Matt Capps Biblical Theology, Christian Theology, Christianity, Faith, Gospel, Pastoral Ministry, The Great Commission Resurgence, Theology

The Destructive Effects of Insecurity

In a recent post titled “Reflections on Nearly 40 Years of Pastoral Ministry“, Sam Storms digs deep on the destructive effects of insecurity in pastoral ministry. While the post is focused primarily on pastoral ministry, there are general principles here for all Christians.

Why is insecurity so damaging?

  • Insecurity makes it difficult to acknowledge and appreciate the accomplishments of others on staff (or in the congregation). In other words, the personally insecure pastor is often incapable of providing genuine encouragement to others. Their success becomes a threat to him, his authority, and his status in the eyes of the people. Thus if you are insecure you will likely not pray for others to flourish.
  • Insecurity will lead a pastor to encourage and support and praise another pastor only insofar as the latter serves the former’s agenda and does not detract from his image.
  • An insecure pastor will likely resent the praise or affirmation that other staff members receive from the people at large.
  • For the insecure pastor, constructive criticism is not received well, but is rather perceived as a threat or outright rejection.
  • Because the insecure pastor is incapable of acknowledging personal failure or lack of knowledge, he is often unteachable. He will always be resistant to those who genuinely seek to help him or bring him information or insights that he lacks. His spiritual growth is therefore stunted.
  • The insecure pastor is typically heavy-handed in his dealings with others.
  • The insecure pastor is often controlling and given to micro-management.
  • The insecure pastor will rarely empower others or authorize them to undertake tasks for which they are especially qualified and gifted. He will not release others but rather restrict them.
  • The insecure pastor is often given to outbursts of anger.

At its core, insecurity is the fruit of pride. In summary, and at its core, insecurity is the result of not believing the gospel! Thus the antidote to feelings of insecurity is the rock-solid realization that one’s value and worth are in the hands of God, not other people, and that our identity is an expression of who we are in Christ. Only as we deepen in our grasp of his love for us and sacrifice on our behalf will we find the freedom and confidence to affirm and support others while never fearing either their success or threats.

Read the whole post here. 

Matt Capps Christian Theology, Christianity, Faith, Gospel, Religion, Theology

An Unbelievably Powerful Story

This is an unbelievably moving story testifying to the power of the gospel.

“Erik is a youth pastor. Matthew is a firefighter/EMT. They meet together every month to discuss what God is doing in their lives. But Erik wishes he’d met Matthew under different circumstances. You see, a few years ago after a long shift, Matthew fell asleep at the wheel and crashed head-on into a car carrying Erik’s pregnant wife and daughter. His wife and unborn son didn’t survive.”

Matt Capps Books, Christian Theology, Christianity, Faith, Pastoral Ministry, Philosophy, Religion

The Romantic Rationalist: God, Life, and Imagination in the Work of C.S. Lewis

CS Lewis - Copy

Desiring God has posted the audio and video files from this years national conference on imagination in the work of C.S. Lewis. Enjoy!

Matt Capps Christian Theology, Christianity, Faith, Gospel, Pastoral Ministry, Religion, Theology

Be in Awe of Jesus Christ

I was with Trevin Wax the other night at a training session for bible teachers in Memphis, Tennessee. During Trevin’s session he used this story to illustrate why it is important not to jump right to application before leading people to awe at the power of Jesus Christ.

Mark Galli, in his book, Jesus Mean and Wild, illustrates this point wonderfully when telling about the time a group of Laotian refugees started attending the church he led in Sacramento.

After the service one Sunday, they approached him and asked to become members. They had only a rudimentary understanding of the Christian faith, so Pastor Mark suggested they study the Gospel of Mark together for a few weeks to make sure they knew what a commitment to Christ and his church entailed. They happily agreed. 

Mark says, “Those Bible studies were some of the most interesting he has ever led.” After they read the passage in which Jesus calms the storm, Mark began as he usually did with more theologically sophisticated groups: he asked them about the storms in their lives. 

There was a puzzled look among his Laotian friends, so he elaborated: “We all have storms—problems, worries, troubles, crises—and this story teaches that Jesus can give us peace in the midst of those storms. So what are your storms?” he asked. 

Again, more puzzled silence. Finally, one of the men hesitantly asked, “Do you mean that Jesus actually calmed the wind and sea in the middle of a storm?” 

