If you want to know how I went from being a meth addicted, drug-dealing, gang banger to a missionary, church revitalizer, and pastor, this is the story. amazon.com/dp/1527110974?lv=…

TGC is an incredible resource for pastors.

As a non-Southern Baptist, I found Barrett's arguments against my brothers in the SBC to be so specious that I felt compelled to respond. Doubt anyone will want to publish it, but maybe it will be helpful for a few of my FB friends. See below: Image Is Everything? A Response to Matthew Barrett on Polity “For Southern Baptists, image is everything.” —Matthew Barrett In his farewell to Southern Baptist life, Matthew Barrett recently described the culture he encountered in the SBC as one where maintaining appearances often takes precedence over repentance, accountability, and truth. His criticisms of the SBC and commendations of Anglicanism touch on a number of significant issues from paedobaptism to liturgical beauty to polity. What I want to focus on here is the heart of his ecclesiology concerns. Specifically, Barrett’s critique of Baptist polity and his claim that meaningful accountability can only be found through “external ecclesiastical authority”. That’s a strong claim. And while some of his observations about Baptist dysfunction are uncomfortably accurate, I’m not convinced his proposed solution gets us any closer to the root of the problem, or the biblically prescribed solution the body of Christ truly needs. The Real Problem Isn’t Southern Baptist As a non-Southern Baptist, I sometimes look into the SBC world and shake my head. And yet, I found Barrett’s arguments for leaving the SBC to be a mile wide of any meaningful mark. Barrett writes, “Southern Baptist pastors often tell their congregations, ‘Just trust us,’ and ‘Don’t gossip,’ which results in a church incapable of acting when they suspect sin in the leadership.” Is this a strictly Southern Baptist phenomenon? I don’t think so. Have Anglican bishops never warned their flock against ‘gossip’ while protecting abusers? Have Presbyterian elders never demanded loyalty under the guise of preserving peace and purity? Of course they have. This isn’t a denominational flaw; it’s a human one. And when spiritual authority is mixed with institutional preservation, the impulse to suppress hard truths for the sake of “unity” can arise in any denomination or polity structure. The deeper issue is not polity, it’s people. Fallen, fearful, reputation-managing people. Especially when those people come together to build institutions. If we pretend that a shift in governance can insulate us from the sinful impulse of self-preservation in human institutions, we’ll simply see the same failures in a different context thinking that the grass will be greener on the other side. The Limitations of External Authority Barrett suggests that part of the problem is a lack of structural oversight: “Moreover, they have little recourse to an external ecclesiastical authority to hold the leadership accountable.” He goes further, saying he’s looking for “effective external accountability.” But we should ask: Has an episcopal model, like that of Anglicanism, consistently provided effective accountability in practice? Has the presence of bishops and interlocking hierarchical court systems reliably protected churches from corruption, abuse, or doctrinal compromise? One need not go very deep into church history to find that the answer is a clear and resounding “no”. The Roman Catholic hierarchy—which is nothing if not external and centralized—spent decades covering up the sexual abuse crisis on a global scale. In the Anglican tradition, bishops have routinely ignored or suppressed scandals, including abuse and theological drift, often for the sake of institutional image. The Church of England’s own Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) concluded that church leaders prioritized reputation over victims. And even in Presbyterian contexts with robust polity, cases of spiritual and sexual abuse have gone unaddressed or been mishandled, not due to a lack of external authority, but because no system of accountability can substitute for moral courage, biblical fidelity, and congregational vigilance. In other words, the problem isn't in the structure per se. The problem is people--sinful people, often with good intentions, trying to manage risk, minimize disruption, and protect what they’ve built. Whether you’re in a chapel, a cathedral, or a convention center, the temptation to guard the institution instead of the truth is always present. Which is not to say that polity doesn’t matter; it most certainly does. But let’s not pretend that Anglicanism is the answer to all of our Baptist woes.

I'm supremely, eternally grateful for @9Marks and Mark Dever.

