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In this Basics breakout session, Alistair Begg draws on lessons from Dick Lucas and other experienced Bible teachers to offer practical guidance for faithful, effective preaching. Emphasizing the importance of allowing Scripture to determine both the content and structure of a sermon, Alistair considers how preachers can communicate clearly, apply the text appropriately, and direct their listeners’ attention to Christ rather than themselves. He also addresses the vital role of public preaching in the life of the church and responds to questions about sermon preparation, preaching biblical narratives, and the relationship between corporate worship and small-group Bible studies.

Ministry can feel like it’s always competing with home. Pastors’ wives and children sometimes come to resent the church that seems to take their husband and father away. Drawing on more than four decades as a pastor, husband, and father, Hershael York argues in this breakout that God never calls a man to two tasks that work against each other. Through candid stories from his own marriage and family, he gives practical counsel on setting a joyful tone at home, guarding against temptation, including your wife in your ministry, and raising children who grow up loving the Lord their father serves.

Faithful pastors don’t usually drift from the Gospel by denying it outright. More often it happens slowly, through the pull to sound sophisticated, keep up with every controversy, or soften what Scripture says so it’s easier to hear. In this message, Hershael York considers Paul’s final, urgent charge to Timothy to “guard the deposit,” reminding ministers that the Gospel is a trust to keep, not a possession to revise, and that keeping it faithfully takes vigilance, humility, and grace. Bible passages: 1 Timothy 6:20-21

It’s easy for a pastor to judge his ministry by what others can see: the size of the church, the platform, the response. But the true test of a shepherd is what drives him when no one is watching. In this message from 1 Peter 5:1–5, Hershael York looks at Peter’s charge to elders and shows that faithful shepherding comes down to whose flock it is, why we serve, what we hope to gain, and how we lead. He calls pastors to put on humility like a servant’s apron and to follow the pattern of the Chief Shepherd, whose suffering leads to glory. Bible passages: 1 Peter 5:1-5

In his final charge to Timothy, the apostle Paul provides a definitive picture of Christian leadership. Examining 2 Timothy 4:1–8, Alistair Begg explains that the pastor’s calling is solemn, straightforward, and strategic: He must faithfully proclaim God’s Word, even when its message is unpopular or its hearers are unreceptive. Amid the challenges and hardships of ministry, pastors must remain sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, and fulfill their God-given responsibilities, trusting the Lord to accomplish His purposes through the preaching of the Gospel. Bible passages: 2 Timothy 4:1-8

In this question-and-answer session from Basics 2026, Bob Lepine joins Alistair Begg, Hershael York, and Todd Smith to discuss the challenges and joys of pastoral ministry. How can a man discern a call to ministry? When is it time for a pastor to step aside? How should church leaders navigate theological disagreements, preserve congregational unity, and avoid burnout? Drawing on decades of experience, the panelists offer practical wisdom, personal reflections, and encouragement for the next generation of pastors as they consider these questions and the challenges facing the church today.

What does it mean to be a good servant of Jesus Christ? In 1 Timothy 4, Paul urges Timothy to remain faithful to God’s Word, train himself in godliness, and set an example for the believers in his care. Examining these instructions, Alistair Begg reminds pastors that personal holiness matters more than giftedness and that effective public ministry depends on private devotion to Christ. As he considers the dangers of pride and the importance of sound doctrine, Alistair challenges church leaders to watch their lives and teaching carefully, persevering in faithful service by God’s grace. Bible passages: 1 Timothy 4:1-16

Throughout history, mankind has longed for a world marked by harmony, hope, and peace. Yet until God remakes the world we’ve broken, a truly united humanity remains a future promise. Even so, Alistair Begg reminds us that we can catch a glimpse of that coming reality in the church—a pilot scheme for the reconciled universe still to come. Bible passages: Ephesians 3:1-13

Biblical worship is far more than music or personal expression; it is God’s people responding rightly to who He is and what He has done. Examining Jesus’ teaching in John 4 alongside the Hundredth Psalm and the devotion of the woman at Bethany, Alistair Begg explains what it means to worship God in spirit and truth with joyful, heartfelt, and sacrificial devotion. True worship, he reminds us, is centered on God’s glory, shaped by His Word, and made possible through the work of Christ and the Holy Spirit. Bible passages: John 4:21-24, Mark 14:3-9, Psalm 100:1-5

When the apostles Peter and John were released from custody after being arrested for proclaiming the Gospel, their fellow believers responded in prayer. Acts 4 records this prayer, which provides Christians of any era with a pattern for how to pray. In this message, Alistair Begg unpacks the early believers’ prayer, demonstrating how it was communal, theological, scriptural, and purposeful—and challenges believers today to rely on prayer and the Holy Spirit as they live faithfully in a culture increasingly resistant to the Gospel. Bible passages: Acts 4:23-23:31