Pastors Talk - A podcast by 9Marks
Pastors Talk is a weekly conversation between Jonathan Leeman and Mark Dever about practical aspects of the Christian life and pastoral ministry.
Episodes
On Raising Up Leaders Part 4 (Ep. 335)
In the season finale of Pastors Talk, Jonathan Leeman is joined by Ligon Duncan and Michael Lawrence to discuss the state of the pastoral pipeline — examining why fewer men are entering ministry, the role of demographics and seminary debt, and what healthy churches and seminaries can do about it.
On Raising Up Leaders Part 3 (Ep. 334)
In part three of their series on raising up leaders, Jonathan Leeman and Mark Dever work through nine practical principles Mark uses to identify and develop future pastors — from spotting qualified men and extending trust early, to delegating well, cultivating feedback loops, embracing a healthy view of authority, and modeling clarity and humility. Along the way they discuss why spending time with
On Raising Up Leaders Part 2 (Ep. 333)
Jonathan Leeman and Mark Dever continue their conversation on raising up leaders, exploring the connection between discipleship, evangelism, and church planting, how to measure ministry fruitfulness beyond numbers, and what it means to steward your church for the next pastor.
On Raising Up Leaders Part 1 (Ep. 332)
In this episode of Pastors Talk, Jonathan and Mark dive into the essential, yet often challenging, practice of raising up leaders and passing out authority. They discuss what it takes to build a ministry around giving authority away rather than consolidating it.
On Drifting from the Gospel (Ep. 331)
Hebrews 2:1 warns believers to pay close attention to the gospel message to avoid drifting away from their faith. Mark and Jonathan talk to Jared Wilson about his book on this topic and how believers should be thinking carefully about the centrality of the gospel in their lives.
On "Can I Reimburse that as a Pastor?" (Ep. 330)
How should pastors think about their work hours? What are some principles that churches and pastors can consider for pastors to get reimbursed? Mark and Jonathan talk with Garrett and Mike on lessons learned.
On Discerning Repentance in Church Discipline (Ep. 329)
Should Christians talk about discerning the repentance of other Christians? What are the instructions from the New Testament to churches? Mark and Jonathan invite Caleb Morell to discuss this.
On The Homebound and Those Near Death (Ep. 328)
How to pastor and walk with those in the unique season of life when they can't leave home and approaching death. Mark and Jonathan discuss practical ideas on how to be mindful as pastors.
On Eastern Orthodoxy Part 2 (Ep. 327)
Jonathan and Mark Feather talk to Joshua Schooping, a former Eastern Orthodox priest, on how to pastor church members who may be considering joining the Eastern Orthodox church.
On Eastern Orthodoxy Part 1 (Ep. 326)
Jonathan, Mark and Mark Feather talk to Joshua Schooping, a former Eastern Orthodox priest, on the reasons he had to leave that church.
On The Ministry of Small Things and Fighting Pastoral Cynicism (Ep. 325)
Jonathan talks to Reuben Bredenhof, author of The Ministry of Small Things. They consider the ordinary ministry of pastors, focusing on all the small things they must be faithful to, and reflect on the temptation of pastoral cynicism.
On Why Should Pastors Teach the Job Description of Deacons (Ep. 324)
If Jesus is the great deacon, what does that say about the office of deacon in our churches?Jonathan sits down with Larry Lazarus to discuss why it is important for churches to know the job descriptions of deacons.
On Why Should Pastors Teach Their Job Descriptions (Ep. 323)
Have you ever wondered why it's important for congregations to know their pastor's job description according to the Bible? Jonathan sits down with his senior pastor, Larry Lazarus, to consider this question.
On Expositional Preaching with H.B. Charles Jr. (Ep. 322)
Mark talks to H.B. Charles Jr. on ministerial calling and how he prepares for preaching.
On Getting to know HB Charles Jr (Ep. 321)
Mark sits down with H.B. Charles Jr. to talk about his ministerial journey and how God has used him.
On Religious Liberty (Ep. 320)
Is there a doctrine of religious liberty in the Bible? Mark and Jonathan talk with Andrew Walker on how to think about this question.
On Persecution in Missions (Ep. 319)
On this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark and Jonathan talk with Matt Rhodes about his new book, Persecution in Missions.
On John Cotton's Congregationalism (Ep. 318)
On this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark and Jonathan invite Stephen Yuille and Caleb Morell to talk about the writing of John Cotton, focusing on his perspective on Congregationalism.
