Think on These

In this episode, Alex talks with Dr. Lee Tankersley to discuss the critical role of church discipline in maintaining a healthy church. They explore the two types of discipline—formative and corrective—and emphasize the importance of addressing unrepentant sin within the church community. Through personal experiences and biblical teaching, they highlight the loving nature of discipline, its aim for restoration, and the necessity of obedience to God's commands. The conversation also addresses common objections to church discipline and provides guidance on identifying discipline-worthy sins. They delve into the complexities of church discipline, discussing how to navigate relationships with excommunicated members, the importance of encouragement over correction, and the need for thorough teaching on the subject. They emphasize the significance of creating a culture of love and accountability within the church, while also providing resources for further learning. The discussion concludes with a light-hearted lightning round of quickfire questions where listeners learn more about Lee! Chapters00:00 Introduction to Church Discipline11:18 Formative vs. Corrective Discipline17:23 Personal Journey and Conviction23:07 Implementing Church Discipline28:59 Conclusion and Reflection34:18 Understanding the Love in Discipline44:11 Relating to the Excommunicated52:49 Encouragement and Culture in the Church57:31 The First Steps to Implementing Discipline01:04:01 Lightning Round: Personal Insights01:13:59 Quiet Time Tips and Closing ThoughtsResources Mentioned:⁠9 Marks of a Healthy Church (Mark Dever)⁠⁠The Compromised Church (Ed. John Armstrong)⁠⁠A Manual of Church Order (J.L. Dagg)⁠⁠Democratic Religion (Greg Wills)⁠

In this episode, Alex has a conversation with Stephen about church membership. They answer the question, "Is church membership biblical?" They also explore what it looks like to pursue meaningful church membership as well as what it looks like to enjoy the benefits of and contribute to local church membership.

In this episode, Alex shares about the importance of evangelism for the health of the local church. He defines what it is, offers an explanation of the gospel, which is what we share in evangelism, and walks us through 11 marks of a church culture of evangelism (borrowed from Mack Stiles).

In this episode, Alex sits down with Pastor David Gallimore to discuss another core mark of a healthy church: a biblical understanding of conversion. They explore what conversion is as well as common misunderstandings of its nature. They also emphasize the roles of repentance, faith, and God's grace. The conversation touches on the implications of conversion for church life, assurance of salvation, and the church's responsibility in affirming genuine conversion among its members.TakeawaysBiblical conversion is a spirit-wrought act of grace.Repentance and faith are inseparable in the conversion process.Conversion is often misunderstood as merely a decision.God's grace is essential for true conversion.The church must affirm genuine conversions to maintain its health and witness.Assurance of salvation is found in looking to Christ.Genuine conversion produces evidence in a believer's life that they have truly been changed by God.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Biblical Conversion05:53 The Importance of Repentance and Faith11:26 God's Sovereignty and Human Responsibility19:01 Evidences of Genuine Conversion26:30 The Church's Role in Conversion32:28 Final Thoughts on Conversion

In this episode, Alex discusses the importance of biblical theology and gospel doctrine in the life of a healthy church. He emphasizes the centrality of Jesus Christ in biblical theology and how understanding the storyline of Scripture can prevent churches and individuals from seeing the bible with a man-centered focus instead of a God- Centered one.TakeawaysBiblical theology is essential for understanding Scripture's message.Jesus Christ is the culmination of the biblical narrative.Healthy churches emphasize the storyline of Scripture.Sound doctrine leads to healthy Christians and churches.The Scriptures are not about us, but about God.Encouraging pastors to focus on biblical theology is crucial.Every sermon should point to Christ.

In this episode, Alex discusses with Stephen why expositional preaching is vital in the life of the church. They explore its definition, impact on church growth, common misconceptions, and the preparation process for sermons. The conversation emphasizes the importance of understanding scripture in its context, the role of teaching in various church contexts, and how congregants can better engage with preaching. They also discuss ways to encourage pastors and the necessity of prayer and preparation for both preachers and listeners.Chapters00:00 Understanding Expositional Preaching06:43 The Impact of Expositional Preaching on the Church15:45 Expectations and Adjustments for Expositional Sermons21:08 The Process of Preparing Expositional Sermons29:44 The Art of Expository Preaching37:04 Encouraging Your Pastor

In this episode, Alex discusses the marks of a healthy church, drawing from the insights of Mark Dever and the 9Marks ministry. He covers essential aspects such as expositional preaching, biblical theology, the true gospel, conversion, evangelism, church membership, discipline, discipleship, and leadership. Each topic is introduced briefly as a primer for what is to come throughtout the rest of season 2! Chapters00:00 Introduction to Healthy Churches02:26 Understanding Expositional Preaching05:11 The Importance of Biblical Theology07:38 Defining the Gospel10:13 Understanding Conversion and Evangelism12:53 The Role of Church Membership and Discipline15:41 Discipleship and Church Leadership

