“We don’t want sawdust in the pulpit.”
Around a year ago I likened seminary to a Dewalt drill. I’m definitely not a big tough tool kind of guy, but this past week one of my professors, @kyledunham, said something that provided some clarity in my constant search for balance between the complexity of seminary studies and practicality in the pulpit… he said,...
What Christian Colleges Better Keep If They Want to Survive
I read a great article this week in Christianity Today by Perry Glanzer, a professor at Baylor University, on the subject of higher education. Much of what I’d love to write about here stems from the research and writing found in that article. What makes the article so intriguing to me is that it compares...
10 Things Seminary Won’t Teach You
Lynsey and I feel like we’re getting closer to pastoral ministry. I’ll be finishing my ordination paper this week and I’ll be meeting with the Presbytery board in the Cumberland Association in April. That’s exciting for us. In the meantime, I have started to talk with some pastors about how in the world I’m supposed...
School and God’s Faithfulness
This week starts Lynsey’s school. She’s getting her MBA from MTSU, and only has 1 more year left. (Let’s not talk about how much I have left.) I’m in class Monday nights. Lynsey is in class Tuesday nights. We’re at church Wednesdays. And I’m in class Thursday nights. Needless to say, we’re going to be...
Starting Seminary
I’m going to do it. I’ve been tossing around and praying about the idea since I graduated in 2005 – now I am officially a seminary student. If I stay on track, I’ll finish a Master of Biblical Studies in 2 years and an M.Div in an additional 4 years and if I have an...
New Classes
Today starts a new semester for me in my distance studies at SBTS: Nashville. SBTS has expanded the extension center and is offering twice as many classes as last semester. We are also meeting at a new building in Cool Springs instead of downtown at the LifeWay building. Here’s a rundown of my classes this...
Lesslie Newbigin: Elements of Pastoring
I love days when I get to talk about my library with church members and/or seekers. My church library helps outline different influences on my study habits and biblical interpretation. Looking at my library visitors quickly figure out which individuals and historical period I took courses on in Seminary. One of the most important seminary classes I took focused on...
An Open Thank You to God
This semester is over. *Deep exhale. I only took 6 hours this semester, but 3 of them were Greek Syntax and Exegesis. This has been the hardest class I’ve ever taken in my life. The thing with Greek is that you have to study consistently in order to retain the things you’re learning. So, I...
2 Things That Surprised Me When Studying Greek
I am about to finish my third semester of Greek. One was taken at Reformed Theological Seminary, and two were taken at SBTS. Particularly at SBTS, my professor made it a point to help us understand the nature of translation. In his doing so, I learned at least two things that really surprised me about...
A Few Quotes From Luther
As you guys know, I’m in seminary at SBTS. So every once in a while I’ll share something I have learned that I’ve found to be especially helpful. Today I want to share some good quotes from Luther, leader of the Protestant Reformation in Germany, whose biography I finished last month for my Church History...
Most of What I Say Will Be Partially Wrong
I’ve been blogging at different locations for over three years now. And I can honestly say that most of what I’ve written has been at least partly wrong. I wish I were being too harsh, but I’m not. You’ve probably done the same thing. You get excited about a new idea or topic, and you...
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