Andrew Gerber

@BobKellemen @drantbradley Bob, I’m the family / discipleship pastor at your church. Do you have any resources on how you guys went about discipling the parents to disciple their children / teens?

A few reflections after 40+ years of pastoral and professorial ministry... When I was a "Sr. Pastor" (I actually called my position, "Congregational Discipleship Pastor"), the first hire we made as our church tripled in size was "Family Discipleship Pastor" rather than "Youth Pastor." We wanted this person/position to focus on discipling the parents to disciple their children/teens. The person/position also involved assessing, overseeing, and shepherding all of our ministries to families (couples, parents, children, youth). Honestly, it was not an entirely "popular" decision, as about 30% of the parents with teens were unhappy that we were not hiring a "Youth Pastor." This was after our EMT (Elder Ministry Team) spent half-a-year seeking to educate/equip the church regarding the role of Pastor-Elder as equippers. So, it is not an easy or popular decision to focus on discipling the whole church and discipling parents, rather than hiring a Youth Pastor to do the discipling of teens. We made this decision not because of research (though we did our homework and read the studies), but because of our scriptural convictions. As someone who has done a lot of research, and who believes in being research-informed, even after reading material like the resource you mention, I am not convinced that we can easily separate influences. Can we really slice/dice information to determine what factors had the most long-term impact on faith development and persistence? Think of the complexity of that sentence: "...to determine what factors had the most long-term impact on faith development and persistence." Finally, I am not against a church hiring a "Youth Pastor" if the clear ministry description is to equip the parents to equip their children/teens. My own "Youth Pastor" had a tremendous impact on my spiritual life. I was not from a Christian home. He mentored and discipled me. He also did all he could to impact my family. I vividly recall one Thursday evening when he spent 4 hours with my Mom, older brothers, and younger sisters answering question after question they had about Christianity. He did all of this, while also leading the "Youth Ministry." A high percentage of the young people from that small church are now, decades later, retiring from a lifetime of vocational ministry. Many of them, like myself, did not grow up in a Christian home. Our Youth Pastor was the primary factor that God used in our lives to disciple us to go on to be disciple-making pastors, Christian school teachers, seminary professors, missionaries, and people who served the Lord regardless of whether we were in "full-time Christian vocational ministry."

Help me understand this: We have nearly 40 years of research showing student ministry has no real impact on long term faith persistence, while relations with parents are the strongest predictor. Yet youth workers reject this data. Why? I don't get it. What am I missing?

@thecavemommy Enclave? We’ve had a minivan and a full size transit for our family of 7. We are basically out of the carseat phase and just got an Enclave. We love it. Still have the full size transit for road trips, etc.

I’m trying my hardest to find an SUV that’s suitable for three to four car seats that isn’t either 1) Giant Expedition / Yukon / Tahoe / Sequoia 2) A complete piece of crap (bye bye Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade) 3) Has a cramped third row (bye bye Mazda / Volvo / Honda Pilot) 4) VW Atlas & Acadia only have 6 seats. There is none, besides maybe the Highlander. Lol, the minivan is seriously the best option if you are going to have 3 young children at least in car seats

@tomthie55en I’m still learning how to do this well (preaching) - Does that mean if 5 preachers preach the same text their main point of the text should be the same and their thesis should be pretty similar since it’s built off the same point?

@tomthie55en Is it ever ok to peach a certain element or principle found in a passage that might not be THE main/primary point of the passage?

A sermon should have a clear thesis from the main point of the text. Each section should clearly develop that thesis towards a conclusion. Each explanation, Scripture reference, and illustration should clearly advance the section. The application should drive all that home.

@jasonkovacs Jason - how would you apply this if someone was feeling wounded because of sin done against them, or feeling sorrow because of a life situation?