Correct

Neil Shenvi was the first big name out of the gate warning people about wokeness. He was critiquing Critical Theory before anyone really knew what those words meant. He literally wrote the book on it.

A godly wife advises her husband on every important matter, and often restraints him from hasty speech…receives him weary, discouraged, irritable, and sends him out again, strong, hopeful, sweet-tempered. -John Watson

Christian friends, let's be careful not to speak too loudly or forcefully about things we only partially understand. You may be wrong about autism, vaccine risk, or the latest headlines, but you're not wrong about the gospel. So let’s make sure our clearest and boldest words are spent on the truths we can be eternally confident in: Christ crucified, risen, and reigning.

"The church did not give us the canon anymore than Isaac Newton gave us gravity." -Kevin DeYoung, on the self-authenticating nature of scripture

The internet is a very weird place where someone can call Neil Shenvi (the guy who literally wrote the book against Critical Theory) woke...while having done nothing to fight Critical Theory other than sharing memes.

Clearly Reformed is a tremendous resource for pastors and churches.

Heads up: Sometimes people will try to antagonize you on social media. They will also virtue signal. They will also ape courage. Just in case you didn't know. :)

"There's no such thing as a Christian country." - Mark Dever

Gospel fruit gets me out of bed in the morning, which is why my heart belongs to the local church. - Podcasts are useful. - Books are powerful. - Conferences are edifying. But nothing will bear more fruit over the long haul than the institution established by Jesus and purchased by his blood: The local church.

Remember this, and you’ll spare yourself a lot of wasted time, energy, and frustration: most of what’s said online is just people speaking without knowledge. “A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.” — Proverbs 18:2

This is incredible.

A (hopefully) more creative response to Matthew Barrett... In my new book, Redemption Song, I argue that Christian worship should be deeply informed by a sense of historical awareness. We are not spiritual orphans, and our worship shouldn’t feel rootless or reactionary. And yet, it must be said: our worship must be rooted in Scripture before it’s rooted in history. That’s why the second half of the book focuses on the importance of the regulative principle, the conviction that God alone determines how He is to be worshiped, and that he has clearly communicated his will for our worship in His Word. In a recent Substack post explaining his departure from the SBC to Anglicanism, Matthew Barrett writes, “What a comfort to tell our kids, ‘The way we are worshipping is how Christians have worshipped across history. It's really, really old.’” I appreciate the instinct: a father connecting the dots for his children, grounding their worship in something bigger than themselves. And yet, I can’t agree with Barrett’s assessment. For our family, history is not the ultimate goal of worship, faithfulness to Scripture is. And so, I thought I’d write my own letter to my children explaining why our family doesn't worship in the Anglican tradition, and why we believe the old paths are found not in ornate liturgy, but in the ordinary means of grace rightly administered according to God’s Word. Hope you find it helpful… The Really, Really Old Way: A Letter to My Kids About Worship "Hello, my little ladybugs! You may, from time to time, hear professing Christians say something like the following: “We worship in a really, really old way.” I’ve heard that too. And there’s something beautiful about a desire to connect with history…to worship with so many generations of saints who have gone before us. I get it. But I want you to know that things arent’ always as they seem. I want you to know that—our church, our family—we too, worship in a really, really old way. The oldest way, really. We don’t burn incense. We don’t chant in Latin. We don’t wear robes or funny looking pointy hats, or carry images around in our worship gatherings. Not because our worship is new or trendy, but because it’s ancient. Because it comes straight from God’s Word. We sing the Word: just like Moses and Miriam, like David and the people of Israel, like Paul and Silas in prison. We sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, making melody to the Lord with our hearts (Eph. 5:19). We sing songs that are shaped by Scripture and soaked in truth. That's the old way. We sing to God and to one another, and we minister in the vernacular of the people of our age, though not according to the spirit of the age. We pray the Word: just like Jesus taught us to. We lift up our praises, our confessions, our needs, our laments, and our thanksgiving. We pray the prayers of Jesus, Paul, and the prophets. We echo the cries of the Psalms. We plead the promises of God. Our prayers are not prescribed for us in an officially sanctioned book, but they flow from the headwaters of a church utterly saturated in the truths of THE Book. We preach the Word: because from the very beginning, God has spoken to His people through the mouthpiece of earthly heralds of His good news. He sent prophets. He sent apostles. And now, He has given pastors to proclaim the gospel from the Scriptures week in and week out. They don’t preach their opinions, they preach the Word. That’s how Timothy was told to lead the church (2 Tim. 4:2), and that’s how we do it, too. We hear the Word: because worship isn’t just something we do for God; it’s something He does to us. We don’t just speak to him, he speaks back to us. He calls. He convicts. He comforts. When we gather on Sundays, we come to listen to God, because his word is alive and life giving to our souls. And we see the Word: yes, even in our simple little Baptist church. We see the word of God in the ordinances—baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Baptism shows us the gospel in water and resurrection. The Lord’s Supper shows us the gospel in bread and cup. These aren’t rituals we made up. They were given to the church by Jesus himself. We aim to celebrate them not according to tradition or superstition, but according to the clear instructions of scripture. That’s about as old as it gets. So no, we don’t worship the same way every generation has in form, but we do in substance. What unites us to the early church isn’t incense or stained glass, it’s truth. It’s Scripture. It’s the gospel. We don’t need to pile up centuries of tradition to find beauty in worship, we already have it in the Word. Quite often, in fact, the church needs to clear away the accretion of additions and traditions in order to see the word rightly, because the really, really old way of worship is the way God gave us: Word-centered, Christ-exalting, Spirit-empowered worship, as prescribed by scripture alone. Love, Dad"

