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Ministry, Seminary

Hunt Family Update – Graduation and Next Steps

May 16, 2018

As many of you know, three years ago my family and I moved to St. Louis to pursue a Masters of Divinity at Covenant Seminary. The last three years have been some of the most fruitful and challenging years. The Lord has been so kind to grow our family in all respects—emotionally, spiritually and physically (with the birth of Owen in October 2016). Throughout our time at Covenant, I have worked on staff as a Church Planting Resident at The Summit, an Acts29 church in O’Fallon, Missouri. Again, the Lord was so kind to provide us such an incredible church to worship and grow in. The staff at The Summit have been an amazing blessing to our family and we are eternally grateful to God what he has done through that place.

Now that I am nearing graduation (two days, to be exact!), many of you have asked what is next for our family. I wanted to write a short blog giving you an update on our family in regards to future ministerial opportunities.

A NEW CHAPTER

For the past eight months, I have been actively pursuing jobs within a ten-hour bubble from home. These positions ranged from Executive Pastor, Associate Pastor, Solo Pastor, Discipleship Pastor, and Lead Pastor. After eight months of diligent search, we are still in the process of interviewing with potential churches throughout the Southwest and West. Since none of these churches are in the final stages, we have decided to return home to Las Cruces to continue the job search while also spending some much needed time resting from full-time school. We plan to move next week and will be in town by the end of May.

After my family moved to St. Louis, I was meditating upon Jesus’ words in Mark 10, where Jesus proclaims that it is a blessing to leave the comfortable in order to follow God’s call on your life. In this season of uncertainty, I am praying that God would grant us the same faith as we walk into a season of instability and unknown. Our hope and security will not found in a stable job or in verifiable next steps, but in the faithfulness and providence of our God, who always cares for his children.

We invite you to pray with us in this season of instability, that God would grant us faith to trust in him, while also for potential ministry jobs in the future. After three years, we are excited to eat green chile, watch a sunset, and connect with old friends and family. See you soon, Las Cruces!

Featured, Hymns, Ministry, Seminary, Theology

Hymns We Should Sing More: Stricken, Smitten and Afflicted

April 27, 2017

I recently began a blog series entitled Hymns We Should Sing More, which seeks to edify the church with rich, biblical hymns. This is the eighth installment in this series. You can read the previous installments here.

All around the world, Christians gather for corporate worship and sing songs, hymns and spiritual songs as an act of worship to God. Specifically these hymns are full of rich biblical truths about God, mankind, salvation, the coming Kingdom and many other theological topics. Unfortunately, many Christians are unfamiliar with a vast number of theologically rich hymns.

When hymns are sung in a contemporary worship service, there is often a lack of repertoire of hymnology. This series, Hymns We Should Sing More, is a means of getting more Christians aware of the vast number of theologically rich hymns that we rarely, if ever, sing.

The hymn Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted  was written by Thomas Kelly in 1805. Set to somber music, Kelly has written masterfully about the death of Christ. The hymn exposes the true nature of our sin and guilt by showing the only remedy appropriate: the death of the Son of God. Churches would do well to sit under the weight of this hymn, drawing us deeper into the wounds of Christ, the Son of Man and Son of God.

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Featured, Hymns, Ministry, Seminary, Theology

Hymns We Should Sing More: From Whence This Fear and Unbelief

August 3, 2016

I recently began a blog series entitled Hymns We Should Sing More, which seeks to edify the church with rich, biblical hymns. This is the eighth installment in this series. You can read the previous installments here.

All around the world, Christians gather for corporate worship and sing songs, hymns and spiritual songs as an act of worship to God. Specifically these hymns are full of rich biblical truths about God, mankind, salvation, the coming Kingdom and many other theological topics. Unfortunately, many Christians are unfamiliar with a vast number of theologically rich hymns.

When hymns are sung in a contemporary worship service, there is often a lack of repertoire of hymnology. This series, Hymns We Should Sing More, is a means of getting more Christians aware of the vast number of theologically rich hymns that we rarely, if ever, sing.

