Diligent Pastors Scot Chadwick

Bible-teaching churches need Bible teachers. Hear how Steve Brandon equips men to read, explain, and apply the Bible in their homes and in their churches.

About Our Guest
Steve Brandon is the founding pastor of Rock Valley Bible Church in Loves Park, Illinois. He earned his master of divinity from The Master's Seminary and his doctor of ministry from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has been married to his wife Yvonne since 1992, and the Lord has blessed them with five children and one granddaughter.

Featured Resource
The Master’s Seminary: Get equipped for pastoral and academic service beginning with a Master of Divinity through to a Doctor of Philosophy. On-site and distance-learning programs can provide you the flexibility you need to become the best you can be in the service of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Resources Mentioned
Steve's blogJackson Hole Bible CollegeGrace Church of DuPage, Warrenville, IllinoisKishwaukee Bible Church, DeKalb, IllinoisWord Partners, Palos Heights, IllinoisThe Charles Simeon TrustThe Institute for Expository Preaching by OnePassion and Ligonier Ministries, Colin Marshall and Tony Payne, The Trellis and the Vine, Youngstown, OH: Matthias Media, 2021.

Many young men feel a call to pastoral ministry. Hear how the Lord brought Chris Turner from that initial call, through seminary, to his first church.

About Our Guest
Chris Turner serves as pastor of Mt. Carmel Baptist Church in Williamstown, Kentucky. He graduated from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2020, earning a masters of divinity in Christian ministry. He has been married to his wife Brianna since October 2020, and the Lord has blessed them with one son.

Featured Resource
Accordance Bible Software: Study the Bible in the original languages and more on your laptop, smartphone, and mobile device.

What You Will Learn
How did you come to faith in the Lord Jesus? (2:20)What does a call to pastoral ministry look like? (4:00)What advice do you have for young men who feel a call to ministry? (7:13)What attracted you to The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary? (8:47)Why on-campus seminary classes are preferred? (11:20)What other advice do you have for young men considering seminary? (13:04)How is involvement in a local church vital for seminary students? (16:27)How did you come into full-time pastoral ministry just after you graduated from seminary? (18:39)What were your first sermons during your candidacy? (21:54)What was it like to work with a church pastoral search committee? (23:56)What is the leadership structure of the church you serve? (25:32)What has it been like coming on board a historic Baptist Church that had been without a pastor for over a year? (27:45)As a solo pastor, what does a typical week look like for you? (30:53)Why should you prioritize Bible study and sermon preparation? (33:03)How does handling mundane administrative tasks help you connect with and serve others? (33:58)What two priorities did you decide to focus on at the start of your ministry? (36:02)How have your expectations of pastoral ministry changed? (38:44)What advice do you have for seminary graduates looking for their first church ministry? (43:27)When should seminary students start looking for ministry positions? (46:00)How does your wife help you in pastoral ministry? (48:31)

Pastors produce a wealth of material in the course of sermon preparation and delivery. Scott LaPierre tells us how to publish this into books.

About Our Guest
Scott LaPierre is senior pastor for Woodland Christian Church in Woodland, Washington.  He is an author and conference speaker, and serves as a regional facilitator for Church and Family Life. He has been married to his wife Katie since 2006, and the Lord has blessed them with nine children.

Sign up for Scott’s newsletter and receive a free copy of his book, Seven Biblical Insights for Healthy, Joyful, Christ-Centered Marriages.

Featured Resource
How must the church and the family work together to accomplish God’s work in this world? Church and Family Life proclaims the sufficiency of Scripture to direct churches and families in the true worship of God.

What You Will Learn
The LaPierres’ ninth child is named after George Müller (1:55)Scott’s salvation following his brother's death (3:19)Leaving the Roman Catholic Church and how it affected his parents (11:09)About Woodland Christian Church in Woodland, Washington (17:46)About the spiritual climate of Pacific Northwest (24:02)Scott's process of sermon preparation and how it leads to book publishing (26:46)Benefits and disadvantages of self-publishing vs. traditional publishing (33:30)The typology of Genesis 22: How Abraham and Isaac foreshadow Christ (39:05)How the ongoing political/health crisis led to a church split and what came of it (41:06)Looking forward to upcoming conferences (47:29)How to Follow Scott LaPierre
Personal website: scottlapierre.org
Facebook: ScottLapierreMinistries
Twitter: @PastorWCC
Instagram: @PastorWCC
LinkedIn: PastorWCC
YouTube: ScottLaPierre

