All Things

Not a week goes by that the US isn’t rattled by a racially-charged news story. Just last week we reeled and lamented the shooting of young Ralph Yarl, a black teen boy who went to the wrong address in Kansas City to pick up his young brothers.

It’s tempting to think such headlines have nothing to do with us, or that we as individuals have nothing to offer our national strife. Christians especially might want to shrink back from the conversation, not wanting to become too political. The racial distance and even division we see in our Christian communities testifies that ethnic unity is not a high priority for us as a whole.

Dr. Derwin Gray, a pastor of a multiethnic church in North Carolina and author of How to Heal Our Racial Divide: What the Bible Says, and the First Christians Knew, About Racial Reconciliation, says pastors and seminaries have failed to disciple our generation of Christ followers when it comes to God’s Word and our diversity.

Dr. Gray says, “In western christianity we've turned the gospel into 'Jesus died for your sins and you can go to heaven when you die.’ The gospel is more than simply saving individuals. It's saving individuals who are of different ethnicities to bring them into a family… What we've done in America is we've made a package of ‘here's how you can go to heaven when you die’ versus ‘how do we become the redeemed new people of God for all time.’”

On this episode of All Things we’re diving into both the Bible and culture when it comes to ethnic unity and disunity. Dr. Gray refuses to be siloed into one political camp or the other. Rather, his insight and comments are nuanced and laser-focused on the Kingdom of Jesus.

We talk about:

- Derwin Gray’s fascinating life story: how he played football at BYU and then the NFL, how he came to Jesus, his rigorous theological pursuits, and how he—a chronic stutterer—came to establish multiethnic megachurch with his wife in Charlotte, North Carolina.

- How our vertical reconciliation to God requires our horizontal reconciliation to all people.

- How the Bible is saturated with God’s plan for a multiethnic family.

- How there are indeed demonic powers at work in the world, seeking to keep us divided.

- The cost and joy of pursuing multiethnic ministry.

- Identity in Christ alone, especially when you preach against the cultural grain.

- How to respond to the shooting of Ralph Yarl—you might be surprised by the multifaceted response Dr. Gray gives here. Like I said, he refuses to be siloed and I really appreciate that!

- The benefits of detoxing from media and social media and feasting instead on God’s Word.

- How the church of Jesus is over 2,000 years old and political parties are new and temporary. Let’s be rooted in what will last forever!

Recommended Resources:

How to Heal Our Racial Divide: What the Bible Says, and the First Christians Knew, about Racial Reconciliation by Dr. Derwin L. Gray: https://us.10ofthose.com/product/9781496458803/how-to-heal-our-racial-divide-hardback

https://www.derwinlgray.com/

Dr. Christina Crenshaw has a long history of writing, speaking, and working to protect women. What began as work in the anti-trafficking sphere, has evolved into speaking out in defense of women and girls and female spaces. Dr. Crenshaw has endured a lot of online heat and hate for her solid stance that females deserve their own spaces, but her reasoning, strength, and views are based not only on a Biblical worldview, but also biology and plenty of data. On this episode of All Things she offers us so much common sense, wisdom, experience, and commitment to a worldview and practice that protects everyone. I so value her balanced perspective, grace, and nuance. You will hear both grace and truth in this conversation!

If you are concerned about gender identity and spaces, please listen in. Dr. Crenshaw and I talk about:

-The history of feminism —the good and bad of all four waves.

-The impact (good and bad) of critical theory.

-Cancel culture and personally enduring online threats.

-How we need not/should not look for a fight, but engage wisely when these issues impact us, our families, or our communities personally.

-Acknowledging that our fight is not against flesh and blood and it’s not personal—we must engage prayer, God’s Word, and God’s strength.

-The risk and harm girls endure when biological males are allowed into their bathrooms, prisons, shelters, and sports.

-The shifting tide and trends in the UK and how that may be on the horizon for the US.

-Reasons for hope and practical ideas for moving forward.