As you may or may not know, there was an audio issue with the Tim Challies interview yesterday. It’s fixed now, but I wanted to use this as a little teachable moment for our fans. Many of your favorite podcasts are produced by seasoned professionals who get paid good money because they know exactly what they’re doing. Think: The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill. Room for Nuance, on the other hand, is a little more…how shall we say…rugged. Honestly, we're learning how to build the bridge while we walk across it. In the early days, we received a tremendous amount of help from our friends at American Gospel. But for quite some time now, Room for Nuance has really been Luke Hill and a few other faithful friends figuring it out on the job. Are we complaining? Not at all. The Lord loves to use ragtag teams like ours (1 Corinthians 1:27–29; Judges 7:2; Acts 4:13). But it’s important to remember: what you’re getting each week isn’t the product of a massive production company, it’s the fruit of ordinary people learning, stumbling, and striving to serve Christ and his church with the best we’ve got. So when things like this happen, take it as proof that this is truly a grassroots, independent endeavor, one that we couldn't pull off without God’s grace and your encouragement. Thanks for walking over the bridge with us. Grace and peace, Sean

Christian friends, let's not share gruesome assassination videos.

Please help me get the word out. What's happening to our brothers and sisters in Nigeria is terrible, and it's not really being talked about.

Pocket-size definition of wisdom: The skill of living God's way in God's world.

a simple Bible reader and sermon hearer who is full of the Holy Spirit will develop a far deeper acquaintance with his God and Savior than a more learned scholar who is content with being theologically correct. -JI Packer

"Baptist polity isn't sufficient to deal with errors in the church, but Episcopalianism is!" A truly shocking view espoused by someone who has supposedly been "deep" in church history.

I am more afraid of my own heart than of the pope and all his cardinals. I have within me the great pope, Self. - Martin Luther

An enthusiastic young man once introduced himself to a well-known Bible teacher with the words, “Oh, sir, I’d give the world if I knew the Bible like you do.” The older man looked him straight in the eye and replied, “Good, because that is what it will cost you.“ - Iain Murray

Correct

Can't wait!

Wave's come and go. You live long enough, you see several of them. Don't chase the wave, chase faithfulness.

