The following transcript was originally shared on the Mark Prater Podcast and was published on March 24, 2025 . To learn watch, listen or read the full podcast, click the button linked below.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

Benjamin Kreps:

Hey everyone, and welcome to the Mark Prater podcast where our aim is to connect our global family of Sovereign Grace churches with our executive director. Mark, we are back with another mail bag, another "you asked, we answer" because we have a question from someone who watches the podcast. None other than young Timothy Praveen, actually, from Covenant Fellowship, the church you serve. And he asks a really good question, an important question I think that we want to talk about on this episode. So Timothy's question is this, he expresses, he's been listening for a few months, so there's somebody out there listening and they're just happy. And we're happy.

But Timothy asks, his question is about the gifts of the Spirit. He writes, as a younger member of the church, keeping in mind verses like 1 Corinthians 14:1, how would I earnestly desire spiritual gifts? Great question. How would someone get them and how would you know if you have it and why would I need to have it? Or, at least desire it when there are others in the church who have that gift? Well, of course Timothy is referring to 1 Corinthians 14:1 which reads, pursue love and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. And this is a great question too, because this is a clear biblical exortation, biblical command that has been given to us. And so we want to lean in of course, to what God's will is for us as we live together in the church and using the gifts that he's given us.

So Mark, why would we need to have spiritual gifts or at least desire spiritual gifts when there are others in the church who have spiritual gifts?

Mark Prater:

Yeah, great questions, Timothy. And Ben and I, we love getting questions like this from any member of our churches, but especially younger men who love the church. So thank you for submitting it. That's the place I wanted to start, that last part as you said, Ben, why even pursue the gifts at all? And if other people have got gifts or use them, why do I even need to use them? It's a great question. And in answering that, I want to read a couple of quotes from Jeff Purswell's book, The Spirit and the Church: Priorities from 1 Corinthians 12-14. That's a small book that we have on our website. And Timothy, if you will submit your address through the markkprater website, your mailing address, I'm going to send you this book as a gift for submitting such an excellent question.

The follow article by Ricky Alcantar was pulled from our SGC Pastors website. To read the full post or to access more resources like this one, click the button below…

Several great books were mentioned in the last Sovereign Grace Journal, The Books that Shaped Us. We wanted to provide a full list of those books and where to get them. We have also included the summary of each book. We hope this serves you as you look for your next read!

1. The Holiness of God by R. C. Sproul 

Central to God’s character is the quality of holiness. Yet most people struggle to define what God’s holiness precisely is. Many preachers today avoid the topic altogether because people don’t quite know what to do with words like “awe” or “fear.”

R. C. Sproul, in this classic theological work, puts the holiness of God in its proper and central place in the Christian life. Drawing from both the Old Testament and the New Testament, he paints an awe-inspiring vision of God that encourages Christians to become holy just as God is holy. With depth and eloquence, this timely book addresses:

• What Sproul calls the “trauma of holiness”

• How we reconcile God’s justice with his love

• How to know if we are moving forward in our pursuit of righteousness

Once you encounter the holiness of God, your life will never be the same.

Amazon Westminster

2. Knowing God by J. I. Packer

For half a century, J. I. Packer's classic has helped Christians around the world discover the wonder, the glory, and the joy of knowing God.

Stemming from Packer's profound theological knowledge, Knowing God brings together two key facets of the Christian faith―knowing about God and knowing God through a close relationship with Jesus Christ. Written in an engaging and practical tone, this thought-provoking work seeks to renew and enrich our understanding of God.

Amazon Westminster

3. Transforming Grace by Jerry Bridges

Isn’t it time to stop trying to measure up?
Too many of us embrace grace for our salvation but then leave it behind in our everyday lives. We base our relationship with God on our performance rather than on His love for us. But our performance can never earn us the love we so desperately crave. Renowned author Jerry Bridges’s Transforming Grace is a fountainhead of inspiration and renewal that will show you just how inexhaustible and generous God’s grace really is. Live confidently in God’s unfailing love, as you learn about:

• The sufficiency of grace

• Holiness as a gift of God’s grace

• What it means to appropriate God’s grace

• Our calling to be free

Now with an added study guide for personal use or group discussion so you can dive deeper into this staple of Jerry Bridges’s classic collection. Abandon the treadmill of performance and step into a daily life of guilt-free intimacy with our Creator.

