Best Christianbooks Podcasts (2024)

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364 Reformed vs. Arminian (2) Hiking with Decrees 40:08

2h ago40:08

40:08

"God seeks glory." That is critical and foundational to both a Reformed and an Arminian theological perspective. But the two camps diverge on how it is, principally, that God seeks glory. And it finally comes down to a matter of premises. It's sort of like when you go hiking: you get to the trail head and you have a choice between different trails.…

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209. Draw Near -- Hadassah Treu 47:50

1h ago47:50

47:50

Has God ever answered, "No" to one of your prayer requests? Did you have a hard time accepting when God's answer was "No." I don't know about you, but I think that is a really hard one when we pray fervently, and God does not answer with the way we want him to. I remember that with my friend, we were praying for a miracle for her to be healed, but …

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363 Reformed vs. Arminian (1) Meet the Families 30:49

1h ago30:49

30:49

Let's compare the Reformed with the Arminians (no, not Armenians!). What are their emphases? Where, at surface level, do they disagree? Who are the famous leaders on each side? I'm betting that my listeners will be surprised to learn that the Arminians started out in the Reformed branch of the Church. One way (not the only way, as this series will …

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362 Refuse Their Terms! 38:18

2h ago38:18

38:18

Because I taught college for 25 years I'm tracking the devolution of Pro-Hamas rallies on university campusi. But it wasn't that which provoked this show's one-off reflection. No, instead it was a couple articles in my denomination's quarterly ministers' magazine that smacked me upside the head. They accepted the premise. Accepted the definitions a…

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208. Unlimited Motherhood -- Jessica Hurlbut 47:25

2h ago47:25

47:25

Do you ever feel overwhelmed with what you have to do in your life and what you feel like God is calling you do to? You think, I just don’t have the time to do it all. I can so relate. This is why I am excited for you to hear from Jessica Hurlbut. She is back on the podcast, and we are talking about her new book, *Unlimited Motherhood. I think some…

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361 Soaking in Spirit 12 Ware—Carrying the Spirit 33:58

13d ago33:58

33:58

In this, the last, episode of my series on God's Holy Spirit I present the theology of Kallistos Ware. A bishop in the Eastern Orthodox Church, Ware emphasizes that God's Spirit is encountered especially through other people. More particularly, through holy fools and seasoned soul-guides. What are those two types? How do we, might we, encounter suc…

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Soaking in Divine Spirit (11) Welker—Justice, Mercy, Knowledge of God 35:00

1M ago35:00

35:00

In the theological component of this episode we examine the unique contributions of Michael Welker to Pneumatology (God's Spirit). Why does Welker land where he does? Why does his presentation seem to take itself apart? What are his foundational commitments? Do they align with biblical commitments and teachings? Along the way I also unpack the sign…

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207. Surrender and How to Discern the Voice of God -- Jody Gras 38:54

14d ago38:54

38:54

to know God’s will for your life? Do you wish He would just spell it out clearly to you or say it loudly, so you knew that was the voice of God? If we are honest, I think a lot of us struggle to hear the voice of God, so I am excited for this podcast episode. I am talking with Jody Gras. She is going to share her story and give us wisdom on how to …

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359 Soaking in Divine Spirit (10) Pinnock—More than an Ornament of Piety 33:22

1M ago33:22

33:22

He came through a resolutely Baptist upbringing. In that context he was taught that the gifts of God's Spirit ceased with the time of the Apostles. So he was shocked when, attending a revival meeting at the Toronto Airport Vineyard, Clark Pinnock was dramatically healed of an eye affliction. It spurred him to go on and write an entire systematic th…

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358 Soaking in D. Spirit (9) Pannenberg—God as Force Field of Life? 34:13

2M ago34:13

34:13

How is God present in and for His creation? Traditionally, that has been addressed through Christological categories. Our theologian for this episode, Wolfhart Pannenberg, presses us to consider that it is God's Spirit who is immanent (in, with, for, to) regarding creation. What does that look like? Is it biblically based? We also examine Pannenber…