You contribute nothing to your salvation except the sin that made it necessary. - Jonathan Edwards

the center, the cornerstone, the jewel in the crown of Christianity is not an idea, a system or a thing; it is not even “the gospel” as such. It is Jesus Christ. -Michael Reeves

Corporate worship is "corporate" not just because we worship WITH each other, but because we worship in such a way that actively ministers TO each other (Eph 5:18, Col 3:16).

When asked, “What is more important: Scripture reading or prayer?” Spurgeon replied, “Which is more important: breathing in or breathing out?”

Serving the local church as a faithful member is a perpetual spiritual gifts test.

The skill of curation is just as important as creation.

To my faithful Anglican brothers and sisters across the globe: You are loved and deeply appreciated. Much or the fervor surrounding the Matthew Barrett situation has less to do with him crossing the Thames and more to do with the way he did so (the arguments made and the way they were offered).

Bill Maher: "The Bible is full of wickedness." Me: Define "wicked" in any meaningful way without reference to the Bible.

“Love one another with brotherly affection.” - Not politely. - Not distantly. - Like family. Because in Christ, you are.

Wokeness is wicked. Period. But do remember: we live in an age of concept creep and semantic expansion. In the same way that leftists have come to use the term "racism" irresponsibly, many on the right have done the same with "wokeness". If anyone is interested in doing a deep dive on what Critical Theory actually teaches (and why it's so dangerous), I'd encourage you to check out our Defend and Confirm series on the subject.

The fundamental position of the Christian should be missional, not monastic. -Trevin Wax

Interview on the persecution in Nigeria and the history of Boko Haram coming soon, Lord willing.

@WesleyLHuff If you ever want to come down to Alabama and do an episode of @RoomForNuance_ and get a workout in, I'd love that.

"There are Christians who say, 'No enemies to the right.' Well, that's just telling the devil which direction to attack you from." - Douglas Wilson

This one was really fun.

We are convinced churches all over the world need to look more carefully at Paul’s missionary travels and realize that mission trips are about more than evangelism. They often involve equipping churches that already exist to become stronger and healthier. - Menikoff and Singh

Hey brother, I think you're probably right that Voddie was ahead of the curve. I would still say that Neil was one of the first few to launch an attack against wokeness. Thanks for sharpening my perspective though! Grace and peace!

Correct

There is tremendous relief in knowing that his love to me is utterly realistic, based at every point on prior knowledge of the worst about me, so that no discovery now can disillusion him about me, in the way I am so often disillusioned about myself, and quench his determination to bless me. - JI Packer

I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God's hands, that I still possess. -Martin Luther

Yet, as an evangelical academic myself, I find it interesting to note the way in which, with some writers, the perceived faults of more conservative authors are denounced with bombastic rhetoric, while the blasphemies and heresies of those on the left are dismissed with a casual wave of the academic hand. - Carl Trueman

Prophets don’t just thunder, they weep. - Jeremiah wept (Jer 9:1) - Jesus wept (Luke 19:41-44) - Paul wept (Romans 9:2-3)

Pocket size definition of wisdom: The skill of living God's way in God's world.

he world becomes a strange, mad, painful place, and life in it a disappointing and unpleasant business, for those who do not know God. -JI Packer

correct

We never break the last nine commandments without breaking the first one. - Keller (paraphrase)

Think about how much of your life takes place in your mind—your hopes, your fears, your desires, your plans. Got intends all of that to be shaped by the gospel. - Mike Bullmore

As God inspired Moses to write the Exodus story, a mere factual recounting of the salvation story was not sufficient. In recording the events of redemptive history, God didn't just want truth, He also wanted beauty. He didn't just want prose, He also wanted poetry. He didn't just want a story, He also wanted a soundtrack.

