RE: CHURCH GFA Missions
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- Religion & Spirituality
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RE: CHURCH is a GFA podcast to encourage pastors and church leaders as they refocus, renew, and revitalize their churches. This podcast offers practical tips and suggestions to help you equip disciples to continually make disciples.
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Preparing to Preach an Overview of Romans
Romans is so deep. How can a person wrap his brain around such a book? An overview of the book is a good starting place. In this RE:CHURCH episode, Marshall Fant interviews David Shumate about his 8-week series on the book. Dr. Shumate served for 15 years as an associate pastor, directed a mission board for 17 years, and now serves as academic dean at International Baptist College in Chandler, AZ. Speaking of Romans 5:1-5, he says "Certain truths are so weighty and heavy that I regularly come back to them. We need to build a ballast of such truths in our lives."
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Preparing to Preach Funerals
Pastors are called upon to conduct funerals in "good" circumstances and also in difficult ones. How can you best minister to families who need grace with the unexpected, premature, tragic, and deeply sad deaths of their loved ones? How can you give them comfort and hope? In this RE:CHURCH episode, Marshall Fant interviews Ron Allen about his experience of preaching funerals. Ron Allen, who has pastored at Bible Baptist Church in Matthews, NC, since 1997, shares different situations in which he has been called upon to preach at a funeral and describes how the Lord has enabled him to minister to grieving people. Marshall Fant shares, "We cannot do the shepherding side of ministry in the flesh." Five principles have guided Pastor Ron's preparations, which are included in the episode show notes posted at gfamissions.org/preaching-funerals/.
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Preparing to Preach the Book of Hebrews
When preaching through a book of the Bible, what do you do when you come to a passage that is difficult to interpret? What does "laboring in the Word" look like in such circumstances? In this episode of RE:CHURCH, Marshall Fant interviews Greg Mazak about how he wrestled with the warning passages in Hebrews, specifically verses 4–6 in chapter 6. Dr. Mazak is pastor of Trinity Bible Church of Greer, SC, and a faculty member at BJU, overseeing both the undergraduate and graduate biblical counseling degrees. Dr. Mazak shares this advice, "Don't decide where you are going to land before you get there." Pastors must live by faith as they labor in the Word, pray, meditate, and ask God for clarity. A repeated theme of Hebrews is that "Salvation is a present-tense relationship with Jesus Christ. You can't get to Heaven without Jesus."
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Preparing to Preach the Gospel of John
Why did Bible authors write the books they did? Not every author so clearly states his purpose as the Apostle John does at the end of his Gospel: "But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name" (John 20:31). With the emphasis so clearly on evangelism, Pastor Tim Richmond chose to preach the Gospel of John to his growing congregation at Grace Baptist Church in Queens, NY. Speaking of the value of the book, Tim Richmond says, "It's good for those who have been in the faith for many years. It's good for those who are not yet believing, and it's good for those who are young believers." Initially burdened for New York City through an internship, Tim Richmond planted Grace Baptist Church. This GFA church plant held its first service in September 2008 and is now self-supporting. Listen to Marshall Fant's interview with Tim Richmond on this episode of RE:CHURCH.
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Preparing to Preach the Book of Exodus
All Scripture is profitable for our instruction, but with Exodus focusing on the deliverance of God's people from slavery and the details of what God requires of His people under the Old Covenant, how does this book apply to us today? How does it fit into the history of redemption and also relate to the Christian life? In this episode of RE:CHURCH, Marshall Fant discusses the book of Exodus with Ken Casillas, seminary professor, author, and pastor of Cleveland Park Bible Church. Since understanding the Christian's relationship to the Old Testament law is essential, Dr. Casillas preached five messages in his series explaining this relationship. Much of the content of those sermons is from his book, Beyond Chapter and Verse: The Theology and Practice of Biblical Application. A second book he has authored, The Law and the Christian: God's Light Within God's Limits, also addresses the believer's relationship to the Old Testament law. Although there is no formula for how every Old Testament passage relates to Christ, one gospel connection is the reality and the power of the New Covenant for those of us who have been regenerated by the Spirit. "What these people could not do and what any unbeliever cannot do, if you are a believer—because of the indwelling influence of the Spirit from within—you can actually obey and grow in your obedience." Dr. Casillas has served as a seminary professor for over two decades and as a pastor since 2008.
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Preparing to Preach the Book of Titus
What is a biblical church? What are the fundamentals of the local church? How can we effectively accomplish the goal that God sets out in Acts 1 and Matthew 28 and pictures in the book of Acts? Titus answers these questions. In this RE:CHURCH episode, Marshall Fant discusses preaching this pastoral epistle with Joe Fant, pastor of Community Baptist Church in South Bend, IN. He has served as senior pastor of this assembly for six years. Commenting on some of the takeaways for his congregation, Pastor Fant says, "The gathered people of God in a local church is not just an event, not just a place where I go to feel better, but it actually has a biblical function and purpose in my discipling relationships, and it is the center of what God has called us to do in our lives." You can reach out to Pastor Fant by email.
Customer Reviews
Relevant, Biblical, and Gracious
Dr. Fant and company offer a wealth of experience and advice for any church. They share this in a gracious and respectful way. An invaluable asset! I am thankful they take the time to share their experience for all listeners as well.