BibleSponge

Yes, there are still a few men that will wield Biblical truth no matter the cost.  You won’t find them on TBN or some arena with tens of thousands seeking their best life now.  They do exist.  I have found two of them.

A few years ago, I was plugging around the internet and stumbled upon a broadcast of Louie Giglio’s 722 church service.  As I was poking around, I stumbled upon a message by some guy about why he believed the Bible.  This was a topical message about the time that Dan Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code” was in its heyday.  The message “Why I Believe The Bible”, the man Pastor Voddie Baucham.

I was taken aback by his honesty and authenticity scarcely present in most pulpits today. Moreover, his ability to convey sound Biblical doctrine in a manner that is understandable. Upon further investigation, I discovered a love for cultural apologetics and a Biblical view of family and my role as a husband.

As I continued to pursue other influences, during a time of researching something for the youth ministry I was leading, I stumbled across another man that preached Biblical truth to 5,000+ youth with such ferocity, accuracy and boldness that I had to pick my jaw off the keyboard throughout the message.  Not to mention his dissection of the modern day altar call vs. regeneration (watch it here).  That man was Pastor Paul Washer.

Pastor Washer spent 10 years in the jungles as a missionary then moved back to the U.S. where he continues to preach.  Though he receives hundreds, if not thousands, of requests for speaking engagements annually, he only engages as his availability permits, based solely on his family.

So what’s the big deal, why the attraction?  Both share a few common threads that men would do well to pay attention.  First, they both preach sound doctrine, simply the truth and nothing but the truth.  They do not shy away from any of Scripture, regardless how allergic modern culture has made the public and the church to sound teaching and Biblical truth.

Second, an perhaps most importantly (you’ll see why in a minute), they put marriage and family in a Biblical context, as opposed to the latest 12-step program to make your marriage successful as culture deems appropriate.  They show how a Biblical husband is to be priest, prophet, protector and provider in his home.  And, from a ministerial angle, how to prioritize your family.  As Pastor Washer puts it, “To the wind with your ministry…the Bible doesn’t say to die for your ministry or church, but to lay your life down for your wife” and “….if you lose your wife and family you lose everything”.  Both ideas that I had never thought of in that perspective.

When I was at the height of my involvement of youth ministry, I was committing adultery against my wife with ministry.  I thought as long as I was out doing the ministering thing, she would get over it or deal with her feelings and God would bless it.  I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Thanks their teachings my world was turned upside down.  Thanks to their teachings I was set aside from my post in youth ministry. Thanks to their teachings I quit finding things to do for myself.  God in His mercy, through their teachings saved my marriage.  I asked my wife for forgiveness, repented and took a huge step back and threw out everything I thought I knew about marriage, family and ministry and started over.  My marriage has never been stronger and my love for my wife is out of this world, my family has a solid foundation to stand on through trials and I’ve landed on my feet at a phenomenal church where I’ll be serving.

Now I find myself less than a day away from meeting both of them at a conference.  I can sit in-person under their anointing. And best of all, I can thank them face-to-face for their work.

Here are some links to their preaching…

Voddie Baucham

• Official Website
• Messages on Sermon Audio

Paul Washer

• Messages on Sermon Audio

JS