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206. I am Weak, I am Strong -- Jay Hewitt 43:04

1M ago43:04

43:04

How do you define strength? I am so excited for you to hear how my guest this week talks about strength. Jay Hewitt will share about his new book, *I am Weak, I am Strong. Could it be that in our weakness we can actually be stronger as we depend on God and His strength? This episode has so many nuggets of truth- cannot wait for you to hear about vu…

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357 Soaking in Divine Spirit (8) Moltmann—Life and Experience! 34:32

2M ago34:32

34:32

While he was a young man Jürgen Moltmann was conscripted into the Germany Air Force. After an Allied bombing of his city Moltmann then spent 3 years in a Scottish prison. While there he encountered the Gospel. But his own dramatic experience became foundational seedbed for his own theological career. What did that mean for his theology? What did th…

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356 Soaking in Divine Spirit (7) JR Williams—The Overwhelming Spirit 32:17

2M ago32:17

32:17

Christianity is grounded in God's revelation, and so in theology, and so in doctrine. But Christianity is not mere doctrine. It is a life, a life that can be felt and experienced. J. Rodman Williams was a Presbyterian theologian who experienced the profound presence of God's Spirit. He articulated what that meant for believers. I explain the whats …

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205. One Exceptional Journey from Sorrow to Joy -- Wendy Wallace 38:02

1M ago38:02

38:02

Have you ever had to journey from sorrow to joy? Have you ever walked through some really hard circumstances, and you said, “God this is not what I wanted for my life.” But then as you walked through the journey with God, you found on the other side, purpose to your pain and a joy you never had before. I am so excited for you to hear from my guest …

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355 Soaking in Divine Spirit (6) Barth and Disturbed Sinners 33:33

2M ago33:33

33:33

What did the famous German theologian Karl Barth teach about God's Spirit? I highlight four of Barth's emphases. Particularly I land on Barth's teaching about how Christians, by the agency of God's Spirit, become disturbed sinners; I think it will help make sense of your own walk. I also admire what Barth taught about God's Spirit and mission: to b…

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354 Soaking in Divine Spirit (5) Kuyper: Disagreeing with a Beautiful Soul! 32:45

3M ago32:45

32:45

Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920) was a beautiful soul. He wanted to bring the grace and light of God to bear on all areas of life: families, schools, and societal institutions. And he even spent four years as the Prime Minister of the Netherlands working to implement the grace of God inside his Danish culture. Later, as a theologian, he had important thi…

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204. She Believed He Could So She Did -- Becky Beresford 45:26

2M ago45:26

45:26

Can you believe it has been two months since I have been on the podcast? It was a wonderful sabbatical as I spent the first two months of my marriage being intentional as my new role as wife as well as helping our family’s transition. But I have to say that I have missed doing my ministry, so I am so happy to be back and I am excited for this first…

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353 Soaking in Divine Spirit (4) Schleiermacher Burns Down the House 34:22

3M ago34:22

34:22

Theology walks a razor's edge: it seeks to be true to God's revelation in history but it brings that revelation to each successive culture. German theologian Friedrich Schleiermacher did not like that his own 19th century culture was destroying Christian religion. So what'd he do? He made a very clever shift to invite that culture in for a conversa…

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352 Soaking in Divine Spirit (3) John Wesley—Entirely Sanctified 33:04

3M ago33:04

33:04

Praise God for salvation, right? But there's still more: God wants us to become like him. Traditionally that call to personal transformation is called sanctification: the gradual process both of loving what God loves and turning away from sin. John Wesley (1703-1791) taught that instantaneous sanctification—a full and complete turning away from sin…

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351 Soaking in Divine Spirit (2) Anabaptists—Lesson Learned 1:06:49

