In this episode, we dive into another hotly contested matter: what is biblical love? Many conversations start with the simple truth, “God is love,” and yet quickly become confusing when love is separated from who God truly is. God is not only love in the way we imagine. He is holy, just, righteous, sovereign, and infinitely beyond our understanding. From the very beginning, humanity has struggled with the same temptation: not to reject God, but to shape Him into someone we can control. A god who mirrors our preferences, validates our choices, and fits neatly into our assumptions. Scripture calls this not devotion, but idolatry.

This struggle often appears when we try to defend or assert truth. On one side, we can bend or revise reality to make God more convenient. On the other, fear of compromise can harden our hearts, using truth as a weapon instead of submitting to it with humility. Both approaches miss God’s heart. Distorting Scripture does not happen only through cultural revision. It also happens through reactionary rigidity. Either way, we place ourselves at the center instead of God.

Our goal in this episode is to slow the conversation down and refocus it where it belongs. Instead of defending positions out of fear, convenience, or pride, we want to ask a faithful question: what does God’s Word actually say, and how should it shape both our beliefs and the way we live as His followers?

Song Recommendation: 

God is Love by Chris Renzema

https://open.spotify.com/track/5WeJ2gDd1P4jjZYlzJkcXv?si=d97b3c5a72924c53

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#theology #reformed

In this episode, we step into a conversation that is often louder and more confusing than it needs to be. Discussions about women in the church are frequently shaped by misinformed assumptions, strong reactions, and cultural pressure from every direction. On one side, culture insists the church must change or be left behind. On the other, fear of compromise can lead to restriction or silence where Scripture never intended it. What often results is overcorrection or undercorrection, driven more by reaction than by revelation.

Our aim is to bring clarity and confidence by turning directly to Scripture. Rather than fighting a culture war or preserving patterns simply because they are familiar, we want to ask an honest and necessary question: what does the Bible actually say about women in the church, and how should that shape the life of the church today?

We believe true clarity in a shifting culture does not come from volume, pressure, or trends, but from the Word of God forming both our convictions and our posture as we seek to be faithful to Christ and His church.

Song and Book Recommendation: 

The Goodness of Jesus by CityAlight 

https://open.spotify.com/track/6iL4Am7n9div8eH9kxmDYS?si=de4d55054418489f

Women's Ministry in the Local Church by Ligon Duncan and Susan Hunt

https://a.co/d/057cIARy

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#theology #reformed

In this episode, we tackle some of the most divisive topics in our cultural moment: politics, immigration, and questions surrounding Israel. These issues spark strong opinions and heated debates, and too often they lead Christians to speak and act in ways that don’t reflect the gospel. It’s easy to defend positions and miss the bigger picture.

These conversations involve real people and real lives, which means how we think, speak, and act truly matters. Scripture calls us first to wisdom, humility, and love, yet it’s easy to get swept up in ideology, partisan loyalty, or fear.

Rather than telling you what to think, this episode offers a biblical framework for thinking as a Christian. We explore where Scripture is clear, where it provides guiding principles, and where it leaves room for discernment and Christian liberty. As we continue our discussion on freedom, we focus especially on liberty of opinion in areas like government and policy.

Our hope is that Scripture would shape not only our positions but our posture, so that our allegiance to Christ is clearer than any political alignment.

Song and Book Recommendation: 

I Asked the Lord That I Might Grow by John Newton

https://open.spotify.com/track/3XK7iXnIHYMaSvdSrqbdx3?si=d1b42e419ef3464d

Why Government Can't Save You An Alternative To Political Activism by John MacArthur

https://a.co/d/7ktOdmO

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#theology #reformed

In this episode, we tackle one of the more challenging and timely topics in the church: how Jesus is portrayed in media. Even in a world that often resists the gospel, Christ remains the most well-known person in history, and His name and image are frequently used to support certain messages or agendas. From major sporting events to popular streaming platforms, Jesus continues to appear in ways that grab attention and spark strong reactions. 

Many believers feel a sense of uneasiness when encountering these portrayals, whether through campaigns like He Gets Us or shows like The Chosen. Are these depictions helpful, misleading, or even harmful? How should Christians respond when Christ is presented through modern media, and does depicting Jesus raise concerns related to the second commandment?

We ask the questions that create the most discussion. Are these portrayals faithful to who Jesus truly is, or do they subtly reshape Him to fit cultural expectations? Does representing Christ on screen cross a biblical line, or can it serve a redemptive purpose? Our hope is to think carefully and biblically about how Christ is depicted, so that Scripture, not culture or marketing, shapes how we see and respond to Jesus.

Link to He Gets Us ALTERNATIVE: https://youtu.be/rV3AnTUPiDY?si=UdINF_Bi2-cfOfxl

Song and Book Recommendation: 

Only a Holy God by CityAlight

https://open.spotify.com/track/6VtdWaBrPqG0NuxdjogzrM?si=1cc3989426774994

Deeper: Real Change for Real Sinners by Dane Ortlund

https://a.co/d/34U1guY

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Check Out Our Website: threethirtyministry.com

#theology #reformed

In this episode, we tackle one of the trickiest topics in the church: Christian liberty and alcohol. Few subjects cause more confusion, guilt, or quiet judgment than when believers add rules and restrictions that were never meant to be law. Choices meant to be guided by wisdom and love often become unspoken rules, measuring sticks for spiritual maturity, or sources of quiet condemnation.

