Jason Goodwin: Welcome everybody to the Preaching Lab Podcast. It is good to be with you again. This is Jason Goodwin coming from Ruston, Louisiana, and Louisiana Tech, the the crown jewel of the University of Louisiana's systems. And with me as always is my friend, my my brother, my my fellow pastor Adam Wayne Thomas. Adam, what's going on, brother?
Adam: Man, I'm not good. You know,
Jason Goodwin: why?
Adam: my my well my disdain for August, it just feels like groundhog day and it feels like August is never going to end. We're in mid we are in mid October and it's still ninety degrees and so I'm not in
Jason Goodwin: No.
Adam: a good mood.
Jason Goodwin: That's my goodness, you're s that's okay. here's the deal. Like, yes, today I I agree with you. Like I woke up today, every other morning has been pretty nice. We've been in the sixties. I think we even slipped down into the fifties for a couple of mornings. And and you when I got up this when I got
Adam: We have not been to fifties. That's not true.
Jason Goodwin: up when I got up this morning and looked at my watch and it said it was seventy five degrees, I knew This this is not this is not the kind of day that we were looking for. And and then I and then I turned on the Facebook and if sure enough, there's Adam with his we're in the ninety-sixth day of August post. And I'm just like, my gosh, I gotta talk to this guy today. Well, this is terrible. well, hopefully, I mean, but you've got, you know, your football team's doing great. I mean, you guys are are are four and two.
Adam: Well, you know, I made a recent I made a recent prediction on this podcast about how great Arkansas was gonna be this year.
Jason Goodwin: Yeah.
Adam: That doesn't look like it has materialized. See how see how I switched it to
Jason Goodwin: No, I d I d I laughed. That's why I laughed.
Adam: Arkansas real quick? I switched it to switched it to Arkansas real quick. That that's a strategy.
Jason Goodwin: laughed that's why I laughed at that so quickly because it it was a clear joke. you you did not mean it at all. And I think it was a passive aggressive prophecy that that was of course meant to hurt. but no we're we're we're doing about as well as expected. So I'm fine with that. we do have a special guest today which I'm I'm tickled to have because I have I have enjoyed any opportunities that I've ever had to to have conversation and to get to talk with this young man. And he is he is a young man. has always been an encouragement to me. and so we're we're glad to have Ty Boyette with us today. Ty, tell us tell us a little bit about yourself. Where you from, where'd you grow up, how'd you come to know the Lord? We wanna we wanna hear it all. So tell us about you.
Ty Boyett: I am originally from Taylor, Arkansas, a great metropolis of a place. And yeah, it's there that I was born and raised. Yeah, he graduated
Jason Goodwin: Wow. Did you know that Adam Thomas graduated from Taylor? Did you know that Adam Thomas graduated from Taylor High School?
Adam: Not only not only that, I graduated with his dad.
Ty Boyett: That's true. Yeah. A hundred percent. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Jason Goodwin: that's hilarious. That's really funny. So so we're we're establishing here that Adam
Adam: Yeah. Yeah.
Jason Goodwin: is more than old enough to be your dad. That's what we're establishing right now.
Adam: That's true.
Ty Boyett: Tis true. Tis true. Yeah.
Jason Goodwin: There you go. There you go. All right. All right.
Ty Boyett: Yeah. So yeah, I grew up there in Taylor. was pretty much a nominal Christian most of my life. Grew up in a Christian family, Christian home. we went to a a small, I guess you would call it missionary Baptist Church. it's different from the BMA, so that's you know, the world that y'all would I guess be accustomed to. I grew up in the ABA and I grew up there
Jason Goodwin: No yeah.
Ty Boyett: was False Yeah. Wasn't a real Baptist.
Jason Goodwin: If you're not hey, if you're not ABA, you're just if you're just if you're not ABA, you're just hoboing your way to heaven.
Ty Boyett: Right. Yeah. Yeah. I gotta ask that question, am I the bride of Christ every once in a while? Yeah. No, but
Jason Goodwin: There you go. That's it.
Ty Boyett: in all seriousness, yeah. So I I grew up in that world, was falsely converted at eight years old. Well, you know, one of those sermons where it's like they talk a lot about hell sort of thing, and you're just really scared and I don't know, I don't want to go there, that's for sure. So you try and choose any alternative. And and that was that was pretty much my my conversion story in the beginning, a a false conversion. And then I don't know, fast forward to my senior year when I was 17 years old, it's 2021 in February, I saw a little clip from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and it was Bruce Ware going over Hebrews 1026 asking the question, how do you know if you're saved? And Can't if you live in willful sin, are
Jason Goodwin: Well,
Ty Boyett: you saved? And the answer was obviously no, you're not saved if you're living in willful sin. And I was. And I was like, Well, I I know I know I'm not converted. And I had I was kind of in that position in life where I was teeter tottering on the idea of God. I I really didn't I was more agnostic than anything at the moment.
Jason Goodwin: Yeah.
Ty Boyett: But then I was converted. the Lord saved me then. I remember it was just a clear understanding that I have nothing to do with this. I cannot save myself. It's not like I've I've attributed anything to this. It's all the grace of of Christ. And in that moment I knew it was Christ who saved me. And I I had nothing I could have done to to have saved myself. And yeah, so shortly after that I went to a little Bible seminary after I graduated, had some disagreements there. so went to UAHT to get an associate's degree in Hope, Arkansas. And that's that's where I I heard the preaching of of Cliff and really was influenced by Cliff. It's where I met Emma. Emma was singing, you know, with her dad and all that
Jason Goodwin: Uh-huh.
Ty Boyett: good stuff with the praise team and and I I knew I had to marry her. It was three years before I told her that. But for three years I just kinda stood by and was like, Yeah, I I I hope this goes somewhere. And there was nothing to go anywhere, but finally I just asked her if she ever watched Lord of the Rings and it was just a nerd conversation and it kinda kinda took off from there. And yeah,
Adam: I love it.
Ty Boyett: since then yeah, since then I Yes, three years.
Jason Goodwin: took you it took you three years to work up the courage to even like begin talking to her.
Ty Boyett: Well, I I talked to her one time before that. Once. I asked her if she walked at Paula and Odell's. It's a little country store in Willisville.
Jason Goodwin: Uh-huh.
Ty Boyett: And her answer was yes, and then she walked away. It's
Adam: Ha ha.
Ty Boyett: like, all right, that that went really well. Yeah.
Adam: But then but then you brought up Lord of the Rings and BAM Victory to the nerds, victory to the nerds.
Ty Boyett: Yeah. Lord of the Rings and that changed everything. That's right. Yeah
Jason Goodwin: Come on, I think just good literature and
Ty Boyett: Yeah, it changed everything.
Jason Goodwin: I mean she's a homeschool kid. So I mean that's a pretty good I mean,
Ty Boyett: Yeah, that's true. That's right.
Jason Goodwin: you know, I mean that's like I mean you're you're you're just laying it out there for for any kind of real real homeschooler, like,
Ty Boyett: Yeah. Right.
Jason Goodwin: hey, you want to talk about Tolkien or Lewis? I mean, that's that's
Ty Boyett: Mm-hmm.
Adam: Mm-hmm.
Jason Goodwin: good stuff right there. So, so
Ty Boyett: Yeah.
Jason Goodwin: okay, so Emma and now how long have you all been married now, Ty?
Ty Boyett: We've been married three years now, yeah. And we have in those three years I've started seminary at the BMA Theological Seminary. I'll be finishing my bachelor's degree in the spring. we had a little boy names Ollie. Ollie is two. Yeah, he turned two back in March and in I think February we're expecting another baby, a little girl. So yeah. Yeah.
Adam: Nice Awesome.
Jason Goodwin: Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. I love to hear it. I love to hear it. Y'all are on a good trajectory. Good trajectory. So excited about that. Now, Ty so Cliff, when you when you got to know Cliff, how how you know, I I I know that's where I first met you was Cliff introduced us and things like that. What was what was that relationship like? I mean, and and did you have ministry on your mind? when you when you started attending Garrett, or how did the Lord kind of bring you into having a ministry mindset? And was and was Cliff we don't give him too much credit, right? But like how did how did he help you on that on that on that journey?
Ty Boyett: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So the first time I ever heard Cliff preach, I I actually wasn't converted yet. It was I think I was fifteen years old and he was preaching a revival or something along those lines at First Baptist Church in Spring Hill, Louisiana. And yeah, yeah. Yeah, okay. Wow.
