Kurt Birky is a pastor and a creative. 

In the modern era, narrative story dominates almost all facets of our entertainment life in the forms of TikTok, YouTube, TV shows, movies, and more. Though the Bible is largely a collection of narratives, it can be hard to appreciate and enjoy those narratives similarly.

In this episode, you can expect to learn about how Kurt ended up in ministry after working at Universal Studios, how we can see Hollywood story structure in the Bible, why we can better understand and enjoy the Bible because of this, the best books to read if you’re just getting started with the Bible, how our modern love of narrative story change allow us to engage with the Bible, differently, and much more!

Dr. Scott Smith is an apologist, philosopher, and professor. 

In the post-enlightenment era, it can be hard to see the world as anything other than what is physically around us. Furthermore, why should we even bother with old schools of thought like philosophy when we now have the concreteness of science? 

In this episode you can expect to learn why you probably think like a naturalist (and what’s dangerous about that), how to demonstrate the existence of a world beyond the physical, the way in which philosophy is essential to science, some of Dr. Smith’s book recommendations, and much more!

Lily Journey is a freelance writer and storyteller. 

The art of self-expression and self-revelation through any medium, especially writing, is a long and winding road. Oftentimes, it can be difficult to know where to start. 

In this episode, expect to learn Lily’s advice for building writing habits, authors that inspire her, why she thinks people should share their writing, how her faith influences her work, what she’s learned about herself since starting a Substack, how to get over the fear of judgment, and much more!

R. Mark Reasoner Jr. is a published author, bible scholar, and biblical languages major at Biola University!

Notorious for having ended many “read the Bible in a year” attempts, the book of Leviticus can be extraordinarily challenging! Beyond that, it can also seem like one of the most boring books of the Bible.

On today’s episode, expect to learn why Leviticus is essential to understanding the story of the Bible, why it is at the center of the Torah, how to make your read-through of Leviticus easier, what animal sacrifice was really for, the difference between ritual and moral impurity, how the “gods” of ancient nations are real, and much more!

Hannah Fodera is a writer, speaker, and theology grad student. 

Just because someone is a Christian, it does not mean that their life will be a cakewalk. Christians, just like everyone else, will still struggle with anxiety, fear, and loneliness. That difficulty, at times, can make us want to forget about God. Or, it can drive us closer to him. 

Expect to learn how Hannah’s anxiety brought her into a closer relationship with God, the advice she’d give to those who are bitter about their anxiety, what Hannah thinks of the “I never knew you” verse, if she believes God is a romantic, why God cares about the details of our life, how to recognize God’s goodness in the world around us, why people sometimes say “God is my boyfriend,” and much more!

Dr. Sean McDowell is an apologist, professor, and YouTuber.

Today Dr. McDowell speaks to the perennial question: Why does God seem hidden? The presence of God in the world is a lifelong struggle for every Christian and Athiest, and the answer is neither obvious nor intuitive. 

Expect to learn why you have bad expectations for interacting with God, ways God makes himself known, if God can be seen in the natural world, whether he is hidden, why Christianity is not purely intellectual, the dangers of over-valuing a relational experience with God, and more!

Dr. Adam Johnson is a theologian, professor, and writer. 

Trying to delve deeply into areas of Christian doctrine can be frustrating, difficult, and confusing. The Doctrine of Atonement, while essential to Christian belief, is one of these challenging areas. This episode should be a good start to clear up confusion and remove some of that frustration.

You can expect to learn what the word “atonement” means, what the Doctrine of Atonement is meant to help you understand, why many Christians have a destructively narrow view of atonement, the reason Dr. Johnson is apprehensive of broad claims about evangelicals, why it’s important to embrace life’s complexity, and why you should read “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.”

Dr. Greg Peters is a professor, theologian, and Anglican priest.

While we can have a solid understanding of the theology of the Bible, it's not always as easy to translate how we are meant to live biblically in day-to-day life.