Meet Jonathan Brooks

Jonathan Brooks is the Associate Pastor and a fellow elder with me at Christ Baptist Church in Wilson, NC. Jonathan is also director of the Imagination Station, a children's science museum in downtown Wilson.

My gratefulness for Jonathan runs deep. He is a fantastic friend and humble partner in ministry. He is a man who treasures Christ, cares for the church, and loves his family.

A few things that stand out about Jonathan to me:
-Jonathan has an incredible ability to live in the framework of his priorities. He orders his life and affections around what is most important. He doesn't let secondary issues side-track him from what God has called him to do.
-Jonathan is one of my favorite teachers of God's Word. His insights into the text of Scripture continue to amaze me.
-Jonathan has a deep and broad view of the atonement of Jesus Christ. He explains every subject and every text in its relationship to what Christ has accomplished for us.

Jonathan is also a world-class occassional blogger and expert dish-washer installer!


Jonathan, thanks for your time! Please describe your morning devotions. What time do you wake up in the morning? How much time do you spend reading, meditating, praying, etc.? What are you presently reading?
Wake up time varies depending on a number of circumstances (late nights working, meetings, etc.). It could be anywhere from 6:00 – 7:30. I try to set aside an hour to read the Bible using the Discipleship Journal Plan, work on memorizing verses and passages of Scripture, and for prayer. If I have time at the end before leaving for work I try to read a chapter of a helpful book as well.


What book(s) are you currently reading in these three categories: (a) for your soul, (b) for pastoral ministry, or (c) for personal enjoyment?
A. Worldliness, edited by Mahaney
B. Instrument’s in the Redeemer’s Hands, Tripp
C. John Adams, McCollough

Apart from Scripture, what book do you most frequently re-read and why?
I don’t reread a lot of books, but I have reread the Chronicles of Narnia and I intend to re-read Lord of the Rings. I think it’s because I appreciate the work of Lewis and Tolkien creating another world and I find it engaging to be in their worlds.

When you finish a book, what system have you developed in order to remember and reference that book in the future?
I mark up my books, but I don’t really have an indexing system of any kind, other than my photographic memory (that doesn’t really exist).

If you could study under any theologian in church history (excluding those men in Scripture), who would it be and why?
This is a tough question to answer because I haven’t had the privilege, as of yet, of walking deeply with any particular historical figure by reading a majority of their writings. So, to pick one would be based on the opinions of others. That being said, I find what I have read of John Owen engaging. It seems that he thought deeply and walked closely with the Savior. I also admire many of the men that admire him.

What single piece of counsel (or constructive criticism) has most improved your preaching?

I know the question asks for a single piece of counsel, but I think I have to include two. I don’t know where I first heard either one of them, but I think of them every time I prepare to preach. First, always be sure to preach the gospel. Second, make sure that the point of the sermon is also the point of the text.

What books on preaching, or examples of it, have you found most influential in your own preaching?

The Supremacy of God in Preaching was a helpful book for me. I guess I should have listed it above as a book I have re-read. Examples of preaching that have been influential for me would be John Piper, John McArthur, and Andy Davis.

What single bit of counsel has made the most significant difference in your effective use of time?
Not sure if this would be most significant but the only one that comes to mind would be from Getting Things Done which is if something can be done in less than 2 minutes, do it immediately. I could tell you what page that was on if I had an indexing system.

What single bit of counsel has made the most significant difference in your leadership?

Again, I don’t know where I first heard it, but it’s a popular understanding of leadership. A leader has to find the balance between being out in front and not leaving those following behind. Always being aware of that balance helps prevent either extreme, laziness and only doing what those following want vs. asking people to do things you haven’t prepared them for and they don’t fully understand.

Where in ministry are you most regularly tempted to discouragement?

Probably the moment I get done preaching. I often feel like I failed to communicate the Scripture clearly and people were not helped in their understanding of the passage or its application to their lives.

Do you exercise? If so, what do you do? If not, why not? (Please be specific.)

I currently do not exercise regularly. I would leave it at that because everything following will sound like excuses, but the question asks why not, so I will explain. I love to play sports and preparing to play sports, specifically basketball. My schedule since moving to Wilson has not allowed me to play basketball regularly. So, I am having to adjust my philosophy on exercise and be willing to do it for the sake of exercising and not the enjoyment of playing a sport. That being said, when I am disciplined and schedule my time accordingly, I enjoy riding my bike and lifting weights. I run because I have to, I don’t really enjoy it.

Currently, what sport do you like to play and/or watch?

I love both to play basketball and watch basketball; although, watching has waned in the last few years. There just doesn’t seem to be as much time as there used to be. Of course, anytime the mighty Gamecocks play football, I’m tuned in. An unfortunate part of living in ACC country is not getting to see all of the games. I also like to play golf, though I am not very good. I used to enjoy playing tennis as well, but again, I never was very good at that either.

What do you do for leisure?
I enjoy hanging out with my family and playing with my daughters. I enjoy reading. I like playing board games. And, when the opportunity arises, I like to play basketball. Also, if it’s the right project I enjoying working on things around the house.

If you were not in ministry, what occupational path would you have chosen?
I really don’t know. I enjoy working on computers, web design, etc, but I don’t think I could do that all day. I enjoy teaching, so perhaps I would have done that in some capacity, high school or college. I would not have chosen to be a science museum director, which shows God’s strange and kind providence.