Adam: Hm it's my home church. All kinds of connections.
Jason Goodwin: That's that yeah, there you go. The home that's the home church of my great grandparents and and a church I I think a lot of even today. So yeah, that's great.
Ty Boyett: okay. Yeah. Yeah. I don't remember who the pastor was. I don't think Chris Lucy was there yet. It was
Adam: It's probably Ronald Morgan.
Jason Goodwin: Okay. Yeah.
Ty Boyett: yeah, I think so, yeah. But anyways my grandpa was a and somebody had invited him to go, so he went and I went with him. And he was preaching from Ruth and I went back every night just to listen because I was like, This man believes what he's preaching. I was like, This is crazy. I because I I wasn't used to that kind of like convictional exposition. And so that was really interesting and it was new for me. So I went there, heard him preach there, and then for a few years I just went with my grandpa off and on. He started going to Garrett. He drove from Taylor to Garrett, or to Hope to go to Garrett and he Just really loved the preaching there. And so I started going and kind of sat under the preaching of Cliff. Then I was converted, like I said, whenever I was seventeen, my senior year. And from that point on I pretty much looked to Cliff and Chris a good bit. Yeah, just asking them about the ins and outs of ministry. I was very interested in ministry. I was actually, I guess you could say whenever I really knew I wanted to start preaching and and to go into pastoral ministry, it was my senior year also, I I led an FCA meeting. They asked me to speak just randomly and everybody it was like five speakers and everybody came to mind. and I I was like, okay, maybe maybe this means something. I didn't I didn't really know what it meant. You know, I I was kind of like, this is a sign sort of thing. But as as as time went on as time went on, I just really enjoyed, you know, studying theology and and teaching it to others and seeing how it would take root in their life. And from there I just kind of really had a desire for pastoral ministry, but I didn't have a mentor. That was the issue. The church I grew up in was kind of distant from the leadership, I guess you could say, even though it was a smaller church. But Cliff and Chris both had had the mentality to make disciples. and so I guess you could say it really It was kind of an organic sort of thing. It just happened, you know. It wasn't like I was necessarily seeking them out or they were seeking me out. We just met each other and and they really poured into me. like I said, Cliff was the first person I ever really heard do live expository preaching and he did it well and really convinced me that that was the only way I I should preach, you know. And so yeah.
Jason Goodwin: We g we have a special guest real quick. Hey baby.
Ty Boyett: All right.
Jason Goodwin: All right. Yeah. Okay. So that's Hattie. That's that's that's child number number seven. So there you go. She's there
Ty Boyett: okay.
Jason Goodwin: you go. so when when Cliff, you know, began you know mentoring you and helping you prepare like for pastoral ministry, what was one of the what was one of the biggest encouragements or or or most helpful things that he did to to kind of direct you, mentor you, encourage you, what what did that kinda look like?
Ty Boyett: Cliff would Cliff would do things that nobody else ever did for me. Like he would tell me, he would tell me if I'm wrong. You know what I mean? Like he would he would
Jason Goodwin: Ha ha ha.
Ty Boyett: he would tell me if I'm wrong. He would he was the first person I ever received like true constructive criticism for. Everybody else after a sermon, I'd I'd ask for advice or something along those lines. They were like, Yeah, you did good. You know, just that kind of pat on the back sort of thing. But Cliff would would be serious with me. As a matter of fact, he invited me to preach at what is I I think they call it Summer in the Psalms at Garrett. So he invited me to come and
Jason Goodwin: Yeah, yeah.
Ty Boyett: yeah, to come and preach at that. And he and Chris and a group of others critiqued my sermon afterwards. They made me steak and salad and all that good stuff and then they just made fun of how I preached. Now but but in all seriousness, they just, you know, they They dissected my sermon and explained what I did well and what I what I could improve on. And so I mean he helped in that way. He invited me to come and pray at the beginning of of the services and to do announcements and sometimes scripture readings at Garrett. And so I was involved in that. He was letting me get my hands on and that's how I learned best. And he was allowing me to do
Jason Goodwin: Yeah.
Ty Boyett: that. And then he'd he is the first person who ever told me to pray the Bible. had no clue that was a thing beforehand.
Jason Goodwin: Yeah.
Ty Boyett: but he he told me to start praying the Bible whenever I led our prayer after our call to worship and it revolutionized the way I pray. So yeah Cliff
Jason Goodwin: Praise the Lord.
Ty Boyett: Cliff kind of took me in in in that regard and just helped me to to put my hand to the plow and get to work. I had the opportunity to serve in children's ministry and and other different capacities. He'd reach out and let people know who who needed somebody to fill in like for pulpit supply who I was and I'd go and do that. So yeah. he's he's been helpful in in so many ways, you know.
Jason Goodwin: So how hard was it when you you finally you made that transition into pastoral ministry? You're leaving a church like Garrett, you know, you've got a lot of confidence, you know, serving there and and a little bit of experience just in a short amount of time. And then you enter in into pastoral ministry in in Camden, right? Or right outside of of Camden.
Ty Boyett: Yeah, right outside of Camden, yeah.
Jason Goodwin: And so what what was that experience like?
Ty Boyett: Yeah, so that was crazy because because Emma Emma had only ever experienced, you know, like the hell a healthy church experience there at Garrett. That's what she was used to. That's
Jason Goodwin: Yeah.
Ty Boyett: what she was accustomed to. she had grown up under expository preaching. She had the full experience. And it was hard for Emma, I would say, for both of us really to leave because we're kind of wondering, are we doing the right thing? 'Cause we knew where we were going. We were going to a church that that had issues and that was that was kind of you know on a downhill slant. And we just wanted to see, you know, what we could do there and how we could be used. And it it was it was hard to move from what you know is good to something that you know has issues. That's just like with anything. and
Jason Goodwin: Yeah.
Ty Boyett: so that was tough. But, you know, we had built upon those those essential foundations while we were at Garrett. for family life, ministry and our Christian life. And so so going there was it was a challenge, no doubt about it. But it was also helpful because I was taking all those things I learned while I was there at Garrett and putting them into into I guess a more focused kind of practice than I was at at Garrett. So it was it was very it was a valuable time that transition, but it was it was no it was also it was tough. It was tough. But the one thing I will say is that throughout that time, Cliff was still he and Chris were both very heavily involved in our lives. they were calling,
Jason Goodwin: yeah, amen.
Ty Boyett: they were texting, they were checking in on us. They even came Cliff even came and made fun of how far my office was from like the main entrance of the church. No, but you know, he would come to that. He was he was active and being involved or he would come and Let's see, like our Christmas service that we would do, he'd come to that. And one of his boys, Sam, Sam, would come and and help out with that. So yeah, they were still very involved in helping us with that meeting, you know, maybe once a quarter out of the year just talking about the the ins and outs of ministry, the the tough things and and the the victories that we had won. And yeah, so it was I think the what made that transition smooth for us. was having somebody from the church we were leaving who was still pouring into us and helping us with that.
Jason Goodwin: Well, and I and I think that's absolutely a s a a great thing because there's so so
Ty Boyett: Right.
Jason Goodwin: often, you know, we think when somebody leaves, well, if they're not in in direct fellowship with us, then then we're kind of like, you know, we we wash our hands, turn over,
Ty Boyett: Right.
Jason Goodwin: you know, you know, we we leave them to the Lord.
Ty Boyett: Right.
Jason Goodwin: But for him to continue that relationship and for and for Garrett to continue that relationship. I I think, man, that's a great example for other other guys to to consider. Like that the that the guys that you're sending out, you know, if you really care for these brothers, you maintain that relationship. And you maintain them because you know, you should know and and as as pastors, we know that first experience can be more difficult than what we than what we expect.
Adam: Yeah.
Jason Goodwin: And so you you never know what what you know that brother, especially if he's younger, may may be running into. And so I think I think, you know, having Cliff there was was pretty was was a good thing. whether he knew it or not, or whether he fully understood all that he was gonna probably help you through, I think that's that's a wise thing to to consider. well, you wrote an article for us that talked about your lessons from your first year of preaching, preaching lessons and things like that. But and we'll get to that. We'll talk about more. But what was if you could say, what were two takeaways from from your first pastoral experience that you would you would want to say to any young guy looking to get into ministry or s or or thinks that they're ready to take on that first church? Like what's a what's a word of encouragement and what's also kind of a word of warning? How about that? As you're as you're a if you were to talk
Ty Boyett: Yeah.