On Church-Disrupting Protests (Ep. 317)
How should christians think about protests that stop church services?Mark and Jonathan talk about the recent disruption that happened at St. Paul Church.
On What’s the Most Important Thing About a Church (Ep. 316)
Mark and Jonathan talk to Jimmy Scroggins about similarities and difference on how 9Marks' principle apply in a mega church context.
On Reviewing the Year 2025 (Ep. 315)
Mark and Jonathan sit down and review this past year by talking about the transition and sharing a top 10 list of things 9Marks did.
On Fighting Boredom and Repetition (Ep. 314)
How should people in ministry relate to boredom and the nature of repetition? Mark and Jonathan talk about the good and the concerns on how we relate to those things. You can enter the giveaway at mbts.edu/pastorstalk
On How to Talk to the Church about the Budget (Ep. 313)
As a pastor, talking to the church about money and the budget could be difficult for several reasons. In this episode Jonathan and Mark talk to Jamie Dunlop about his experience when he talks to the church about the budget.
On Weddings (Ep. 312)
Does the Bible require pastors to officiate weddings? How should we think about christian marriage ceremonies? In this episode Mark and Jonathan discuss the practice of weddings.
On The Ordinances (Ep. 311)
Mark and Jonathan talk with Taylor Hartley on the new issue of Church Matters and on the Ordinances.
On Congregationalism (Ep. 310)
Finally! After 300 episodes we cover the topic of Congregationalism. Mark and Jonathan discuss the biblical evidence and its helpfulness for the life of the church
On Prioritizing Missions in the Church (Ep. 309)
Mark and Jonathan talk to Aaron and Harshit about their book Prioritizing Missions in the Church and how important it is for the life of the church.
On Christianity in Brazil (Ep. 308)
Mark and Jonathan talk to Vinicius Musselman Pimentel about christianity in Brazil and book publishing.
On Prison Ministry (Ep. 307)
How is prison ministry done and how does it connect to the local church? Can you have a church inside of a prison? Jonathan Leeman interviews Jamey Norman and Sean DeMars.
On the Africa Statement on the Prosperity Gospel and Word of Faith Theology (Ep. 306)
Mark and Jonathan talk to John Musyimi about the release and the content of the Africa Statement on Prosperity Gospel and Word of Faith Theology.
On Christianity in Lebanon (Ep. 305)
Mark and Jonathan talk to Issam about the state of Christianity in Lebanon.
On Prioritizing the Church in Missions (Ep. 304)
Mark and Jonathan interview John Folmar and Scott Logsdon on their new Church-Centered Missions book Prioritizing the Church in Missions.
On Pastors Loving Their Wives Well (Ep. 303)
Mark and Jonathan talk to Zach and Garrett on how they seek to love their wives well while pastoring their churches.
On Remembering John MacArthur (Ep. 302)
On this episode of Pastors Talk, Jonathan asks Mark about his friendship with John MacArthur.
On Selecting the Winners for the 300th Giveaway
Jonathan selects two winners for the 300th episode giveaway!
On Christianity in France (Ep. 301)
In the last few decades France has become more secular. In this episode, Mark and Jonathan interview pastor Matthieu Giralt about the state of Christianity and his personal church experience.
On Your Questions - Celebrating 300 Episodes
To celebrate the 300th episode milestone, Mark and Jonathan answer some of the questions that were submitted by the community.
On Growing Up in a "Christian" Colony (Ep. 299)
There are many "Christians"communities out there, but do they proclaim the biblical gospel? Mark and Jonathan talk to Josh Waldner who grew up in a Hutterites colony.
On the Book From Eden to Egypt (Ep. 298)
Why did Alex duke write From Eden to Egypt? Mark and Jonathan interview Alex on the burden behind the book.
On the Pastors Library (Ep. 297)
Jonathan and Mark share how they structure their libraries and also discuss how much importance pastors should give to their libraries.
On Ministering When Spiritually Dry (Ep. 296)
There are seasons in a pastor's life when they could feel spiritually dry. In this episode, Mark and Jonathan, alongside 2 friends, think practically about what to do in those seasons.
On Maturity (Ep. 295)
Jonathan talks to Samuel James about an article he wrote and together consider how maturity should look like inside of the church in light of the times we live in.
On the Pastor's Personal Evangelism (Ep. 294)
Mark and Jonathan talk about the pastor's personal evangelism and consider how to carefully think about how we should relate to it.Related Resources:Evangelism by Mack StilesHow Do I Get Started in Evangelism? by Mack StilesWhat If I'm Discouraged in My Evangelism? by Isaac AdamsThe Gospel and Personal Evangelism by Mark Dever
On A Light on the Hill (Ep. 293)
Mark and Jonathan talk to the author of A Light on the Hill, which tells the history of a church 5 blocks from the US Capitol: Capitol Hill Baptist Church.
On Extra Biblical Qualifications for Elders (Ep. 292)
Are there other qualifications for considering men as elders aside from the Bible's? In this episode Jonathan and Mark discuss what other things could be considered when nominating elders.
On Pastors as Writers (Ep. 291)
In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman talk about the good desire some pastors have to write outside of church ministry and how to think about it.Subscribe to our new podcast, A Storm in the Desert, here: https://www.9marks.org/podcast/a-storm-in-the-desert/
On Christianity in Colombia (Ep. 290)
In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman talk with the President of Poiema (a Spanish publisher) about the state of Christianity in Colombia.
On the Pastor's Private Prayer Life (Ep. 289)
In this episode of Pastors Talk, Caleb Morell interviews Mark Dever about some general practices of his private prayer life.Subscribe to our new podcast, A Storm in the Desert.
On Running Your Staff (Ep. 288)
In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman discuss a way to possibly run your church staff.Subscribe to our new podcast: A Storm in the Desert
A Storm in the Desert: Mack + Leeann (Ep. 1)
Introducing a new podcast from 9Marks—A Storm in the Desert.In 1972, at the base of a Swiss mountain, God saved a man named Mack Stiles. Two decades later, John Folmar “accepted Jesus as his personal Savior”; he doesn’t know even where he first heard that phrase. What happens in the next quarter-century is a testament to God’s commitment to use faithful, ordinary ministry to effect fruitful, extra
On The Evangelistic Power of Exclusivity (Ep. 287)
Can one belong before believing? In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Caleb Morell discuss the evangelistic power of exclusivity.Subscribe to our new podcast, A Storm in the Desert.
On Service Reviews (Ep. 286)
In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman talk about service reviews. What is it? What do you talk about during service reviews? What if some feedback is too harsh? Mark Dever shares how the lead pastor can utilize this time to not only make the services better in the future, but also pastor and shepherd his staff and members. Subscribe to our new podcast, A Storm in the Dese
On A Storm in the Desert Podcast (Ep. 285)
In this episode of Pastors Talk, Jonathan Leeman interviews Alex Duke and Alberto Jaquez about A Storm in the Desert, a new podcast series by 9Marks.Subscribe to our new podcast, A Storm in the Desert, here: https://www.9marks.org/podcast/a-storm-in-the-desert/
On Christianity in Indonesia (Ep. 284)
In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman interview Eric Yee, lead pastor of Harvest Mission Community Church of Jakarta, about Christianity in Indonesia.
On Internships Part 2 (Ep. 283)
In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman talk again about the nuts and bolts of pastoral internship in a local church.
On Being Convictional without Being Cranky (Ep. 282)
In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman chat about how pastors can be both convictional and charitable.
On Internship Part 1 (Ep. 281)
In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman talk about pastoral internships
On Small Groups: Helpful, not Essential (Ep. 280)
In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman talk about small groups and how they can help the church while it not being an essential part of what a church is.
On How Sound Ecclesiology Protects the Gospel (Ep. 279)
In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman talk about how sound ecclesiology protects the gospel in a local church.
On Leading Inductive Bible Studies (Ep. 278)
In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman talk about how to lead inductive bible studies.
On the Church in Portugal, with Tiago Oliveira (Ep. 277)
In this episode, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman interview Tiago Oliveira, a pastor of First Baptist Church of Lisbon, about the state of Christianity in Lisbon.
Episode 276: On the Importance of Ecclesiology for a Church Plant, with Matt Smethurst
In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman interview Matt Smethurst, a pastor of River City Baptist Church, on the importance of ecclesiology for a church plant.
Episode 275: On Seasons in a Pastor's Life
In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman talk about our newest Church Matters: Seasons in a Pastor's Life.
Episode 274: On an Unbelieving Australian’s Journey to Being a Baptist Pastor
In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman interview Grant Borg, pastor of Church of the Risen King Jesus, about his spiritual journey and the state of Christianity in Australia.
Episode 273: On Youth Ministry, with Mark Feather and Alex Duke
In this episode of Pastors Talk, Jonathan Leeman interviews Mark Feather and Alex Duke about how to lead youth group with the whole church in mind.Related resources: – Our Main Goals for Youth Ministry– Youth Ministry and the Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self– LGBTQ+ Policies: What Do We Do about Youth Group?
Episode 272: On Christianity in Kazakhstan, with Dennis Boris
In this episode of Pastors Talk, Jonathan Leeman interviews Dennis Boris, a pastor of Almaty Bible Church in Kazakhstan, about the state of Christianity and local churches.
Episode 271: On ACME, with Aaron Menikoff, Greg Gilbert, Juan Sanchez, and Sebastian Traeger
In this episode of Pastors Talk, Jonathan Leeman interviews Aaron Menikoff, Greg Gilbert, Juan Sanchez, and Sebastian Traeger about a new network of like-minded churches: the ACME Fellowship.Check out ACMEfellowship.org for more information.
Episode 270: On Pastoral Transition, with Phil Newton and Bob Johnson
Pastors Talk is back for season 9! In this episode, Jonathan Leeman interviews Phil Newton and Bob Johnson about pastoral transition and retirement.Related Resources:Articles: Preparing Pastors for Retirement by Brad Thayer, There’s No Such Thing as “Retiring” From Ministry by David GoughJournal: Seasons in a Pastor's Life
Episode 269: On The (Not-So-Secret) Secret to Reaching the Next Generation with Kevin DeYoung
Many pastors rightly desire to reach the next generation. But how should they?In this episode of Pastors Talk, Jonathan Leeman interviews Kevin DeYoung on his new book, The (Not-So-Secret) Secret to Reaching the Next Generation
Episode 268: On Preparing to Plant with Jeri Choi, Welton Bonner, and Bobby Jamieson
In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman chat with Jeri Choi, Welton Bonner, and Bobby Jamieson about preparing to plant a church.
Episode 267: On Biblical Covenants, with Bobby Jamieson
What covenant is the new covenant replacing? If your answer is the old covenant, what do you mean?In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman chat with Bobby Jamieson about the implications of biblical covenants in a local church.
Episode 266: On Raising Up Associate Pastors, with Bobby Jamieson, Mark Feather, and Deepak Reju
What makes a good associate pastor? How can he complement a senior pastor’s weaknesses and extend his strengths?In this episode of Pastors Talk, Jonathan Leeman interviews Deepak Reju, Bobby Jamieson, and Mark Feather about their experience as associate pastors.
Episode 265: On Pastoring Frustrated Sheep
Pastors are called to lead their sheep, even the frustrated ones.In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman talk about how pastors should care for frustrated sheep in the church.
Episode 264: On the Doctrine of the Trinity, with Bobby Jamieson and Mark Feather
In this episode of Pastors Talk, Jonathan Leeman interview Bobby Jamieson and Mark Feather about why pastors should care about studying the doctrine of the Trinity.
Episode 263: On When You and Your Boss Have Different Philosophies of Ministry
What should you do when you disagree with your boss? Should you stay or leave? What are disagreeable philosophies of ministry? In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman talk about what you should do when you disagree with your boss.
Counseling Talk—Episode 1: On Counseling Talk
Counseling Talk is here!In this episode, Jonathan Leeman interviews the hosts—Deepak Reju, Hayley Satrom, and Garrett Kell—about the what and why of Counseling Talk.
Episode 262: On Children's Ministry (Part 2), with Connie Dever
In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman interview Connie Dever about children's ministry.
Episode 261: On Children's Ministry (Part 1), with Connie Dever
In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman interview Connie Dever about children's ministry in a local church.
Episode 260: On Residential or Online Seminary?
In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman chat about seminary training.
Episode 259: On Corporate Application in Preaching, with Cheston Pickard
In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman chat with Cheston Pickard, a pastor in Louisville, about corporate applications in preaching.
Recommended
100 Famous Dogs
#100MasterCoaches with Mel Leow, MCC
100% Mixtape Podcast
100 With The Hunter's
10-41: A UCSO Podcast
108.3 WGKSRADIO DEEP HOUSE PARTY
10 at a Time
10Fold Founders
10% Happier with Dan Harris
10-Minute Contrarian
10 Minutes Korean - Learn Korean & English Naturally
10 Minutes with Jesus
