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Shepherd The Sheep

~ Three men who love Jesus and His church

Shepherd The Sheep

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Pastor, take time to train up godly men so that you can devote your time to prayer, the ministry of the Word, and shepherding

05 Tuesday Feb 2013

Posted by Shawn J. Wilhite in Discipleship, Evangelism, Preaching, Shepherding, Teaching, Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Acts of the Apostles, Administration, Pastor, Shawn, Training

I’m noticing a trend in pastoral ministry that may not be new but it may not be valid. When reading Richard Baxter’s The Reformed Pastor some years ago, I was struck with an aspect of his care for his fold. There would be constant visitation, constant prayer, and constant studying of his word to care for the sheep. I am noticing a trend. The pastoral office is moving away from time in a chair and time with people to a rally-leading, church organizing, administrator who preaches.

Now I know full and well there is an amount of administration that needs to be finished by the weeks end. There is an expectation of the Pastor to constantly organize new events, new programs, and new innovations in order to reach unbelievers. This trend, if I’m seeing it correctly, is not a healthy vision of the ministry. The reason does not reside in the Pastor doing administration, organizing events, etc., but in the Pew’s expectations of the pastor. It’s the pastor’s job to reach the unbeliever. It’s the pastor’s job to organize next months Easter program. It’s the pastor’s job to “you name it.”
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Pastor, love your wife and your children…and your dog

29 Tuesday Jan 2013

Posted by Shawn J. Wilhite in Preaching, Service, Shepherding, Teaching

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Elder, Pastor, Pastoral Epistles, Shawn

The pastoral office is dear to my heart. It is arduous, yet so rewarding. It is painful, yet so fulfilling. It is a wonderful office and the men fulfilling those roles are to be commended. For Paul, those desiring this office, “desire a noble task” (1 Tim 3:1). Slowly, over the course of the following 2–3 months, Jason and I want to provide encouragements to the pastor, provide a basic outline of pastoral duties, and try to be a voice for any church going reader to view the pastoral office from a different vantage point.

Our goal is not necessarily to reproduce various works on the office of Elder or to “recreate the wheel” in describing their role. Moreover, when reading through the Pastoral Epistles, it would be difficult to narrow down a set of “7 Marks of the Pastor.” We don’t want to be reductionists, we don’t want to take the place of other men currently in your life, but we want to be a written voice, from afar, shouting, “Stay the course.”

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New Year’s Ambitions: A past year’s reflections, a new year’s anticipations

31 Monday Dec 2012

Posted by Shawn J. Wilhite in Biblical Counseling, Discipleship, Shepherding

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Jonathan Edward, Mortimer Adler, New Year's resolution, Santification, Shawn, Shepherding, Sin

A number of years ago, I was cut to the heart by The End for Which God Created the World. This book, to date, outside of Scripture has had the deepest, most influential shaping of my affections, my mind, and the shaping of my theology. Subsequently led me to read other works by Jonathan Edwards. His Resolutions brought more conviction, possibly man-made conviction, than expected. Looking back on his resolutions, I’m thankful for him to do these but they possibly could produce a false sense of guilt.

I’ve never been a person who is interested in New Year’s resolutions. I find that the ones that I make last only a few weeks, at most, and are typically superficial. This media-like phenomenon, because I’ve never really met a person who takes them too seriously, strikes at the heart of behavior modification. A number of years ago, I was pressed with this idea as it crosses sanctification. The affections must change prior to any external change; therefore, a resolve to do something, because it is the New Year, is primarily behavior modification and will most likely not last.
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Why Logic Sometimes Conflicts with Scripture: Deity of Christ as a Test Case

20 Thursday Dec 2012

Posted by Shawn J. Wilhite in Apologetics, Biblical Theology, Christology, Discipleship, Election, Eschatology, Evangelism, Gospel, Shepherding, Systematic Theology

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Christ, Economic, eschatology, evangelism, Logic, Olivet Discourse, Omniscience, Ontological, Shawn, Synoptic Gospels, Theological Method, Trinity

