About the Workman

THE BLOGGER

Who are you, and where do you come from?
My name is Colin Adams. I am married to a wonderful woman, Nicki, and have three children, Glen, Rebekah and Grace. I originally hail from Glasgow but live ‘cross culturally’ in Scotland’s other big city, Edinburgh.

What is your occupation?
I have the privilege of serving as an Associate Pastor with Charlotte Baptist Chapel in Edinburgh. I have enjoyed fellowship with this church for the last five years. My responsibilities include regular preaching and some pastoral responsibilities with students. Before coming to Edinburgh, I studied theology for four years at International Christian College in Glasgow.

(from whence I have the privilege to preach)

What are your hobbies?
Between church and family I don’t have much time for hobbies! However, I’m an avid reader on all things preaching and read Christian books on all sorts of subjects. I also enjoy the odd sports spectacle and put myself through the grueling regimen of jogging!

Which preachers do you most admire?
There are quite a number that I deeply appreciate and for different reasons. Amongst my favourites I would include John Piper, Tim Keller, Steve Lawson, Bryan Chapell, Don Carson, Alistair Begg, John MacArthur, Philip Ryken, Dick Lucas, Vaughan Roberts, Mark Dever, Mike Bullmore, Mark Driscoll and CJ Mahaney. I’d also add the Senior Pastor of my own church, Peter Grainger, from whom I’ve learned a great deal.

Why this blog?
There are several preaching blogs already which I appreciate (see my links). Nevertheless, there is still fairly little blogging being done relative to such an important task as preaching. I hope this blog will help fill in this gap. On a personal level, its also a space for me to think through how I can be a better “workman” who “correctly handles the word of truth.” I speak as a student and learner of preaching, not as a teacher and expert.

Can I be contacted?
Feel free to communicate through the posts, or alternatively drop me an email: adams.colinandrew@yahoo.co.uk

THE BLOG

The overarching theme of Unashamed Workman is what it means to be a preaching-pastor, and I hope we can consider it in as holistic a manner as possible. So we will cover everything from why we preach, to what we preach, to pastoring outside the pulpit, to how we handle our days of rest. I blog once a day, Monday through Friday but on Saturday and Sundays I take a rest from blogging. Each weekday has a basic theme, though I do depart from the format from time to time:

Mondays: “Beyond the Workshop” - Since Monday is my day off with family, it seems an apt time to reflect on all matters relating to life outside the pulpit and study. Often we touch on issues relating to one’s personal relationships with God, wife and children.

Tuesdays: “Classic Materials” - On this day we’ll enjoy an extended quote from any one of the ancient (mostly) or modern lights in preaching. Expect plenty of Jones, Spurgeon, Whitefield, and Edwards here.

Wednesdays: “Under Construction” - Since like many of you I’m involved in preparing and preaching regular sermons, I’ll be reflecting on things I’m working through with regards my methods and manner of preparation and delivery. Expect here the odd interview, and sermon review too.

Thursdays: “Building Maintenance” - Preaching is not all that we do. If we pastor only in the pulpit, as significant as that it, we truly are ‘part time’ pastors. Thus, on Thursday we will think about pastoral care in its wider setting.

Fridays: “Workman’s Toolbox” - On Friday, I link to one particular item I’ve uncovered that week that might be of interest, and recap on the rest of the links for the week.

Note: every day on the blog I post “Workman’s Toolbox” at the top right hand corner of the blog - links that may be of interest to preachers. Click here for the link to use with your blogreader.

Return to main page.

Whitefield prayed…

“Yea…that we shall see the great Head of the Church once more . . . raise up unto Himself certain young men whom He may use in this glorious employ. And what manner of men will they be? Men mighty in the Scriptures, their lives dominated by a sense of the greatness, the majesty and holiness of God, and their minds and hearts aglow with the great truths of the doctrines of grace. They will be men who have learned what it is to die to self, to human aims and personal ambitions; men who are willing to be ‘fools for Christ’s sake’, who will bear reproach and falsehood, who will labor and suffer, and whose supreme desire will be, not to gain earth’s accolades, but to win the Master’s approbation when they appear before His awesome judgment seat. They will be men who will preach with broken hearts and tear-filled eyes, and upon whose ministries God will grant an extraordinary effusion of the Holy Spirit, and who will witness ‘signs and wonders following’ in the transformation of multitudes of human lives.”