Jason Goodwin: to to two tie You know, three years ago or so.
Ty Boyett: gosh, man, I have a lot to say to Ty three years ago. No, but I I man, whenever it it comes to that, just strictly with pastoral ministry, not just preaching, I I suppose what I would say to somebody or especially a young guy wanting to go into ministry, well, first of all, one thing I would encourage anybody to do going into ministry is to get in contact with the people who have ministered in that place before you.
Adam: Yeah.
Ty Boyett: that is that
Jason Goodwin: yeah.
Ty Boyett: is very helpful to understand what problems they had, what issues they had to work
Adam: Yeah.
Ty Boyett: around, what what good experiences they had, what people to pour into, what people to trust, and and all of those different sorts of things. But another thing I would want to say, a positive thing to do to anybody, especially young men going into ministry, my age, older, whatever, is find men that you can pour into. and and that you can trust
Jason Goodwin: Mm-hmm.
Ty Boyett: that you can delegate things to because the most important part I think of my ministry there was a small men's group I started where I I took men that that I knew had had the desire to follow Christ. It was four or five guys and just really had the opportunity to teach them how to interpret the Bible, how to teach the Bible and how to pray the Bible. And all of those men grew tremendously. And it wasn't because of me, it was by God's grace that all this took place in their life. But they they had great zeal. I mean, they one of the guys called me today and he's like, You ever read George Swinnick? And I'm like, Well, I ha I haven't read the incomparableness of of God yet and he was like, Well, I have He was like, I gotta take it a sentence at a time. And I'm like, This is awesome. I wasn't expecting
Adam: I think that's
Ty Boyett: you to just jump into that. But I mean, it's yeah. It's been that's one thing I would encourage every young guy to do is find those guys because they'll be your your help. They'll be your refuge, as it were, whenever it comes to ministry. Because I mean God God puts men around you that can pour into you and give you wise counsel where you're at. And I would say those guys definitely were that. And I had the opportunity to teach them those those essentials of the faith, but they've they've all taken off with that. And I mean They're godly fathers, their godly husbands, they're they're godly churchmen. And that that was a blessing because you know, that's one of those things where you get a return on your investment too, because they're you're pouring into
Jason Goodwin: Yeah.
Ty Boyett: them, but they're they're pouring right back into you. Yeah.
Jason Goodwin: Yeah. No, that's I think that's a that's a that's a great a
Adam: Yeah.
Jason Goodwin: great example. And and it's one of those where it also shows, I mean, yeah, for the preaching lab, we we certainly think that that preaching ministry is is up there in in importance.
Ty Boyett: Right.
Jason Goodwin: But having those men that you are disciplining, discipling, putting around you for their good, sometimes it it it it only helps to build on that that work that you're doing in the pulpit because you're you're you're
Ty Boyett: Right.
Jason Goodwin: kind of you're kind of making sure that your audience is able to hear what you have to say. because if you're not kind of pouring on pouring into those men who are leading their families and everything else outside of the pulpit, then then sometimes the words that you say, you know, they they're they're over their head or they're they're not they're not able to really take root or or you don't know, you may not even realize How best to communicate to those guys and and just getting to know them helps you to get to know know your people, which is one of the things you mention and do mention in your article, is that is is that how important it is to know your people. That that, yes, when preaching, hey, my my most important thing is I'm preaching to the Lord. I he is he is the the sole one that I'm seeking to please, but I'm also needing to
Adam: Wow.
Jason Goodwin: To make sure that these people in the pews are hearing me and understanding me. And that's one of the best ways that you can do it.
Ty Boyett: Yeah.
Adam: Yeah. Last year I'd started thing at my house is just a fire pit fellowship and where I'd just start get a fire and I'd get six or seven guys that would come and we would just on a Thursday night just we'd my family would fix them some brownies and coffee and we'd just sit around the fire and just talk as men about we would usually look at a verse and then but then just kinda hey man, what's going on in your life and how can we be praying for each other we would pray for each other and it was very helpful in that in that aspect you mentioned in the article about okay, there are real things going on in in our people's lives and and if we don't build some windows into that, to be able to look into that, we're gonna have trouble in our preaching, as far as preaching to their hearts and souls. Yeah.
Jason Goodwin: So you you you've since moved on. It happens in ministry. you're now serving at a church in Ashdown. a little bit closer to hope, a little bit a little bit closer to family.
Ty Boyett: It's actually it's actually a little bit farther, but more people go to Tex or Canada than they do to Camden, I've found. So that's that's kinda helpful, yeah.
Jason Goodwin: Okay, okay, okay. Okay, okay. So what's what's your role now at that particular church and what w what are what are your thoughts kind of okay, I've done I've I've had this experience in ministry. Here I am now, kind of at at a next experience. Wha how how are you?
Ty Boyett: Yeah, so so my role here is I'm the associate pastor of family ministries. And what that means is that I I oversee the children's ministry rather than rather than taking hold of that and being the the the sole person who's working and and controlling that, I just kind of oversee it. That way it gives me an opportunity to disciple people. who need to be plugged into that. But it also gives me it gives them the opportunity to get in and and do it themselves. there's all kinds of ways I guess I could explain my role, but really I'm supposed to to help disciple families and children's ministries and then help with the the pastoral responsibilities here. So like I'm gonna preach, I don't know, five to ten times out of the year, I'll be involved in that. and then
Jason Goodwin: Good.
Ty Boyett: working with with men's ministries that they have here trying to help kind of formulate the route they want to take and and what i what exactly they're trying to accomplish and that sort of thing. And so yeah, that's that's what I'm doing here. And the reason we came here really primarily is just, you know, knowing that the Lord wanted us here. It was a good it was a good opportunity. so I'm going to be mentored some more. I'm going to be sharpened some more. I'm going to have the ability and the opening in my life to be able to make more disciples. And so whenever I saw that I could do that, I wanted to take that. But also there there are things, you know, that that happen in a church. And you guys get this, you know what I'm talking about. whenever your effectiveness can't be as whenever you can't be as effective in one place as you can be in another. I guess that's the
Jason Goodwin: Mm-hmm.
Ty Boyett: the best way to put it. where sometimes people get to the point where they're gonna take their shield down, or they're gonna put their shield up rather, and and kind of deflect anything you you're throwing at them. And anyway, so we kind of found, we, we moved about, prayed about, looked looked into some different opportunities. And Ashdown was just a we think the best opportunity for us to to take. But but we're doing well, man. We're I I can say I'm I I feel like I'm I'm a good fit here so far. and and I've enjoyed the opportunity I have to be mentored again. I kind of missed that, you know. but the
Jason Goodwin: Yeah.
Ty Boyett: thing is, Cliff was still very involved and Chris as well in my life. But it's just good to be also to be a part of a healthy church again. That's that's the that's the great part of of this. We're glad to be a part of a healthy church again, yeah.
Jason Goodwin: Well, it's it's important that in ministry we understand where we can be most effective. And I think sometimes when we're young in ministry, we we kind of have, you know, it's it's kind of the youthful exuberance, like we have that I you know, hey, just I can do it all, or I can try to do it all, or I can go anywhere. And I mean it's ministry. Come on. It can't be, you know, really how hard are we talking? And and then we find out that that there are There are places we we fit better. There are there are people and in churches that they have personalities and personalities always don't don't mix well. and and I want to say this because it, you know, in your our article you talk about staying faithful. And that that can ca can sometimes say, well, you know, hey, this guy he he didn't he he went to another place. Like how how does that work? But ultimately, I think you would help us to understand. That that faithfulness is it's faithfulness to Christ and not necessarily faithfulness to to a situation and and and how did you work through through that with with you know taking taking it this next opportunity?
Ty Boyett: Yeah, that's a good question. I I think that a lot of it was was based off of I mean well let me let me kind of back up here and say that What we knew is that we wanted to Emma and I we made this decision together. And what we both knew that we wanted was to stay faithful to God. And that was most of all as a family. we wanted to stay faithful to honoring God and honoring Christ within our household. And that's pretty contingent upon being in a healthy church. she needs people pouring into her and she needs to be discipled, and it's not just by me, although I'm God has entrusted me most of all with that responsibility. And that is a great responsibility to have and a blessing to be able to do that. There's also a sense in which she needs brothers and sisters in Christ who can pour into her in a different and more unique way. and so what we were looking for was a church that was faithful, that we could be faithful to and faithful at, while simultaneously being faithful to the work that God has entrusted us to do, both in our household and And within my ministry. And what we found was that Ashdown was that place for us. I mean, they're faithful to expository preaching. They're going through the process of of asking the hard questions of of what makes a church healthy and how can we better conform ourselves to that to glorify God in our community and in our lives. And and what we found is that that's what they're doing here. And so yeah, that decision really just looked like kind of taking and looking at our weighing our priorities. and seeing what fit that the best while also seeking counsel from the people at the church we were at. Now obviously they didn't want us to go. Some of well, some of them didn't want us to go, but you know, we we we we
Adam: Mm-hmm.
