Two guys who knew nothing about the Crusades read a book about them. Here's what Nick and Isaac learned, and the hard questions it raised.

The primary book for this episode is God's Battalions by Rodney Stark.

Other books mentioned: 

Sword and Scimitar — Raymond Ibrahim

The Crusades — Thomas Asbridge

Related podcast interview with Raymond Ibrahim (Spotify):
https://open.spotify.com/episode/5jX2vG2238GvR3tnuQlody?si=NjrwlVhNQ4SAbwxFwZS5kg&utm_source=copy-link

Idea for an episode? Submit it here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdpQOHT5IltjjSTlg4KdUsNArqqyg1yGJY4wYzTpab0BNjCKQ/viewform

Come to church! More info here: christtheword.com

Contact us here: [email protected]

Thank you for listening.

Why does the world treat kids as a burden when Scripture calls them a blessing? Associate pastor Jordan Ahrendt and his wife Mackenzie join us to talk big families, the fear of waiting, and why they've never met anyone who regrets having more.

Podcast episodes referenced (Spotify links):
“Having kids was a mistake” https://open.spotify.com/episode/383vdUpP5mchotWdLoMjQU?si=XKBNbCulQOqnLHzf_h9GoQ&utm_source=copy-link
The Global Fertility Crisis Is Worse Than You Think
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0BnAg30CTKAHTr26kaOkXW?si=sp8diupOSuG_cTZ3YOONoQ&utm_source=copy-link

Idea for an episode? Submit it here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdpQOHT5IltjjSTlg4KdUsNArqqyg1yGJY4wYzTpab0BNjCKQ/viewform

Come to church! Info here: christtheword.com

Contact us via email here: [email protected]

Thank you for listening.

Former senior pastor David Bayly joins us to talk honestly about alcohol. We discuss his own history with drunkenness, why rules don't save anyone, and what it really means to drink (or not) to the glory of God.

New Yorker article mentioned: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/02/15/drinking-games

Have an idea for the show? Submit it here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdpQOHT5IltjjSTlg4KdUsNArqqyg1yGJY4wYzTpab0BNjCKQ/viewform

Contact us here: [email protected]

Come to church! More info here: christtheword.com

Thank you for listening.

Is your family truly immersed in the church, or just attending it? Tanner, our children's pastor, and Mike, a longtime elder with 11 kids, bring two very different vantage points to the same challenge: give the church three months of real commitment and see what God does with it.

Contact us here: [email protected]

Come to church! Info here: christtheword.com

Thank you for listening. 

Recorded live at Christ the Word’s family camping trip, Isaac and Nick sit down with five men for quick, honest conversations about evangelism — covering fear, gratitude, apologetics, and what it actually looks like to talk about Jesus in everyday life.

Contact us here: [email protected]

Come to church! Info here: christtheword.com

Thank you for listening. 

Toledo is known for brain drain — young people leaving for somewhere better. Noah Wing is betting on the ones who stay. He joins Nick, Isaac, and Caleb to talk about a new project aimed at giving those people, especially young men, a place to slow down, read hard things, and figure out what God actually wants them to build with their lives.

Links to what Noah’s been building:

ionastudycenter.org

https://ionajournal.substack.com/p/what-is-iona-study-center?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fabc319f7-1a76-4da1-be15-e6d3cdaf49c7_1076x1593.jpeg&open=false

ionajournal.substack.com

Contact us here: [email protected]

Come to church! Info here: christtheword.com

Thank you for listening. 

This week on the show, Nick and Isaac sit down with Wesley Townsend to hear how God pursued him through years of drifting. Wesley shares about growing up in Maumee, two attempts at Army Ranger selection, cooking for Green Berets in Africa, and the loss of a close friend that cracked something open in him. He also tells the unlikely story of how a traffic stop in Toledo led him to Christ the Word. A conversation about grief, grace, and what it looks like when God calls someone who wasn’t looking.

Iona Study Center info:

ionastudycenter.org

Ionajournal.substack.com

https://www.toledo.com/events/2026/06/18/lectures-discussions/iona-lecture-that-little-point-how-nuance-neuters-our-men-by-lucas-wilson/

Contact us! [email protected]

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This week's episode is from our most recent men's breakfast here at Christ the Word Church. In this talk, church elder Jordan Daugherty addresses a challenge everyone faces: emotions. In a culture that encourages us to follow our feelings, Jordan explains how Scripture calls us to something different. Looking at emotions such as anger, fear, jealousy, lust, discouragement, and anxiety, he shows how feelings can either serve God's truth or lead us into destruction. This practical and biblical message will help you think rightly about your emotions and learn how to use them for God's glory.

Contact us here: [email protected]

Come to church! Join us. Information here: christtheword.com

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What is worship, and why does it matter?

In this episode, we sit down with our senior pastor, Nathan Bayly, to discuss what worship truly is, how Christians are called to worship God, and why worship is about far more than music. Join us as we explore what Scripture teaches about honoring God with our lives, both on Sunday and throughout the week.

Link to website mentioned:
https://frame-poythress.org/?s=worship

Recommended book: The Man Who Moved a Mountain by Richard Davids

Come to church! christtheword.com

Thank you for listening. 

This week on Fellow Heirs, we sit down with a young man from our church to hear his testimony of growing up in Honduras. Raised in a close Christian family, he also witnessed the reality of gang violence and loss in his community, including the death of members from his church.

In this episode, he shares about coming to the United States for school, adjusting to a new life and culture, and how the Lord faithfully guided him through it all while continuing to grow in his faith.

Email us here: [email protected]

Come to church! christtheword.com

Thank you for listening.