Today on The Sword & The Trowel podcast, Tom Ascol and Graham Gunden talk about politics. They discuss the presidential debate, the competency of President Biden, the issues with Donald Trump, the GOP platforms, Abortion, wielding power in politics, and how to think through all these things as Christian Americans. SHOW NOTES: 2025 National Founders…

Today on The Sword & The Trowel podcast, Tom Ascol and Graham Gunden talk with Dr. Carrie Gress about her book: The End of Woman. They discuss the lies of feminism, how destroying the patriarchy has had detrimental effects on the family and the church, the true beauty of womanhood and more. SHOW NOTES: Find out more about Carrie Gress: https://www.…

Mission One Director Jim Pratt talks with Pastor Mat Murphy about their newly released book, Out of the Cornfields. The book is a collection of stories from among General Baptists and their calling to missions.By General Baptist Ministries

Today on The Sword & The Trowel podcast, Tom Ascol and Graham Gunden welcome back Dr. Ben Dunson. They discuss the recent PCA general assembly, and some of the significant issues that were covered - things like Women Deacons, Jesus Calling and more. SHOW NOTES: Article by Ben Dunson: https://americanreformer.org/2024/06/pca-general-assembly-recap/ …

Today on The Sword & The Trowel podcast, Tom Ascol and Graham Gunden are joined in the studio by David Schrock & David Mitzenmacher. They discuss recent 2024 Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in Indianapolis. They share some of the key events that happened, encouragements, disappointments and where we go from here. SHOW NOTES: Chris…

Today on The Sword & The Trowel podcast, Tom Ascol and Graham Gunden are joined in the studio by David Mitzenmacher, Associate Pastor at Grace Baptist Church in Cape Coral, FL. They discuss the resolution David submitted to the Southern Baptist Convention, why it was rejected, and then dive into the broader issues of antisemitism, religious liberty…

Today on The Sword & The Trowel podcast, Tom Ascol and Graham Gunden talk with Dr. Voddie Baucham about his newest book "It's Not Like Being Black: How Sexual Activists Hijacked the Civil Rights Movement". They discuss why this book is important, especially while we are in Pride Month. Listen to the show and then go buy a copy today! SHOW NOTES: BU…

Today on The Sword & The Trowel podcast, Tom Ascol and Graham Gunden talk about the dominion mandate and the Great Commission. How does the cultural mandate still apply today? How does it relate to the Great Commission? What is our responsibility as Christians in this world? SHOW NOTES: Register for the 2024 SBC event: https://centerforbaptistleade…

Sadly, today’s episode will be the last episode of the Premier Christian Newscast. To wrap the show up, we looked back over the last two years at what stories and topics have come up the most. What has been making waves in church news? What issues are we unable to move on from? And what might this tell us about what is going to be hitting the headl…

In this episode, Mission One director Jim Pratt speaks with guests Preston Owens, Aaron Dickinson, and Tyler Gilman about integrating student ministries into the Church’s (Big C) mission.By General Baptist Ministries

Today on The Sword & The Trowel podcast, Tom Ascol and Graham Gunden interview Megan Basham, Reporter at The Daily Wire, about her forthcoming book, "Shepherds for Sale: How Evangelical Leaders Traded the Truth for a Leftist Agenda." Megan shares the background of how she came to write this book and the exposing information she discovered along the…

All of the UK will be going to the polls soon in a general election, which is expected at some point in the autumn. After a drubbing in the recent local elections, Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives are widely expected to be dumped out of office in Westminster too. And just as more and more Britons are abandoning the Tories, so too are Christians. This we…

Today on The Sword & The Trowel podcast, Tom Ascol and Graham Gunden talk with Tony Inmon, about his forthcoming book, "Crucified With Christ: How to Live Daily in the Context of the Gospel". This book is devotional and theological and a wonderful book for Christians as they seek to remember Christ every day. SHOW NOTES: Order your copy of Crucifie…

Today on The Sword & The Trowel podcast, Tom Ascol and Graham Gunden talk with Joe Rigney about his recent book - "Leadership and Emotional Sabotage: Resisting the Anxiety That Will Wreck Your Family, Destroy Your Church, and Ruin the World." This episode is particularly applicable for pastors, elders, leaders and fathers - listen and share! SHOW N…

The horrendous attack on a mother and her children by Abdul Ezedi, an Afghan asylum seeker, in Clapham earlier this year sparked a ferocious row. A string of politicians and right-wing media outlets accused churches of giving asylum seekers like Ezedi bogus baptisms after they had fraudulently converted to Christianity to boost their arguments to n…

Today on The Sword & The Trowel podcast, Tom Ascol and Graham Gunden talk about children in corporate worship. They discuss why having children joined together with the church body in worship is important, and how it benefits the Church. They share practical tips for parents on how to train your children in service and encouragement to pastors and …

It’s not just British denominations which are splintering under the weight of their divisions. The United Methodist Church in the United States has also gone through a painful five years of divorce, with up to one in four congregations choosing to leave. The crisis was, inevitably, precipitated by deep disagreements over LGBT issues including same-…

In this episode, Mission One director Jim Pratt sits down with his daughter, Katie, Pastor Jeff Roth, and his daughter, Addie, to discuss what it looks like to be raised in a missional home.By General Baptist Ministries

Today on The Sword & The Trowel podcast, Tom Ascol and Graham Gunden talk with David Forsythe, author of the book Vengeance Has Come: A Puritan-Minded Exposition of the Apocalypse for the Modern Church. They discuss the genesis of the book, the Great Commission, eschatology and more. SHOW NOTES: ON SALE - Vengeance Has Come: https://press.founders.…

It’s not just a toddler group. Emphasis on the ‘just’. That’s the title and message of a new report which urges churches to take their midweek parents and toddler groups more seriously. These groups are not just about toys on mats and beakers of juice for tired mums, but vital for children’s flourishing and also for drawing families into the wider …

Today on The Sword & The Trowel podcast, Tom Ascol and Graham Gunden discuss abortion, Donald Trump, the pro-life movement, how Christians should think through the upcoming election and more. SHOW NOTES: RATES INCREASE: 2025 National Founders Conference: Revive Us, O Lord!: https://founders.org/conference Family Life in The Negative World - 2024 Re…

It is not just the Church of England and the Catholic Church which has been wrestling with divisions over same-sex marriage in recent years. The Baptist Union is also split between those who believe God affirms gay marriage and those who hold to a traditional opposition to it. Yet unlike other denominations, the Baptists have come recently to an in…

Today on The Sword & The Trowel podcast, Tom Ascol and Graham Gunden talk with William Wolfe, Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Baptist Leadership. They discuss the state of the Southern Baptist Convention, the need for Biblical leadership within the SBC and more. SHOW NOTES: Center For Baptist Leadership: https://centerforbaptistlea…

Ecumenism. Even the word itself is probably putting some of you off right now. A tiresome bit of churchy jargon that has no relevance for your church or spiritual life, right? But working for unity across churches and denominations is for some a genuine passion, an urgent priority, even a lifetime’s ministry. Earlier this year, a group of Catholic …

Today on The Sword & The Trowel podcast, Tom Ascol and Graham Gunden discuss President Biden's recent proclamation of the Transgender Day of Visibility. They unpack how this is just the latest expression of the new religion in America: paganism. How do Christians think rightly about this and respond to it? What is Biblical love look like in these c…

Mission One coordinator Jim Pratt discusses with Tyler Gilman, Youth Pastor at Generation Church, what Missional Legacy is and what it means to be a part of it.By General Baptist Ministries

Today on The Sword and The Trowel podcast, Tom Ascol and Graham Gunden talk about the church's regular weekly worship. They discuss liturgy, elements of worship, and the various challenges Pastors may face and they also recommend some resources to aid Pastors and church members alike as they consider these things. SHOW NOTES: Shop Worship resources…

Many of England’s biggest football clubs – today some of the country’s largest entertainment businesses – were originally started by local churches 150 years ago. Fascinatingly, the connections between Christianity and football are not solely a historical quirk either. There are Christians playing the game at every level, managing teams and running…

Today on The Sword and The Trowel podcast, Tom Ascol sits down with Dr. Mark Coppenger to discuss the state of the Southern Baptist Convention. Dr. Coppenger shares some insight into what's going on in the SBC and some reasons to be hopeful for the 2024 SBC in Indianapolis. SHOW NOTES: Family Life in The Negative World - 2024 Regional Founders Conf…

Just before Christmas, the Catholic Church surprisingly announced priests could offer pastoral blessings to same-sex couples for the first time. The announcement has been a jolt of energy to the church, delighting liberals who have been quick to publicise their blessings, and equally infuriating conservatives. Why has the backlash been so vociferou…

Today on The Sword and The Trowel, Tom Ascol and Graham Gunden talk about Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. They address some of the ways Feminism and Egalitarianism are eroding the foundations of Biblical thinking regarding what it means to be a man and what it means to be a woman, and provide some encouragement for church leaders and Pastors as the…

Almost nobody has heard of Sir Paul Marshall until a few weeks ago. But, thanks to his Twitter account, the multi-millionaire hedge funder and media mogul has become briefly famous, or perhaps infamous. An investigation has revealed Marshall had a private Twitter account which had liked and re-posted dozens of hardline anti-Muslim and far-right twe…

Today on The Sword and The Trowel, Tom Ascol and Graham Gunden talk about the institution of the family and why it is under attack in our culture today. What has God said in His word about the Family? Why does it matter? They also share an exciting announcement on this topic. SHOW NOTES: Family Life in The Negative World - 2024 Regional Founders Co…