Amazon Westminster

4. The Cross and Christian Ministry: Leadership Lessons from 1 Corinthians by D.A. Carson

In this exposition of 1 Corinthians, D. A. Carson presents a comprehensive view of what the death of Christ means in preaching and ministering to God's people. He explains the key biblical principles for dynamic, cross-
centered ministry and how to put the cross at the center of Christian life.

Amazon Westminster

5. How Long, O Lord? Reflections on Suffering and Evil by D.A Carson

This clear and accessible treatment of key biblical themes related to human suffering and evil is written by one of the most respected evangelical biblical scholars alive today. Carson brings together a close, careful exposition of key biblical passages with helpful pastoral applications. The second edition has been updated throughout.

Amazon Westminster

6. Showing the Spirit: A Theological Exposition of 1 Corinthians 12–14 by D.A Carson

Eschewing extremes, Bible scholar D. A. Carson explores the controversial subject of the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer and in the life of the church. Unpacking 1 Corinthians 12-14, as well as touching on relevant passages in Acts, Carson faithfully follows the evidence of the text and offers an honest look at the strengths and weaknesses of both charismatic and non-charismatic viewpoints.

Amazon

7. A Call to Spiritual Reformation: Priorities from Paul and His Prayers by D.A. Carson

Carson calls believers to revolt against superficiality and find again the deeper knowledge of God at Paul's school of prayer. Strong expositional study.

Amazon

8. Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor: The Life and Reflections of Tom Carson by D.A Carson

D. A. Carson's father was a pioneering church-planter and pastor in Quebec. But still, an ordinary pastor-except that he ministered during the decades that brought French Canada from the brutal challenges of persecution and imprisonment for Baptist ministers to spectacular growth and revival in the 1970s.

It is a story, and an era, that few in the English-speaking world know anything about. But through Tom Carson's journals and written prayers, and the narrative and historical background supplied by his son, readers will be given a firsthand account of not only this trying time in North American church history, but of one pastor's life and times, dreams and disappointments. With words that will ring true for every person who has devoted themselves to the Lord's work, this unique book serves to remind readers that though the sacrifices of serving God are great, the sweetness of living a faithful, obedient life is greater still.

Amazon

9. The Cross of Christ by John Stott

"I could never myself believe in God, if it were not for the cross. . . . In the real world of pain, how could one worship a God who was immune to it?" With compelling honesty John Stott confronts readers with the centrality of the cross in God's redemption of our pain-filled world.

Can we see triumph in tragedy, victory in shame? Why should an object of Roman distaste and Jewish disgust be the emblem of our worship and the axiom of our faith? And what does it mean for us today?

From one of the foremost preachers and Christian leaders of his generation, The Cross of Christ is a classic, accessible, and compelling look at the work of Christ. At the cross Stott finds the majesty and love of God disclosed, the sin and bondage of the world exposed. More than a study of the atonement, this book brings Scripture into living dialogue with Christian theology and contemporary issues. What emerges is a pattern for Christian life and worship, hope and mission.

In honor of John Stott's one hundredth birthday, this centennial edition includes an updated foreword by Alister McGrath and a new timeline of Stott's life. A study guide equips individuals and groups to more deeply reflect on and apply the book's message.

Amazon

10. Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist by John Piper 

Experience the Lifelong Pleasures of Knowing God!

Satisfaction…Happiness…Joy. According to John Piper, the pursuit of pleasure in God is not only permissible, it’s essential.

Desiring God is a paradigm-shattering work that dramatically alters common perspectives on relating to God.  Piper reveals that there really is no need to choose between duty and delight in the Christian life. In fact, for the follower of Jesus, delight is the duty as Christ is most magnified in His people when they are most satisfied in Him.

Constantly drawing on Scripture to build his case, Piper shows why pursuing maximum joy is essential to glorifying God. He discusses the implications of this for conversion, worship, love, Scripture, prayer, money, marriage, missions, and suffering.

Piper beckons us to approach God with the hedonist’s abandon. Finally, we are freed to enjoy Jesus—not only as our Lord and Savior, but also as our all-surpassing, soul-satisfying Treasure.