Logic is the beautiful and artistic arrangement of propositions, statements, or examples to construct an argument. The more I study principles of logic, organization of logic, and flaws of logical fallacies, everyone everywhere constantly forms logical arguments. It is interesting, and I think an argument can be made, that some aspects of Scripture don’t follow logical rules. One such example will embody this post. However, instead of assuming the Bible contains logical fallacies that can be easily defeated, I’ve coined a term within my own communities to attempt to solve this illogical tension within some principles in Scripture. I call it “biblical logic”; that is, though it does not follow the set rules of logic per se, it presents its own argument while affirming the inability to be inconsistent. Therefore, a presupposition of scriptural coherence prohibits me from seeing competing discrepancies and therefore presents a different set of logical hurdles to formulate.

Take for example the deity of Christ. I’ve encountered this within my evangelistic encounters where the recipient refuses to believe in the complete deity of Christ because they see some deficiency in Christ. They, typically without any philosophical or logical training (and therefore, I believe, proves my idea that people formulate logic unknowingly) try to disprove the gospel using logical means of a syllogism. A syllogism is composed of three elements: Major Premise, Minor Premise, and Concluding Thought. They use Matthew 24:36 in order to diminish the deity of Christ, “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the son, but only the Father.” They draw out Christ’s inability to know all things and consequently reveals a bit of presuppositions on their end. Their syllogism typically follows:

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How to Care for Your Local Church Pastor

05 Wednesday Dec 2012

Posted by Shawn J. Wilhite in Discipleship, Ecclesiology, Preaching, Shepherding, Teaching

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

Congregation, elders, Leadership, Local Church, Pastor, Pastoral Ministry, Prayer, Shawn

Caring for those in the pastoral office has to be found somewhere in the Scriptures, and as a pastor, it may be one of the more awkward items to talk about. However, I have found myself being in a position I haven’t been in for about 6 years which makes it a little easier to talk about. How do you, as a congregation, care for your pastors? Pastors are tired, yet joyful. Pastors are discouraged, yet constantly refreshed. Pastors have one of the most joyful, rewarding, and refining work. But how do/should congregational members care for their pastors (yes, the associate is a co-equal with the preaching pastor). Furthermore, are we asking the wrong question? Aren’t the shepherds supposed to shepherd?

It was during my time in Seminary that I was introduced to the idea of caring for your pastor. I read a chapter, later turned into a small pamphlet, entitled Praying for Sunday: You, Your Pastor, and Your Next Sermon. Little did I know that great affect this pamphlet would have on my praying life.
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Why Critical Inquiry Should Be Part of the Christian Life

21 Sunday Oct 2012

Posted by Shawn J. Wilhite in Apologetics, Biblical Theology, Postmodernism, Shepherding, Teaching, Theodicy, Worldview

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Berean, Biblical Theology, Critical thinking, Habakkuk, Pedagogy, Shawn, Teaching

Asking questions have plagued our youth to an extent that they are scolded for attempting to think “outside” the established norm. Some who offer critical thinking may be seem divisive. Regardless, questions that test the established norm are not necessarily favored by the hierarchy of leadership. I would offer the hypothesis that critical questions and the depth of those questions may indicate a spirit of teachability, spiritual maturity, and a great desire for knowledge. The converse of my hypothesis, I would also affirm: a lack of questions or attempting to squelch the inquisitor may be a sign of spiritual immaturity or a demonstration of lacking knowledge.

I wish I could take credit of this initial thought, but a mentor of mine developed the seedbed of this thinking. If you pursue the idea of “question” from a biblical theology perspective, the continuity of the testaments offer an interesting perspective. The original question in Scripture could undo my entire thesis. The serpent has the first question, attempting to break the established norm in Gen 3. This single question sought to discredit the authority of God’s instruction. But after living in a fallen-world, the idea of “question” breeds discernment.
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A New Perspective on Tolerance: Is Today’s Tolerance the New “New Compassion”

14 Tuesday Aug 2012

Posted by Shawn J. Wilhite in Apologetics, Biblical Counseling, Postmodernism, Worldview

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Christian Worldview, Compassion, D.A. Carson, Enlightenment, Postmodernity, Shawn, Tolerance

History has an impeccable way of communicating to a new generation. There is the natural progress of thought and continuation of thinking. There is the possible example of failures. There is the picture of valiant men and woman who served as our noble icons. More often than not, one of the greatest advantages of history, and knowing history, is the ability to observe a historical line of thinking. Take for example in New Testament studies, it his helpful to enter the conversation with an understanding of “where we’ve been” because it offers systemic structures to the conversation, either good or bad. Observing the trajectory of the past puts “today” into context and why we are here in a certain line of thinking. Something came from somewhere.

