Bedhead Theology

   The Gospel of Jesus Christ stands as the central unifying thread within the life of the believer. That is, it is this message that justifies and sanctifies us. We must look to the cross with gratitude and humility. Gratitude for the price that was paid in our stead. Humility in knowing the only thing we contributed to that event was the sin that made it necessary. From that position, we can see that the central redemptive theme of Scripture must point us to the centrality of the gospel. That is, the person and work of Christ as revealed in the Bible. This revelation leads us to very distinct transformations: We have a transformation of the mind, a transformation of the emotions, and a transformation of the will, and ultimately a kingdom transformation.     The biblical charge is clear: “But as for you, continue with what you have learned and firmly believed. You know those who taught you and know that you have known the sacred Scriptures from infancy, which ca...

        The goal and purpose of evangelism is faithfulness to Christ. The method of evangelism should be to surrender to the Holy Spirit’s leading—for the proclaimer and the hearer. Cultural and theological shifts have resulted in a decline in evangelism and missions within churches. However, biblical evidence supports evangelism and missions as foundational to the local church context. The message of the gospel is at the heart of the Great Commission. Additionally, the gospel message is the central focus of the New Testament and, therefore, should be a focal point of the New Testament churches. Live with a Commitment to Prayer     Within the local church, evangelistic efforts must begin with prayer. S. D. Gordon asserted, “The greatest thing anyone can do for God and for man is to pray. It is not the only thing. But it is the chief thing.”  The believer must understand the significance of the point of importance and intentional prayer.  ...

  There is an unmistakable Scriptural mandate for evangelism. The cultural confusion lies in who that call belongs to. To bring clarity to the conversation, I wish to address what the gospel is, from a biblical and even a practical perspective. Then, looking to Jesus’ last command, we will examine what the Great Commission found in Matthew 28 means to us today. We will identify that the responsibility lies with the whole of Christendom, and there should be an urgency in the task at hand because life and death hang in the balance. Therefore, the biblical mandate for Christians is anchored in the gospel, commanded by Christ, and every Christian is beholden to obey, and in light of eternity, this task demands urgency.    What is the Gospel? If we have a professed faith in Christ, I am sure we are all aware of the fundamentals of the gospel. However, where we tend to lose sight of the gospel is when we go to share it. My dear friend Matt Queen often exclaims, “If you know e...

  The church is in desperate need of gospel clarity. Rampant on every social media platform is a barrage of claims to Christianity rife with compromise. Gospel clarity must be anchored in biblical and theological consistency. Ultimately, that clarity must begin in the pulpit. An old preaching adage I first heard in my expositional preaching class asserts, “If there is a mist in the pulpit, then there will be a fog in the pew.” [1] The lack of gospel clarity among Christians stems from a lack of clarity within the local churches’ leadership. A church devoid of conversions is, plainly speaking, a dying church. A church with no gospel conviction—no evangelistic vision, passion for reaching the lost, nor any fervor for the Great Commission—has succumbed to apathy and complacency. Too often, local churches look to secular business models for church growth tactics and lose sight of their missional mandate—make disciples. Business models become transfixed on numerical growth that thr...

       I have been reflecting on the clear distinction that exists between a healthy biblical church and an unhealthy one. Large crowds do not necessitate that a church is devoid of Spiritual vitality, just as a small church does not guarantee spiritual depth. Numbers do not mean compromise, and poverty does not mean piety. At the heart of every biblical church should be the centrality of the gospel. But what does that truly mean? Moreover,   what does that even look like? I believe it begins in the pulpit and, more specifically, the man filling the pulpit. My friend Adam Hughes (pastor, theologian, and professor) is fond of saying, “If there’s a mist in the pulpit, then there will be a fog in the pew.” If the man of God shepherding the congregation hasn’t a clue, then that cluelessness is amplified. Essentially, the spiritual health and depth of the congregation as a whole will never exceed that of its leadership. Puritan Richard Baxter charged pastors when h...

  Life can, at times, seem to be more than we can bear. No one is immune to hard times, disappointments, and even tragedies. In this life, heartache abounds. Nevertheless, Christ compels us, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matt 11:28–30). The hope in Christ provides joy through contentment. Puritan Jeremiah Burrows wrote, “When a Christian is content in the right way, the peace comes from the temper and disposition of their own heart than from any external argument or possession in the world.” [1] Looking to Christ provides that internal contentment. We can look at the following: Contentment is Pursued Jesus makes it clear in Matthew 11 that the call is to action: to come, to take, and to learn. Christ’s call to come to Him shows us that we must set the trajectory of our heart tow...

  If you are anything like I was, you are asking yourself, “What the heck is the apostolic kerygma ?” The kerygma has historically and theologically been understood as “the essential elements of the Christian gospel message.” [1] The apostolic kerygma stands as a clear understanding of what the apostles would have preached.  This understanding provides clarity in defining what constitutes the “gospel” in the church. But why is this important? Actually, it is vitally important for several reasons. First, there are three primary theological views of the apostolic kerygma: the British School, the German School, and the Anglican School. The British school basically teaches a formulaic approach to the apostles' preaching of the gospel (the death, burial, and resurrection). The German School was focused on the experiential aspects of the gospel. In other words, it wasn’t about what was preached but the experience between the preacher and the hearer that mattered. Finally, the A...