives:
“Older women…are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children…” (Titus 2:3–4).
Love your husband. Love your children. In whatever else you do (or don’t do), there is a lot of freedom. But these two things are essential, and there is no one else who can do them like you can. No one else can be his wife. No one else can be their mom.
Wife, Love Your Husband
Prompted by a sermon application, I once asked my husband some questions about how I could serve him better, including, “What is one way I’m serving you now that you really want me to keep doing?” I may never forget his answer because I was almost offended. He said, with the most sincere, profound appreciation, “I love that I never have to think about what I’m going to eat. Thank you for planning out all our meals.”
Sorry, what? That’s it? I don’t know what I was expecting. Perhaps some waxing eloquent about how I sharpen him through our theological discussions or support him by doing my best to fill in gaps at our church where I can. But no. He just likes that I feed him!
This is a trite example perhaps, but it was a lesson to me that sometimes the most impactful service is the simplest service. Meal
planning is a practical way I love my husband, and no one else is going to do that for him.
Loving your husband does not have to be complicated, and it certainly shouldn’t be boastful or self-interested, as my heart is so often inclined to be. Loving your husband can look like meals, consistent intercessory prayer, getting up with the kids so he can rest, long hours at work while he’s in school, or a listening ear at the dinner table. You must discern how it will look for you—in your home, your life stage, with your husband—but you must love him. It’s a job only you can do.
Mother, Love Your Children
From the time my first son was born, I’ve identified as “the expert” of my children. No one knows my boys like I do (though their daddy comes close). I have understood my toddler’s words best as he’s learned to speak; I know my boys’ sleep schedules, favorite things, and all their little idiosyncrasies. What a gift it is to learn a little more every day about who they are and to know them as their mother.
With that, what a burden I have to love them in the ways I know they need! They are so vulnerable and so dependent. I grow frustrated all too often in parenting, only to have the Holy Spirit remind me of how I am far more like my children than I am unlike them. My neediness before God is infinitely greater than my children’s neediness before me.
Loving children, though it is so challenging, is simple. Meet their needs. Train and discipline them in truth and love. Speak kindly.
Play. It sounds so easy, but it is so much more difficult to do with consistency! May God give us strength and wisdom to obey the command to love our children. No one else can love your children like you can.
So That the Word of God May Not Be Reviled
The passage from Titus 2 referenced earlier ends with a powerful “why” statement: “…that the Word of God may not be reviled.”
What a mission! May we not be the cause of the reviling—the slandering, smearing, defaming— of the Word of God. What basic yet profound tasks we have to do to prevent this. Love our husbands. Love our children. Be self-controlled, kind, working at home, submissive to our own husbands. Simple obedience will yield Kingdom-impacting results—that the Word of God may not be reviled.
Praise God that we have abundant grace in Christ Jesus as we seek to be faithful to this calling. In and of ourselves, we cannot love our husbands and children as we should, but the Holy Spirit can empower us to do so. May He fuel our love for our husbands and children today and every day.
No one else can be his wife. No one else can be their mom.
“To draw Him nearer to me, and myself nearer to Him, is the innermost longing of my soul.”
