Faith Bible Church exists to make disciples of Jesus Christ. Jesus told his followers, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them (and)…teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). The kind of teaching Jesus commands is what we call expository preaching and teaching. It is reading, explaining and applying the text to honor the author’s intent. It is saying what God says in a passage and appropriately applying it to life. Paul wrote to Timothy, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).
Paul refers to the repeated, proactive and intentional teaching of the whole message of the Bible when he speaks of the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27). Time constraints do not permit word by word, passage, by passage teaching of the whole Bible. But elders use their wisdom to determine the speed and depth in which to cover the whole Bible. Sound doctrine refers to the theological and practical outworking of key teachings of scripture. These are organized by theme or topic.
Titus 1:9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
Expository preaching and teaching can be done by detailed, consecutive teaching through books of the Bible. This is the primary way FBC teaches on a Sunday morning and many of its other ministries. It can be done through systematic teaching on foundational doctrines, or when individual or case by case issues arise. For more on expository preaching, see the elder position paper on expository preaching.
Dr. Dan Jarms is teaching pastor and team leader at Faith Bible Church in Spokane Washington, as well as associate dean at TMS Spokane. He has been married for over 30 years to Linda, and has three adult children. He earned his B.A. in English at the Master’s College, B.Ed. at Eastern Washington University, M.Div and D.Min in Expository Preaching at The Master’s Seminary. His other interests include NCAA basketball, gardening, brick oven cooking.
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