Let’s start out by telling our readers a little about you. (Current ministry context, family, joys in life, etc.)
I’m the preaching pastor at Immanuel in Odessa, Texas. I’m married to Brooke, and we have four kids. I love Kansas Jayhawk basketball, Rock Chalk!
What are you reading right now?
- The Vanishing American Adult, by Ben Sasse.
What are some books you regularly re-read and why?
- The Holiness of God by RC Sproul. This is my favorite treatment of God’s holiness and a helpful reminder of the gulf between sinful creatures and the holy Creator.
- Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, by JI Packer. This is my favorite book on evangelism. It offers a great Reformed perspective on evangelism.
- The Master Plan of Evangelism, by Robert Coleman. I read the book for the first time in seminary, and it totally changed the way I think about ministry and discipleship.
What biographies or autobiographies have you read recently?
I haven’t, oops!
Speaking of biographies and such, is there any particular one that has influenced you a great deal in your faith?
The biographies that have made the greatest impact on my life have been missionary biographies. The stories of people like William Carey and Jim Elliot come to mind.
If you were sitting down with a fellow believer and they asked for your top five book recommendations on Christian living, what would they be?
- The Holiness of God, by RC Sproul
- Desiring God, by John Piper
- Knowing God, by JI Packer
- The Master Plan of Evangelism, by Robert Coleman
- The Mortification of Sin, by John Owen
What books have molded how you to serve and lead others in the gospel?
- The Master Plan of Evangelism, by Robert Coleman
- Great Leader, Great Teacher, by Gary Bredfeldt
- Dangerous Calling, Paul Tripp
Finally, let’s conclude with this question. What are you learning about life and daily following Jesus?
Church is not an optional part of growing as a Christian. Regardless of your position within the church (pastor, elder, deacon, teacher, member), you need the church to grow. You need to serve, and you need to be served. You need to show up, and you need to participate. After all, you can’t follow Jesus without being part of His body.
Matthew D. Adams serves as Pastor of First Presbyterian Church, PCA in Dillon, SC. He graduated from Erskine Theological Seminary in Columbia, South Carolina with a Masters of Divinity. He lives in a small town by the name of Hamer, SC and is married to Beth.