Ty Boyett: talked to some of them and you know they they all understood the opportunity that that we had and they also Like I said, I the guys I poured into, that's mainly the people whose counsel I was seeking in in this time of of decision making. And all of them all of them said the same thing that they think that wherever I can serve God more faithfully and and wherever I can serve him and be more effective, that's the place I needed to go. And so with their I don't want to say necessarily with their blessing, but with their counsel and and prayer. It was kind of a decision not only that Emma and I made, but also, you know, I I had other people kind of help me and and influence that decision, if that makes sense. just through through prayer and yeah.
Jason Goodwin: No, I think that's absolutely incredible. I really do. I think that's fantastic. And that shows it shows that the people there really did care about you and about what you needed as a as a young husband, as a young father, and as a young man in ministry. And I and I think that's that's an important lesson to take away is that the that when you cultivate relationships with people. And when you build these types of relationships where you're able to have honest conversations, even if it means, hey, I need to talk to you guys about me not being your pastor anymore, that's pretty incredible that they would respond in in in such a positive way because so often in similar situations, you see guys in churches that I mean, it it's like they just totally shut down. You know, it's it's totally like, Hey, you know, no, you don't want to be here, then you know, whatever. And I think that's
Ty Boyett: Right.
Jason Goodwin: that speaks well that speaks well for the work that you did while you were there. And I think it speaks well for for many of them to be able to to kind of help you through that situation. I think that's it's it's real hard because I mean one of the hardest things you have to do is tell the church, hey, we're we're leaving. And and and it's you know, it's it's a it's a it's it's great when they're able to be supportive and to be thankful for for you know, what you've done in in in discipling and teaching them. So praise the Lord that that that was able to happen. one of the things I do wanna I do want to say, y you've mentioned it already and so I I think that doesn't need to be we don't r wanna rehash it, but you talked about Cliff kind of providing you and Chris both with some constructive criticism when you were preaching and and kind of opening up yourself to some more of that criticism. even while you were pastoring. What do you think why do you think that's so important? And and if you could tell a guy or have a pastor who's like, man, I don't I'm not too sure about that. I don't know if I want people be feeling free to kind of give me, why do you think that is so important and and what lessons were you able to learn in being willing to receive that?
Ty Boyett: Yeah, I think I think one of the main reasons it's so important and so vital to preaching ministry, it's because you're not preaching in a room alone. You're preaching to people. you you're you're preaching so that they can understand what God's word says and so that it can be applied to their lives. And whenever you get closed off to the point where where you think you're going to preach with one style. And by that I don't mean expositional, topical, textual. I mean like you've crafted your own style by which you prepare and preach. If you've become
Jason Goodwin: Mm, mm-hmm.
Ty Boyett: closed minded and you don't listen to people on on
Adam: Mm.
Ty Boyett: especially experienced preachers as to how you can better communicate what God's word is saying, you're you ultimately will fail. I like what I what Spurgeon says. That we're not supposed to preach under our people or over our people. We're supposed to preach to our people. And whenever it comes to preaching to your people, you're gonna have to listen to what they have to say. I mean, what parent wouldn't listen to their child about, you know, the meal they made? Like they're either gonna say this is nasty or or or well, you know, being a dad, I they don't always say that, they just kind of spit it out. And and sometimes, you know, you get that experience in ministry where people are like You know, I can regurgitate information that you threw out here, but none of this pierced my heart. And sometimes
Jason Goodwin: Yeah.
Ty Boyett: what you need is somebody to tell you, I need something that is, I need you to take that point in the text and focus on it. Don't just mention it kind of, don't just drive by it and say, Hey, there it is, but mention what's actually there. Spend some time exposing what God's word says. Don't just kind of do a drive-by and and say, Hey, notice this thing out the window. But yeah, this critique from from Cliff and like I said, Chris, the first Cliff, Chris, and a group of others, the first time I was ever the first time I ever preached at Garrett. I think the reason what helped me with that was it showed me also that people cared about preaching. it wasn't like it wasn't one of those moments it was one of those moments where you realize people actually are listening and they do care. It's not it's it's not like they're just here to to check it off their list. They care about what you're saying and this is a serious thing you're doing. And so it opens you up to the reality that, hey, this this really matters. What I'm doing matters. Preaching God's word is is is something that's very important. But it also opens you up to the to the fact that there's a you need to communicate well. there's so much more I could I guess I could I could
Adam: Mm-hmm.
Ty Boyett: say on on that particular point, constructive criticism, but it's its effect in my ministry has been has been very great. And that's I think it's maybe it's Mark Dever that talks about godly encouragement and godly criticism. And the first time I'd ever listened to him talk about that in the sermon reviews and service reviews that they they do, I I decided I was going to do something similar to that at the church we were at, and I had A few guys I would go to and have them give me some constructive criticism as well. And I also learned in that process what criticism to take and what criticism
Adam: Mm-hmm.
Ty Boyett: not to take.
Jason Goodwin: Yeah.
Ty Boyett: and sometimes sometimes there's people that just want to give you criticism anyways. And one way I did and and
Adam: Mm. Yeah.
Ty Boyett: that really helped because it helps you to discern who cares about you and who doesn't, who cares about the preaching of God's word and who doesn't. you know, and and I learned I learned how to kind of discern who to listen to and who not to listen to within that process as well. yeah.
Jason Goodwin: Yeah.
Adam: Yeah. You know, Cliff, we did the thing this summer where we had some men in our church preach each week. And Chuck Fleury, my one of my best friends, he was he did it and he was like, All right, let loose, criticize me. And I had a lot of trouble because I was just kind of set on the front row just enjoying these guys and just taking it in and just so proud of the good that I saw that I was having a lot of trouble. Chris and but cl but Chuck was just like, I won't gr you know, I want you to tear me apart. And so I ended up I said, I know a guy who'll do it for ya. And so I sent his sir I sent a link to his sermon to Cliff and he he Chuck was good with that. He wanted that. And, you know, Cliff actually offers a service now that and I mean he he will spend a lot of time just walking through your sermon, what was good and what could use some work and Chuck loved it. I mean he just found it incredibly beneficial. And so yeah, I think you're exact like good there's nothing like good, solid, well meaning criticism to improve our preaching. and then, you know, also knowing how to filter out those people that aren't real specific. They just don't like it. Yeah.
Ty Boyett: Yeah.
Jason Goodwin: Well, I think I think I'm excited for you, Ty, where you're at, the opportunities you're gonna have. I I'm thankful for the experience you got to have in in pastoral ministry. And it's it's it's you know, the Lord in his in his kindness allowed that experience for you, especially young in ministry. And and I know it'll it'll it was a sanctifying work and I and I'm pretty sure it's gonna be something that kind of you're gonna think much on as you as you continue on. So I'm I'm glad that I'm glad that you had it. I'm I'm thankful that you're at Ashdown now and and that you're you're serving in the capacity you are and and hopefully continue to be encouraged and and used of the Lord. and I'm and I'm thankful for the example of Cliff and and Chris there at Garrett to be to be faithful encouragers, mentors and and disciplers of you. And it I hope I hope if anybody's listening to this that that it shows you especially if you're an experienced pastor, how much the men in your church, especially the young men in your church, need faithful men. Just it's I mean it's Second Timothy two, right? Faithful men who are willing to teach them and encourage them and come alongside of them so that they can then learn and know how to do that to other men. And and so we're thankful for that. Adam, you got anything else?
Adam: Good. Good talk.
Jason Goodwin: Yeah, brother. It's so good. Ty, thanks for being with us. pray for you and
Ty Boyett: Yeah, man.
Jason Goodwin: Emma and and and and the baby do in February. just continued blessings on you and your ministry. And and we we ask guys just to to to like the podcast, share it, let us know what's going on, how we can be of service to you. Find us on Facebook with the preaching lab. we got a substack where where Ty's article and several other articles that we've talked about are gonna be and Plug into us. we we would love to be able to to assist you in your ministry any way that we can. at the preaching lab we're all about healthy pulpits, healthy pastors, and Lord willing we'll see you again in a few weeks.
