Meet Rob Tombrella

Rob Tombrella has been my best friend (other than my wife) for the last 10+ years. He is now a pastoral intern at Grace Church in Frisco, Tx (a Sovereign Grace Church).

When Rob came to preach at Christ Baptist in 2007, I mentioned 5 things about Rob I most thank God for in my introduction. I remain grateful for these things and many more.

-Rob, I thank God for your amazing ability to relate to strangers and your evident love for everyone you meet.
-Rob, I thank God for hundreds of hours of wise counsel you have provided over the years.
-Rob, I thank God for the consistent example of your exemplary love for Michelle and your patient example of parenting your boys.
-Rob, I thank God for your humility exemplified in your willingness to lay down your little kingdom for the glory of The Big Kingdom.
-Rob, I thank God for your passionate love for the glory of Christ revealed in the gospel.

Rob, please forgive me for posting the picture at the bottom. It's just absolutely wrong of me to get you up at 4am to stand in line at Staples and then take a picture of you napping (with Spiderman) later in the day. Just had to help you cultivate a little humility after posting two positive pictures.

Rob, 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?
I usually set my alarm for 4:30am and get up about an hour later! This has been a bad pattern almost always owing to the time I go to bed at night. My wife and I are both using the Discipleship Reading Plan from Navigators (she’s ahead of me). I will spend a short time in prayer and then start reading from my ESV Study Bible. I will occasionally review Scripture memory and journal as well. I will allow myself the freedom to stop and pause over a section of Scripture I feel the Lord wants me to reflect on. I will usually spend 45 min to an hour doing this.

What book(s) are you currently reading in these three categories: (a) for your soul, (b) for pastoral ministry, or (c) for personal enjoyment?
These categories are hard to differentiate in my mind. Books that most affect my soul I read for personal enjoyment and pastoral ministry. It’s hard for me to venture into the category of broad reading (i.e. picking up The Kite Runner etc.) for some reason. I always wonder if the juice is worth the squeeze. I am currently reading too many books and not giving enough time to a few.

However, the books that I am reading that I am getting the most benefit from are:
Communion with the Triune God by John Owen (edited by Taylor and Kapic) *This is the single greatest book on the Trinity and the love of God I’ve ever read.
Five Views on Sanctification edited by Stanley Gundry (a personal passion to understand the Holy Spirit’s role in our sanctification)
Living in the Grip of Relentless Grace by Iain Duguid (a series we are in on the life of Jacob)
Faith Comes by Hearing: A Response to Inclusivism by Morgan and Peterson

On a separate stack that I keep reading from:
Why We’re Not Emergent by DeYoung
Speaking of Jesus by Mack Stiles
Johnathan Edwards Biography by Marsden
How to Bring them to Christ by R.T. Kendall
Next Generation Leader by Andy Stanley

Apart from Scripture, what book do you most frequently re-read and why?
I don’t re-read a book from cover to cover very often, but I do go back to find a reference from a book or an argument very often. The books I seem to return to again and again are..

Desiring God by John Piper
Let the Nations be Glad by Piper
All books by John Piper
Pleasures Evermore by Sam Storms
One Thing by Sam Storms
All books by Sam Storms
Sermons by Edwards
Sermons by Spurgeon
Paul: Apostle of the Heart set Free by F.F. Bruce Getting Things Done by David Allen
Body for Life by Bill Phillips
Our Solar System coffeetable book

When I learned that God was the most joyful being in the universe in his own glory in Christ it ruined me. I seem to measure all books on whether or not they point to the glory of Christ as the ultimate solution to sin.


When you finish a book, what system have you developed in order to remember and reference that book in the future?
I mark in all my books as dramatic as I can. I re-write summaries of points as big as I can on the page I discovered it with stars and phrases like “yes!” and “wow..” and “read and re-read!” I can almost always thumb through a book and find those quickly and remember how that truth jolted me when I read it. This has led me to fear loaning books out lest they see my phrases and awkward glee.

If you could study under any theologian in church history (excluding those men in Scripture), who would it be and why?
I would study under Jonathan Edwards until he got tired of me asking him questions he’s already dealt with in a book or sermon. I would also like to spend time with John Owen and see how similar they he and Edwards are. I’d also love to know Jim Elliot and let him rebuke me for not getting the glory of this gospel out into the harvest.

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

“Uhh..mmm…I’m not really sure that’s what Peter means” by Jeff Purswell at the Pastor’s College on a an over-emphasized point I made in my sermon about Peter’s response to Jesus at the miraculous catch of fish in Luke. Those words stay as a low-grade haunt in my mind in sermon prep to not hear those words again. Passion can’t make up for missing the clearest and most manifest meaning of a text.

“Your tendency is to go too Martin Lloyd-Jones” by Craig Cabaniss. He picked up a tendency to zoom out and do systematic on a point rather than drilling down and staying put in a text. Also, “you went a little Piper there” on an attempt of mine to play with words and do what only geniuses do.

“It was good!” by Justin Childers after a sermon in which I was ready to never preach again. Countless times sincere encouragement kept me going.

What books on preaching, or examples of it, have you found most influential in your own preaching?
Supremacy of God in Preaching by Piper
Christ-centered Preaching by Chappell
Between Two Worlds by Stott *Particularly the illustration on turning a point into a screw—and drilling it down into your hearer over and over.

I have learned how to preach by listening and watching mostly. I’ve been most influenced in preaching by Louie Giglio (illustrations and communicating a prop statement), John Piper, Craig Cabaniss, Sam Storms, Jeff Purswell, CJ Mahaney, and Justin Childers and Alan Splawn (my pastor as a teenager where I first fell in love with preaching).

What single bit of counsel has made the most significant difference in your effective use of time?
“Being gifted doesn’t just make effective. Many pastors may be gifted in leadership and preaching but don’t know how to steward that gift and administrate it.” A paraphrase when Craig Cabaniss invited me to read “Getting Things Done” with him by David Allen.

What single bit of counsel has made the most significant difference in your leadership?
“Only do what only you can do” Andy Stanly in Next Generation Leader. It’s overstated I think but a marvelous argument for being the leader God made you to be and utilizing your gifts rather than pursuing to grow in areas you’ll probably remain weak in.


Where in ministry are you most regularly tempted to discouragement?
Probably when I lack vision. When there doesn’t seem to be clear vision for the future and a clear direction ahead. This can be personally or ministry related. When I don’t see clearly the future picture of the work God wants to do in me and through me to others.


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

Yes. I work out at 24 Hour Fitness in the morning after my devotion time. I try to follow the Body For Life plan however imperfectly. This means alternating between free weights and cardio.

Currently, what sport do you like to play and/or watch?
I’ve grown in my liking to watch football—but I’m fairly equal in my passion for watching sports. It’s mostly spending time with my wife, boys, and others that I enjoy the most about watching any sports. That and the big bowl of 7-layer.

What do you do for leisure?

I love to go to bookstores. I actually enjoy walking around the mall but hate going into certain stores and hate buying things. But something about getting around people sometimes refreshes me and gives me fresh vision in ministry. I also love to watch thoughtful movies or mind-bending thrillers. I love dates with my wife. I love to go to Dunkin Donuts on Sunday nights with my boys.

If you were not in ministry, what occupational path would you have chosen?
I would probably look at teaching in a public school or some form of sales.