Welcome!

Welcome to the second edition of the Shepherds & Scholars Newsletter from Phoenix Seminary! If you're new to this newsletter, you can view last month’s edition here.

We’re excited to announce the addition of a book giveaway component to each monthly newsletter. This month we’re giving away 10 copies of a book from Dr. Wayne Grudem! Make sure to check out the “Wayne’s Word” segment to learn how you can enter the giveaway. 

In this month's For the Shepherd’s Study, Pastor Chris Newkirk answers questions and provides resources on preaching through the book of Exodus. And From the Scholar’s Desk, we’re very excited to introduce work from Phoenix Seminary’s newest faculty member, Dr. Nathan Tarr.

But first, the “Desert Roundup”—links to highlight recent content and resources that we think you’ll find helpful!

Why Should Christians Defend Religious Liberty? – It’s easy to be either overly-invested or unhelpfully apathetic when it comes to politics. But Andrew Walker insists that Scripture encourages all Christians to defend religious liberty for all—for Christians and non-Christians alike. Listen as Dr. Walker explains on the Faith Seeking Understanding podcast. 

Why Your Youth Ministry Needs Theology Proper and Church History – The study of God and his attributes and Church History might not strike you as the highest teaching priorities in youth ministry, but Will Standridge argues that these are exactly what young people in the church need more of. Check out Will’s article to find out why!

The Case for and against the Longer Ending of Mark’s Gospel – Scholars have long debated whether the long ending of Mark’s Gospel (16:9–20) was truly written by Mark or is a later addition. To help you think through and weigh the evidence for yourself, the Text and Canon Institute has released two articles—one in favor of the longer ending, and another one against it. 

Jesus and the God of Classical Theism – Last month, we highlighted Phoenix Seminary’s Dr. Steve Duby and his new book Jesus and the God of Classical Theism. The book is now out and you can get it here! Listen to Dr. Duby explain the premise of the book in his own words in this exclusive promo video.

What does it mean to be “led by the Holy Spirit?” How do we make decisions in accordance with God's will? There are three main resources God gives us in making decisions. . .

1. The Bible – Our first source of information for any decision, the Bible is our only source of inerrant and absolutely authoritative information about any ethical decision. In fact, most of the choices we make throughout each day can and should be decided according to the teachings of Scripture. 

2. Wisdom – While Scripture is explicitly clear on some issues, others require the use of our God-given reason to apply it to the everyday decisions we face in life. This skill of understanding and applying the Bible rightly to each situation is called wisdom. God wants us to be able to have wisdom and make right decisions (Jas 1:5). Wise decision-making can become a good habit for all Christians, a skill that they exercise more and more naturally over time and with practice.

3. Personal Guidance from the Holy Spirit – The New Testament teaches that direct guidance from the Holy Spirit is a normal component of the life of Christians, and it is one of the factors we should take into account in seeking to know God’s will. If we look at the whole scope of biblical history, we see from beginning to end that God has a personal relationship with his people. Verses like Romans 8:14 and Galatians 5:16–18 speak about an expectation that Christians will experience a measure of leading or guiding by the Holy Spirit, who will influence their evaluation of various choices and courses of action.


Think about it: How do you know when the Holy Spirit is guiding you, if at all? How much faith would you say that you have right now that God will give you wisdom regarding a specific difficult decision? 

Memorize it: James 1:5–6: If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.

Sing it! “Open My Eyes, That I May See”
 

This content was adapted from my book, "What the Bible Says about How to Know God’s Will." If you’d like to read more on this topic, Phoenix Seminary is giving away 10 copies to Shepherds & Scholars subscribers. Click here to enter the giveaway.