How to Stay Christian in Seminary
By David Mathis, Jonathan Parnell and John Piper
4.5/5
()
About this ebook
David Mathis
David Mathis serves as senior teacher and executive editor at desiringGod.org, a pastor at Cities Church in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and an adjunct professor at Bethlehem College & Seminary in Minneapolis. He and his wife, Megan, have four children. He is the author of several books, including Habits of Grace: Enjoying Jesus through the Spiritual Disciplines.
Read more from David Mathis
Habits of Grace: Enjoying Jesus through the Spiritual Disciplines Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Humbled: Welcoming the Uncomfortable Work of God Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Workers for Your Joy: The Call of Christ on Christian Leaders Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5"Habits of Grace": "Enjoying Jesus through the Spiritual Disciplines Study Guide" Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Designed for Joy: How the Gospel Impacts Men and Women, Identity and Practice Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5For the Fame of God's Name: Essays in Honor of John Piper Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Don't Call It a Comeback (Foreword by D. A. Carson): The Old Faith for a New Day Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBible Crawling: Finding Joy in God by Journaling through the Psalms Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to How to Stay Christian in Seminary
Related ebooks
15 Things Seminary Couldn't Teach Me Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Biblical Theology: How the Church Faithfully Teaches the Gospel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5What Is the Mission of the Church?: Making Sense of Social Justice, Shalom, and the Great Commission Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Evangelism: How the Whole Church Speaks of Jesus Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Engaging with the Holy Spirit: Real Questions, Practical Answers Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sharing Jesus Without Freaking Out: Evangelism the Way You Were Born to Do It Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Church: The Gospel Made Visible Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Student Ministry by the Book: Biblical Foundations for Student Ministry Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRecapturing the Voice of God: Shaping Sermons Like Scripture Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Christ from Beginning to End: How the Full Story of Scripture Reveals the Full Glory of Christ Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Encountering God through Expository Preaching: Connecting God’s People to God’s Presence through God’s Word Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Preach: Theology Meets Practice Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Being a Christian: How Jesus Redeems All of Life Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Deep Things of God (Second Edition): How the Trinity Changes Everything Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: Relationships, Roles, and Relevance Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Trinity: An Introduction Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Together on God's Mission: How Southern Baptists Cooperate to Fulfill the Great Commission Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsInvitation to Evangelism: Sharing the Gospel with Compassion and Conviction Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Faithful Preaching Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Christ-Centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/540 Questions About the Great Commission Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPreaching for God's Glory (Repackaged Edition) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Surviving and Thriving in Seminary: An Academic and Spiritual Handbook Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Church: An Introduction Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/540 Questions about Interpreting the Bible Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Concise Dictionary of Theological Terms Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLet the Nations be Glad: The Supremacy Of God In Missions Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Supremacy of God in Preaching Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Survey of World Missions Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Christianity For You
The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Book of Enoch Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5It's Not Supposed to Be This Way: Finding Unexpected Strength When Disappointments Leave You Shattered Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Holy Bible (World English Bible, Easy Navigation) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Winning the War in Your Mind: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Winning the War in Your Mind Workbook: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mere Christianity Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Boundaries Updated and Expanded Edition: When to Say Yes, How to Say No To Take Control of Your Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Screwtape Letters Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are so You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Your Brain's Not Broken: Strategies for Navigating Your Emotions and Life with ADHD Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Boundaries Workbook: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Good Girl's Guide to Great Sex: Creating a Marriage That's Both Holy and Hot Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Bible Recap: A One-Year Guide to Reading and Understanding the Entire Bible Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Four Loves Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Changes That Heal: Four Practical Steps to a Happier, Healthier You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5New Morning Mercies: A Daily Gospel Devotional Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Law of Connection: Lesson 10 from The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wild at Heart Expanded Edition: Discovering the Secret of a Man's Soul Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Grief Observed Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for How to Stay Christian in Seminary
6 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
How to Stay Christian in Seminary - David Mathis
FOREWORD
BY JOHN PIPER
This book is by two men who did stay Christian in seminary. Really did. I have taught them and worked beside them for years. I love them and their vision. They are lovers of Jesus, lovers of the Bible, lovers of the church, lovers of the lost, and lovers of their wives and children. They fought for passion in all their studies, and God has given them their heart’s desire.
My experience in seminary was very different from the sad stories I hear. I loved it. I flourished. I exploded, in fact. I could not get enough. Pursuing the knowledge of God and his word was not boring or deadening. Knowing more did not mean loving less. Just the opposite. If the wood of theology was dry, it burned the better. More facts about God meant more flame for God. More propositions, more passion. More sight, more savoring. I am eager for you to have such an experience. I think this book will help.
If there is anything I could underline, it would be this: cry to God day and night that he would open your eyes to see wonderful things in his word (Ps. 119:18). In other words, seek to experience every hour of study as a supernatural event. Everyone knows study is natural. Unbelievers can do it. What makes the difference is whether you can say with Paul, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me
(1 Cor. 15:10). You do work. But if you are crying out for him, God works. And his work is decisive. That makes all the difference.
And never forget the stunning fact that the Bible is the word of God. Peter says the writers were inspired (2 Pet. 1:21), and Paul says the very writings themselves are inspired (2 Tim. 3:16). Never, never, never stop being amazed that the Bible is the communication of the Creator of the universe. It tells us things we cannot know any other way. To study it and proclaim it is an unspeakable privilege. And best of all, it is through the word that God himself comes to us and shows himself to us (1 Sam. 3:21).
Give, give, give. Give out what you are learning. Nothing grows in the Dead Sea, at least partly because there’s no outlet. As you are fed, give food. As you burn, give warmth. As you see, show. As you are filled, spill. Find a flock to nurture. If you’re married, that may be your wife and children. It may be, as it was for me, seventh-grade boys, then ninth-grade boys, then young married couples. But don’t do so much ministry that you compromise the preciousness of your focus on study. Seminary days are unique days. They will probably never