Truth For Life with Alistair Begg Sermons

“What’s it like to work just one day a week?” While many pastors find themselves on the receiving end of such questions, the reality is that as Gospel workers, pastors know their jobs are never really finished. As Alistair Begg notes, Paul’s instructions to his protégé Timothy make clear that the church is always in need of pastors who will study God’s Word diligently so they can remind their congregations of the essentials of the faith and present themselves to God as ones approved.

Having urged his readers to contend for the faith and learn from the past, Jude used the closing section of his letter to call them to remembrance, perseverance, and mercy. While our salvation is grounded in the work of Christ, Alistair Begg reminds us, the evidence of our salvation is in our continuance. The challenges to faith in our day may be daunting, but they are also opportunities to show again our great need and God’s great power.

A woman bravely anoints Jesus with expensive oil, sparking outrage from the disciples. Alistair Begg explores her generous gesture, illuminating its cultural significance and the costly metaphor of surrender. He critiques the disciples' feigned concern for the poor, revealing deeper issues of tight-fistedness. Jesus defends the woman, emphasizing that true honor comes from honoring Him. The discussion highlights the contrast between fleeting human praise and the lasting recognition of selfless devotion.

Alistair Begg, a veteran Bible teacher and pastor, joins Jonathan Carswell to discuss his new booklet, The Man on the Middle Cross. They explore the spontaneous origin of the impactful sermon clip that inspired the book. Alistair shares insights on blending exposition with evangelism and highlights the importance of Jesus' intimate knowledge of us in evangelistic encounters. He also addresses concerns about making faith accessible and outlines goals for the book's distribution to encourage sharing its message of salvation.

In a church context that held great potential for apostasy, Timothy faced the task of leading through the example of his lifestyle and work. Faithful ministry, Paul explained to him, flows from godly character—speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity—and from wholehearted devotion to Scripture, exhortation, and teaching. Alistair Begg considers Paul’s guidance to Timothy, which can help today’s pastors, too, as they seek to watch themselves and their doctrine closely and see themselves and their hearers saved.

Timothy, the apostle Paul’s protégé, was not only to be alert to the dangers that lay before the people under his care; he was also to make sure that they understood God’s truth. Alistair Begg unpacks Paul’s instructions in 1 Timothy 4:6–10, which focus on the importance of ministering well, being nourished in the faith, training for godliness, and, ultimately, placing hope in “the Savior of all people.”

In the concluding verse of 1 Timothy 4, Paul instructs Timothy, “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.” What did he mean by these words? Alistair Begg begins an examination of the answer by looking at the chapter’s opening verses, which outline the apostacy Paul warned about, how it would happen, by whom it would happen, and what its teaching would involve.

As he drew his first epistle to a close, the apostle Peter turned his focus to the elders of the churches to which he wrote, urging them to lead their people with godliness. Elders and pastors are shepherds over God’s flock, Alistair Begg reminds us—ones who should lead by example, cultivating humility, entrusting God with their anxieties, preparing to face adversity, and resting in the security of God’s grace.

In anticipation of the release of his new book The Man on the Middle Cross, Alistair Begg sat down with Jonathan Carswell, CEO of publisher 10ofThose, for a wide-ranging conversation on the relationship between evangelism and pastoring. Listen in as the two discuss such topics as how to start evangelistic conversations, how to balance self-critique with self-forgetfulness, the use of humor in preaching, and more.

In the fourth chapter of his first epistle, in light of all that he’d written up to that point, Peter continued to unpack how the reality of Christ’s sacrifice should shape the day-to-day of the Christian life. Living under the shadow of the cross, Alistair Begg explains, means thinking properly, living differently, and being prepared to face abuse, even as we keep our eyes fixed on the end and endure the path of suffering laid before us.