Blake White

Grateful to pastor this faithful flock

@JeffreyPWiesner @DZRishmawy @hlsenkbeil @LexhamPress Senkbiel knows no other, lol. Love him tho.

@DZRishmawy @hlsenkbeil @LexhamPress Distinctively Lutheran?

Alright I basically read this yesterday afternoon. Excellent little work. Always love @hlsenkbeil. And Baker’s acquisition of @LexhamPress doesn’t seem to have hurt the quality of the printing product a bit.

@JeffreyPWiesner CHEMISTRY

Assuming Scriptural qualifications, what are the most important *prudential qualifications* for an elder in your church? I’m considering categories like season of life, temperament, employment, family, finances, length of membership, etc?

Raise kids you want to be with. It‘ll require love, prayer, & consistent discipline. Prov 29:17 “Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart.” Prov 10:1 “A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother”

Eager to take some future pastors through Jim Samra's dissertation on Paul, maturity, and community.

File "strollers equipped with iPad holders" under the dumbest and most short-sighted inventions ever made tab.

Parents, when your child sins against you or others, strive not to be angry or exasperated. Rather, strive to view it as what it is - yet another Divine invitation. This is one more God-ordained opportunity to show and tell the grace of Jesus. Your Father is also shaping you.

I am not a Sabbatarian, but seeing Sabbatarians whose lives are consistent with their doctrine warms my heart 👇

Praise God for the life and ministry of @JohnPiper. Don’t miss this wonderful tribute from Justin Taylor (@between2worlds). christianitytoday.com/2026/01/happy-…

Legalism is seeking to gain the favor of God with your obedience. It’s a thing. It is out there. . . . However, one of the slyest tricks of the devil is to urge weak-willed people to dismiss any notions of rigor, discipline, authority, and accountability as “legalism.”

@CT_Lenard Word word. Under-appreciated game-changer for many.

@ABlakeWhite Yes! Good book.

“In a Baptist view of the church, what is unique about the nature of the new covenant community is that it comprises a regenerate, believing people, not a mixed people like Israel of old. Therefore, Baptists only view as true members of the new covenant community those who have actually entered into union with Christ by repentance and faith and as such are partakers of all the benefits and blessings of the new covenant age. Furthermore, for Baptists, it is for this reason that baptism, which is the covenant sign of the new covenant church, is reserved for those who have entered into these glorious realities by the sovereign work of God's grace in their lives.” — Steve Wellum, Baptism and the Relationship Between the Covenants, 113.

Why is this @gtomlin book not more well known and used? Dark chocolate covered gold: Spiritual Fitness: Christian Character in a Consumer Culture a.co/d/bA403sr

A better coaster one cannot conceive

Praying for the Spirit to set trajectories in this South Side squad at @CROSS_con #crosscon26

5 "Screen" Resolutions Worth Considering in 2026: 1. Turn off all notifications besides maybe calls & texts 2. Take all social media & email off your phone 3. No screens at the dinner table 4. Cancel Netflix & read instead 5. Read @ClareMorellEPPC ’s “Tech Exit”

@JeffreyPWiesner 👊🏼👊🏼

Lots of practical wisdom from a faithful brother who practices what he preaches. Very useful thread.

@lukedsimmons Good stuff. Provide childcare?

This year we started doing something at church that has become one of the most life-giving parts of my month. We call it an "ownership lunch." Here's a little bit about how it works & why it's so valuable. How it works: 1. About a month in advance, we invite 10-12 highly committed people to come have lunch with me and a few of our pastors. 2. We cater a simple meal (slightly elevated quality — not over the top, but not burgers & hot dogs). 3. Four rectangle tables are set up in a square so everyone can see and hear each other. 4. After everyone is served, we go around the circle and people share: (1) what they do during the week, (2) how they are involved at church, and (3) one thing the church has meant to them. 5. Then I share for about 5 minutes about some things that are coming up and vision for the next season. This is usually more off-the-cuff than scripted, though I'm certainly intentional about it. 6. Then we open it up to any questions. "Is there anything going on that you've wondered about or that would help to have more information on?" 7. We have a card where we collect a prayer request from each person at the end and commit to spend the next month praying for them. 8. We schedule it for 75 minutes and be sure to end on time, but many people end up lingering. Why it's so valuable: • It's a great window into how God is at work — we inevitably hear things we didn't know that are an evidence of grace. • It reconnects me to my calling — as people share what the church has meant to them, I always hear things that remind me why I'm grateful to have planted the church and love pastoring it. • It deepens relationships with people who are too easily be taken for granted — the squeaky wheels usually get the grease (in the form of new and going-through-junk people). But I don't want to take these folks for granted. • It honors people who deserve honor — people always feel honored to get an unexpected invitation to this, and it's a sweet way to love and honor some of our best people. • It connects & networks people into new relationships — in a large church, not everyone knows each other. But everyone leaves with more layers of connection and possible friendship. • It forces me to keep casting vision — I know I'll have a moment where I'm expected to share about where we're headed. That pressure keeps me looking ahead. — I highly recommend this kind of experience, especially for any pastor leading a church of 300+ people. Every single time I leave it thinking, "I love these people, and I love my job." I also want to thank the team at Lakepointe Church who introduced this idea to me. It's been a profound gift this year. Follow me @lukedsimmons for more tools and resources for healthy pastoral ministry.

7. Memorize and meditate on Scripture. Take at least one verse or phrase and take a little time with it. This year I plan to memorize Philippians and am meditating while I am memorizing. Of course all this needs to be before looking at screens.

Develop a morning ritual. Holiness (which = happiness) comes from habituation over the long haul. Find a time, a place, and a plan. Modify mine for what works for you. 7 steps to win the day from the jump: