St. John Studies

“The Gospel on the Ground: God’s Glorious Self-Regard” has been replaced with a “do-over post” which you can read. I am not pleased with the half-hearted effort I have put into St. John Studies this past year. I am reposting my comments on Matt Chandler’s book “The Explicit Gospel”. The do-over post is entitled “’Making Man Feel Important” posted on December 31, 2025.

“The Gospel on the Ground: God’s Perfect Self-sufficiency” has been replaced with a “do-over post” which you can read. I am not pleased with the half-hearted effort I have put into St. John Studies this past year. I am reposting my comments on Matt Chandler’s book The Explicit Gospel. The do-over post is entitled “’Getting to Know’ God’s Perfect Self-sufficiency” posted on December 6, 2025.

“The Gospel on the Ground: God’s Sovereign Knowing” has been replaced with a “do-over post” which you can read. I am not pleased with the half-hearted effort I have put into St. John Studies this past year. I am reposting my comments on Matt Chandler’s book The Explicit Gospel. The do-over post is entitled “Most Christians Salute the Sovereignty of God but Believe in the Sovereignty of Man” posted on November 30, 2025. 

“The Ground and the Air” has been replaced with a “do-over” post” which you can read. I am not pleased with the half-hearted effort I have put into St. John Studies this past year. I am reposting my comments on Matt Chandler’s book The Explicit Gospel. The “do-over” post is “Of First Importance” posted on November 12,  2025.

“Understanding What God Has Done” has been replaced with a “do-over” post which you can read. I am not pleased with the half-hearted effort I have put into St. John Studies this past year. I am reposting my comments on Matt Chandler’s book The Explicit Gospel. The “do-over” post is “Of First Importance” posted on November 12, 2025.

Matt Chandler (born June 20, 1974) is an American Baptist evangelical Christian pastor. He is the senior pastor of Village Church, based in Flower Mound, Texas (Southern Baptist) and the executive director of the board of the Acts 29 Network.

Chandler was born in Seattle, Washington. His father was in the military, causing him to move multiple times. They lived in Olympia, Washington; Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan; Alameda, California, and Galveston, Texas ] In Texas, the 6 ft 5 Chandler was a member of the high school football team. He often refers to Jeff Faircloth, a football teammate, was quick to share the good news of Jesus with him in a way that intrigued Chandler. Over the course of two years, Chandler attended church gatherings, opposed the beliefs, raised questions, and doubts against Christianity before deciding to accept the teaching of Christianity.

Following high school, Chandler acquired his first job, as a janitor at Pine Drive Christian School in Dickinson, Texas. Chandler first spoke in front of a crowd when he was asked to share his testimony at a high school chapel. He was then offered a job as a youth minister at a small Baptist church in La Marque, Texas, at the age of 18.  Chandler moved to Abilene, Texas, where he attended Hardin-Simmons University. While there, Chandler began leading the weekly Grace Bible Study at the Paramount Theater. Chandler earned a Bible degree from Hardin-Simmons University. In 1996, Chandler was hired by Beltway Park Baptist Church under pastor David McQueen.  In 1999, Chandler started a non-profit called Waiting Room Ministries with close friend Shane Barnard.   Chandler twice started seminary classes but dropped out both times because he felt that he had acquired the tools he was learning from seminary back in bible school.   He married his wife, Lauren, on July 31, 1999, and they have three children: Audrey, Reid and Norah.

A woman on the board of his non-profit organization asked Chandler to put in a résumé at Highland Village First Baptist Church. Chandler claims he did not expect to get the job due to conflicts in beliefs. Despite this, he was offered the job, and in 2002 he accepted the position. The church at that point had an attendance of 160 people. Now known as The Village Church, it has since become a multi-site megachurch with over 14,000 attendees.  Chandler says his character was partially shaped by John Piper.

Chandler is an elder and the lead pastor of teaching at The Village Church, which is located in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.  The Explicit Gospel is his first book.

This information is sourced from Wikipedia “Matt Chandler” accessed on 3/24/2025.