Archives: sandy-grant

Creedal conundrums (part 2)

Pastoral Ministry, Sola Panel

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This is the second part of a three-part series. Read part 1.

Recently I received the following comment after a sermon series on the Nicene Creed:

The Nicene Creed is like a favourite old horse that has died. No matter how you flog it—no matter how well you groom it—it needs to be buried and a new horse bought. It was good, but now it’s dead!

Here is my reply: thank you for the colourful (but anonymous) expression of your opinion. However that’s all it was: an expression of opinion without any reasons why the opinion was valid! I would have been helped by less certainty about your conclusion and more evidence for why you consider the Nicene Creed to be obsolete.

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Creedal conundrums (part 1)

Pastoral Ministry, Sola Panel

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As a change of pace from regular systematic expository preaching, and often to fit in with school holidays, I have developed a couple of sermons series entitled ‘Creedal conundrums’ that looks at phrases in the creeds that often puzzle people.

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God’s sovereignty; human responsibility

Life, Sola Panel

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Recently after a sermon on 2 Timothy, we received the follow comment on the topic of election. My answer follows.

Question: You said that God calls all people everywhere to repent and follow him. But we are also taught that only the elect are able to turn back to God. So how, then, are the non-elect culpable for their actions when they are given no opportunity to turn back?

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Apostasy and God’s faithfulness

Thought, Sola Panel

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The National Director of the Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students (AFES), Richard Chin, has begun preaching through 2 Timothy at our church. When he covered chapter 2, we received a couple of questions. I ended up answering them as the pastor here.

Question: 2 Timothy 2:13-14 says, “if we are faithless, he [Christ] remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself”. Can you explain to whom is God faithful?

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2010: A big year for evangelicals?

Life, Sola Panel

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What major anniversaries does the evangelical world celebrate in 2010?

In recent years, I have stumbled upon the idea of using major anniversaries of key events or characters as windows into church history and often also windows into important topics or doctrines for Christians. In 2007, we had the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade, which led to a special focus on William Wilberforce. In 2008, we had the 250th anniversary of the death of Jonathan Edwards, perhaps the most influential theologian in North America. In 2009, we had the 500th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin. (more…)

A very Sola Panel survey (Sandy Grant)

Review, Sola Panel

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One of the things we’re doing as we wrap up the year here at Sola Panel is to ask our contributors to share some of their highlights for the year from the world of reading and the web. Here’s Sandy Grant’s contribution:

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Best preaching lessons

Pastoral Ministry, Sola Panel

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If you’re a preacher of God’s word, what’s the best preaching lesson you’ve ever learned? See if you can jot down your answer before you read on, and then perhaps share it in the comments section.

It was Russell Moore’s absolutely excellent post a few weeks ago that caused me to reflect on this question:

Your first few sermons are always terrible, no matter who you are.

If you think your first few sermons are great, you’re probably self-deceived. If the folks in your home church think your first few sermons are great, it’s probably because they love you and they’re proud of you. If it’s a good, supportive church there’s as much objectivity there as a grandparent evaluating the “I Love You Grandma” artwork handed to them by the five year-old in their family.

(That may be so, but I thank God that people in my home church gave me a go!)

Moore goes on to explain that any young preacher should want his sermons critiqued—not harshly by a congregation with a critical spirit, but critiqued nevertheless:

Great preachers are the ones who preach really bad sermons. The difference is that they preach really bad sermons when they’re young, and are sharpened for life by critique.

So I return to my opening question: what’s the best lesson you’ve received from a sermon critique, or otherwise?

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Leadership on the Front Foot 3: Operational issues (part i)

Pastoral Ministry, Sola Panel

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In this post, I continue my series on Zac Veron’s Leadership on the Front Foot (see parts 1 and 2). The third section of Zac’s book focuses on six principles that he categorizes as operational for ministry that is typically already happening in a church. We’ll deal with the first three today and the last three in my next post.

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Leadership on the Front Foot 2: Personal issues

Pastoral Ministry, Sola Panel

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After a delay, I continue to blog through Zac Veron’s Leadership on the Front Foot—a series that I began some time ago.

In his introduction, Zac explains that

I can be very black and white! I have strong views and I express them in a fairly matter-of-fact way. (p. 7)

I’ll try to review similarly! But my style probably errs towards precision and details. This is a roundabout way of saying sorry to Zac for where I’ve not dotted an ‘i’ in my review.

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Day 3 of Synod – what if you disagree with a matter of wisdom?

Everyday Ministry, Sola Panel

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The main item on the agenda at Synod yesterday was the expenditure side of the financial ledger.

But first we made some minor but important amendments to our Discipline Ordinance—the way in which the Anglican Diocese of Sydney deals with complaints about paid church workers and volunteer leaders who are accused of breaching our professional standards, especially in the area of sexual misconduct or child abuse.

I mention this as a reminder for all church members and leaders to pray for those with the heavy responsibility of overseeing their church’s or denomination’s safe ministry standards. Jesus says we must protect those who cannot protect themselves. Pray for those who oversee your denomination’s professional standards or act as chaplains to victims.

But back to expenditure. What do you do if you disagree on a judgment matter made by a leadership team or decision-making body you belong to?

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