MARSCAST

In this particular podcast episode, we wanted our professors to discuss specifically what it means to teach “the whole counsel of God,” to preach sound doctrine, to be diligent in season and out of season. In continental churches, specifically Dutch Reformed churches, you'll notice the practice of “catechetical” preaching. But many engage in some form of doctrinal preaching, or confessional preaching. And so we want to spend some time discussing that, and seeing its value for the churches, hopefully clearing up some confusions as well. But specifically, as it relates to catechetical preaching, or confessional preaching, there's probably a lingering question that those unfamiliar with this practice may have: “Don't we preach Scripture?” “What's this all about?”

We spoke last time about the importance of preaching, covering a range of topics there, but we thought it would be useful to dig down a little deeper into specifically what is entailed in preaching exegetical sermons, or biblical sermons. Of course, preachers want to preach the Bible, they're not interested in preaching the phone book, or preaching a new novel. But how do preachers go about doing that? What do people need to hear from preachers, how do they prepare, and how do our professors prepare men here at the Seminary to be exegetical and biblical preachers? Revs. Andrew Compton, Mark Vander Hart, and Drs. Mark Beach and Alan Strange join together once more to answer these questions.

Rev. Andrew Compton, Rev. Mark Vander Hart, Dr. J. Mark Beach, & Dr. Alan Strange sit down together for this latest installment in the Round Table podcasts to discuss the importance of preaching in the church. Our next episode will tackle the topic of the method of preaching that is taught here at Mid-America Reformed Seminary. May you be blessed by this conversation!

Rev. Andrew Compton, Dr. J. Mark Beach, and Rev. Mark Vander Hart discuss the Ministerial Apprenticeship Program and its implications for a healthy seminary education as students seek to enter into pastoral ministry.

Our professors have been discussing at length the subject of Systematic Theology. Now time to hear them speak more specifically on the role of Systematic Theology in their classrooms. For those of you new to Mid-America and our community of professors, we have here represented Dr. Cornelis Venema, President of the Seminary and also professor of Doctrinal Studies. We have Dr. J. Mark Beach, professor of Ministerial and Doctrinal Studies. Dr. Alan Strange, Professor of Church History and Apologetics, and finally Rev. Andrew Compton, Assistant Professor of Old Testament Studies. This third installment begins with how Systematics comes to bear on the classes the professors themselves teach, with Dr. Venema starting us off because, well, it's what he teaches.

In part 1 of "Systematic Theology," those very words were used quite a bit. But what exactly is systematic theology, and what are its various components?

In this new "Round Table" series, professors Rev. Andrew Compton, Dr. Cornelis Venema, Dr. J. Mark Beach, and Dr. Alan Strange lend their voices to the subject of Systematic Theology: what is it? Is it useful, helpful? How does Mid-America Reformed Seminary prepare ministers by studying ST, and how can non-theologians learn more about it?

In part 2, Rev. Andrew Compton, Dr. Alan Strange, and Dr. J. Mark Beach explain how justification and the gospel concretely affect pastor's preaching, their leading of worship, their planning of worship, and how we are to think about all these things in pastoral ministry.

Andrew Compton, Alan Strange, and J. Mark Beach take on the topic of justification and its relationship to the gospel in pastoral ministry.

Rev. Mark Vander Hart, Rev. Andrew Compton, Dr. Cornelis Venema, and Dr. J. Mark Beach gather together for a round table discussion for our first ever podcast recording of --- "Round Table" --- a moment where our professors take time out of their busy schedule to discuss theological issues of our day. Enjoy our premiere - Episode 1: Salvation of the Infants of Believers.