Everything Just Changed

As we continue to explore issues of identity formation, today we're talking about sexuality and same sex attraction. Our guest is Stephen Moss, a same-sex attracted celibate Christian. In 2018 Stephen was one of the founders of the Revoice conference, which sought to provide a gathering place for "Side B" christians, and also ended up embroiled in controversy in some circles within the evangelical church. Stephen talks with us about his own story, the way the church shepherded him in his journey, and his eventual decision to step away from the organization that he helped found.

Note: this episode touches on issues and controversy within the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) where Bryce and Brad are both pastors, and Stephen is a member.

As western culture is struggling through issues of polarization and the weaponization of politics, we've been highlighting the ways the individualism—this idea that you can be anything you want to be as long as you remain true to yourself—is eroding western society from both the right and left. In a recent article, Dr. Alan Noble writes that "The default evangelical response to cultural decay has been to redouble our culture war efforts: elect people who will better pursue our agenda, boycott and denounce attacks on our values, and so on. And while I would be the last to dismiss the importance of Christian political participation and cultural criticism, I do worry that these focuses can distract us from the more basic work that needs to be done. We need to shore up the ruins." In this episode of Everything Just Changed, Brad and Bryce talk with Alan Noble about his article, and the way that institution building provides us a path through and beyond the culture wars.

Today on Everything Just Changed, Brad sits down with Brandon Obrien. Brandon is the author of several books, including Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes, and Not From Around Here: What Unites Us, What Divides Us, and How We Can Move Forward. In this season of our podcast we’re exploring themes related to spiritual formation, and the way that western individualism is really derailing the church’s attempts to do the work of discipleship that Jesus calls us to do. In this conversation, Brad and Brandon explore the ways this is playing our in our cultural moment, and look for a way forward…

This week Bryce and Brad talk with Professor Carl Trueman about his new book, The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self, and the way the roots of individualism have crept in to both secularism and Christianity. We also ask Dr. Trueman about his gracious tone in this book and whether it represents a shift in focus in his work.

Picking up where we left off last week, Bryce and Brad continue to explore the way a gospel identity differs from both the modern and traditional approaches to identity formation. In Part 1 we talked about what a gospel identity is, and began exploring what makes it unique. In this episode we continue with 2 more reasons it's unique, and then talk about how a gospel identity grows.

Episode Bibliography:

Carl Trueman, The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self 

Philip Rieff, Sacred Order/Social Order Volume One: My Life Among the Deathworks 

Mark Sayers and John Mark Comer, “This Cultural Moment” podcast 

Tim Keller, “Gospel Identity” Conference

This season on Everything Just Changed we're exploring the issue of identity and asking "how do we received rather than achieve our identity?" Last we we looked at the 2 common ways humans throughout history have through about identity--the traditional and modern approaches--in which our dignity, value and worth must be achieved through what we do. Today we'll look at he biblical alternative--receiving our identity from God himself.

Episode Bibliography:

Carl Trueman, The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self

Tim Keller, “Gospel Identity” Conference

After an unexpectedly lively (some might even say “spicy”) twitter discussion on the topic of ‘Deconstruction,’ Brad invited a few of the most irenic and pastoral participants to a roundtable discussion exploring the roots, diversity, and common denominators among what feels like an evolution or revival connected to the ‘Skepticism’ of yesteryear. Listen in as they explore the different expressions of deconstruction, validate frustration with evangelicalism, the (ironic) Western/Individualist roots, and most importantly: ways to respond pastorally with truth and love.

Guests on this special bonus episode include Ian Harber, Michael Agapito, and Brookes Jones.

As we ask the question "How do we receive, rather than achieve, our identity?" in this season, we're digging into the roots of identity formation. What does it mean to be a self? Where do we source our security and significance? Modern people instinctively look within themselves to answer these questions...but is this the only way to do it? Is it the best way?

Episode Bibliography:

Carl Trueman, The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self

Philip Rieff, Sacred Order/Social Order Volume One: My Life Among the Deathworks

Mark Sayers and John Mark Comer, “This Cultural Moment” podcast

Tim Keller, “Gospel Identity” Conference

We're back with season 3 of Everything Just Changed! As we help you navigate faithfulness to Jesus in a post-Christian and post-pandemic world, we are dedicating season 3 to answering the question "how do we receive, rather than achieve, our identity?" In episode 1 of this season, Brad and Bryce give some context to this question by exploring what has, and more importantly going forward, what hasn't changed, since the Covid 19 pandemic interrupted our lives a year ago.

As we get ready to release season 3 of Everything Just Changed, we're bringing you a couple of our earliest and most popular episodes. On this episode of Everything Just Changed, we sit down with Christian counselor Chris Bruno to discuss the way the global pandemic is affecting our mental and emotional health. How can those of us in leadership roles be attentive to our own well-being in this time when everything has shifted? How do we help those we lead and interact with to grow in their awareness of the stresses their bearing up under as well? And why is this pandemic making us all so tired? Chris is a Licensed Professional Counselor, the founder of Restoration Counseling, and you can connect with him at careduringcorona.com. His book The Man Maker Project is available on Amazon.com and he’s also the host of The Walking With Podcast. If you'd like to check out the underground city in Cappadocia that Chris mentioned, you can see it here.