Consider using the 6 questions of the Gospel Turn (from Genesis 3) for daily journaling: 1. Where are you? (Gen 3:9) Begin by honestly assessing your current state by answering what you are feeling, thinking, and desiring. Are you feeling overwhelmed, joyful, anxious, or perhaps a mix of emotions? What thoughts are dominating your mind? What are you longing for – success, connection, escape? 2. Whose voice are you listening to? (Gen 3:11) Examine the messages that are influencing your thoughts and actions. Are you primarily driven by fear (Satan), self-preservation (self), societal expectations (society), or the guidance of the Holy Spirit? Recognizing the source of these voices helps you discern their true nature and their impact. 3. What are you tempted to do? (Gen 3:13) Identify the specific temptations that are currently experiencing. Is it the allure of instant gratification, the fear of missing out, the desire for control? Acknowledging your temptations doesn't mean giving in to them, but rather recognizing their presence and seeking God's strength to resist them. *Open God’s Word and read* 4. What did Jesus do and what is He doing? (Gen 3:15, 21, 24) Turn your attention to the life and ministry of Jesus. How did He respond to similar temptations? How did He demonstrate love, compassion, and obedience to the Father in the face of adversity? Reflecting on Jesus's perfect life and death in specific ways provides gospel hope to repent, rest, and receive what He wants to remind you of and provide you with. 5. What is Jesus saying to you? (Gen 3:16-19) Spend time listening for God's voice in His Word. What is He saying to you specifically? Are you hearing words of encouragement, correction, or guidance? What is He inviting you to repent of? What is wanting you to know about Himself? 6. Where is Jesus? (Gen 3:24) Conclude your reflection by meditating on the reality of Jesus's presence in your life. Though we live in a fallen and broken world He is not distant or aloof, but intimately involved in every aspect of your existence. Spend time simply being with Him, acknowledging His love and gazing at His beauty. As Augustine says, “You O Lord are nearer to me than I am to myself.” Incorporating the Gospel Turn into your daily journaling practice can be a transformative experience of living in union with Christ and practicing daily repentance and faith. By consistently examining your thoughts, feelings, and actions through the lens of the Gospel, you can develop a deeper understanding of yourself, the Person of Christ, and His glorious provision and calling. * If you try this please let me know your experience if you can. I’m always looking to improve it! **Also, I will be doing a free webinar walking through the Gospel Turn on Jan 7th. You can register here t.co/b0N4cf29ae

@drewdyck @mclaurine_b Same!

@mclaurine_b 🤯

I don’t know if most people realize how lucky they are if they bought a house right there.

@JeffreyPWiesner Tryung to get better at stimulating the imagination of the listener - explaining the text in a way that draws the listener in so that they don’t feel the need to take notes, watch the clock, etc. I’m not good at it!

Preachers—Name one practical way you are presently working to improve your preaching. For me, I am trying to start my prep earlier so I can finish the first draft of my sermon outline earlier (Thursday instead of Saturday) for improving simplicity and delivery.

The very worst version of you, that’s who Christ died for. That’s the gospel.

Take heart on the hard days Christian - because our suffering is connected to the suffering of Christ, our suffering is victorious suffering. (Philippians 1:27-2:11)

"Lament is a legitimate, even necessary form of fellowship with God when we are in a place of pain. The Bible repeatedly affirms lament to be an honest and expected expression of our battle with the brokenness of ourselves and the rest of the world.” - Kelly Kapic

One of the greatest gifts we can give another person is loving curiosity about their life.

@jasonkovacs Love this - along with the gift of undivided attention!

@JeffreyPWiesner How would you help someone see the shallowness while recognizing at the same time those are part of the benefits of the gospel?

30 minutes of listening to Christian radio while driving, and while the word “gospel” was used in couple of songs, none have so far mentioned Sin Cross Atonement Resurrection Repentance & faith But lots of… Power Freedom Love Victory Provision

@Vicar1973 This is what I’ve wrestled with - if this is true - what is the non-saved covenant member’s relationship to Christ as far as mediator, interceder, federal head? Also, what is the nature of the non-saved convent member’s faith?

On Calvinism and covenant: At the last day, there will only be two categories of people: the saved and the lost, the elect and the reprobate. But in history there are three categories of people: the saved, the non-saved covenant member, and the unsaved. The non-saved covenant member really is in covenant with God; he really does receive a form of mercy and blessing; he may even have faith, albeit a temporary faith. But he does not persevere in what he has received and his apostasy is eventually manifest. The Bible teaches “three category Calvinism,” not “two category Calvinism.”

@jasonkovacs Great thoughts Jason! Do you have any recommended counseling resources help someone walk through deep repentance over past hurts they have caused?

4 parts of repentance: 1. See your sin in light of the Cross. 2. Sorrow over your sin. 3. Set yourself against sin. 3. Satisfy yourself in Him. Sin loses power when Christ becomes your treasure.

Great questions! I’ve been thinking of this question a lot to try to unpack where people where they are: How is God currently shaping your life through his Word and through his people (church community). I remember reading something from Keller a while back that people going through a spiritually dry season will have a hard time answering that kind of question.

A simple spiritual check-in: Where are the gaps between your head and heart? Between your belief and your practice? What is God revealing, and how might He be inviting you repent or to live more fully into what you already know is true?

Many make themselves miserable by being torn: they want Christ and they want the world. And they never get to enjoy either.

@jeremiahhurt I’m trying to make sense of this - I really want to preserve room for the Spirit to work. At the same time, some of the most transformational seasons of my life have come through reading books that give helpful thoughts and application to biblical truth.

“Application” in far too many sermons rob Christians of their freedom in wisdom calls. Preach the law. Preach the gospel. Trust the Holy Spirit. Repeat.

@jeremiahhurt Is their value in helping the people see examples of how a passage could be applied in a gospel anchored way?

Often the cry for more practical preaching is actually the call of the old Adam for more law based self help. —Michael Horton