An easy, though often abused example, is the presuppositional framework of post-modernity. The very existence of post-modernity depends upon a modernistic framework. Thus, Enlightenment philosophy bred modernity. And you can imagine how the influences of the Enlightenment preceded its rise. Consequently, we live in a world of cause and effect, especially within our thinking.
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Why, as a Young Pastor, I love the “Ordinary” Pastor….Especially Those in my Life!!!!

06 Monday Aug 2012

Posted by Shawn J. Wilhite in Biblical Counseling, Ecclesiology, Preaching, Service, Shepherding

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

John Piper, Pastoral Ministry, Pastoral Office, Shawn, Shepherding, trials

One of the greatest memories from my early years in undergraduate studies are the vivid expressions and word pictures from my Old Testament professor. My favorite is an ad hominen slam against the person he is talking to and an exaltation of the person being compared. Take for example, one of my favorite dead theologians, Jonathon Edwards. In his comical and joking way, he would say, “Edwards could take out half of his brain and still be smarter than you.” The hilarious insult and vivid imagery is quite whimsical. If Edwards took out half of his brain, first, he’d be dead, but moreover, take away half of the intellectual abilities of Edwards, and he still thinks better than you.

However, one of his “sayings” has stuck with me over the years. He’d constantly reminisce over influential men in his early years as a believer or people that he highly respected and say, “I’d drink from that man’s shoe.” The literal implications of this allegorical portrait is quite appalling, but nonetheless, is effective in its meaning. He is exalting this person’s influence in his life to the point of being willing to do anything and everything to be around the guy.
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Why We Chose “Mercy Rea”

20 Friday Jul 2012

Posted by Shawn J. Wilhite in Biblical Counseling, Shepherding, Theodicy

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Habakkuk, Jude, Mercy, Shawn, suffering

Mercy Rea Wilhite

“Friend of Mercy”

Dispensing compassion upon observing a lowly physical state compels the compassion of God to be magnified. Mercy, in the simplistic and broadest meaning, is the bestowing of some form of compassion or kindness due to the physical condition of the party. The name “Mercy” serves an Ebenezer for a specific time in our relationship. How many of us can honestly peer into our past and point to specific moments and, with great confidence, say, “God was working there.” Predominantly found in the OT, memorial stones (i.e, an Ebenezer) were set up to remind the future generation of God’s deliverance, acts of providence, etc. They predominantly served as a teaching reminder to the people. “Mercy” is our Ebenezer.
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Why Time Heals No Wounds….Well Sorta!

17 Tuesday Jul 2012

Posted by Shawn J. Wilhite in Biblical Counseling, Preaching, Shepherding, Theology

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Biblical Counseling, Forgiveness, High Priest, New Covenant, Pastoral Ministry, Shawn, Shepherding, Sin

Within the arsenal of pastoral ministry is biblical/pastoral counseling. You’re the spiritual guru, or at least, should be. Within the pastoral endeavors, you’re bound to come across those that are spiritually lazy, faint and tender hearted, need encouragement, or those who refuse to stop drinking from the fountain of sin. Within my shepherding undertakings thus far, one of the major themes within my biblical counseling is that of broken relationships central to forgiveness.

Extending forgiveness is one those spiritual disciplines, yes I meant spiritual disciplines, that may be the easiest conceptually to see but the hardest to personalize. For example, one lady I’ve counseled communicates her longing to be forgiven by God for her sins. She comprehends the depth and extent of forgiveness that God will offer, but not it’s not for her and only for others.

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