Pastor's Inbox

What is your basic thinking on the subject of tithing from inheritance? In conjunction with the thought of tithing on the inheritance of money, what are your thoughts regarding tithing upon things such as life insurance policies, retirement accounts, and the equity from the sale of a home? For more information, visit CBTSeminary.org

In this conversation, we re-run an episode on tithing in preparation for a new episode on tithing that will be released next week. For more information, visit CBTSeminary.org

What should we do when a wife is not convinced that she and her husband should take a call at a particular church, which would require them to move? For more information, visit CBTSeminary.org

Brethren, I know we've had one previous conversation on Shepherding the Afflicted through the preached word, but I'd like for us to narrow in our this specific situation of affliction.  What doctrines or passages should we preach to minister to widows and widowers? What passages does the congregation need to hear for them to effectively minister to widows and widowers in the congregation?  For more information, visit CBTSeminary.org

How may we shepherd ministerial aspirants under our ministry through the preached word? What aspects of Christ's person and work do aspiring ministers need to hear? For more information, visit CBTSeminary.org

What doctrines or passages should we preach to minister to the souls of believers who wrest with assurance? What aspects of Christ's person and work do doubting believers need to hear? For more information, visit CBTSeminary.org

Again, we're not “singling out” anyone from the pulpit. Like Pastor Lee mentioned in a previous episode, we don't want to use the pulpit as a “bully pulpit.” That shows more cowardice than bravery. But when true believers are among us who have backslidden, what passages or doctrinal themes should we preach to address backslidden believers? What aspect of Christ's person and work do the backslidden need to hear about?

What truths do new Christians need to hear from the Word, and where might you go to proclaim them? What aspect of Christ's person and work do new believers need to learn through the preached Word?

What advice would you have for someone who wants to be born again? I've been previously assured of my own salvation in a monergistic but ultimately fruitless form of Christianity. About five years ago I was forced to consider and was soon absolutely convinced by the Scriptures I was not at all saved. Since then, I've been striving to enter the narrow gate, through prayer, sometimes fasting, constant scripture study, local church attendance, contacting the broader Church, and reading old Puritan books about my situation. I've been asking God to save me, whatever it takes, give me the Holy Spirit, break me, just don't let me die in this state, however long it takes. I hope he would be pleased to work in me the changed heart and life he is looking for. So all that to say, what is the responsibility of someone who wants to be born again, assuming they're not?

Should a Credo-Baptist church require PaedoBaptists to be immersed as believers for church membership

When admitting new members, does your church require that all members be baptized by immersion? Would you make a special exception for someone who was baptized as a believer by aspersion (sprinkling) if there was not a baptist church in their region at the time of conversion?

There are several positions that a church may take on who should be permitted to partake in the Lord's Supper. There is the “open” position, which allows for all believers in Christ to partake, the “close” position, which allows for members of a church of like faith and practice to partake, and there is the “closed” position, which allows only for members of that particular local church to partake. From your perspective, which position is most Scriptural and what does it look like in practice in your local church (ie, instructions beforehand, fencing of the table, etc.)?

Questions about Associations | Pastor's Inbox In this conversation, Pastors Joe Wilson and Lee McKinnon answer several questions submitted by one listener related to associations. For more information, visit CBTSeminary.org

Wives, submit to your own husbands | Pastor's Inbox In this conversation, the cohosts address the meaning of "everything" in the phrase: Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. For more information, visit CBTSeminary.org

Creeds and Confessions in Worship | Pastor's Inbox In this conversation, the cohosts answer a question about whether or not creeds and confessions should be recited during the corporate worship of God. For more information, visit CBTSeminary.org

How do we respond to plagiarism from the pulpit? | Pastor's Inbox For more information, visit CBTSeminary.org

"Best of Pastor's Inbox" Multiple Campuses? For more information, visit CBTSeminary.org

Shepherding the Tempted through the Preached Word | Pastor's Inbox For more information, visit CBTSeminary.org

Shepherding the Prideful through the Preached Word | Pastor's Inbox For more information, visit CBTSeminary.org

Shepherding the Afflicted through the Preached Word | Pastor's Inbox For more information, visit CBTSeminary.org

In this conversation, the pastors answer an inquiry submitted to the inbox related to legitimate and illegitimate means for evangelizing the lost. For more information, visit cbtseminary.org

What other obstacles or challenges do you think prevent us from enjoying personal and private communion with God? And how can these obstacles be removed and/or overcome. Additional Obstacles to Communing with God | Pastor's Inbox

One of the difficulties of living in our times is that we are a “busy” culture, always doing something. i) What ways can pastors ensure they have devoted time to personally communing with God amidst their busy schedules?

