Weekly Update 07/20/2021

Greetings from Wake Forest!

I left on Sunday afternoon to record video lectures with my co-professor Keith Whitfield at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, as we do an online class this fall on The Doctrine of the Christian Life. This will be the third time that we’ve taught a class together. I love working with him and enjoy the encouragement in our fellowship as we discuss the doctrine of sanctification and many other issues of life and doctrine. Please pray for us. We’re videoing all day long throughout the week. Pray that we might keep good focus, be able to solve a few technology glitches, and be refreshed in our spirits as we deal with such a lofty subject.

The adults finish up on Wednesday night the rich study through Sinclair Ferguson’s book Devoted to God. He has done precisely what his subtitle suggested in giving us God’s blueprints for sanctification, as he has toured us through a number of key passages that need to be at the forefront of our lives. I hope that you’ll continue to profit from reading and applying this book.

Next week, Lord willing, we get started in a new STINT series, working through Matt Merker’s Corporate Worship. We regularly sing hymns that Matt has written. Plus, he is a member of Edgefield Baptist in Nashville where our beloved Matt McCullough is pastor. Worship is central to church life, spiritual growth, spiritual maturity, spiritual disciplines, and ongoing encouragement from one to another. You’ll enjoy this book and our discussion in forthcoming STINT classes!

Be sure to remember this month’s 2-Per gifts help with Andy J.’s church plant in a large Central Asian city, where he has already established a gospel witness through relationships he’s been building. We’re thankful for Andy and the opportunity to partner with him.

Pray for the Lowrys as they head back to Kenya this week. We were enriched by Daniel’s testimony on Sunday as he gave us a better picture of the ministries the Lord has entrusted to him and Kristen.

Our passage in Acts 11:1–18 on Sunday, allowed us to reflect on what the Lord did to get the church out of its stalled position (that’s putting it kindly) in advancing the gospel among the nations. The same way that He sent out Peter and then challenged the Jerusalem church may be ways that He is working deeply in us to be a people who embrace Christian mission through a biblical foundation. You can listen to the sermon or download the manuscript here.
Pastor Chris will be preaching on Sunday as we see the gospel continue to move into the Gentile world, this time in Antioch. Special things happened there, that in many ways impacted us almost 2000 years later. But I’m getting ahead of myself! The ears of the church were attuned to what the Lord was doing. Let’s be like that too. Pray for Chris as he prepares.

Please pray for me as I preach at Concord Baptist Church in Chattanooga on Sunday as that sister church celebrates their pastor’s 20th anniversary. Pastor David King is a very dear friend who models faithful pastoral ministry. I’m honored to preach on that special occasion.

Pastor Matt is on the last leg of his sabbatical. He’s planning on preaching on August 1st. Pray for their travels this week.

Hasn’t it been wonderful to be back in ONE service!

Warmly,
Phil N.

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