My Three Personal Encounters with Jay Adams

“For they say, ‘His letters are weighty and strong,'” it was said of the apostle Paul, yet his bodily presence and manner of speech were unimpressive. The same could be said of Jay Adams, the father of modern day biblical counseling, who died on November 14, 2020. Misunderstood from a distance by some, Adams was much loved by those who knew him well.

In this Moody Radio interview, I discuss the wide ministry impact of Jay Adams, by reflecting on three personal encounters with him. In the late 1980s, while in Bible college, I was impacted by a visiting lecturer who held to the inerrancy and authority of Scripture without apology. In the mid 1990s, I was persuaded by a pastor who loved to encourage other pastors to equip their flocks. And in the early 2000s, I was encouraged by a kind, gentle, and compassionate man who, like a father, exhorted younger men to keep growing.

Jay Adams knew he was a flawed man, like the rest of us, but he also knew he was called to relentlessly point others to the flawless Christ, as he boldly proclaimed the infallible Word of God.

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