#11: On grace, vulnerability, and student ministry with David Brady.

Photo by Jeremy Yap on Unsplash

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One of the most common misconceptions about a minister is the idea that they’re somehow different than you are. For some reason, there’s an inbred notion that a pastor or church leader has somehow tapped into a secret level of spirituality that the layperson can’t. They’re more spiritual and more religious and more faithful than you, and that’s why they’ve been called to lead a congregation and teach the Scriptures. But such notions are false and go completely against the nature of the Bible and the gospel itself. Preachers aren’t necessarily more spiritual than you, they’ve just been called by God and gifted by the Spirit to teach and lead. They’re sinners just like you. They fall just like you. They’re desperate for grace just like you.

Preachers do themselves and their congregations a disservice when they never talk about their faults and failures as Christians. If the pastor is always the hero of his own story, it’s not Jesus you’re hearing about week after week. Student pastor David Brady speaks to this reality in this episode of Ministry Minded. David endeavors for vulnerability in his ministry, rightly pointing to the grace that sustains each one of us.

In this week’s episode, David Brady joins the show to talk with me about life and God’s leading, especially in the difficult decision of leaving a ministry. How does one navigate the transition from one ministry to the next? Where’s the line for vulnerability and honesty for pastors? What makes the ministry different from what we think it is?

David is a dear friend and former college classmate, and it was fantastic to speak with him and hear how God’s been using him to influence lives and advance the Kingdom. You’ll be greatly blessed by this conversation as we talk ministry transition, vulnerability in ministry, and modern student ministries.

Resources.

Jesus + Nothing = Everything, Tullian Tchividjian

The Grace of God, Andy Stanley

The Explicit Gospel, Matt Chandler

Grace: So Much More Than You Know and So Much Better Than You Think, Brad J. Gray

Sponsor.

This episode is brought to you by the Christian Standard Bible. Find out more by going to CSBible.com.

Notes.

David is one of the student pastors for North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Georgia. There he engages with middle school students with the gospel of God’s free grace. He mostly stays away from social media (which is commendable), but you can stay up-to-date with David via Instagram by following him, @drbrady12.

Credits.

Intro music: “West Coast” by Ryan Little, licensed under CC BY 4.0.