Our previous discussion discussed the meaning and importance of communing with God. Today, we want to discuss ways that we can stir up our affections when we are dry or cold. i) How can we stir up our affections to commune with God when we are dry? Communing with God with the Affections are Cold | Pastor's Inbox

We want to speak about the Pastor's personal communing with God for the next few episodes. i) What do we mean by personal communing? ii) Why must the man of God personally commune with his God?

“I was wondering if some insight could be shared on exposed public breastfeeding in church and how it might relate to modesty?” For more information, visit CBTSeminary.org

"I had a follow-up question to your latest episode. Since you all recommend not seeking to reform someone else's church, how do you reconcile that with Paul going town to town to all the synagogues as a Jew, to try to convert them? I hope you all would agree that most "churches" in America aren't even preaching the gospel anymore. First Baptist Church here doesn't talk about anyone's need for salvation even. Did Paul just talk to the leadership? Maybe I just answered my own question! But my heart goes out to all the people who prayed the sinners prayer but are still on the way to perdition."

In this episode, we rerun an "oldie but a goodie." -Austin Pastors Joe Wilson and Lee McKinnon discuss whether Scripture permits females to serve New Testament churches as Deacons.

Diversity in Eldership In our last episode, we discussed parity in the eldership. In this conversation though, we want to talk about functional diversity in the eldership. So, what are some ways to distinguish gifts/grace, etc., among the elders of a church? For more information, visit CBTSeminary.org

Parity in Eldership In our last conversation, we talked about having a plurality of elders within a local church. Now, I want to ask you brothers how these elders relate to one another. So, what do we mean by parity within the eldership? For more information, visit CBTSeminary.org

Plurality in Eldership Is it the biblical norm for churches to have a plurality of elders? What do we mean by a plurality of elders, and can you demonstrate this teaching from Scripture? For more information, visit CBTSeminary.org

Principles for Dressing Modestly For more information, visit CBTSeminary.org

What does it mean to dress modestly? For more information, visit CBTSeminary.org

What about parenting decisions? I see too many Christians meddling in the parenting choices of people who are in a different life situation from them… For more information, visit CBTSeminary.org

"Do we tell the smart, courageous, intelligent woman that she's not allowed to speak her mind about the things of God because men feel intimidated by her?" For more information, visit CBTSeminary.org

Is a woman always in sin if she chooses to have her children honor and respect their biological father over the stepfather when it's not outright sin?

The same questioner who inquired about Rebooting a Church Plant submitted the following to the Pastor's Inbox:What about reforming an existing church?#CBTSeminary Informed Scholarship | Pastoral Heart Helping the church to prepare men to undertake the full range of pastoral responsibilities in serving Christ and His kingdom. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://cbtseminary.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

We have recently discontinued efforts for a church plant at this current time. I would appreciate insights on how and when to reboot/restart a plant. How does that factor in new/different people? #CBTSeminaryInformed Scholarship | Pastoral HeartHelping the church to prepare men to undertake the full range of pastoral responsibilities in serving Christ and His kingdom.Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://cbtseminary.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Who in a church might be responsible for creating the budget? Whose responsibility is it to approve the church budget? #CBTSeminary Informed Scholarship | Pastoral Heart Helping the church to prepare men to undertake the full range of pastoral responsibilities in serving Christ and His kingdom.Visit ⁠⁠https://cbtseminary.org/⁠⁠

Why might it be wise to create a budget if a church doesn't have one? What are the basic principles someone needs to know to create a budget, and what are some of the items that a church should budget for? #CBTSeminaryInformed Scholarship | Pastoral Heart Helping the church to prepare men to undertake the full range of pastoral responsibilities in serving Christ and His kingdom.Visit ⁠⁠https://cbtseminary.org/⁠⁠