3M ago1:06:49

1:06:49

What happens when one person's interpretation of a bible verse goes off the rails? What happens when that same person claims to be operating in the presence or power of God's Spirit? In this, second, episode on Pneumatology (a study of God's Spirit) we look at some old errors in order to learn from them for today. The Anabaptists were radicals. Rad…

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350 Soaking in Divine Spirit (1) Martin Luther—Word and Spirit 31:15

3M ago31:15

31:15

A new series! The theology of God's Spirit, first through the emphases of Martin Luther. Who was Luther? What was he doing? Why was he doing? What were his emphases about Holy Spirit? Why do I think we need a 21st century Reformation? How am I praying for that? What do too many contemporary Protestants do with Luther's emphases on the Holy Spirit? …

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349 N. Discriminations (7) Fogginess of Fear 30:15

4M ago30:15

30:15

The number one reason people don't make decisions? Fear. Fear fogs our discriminating processes in a number of ways. I work through those painful ways in this episode. Then, as we all know, naming is powerful. I recently came across the name for a 50 year old social strategy: Cloward-Piven. With uncanny accuracy it describes the constant patterns w…

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348 N. Discriminations (6) Gagged by Generosity 27:54

4M ago27:54

27:54

Just finished a book by an Ignatian spiritual mentor about discerning angels from demons, God's Spirit from evil spirits, and seeking God's will. Although tedious, it has some gems for both personal and communal decision making. I note those and then focus on the author's point that the Evil One loves to suggest some generous idea, an idea that the…

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347 Necessary Discriminations (5) Nurtured by Beauty 31:29

4M ago31:29

31:29

Jesus lived life in beautiful ways. He treated all people as images of God, respected their agency as full persons, never spoke down to them, and never treated people as though they were children. In this fifth episode on making necessary discriminations I talk about how beauty has been important in my own life: my marriage, my vocation, the art in…

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346 Boxing the Holy Spirit 38:52

4M ago38:52

38:52

Most Christians worship a binity: Father and Son, and that's when their binity isn't merely Jesus and the Bible! The Holy Spirit routinely gets boxed up, put away, and ignored. Functionally, He is the Cinderella of the Trinity: only brought out on special occasions, like a baptismal service: "In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." But th…

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345 Who Needs Fences? 36:29

5M ago36:29

36:29

This is a blast from the past, a least-worst, UU episode originally recorded for my premium subscribers. Why are fences and hierarchies and boundaries necessary? After all, they fly in the face of a raw democracy-style way of doing life, fly in the face of perfect equality. So how and why would a loving Christian ever embrace hierarchies and bounda…

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344 Are Christmas and Easter Pagan Holidays? 18:25

5M ago18:25

18:25

Mindful of how she and her husband raise their kids a listener and Patreon supporter of mine, Danielle, e-d me with a great question, are Christmas and Easter pagan holidays? After all, they both had pre-Christian pagan origins. I answer her great question by working through the way that God works, taking pre-existing forms and transforming them to…

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203. Embrace Your Roles -- Jodi Rosser 7:18

4M ago7:18

7:18

Happy New Year! I am so excited you are joining me in 2024. Have you ever stopped and evaluated the roles you have in your life? The ones that God has given you? Today, I thought it would be fun to talk about the roles we have in life and how we can embrace these roles. I love that my mentor models this so well. She recently said to me, “Sometimes …

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343 Death of My Dad, Reflections on Death 35:14

5M ago35:14

35:14

On Saturday 12/16/23 my Dad died after a four-month long battle with acute Crohn's. What was that all like? What happens to us in death? In this personal episode I share some fun memories I have about my dad, experiences we shared, and even the funny obituary instructions he left behind. This is no systematic episode, just a mish mash of theologica…

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342 Fifty-Five Things I Don't Know 27:18

5M ago27:18

27:18

We can't always be serious, especially during the holidays, so I'm changing things up. I realize that on a theology and culture show it is easy to come across as having a resolute grasp on reality. Truth is, there are many things I do not know, do not understand. In this reflective, but light-hearted, episode I work through different elements of li…