If my life was the only evidence that Christ was alive, would anyone be convinced? -Rosaria Butterfield

Faith is the refusal to panic. - Martin-Lloyd Jones

One cannot complain that the gate is narrow when one stands amazed that the gate is open. - James Dorman

On women beating up men in movies, from a concerned father of two daughters... Our culture increasingly celebrates strong women, which can be a good thing! But sometimes, in shows and movies, strength is portrayed in unrealistic ways, like when women are shown beating up men in hand-to-hand combat. As Christians, we believe God designed men and women with equal dignity, but different strengths. When the media consistently distorts such distinctions, it can confuse people about what real strength actually looks like in both men and women. More than that, it’s dangerous. If young women are trained to believe that they can physically overpower men, they may enter real-life situations with a false sense of security, which can have tragic consequences. God didn’t design us to deny the realities of physical strength, he designed us to honor and protect one another WITHIN those realities. Of course, I'm concerned for what these depictions can do to young men. For example, if young men constantly see male characters being weak, incompetent, or easily overpowered, they may begin to internalize passivity or resentment. And yet, my greatest fear is for women. If young women are taught that femininity means being dominant or physically aggressive, not only will miss they beauty of the kind of strength scripture commends (the strength of being a helpmate) but they'll also end up in serious danger. The truth is that most men can seriously injure or kill most women in physical altercations. That's a fact. To be honest, I'm making this post in exasperation. I feel like if I see one more scene in a movie where a 120-pound woman flattens three men twice her size, I might just lose my mind. I'm all for fiction, but the best fiction doesn't delude about the nature of reality, it helps us to see it more clearly. One more thing: this isn't about feminism, it's about REALITY. It's about SAFETY. If our daughters grow up believing they’re invincible, that they can physically overpower any threat just like the women on screen, they may walk into dangerous situations without the caution or clarity they need. Real strength includes knowing your limits, exercising discernment, and seeking protection when necessary. Pretending the world is different than it is doesn’t empower our daughters, it endangers them. That’s why we have to talk about this. Not to tear down strong women, but to raise them up in the kind of strength they were created for. P.S. Women, you have to help this message spread. It can't just be the men who call out this error.

Contemporary people tend to examine the Bible, looking for things they can’t accept, but Christians should reverse that, allowing the Bible to examine us, looking for things God can’t accept. – Tim Keller

Preaching is worship seeking worship. - John Piper

Syllogism: God uses children as a significant means of sanctification in the lives of young adults. Satan opposes the means by which God sanctifies his people. Therefore, Satan seeks to keep young adults from having children.

When you see someone on a platform like this with a massive number of followers, you might be tempted to think, "Wow, they have tremendous influence." Maybe. Remember, the Lord determines such things, and he often does so according to the upside down calculus of heaven.

The chief end of man? To glorify God The chief temptation of man? To glorify self. - Mike Bullmore

This was a really fun interview. Would you consider praying how the Lord might use you to take the gospel into jails and prisons? It's tough soil, but the need is tremendous!

“Better be pruned to grow than cut up to burn.” ― John Trapp

Gospel doctrine is the recipe. Gospel culture is the flavor. Don’t just be a church that knows the truth. Be a church that tastes like grace.

On this day, five years ago, our family met with an attorney for the first time to consider adoption. It has been a long, wild ride ever since. The Lord has never forsaken us in this journey, but he has disciplined us. It hasn't always been easy, but it has been good. HE has been good. Today, five years after that first meeting, we transferred an embryo for a "snowflake adoption". We won't know if the transfer was successful or not for another nine days, but what we DO know...no matter what...is that God has been with us through it all. If you want to think more about adoption (God's heart for it, the church's role in it, etc.), I'd love to take you out to lunch and talk more. In the mean time, please pray for the millions (yes, millions...frozen embryos are humans) of children in the United States who need to be adopted.

If God would have painted a yellow stripe on the backs of the elect, I would go around lifting shirts. But since He didn’t, I must preach ‘whosoever will’ and when ‘whosoever’ believes, I know that he is one of the elect. -Charles Spurgeon

It seems I've caused quite a stir and upset a lot of people on the internet. Nevertheless, my conscience won't let me retract my controversial statement. I only pray that one day everyone who is angry at me will come to see the truth: Whataburger is the worst fast-food burger.

