Each year, at SGC’s annual Pastors Conference, I meet with our Council of Elders and present what we call a “State of the Union” address. This is just a name for an overview of the last year and a vision of what I hope to help lead us through in the coming year.
Below is a summary of this vision that I hope will challenge and encourage all who read – though, keep in mind, that I am speaking primarily to our pastors, and church leaders.
Read MoreOver the past few months, I’ve posted a series of articles that shaped our understanding of Biblical counseling, with more to come. In the next two months, starting with this article, I will be highlighting books that shaped two of our shared values: complementarianism and gospel-centeredness - C.J. Mahaney’s The Cross Centered Life and Carolyn Mahaney’s Feminine Appeal: Seven Virtues of A Godly Wife and Mother.
Read MoreHey everyone and welcome back to the Mark Prater podcast where our aim is to connect our global family of churches with our Executive Director, Mark. You know, we in Sovereign Grace, we're not just leaders. As we lead our church, we're also pastors, of course. And so we've talked about some leadership issues and past podcasts recently, but what are some categories that you would encourage us as we seek to pastor those in our church through this crisis?…
Read MoreHey everyone. Welcome back to the Mark Prater podcast, where—our aim is to connect our global family of churches to our Executive Director. Mark, here we are three weeks into this pandemic and the social distancing and shelter-in-place orders that are pretty much all over the place…
Read MoreA person doesn't waste his last words on trivial matters – the weather, sports, or the latest hit movie. A person uses his last words to communicate only the most essential things. In 2 Timothy 4, we have the apostle Paul's last words to his beloved disciple Timothy…
Read MoreHey everyone. Welcome to the Mark Prater podcast, where we aim to connect our global family of churches to our Executive Director. Mark, a couple videos ago, we talked about the COVID-19 pandemic. It was just really starting. So perhaps some of our reflections on that weren't reflective of what is actually happening around this…
Read MorePastors are men with a calling from God to serve His people as shepherds and overseers. Peter's exhortation is to "shepherd the flock of God that is among you." But how are we supposed to do that if we can't be among the flock that God has entrusted to us? How can we shepherd in a "social distancing" era?…
Read MoreAs pastors, we are called to “shepherd the flock of God.” That calling has a deep, rich, and long scriptural history. One that is a beneficial, might I even say necessary, study for every pastor…
Read MoreI just came back from a week of teaching biblical counseling to a group of pastors-in-training. Some are church planters; some will be serving as staff pastors; some are awaiting assignment. It was a privilege and joy to work with them on both the theology and the practical ministry of biblical counseling, and they were eager and grateful for the training…
Read More