Today on The Sword and The Trowel, Tom Ascol and Graham Gunden talk Ron Henzel and Don Veinot, authors of the book: A Matter of Basic Principles: Bill Gothard and His Cultish Teachings. They discuss the reason they wrote the book and why Gothard's teaching is so dangerous. SHOW NOTES: A Matter of Basic Principles: Bill Gothard and His Cultish Teach…

After the murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, the Church of England embarked on a racial reckoning just like so many institutions. This produced a landmark report and a new racial justice unit. But more than three years on, has any progress been made in dismantling prejudice and discrimination in the national church?…

Mission One Coordinator Jim Pratt sits down with President of General Baptist Ministries Danny Dunivan and Vice President for Global Missions Mark Powell and discusses what it means to fulfill the missional mandate of the church.By General Baptist Ministries

Today on this special episode of The Sword and The Trowel, Tom Ascol and Graham Gunden welcome Allie Beth Stuckey for a LIVE show that was filmed at the 2024 National Founders Conference. They discuss "trad-wife life", social media cosplay, engaging in the culture war, glorifying God in motherhood, using social media wisely, handling criticism and …

Today on The Sword and The Trowel, Tom Ascol and Graham Gunden talk about the "He Gets Us" campaign and the two most recent ads that played during the Super Bowl. They unpack the ads and discuss how they miss the real Jesus and the whole Gospel. Are these ads helpful? Does Jesus really "get us"? SHOW NOTES: 2025 National Founders Conference: Revive…

A Christian gospel singer was approached by the police while busking in central London. In a video of the conversation, one of the officers tells the singer she is not allowed to sing church songs outside of church grounds, and later sticks her tongue out. For many of those furiously sharing this video online, it is further evidence of how the secu…

Today on The Sword and The Trowel, Tom Ascol and Graham Gunden talk about traveling through Vanity Fair, borrowing an analogy from John Bunyan in his allegorical book: Pilgrim's Progress. They talk about living under the authority of Christ, when we are living in a wicked and fallen world. Our culture is always trying to disciple us in ways that ar…

Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, the government of Iran has sought to tightly control its small Christian minority and suppress the spread of Christianity throughout the population. But the Women Life Freedom anti-government protest movement has rocked the Islamist regime. Millions of Iranians have defied the strict interpretation of Islam the…

Today on The Sword and The Trowel, Tom Ascol and Graham Gunden talk with Josh Abbotoy, Harvard Lawyer and Executive Director of American Reformer. Josh has been tracking the border crisis in Texas and in this podcast, he helps give some guidance on how we should think about this in a Christianly way. His insight into the movements of Governor Abbot…

The story which dominated the UK church world last year was undoubtedly the revelations about Mike Pilavachi and Soul Survivor. But while the C of E’s investigation into him confirmed he had acted inappropriately at the Watford church he led, the story has often been veiled in vague terms and muttered innuendo. What exactly did he do to those young…

Mission 1 coordinator Jim Pratt discusses the key principles that drive mission teams in General Baptist Global Missions. There's more that goes into mission teams than the initial step of deciding to go. Jim speaks about what guides every decision we make in GBGM.By General Baptist Ministries

Today on The Sword and The Trowel, Tom Ascol and Graham Gunden talk about how we should engage on social media as Christians. What are some principles we should apply and boundaries we should set? Is social media worth using as a Christian or would we be better off without it? SHOW NOTES: 2025 National Founders Conference: Revive Us, O Lord!: https…

Christians spend an awful lot of time thinking about how and why people join the church. But we rarely consider the opposite – all of those who leave. Every year, an entirely uncounted number of people give up on going to church. Some continue to believe and practice faith outside a worshipping community, others abandon Christianity entirely. Who a…

Today on The Sword and The Trowel, Tom Ascol and Graham Gunden talk with Brandon Rhea, author of Spurgeon’s Forgotten Sabbatarianism: The Role of the Fourth Commandment in the Life and Theology of the Prince of Preachers. They discuss the genesis of this book, the fourth commandment and the beauty of the Lord's Day. SHOW NOTES: 2024 National Founde…

Abuse scandals. Famous deaths. A lot of reports. And a even more arguing about same-sex relationships. 2023 was a busy year for church news, and 2024 is already shaping up to be more of the same. But before the last 12 months is totally swamped by what’s already kicked off this year, let’s take a brief look back at some of the most consequential st…

Today on The Sword and The Trowel, Tom Ascol and Graham Gunden talk about being a new presidential election year in the US and how we should think about it as Christians? What do we do in the midst of the uncertainties and difficulties that are sure to come? How are we to stand firm as God's people? SHOW NOTES: Obey God, Defy Tyrants - Pastor Graha…

Today on The Sword and The Trowel, Tom Ascol and Graham Gunden talk with Pastor Baruch Maoz. Having just returned from ministering in Israel, Pastor Maoz gives an honest update and perspective on the situation there with Hamas and the Gaza strip. SHOW NOTES: Connect with Pastor Maoz: https://themaozweb.com/ 2024 National Founders Conference: Rememb…