In this episode, Alex discusses the importance of the local church in the life of a Christian. He emphasizes that the church is God's idea, not a human invention, and that it plays a crucial role in community, accountability, and spiritual growth. He explores why the church still matters in a digital age, the significance of being part of a local congregation, and what constitutes a healthy church. He also encourages listeners to engage with their local church and highlights the need for community for the good of our souls. Takeaways-The church is essential to the Christian faith.-Salvation is personal but never private.-The local church provides a community for believers.-You cannot fulfill the 'one another' commands without a church.-Streaming services cannot replace the gathered local church-The church is Christ's bride and body.-Every church is imperfect, but it still belongs to Jesus.-The church is where disciples are made and missionaries are sent.-Being part of a local church is a biblical mandate.-Healthy churches require active participation from members.Chapters00:00 Introduction to the Local Church09:50 The Importance of Local Church Community15:03 The Reality of Imperfect Churches22:08 Looking Ahead: What Makes a Healthy Church?

In this episode, Alex returns to the podcast after a 3-month break, sharing updates on what he has been up to this summer, including a family update, church happenings, and insights from the Southern Baptist Convention as well as VBS, FBC Fulton's Summer Outreach and Student Summer Camp.

In this episode, Alex explores the rich nature of fellowship, emphasizing our fellowship with God and with one another as believers. He discusses biblical examples of individuals who exemplified deep fellowship with God, the role of Jesus in restoring that fellowship, and practical ways to grow in fellowship within the body of Christ. 00:00- Introduction01:06- Our Greatest Need: Fellowship with God01:26- The Essence of the Christian Life02:11- The First Story of Fellowship Broken- Adam & Eve03:02- A Gracious God Seeking Sinners for Fellowship04:11- God's Plan to Restore Broken Fellowship05:00- Those who Walked with God in Fellowship05:25- Enoch's Fellowship with God06:33- Noah's Fellowship with God06:41- Abraham's Fellowship with God07:30- Moses' Fellowship with God07:52- David's Fellowship with God08:06- What do we learn about Fellowship from these? 08:58- Fellowship- Our Deepest Longing09:38- How God has Restored our Fellowship10:44- Perfected Fellowship- When Faith is Turned to Sight13:16- Fellowship with One Another as Believers14:23- Opened Eyes and Opened Hearts- Toward One Another14:50- Fellowship in the New Testament18:53- The Basis of Our Fellowship ( 1 John 1:7)20:37- Stirring One Another Up in Fellowship- How Can we Enhance our Fellowship Together? 31:14- Closing

In this episode, Alex interviews Stephen Cavness (fellow pastor at FBC Fulton) hearing his life story with an eye toward God's providential grace in every season of his life. 00:00Introduction to Stephen's Journey02:07Early Life and Family Influence10:34Turning Point in College17:08The Pressure of Being a Minister's Kid21:51College Years and Musical Pursuits29:53College Cont... Music Life41:31Led to Seminary Studies44:47Seminary Life46:45Church in Seminary & Meeting Christi49:57Calling to Pastoral Ministry56:48How has the Lord used trials to form you?01:01:49Pastoral Experience: Learning and Leading01:08:13Love for Family01:10:26Run with Endurance Round01:25:18Quiet Time before the LORD01:27:30Ending

In this episode, Alex discusses the significance of prayer in the Christian life, sharing personal reflections on his own prayer journey. He emphasizes the importance of praying God's Word and introduces various methods to enhance one's prayer life, including the ACTS prayer method. Alex also highlights resources to support us in prayer practices. He encourages listeners to incorporate prayer into their daily routines and to model prayer for their children, ultimately fostering a deeper relationship with the triune God.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Prayer02:58 The Importance of Praying God's Word05:53 Practical Methods for Prayer10:23 Organizing Your Prayer Life16:33 Praying for Others and the Church22:29 Resources for Enhancing Prayer Life28:30 Encouragement and Final Thoughts

In this episode, Alex interviews Brandon Porter. Brandon is the Vice President for Communications for the Southern Baptist Convention where he serves as the editor of Baptist Press. He is married to Monica and they have 5 children. They discuss Brandon's journey through marriage, family, and ministry. Brandon has a pastor's heart and it shows as he shares insights on parenting, ministry, influences, and a host of other things. He also shares with us about his work with the Southern Baptist Convention and explains to us some of the key things we get to do together as Southern Baptists that make us unique.

In this episode, Alex is joined by pastor Stephen Cavness whom he serves alongside at First Baptist Church in Fulton, Kentucky. They talk about the importance of corporate worship and help us consider how we should think about the corporate worship gathering. Stephen also gives some helpful book recommendations for us. Books Worship Matters by Bob Kauflin True Worshipers by Bob Kauflin Worship by the Book by D.A. Carson Corporate Worship: How the Church Gathers as God's People by Matt Merker Youtube

In this episode, Alex tells how you can win a free book!

In this episode, Alex discusses books he read in 2024 that helped him think on Christ and commends them to us for our reading.

In this promo episode, Alex introduces the podcast and outlines his plans for its content. Watch on Youtube