Last year a group at our church quietly formed what we called a Diversity Study Group. Our prayer was to have some honest and healing conversations…

The Deacon office was established in Acts 6:1-6. It helps us understand the nature of the Deacon ministry.

(1) Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. (2) And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. (3) Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. (4) But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” (5) And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. (6) These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.” (Acts 6:1-6)

Who are Deacons? They are faithful brothers and sisters. What do they do? They serve. Let’s look at their ministry of service, why it is important, and how their ministry relates to the Elder’s ministry.

Who are Deacons? What is their character? 1 Timothy 3:8-13 reads:

(8) Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. (9) They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. (10) And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. (11) Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. (12) Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. (13) For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.”

This passage teaches us what Deacons are supposed to be. Deacons are not perfect people, but they are faithful people. Deacons are chosen to serve. This list explains the type of character they are supposed to possess. This passage can be divided into nine characteristics.

Jesus came to serve...not to be served. Mark 10:42-45 says, “(42) and Jesus called them to him and said to them, ‘You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. (43) But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, (44) and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. (45) For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.’”

Powlison’s booklet is the best starting point to understand the nature of anger and how to express anger in healthy righteous ways. Controlling Anger is published by New Growth Press in partnership with CCEF. It is only fifteen pages and can be downloaded to Kindle. Students and adults will both find it readable. This booklet is a great summary of the Bible’s view of anger and the solutions it provides.

Powlison’s booklet is the best starting point for people trying to understand their anxiety. It is published by New Growth Press, is only 16 pages, and can be downloaded to Kindle. The booklet is a readable summary of the problem of anxiety as well as how the gospel is the solution.

If you struggle with panic attacks Lucy Ann Moll’s mini book is a great place to start on your journey of discovering how the gospel helps you. This is only 64 pages and can be read in a couple of evenings. She does a great job of providing biblical counsel, but also acknowledges the place of medicine.

Many of us have been haunted by depression. The first resource I recommend someone struggling with depression is Ed Welch’s booklet. It is only 32 pages and thus can be read in one day. Even though it is short, it gets to the heart of the problem of depression as well as providing gospel solutions and practical tips on how to fight when depressed.

Contemporary culture has a plurality of opinions of how to view human identity. For some, self-esteem is the ultimate virtue to achieve. The spirituality of many is that if they could only have a higher view of themselves then they would be happy. However, the Bible has better news. Tim Keller’s “The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness” is important because a wrong view of personal identity is leading to wasted unhappy lives.

As a pastor, news of another church shooting has grieved me and brought me to my knees once again. However, as a pastor, I also oversee the institution of Redeemer Church. It is my responsibility to provide leadership in order to provide a safe environment for our church to worship. As your pastor, I don’t feel the freedom to entertain political platitudes, but rather feel the burden to study these incidents in order to implement what works. Therefore, I want to provide some comments for our church about church shootings.

Local autonomy has always been part of Baptist history, but so has cooperation.  Throughout our history, local Baptist churches have been the ultimate authority for their own congregation.  Baptist churches hire their own pastors. Baptist churches install their own Elders and Deacons.  Baptist churches develop and approve their own budgets including making decisions about missions giving.  However, we also have a history of cooperation with other churches.  Typical Southern Baptist churches cooperate through local county associations, state conventions, and the national Southern Baptist Convention.  These contemporary efforts are grounded in a history of cooperation found in the earliest Baptist churches.  I have recently published a book about an early Baptist named Thomas Patient (HERE) who both planted the first Irish Baptist churches but also cooperated with other like-minded Baptist churches.

Baptists have long asked the question, “what does it mean to be a Baptist?” E. Y. Mullins was the president of The Southern Baptist Seminary and argued that soul competency was Baptists’ “mother principle.”[1] Other ideas about religious liberty and oppositions to confessions of faith spring from the Mullins’ teachings on soul competency. However, the father of the Irish Baptist movement would disagree with Mullins’ conclusions. Thomas Patient planted the first Baptist churches in Ireland and did so for different reasons than soul competency. The doctrine that led to Patient establishing those first Irish Baptist churches helps Baptists understand what it really means to be a Baptist.