Adam: Man, I'm not good. You know,
Jason Goodwin: why?
Adam: my my well my disdain for August, it just feels like groundhog day and it feels like August is never going to end. We're in mid we are in mid October and it's still ninety degrees and so I'm not in
Jason Goodwin: No.
Adam: a good mood.
Jason Goodwin: That's my goodness, you're s that's okay. here's the deal. Like, yes, today I I agree with you. Like I woke up today, every other morning has been pretty nice. We've been in the sixties. I think we even slipped down into the fifties for a couple of mornings. And and you when I got up this when I got
Adam: We have not been to fifties. That's not true.
Jason Goodwin: up when I got up this morning and looked at my watch and it said it was seventy five degrees, I knew This this is not this is not the kind of day that we were looking for. And and then I and then I turned on the Facebook and if sure enough, there's Adam with his we're in the ninety-sixth day of August post. And I'm just like, my gosh, I gotta talk to this guy today. Well, this is terrible. well, hopefully, I mean, but you've got, you know, your football team's doing great. I mean, you guys are are are four and two.
Adam: Well, you know, I made a recent I made a recent prediction on this podcast about how great Arkansas was gonna be this year.
Jason Goodwin: Yeah.
Adam: That doesn't look like it has materialized. See how see how I switched it to
Jason Goodwin: No, I d I d I laughed. That's why I laughed.
Adam: Arkansas real quick? I switched it to switched it to Arkansas real quick. That that's a strategy.
Jason Goodwin: laughed that's why I laughed at that so quickly because it it was a clear joke. you you did not mean it at all. And I think it was a passive aggressive prophecy that that was of course meant to hurt. but no we're we're we're doing about as well as expected. So I'm fine with that. we do have a special guest today which I'm I'm tickled to have because I have I have enjoyed any opportunities that I've ever had to to have conversation and to get to talk with this young man. And he is he is a young man. has always been an encouragement to me. and so we're we're glad to have Ty Boyette with us today. Ty, tell us tell us a little bit about yourself. Where you from, where'd you grow up, how'd you come to know the Lord? We wanna we wanna hear it all. So tell us about you.
Ty Boyett: I am originally from Taylor, Arkansas, a great metropolis of a place. And yeah, it's there that I was born and raised. Yeah, he graduated
Jason Goodwin: Wow. Did you know that Adam Thomas graduated from Taylor? Did you know that Adam Thomas graduated from Taylor High School?
Adam: Not only not only that, I graduated with his dad.
Ty Boyett: That's true. Yeah. A hundred percent. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Jason Goodwin: that's hilarious. That's really funny. So so we're we're establishing here that Adam
Adam: Yeah. Yeah.
Jason Goodwin: is more than old enough to be your dad. That's what we're establishing right now.
Adam: That's true.
Ty Boyett: Tis true. Tis true. Yeah.
Jason Goodwin: There you go. There you go. All right. All right.
Ty Boyett: Yeah. So yeah, I grew up there in Taylor. was pretty much a nominal Christian most of my life. Grew up in a Christian family, Christian home. we went to a a small, I guess you would call it missionary Baptist Church. it's different from the BMA, so that's you know, the world that y'all would I guess be accustomed to. I grew up in the ABA and I grew up there
Jason Goodwin: No yeah.
Ty Boyett: was False Yeah. Wasn't a real Baptist.
Jason Goodwin: If you're not hey, if you're not ABA, you're just if you're just if you're not ABA, you're just hoboing your way to heaven.
Ty Boyett: Right. Yeah. Yeah. I gotta ask that question, am I the bride of Christ every once in a while? Yeah. No, but
Jason Goodwin: There you go. That's it.
Ty Boyett: in all seriousness, yeah. So I I grew up in that world, was falsely converted at eight years old. Well, you know, one of those sermons where it's like they talk a lot about hell sort of thing, and you're just really scared and I don't know, I don't want to go there, that's for sure. So you try and choose any alternative. And and that was that was pretty much my my conversion story in the beginning, a a false conversion. And then I don't know, fast forward to my senior year when I was 17 years old, it's 2021 in February, I saw a little clip from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and it was Bruce Ware going over Hebrews 1026 asking the question, how do you know if you're saved? And Can't if you live in willful sin, are
Jason Goodwin: Well,
Ty Boyett: you saved? And the answer was obviously no, you're not saved if you're living in willful sin. And I was. And I was like, Well, I I know I know I'm not converted. And I had I was kind of in that position in life where I was teeter tottering on the idea of God. I I really didn't I was more agnostic than anything at the moment.
Jason Goodwin: Yeah.
Ty Boyett: But then I was converted. the Lord saved me then. I remember it was just a clear understanding that I have nothing to do with this. I cannot save myself. It's not like I've I've attributed anything to this. It's all the grace of of Christ. And in that moment I knew it was Christ who saved me. And I I had nothing I could have done to to have saved myself. And yeah, so shortly after that I went to a little Bible seminary after I graduated, had some disagreements there. so went to UAHT to get an associate's degree in Hope, Arkansas. And that's that's where I I heard the preaching of of Cliff and really was influenced by Cliff. It's where I met Emma. Emma was singing, you know, with her dad and all that
Jason Goodwin: Uh-huh.
Ty Boyett: good stuff with the praise team and and I I knew I had to marry her. It was three years before I told her that. But for three years I just kinda stood by and was like, Yeah, I I I hope this goes somewhere. And there was nothing to go anywhere, but finally I just asked her if she ever watched Lord of the Rings and it was just a nerd conversation and it kinda kinda took off from there. And yeah,
Adam: I love it.
Ty Boyett: since then yeah, since then I Yes, three years.
Jason Goodwin: took you it took you three years to work up the courage to even like begin talking to her.
Ty Boyett: Well, I I talked to her one time before that. Once. I asked her if she walked at Paula and Odell's. It's a little country store in Willisville.
Jason Goodwin: Uh-huh.
Ty Boyett: And her answer was yes, and then she walked away. It's
Adam: Ha ha.
Ty Boyett: like, all right, that that went really well. Yeah.
Adam: But then but then you brought up Lord of the Rings and BAM Victory to the nerds, victory to the nerds.
Ty Boyett: Yeah. Lord of the Rings and that changed everything. That's right. Yeah
Jason Goodwin: Come on, I think just good literature and
Ty Boyett: Yeah, it changed everything.
Jason Goodwin: I mean she's a homeschool kid. So I mean that's a pretty good I mean,
Ty Boyett: Yeah, that's true. That's right.
Jason Goodwin: you know, I mean that's like I mean you're you're you're just laying it out there for for any kind of real real homeschooler, like,
Ty Boyett: Yeah. Right.
Jason Goodwin: hey, you want to talk about Tolkien or Lewis? I mean, that's that's
Ty Boyett: Mm-hmm.
Adam: Mm-hmm.
Jason Goodwin: good stuff right there. So, so
Ty Boyett: Yeah.
Jason Goodwin: okay, so Emma and now how long have you all been married now, Ty?
Ty Boyett: We've been married three years now, yeah. And we have in those three years I've started seminary at the BMA Theological Seminary. I'll be finishing my bachelor's degree in the spring. we had a little boy names Ollie. Ollie is two. Yeah, he turned two back in March and in I think February we're expecting another baby, a little girl. So yeah. Yeah.
Adam: Nice Awesome.
Jason Goodwin: Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. I love to hear it. I love to hear it. Y'all are on a good trajectory. Good trajectory. So excited about that. Now, Ty so Cliff, when you when you got to know Cliff, how how you know, I I I know that's where I first met you was Cliff introduced us and things like that. What was what was that relationship like? I mean, and and did you have ministry on your mind? when you when you started attending Garrett, or how did the Lord kind of bring you into having a ministry mindset? And was and was Cliff we don't give him too much credit, right? But like how did how did he help you on that on that on that journey?
Ty Boyett: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So the first time I ever heard Cliff preach, I I actually wasn't converted yet. It was I think I was fifteen years old and he was preaching a revival or something along those lines at First Baptist Church in Spring Hill, Louisiana. And yeah, yeah. Yeah, okay. Wow.
Adam: Hm it's my home church. All kinds of connections.
Jason Goodwin: That's that yeah, there you go. The home that's the home church of my great grandparents and and a church I I think a lot of even today. So yeah, that's great.
