Ep. 16 - The Doctrine of Friendship, Pt. 4 : The Bruised Reed

EP. 17 - What Is A Biblical Philosophy of Ministry?

In this episode of Shepherds Talk, Pastor Daron and Daniel talk about what it means to have a clear philosophy of ministry from the Scriptures. Ephesians 4 speaks of a philosophy of ministry that describes how the church should think about its purpose in a way that emphasizes its practice. How do we guard this philosophy of ministry that has been entrusted to us? What is the difference between a faithful philosophy of ministry worked out in a given context, and a philosophy of ministry that is starting to drift? Join Pastor Daron and Daniel as they speak to the task at hand, to guard what has been entrusted to every biblical New Testament church.

Ep. 16 - The Doctrine of Friendship, Pt. 4 : The Bruised Reed

The Scriptures describe a category of person who is a bruised reed or a faintly burning wick. An it says that the Lord will not break a bruised reed or blow out a faintly burning wick. That should be a great comfort to us, but also instructive to us in our interactions within the church. We face the danger of Ephesus Syndrome (leaving our first love, our spiritual vitality) if we stop living out the gracious, patient, and merciful heart of Christ towards people in this category. In this episode, Pastor Daron leads our hearts towards greater humility in our interactions towards the bruised reeds and faintly burning wicks, and instructs us to be careful not to have a self righteous and critical heart, but to remember the grace that God has shown to each one of us as believers.

Ep. 15 - The Doctrine of Friendship, Pt. 3

The Christian life is filled with spiritual friendships, and when it comes to disagreements among friends, by God's grace there can be Paul and Barnabas relationships. Both Paul and Barnabas are not presented as if one of them sinned in Luke's account. But they do have a strong disagreement about taking another friend with them on a ministry trip, John Mark. John Mark, in his spiritual immaturity, had abandoned them on their previous missionary journey. There is much to be gleaned from how Paul and Barnabas interacted with each other, and how they thought about their relationship with John Mark. But which principles need to be operating when someone abandons you like Demas just because they love the world? That is a different kind of abandonment. Join Pastor Daron and Daniel as they talk through the principles and examples in Scripture that inform our understanding and instruct our responses in these types of relational situations.

Ep. 14 - The Doctrine of Friendship, Pt. 2

In this episode of Shepherd's Talk, Pastor Daron breaks down the three categories of believers in 1 Thessalonians 5:14. How do we become a good friend to the unruly, the fainthearted, and the weak? Spiritual friendships begin with our individual relationship with the Lord. If our relationship with the Lord is struggling, we will also struggle in our relationships with one another. Being a good friend requires patience and accurate self evaluation in the revealing light of God's Word.

Ep. 13 - The Doctrine of Friendship, Pt. 1

In this episode of Shepherds Talk, Pastor Daron and Daniel talk through cultivating an growing biblical friendships. True friendship requires humility of mind, confession and repentance where needed, unity of thought, and a self sacrificing life for the benefit of others. This is the mind of Christ according to Philippians 2. In order for spiritual friendships to thrive we must not look only to our own interests, but also the interest of others, considering them as better than ourselves. In a culture where friendship is considered to be built around superficial things, what we actually need is truth and humility at the center of our friendships.