Mark thought the man was finding the story incredulous, and Mark didn’t want to get distracted with the problem of miracles. So he replied: “Yes, but we should not get hung up on the details of the miracle. We should remember that Jesus can calm the storms in our lives.” 

There was another stretch of awkward silence until another replied, “Well, if Jesus calmed the wind and the waves, he must be a powerful man!” At this, they all nodded vigorously and chattered excitedly to one another in Lao. 

Mark says, “Except for me, the room was full of wonder. I suddenly realized that they grasped the story better than I did.”

(Mark Galli, Jesus Mean and Wild, Baker, 2006, p. 112)

Matt Capps Books, Christian Theology, Christianity, Faith, Gospel, Life, LifeWay, LifeWay Church Resources, Pastoral Ministry, Personal, Religion, Theology

New Book: Michael Kelley’s “Boring”

My friend and co-worker (and fellow fruit flavored candy lover) Michael Kelley has written an extremely helpful book titled Boring. Not only is Michael a good writer, he is also a good thinker. He applies these two God given gifts to challenge our perceptions of everyday average life.

“What if we are looking so hard for these grandiose experiences of significance that we are missing the opportunities for significance right in front of us,” he writes. “What if there is no such thing as ordinary when you follow an extraordinary God?” (8)

In Boring, Michael seeks to reorient the reader to this important and often neglected truth. Too many of us fear that our lives will be ordinary. However, for the Christian, an ordinary life is a paralyzing myth. If you are a follower of Christ – you are the child of a God that is anything but ordinary. The God of the Bible is the God who created, sustains, and providentially directs all things – including the seemingly mundane details of your life. This is not an abstract theological truth that has no impact on your daily activities, but should shape every aspect of your life.

boring-michael-kelleyThe problem is that too many of us miss what God is doing in the valley, because we are longing for the mountain top experience. However, all of us know that the majority of the Christian life is lived in the valley. According to Kelley, “…The truth is that we will all spend 90 percent of our time here on earth just doing life. Just being ordinary.” So, the heart of the problem is not with the routines of life, but with our understanding and expectations of them. Kelley argues that we should reorient our thinking to see the profound nature of our extraordinary God, and how that impacts the activities of daily life.

“What if God actually doesn’t want you to escape from the ordinary, but to find signifi­cance and meaning inside of it?”

The question isn’t whether or not God is present and active; the question is just how aware we are of that presence and activity.

“This greater reality is happening right in the middle of the ordinary people, singing in their off-key kind of way, trying to wrangle their ornery children. In the middle of the mundane there is something of cosmic significance going on…A regular life isn’t just a series of physical times and moment strung together; it’s a progression of being formed into the image of Jesus…Because an extraordinary and active God is there, constantly working, there is no such thing as ordinary anymore.”

Pick up this book and read. Prayerfully, Michael will show you how to see every relationship, every act of kindness, and every moment for what it is: a part of God’s exciting plan for your life.

Matt Capps Adoption, Biblical Theology, Christian Theology, Christianity, Faith, Gospel, Life, Personal, Religion, Theology

Together for Adoption: “Why is Your Mommy White?”

The Ministry of Together for Adoption 

Laura and I are so grateful for the ministry of Together for Adoption. Several years ago we attended the national conference in Franklin, TN, while waiting to adopt our son Solomon. If you have adopted, are in the process of adopting, or praying about adopting I would encourage you to attend the Together for Adoption National Conference on October 4-5 at Southern Seminary. If you do attend, prepare to be inspired and equipped for adoption, foster care and global orphan ministry. Here are the details.

Six rich general sessions. Sixty tool-gathering workshops. One breathtaking Story.

In the Bible, Adoption is a story-word. God’s work of adoption within the world is a story that encompasses all of human history, from its pre-temporal beginnings when God predestined us to “adoption as sons through Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 1:3-6) to the eventual renewal of all creation (Romans 8:23)—the Day when everything sad comes untrue. From the Apostle Paul’s perspective, Adoption is the redemptive Story that changes everything for us and the fatherless.

Alongside the six rich plenary sessions, our national conference will provide more than sixty tool-gathering workshops led by Dr. Timothy Paul Jones, Dr. Randy Stinson, Johnny Carr, Dr. Jon Bergeron, Gerrit Dawson, Susan Hillis, Elizabeth Styffe, and many other global leaders.

