Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Evangelical
Interview with Dr. Sam Storms

Interview with Dr. Sam Storms

Last updated on: July 6, 2018 at 10:49 am by Adrian Warnock

199 Comments

Interview with Dr. Sam Storms 2018-07-06T10:49:50+01:00 Adrian Warnock

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

UPDATE

In January 2008, the following post was identified as the 17th all-time most popular post with readers of this blog. The 18th most-read post was Dr. Kim Riddlebarger’s response to John MacArthur’s assertion that non-dispensational Calvinists are not “really reformed.”

Sam Storms is well-known as a Calvinistic charismatic speaker. He writes popular books which express a very similar theology to that of John Piper in an accessible way. It was good to be able to ask him some questions via e-mail.

***************

Adrian
It’s a delight to welcome Sam Storms of Enjoying God Ministries to the blog today. Sam, to begin with, would you tell us a little bit about yourself, your family, and your ministry?

Sam
Thanks, Adrian. I’m honored that you would want to interview me. I’m 55 years old and have been married to my incredible wife, Ann, for nearly 34 years. I’m a bit surprised you didn’t ask the question that so many others have, so I’ll come right to the point: Yes, I did propose to her on our first date! I certainly don’t recommend that for anyone else. But after 34 wonderful years of marriage, it worked for us (or maybe it worked in spite of that rather impetuous proposal).

I have two daughters. Melanie is 27 and lives in Kansas City with her husband and two sons. What that means is that, much to my surprise, I’m old enough to be married to a grandmother! My other daughter, Joanna, is 21 and is in her third year at Wheaton College, where I taught Theology from 2000 through 2004.

I left Wheaton in 2004 and established Enjoying God Ministries so that I could have more liberty in what I study, write, and teach. I loved Wheaton. Although Wheaton is mainstream evangelical and not even remotely charismatic, they were incredibly kind and generous to me. I had the opportunity to stay there another two years, but felt the Lord was leading us to leave. I describe in some detail in my book, Convergence, how we were led to Wheaton and again back to Kansas City.

Enjoying God Ministries is primarily designed to be a resource to pastors, Christians, and churches everywhere. I’ve put virtually everything I’ve ever written on the website (except for books still in print), free for anyone to download and use as they please. I’m traveling extensively and trying to write as much as I can. Crossway will be publishing my revised and expanded book, Chosen for Life: A Defense of Divine Election, later this year.

So, I’m staying exceedingly busy, to say the least.

Adrian
Can you tell us a bit more about how you came to become a Christian, and how you got into ministry?

Sam
I was raised in a very conservative Southern Baptist home. We lived in Oklahoma and Texas until I moved to Kansas City in 1993. My parents led me to Christ when I was about nine years old. But honestly, I can’t recall a time when I didn’t know Jesus as my Savior. I know there was a time, but I was immersed in the life and faith of my family and the church from as far back as I can remember.

I had a very distinct and powerful “call” into ministry when I was ten years old. For awhile, in my late teens, I thought I might pursue a career as a professional golfer, but even then I envisioned some form of ministry being tied up in it. My golf career came to a fitting end when I realized that I had too little talent and too much of a bad temper!

Adrian
Who, would you say, has had the biggest influence on you?

Sam
My parents and my sister, first and foremost. I had a wonderful Christian home and family. In terms of spiritual development, two men in particular had a powerful impact on me. Russ McKnight, a lay elder in a church in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, profoundly influenced me beginning in my college years. He was the first person to introduce the Reformed faith to me and put up with my Arminianism very patiently. He, more than anyone else, is the reason I’m a Calvinist. Dr. S. Lewis Johnson, who was professor of New Testament, and later Systematic Theology, at both Dallas Theological Seminary and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, had the greatest impact on my overall theological development. But more than that, he provided me with a model of godly excellence in all of life.

As for those still living who’ve influenced me, certainly John Piper would be at the top of the list. John’s personal friendship and theological orientation have been an indescribable blessing. In fact, I’m answering this question as I sit in the airport on my way to preach for him at Bethlehem Baptist in Minneapolis. John and I first met at a Jonathan Edwards conference in Wheaton back in 1984.

Others whom God has used in my life would include Mike Bickle, Jack Deere, and Wayne Grudem, primarily when it comes to my rejection of cessationism and my broader experience of the Holy Spirit.

As for the distant dead, Jonathan Edwards towers above all others. But there have been others. Calvin, Luther, Owen, the 19th century Princeton theologian, Charles Hodge, 19th century theologian, William G. T. Shedd (I consumed his multi-volume, Theology, while in seminary), and B. B. Warfield. More recently I’d have to point to Martyn Lloyd-Jones.

Adrian
You recently wrote a book called Convergence. Can you tell us a bit about how you came to write the book and the hopes you have for it?