Recommended Resources:

Dr. Christina Crenshaw on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.christinacrenshaw/

Dr. Christina Crenshaw on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CrenshawPhD

What God Has to Say about Our Bodies by Sam Allberry: https://us.10ofthose.com/product/9781433570155/what-god-has-to-say-about-our-bodies-paperback

Holy Sexuality and the Gospel by Christopher Yuan: https://us.10ofthose.com/product/9780735290914/holy-sexuality-and-the-gospel-paperback

God and the Transgender Debate: What Does the Bible Actually Say about Gender Identity? By Andrew T Walker: https://us.10ofthose.com/product/9781784986940/god-and-the-transgender-debate-2nd-edition-paperback?affiliate=jenoshman

Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters by Abigail Shrier: https://amzn.to/3nJ0wqI

Why do we in the west value things like equality, compassion, and freedom? These virtues are so woven into our DNA they feel automatic to us. Such virtues, however, are not a given across all time and all peoples. There’s a reason we see headlines and collectively cry out, “Consent!” Or demand, “Progress!”

These virtues are the direct result of the holiday we celebrated this past Sunday—Easter.

Our reflex to march for justice or to lift the marginalized come from somewhere. On this episode of All Things I’m talking to Glen Scrivener who wrote The Air We Breathe: How We All Came to Believe in Freedom, Kindness, Progress, and Equality. Glen points us back to what he calls the “Jesus revolution”—the way the world (and especially the west) totally changed after Jesus Christ lived, died, and rose again.

We dive into history stretching from the Roman Empire to 2023. We trace the birthplace of these virtues in Christianity and see how they impact our current moment.

Glen helps us reflect especially on the value and treatment of women. We cry “Me too” today precisely because we know women deserve to be treated well, protected, and cared for. But why do we think that? The Roman Empire certainly did not—female infanticide was practiced in the first century. Christ and his church came on the scene, valuing life, dignity, and caring for the marginalized. The Jesus revolution changed how women, and all marginalized groups, are seen and treated.

Easter was the beginning of the Jesus revolution—Christ’s life, death, and resurrection is not simply a nice story or tradition. It truly changed everything. If you uphold compassion and equality, it’s because of Jesus and his massive influence over the last 2,000 years.

Resources mentioned on this episode:

Dominion by Tom Holland: https://amzn.to/3TRbyGf

The Case Against the Sexual Revolution by Louise Perry: https://amzn.to/3nw2tXh

The Air We Breathe: How We All Came to Believe in Freedom, Kindness, Progress, and Equality by Glen Scrivener: https://us.10ofthose.com/product/9781784987497/the-air-we-breathe-paperback?affiliate=jenoshman

Follow Glen Scrivener at https://speaklife.org.uk/

If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, then we have no hope, no reason to gather, and no reason to celebrate Easter.

The life, death, resurrection, and second coming of Jesus are all keys to our faith, how we think, and how we live. The resurrection in particular is crucial—did it really happen and how do we know? And why does it matter 2,000 years later?

Listeners are in for a treat on today’s episode because I’ve invited Dr. Michael Kruger, one of the leading New Testament scholars of our day, to join me. Dr. Kruger is a gifted scholar and teacher—and I would know because he was my New Testament professor last semester at Reformed Theological Seminary!

Dr. Kruger and I talk about everything from philosophical foundations for faith, the historical reliability of the resurrection, and the historical reliability of the New Testament scriptures. Our conversation culminates in a worshipful contemplation of our future hope in Christ. One day we too will rise and see Jesus face to face.

He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!

Recommended resources:

Surviving Religion 101 by Michael Kruger: https://us.10ofthose.com/product/9781433572074/surviving-religion-101-paperback

Hope in Times of Fear: The Resurrection and the True Meaning of Easter by Timothy Keller: https://us.10ofthose.com/product/9780525560791/hope-in-times-of-fear-hardback

Is Easter Unbelievable?

Four Questions Everyone Should Ask About the Resurrection Story by Rebecca McLaughlin: https://amzn.to/3zxziGe

“I have the minimalist life. My home is beautiful. Now all I have to do is be LDS and I can be an influencer!”

It was a joke made by a friend over coffee with Elizabeth Santelmann, who you may know as Sunshine in My Nest on Instagram. Elizabeth points to that coffee date as a watershed moment when she realized Christians are missing a massive opportunity to share the light of Christ on social media.

The reality is moms and women flock to Instagram for advice on everything from home decor to raising children to homeschooling. Mormons excel at using social media to spread their message. And it dawned on Elizabeth then that the church should be embracing the same opportunity to give the gospel and grace and all kinds of goodness.