As was the case with black racists and CRT, many white racists have been waiting for their chance to spew hatred, and feel like the events of this last week are as good a time as any to let loose. They will not let this moment pass them by. The wise among us must discern righteous anger from opportunistic outrage, and then respond accordingly.

The young have greater acuity, the old have greater depth perception. The young have greater speed, the old have greater endurance. The young have more agility, the old have more stability. The young have greater ambition, the old have greater perspective. The young have greater zeal, the old have greater resolve. The young have greater passion, the old have greater patience. The young have greater drive, the old have greater direction. The young can make more noise, the old have a more respected voice. The young have higher aspirations, the old have deeper contentment. Each generation carries a kind of glory the other lacks. Amazing things happen when the vigor of youth and the wisdom of age work with synergy in the body of Christ.

I came on here looking for opinions about Fuentes. Are there any?

Don’t shrink your prayers to guard against disappointment. - Matt Smethurst

I believe with all my heart that few, if any, would ever stray from God’s Word if they could see what would follow. - Kent Hughes

The KJV translators were not KJV only. - Mark Ward.

n no other subject is error more dangerous, or inquiry more laborious, or the discovery of truth more profitable. -Augustine, on the Trinity

Be quick to listen, slow to speak.

"There is more mercy in Christ than sin in us." – Richard Sibb

Me, to Bella: Can men do everything that women can do? Bella: No. They can't feed babies. Me: That's right! Bella: Even if they have man boobs...

-Your sin: think about it, but don’t dwell on it. -Christ’s righteousness: don’t just think about it, dwell on it.

If you hunger for understanding, your world will always be filled with wonders - David Brooks

The possession of a good conscience is the best pillow for enjoying a peaceful Christian life. I. Howard Marshall

There is a core difference between sharing the gospel with the lost and imposing a specific moral standard on the unconverted. - Rosaria Butterfield

The thing about not having snacks in the house is that when you get snacky you don't have any snacks in the house to snack on.

Paul to Timothy in Acts 16: Ok buddy, you ready to head out on this missionary journey for Jesus? Timothy: You betcha! Paul: There's just...one more thing.

Places where gods are known, served, worshiped, and present are called temples. God built the earth as his temple, and in it he put his image and likeness. -Jim Hamilton

A dog barks when his master is attacked. I would be a coward if I saw that God's truth is attacked and yet would remain silent. -John Calvin

Thanks, brother! You blew my mind today. Can't wait for people to watch!

Art is the signature of man. -GK Chesterton

Just as an iron wire by itself can be bent, but once welded to an iron bar is rendered immovable, so the God-man Jesus Christ is rendered [unable to sin] by the union of the human and divine natures. - Kevin DeYoung

Thanks, brother. I'm blown away that I get to learn from you, not only at a distance, but as a friend.

Apostolic succession isn't traced through bishops or baptisms, but belief in the one true gospel (John 17).

Honor isn’t passive, it’s active. We honor our wives by demonstrating our esteem and respect: complimenting them in public; affirming their gifts, abilities, and accomplishments; and declaring our appreciation for all they do. Honor not expressed is not honor. Gary Thomas

Think about wisdom like compound interest, it grows steadily as you keep investing, and the longer you invest, the sharper the curve gets. And eventually, there’s an inflection point where wisdom doesn’t just add, it multiplies. "Let the wise hear and increase in learning" - Proverbs 1:5

Romantic love has no elasticity to it. It can never be stretched; it simply shatters. Mature love, the kind demanded of a good marriage, must stretch, as the sinful human condition is such that all of us bear conflicting emotions. -Gary Thomas

Sometimes the sheer volume of sad things to pray about is overwhelming. It struck me this morning that God is never overwhelmed. Such a comfort to meditate on that.

Nothing less than a whole bible can make a whole Christian. -A.W. Tozer

Yep. They have tons of uniquely helpful resources like that.

Some hearts seem soft on the surface—warm, welcoming, open. But press a little deeper, and you’ll find stone beneath the skin. Others seem guarded and distant at first, but give them time, and their tenderness surprises you. What looked like a fortress was actually a garden.