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341 2023 Year in Review 30:42

6M ago30:42

30:42

What were the most important stories of 2023? I review those and offer commentary. Also tell the story of enduing medical-industry-chaos in the midst of all that. And yet, I recognize the medical industry is both overwhelmed and underpaid. So I begin the show with a prayer of blessing. Come reflect, laugh, and think with me about the year we just s…

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202. I Didn't Sign Up For This -- Sarah Frazer 43:55

5M ago43:55

43:55

ve you ever said the words, “I didn’t sign up for this” or “God, this isn’t what I planned or expected for my life”? If you have, then I am really excited for you to hear today from Sarah Frazer. Her new book is titled those very words, *I Didn’t Sign Up For This. I love the hope she brings from her book about finding God’s goodness even when your …

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340 SpecialGuts-Out Mission 30:40

6M ago30:40

30:40

Like a classroom where a substitute teacher fills in for the regular, I am, here on the holidays, interrupting my series. How should believers go about our Christ-given mission? Maybe it is 33%, each, with an eye to the past, present, and future? Maybe it is a balanced 50%-50% mix of indigenous and ancient Jewish culture? Using my recent trip to Co…

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339 Necessary Discriminations (4) Tracking with Truth 33:46

6M ago33:46

33:46

No one is born with diakrino, a Jesus-y street smarts. It has to be developed and trained. Last week I offered goodness as a telos for discernment. This episode tracks with truth as a guide for discernment. To contemporize the topic of discernment I ask the questions, "are you a racist?", and "are all whites racists?" Along the way we see what the …

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201. Passing a Legacy of Faith to the Next Generation -- Casey Hilty 41:47

6M ago41:47

41:47

Are you passing a legacy of faith on to your children? I know this is so important, so I am so excited to have Casey Hilty on the podcast this week as we talk about her new book, *Her Children Arise: Passing a Legacy of Faith to the Next Generation. I am so excited because we are going to look at some of the women in the Bible and their examples. W…

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338 Necessary Discriminations (3) Guided by Goodness 30:24

6M ago30:24

30:24

Western Civilization is cracking and creaking. There are obvious signs—educated people celebrating rape, slaughter, and genocide—and there are subtle signs—someone being sent to prison for 10 years for posting a snarky meme. But we will miss both signs if we are lacking discernment. In order to catch nuance and practice discernment (a Jesus-y stree…

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337 Necessary Discriminations (2) Nuance: Trees from the Forest 28:50

7M ago28:50

28:50

Two thousand years ago a Roman centurion observed yet another Jewish rable-rousing "messiah" being crucified. Compared to the many taunting passersby, that soldier discerned that something unusual was transpiring. Seeing it all, he uttered an epic historic statement. Truth is, discernment takes time. Catching the nuance takes practice. In this epis…

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200. God's Faithfulness in my Life & Ministry -- Jodi & David 38:42

6M ago38:42

38:42

So I have a really special guest today!! I think you are going to be really excited to hear from him because I have some news to share—I am engaged! Yes, I am getting remarried!!! It is very exciting! Just recently I met this amazing man of God and I have been praying for a man who loves Jesus just as much as me for a long time. I am really excited…

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336 Necessary Discriminations (1) Judgment Lo Malo y Lo Bueno 28:30

7M ago28:30

28:30

Jesus said, "do not judge lest ye be judged." And that settles it: we should never judge, right? Well, actually, no. In the same chapter—Matthew 7—where Jesus starts out by forbidding judgment he positively calls us to make several judgments: bad vs. good fruit, wolves vs. sheep, wide vs. narrow gates, bad vs. good fathers, foundations of rock vs. …

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335 RfYtB (8) Vivid—Life in God's Spirit 31:44

7M ago31:44

31:44

Christianity is not first the study of a book, or a new ethic, or a set of doctrines, as important as all those are. It is, instead, a lived experience. Or more carefully? Christianity is a felt telos: a orientation to life that filters and orients all our other experiences (even going to football games!). More specifically still, Christianity is (…

