Seminary Graduation
I just received my faculty picture from the Reformed Theological Seminary Graduation. It’s been a pleasure to be involved in training men and women for ministry at the Seminary. I’ve been doing it now for 8 years so far. This is the first time I went and actually participated in the ceremonies as a faculty member. Here’s a picture of the professors from the Orlando campus who were present.
Folks from Christ Community Church may recognize some of the frequent guest speakers at our services, in the back row, Jim Coffield is third from the left and Steve Childers third from the right. In the middle row, second from the right is Mark Futato. He is in front of Steve Brown and behind John Frame. I’m second from the left in the front row. Dr. Waltke was in Vancover at this time.
I was actually surprised at how encouraging it was to take part in this. Usually I finish class one Thursday afternoon, the students leave the room, and I never see them again. To attend the ceremony, worship with them and then see them receive their degrees with their wives and husbands, friends and family members supporting them brought a sense of completion. It also marked, what will be for most of them, a transition into positions of ministry which will test them and shape them. I found myself prayerful and thankful for the students and the faculty members.
May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Hebrews 13:20-21
Larry is the senior pastor at 
I had lunch with Steve Brown today. He’s the professor with the white beard behind Mark Futato. He’s known for, and sometimes gets in trouble for, saying controversial things. But he’s a very sincere and humble servant of the gospel. I think he chooses to says things in unconventional ways because he thinks most Christians aren’t really paying attention to the depths of grace in the gospel. You have to almost startle them to get them to wake up to the radical implications of grace. He didn’t say that but I think it’s true. I found him very engaging with an authentic affection for the Seminary students and desire to help them learn to preach and teach the gospel well.
He uses an interesting acrostic for preaching T.U.L.I.P. Yeah, that’s the five points of Calvinism but he uses it to make the following points about effective preaching.
Say something:
1. T – Therapeutic: not in the pop psychology sense but in the sense that it conveys the healing message of truth and grace.
2. U – Unconventional: otherwise it makes little impact.
3. L – Lucid: after all we need to make some points and make them clearly because we are expounding Scripture and we believe in Reformed Theology.
4. I – Illustrate, Illustrate, Illustrate: We need to use story, imagery and analogy to speak to the heart and make the truth memorable.
5. P – Pathos or Passion; Because if it doesn’t matter to you it will not matter to them.
Of course all of this has to be biblically accurate and Gospel-centered.