As one of my favorite apologists asks, “Would Christians be willing to do for the Truth, what Mormons are willing to do for a lie?” If we ditch social media altogether we miss out on a harvest-ripe mission field.

But can you use social media for good and not evil? Can it be a place of warmth and hospitality, rather than coldness and condemnation? Elizabeth thinks so, and I think she’s doing it really well!

Elizabeth logs onto social media asking what she can give, rather than what she can get. She enters with a hospitality frame of mind—her desire to see and serve the women on the other side of the screen. She wants them to receive the levity of grace, the freedom of the gospel, the genuine good life in Christ from her squares. She wants women to visit her profile and see compassion, beauty, and true life in Jesus.

If you want to redeem your online presence and use your social media account to love God and love others, listen to this episode for a great place to start.

Additional resources:

Extraordinary Hospitality (for Ordinary People): Seven Ways to Welcome Like Jesus by Carolyn Lacey: https://www.thegoodbook.com/extraordinary-hospitality-for-ordinary-people

Say the Right Thing: How Your Words Can Glorify God and Encourage Others by Carolyn Lacey: https://www.thegoodbook.com/say-the-right-thing

Today’s sponsor: https://www.thegoodbook.com/

Keep up with Elizabeth Santelmann here: https://www.instagram.com/sunshineinmynest/

Listen to Elizabeth Santelmann’s weekly podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sunshine-in-my-nest/id1625483086

For the first time ever in history, American women are leaving the church faster than men. Millions have left over the last decade, and that was even before the pandemic. Research shows they have left church but they still value their relationship with God. What’s going on?

Ericka Andersen joins us on today’s episode of All Things to discuss this issue, as well as Reasons to Return: Why Women Need the Church and the Church Needs Women—as her new book is titled.

Ericka and I ponder the reasons women have left the church. We live in an increasingly post-Christian society, and the religion of self-help is on the rise. Ericka says secular self-help gurus offer a replacement for religion—but it’s not sustainable. She thinks our attraction to self-help is going to soon run its course, as people are realizing they need more than what’s inside of them to get by.

Ericka says church is often misunderstood. She says church is relationships, friendships, a safety net, where you feel like you have people on your team, and where we learn about God. She says, “When we get together with others we see a part of God that we cannot see ourselves.” Further, “It is the church that God uses to save people—it’s through the witness of the church that people are drawn to Jesus.”

We also tackle church hurt and religious trauma. And we talk through different scenarios for conversing with our friends who’ve left. Ericka helps us imagine how we might invite a friend back to church who has left over politics or shame or sheer busyness. She says the number one reason people return to church is because someone invites them. Ericka exhorts us, “Be someone’s introduction to to Jesus by being there for them without expecting anything in return.”

One bonus element of this episode is when Ericka talks about her journey to sobriety—her transparency is such a gift!

Recommendations from this episode:

Reasons to Return: Why Women Need the Church and the Church Needs Women by Ericka Andersen

Church Forsaken: Practicing Presence in Neglected Neighborhoods by Jonathan Brooks and Sho Baraka

Welcome: Love Your Church by Making Space for Everyone by Jen Oshman

Keep in touch with Ericka at https://erickaandersen.com.

Conversations around women and work are complicated, often heated, and rarely satisfying. The heart of the issue for women is: how can we thrive in our capacity for productive work as well as provide care for others (children, aging parents, and other loved ones). This conversation hit fever pitch during the pandemic and it seems we’ve been in a prolonged season of flux since then.

The conversation in the church feels tense too. There’s been a gap in discipleship regarding women and work for decades now, and trusted voices are few. Not only that, but women often endure conflict or judgment from both sides of the work vs. stay home divide. We need to be having a better conversation.

On this episode of All Things we are having that conversation! Joanna Meyer, the founder of Women, Work, & Calling (an initiative of the Denver Institute of Faith & Work), helps us think biblically and practically about the issues of work and family that women face today. She invites us to think more holistically and it’s so helpful.

We are all made for productive work, so I invite you listen for some soul-deep encouragement.

