December has arrived, and we decided to dig into the vaults and pull out this treasure from 2021 – Mike speaks with pastor, musician and self-proclaimed “Ambassador of Christmas” Ronnie Martin about how preachers can leverage this annual opportunity for the gospel? How can a pastor, who has perhaps preached dozens of Christmas messages over the years, keep it “fresh” now? They speak about some beloved and obscure Christmas carols, sermon series ideas, Advent devotionals and the ethics of re-preaching old Christmas messages.
Ronnie Martin is a songwriter, recording artist, author, and Lead Pastor of Substance Church (EFCA).
His most recent solo albums are From the Womb of the Morning, the Dew of Your Youth Will Be Yours (Velvet Blue Music, 2022), and Bells Merrily: The Christmas Recordings (Velvet Blue Music, 2022). Prior to his solo recordings, he released numerous albums as Joy Electric and The Brothers Martin (Tooth and Nail Records), among others.
Ronnie is the author of The God Who is With Us: A 25 Day Advent Devotional (B&H, 2022), as well as seven other books that have been released or are forthcoming. Ronnie’s writing has appeared in Lifeway Research, For the Church, The Gospel Coalition, and other places. He is the co-host of two podcasts: The Happy Rant (w/ Ted Kluck & Barnabas Piper) and The Art of Pastoring (w/ Jared C. Wilson).
Ronnie has given talks and sermons around the country on a wide variety of topics including theology, pastoral ministry, small-town pastoring, worship, music, and Christian living. He completed his M.A. at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and is currently finishing his DMin at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Ronnie is also the Director of Leader Renewal for Harbor Network, where he works alongside church planters and pastors in areas related to pastoral care.
He and his wife Melissa live in a restored colonial house from 1895 in Mid-Ohio and have an adult daughter who lives and works in Chicago.
Resources Mentioned:
Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room (8 guests speak about Christmas preaching) https://www.expositorscollective.com/podcast/2022/11/15/advent-preaching-mike-neglia-with-eight-guests
The God Who is With Us: 25-Day Devotional for Advent –
The Best Gift Ever Given: A 25-Day Journey Through Advent from God’s Good Gifts to God’s Great Son : https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0736978542/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i2
Said Fantasy: https://plastiqmusiq.bandcamp.com/album/carols-gloria
3 Ways to Become a Christmas Loving Pastor: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/3-ways-to-become-a-christmas-loving-pastor/
25 Advent Devotionals from Ronnie Martin: https://ftc.co/?s=advent
Substance Church : https://www.substance-church.org/
Recommended Episodes:
Tidings of Great Joy: https://www.expositorscollective.com/podcast/2019/11/28/episode-76-tidings-of-great-joy
Ronnie Martin – The Danger of Being Over-Prepared: https://www.expositorscollective.com/podcast/2021/8/3/the-danger-of-being-over-prepared-ronnie-martin
Jonathan Pennington: https://www.expositorscollective.com/podcast/2021/8/10/the-first-and-last-minute-of-your-sermon-jonathan-pennington
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The Expositors Collective podcast is part of the GoodLion podcast network, for more thought provoking Christian podcasts visit https://goodlion.io