Truth For Life - Alistair Begg – Details, episodes & analysis

If Jesus offered to pray on your behalf, what would you ask Him to pray for? In His High Priestly Prayer in John 17, Jesus prayed for His disciples, distinguishing them from the world, declaring them to be agents of His glory, and asking the Father to keep them in His name. Alistair Begg unpacks how over two thousand years later, that same prayer is still being answered for all those who follow Christ, in whom we are securely, eternally kept.

When the resurrected Jesus appeared to Peter, recommissioned him, and told him what the future held, the restored disciple had to confront the task before him. Initially, his attention was focused on his friend John—perhaps in empathy or concern, or perhaps in jealousy. Yet Jesus redirected Peter and echoed His initial invitation to follow Him. While Peter and John were different men with different instincts and convictions, they shared the same hope: that one day, after He had gone, Jesus would return to bring His people home.

After His resurrection, Jesus reappeared to His disciples several times. One such encounter involved a hard but necessary conversation in which Peter, who'd previously denied knowing Jesus, affirmed his love for Him. Christ then disclosed Peter's future death and restored him to the mission of "fishing" for men and shepherding God's people. Alistair Begg points out that the disciple's previous denial of Christ didn't disqualify him from ministry, because with Jesus, failure is never final.

In this practical session, Rico Tice and Richard Borgonon share resources for evangelism in a world with increasing barriers to Christianity. Despite these obstacles, currently one-third of people are open to a conversation about the faith. Two foundational convictions should inform our evangelism: that the Lord is actively at work in the lives of non-Christians, preparing them to be open to the Word, and that God's Word is powerful to save. Christians must be effectively equipped to take God's Word to nonbelievers.

Chapter 7 of Luke's Gospel records the story of a widow who encountered Jesus during the funeral procession for her son. When Jesus saw her, He spoke to her and then raised her son from the dead. In this message, Alistair Begg reminds us of Jesus' vast love and compassion, emphasizing that this picture of Jesus triumphing over death is a sign and a promise of all that awaits believers in the age to come. Only Jesus can bring the dead to life, and He invites us to come and trust in Him to save us from our sin and to restore all things.

In this Q and A session, Rico Tice, Alistair Begg, and Sinclair Ferguson respond to questions from the attendees of the Basic Conference. Listen to these men laugh and teach together as they offer a gold mine of practical wisdom. Among other topics, they discuss their individual callings to pastoral ministry, the advantages and disadvantages to denominational ties, plagiarism, corporate worship, and words of concern and advice for the upcoming generation of pastors.

"Him we proclaim." Prolific theologian and author Sinclair Ferguson challenges pastors and church leaders to take this simple statement as their "motto text," informing every element of their preaching as it did for the apostle Paul himself. In order to do so, we must preach Jesus Christ from the totality of Scripture and in concert with the wisdom of the church fathers. We must also remember that when we preach Christ, He preaches Himself, meeting every need of everyone who truly hears the message.

To "do the work of an evangelist," as Paul urged his protégé Timothy to do, is often seen as an individual project—particularly, the specific work of individual pastors. However, as Rico Tice argues, the world needs the entire church body to engage in evangelism. In this talk, he surveys tools and techniques for accomplishing this task while making clear that God is the one who opens blind eyes and transforms lives.

Relationships are a precious and weighty influence on a pastor's ministry. Even the apostle Paul could not fulfill his calling alone and felt vulnerable to the affections of those around him. In this message, Alistair Begg teaches from the end of Paul's letters to Timothy, admonishing us to value our co-laborers and be mindful of our greetings and farewells. Every pastor will benefit from loyal and useful friendships, which serve as channels of God's love and affection from one to another.

All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable. So why do preachers skip over some parts? If the Holy Spirit inspired and included genealogies, border descriptions, Levitical offerings, and narratives that offend modern sensibilities, shouldn't pastors preach them? And shouldn't preachers be able to capture and hold a congregation's attention even in such passages? In this breakout session, Hershael York, dean of the School of Theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, teaches preachers how to preach these notoriously difficult texts in a manner that both reveals their purpose in God's revelation and holds a listener's interest.