You can learn more about Joanna Meyer’s work here: https://denverinstitute.org/contributor/joanna-meyer/

You can learn more about Women, Work & Calling here: https://www.womenworkandcalling.com/

Fair Play: A Game-Changing Solution for When You Have Too Much to Do (and More Life to Live): https://amzn.to/3S31jh9

Called Together: A Biblical Look at Gender in the Workplace by Joanna Meyer: https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/view/63855492/calledtogether-final

Women & Work: https://womenwork.net/

Do you derive your value and identity from productivity? Do you try to live beyond your limits? Do you try to live a super-human life rather than a human life that is Spirit-filled?

Most of us are constantly asking how we can get more done in the 24 hours a day we each have. We read books, go to workshops, and download apps to help us manage our to-do lists and be as productive as possible. But if we’re honest, I think we also suspect we’re missing the point. Something is off. We work hard and run fast through our day, but we’re usually exhausted and unsatisfied when we come to the end of it. This conversation with Jen Pollock Michel is so helpful in trying to understand work, productivity, and our limitations as humans.

Jen Pollock Michel and I talk about:

* How time management originated in factories with stop watches and how keeping time mechanically is altogether inhuman.

* Whether or not productivity and time management are even for our good.

* How women are often required to manage both shifts—the one at work and the one at home.

* What God’s time is like—he is from everlasting to everlasting, so how does he measure productivity?

* How the posture of time management is really just about control.

* How God is the maker and giver of time. As humans we must receive time in whatever ways God deems is for our good.

* How to confront our own frenetic energy and our idolatrous urgency to produce.

* Considering a practice of gratitude and receiving the limitations in our lives.

* The idea of a Rule of Life—developing routines and habits and practices that will help us to love God and neighbor.

Jen Pollock Michel: https://www.jenpollockmichel.com/

In Good Time, by Jen Pollock Michell: https://us.10ofthose.com/product/9781540900548/in-good-time-paperback

A Habit called Faith by Jen Pollock Michel: https://us.10ofthose.com/product/9781540900531/a-habit-called-faith-paperback/?affiliate=jenoshman

The Common Rule: Habits of Purpose for an Age of Distraction by Justin Whitmel Earley: https://us.10ofthose.com/product/9780830845606/the-common-rule-paperback?affiliate=jenoshman

What was behind the Asbury revival? Can we trust it?

On this episode of All Things I am talking with my friend and theologian Missie Branch about:

- Why every woman (and human!) is actually a theologian.

- What caused revival at Asbury University to break out.

- What it looks like to struggle and depend on the Holy Spirit.

- How the Spirit moves when and where he pleases, as he is doing at Asbury.

- The desperation we see in Gen Z.

- The critical spirit we see in the church.

- How to cultivate a spirit of grace and unity in the church.

- What the church is getting wrong and right(!) in this cultural moment.

Missie is the Asst. Dean of Students to Women and Director of Graduate Life at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and also completing her graduate degree in Ethics, Theology, and Culture there. She is also Chair of the Board Trustees at Lifeway Christian Resources and co-host of the Women & Work Podcast. Missie is a wife and mom to four.

Missie Branch: https://www.missiebranch.com/ (https://www.missiebranch.com/)

The Women & Work Podcast: https://womenwork.net/podcast/ (https://womenwork.net/podcast/)

The Whole Woman: Ministering to Her Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength, with a chapter by Missie Branch: https://amzn.to/3SiKm2o (https://amzn.to/3SiKm2o)

Other recommended books and resources: https://us.10ofthose.com/partners/jenoshman (https://us.10ofthose.com/partners/jenoshman)

You should listen to this episode just to hear how Doug Logan met Jesus. It’s a wild story involving Doug’s barber shop, the rapture, and a fire alarm at 3am—only God! Ever since Doug’s first days of faith in the barber shop, he’s become a pastor, church planter, and President of Grimke Seminary. Doug has a lot to say about the gospel of Jesus, the mission of the church, and how we can better contextualize the gospel for urban ministry. Listen in as we wrap of National Black History Month, and be encouraged by how one man’s faith can blossom into generations of church planters and Jesus followers.

On the Block by Doug Logan: https://us.10ofthose.com/product/9780802414724/on-the-block-paperback?affiliate=jenoshman

Urban Apologetics, with a chapter by Doug Logan: https://amzn.to/3kk6qx0

Grimke College: https://grimkecollege.org/

Grimke Seminary: https://grimkeseminary.org/