The hymn From Whence This Fear and Unbelief was written by Augustus Toplady (who also wrote famous hymn Rock of Ages) in the 18th century. Augustus beautifully writes of Jesus’ finished and complete work, calling upon the believer to rest in Jesus’ efficacious blood. Are you struggling and doubting God’s love and acceptance of you? Bask in the comfort of Toplady’s words, who invites you to trust and rest in the Gospel’s full and final pardon.

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Featured, Hymns, Ministry, Seminary, Theology

Hymns We Should Sing More: He Will Hold Me Fast

May 2, 2016

I recently began a blog series entitled Hymns We Should Sing More, which seeks to edify the church with rich, biblical hymns. This is the seventh installment in this series. You can read the previous installments here.

All around the world, Christians gather for corporate worship and sing songs, hymns and spiritual songs as an act of worship to God. Specifically these hymns are full of rich biblical truths about God, mankind, salvation, the coming Kingdom and many other theological topics. Unfortunately, many Christians are unfamiliar with a vast number of theologically rich hymns.

When hymns are sung in a contemporary worship service, there is often a lack of repertoire of hymnology. This series, Hymns We Should Sing More, is a means of getting more Christians aware of the vast number of theologically rich hymns that we rarely, if ever, sing.

The hymn He Will Hold Me Fast was written by Ada R. Habershon in 1906. Grounding the believer’s hope in God’s sovereign grip, this hymn encourages believers to rest their salvation and life wholly upon God.

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Featured, Hymns, Ministry, Seminary, Theology

Hymns We Should Sing More: And Can It Be That I Should Gain?

February 12, 2016

I recently began a blog series entitled Hymns We Should Sing More, which seeks to edify the church with rich, biblical hymns. This is the sixth installment in this series. You can read the previous installments here.

All around the world, Christians gather for corporate worship and sing songs, hymns and spiritual songs as an act of worship to God. Specifically these hymns are full of rich biblical truths about God, mankind, salvation, the coming Kingdom and many other theological topics. Unfortunately, many Christians are unfamiliar with a vast number of theologically rich hymns.

When hymns are sung in a contemporary worship service, there is often a lack of repertoire of hymnology. This series, Hymns We Should Sing More, is a means of getting more Christians aware of the vast number of theologically rich hymns that we rarely, if ever, sing.

The hymn And Can It Be That I Should Gain? was written by Charles Wesley in 1738. This hymn remains one of Wesley’s greatest works in all of the 6,000 hymns that he wrote.

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Featured, Hymns, Ministry, Seminary, Theology

Hymns We Should Sing More: How Sweet and Awful is the Place

February 10, 2016

I recently began a blog series entitled Hymns We Should Sing More, which seeks to edify the church with rich, biblical hymns. This is the fifth installment in this series. You can read the previous installments here.

All around the world, Christians gather for corporate worship and sing songs, hymns and spiritual songs as an act of worship to God. Specifically these hymns are full of rich biblical truths about God, mankind, salvation, the coming Kingdom and many other theological topics. Unfortunately, many Christians are unfamiliar with a vast number of theologically rich hymns.

When hymns are sung in a contemporary worship service, there is often a lack of repertoire of hymnology. This series, Hymns We Should Sing More, is a means of getting more Christians aware of the vast number of theologically rich hymns that we rarely, if ever, sing.

The hymn How Sweet and Awful is the Place was written by Isaac Watts in 1707. This title may seem odd to many of you, therefore you must understand that the word awful conveyed the sense of “awe-inducing,” which a modern equivalent would be awesome. Therefore, many hymnals translate the title How Sweet and Awesome is the Place to avoid the confusion all together.

This hymn beautifully weaves sound theology and heart-felt affections throughout the lyrics. Watts poses an excellent question that every Christian should ask, “Why was I made to hear Thy voice, when thousands make a wretched choice, and rather starve than come?” Watts grounds his assurance not in man’s response but in God’s sovereign grace that drew him in. Sadly, I have yet to find a contemporary rendition of this hymn outside of Together for the Gospel’s conference rendition, which you can listen to here.

