Trent Hunter

Trent Hunter, married to Kristi, father of five, and Pastor for Preaching and Teaching at Heritage Bible Church in Greer, SC.

The name for this site grows out of the conviction that Jesus Christ is presently reigning over all things, and that it is the privilege of every Christian to live under his rule. Consider that a word search through Scripture for “all things” calls up some of the most Christ exalting passages in all the Bible.

All things were made through Christ (Jn. 1:3). The Father loves the Son and has given all things to him (Jn. 3:35). Our redemption is part of the Father’s plan to unite all things in Christ (Eph. 1:7–10). Today, all things are under Christ’s feet and he is the head over all things to the church (Eph. 1:20–22). All things were created by him and for him (Col. 1:16–20). All things are subjected to him (1Cor. 15: 20–28). Christ is appointed the heir of all things (Heb. 1:1¬–2). One day he will say, “Behold, I am making all things new” (Rev. 21:5).

Years ago I noticed that the passages in Scripture that focus on Jesus Christ’s authority and plans are the same passages that give meaning to everything else in the universe.

While everyone views the world from a certain perspective, believers in the exalted Lord Jesus Christ are those who have surrendered a perspective that begins and ends with the finite self for a perspective that begins and ends with the eternal Son of God, Jesus Christ. The story of God’s redemption of sinners for his glory through Jesus Christ is the story that makes sense of history, of our present world, and of the future ahead.

He is the Alpha and Omega. Everything is under his feet. He is exalted above all things.

My little part in his grand scheme is to teach and preach as a local church pastor. Collected here are the various things I’ve written and said in service to Christ and his church.

Sermons

Sermons from Heritage Bible Church (2017–Present)

Sermons from Desert Springs Church (2010–17)

Sessions and Sermons with The Charles Simeon Trust

Publications

Dividing the Faithful: How a Little Book on Race Fractured a Movement Founded on Grace
—Foreword for a book authored by David Schrock (Christ Over All July 2023)

Christ from Beginning to End: How the Full Story of Scripture Reveals the Full Glory of Christ
—Co-authored with Stephen J. Wellum (Zondervan April 2018)

Joshua
—Study volume in Crossway’s Knowing the Bible series (July 2016)

Graphical Greek: A Quick Reference Guide for Biblical Greek (September 2012)

Articles

How Does the Gospel Shape Our Gathering?
—9Marks (forthcoming, Spring 2024), a three-part series originally published at Heritage Bible Church

The Pastor as Local Theologian
—Christ Over All (February 2024)

Praying for the Peace of Israel: A Theological Proposal and a Prayer
—Christ Over All (January 2024)

Socialism and the Twisted Legacy of Slavery: A Cautionary Tale from ‘The Great Society’
—Christ Over All (December 2023)

Red, White, and Blue Like Jazz
—Christ Over All (December 2023)

The Inception of Christian Nationalism: An Article on Articles on Articles
—Christ Over All (November 2023)

Talking To Our Children About Discipline
—Christ Over All (May 2023)

What Does Joshua 24:15 Mean?
—Crossway (May 2023)

Poking Holes in the Egalitarian Beachball: Seven Arguments against Female Pastors
—Christ Over All (March 2023)

Abortion or Feticide: Words Matter When Life Hangs in the Balance
—Christ Over All (January 2023)

How One Nineties Youth Pastor Fought Abortion With A Song
—Christ Over All (January 2023)

Jesus Understands: How the Sympathy of Christ Sustains the Church
—Christ Over All (December 2022)

Christ Over All—What’s In a Name?
—Christ Over All (September 2022)

Intersectionality and My Adoptive Family
—Desiring God  (August 2022) adapted in “3 Identities I Want My Interracial Kids To Know” at The Center for Biblical Unity

Why We Are Against Abortion
—Heritage Bible Church (July 2022)

What’s in the Water? Refreshing the Sign of Baptism
—9Marks (June 2021), a three-part series originally published at Heritage Bible Church (in Spanish, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)

How Not to Lose Yourself (and Your Soul) In A Crowd
—Heritage Bible Church (May 2021)

Thinking Theologically About Racial Tensions eBook
—A preface by the elders at Heritage Bible Church for an eBook written by Kevin DeYoung (April 2021)

Defining Justice
—Heritage Bible Church (January 2021)

Give to God What Is God’s: Three Rules for (Political) Engagement
—Heritage Bible Church (November 2020)