Are there certain people or ministries your church's budget designates support for? How does budgeting for giving promote support for these ministries? #CBTSeminary Informed Scholarship | Pastoral Heart Helping the church to prepare men to undertake the full range of pastoral responsibilities in serving Christ and His kingdom. Visit ⁠https://cbtseminary.org/⁠

The topic of this episode was brought about by the following question sent to the Pastor's Inbox: On listening to the episode "Giving to the needy." If giving is *not* sacrificial (ie, budgeted, planned, doesn't hurt), what is an RB view on the relative value of the said gift? #CBTSeminaryInformed Scholarship | Pastoral HeartHelping the church to prepare men to undertake the full range of pastoral responsibilities in serving Christ and His kingdom.Visit https://cbtseminary.org/

The pastors answer these questions sent to the inbox:What kind of distinction should there be in the Elder's responsibilities toward members and non-members? What are the distinct privileges for members that should not apply to non-members?#CBTSeminary  Confessional, Affordable, Theological Education CBTS is a Confessional Reformed Baptist Seminary Providing Affordable Online Theological Education to Help the Church in its Calling to Train Faithful Men for the Gospel Ministry.

The pastors answer these questions sent to the inbox: Alongside this question from last time, - Is it appropriate for a church to baptize but not permit into membership? What is the relation between baptism and church membership? #CBTSeminaryConfessional, Affordable, Theological EducationCBTS is a Confessional Reformed Baptist Seminary Providing Affordable Online Theological Education to Help the Church in its Calling to Train Faithful Men for the Gospel Ministry.

The pastors answer this question sent to the inbox:  Should there be separate criteria for admittance to the local church than there is to the universal church? #CBTSeminaryConfessional, Affordable, Theological EducationCBTS is a Confessional Reformed Baptist Seminary Providing Affordable Online Theological Education to Help the Church in its Calling to Train Faithful Men for the Gospel Ministry.

The pastors answer this question sent to the inbox: Is it Biblical to have a probationary wait period or observation period for membership? #CBTSeminaryConfessional, Affordable, Theological EducationCBTS is a Confessional Reformed Baptist Seminary Providing Affordable Online Theological Education to Help the Church in its Calling to Train Faithful Men for the Gospel Ministry.

Pastor Joe and Pastor Lee answer the following question submitted to the inbox: "How can you determine whether to fold a plant or continue in faithful hope upon the Lord?" Confessional, Affordable, Theological EducationCBTS is a Confessional Reformed Baptist Seminary Providing Affordable Online Theological Education to Help the Church in its Calling to Train Faithful Men for the Gospel Ministry

In this conversation, Pastors Lee McKinnon and Joe Wilson discuss the roles of deacons in distributing benevolence for the congregation and then describe how this is practiced in each of their churches.Confessional, Affordable, Theological EducationCBTS is a Confessional Reformed Baptist Seminary Providing Affordable Online Theological Education to Help the Church in its Calling to Train Faithful Men for the Gospel Ministry

In this conversation, Pastors Lee McKinnon and Joe Wilson discuss balancing the duty of giving to the needy, and wisely distributing church funds to visitors with various needs. Confessional, Affordable, Theological EducationCBTS is a Confessional Reformed Baptist Seminary Providing Affordable Online Theological Education to Help the Church in its Calling to Train Faithful Men for the Gospel Ministry

In this conversation, Pastors Lee McKinnon and Joe Wilson demonstrate the duty of giving to the needy from Scripture. Confessional, Affordable, Theological Education CBTS is a Confessional Reformed Baptist Seminary Providing Affordable Online Theological Education to Help the Church in its Calling to Train Faithful Men for the Gospel Ministry

This question was submitted to the Pastor's Inbox: “Do pastors have to tithe or is that a double tax?” Confessional, Affordable, Theological Education CBTS is a Confessional Reformed Baptist Seminary Providing Affordable Online Theological Education to Help the Church in its Calling to Train Faithful Men for the Gospel Ministry.