Ty Boyett: okay. Yeah. Yeah. I don't remember who the pastor was. I don't think Chris Lucy was there yet. It was
Adam: It's probably Ronald Morgan.
Jason Goodwin: Okay. Yeah.
Ty Boyett: yeah, I think so, yeah. But anyways my grandpa was a and somebody had invited him to go, so he went and I went with him. And he was preaching from Ruth and I went back every night just to listen because I was like, This man believes what he's preaching. I was like, This is crazy. I because I I wasn't used to that kind of like convictional exposition. And so that was really interesting and it was new for me. So I went there, heard him preach there, and then for a few years I just went with my grandpa off and on. He started going to Garrett. He drove from Taylor to Garrett, or to Hope to go to Garrett and he Just really loved the preaching there. And so I started going and kind of sat under the preaching of Cliff. Then I was converted, like I said, whenever I was seventeen, my senior year. And from that point on I pretty much looked to Cliff and Chris a good bit. Yeah, just asking them about the ins and outs of ministry. I was very interested in ministry. I was actually, I guess you could say whenever I really knew I wanted to start preaching and and to go into pastoral ministry, it was my senior year also, I I led an FCA meeting. They asked me to speak just randomly and everybody it was like five speakers and everybody came to mind. and I I was like, okay, maybe maybe this means something. I didn't I didn't really know what it meant. You know, I I was kind of like, this is a sign sort of thing. But as as as time went on as time went on, I just really enjoyed, you know, studying theology and and teaching it to others and seeing how it would take root in their life. And from there I just kind of really had a desire for pastoral ministry, but I didn't have a mentor. That was the issue. The church I grew up in was kind of distant from the leadership, I guess you could say, even though it was a smaller church. But Cliff and Chris both had had the mentality to make disciples. and so I guess you could say it really It was kind of an organic sort of thing. It just happened, you know. It wasn't like I was necessarily seeking them out or they were seeking me out. We just met each other and and they really poured into me. like I said, Cliff was the first person I ever really heard do live expository preaching and he did it well and really convinced me that that was the only way I I should preach, you know. And so yeah.
Jason Goodwin: We g we have a special guest real quick. Hey baby.
Ty Boyett: All right.
Jason Goodwin: All right. Yeah. Okay. So that's Hattie. That's that's that's child number number seven. So there you go. She's there
Ty Boyett: okay.
Jason Goodwin: you go. so when when Cliff, you know, began you know mentoring you and helping you prepare like for pastoral ministry, what was one of the what was one of the biggest encouragements or or or most helpful things that he did to to kind of direct you, mentor you, encourage you, what what did that kinda look like?
Ty Boyett: Cliff would Cliff would do things that nobody else ever did for me. Like he would tell me, he would tell me if I'm wrong. You know what I mean? Like he would he would
Jason Goodwin: Ha ha ha.
Ty Boyett: he would tell me if I'm wrong. He would he was the first person I ever received like true constructive criticism for. Everybody else after a sermon, I'd I'd ask for advice or something along those lines. They were like, Yeah, you did good. You know, just that kind of pat on the back sort of thing. But Cliff would would be serious with me. As a matter of fact, he invited me to preach at what is I I think they call it Summer in the Psalms at Garrett. So he invited me to come and
Jason Goodwin: Yeah, yeah.
Ty Boyett: yeah, to come and preach at that. And he and Chris and a group of others critiqued my sermon afterwards. They made me steak and salad and all that good stuff and then they just made fun of how I preached. Now but but in all seriousness, they just, you know, they They dissected my sermon and explained what I did well and what I what I could improve on. And so I mean he helped in that way. He invited me to come and pray at the beginning of of the services and to do announcements and sometimes scripture readings at Garrett. And so I was involved in that. He was letting me get my hands on and that's how I learned best. And he was allowing me to do
Jason Goodwin: Yeah.
Ty Boyett: that. And then he'd he is the first person who ever told me to pray the Bible. had no clue that was a thing beforehand.
Jason Goodwin: Yeah.
Ty Boyett: but he he told me to start praying the Bible whenever I led our prayer after our call to worship and it revolutionized the way I pray. So yeah Cliff
Jason Goodwin: Praise the Lord.
Ty Boyett: Cliff kind of took me in in in that regard and just helped me to to put my hand to the plow and get to work. I had the opportunity to serve in children's ministry and and other different capacities. He'd reach out and let people know who who needed somebody to fill in like for pulpit supply who I was and I'd go and do that. So yeah. he's he's been helpful in in so many ways, you know.
Jason Goodwin: So how hard was it when you you finally you made that transition into pastoral ministry? You're leaving a church like Garrett, you know, you've got a lot of confidence, you know, serving there and and a little bit of experience just in a short amount of time. And then you enter in into pastoral ministry in in Camden, right? Or right outside of of Camden.
Ty Boyett: Yeah, right outside of Camden, yeah.
Jason Goodwin: And so what what was that experience like?
Ty Boyett: Yeah, so that was crazy because because Emma Emma had only ever experienced, you know, like the hell a healthy church experience there at Garrett. That's what she was used to. That's
Jason Goodwin: Yeah.
Ty Boyett: what she was accustomed to. she had grown up under expository preaching. She had the full experience. And it was hard for Emma, I would say, for both of us really to leave because we're kind of wondering, are we doing the right thing? 'Cause we knew where we were going. We were going to a church that that had issues and that was that was kind of you know on a downhill slant. And we just wanted to see, you know, what we could do there and how we could be used. And it it was it was hard to move from what you know is good to something that you know has issues. That's just like with anything. and
Jason Goodwin: Yeah.
Ty Boyett: so that was tough. But, you know, we had built upon those those essential foundations while we were at Garrett. for family life, ministry and our Christian life. And so so going there was it was a challenge, no doubt about it. But it was also helpful because I was taking all those things I learned while I was there at Garrett and putting them into into I guess a more focused kind of practice than I was at at Garrett. So it was it was very it was a valuable time that transition, but it was it was no it was also it was tough. It was tough. But the one thing I will say is that throughout that time, Cliff was still he and Chris were both very heavily involved in our lives. they were calling,
Jason Goodwin: yeah, amen.
Ty Boyett: they were texting, they were checking in on us. They even came Cliff even came and made fun of how far my office was from like the main entrance of the church. No, but you know, he would come to that. He was he was active and being involved or he would come and Let's see, like our Christmas service that we would do, he'd come to that. And one of his boys, Sam, Sam, would come and and help out with that. So yeah, they were still very involved in helping us with that meeting, you know, maybe once a quarter out of the year just talking about the the ins and outs of ministry, the the tough things and and the the victories that we had won. And yeah, so it was I think the what made that transition smooth for us. was having somebody from the church we were leaving who was still pouring into us and helping us with that.
Jason Goodwin: Well, and I and I think that's absolutely a s a a great thing because there's so so
Ty Boyett: Right.
Jason Goodwin: often, you know, we think when somebody leaves, well, if they're not in in direct fellowship with us, then then we're kind of like, you know, we we wash our hands, turn over,
Ty Boyett: Right.
Jason Goodwin: you know, you know, we we leave them to the Lord.
Ty Boyett: Right.
Jason Goodwin: But for him to continue that relationship and for and for Garrett to continue that relationship. I I think, man, that's a great example for other other guys to to consider. Like that the that the guys that you're sending out, you know, if you really care for these brothers, you maintain that relationship. And you maintain them because you know, you should know and and as as pastors, we know that first experience can be more difficult than what we than what we expect.
Adam: Yeah.
Jason Goodwin: And so you you never know what what you know that brother, especially if he's younger, may may be running into. And so I think I think, you know, having Cliff there was was pretty was was a good thing. whether he knew it or not, or whether he fully understood all that he was gonna probably help you through, I think that's that's a wise thing to to consider. well, you wrote an article for us that talked about your lessons from your first year of preaching, preaching lessons and things like that. But and we'll get to that. We'll talk about more. But what was if you could say, what were two takeaways from from your first pastoral experience that you would you would want to say to any young guy looking to get into ministry or s or or thinks that they're ready to take on that first church? Like what's a what's a word of encouragement and what's also kind of a word of warning? How about that? As you're as you're a if you were to talk
Ty Boyett: Yeah.
Jason Goodwin: to to two tie You know, three years ago or so.