Desiring God may turn your Christian world upside down. And that will be a good thing, for the glory of God, and for your deepest joy.

Includes a study guide for individual and small group use.

Amazon Westminster

An update from Pastor Greg & Pastor Dave (names concealed for security reasons), on an incredible work and partnership forming in South Asia…

From December 5-12, 2024, Pastor Dave and I had the privilege and pleasure of visiting our Sovereign Grace ministry partners in a country in South Asia. Our purpose was to observe and evaluate first-hand (and for the first time) the status of the churches in that country that have requested an official relationship with Sovereign Grace Churches.

We were able to visit eight different churches over the course of seven days. We enjoyed a special gathering of all 21 pastors and wives (along with their children). Both Dave and I had the opportunity to preach, teach, exhort and speak at least 7 times. We conducted a baptism for 15 professing believers. We experienced the hospitality of four of our six candidates for ordination, while enjoying meals with their families in their homes.

The 21 men provide pastoral leadership to approximately 200 churches. They are well organized, and have formed a cohort that gathers monthly for prayer, planning, and mutual care.

These pastors are diligent with a remarkable work ethic. They each go two by two, from meeting to meeting, preaching in two churches (at least) every night of the week, except Saturday. They’ve been carrying on this pace for years.

The social, religious and economic context for their ministry is stark and dangerous. Brickmaking dominates the economic fabric of the three districts where our ministry partners live and serve. The brickmaking industry is a systemically corrupt, enslaving, and evil institution. There are impossible quotas to reach. Though housing is provided for those employed, there is no electricity, plumbing, heating, or secure enclosures. Nearly everyone is sick from the toxic smoke produced by brick kilns. Women are abused. Infant mortality is high. People are trapped and impoverished for life.

Since the days of Moses and Pharoah, little has changed.

Nevertheless, this is the primary context where our men have planted dozens and dozens of churches.

This blog was originally posted on our SGC Missions website on March 3, 2025. Click the button below to continue reading and for access to our Missions blog.

On a recently released episode of The Mark Prater Podcast , Mark reviewed a recent regional men’s conference on the topic of Biblical Masculinity. The following is a portion of the podcast, but you can click the button below for access to the full video, audio, and transcript.

”There are many in our society right now, our culture, if you read, that are saying we have a crisis of masculinity in our culture today. And there would be some stats that would back something up like that; men feel undervalued because of changing gender roles. They wonder about if they going to have less economic opportunity, etc., etc. Some pundits will talk about how suicide rates among young men are up - all those pointing to a crisis of masculinity.

But, I think for the Christian, we don't really have a crisis of masculinity.

Not that we don't have struggles and issues. What I mean is that scripture gives us clarity about what it means to be a man, clearly defined in scripture. There's not a searching for definition or even identity as a man because we have God's word in a world that's very confused about gender right now - with masculinity being one of those areas where they're confused.

I'm very grateful for Darrel Schiel, the regional leader here, for putting this conference together because he just wants to strengthen men in Christ.

And part of a biblical understanding of masculinity is that it's centered in Jesus Christ.” - Mark Prater

Grace Family Church in Jamaica was planted in January 2019 by a team led by Joel Bain, Sean Taylor and Sheldon Campell who are ordained pastors in Sovereign Grace Churches. Joel Bain (Lead Pastor of Grace Family Church) shares this update…

On Sunday, January 26, Grace Family Church celebrated our 6th anniversary with a service and picnic under a tent on an immaculately manicured lawn at the Caymanas Golf Club in St Catherine, Jamaica. It was a beautiful day. But perhaps because this is the way we’ve celebrated each year, I almost missed the miracle.

Thankfully, at a point after the service I felt God arresting my perpetual motion, nudging me to stop and look around at the evidence of his kindness in the collage of people and stories joyfully mingled and mingling together. 

This blog was originally posted on our SGC Missions website on February 26, 2025. Click the button below to continue reading and for access to our Missions blog.

The Mark Prater Podcast recently released the first Q&A session where hosts Mark Prater and Ben Kreps took time to read and answer a few questions that had been submitted over the last few weeks. To listen to the podcast, click here.

If you’re interested in submitting questions for future podcasts, click the button below.