Dr. Owen Strachan as a Christian intellectual has committed his life to bring theology into collision with culture.
About Our Guest
Dr. Owen Strachan is a prolific author and speaker, hosts The City of God podcast, and also directs The Residency PhD program of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri. He’s been married to his wife Bethany since 2006, and the Lord has blessed them with three children. 
What You Will Learn
Why the late sexual revolution is continued evidence of Satan’s rebellion against GodHow Dr. Strachan came to faith as a child in New EnglandHow an early pursuit of politics fostered a desire for debate and cultural engagementHow Christian intellectuals encouraged Dr. Strachan to engage culture with theologyHow reading a biography of Jonathan Edwards awoke in Dr. Strachan a passion for God-centered theologyHow Dr. Strachan determined to tackle despised doctrines in the church and the worldHow Dr. Strachan protects his writing timeHow a Reformational mindset keeps Christians contending for the faithHow a rich theology sustains Christians in the face of worldly opposition 
How to Follow Dr. Strachan
Twitter: @ostrachanFacebook: OwenDStrachanInstagram: @profstrachanCenter for Public TheologyThought Life blog on PatheosThe City of God podcast

Christians often believe a half-gospel that leaves them hopeless. But the whole gospel gives us hope and power to live as God intends.
About Our Guest
Eric Wallace serves as founder and president of the Institute for Uniting Church and Home through which he has ministered to thousands of church leaders and families through conferences and seminars as well as private conversation. He has been married to his wife Leslee since 1995 and the Lord has blessed them with eight children.
Featured Resource
Sermon Audio: Share your sermons online with Sermon Audio. Join a library of over 1.7 million sermons from theologically conservative churches and other ministries from around the world. Embed your audio on your site, submit your sermons to podcast directories like Apple Podcasts, and list your church on the Local Church Finder.
What You Will Learn
How growing up in a Christian home did not guarantee joy and peace in ChristHow Christians can walk by grace in Christ every dayThe importance of the church to provide relationships that lead to personal growthHow the gospel justifies and sanctifies believersHow reading the Scriptures in the home leads to transformationWhy Christians resort to a legalistic or programmatic approach to lifeHow church leaders can encourage the congregation with grace and hopeAdditional Resources
The Institute for Uniting Church and HomeEric’s latest book: Real Hope for Your Home: How Finding Joy Changes Us and Our RelationshipsYour Identity in Christ from A–Z (Free PDF Download)

Many blessings accompany a long ministry with the same people. James Frank shepherded a flock for 40 years and challenges those who aspire to pastoral ministry.
About Our Guest James Frank serves as pastor emeritus for Galilee Baptist Church in Saranac, Michigan, a church he had pastored for over 40 years. He graduated from Bob Jones University and Grand Rapids Baptist Seminary. He has been married to his wife Beth since 1960 and the Lord has blessed them with two children, three grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.
Featured Resource Association of Certified Biblical Counselors: Increase your skill in bringing God’s Word to people in need of help and hope.
What You Will Learn “The seminary is so wonderful to remember, but ... being in the ministry itself really sharpens everything. It becomes more valuable than the seminary itself.” Welcoming veteran missionaries into the home encourages obedient faith. His call to the ministry of preaching and teaching came by working with chain gang prisoners in Rock Hill, South Carolina in the 1950s. “I came to Galilee [in 1964] for $40 a week and it seemed like a million because I was able to preach.” How the church went from no godly, capable men to an abundance of them. What to do when hypocrites are in the church. How AWANA has been useful as a tremendous community influence. How area churches can work together and why this is important. God brings growth to the church through the faithful preaching of His Word. “I felt that rather than have a beautiful building, it was important for us to have a cathedral of truth, that we would not have anything to say except what was in the text and that the truth would be there and be evident in the text.” How to retire from pastoral ministry and what to do next. How a return to the church after retiring could look like. “I think we do not need more ministers. We need more ministers that are called of God.” “If you aspire to the ministry, you need to learn to study. You need to pay attention to books. You also need to pay attention to speech.” Listen to the interview with Andy Mooren, who succeeded Jim as pastor for Galilee Baptist Church.