Sam
A lot of people who’ve known my story encouraged me to write it. Up until the late 1980’s, there wouldn’t have been much to write about. But from 1988 through 1993, my wife and I had some amazing things happen to us that we neither sought nor fully understood. My purpose in the book was really three-fold. First, I wanted to provide a case for the convergence or merger or wedding of spirit and truth, of power and principle, of mind and affection. The divisions in the body of Christ along these “party lines” are rampant and grievous. Second, I thought my story and the path on which God has led me would provide a case study for how it is possible to be Reformed and charismatic without going nuts! Of course, a few who’ve read my book are convinced that I failed in that regard. They find some of the stories and encounters to be “weird.” Well, yes, they are weird. But I tried to be faithful in recording them as they happened. People can draw their own conclusions. Then, third, I used the subject of hearing God’s voice in general, and the gift of prophecy in particular, as examples of how one can both affirm the centrality of Scripture and the sovereignty of God on the one hand, and the power of the Spirit and the contemporary revelatory gifts on the o
ther.

As you know, Adrian, the U.K. version of the book is going to be released by Kingsway on June 1st.

Adrian
You speak of wanting to see the best of the Reformed and charismatic “wings” of the Church coming together. Are you hopeful that this is indeed possible? Are you a believer in the notion that the Church will be “restored” before Christ’s return?

Sam
I’m hopeful, but not naive about such prospects. It will take a massive dose of humility on everyone’s part. Recently a close friend of mine who has been a cessationist said that on reading the book he felt I was asking far more of those on his side of the fence than of those on the continuationist side. I think he’s right, if for no other reason than it’s more difficult for cessationists to embrace the contemporary validity of spiritual gifts than it is for continuationists to embrace the foundational and central role of Scripture in the Christian life.

I’m not fond of using “restorationist” language. It’s a bit idealistic. I would rather talk in terms of renewal and revitalization and maturity. I do believe there is hope for the increasing unity of the Church and the possibility of a global revival and harvest before Jesus returns.

Adrian
What examples of individuals, churches, or movements have you seen today that best exemplify what you are hoping to see?

Sam
There isn’t any single denomination or movement that I could point to as doing it perfectly, but one thinks immediately of Terry Virgo and Newfrontiers, as well as C. J. Mahaney and Sovereign Grace Ministries. In my extensive travels, I come across Southern Baptist churches, Presbyterian churches, Vineyard churches, as well as a lot of independent so-called “Bible” churches and others that are pursuing a convergence with or without the approval of their denomination or movement. There are numerous independent charismatic churches whose pastors are reformed in their soteriology. The “convergence” may not be well-organized or visible to many, but I assure you it’s there and it’s growing.

Adrian
It is interesting to see that the leaders of many movements in the Church today seem to be forging strong relationships. The Together for the Gospel conference is one example, as is Mark Driscoll inviting Josh Harris to his conference and being invited to John Piper’s. Are you encouraged by these developments?

Sam
Yes, of course. I hope everyone would be. I’ve worked side-by-side in ministry with cessationists and Arminians and have thoroughly enjoyed doing so. I trust that such alliances will continue to flourish without leading to doctrinal compromise.

Adrian
Do you think all this working together can go too far? What if it meant that people felt they had to stop talking about their theological differences in order to not offend each other—would that be a good outcome?

Sam
The only way it would be going too far is if someone began to feel pressure to violate their conscience or convictions in order to preserve some expression of “unity.” Unity is never served by the sacrifice of truth. Personally, I love dialoguing with others about our theological differences. I find it stimulating, challenging, and extremely helpful in making it possible for me to see my own theological blind spots. I don’t know that I’ve ever grown much spiritually apart from being challenged to think through issues by people with whom I disagreed. The key here is being able to talk and disagree without being offensive and abrasive and arrogant.

Adrian
Do you feel that there should be any boundaries to all this working together? Are there groups or theological positions from whom we should distance ourselves?

Sam
Of course there are boundaries. I couldn’t work with an Arminian who is motivated by a desire to exalt human freedom at the expense of divine sovereignty. But most Arminians I know have no intention of doing so. I couldn’t work with a Calvinist who used divine sovereignty as an excuse for justifying passivity or ignoring the lost and dying across the earth. I couldn’t work with a charismatic who insisted that only people who speak in tongues are saved, or Spirit-filled, or are useful to the Lord. But these are all examples of extreme expressions of each position. There are certainly others in each group who embrace radical and unbiblical beliefs that might serve to undermine orthodoxy. The bottom line is, I don’t embrace “convergence at any cost.”

Adrian
This whole notion of how we honor each other while still disagreeing comes up a lot on Christian blogs. I understand that you read at least a few of them—what is your impression overall? Do you think we do a better or worse job at speaking the truth in love than Christians in the “real world”?

Sam
When the blogging phenomenon first started, I spent way too much time reading them. I’ve narrowed it down now to about a dozen that I regularly check. My concern is that people who need to spend more time reading and studying and praying and serving are overly consumed with seeing their name and ideas on the Net.

Adrian
So which of the blogs that you have read do you feel are particularly helpful for someone who is seeking to live out the message of Convergence?

