Author: Tom Schmidt

My friend Dan Tsouloufis wrote a helpful piece on hell.  Here’s the first part: The Unfortunate Reality of Hell In today’s climate of theological skepticism, there are many misinformed people who assert that the concept of eternal punishment or eternal retribution is not taught in the Bible.  Not only is this assertion completely unorthodox, it seems […]

I’m presently working through John Calvin’s Institutes, and ran across a few helpful statements on spiritual warfare: “We must, then, bend our every effort to this goal: that we should not let ourselves be overwhelmed by carelessness or faintheartedness, but on the contrary, with courage rekindled stand our ground in combat.  Since this military service […]

I recently completed a review of Jared C. Wilson’s latest book “The Pastor’s Justification” over at the Brave Reviews website. Check it out here.

Jared C. Wilson’s latest book the Pastor’s Justification is filled with memorable one-liners.  Here’s some of my favorite: “Good leaders know that emphasizing what they’re for more than what they’re against is vital for fostering forward momentum”(47). “A pastor not interested in theology is like a computer programmer not interested in technology”(55), “Your pastor may […]

Beatitudes Rewritten to Reflect Modern Ministry Practices (Wilson) Considering the topics and interests which are popular at many ministries conferences today, Jared C. Wilson says in his latest book (The Pastor’s Justification) that we should probably “rewrite the Beatitudes” in order to “better suit the modern age’s self-confident church”: “Blessed are the type-A personalities, for […]

Some  friends of mine from church are part of a group called the Restoration Project.  These guys are seeking to provide new and updated versions of hymns for children and currently have a kickstarter campaign totally worth your financial support.  They are hoping to record two albums, and need to raise $10,000 to make this […]

Oh entangling entitlement, Self-pity’s closest friend, Your line of reasoning is impeccable, Your arguments have no end: ‘Of course I deserve this position!’ ‘It’s only fair that I get that title!’ ‘Any other result would be an injustice!’ ‘Why shouldn’t I receive what ought to be mine!’ I’ve believed your words, Judging all other paths […]

I recently updated the website and added a few more of my sermons that I preached this year.  Check them out here: http://www.ttschmidt.com/preaching

10 REASONS WE DO NOT SHARE THE GOSPEL WITH UNBELIEVERS (adapted from my sermon on John 3:16) 1. We are afraid of what others think of us (people-pleasing, fear of man idolatry). 2. We are building a friendship and waiting for the right moment to share the gospel with others.  The problem is most of […]

5 Ways the Bible Speaks about the Love of God–Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God (Carson) What does it mean to speak of God’s love? What does it mean that God loves us?  D.A. Carson gives a helpful framework for us in his book “The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God” (found here […]