Ty Boyett: gosh, man, I have a lot to say to Ty three years ago. No, but I I man, whenever it it comes to that, just strictly with pastoral ministry, not just preaching, I I suppose what I would say to somebody or especially a young guy wanting to go into ministry, well, first of all, one thing I would encourage anybody to do going into ministry is to get in contact with the people who have ministered in that place before you.
Adam: Yeah.
Ty Boyett: that is that
Jason Goodwin: yeah.
Ty Boyett: is very helpful to understand what problems they had, what issues they had to work
Adam: Yeah.
Ty Boyett: around, what what good experiences they had, what people to pour into, what people to trust, and and all of those different sorts of things. But another thing I would want to say, a positive thing to do to anybody, especially young men going into ministry, my age, older, whatever, is find men that you can pour into. and and that you can trust
Jason Goodwin: Mm-hmm.
Ty Boyett: that you can delegate things to because the most important part I think of my ministry there was a small men's group I started where I I took men that that I knew had had the desire to follow Christ. It was four or five guys and just really had the opportunity to teach them how to interpret the Bible, how to teach the Bible and how to pray the Bible. And all of those men grew tremendously. And it wasn't because of me, it was by God's grace that all this took place in their life. But they they had great zeal. I mean, they one of the guys called me today and he's like, You ever read George Swinnick? And I'm like, Well, I ha I haven't read the incomparableness of of God yet and he was like, Well, I have He was like, I gotta take it a sentence at a time. And I'm like, This is awesome. I wasn't expecting
Adam: I think that's
Ty Boyett: you to just jump into that. But I mean, it's yeah. It's been that's one thing I would encourage every young guy to do is find those guys because they'll be your your help. They'll be your refuge, as it were, whenever it comes to ministry. Because I mean God God puts men around you that can pour into you and give you wise counsel where you're at. And I would say those guys definitely were that. And I had the opportunity to teach them those those essentials of the faith, but they've they've all taken off with that. And I mean They're godly fathers, their godly husbands, they're they're godly churchmen. And that that was a blessing because you know, that's one of those things where you get a return on your investment too, because they're you're pouring into
Jason Goodwin: Yeah.
Ty Boyett: them, but they're they're pouring right back into you. Yeah.
Jason Goodwin: Yeah. No, that's I think that's a that's a that's a great a
Adam: Yeah.
Jason Goodwin: great example. And and it's one of those where it also shows, I mean, yeah, for the preaching lab, we we certainly think that that preaching ministry is is up there in in importance.
Ty Boyett: Right.
Jason Goodwin: But having those men that you are disciplining, discipling, putting around you for their good, sometimes it it it it only helps to build on that that work that you're doing in the pulpit because you're you're you're
Ty Boyett: Right.
Jason Goodwin: kind of you're kind of making sure that your audience is able to hear what you have to say. because if you're not kind of pouring on pouring into those men who are leading their families and everything else outside of the pulpit, then then sometimes the words that you say, you know, they they're they're over their head or they're they're not they're not able to really take root or or you don't know, you may not even realize How best to communicate to those guys and and just getting to know them helps you to get to know know your people, which is one of the things you mention and do mention in your article, is that is is that how important it is to know your people. That that, yes, when preaching, hey, my my most important thing is I'm preaching to the Lord. I he is he is the the sole one that I'm seeking to please, but I'm also needing to
Adam: Wow.
Jason Goodwin: To make sure that these people in the pews are hearing me and understanding me. And that's one of the best ways that you can do it.
Ty Boyett: Yeah.
Adam: Yeah. Last year I'd started thing at my house is just a fire pit fellowship and where I'd just start get a fire and I'd get six or seven guys that would come and we would just on a Thursday night just we'd my family would fix them some brownies and coffee and we'd just sit around the fire and just talk as men about we would usually look at a verse and then but then just kinda hey man, what's going on in your life and how can we be praying for each other we would pray for each other and it was very helpful in that in that aspect you mentioned in the article about okay, there are real things going on in in our people's lives and and if we don't build some windows into that, to be able to look into that, we're gonna have trouble in our preaching, as far as preaching to their hearts and souls. Yeah.
Jason Goodwin: So you you you've since moved on. It happens in ministry. you're now serving at a church in Ashdown. a little bit closer to hope, a little bit a little bit closer to family.
Ty Boyett: It's actually it's actually a little bit farther, but more people go to Tex or Canada than they do to Camden, I've found. So that's that's kinda helpful, yeah.
Jason Goodwin: Okay, okay, okay. Okay, okay. So what's what's your role now at that particular church and what w what are what are your thoughts kind of okay, I've done I've I've had this experience in ministry. Here I am now, kind of at at a next experience. Wha how how are you?
Ty Boyett: Yeah, so so my role here is I'm the associate pastor of family ministries. And what that means is that I I oversee the children's ministry rather than rather than taking hold of that and being the the the sole person who's working and and controlling that, I just kind of oversee it. That way it gives me an opportunity to disciple people. who need to be plugged into that. But it also gives me it gives them the opportunity to get in and and do it themselves. there's all kinds of ways I guess I could explain my role, but really I'm supposed to to help disciple families and children's ministries and then help with the the pastoral responsibilities here. So like I'm gonna preach, I don't know, five to ten times out of the year, I'll be involved in that. and then
Jason Goodwin: Good.
Ty Boyett: working with with men's ministries that they have here trying to help kind of formulate the route they want to take and and what i what exactly they're trying to accomplish and that sort of thing. And so yeah, that's that's what I'm doing here. And the reason we came here really primarily is just, you know, knowing that the Lord wanted us here. It was a good it was a good opportunity. so I'm going to be mentored some more. I'm going to be sharpened some more. I'm going to have the ability and the opening in my life to be able to make more disciples. And so whenever I saw that I could do that, I wanted to take that. But also there there are things, you know, that that happen in a church. And you guys get this, you know what I'm talking about. whenever your effectiveness can't be as whenever you can't be as effective in one place as you can be in another. I guess that's the
Jason Goodwin: Mm-hmm.
Ty Boyett: the best way to put it. where sometimes people get to the point where they're gonna take their shield down, or they're gonna put their shield up rather, and and kind of deflect anything you you're throwing at them. And anyway, so we kind of found, we, we moved about, prayed about, looked looked into some different opportunities. And Ashdown was just a we think the best opportunity for us to to take. But but we're doing well, man. We're I I can say I'm I I feel like I'm I'm a good fit here so far. and and I've enjoyed the opportunity I have to be mentored again. I kind of missed that, you know. but the
Jason Goodwin: Yeah.
Ty Boyett: thing is, Cliff was still very involved and Chris as well in my life. But it's just good to be also to be a part of a healthy church again. That's that's the that's the great part of of this. We're glad to be a part of a healthy church again, yeah.
Jason Goodwin: Well, it's it's important that in ministry we understand where we can be most effective. And I think sometimes when we're young in ministry, we we kind of have, you know, it's it's kind of the youthful exuberance, like we have that I you know, hey, just I can do it all, or I can try to do it all, or I can go anywhere. And I mean it's ministry. Come on. It can't be, you know, really how hard are we talking? And and then we find out that that there are There are places we we fit better. There are there are people and in churches that they have personalities and personalities always don't don't mix well. and and I want to say this because it, you know, in your our article you talk about staying faithful. And that that can ca can sometimes say, well, you know, hey, this guy he he didn't he he went to another place. Like how how does that work? But ultimately, I think you would help us to understand. That that faithfulness is it's faithfulness to Christ and not necessarily faithfulness to to a situation and and and how did you work through through that with with you know taking taking it this next opportunity?
Ty Boyett: Yeah, that's a good question. I I think that a lot of it was was based off of I mean well let me let me kind of back up here and say that What we knew is that we wanted to Emma and I we made this decision together. And what we both knew that we wanted was to stay faithful to God. And that was most of all as a family. we wanted to stay faithful to honoring God and honoring Christ within our household. And that's pretty contingent upon being in a healthy church. she needs people pouring into her and she needs to be discipled, and it's not just by me, although I'm God has entrusted me most of all with that responsibility. And that is a great responsibility to have and a blessing to be able to do that. There's also a sense in which she needs brothers and sisters in Christ who can pour into her in a different and more unique way. and so what we were looking for was a church that was faithful, that we could be faithful to and faithful at, while simultaneously being faithful to the work that God has entrusted us to do, both in our household and And within my ministry. And what we found was that Ashdown was that place for us. I mean, they're faithful to expository preaching. They're going through the process of of asking the hard questions of of what makes a church healthy and how can we better conform ourselves to that to glorify God in our community and in our lives. And and what we found is that that's what they're doing here. And so yeah, that decision really just looked like kind of taking and looking at our weighing our priorities. and seeing what fit that the best while also seeking counsel from the people at the church we were at. Now obviously they didn't want us to go. Some of well, some of them didn't want us to go, but you know, we we we we
Adam: Mm-hmm.