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Featured, Hymns, Ministry, Seminary, Theology

Hymns We Should Sing More: Praise My Soul, the King of Heaven

February 8, 2016

I recently began a blog series entitled Hymns We Should Sing More, which seeks to edify the church with rich, biblical hymns. This is the fourth installment in this series. You can read the previous installments here.

All around the world, Christians gather for corporate worship and sing songs, hymns and spiritual songs as an act of worship to God. Specifically these hymns are full of rich biblical truths about God, mankind, salvation, the coming Kingdom and many other theological topics. Unfortunately, many Christians are unfamiliar with a vast number of theologically rich hymns.

When hymns are sung in a contemporary worship service, there is often a lack of repertoire of hymnology. This series, Hymns We Should Sing More, is a means of getting more Christians aware of the vast number of theologically rich hymns that we rarely, if ever, sing.

The hymn Praise My Soul, the King of Heaven was written by Henry Francis Lyte in 1834, which is drawn primarily from Psalm 103. To hear a modern rendition of this beautiful hymn, check out River Valley Music’s rendition here. To purchase the song, please visit their iTunes page here.

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Featured, Seminary, Theology

Lord, Haste the Day

January 11, 2016

“Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.”

— 1 John 3:2

Rarely in this world can we have assurance regarding anything—plans changes in an instant, people fail to keep their word and life often does not pan out how we expect it to. In a world of inconsistency, John’s words in verse 2 stand as a beacon of hope for the Christian’s future of being fully transformed into the image and likeness of Christ. John has assurance in the fact that when Christ appears, we will also be like him. Two distinct but related encouragements arise out of this passage:

CHILDREN OF GOD, NOW

Surely, John’ words of being transformed into the image of Christ sound comforting and encouraging, especially for those who have walked through a great deal of suffering on this earth. Yet, as we wait for the Lord to restore and renew all things, we must rest in the fact that we have been made children of God now. Our adoption does not hang in the future but is an actual fact for every believer that has been united to Christ. Christ has rescued us from the domain of darkness and has ushered us into his family as adopted and redeemed sons and daughters.  Continue Reading…

Featured, Hymns, Ministry, Seminary, Theology

Hymns We Should Sing More: Abide With Me

January 4, 2016

I recently began a blog series entitled Hymns We Should Sing More, which seeks to edify the church with rich, biblical hymns. This is the second installment in this series. You can read Part I here and Part II here. 

All around the world, Christians gather for corporate worship and sing songs, hymns and spiritual songs as an act of worship to God. Specifically these hymns are full of rich biblical truths about God, mankind, salvation, the coming Kingdom and many other theological topics. Unfortunately, many Christians are unfamiliar with a vast number of theologically rich hymns.

When hymns are sung in a contemporary worship service, there is often a lack of repertoire of hymnology. This series, Hymns We Should Sing More, is a means of getting more Christians aware of the vast number of theologically rich hymns that we rarely, if ever, sing.

The hymn Abide With Me was written by Henry F. Lyte in 1861 in the midst of facing death by tuberculosis. I pray that you are blessed, edified and encouraged through the words penned hundreds of years ago.

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Featured, Hymns, Ministry, Seminary, Theology

Hymns We Should Sing More: Not What My Hands Have Done

October 25, 2015

A few weeks ago, I began a blog series entitled Hymns We Should Sing More, which seeks to edify the church with rich, biblical hymns. This is the second installment in this series. You can read Part I here. 

All around the world, Christians gather for corporate worship and sing songs, hymns and spiritual songs as an act of worship to God. Specifically these hymns are full of rich biblical truths about God, mankind, salvation, the coming Kingdom and many other theological topics. Unfortunately, many Christians are unfamiliar with a vast number of theologically rich hymns.

When hymns are sung in a contemporary worship service, there is often a lack of repertoire of hymnology. This series, Hymns We Should Sing More, is a means of getting more Christians aware of the vast number of theologically rich hymns that we rarely, if ever, sing.

The hymn Not What My Hands Have Done was written by Horatius Bonar, a Scottish Hymn Writer, in 1861. I pray that you are blessed, edified and encouraged through the words penned hundreds of years ago.

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