With more than 30 years of pastoral experience, Alistair Begg has learned a thing or two about Christian life and ministry. “In the course of pastoral ministry you have disappointing days, you have delightful days, and you have disastrous days,” Begg observes. What he does not have, however, are “dull days.”
In this new video, Begg sits down with Mark Mellinger for a wide-ranging discussion on lessons learned along the way. “The biggest problem I’ve had in 30 years at Parkside Church is me,” he confesses. The most significant obstacles pastors face involve “dealing with our own pride” and “thinking that just because we’ve preached it, we’ve lived it.”
Begg, whose Truth for Life broadcast is heard daily on more than 1,500 radio outlets worldwide, says, “I’ve learned more about Christian pilgrimage in times of disappointment and failure than I’ve learned in times of success and laughter.” Discussing the significance of his new book with Sinclair Ferguson, Name Above All Names (Crossway), Begg explains how Jesus as Suffering Servant not only gives legitimacy to the suffering of his followers; this role also speaks to our tendency toward triumphalism. The picture of a bubbly, chipper Christianity no more resonates with God’s Word than it does with our experience in this fallen world.
Watch the entire 10-minute video to hear Begg reflect on “the wintertime of the soul,” practical advice for pastors, how his family keeps him humble, and more.