Together for Adoption National Conference Details

General Session Topics

  1. The Story Gone Wrong (Mike Reeves, author of Delighting in the Trinity)
  2. Stories of the Fatherless (Dr. Sharen Ford, Manager of Colorado State’s Permanency Services Unit)
  3. The Story Re-Written (Dan Cruver)
  4. Our Lives Re-Written (Mike Reeves)
  5. Stories of the Fatherless Re-Written (Vermon Pierre)
  6. When Everything Sad Comes Untrue (Scotty Smith)

8 Breakout Session Tracks

  1. Stories about Beginning the Adoption Journey (Pre­-Adoption)
  2. Stories from Experienced Adoptive Families (Post-Adoption)
  3. Stories from Experienced Adoptive Families with Special Needs
  4. Stories about Foster Care within Families
  5. Stories about the Orphan Crisis from Experienced Organizations
  6. Stories about Financing your Adoption Journey
  7. Stories about Developing Ministries for Adoption/Orphan Care Movement
  8. Stories about God’s Work through the Theology of Adoption

Download the PDF version of the Breakout Sessions listed according to their Story-Tracks.

See the conference schedule.

Matt Capps Christian Theology, Christianity, Faith, Gospel, Pastoral Ministry, Personal, Religion, The Great Commission Resurgence, The Southern Baptist Convention, Theology

Tim Brister on “From Strangers to Missionaries”

Over the last year or so I have watched my friend Tim Brister devote a considerable amount of time to writing about missional living. Not too long ago Tim posted a summary blog of his reflections and writings on this subject. I have found his thoughts beneficial and challenging, so I wanted to share them here.

Strangers to Missionaries Overview Graphic

Brister’s Series:

Other Supplementary Articles from Brister:

Matt Capps Adoption, Culture, Life, Personal

Thankful for Martin Luther King Jr.’s Dream

I Have A Dream

It’s been fifty years since Martin Luther King Jr. shared with a divided nation his “dream” of racial equality. I am thankful for his dream, which is a reality for our family today. This is our son Solomon with his cousin Emma.

Matt Capps Biblical Theology, Christian Theology, Christianity, Faith, Gospel, LifeWay, LifeWay Church Resources, Pastoral Ministry, Religion, The Gospel Project, The Southern Baptist Convention, Theology

Teaching a Class on The Doctrine of Humanity

Next week I will begin teaching a class on the doctrine of humanity with Philip Nation at The Fellowship, Two Rivers. The class will last 8 weeks and will roughly follow the outline of The Gospel Project’s Fall study titled “Bearing God’s Image”.

  • August 21st – Created to Reflect: Reflecting the Image of God
  • August 28th – Created to Relate: Relating to God, Others, and the WorldTGP
  • September 4th – Created to Work: Vocation and Labor
  • September 11th – Created to Rest: Resting from Work, Resting in Christ
  • September 18th – Created to Rule: Authority in Representing God
  • September 25th – Living in Redemption: Salvation and Sanctification
  • October 2nd – Learning to Trust: Perseverance and Assurance
  • October 9th – Longing for Restoration: Future Glorification

If you are in the Nashville area, come and join us!

It is an honor to serve on The Gospel Project team! I am excited to join over 400,000 other believers who will dig into this study over the next few months.

In my preparation for the class I have found several resources helpful, and wanted to share them here.

  1. John Hammett’s chapter on “The Doctrine of Humanity” in A Theology for the Church, edited by Daniel Akin. Hammett’s chapter is a great introductory work on this topic.
  2. Also, check out Anthony Hoekema’s book Created in God’s Image. Hoekema’s work is an excellent volume for someone who would like to dig a little deeper into the doctrine of humanity.
  3. Charles Sherlock’s book The Doctrine of Humanity in the Contours of Christian Theology series is also a great resource to have in your library. While Sherlock’s work the most dense of these three, its scope and depth is well worth its weight.

If you are teaching through The Gospel Project this fall, be sure to check out these resources which we have made available at The Gospel Project’s website.

Consider the words of one theologian, “…our wisdom, in so far as it ought to be deemed true and solid wisdom, consists almost entirely of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves.” My prayer is that we would come to know God in this study, and come to know ourselves in the way God has created us and redeemed us to be.