Sam
Dare I say yours? Yes, by all means! Most of those I read don’t focus directly on the issue of convergence. If you visit my website at http://www.enjoyinggodministries.com/ and go to the Recommendations section, I list a few.

Adrian
Do you have any plans to start a blog of your own? Do you think that in the future most Christian leaders or ministries will have their own blogs?

Sam
I’ve been encouraged to do so. Perhaps I should. I suspect the number of blogs will increase greatly in the future. I’m not sure this is a good thing. Can pastors and leaders of ministries really afford to invest so much time and energy in blogging when their people and churches need their personal presence and direct involvement? I would hate to see a time come when pastors and ministers are so busy writing and responding on their blogs that they can’t lead, meet with, pray for, counsel, disciple, visit, and minister to their flock. And nothing is worth taking time away from sermon preparation. So, I’m not overly excited about the expansion of the blogosphere.

Adrian
Speaking personally, I have found blogging to be a great aid to my sermon preparation, but I can sure see how it can also be a massive distraction.

We need to draw to a close, soon, so do tell us, how would you sum up your life’s message in just a few words?

Sam
My life verse is Psalm 16:11, “You have made known to me the pathway of life. In your presence is fullness of joy, at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” If
I had only one opportunity in life it would be to persuade people that this is true. Lives would be forever changed, sin would be dealt a death blow, and God would be exalted through the satisfaction of his people in Him alone.

Adrian
Thank you so much for joining us!

Previous Post

April 10, 2006

Next Post

April 12, 2006

Recent Comments

199 Comments | Leave a Comment

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category 1 and 2 Corinthians 1 and 2 Thessalonians 1 and 2 Timothy 1 John 300 Leaders A Life of Joy Abortion Acts of the Apostles Adrian on radio Adrian on TV Adrian's Story Albert Mohler Amazing Grace Arminocalvinist Spectrum Assurance Atonement Atonement Series Attributes of God Barnabas Best of the Blog Bible Bible Software Bible Translation Biblical Inerrancy Billy Graham Bob Roberts Books C. J. Mahaney Calvinism Cessationism Charis Warnock Charismatic Spectrum Charles Simeon Charles Spurgeon Church Leadership Colossians Complementarian - Egalitarian Spectrum Complementarianism Conferences Culture Daniel Debates Deuteronomy DGM08 DGM13 Discernment Doctrine Don Carson Ed Stetzer Eddy Leo Ephesians ESV Bible Translators Interview Evangelism in a Post-Christian World evolution Exodus Expository Preaching Ezekial Faith and Feelings Family Florida Galatians General Genesis Get Wisdom - Proverbs sermons Gifts of The Holy Spirit Gifts of the Holy Spirit 2006 Global Faith Forum Godly Attitudes Gospel Gospels Grace Greg Haslam Grudem vs Piper: The Baptism Debate Healing Heaven Hell and Rob Bell Hebrews Henry Tyler Henry Warnock Holy Spirit Holy Spirit Baptism Hope Reborn Hugh Palmer Irresistable Grace Isaiah J. I. Packer Jack Hayford Joel Joel Warnock John John Lanferman John MacArthur John Newton John Owen John Piper John Smyth Jonathan Edwards Josh Harris Justification Justin Taylor Kenneth Ulmer Leadership Leadership Lessons from 1 & 2 Samuel Lex Loizides Liam Goligher Lig Duncan Limited Atonement Lou Fellingham Mark Dever Mark Driscoll Martyn Lloyd-Jones Matt Chandler Mental Health Missionary Methods: St Paul’s or Ours? My Story N. T. Wright Nehemiah NWA08 NWA09 NWA10 Opinion OT History Books Pentateuch Personal Personal Revival Philippians PJ Smyth Podcast Politics Preaching Prophecy Proverbs Psalms Raised With Christ Reformed Charismatic Regeneration Relationships Resurrection Resurrection & Salvation Revival Rice Broocks Rich Man and Lazarus Rick Warren Rob Rufus Roland Allen Romans Sam Storms Sanctification Series Sermons Sermons on Philippians Serving Jesus at Work Sexuality Sin St Paul Steve Chalke Strange Fire Suffering T4G T4G Statement TAB09 Tamasin Warnock Teamwork Terry Virgo The Atonement Debate - Chalke book The Soulwinner The Spirit-Filled Church The Traitor Within Theologcial Spectrums Theosis Tim Challies Tim Keller Titus TOAM06 TOAM07 TOAM08 TOAM09 TOAM10 TOAM11 Todd Bentley Tope Koleoso Total Depravity Video Water Baptism Wayne Grudem Worship

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 May 2025 April 2025 January 2025 November 2024 October 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 August 2023 May 2023 April 2023 February 2023 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 August 2021 May 2021 April 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 January 2019 December 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 June 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 June 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 April 2003

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

In Philemon, what does Paul ask Philemon to receive back?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Onesimus (as a brother) His property Paul himself A financial gift

Books by This Author Books by Adrian Warnock

See All Titles »