Ty Boyett: talked to some of them and you know they they all understood the opportunity that that we had and they also Like I said, I the guys I poured into, that's mainly the people whose counsel I was seeking in in this time of of decision making. And all of them all of them said the same thing that they think that wherever I can serve God more faithfully and and wherever I can serve him and be more effective, that's the place I needed to go. And so with their I don't want to say necessarily with their blessing, but with their counsel and and prayer. It was kind of a decision not only that Emma and I made, but also, you know, I I had other people kind of help me and and influence that decision, if that makes sense. just through through prayer and yeah.
Jason Goodwin: No, I think that's absolutely incredible. I really do. I think that's fantastic. And that shows it shows that the people there really did care about you and about what you needed as a as a young husband, as a young father, and as a young man in ministry. And I and I think that's that's an important lesson to take away is that the that when you cultivate relationships with people. And when you build these types of relationships where you're able to have honest conversations, even if it means, hey, I need to talk to you guys about me not being your pastor anymore, that's pretty incredible that they would respond in in in such a positive way because so often in similar situations, you see guys in churches that I mean, it it's like they just totally shut down. You know, it's it's totally like, Hey, you know, no, you don't want to be here, then you know, whatever. And I think that's
Ty Boyett: Right.
Jason Goodwin: that speaks well that speaks well for the work that you did while you were there. And I think it speaks well for for many of them to be able to to kind of help you through that situation. I think that's it's it's real hard because I mean one of the hardest things you have to do is tell the church, hey, we're we're leaving. And and and it's you know, it's it's a it's a it's it's great when they're able to be supportive and to be thankful for for you know, what you've done in in in discipling and teaching them. So praise the Lord that that that was able to happen. one of the things I do wanna I do want to say, y you've mentioned it already and so I I think that doesn't need to be we don't r wanna rehash it, but you talked about Cliff kind of providing you and Chris both with some constructive criticism when you were preaching and and kind of opening up yourself to some more of that criticism. even while you were pastoring. What do you think why do you think that's so important? And and if you could tell a guy or have a pastor who's like, man, I don't I'm not too sure about that. I don't know if I want people be feeling free to kind of give me, why do you think that is so important and and what lessons were you able to learn in being willing to receive that?
Ty Boyett: Yeah, I think I think one of the main reasons it's so important and so vital to preaching ministry, it's because you're not preaching in a room alone. You're preaching to people. you you're you're preaching so that they can understand what God's word says and so that it can be applied to their lives. And whenever you get closed off to the point where where you think you're going to preach with one style. And by that I don't mean expositional, topical, textual. I mean like you've crafted your own style by which you prepare and preach. If you've become
Jason Goodwin: Mm, mm-hmm.
Ty Boyett: closed minded and you don't listen to people on on
Adam: Mm.
Ty Boyett: especially experienced preachers as to how you can better communicate what God's word is saying, you're you ultimately will fail. I like what I what Spurgeon says. That we're not supposed to preach under our people or over our people. We're supposed to preach to our people. And whenever it comes to preaching to your people, you're gonna have to listen to what they have to say. I mean, what parent wouldn't listen to their child about, you know, the meal they made? Like they're either gonna say this is nasty or or or well, you know, being a dad, I they don't always say that, they just kind of spit it out. And and sometimes, you know, you get that experience in ministry where people are like You know, I can regurgitate information that you threw out here, but none of this pierced my heart. And sometimes
Jason Goodwin: Yeah.
Ty Boyett: what you need is somebody to tell you, I need something that is, I need you to take that point in the text and focus on it. Don't just mention it kind of, don't just drive by it and say, Hey, there it is, but mention what's actually there. Spend some time exposing what God's word says. Don't just kind of do a drive-by and and say, Hey, notice this thing out the window. But yeah, this critique from from Cliff and like I said, Chris, the first Cliff, Chris, and a group of others, the first time I was ever the first time I ever preached at Garrett. I think the reason what helped me with that was it showed me also that people cared about preaching. it wasn't like it wasn't one of those moments it was one of those moments where you realize people actually are listening and they do care. It's not it's it's not like they're just here to to check it off their list. They care about what you're saying and this is a serious thing you're doing. And so it opens you up to the reality that, hey, this this really matters. What I'm doing matters. Preaching God's word is is is something that's very important. But it also opens you up to the to the fact that there's a you need to communicate well. there's so much more I could I guess I could I could
Adam: Mm-hmm.
Ty Boyett: say on on that particular point, constructive criticism, but it's its effect in my ministry has been has been very great. And that's I think it's maybe it's Mark Dever that talks about godly encouragement and godly criticism. And the first time I'd ever listened to him talk about that in the sermon reviews and service reviews that they they do, I I decided I was going to do something similar to that at the church we were at, and I had A few guys I would go to and have them give me some constructive criticism as well. And I also learned in that process what criticism to take and what criticism
Adam: Mm-hmm.
Ty Boyett: not to take.
Jason Goodwin: Yeah.
Ty Boyett: and sometimes sometimes there's people that just want to give you criticism anyways. And one way I did and and
Adam: Mm. Yeah.
Ty Boyett: that really helped because it helps you to discern who cares about you and who doesn't, who cares about the preaching of God's word and who doesn't. you know, and and I learned I learned how to kind of discern who to listen to and who not to listen to within that process as well. yeah.
Jason Goodwin: Yeah.
Adam: Yeah. You know, Cliff, we did the thing this summer where we had some men in our church preach each week. And Chuck Fleury, my one of my best friends, he was he did it and he was like, All right, let loose, criticize me. And I had a lot of trouble because I was just kind of set on the front row just enjoying these guys and just taking it in and just so proud of the good that I saw that I was having a lot of trouble. Chris and but cl but Chuck was just like, I won't gr you know, I want you to tear me apart. And so I ended up I said, I know a guy who'll do it for ya. And so I sent his sir I sent a link to his sermon to Cliff and he he Chuck was good with that. He wanted that. And, you know, Cliff actually offers a service now that and I mean he he will spend a lot of time just walking through your sermon, what was good and what could use some work and Chuck loved it. I mean he just found it incredibly beneficial. And so yeah, I think you're exact like good there's nothing like good, solid, well meaning criticism to improve our preaching. and then, you know, also knowing how to filter out those people that aren't real specific. They just don't like it. Yeah.
Ty Boyett: Yeah.
Jason Goodwin: Well, I think I think I'm excited for you, Ty, where you're at, the opportunities you're gonna have. I I'm thankful for the experience you got to have in in pastoral ministry. And it's it's it's you know, the Lord in his in his kindness allowed that experience for you, especially young in ministry. And and I know it'll it'll it was a sanctifying work and I and I'm pretty sure it's gonna be something that kind of you're gonna think much on as you as you continue on. So I'm I'm glad that I'm glad that you had it. I'm I'm thankful that you're at Ashdown now and and that you're you're serving in the capacity you are and and hopefully continue to be encouraged and and used of the Lord. and I'm and I'm thankful for the example of Cliff and and Chris there at Garrett to be to be faithful encouragers, mentors and and disciplers of you. And it I hope I hope if anybody's listening to this that that it shows you especially if you're an experienced pastor, how much the men in your church, especially the young men in your church, need faithful men. Just it's I mean it's Second Timothy two, right? Faithful men who are willing to teach them and encourage them and come alongside of them so that they can then learn and know how to do that to other men. And and so we're thankful for that. Adam, you got anything else?
Adam: Good. Good talk.
Jason Goodwin: Yeah, brother. It's so good. Ty, thanks for being with us. pray for you and
Ty Boyett: Yeah, man.
Jason Goodwin: Emma and and and and the baby do in February. just continued blessings on you and your ministry. And and we we ask guys just to to to like the podcast, share it, let us know what's going on, how we can be of service to you. Find us on Facebook with the preaching lab. we got a substack where where Ty's article and several other articles that we've talked about are gonna be and Plug into us. we we would love to be able to to assist you in your ministry any way that we can. at the preaching lab we're all about healthy pulpits, healthy pastors, and Lord willing we'll see you again in a few weeks.
