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Pastoral ministry is often filled with no small amount of heartache. Either personally experienced or empathetically felt for others, overcoming grief with the gospel plays a major role in any pastor’s ministry to his church. But one of the oft-forgotten aspects of ministry is humor. Humor and laughter, I believe, are some of the truest signs of life, and those who are most living are those who believe in the Son. Therefore, Christians ought to be those filled with the most laughter, the most joy. This is what you’ll get with Kevin Labby. Talk to Kevin for a mere few seconds, and you’ll come to realize his intimate knowledge of what Steve Brown calls “the laughter of the redeemed.” He’s a fun guy who knows how to bring glory to God through humor — that being a sign of the truest freedom of the soul.

In this episode, I sit down with Kevin to discuss the intertwining of humor and ministry at length, along with touching on preaching law and gospel in a youth ministry setting. Kevin also shares a story about one of his first experiences preaching — one that didn’t go so well! You’ll be greatly encouraged by this episode as two brothers in Christ share a common passion for preaching sola gratia.

Resources.

Hidden Agendas: Dropping the Masks that Keep Us Apart, Steve Brown

The Seed: A True Myth, Erik Guzman

A Scandalous Freedom: The Radical Nature of the Gospel, Steve Brown

One Way Love: Inexhaustible Grace for an Exhausted World, Tullian Tchividjian

The Bondage of the Will, Martin Luther

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.

Kevin is the lead pastor of Willow Creek Church in Winter Springs, Florida, where he lives and serves with his wife Molly and four children. He’s also heavily involved with the Key Life Network, where he writes occasionally. He also writes a regular devotional for his personal blog. He’s a great follow on Twitter, so be sure to connect with him, @PKLabby.

Credits.

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