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199. Right Now Matters -- Julie Lefebure 38:04

7M ago38:04

38:04

Are you preoccupied? Do you find yourself physical present but your mind is everywhere else? Maybe emotionally and mentally—you are distracted! I think this is a struggle for many women. I know it is for me. So, I am excited to have Julie Lefebure on the podcast. She has a new book called *Right Now Matters: Empowering “Right Now” Women in a Cultur…

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334 RfYtB (7) Election—Israel as Proof for God 35:03

7M ago35:03

35:03

Election is a thoroughly biblical doctrine. Among many—Protestants especially—election goes to the matter of who is eternally saved, or not. But that's not where the Bible begins with the doctrine of election, and it's not even where Jesus began in his practice of election. No, instead? Election has to do with mission, being called to mission, and …

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333 Israel & Gaza—Is this THE End? 33:03

7M ago33:03

33:03

Immediately after an episode (last week) where I explained why governmental power should be slow-walked? Hamas invaded Israel. After I narrate some of the horrors of that, I explain my initial reactions to this heart-breaking event. What do we do to mitigate the "cycle of violence"? Or, is "cycle of violence" even the accurate way to assess what's …

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198. 8:28 Hope in the Darkness -- Karen Hacker 40:13

7M ago40:13

40:13

Are you familiar with the verse Romans 8:28? Sometimes this verse can be misconstrued so let me read it to you: The NIV version says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” I am excited today that we are going to talk more about this verse on the podcast. Also, I…

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332 RfYtB (6) My RealPolitik, The Moral Goodness of Hell 31:04

8M ago31:04

31:04

A Christian engagement with politics is idealistic, right? I mean, don't Christians want both a righteous messiah and an earthly Nirvana? Not me. I explain why I do engage politically, noting my historical and theological reasoning. In the show's second part I work through the topic of hell. Can we say God is loving if he sends people there? Can we…

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331 2020 in the Rearview Mirror 34:08

8M ago34:08

34:08

The show starts with me praying for my listeners' provision: interest rates and the cost of living are soaring. Then I discuss how a NYT email news-feed hit me like a bolt of lighting. The story read, "2020 was driven by a righteous spirit and legitimate moral demands." How did that spirit and its moral demands shape the hearts of ten millions of g…

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197. Seeing Time as a Gift -- Jodi Rosser 13:28

8M ago13:28

13:28

Do you see time as a gift? Do you see it as the valuable resource that it is? I would have to say that I did not see time as a gift until my divorce. Let me explain- I always thought time was important, but I never saw it as priceless. Like something that needed to be guarded, it was a gift. So I am excited to read with you a chapter from my book, …

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330 RfYtB (5) Afloat on Culture, Jesus "JUST as he was" 30:48

8M ago30:48

30:48

Which is more influential, the culture or the Church? Man, it's not even close! How do we know? One crisp way: examine what church leaders are doing. Take Pope Francis, for example. Conservative life-long Roman Catholics are beside themselves with how Francis is either working around or apart from Church tradition. The reality is we are living in a…

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196. Honestly Share Your Story and Help Another Hurting Heart -- Clarissa Paz 41:18

8M ago41:18

41:18

Has someone else’s story ever encouraged you? Maybe the hard thing you walked through is similar to what you have walked through, and their story of God’s faithfulness has ignited hope in you. Hope that God can do the same thing in your story. This is such an important part of the grief journey. And the last letter of my STRENGTH acrostic from my b…

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329 RfYtB (4) 2am Mozart? Parsing the word 'Faith' 30:43

8M ago30:43

30:43

This episode's content in order: a Sawtooth mountain campfire conversation; a from-the-future newscast; recognizing patterns; prayer to wake and shake; how to play it when you're outmatched in a conversation; carefully defining the meaning of faith; faith as Holy Spirit-ual attunement; the Jesus Seminar on Gospel manuscripts; and, the bulk of textu…

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