Why the name "Unoriginal
Pastor"?
I've never been innovative. Words like
"creative", "clever", and "trendsetter" do
not describe me. Rarely do I even have an original thought. In our day, being
unoriginal is usually considered a vice, but when it comes to pastoral ministry
it is a virtue.
My main responsibility as a pastor is
to teach God's Word to God's people. This means I am not responsible for
devising novel sermons. I am simply commissioned to tell people what God has
already revealed in his Word.
For an unoriginal person like myself,
this is really encouraging because God has not called me to be innovative when
it comes to the pastorate. He has called me to be faithful to his Word. This is
why I have named my blog "Unoriginal Pastor". It is a reminder to
myself that the Scriptures, not the latest trends, are what need shape my life,
ministry, and sermons.
As John Calvin has so elegantly stated, "A rule is prescribed to all God's servants that they bring not their own inventions, but simply deliver, as from hand to hand, what they have received from God."
As John Calvin has so elegantly stated, "A rule is prescribed to all God's servants that they bring not their own inventions, but simply deliver, as from hand to hand, what they have received from God."
How were you converted?
As a child, I learned the gospel
message by attending church with my family. Although I mentally comprehended
that Christ died for my sin I did not exercise repentance and faith until my
senior year of college. At the age of 22, the Holy Spirit revealed
my sinful condition and enabled me to trust in Jesus Christ. My profession of
faith was then accompanied with evidence of that faith. My entire lifestyle changed.
The sin I was passionate for no longer appealed to me. I started serving in a
local church. I began practicing spiritual disciplines such as Bible study and
prayer. Additionally, I started witnessing to others about what Christ had done
for me and the truth of the gospel message.
What is your philosophy of ministry?
A pastor is a man who is called by God
to lead, serve, protect, and provide for the spiritual needs of God's flock.
This is the essence of a pastor. This is what God has called me to do and by
his grace, I will shepherd after God's own heart and will feed his church with
knowledge and understanding (Jer. 3:15). In order to achieve this objective I
will imitate the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, as well as conform my life and doctrine
to the teachings set forth by God's Holy Word.
What is some Christian literature that has influenced you?
There are many books outside of the
Bible that have had a profound influence on my life and ministry. The following
are the most significant:
- The Cross of Christ by
John Stott
- The Cross Centered Life: Keeping the Gospel the Main
Thing by C.J. Mahaney
- The Prodigal God by
Timothy Keller
- The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges
- The Mortification of Sin by John Owen
- Between Two Worlds: The Art of Preaching in the
Twentieth Century by
John Stott
- Preaching and Preachers by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
- Preaching: How to Preach Biblically by John MacArthur and the Master’s Seminary
- Preaching the Cross by
Dever, Duncan, Mohler, and Mahaney and other contributors
- 9 Marks of a Healthy Church by Mark Dever
- The Trellis and the Vine: The Ministry Mind-Shift that
Changes Everything by
Colin Marshall and Tony Payne
- Stop Dating the Church: Fall in Love with the People of
God by Joshua Harris
- The Reformed Pastor by
Richard Baxter
- Dear Timothy: Letters on Pastoral Ministry edited by Thomas Ascol
- Center Church: Doing Balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry
in your City by Timothy Keller
- Desiring God by
John Piper
- How to Read the Bible for All its Worth by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart
- Family Driven Faith: Doing What it Takes to Raise Sons
and Daughters Who Walk With God by
Voddie Baucham
- This Momentary Marriage: A Parable of Permanence by John Piper
- Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing your Christian Convictions by Gregory Koukl
