Sermons from Cross of Christ Church. For more resources, go to www.crossofchristoc.com

Justin Buzzard serves as lead pastor of Garden City Church, which he started in 2011. His books have addressed topics such as understanding your life story, manhood, marriage, and the importance of cities. Buzzard speaks regularly at a variety of venues on a variety of topics. JustinBuzzard.net is where he writes about what he’s excited and curious about, in hopes of inspiring and helping others. A fifth-generation Californian, Justin’s home is Silicon Valley, where he lives with his wife, Taylor, and their three sons.

1. First, can you lay the theological foundation beneath a call for men to date their wives?

2. Why are you passionate about calling and helping men to be good husbands?

3. What are some mistakes you’ve made along the way? What are some common mistakes you see other men make?

4. Now, can you be immensely practical in helping the men of Cross of Christ, and the other men listening, in regards to dating their wife.

• What are some foundational things they need to think about?

• How can single men be thinking about how to do this well?

5. This book was published in 2012, when you and Taylor had been married for seven years and had three very young boys. It is five years later; is there anything you would change or add that you’ve learned in the time since then?

6. Lastly, the imperative to date your wife can reveal the ways we men don’t and won’t do that well. What is the Gospel hope for us as we strive to love our wives?

Sermons from Cross of Christ Church. For more resources, go to www.crossofchristoc.com

In this episode, Samantha Bowman joins us to share her story and discuss balancing being a wife, working in the corporate world, and helping to plant a church. She and her husband Zach were a part of the original core group of Cross of Christ, two of the first members, long-time Community Group leaders, Connect Team volunteers, and are now entering the deacon process. Formerly she was the Director of Undergraduate Admissions at California Baptist University and currently works for Microsoft.

Sermons from Cross of Christ Church. For more resources, go to www.crossofchristoc.com

Derek Rishmawy is a Ph.D. student at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School who, in his own words, is attempting to study Systematic Theology. He’s the happy husband of McKenna. Derek was formerly the college pastor at Trinity United Presbyterian church in Tustin, right up the road from us and dangerously close to Zov’s bakery. He’s, a contributor for The Gospel Coalition and Christianity Today, as well as a co-host for a podcast called Mere Fidelity.

1. You’re very active on Twitter, why are the two primary emotional responses on Twitter either yelling or crying?

2. I know this is a large question but what are some ways that you think social media or technology is shaping our view of God and the local church?

3. In reaction to the fact that 81% of evangelicals voted for Trump, there seems to be a reaction amongst younger evangelicals to jettison term evangelical or evangelicalism altogether. What is your take on this aspect of our current theological moment?

4. I could be over-generalizing but it seems that, as the polarization as we see in politics becomes more heightened in the church, those on the Left side of the spectrum start with good critiques but then end up having a low view of scripture and Jesus’ death and resurrection. For example, last month Tim Keller tweeted “People think a Christian is one who follows Christ's teaching and example, but Jesus is not primarily a teacher. He's a rescuer.” He was met with an angry barrage calling that ‘dangerous theology’ and saying things like, “I'm one of those crazy people who thinks a Christian is someone who follows Jesus.” That disagreement is an old one. How should we think about it? How can we, as evangelical Protestants engage in dialogue like that helpfully?

Recommendations:

1. Derek, where are some of your favorite places to eat in Orange County?

2. What are some books, music, shows, or podcast that you’re currently enjoying and would recommend?

Nick:

1. Cultivated Podcast w/ Mike Cosper

2. Russian Circles album Memorial

3. Citizen’s and Saint’s album A Mirror Dimly

4. John Stott’s and NT Wright’s commentaries on Acts and Justin Holcomb’s Crossway study

Jay:

1. Empire of The Summer Moon

2. The $100 Startup

3. A Call for a New Strenous Age 

Sermons from Cross of Christ Church. For more resources, go to www.crossofchristoc.com

Sermons from Cross of Christ Church. For more resources, go to www.crossofchristoc.com

Sermons from Cross of Christ Church. For more resources, go to www.crossofchristoc.com

00:00 - Why do we do this podcast?

02:00 - Announcements

03:00 - Dr. Gregg Allison Intro

07:00 - Where’d you grow up and what was your family like? What is your ministry background? How did you meet Jesus and come to faith?

13:00 - How is God working on you right now?

16:00 - In the book, you share your very interesting and unique background that plays into your familiarity with Catholic theology. Could you share that with our listeners?

19:00 - Why this book? Why now? Why do you think it is important for younger evangelicals to be familiar with Catholic theology?

20:00 - You are writing this book as an evangelical theologian and pastor of a Reformed Baptist variety. Especially in light of the recent election, there are discussions about the usefulness of the label “evangelical” and some, especially younger evangelicals, who would like to jettison the term altogether. I grew up Lutheran and I’m a fan of David Wells’ work “The Courage to be Protestant” but I’m curious, as someone writing from a Protestant belief system about Catholics, what you think about the label “Evangelical” and how younger Christians should think of themselves categorically.

25:00 - You divided the book into two categories: intrigue (or agreements) and critique (or areas of disagreement). What are some areas where we as evangelical Protestants can agree with Catholics? Why are those important? What are some areas where we disagree? Why are those important?

37:00 - According to James K A Smith, philosopher Charles Taylor’s work on Secularism promotes a seemingly vague return to the transcendence that the Catholic faith offers with its sacramentalism. Do you agree with this prescription? What do you think evangelical Protestants bring to the table in the midst of a culture where transcendence has been lost?

49:00 - Chances are, if the trajectory that many people say is true - that the American church is on the way to being a minority group within a majority culture - evangelical Protestants will be working alongside Catholics more and more in the future on issues like religious liberty, abortion, euthanasia, Creation care, poverty, and so on. How can we work together with a generous spirit without compromising core convictions and beliefs?

51:00 - From your current season of life, what would you say to younger Reformed evangelicals about the future of the church?

55:00 - How to think about and create Christmas traditions.