Four Reasons to Preach through Colossians
—9Marks (February 2020)

ReforMission: Churches that Changed Their Minds
—Mission Frontiers (November 2019)

Moody: What Am I Supposed to Say?
—TrentHunter.net (February 2018)

Romans in the Shadow of the Reformation
—The Gospel Coalition (March 2017)

What I said to my state’s legislators about assisted suicide
—Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (March 2017)

Why Study the Book of Joshua?
—Crossway (August 2016), also at Crosswalk

Marriage, Gender, Hell’s Gates, and Your Church Documents
—Canon and Culture (July 2016), related interview at Terry Mattingly’s On Religion here)

Five Questions to Ask Before You Consume Cannabis
—Desiring God (July 2016)

A Prayer for Nations, Our Nation, and God’s Holy Nation
—The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (July 2016)

The Spiritual Gift You Don’t Notice Until It’s Gone
—The Gospel Coalition (May 2016)

Resources for Pilgrims in a Strange Land
—The Gospel Coalition (May 2016)

One-to-One: Psalm 121
—Matthias Media’s GoThereFor.com (March 2016)

One-to-One: Romans 5:1–11
—Matthias Media’s GoThereFor.com (January 2016)

Troubled and Trusting: A Sunday Prayer after the Supreme Court Ruling on Marriage
—The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (July 2015)

Resources for Assembling Under the Word
—The Gospel Coalition (May 2015)

God at Work in Albuquerque and the Southwest
—The Gospel Coalition (March 2015)

The Importance of Contentment
—ExploreGod.com (March 2015)

Five Tips for Better Public Scripture Readings
—9Marks (November 2014), also at Evangelium21

Did God Actually Say? Hearing God’s Voice on Homosexuality From the Storyline of Scripture
—The Journal of Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (May 2014)

Resources for Wrestling with Contentment
—The Gospel Coalition (April 2014)

I Hope My Son’s Life Is in Danger
—The Gospel Coalition (February 2014), also at ChurchLeaders)

A Deeper Look at What the Bible Says About Who God Is
—ExploreGod.com (June 2013)

Resources for One-Anothering the Word
—The Gospel Coalition (May 2013)

F.L.E.E.: A Strategy for Pursuing Sexual Purity
—The Gospel Coalition (March 2013)

The Bible Eater: A Plan for Feasting on Christ
—The Gospel Coalition (December 2012)

Resources for The Cross-Shaped Christian Life
—The Gospel Coalition (March 2012)

Book Reviews

Book Review: From Prisoner to Prince, by Samuel Emadi
—9Marks (February 2023)

What Does the Bible Really Teach about Homosexuality?
—The Journal of Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (November 2015)

Churches Partnering Together: Biblical Strategies for Fellowship, Evangelism, and Compassion
—Books At A Glance (September 2014)

Church Elders: How to Shepherd God’s People Like Jesus
—The Gospel Coalition (September 2014)

Missing Jesus: Finding Your Life in His Great Story
—The Gospel Coalition (June 2014)

Finding a Vision for Your Church: Assembly Required
—Books At A Glance (February 2014)

A Neglected Grace: Family Worship in the Christian Home
—The Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (September 2013)

Quoted

Gen X Church Attendance Hit Hardest During COVID-19,” by S.A. McCarthy
—The Washington Stand (August 2023)

Best Books for Pastors in 2022
—9Marks (December 2022)

Best Books for Pastors in 2018
—9Marks (December 2018)

Best Books for Pastors in 2017
—9Marks (December 2017)

The move to tweak church legal documents in the tense age of same-sex marriage,” by Terry Mattingly
—On Religion (August 2016)

Seminars and Conferences

Salvation and the Sovereignty of God
—The Greenville Conference on Reformed Theology (October 2018)

Christ from Beginning to End
—Clarus, the Southwest Regional Conference of The Gospel Coalition (March 2018)

Building Lives with Sexual Integrity
—A Saturday Seminar for Desert Springs Church (May 2015)

How Can We See Christ from the Book of Joshua?
—A Saturday Seminar for Desert Springs Church (August 2014)

‘Homosexual Marriage': Seeking Clarity, Conviction, and Compassion
—A Saturday Seminar for Desert Springs Church (April 2014)

Miscellaneous

Knowing Christ, Knowing the Church
—The Membership Class at Desert Springs Church (Fall 2012)

The Bible Eater: A Bible Reading Plan (December 2011)