We often quote phrases like “the weaker brother” without stopping to ask what Paul actually meant or how his words were intended to protect community rather than control behavior. Today we take a closer look. We are exploring how believers can exercise freedom, follow their conscience, and care for others without letting fear, legalism, or personal preference take over.

We ask the questions that spark the most debate. How can freedom be lived without selfishness? How can love guide our choices without becoming control? And the question everyone seems to wrestle with: is alcohol off-limits for Christians, or have we misunderstood the gospel-shaped freedom Christ actually gives? Our hope is to see how Christ, not rules, culture, or personal preference, defines what it means to live freely as His followers.

Song and Book Recommendation: 

All My Boast Is In Jesus by Matt Papa and Matt Boswell

https://open.spotify.com/track/33xKafBTSHmDRVCLPWaMQu?si=fcbad1ad53e84cda

The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan 

https://a.co/d/bGq7SQ5

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#theology #reformed

In this episode, we explore how Christians navigate conviction, disagreement, and freedom in Christ. Every believer has convictions, but not every conviction deserves a battlefield. In a world where disagreement is loud and charity is rare, we ask an important question: what actually matters most, and what hill is truly worth dying on? As we dive into questions of theological freedom and liberty, we consider how sinful people engage one another on matters of conscience and doctrine without losing sight of the Gospel.

We reflect on the reality that disagreement is inevitable, even among sincere believers, and that disagreement itself is not the problem. The deeper issue is failing to discern what kind of disagreement we are having. Too often, secondary and tertiary issues are elevated to gospel essentials, while truths that truly matter are minimized. 

In this episode, we introduce helpful categories for thinking through disagreement, especially the distinction between primary doctrines and other theological differences. Our hope is to learn how to contend for truth with clarity, pursue unity with humility, and live out our freedom in Christ with wisdom, honesty, and charity.

Link to Chart on our Website: https://threethirtyministry.com/he-must-become-greater-podcast/

Song and Book Recommendation: 

The Blood of Jesus Speaks For Me by Travis Cottrell

https://open.spotify.com/track/56gq5wkXmNz7oW4W8MB3BJ?si=ff3b5aa214d0428c

Finding the Right Hills to Die On: The Case for Theological Triage by Gavin Ortlund https://a.co/d/06tIu1g

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#theology #reformed

In this episode, we explore what it really means to be free in Christ. In our culture, freedom is often seen as doing whatever we want, but Scripture tells a different story. True freedom is not independence; it is rescue. It is not self-rule, but belonging. It is being brought out of bondage and into relationship with God.

Jesus says that if the Son sets us free, we are truly free. But what does that freedom look like in daily life? How does the Gospel transform us from people bound by sin into people living in the security of God’s love?

In this episode, we reflect on how freedom in Christ is less about what we can do and more about who we now belong to. It’s about adoption, identity, and a new way of living that flows from what Jesus has already accomplished for us.

Song and Book Recommendation: 

Yet Not I But Through Christ in Me by CityAlight https://open.spotify.com/track/11xb0daw7LtfcsJ9G5UTXZ?si=812eb97198b94868

Sinner Saint: A Surprising Primer for the Christian Life by Luke Kjolhaug https://a.co/d/bthDCod

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Check Out Our Website: threethirtyministry.com

#theology #reformed

In this very brief episode, we reflect on a Christmas song that has been shaping my heart this season, “O Come, All You Unfaithful.” Unlike familiar carols that call the joyful and triumphant, this song speaks to the weary, the doubting, and the weak. It reminds us that the Christmas story begins not with human strength, but with human brokenness. From the fall in the garden to the manger in Bethlehem, Scripture tells one consistent story of a world in need and a God who keeps His promise to come near.

Christmas does not celebrate that we had it all together, but that God entered a fractured world to rescue it. Jesus is born in humility, laid in a manger, welcomed by shepherds, and sought by outsiders. The eternal Son takes on flesh and begins the road that leads to the cross and the empty tomb. That is why the song’s refrain rings true, “Christ is born for you.” Not for the strong or put together, but for sinners in need of grace.

In this episode, we consider how Christmas invites us to come honestly, weary or joyful, faithful or struggling, and behold Christ who meets us in our weakness. Because the good news of Christmas is not that we make our way to God, but that God has come to us. Emmanuel, God with us, even here and now.

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#theology #reformed

 In this episode, we slow down long enough to hear what Christmas is really saying. In a season filled with lights, music, and packed schedules, the most shocking claim of Christmas is often lost in the noise. Not simply that God exists, but that God came near. Emmanuel does not mean God sent better instructions from heaven. It means God stepped into the mess of human life, taking on flesh, entering time, and sharing in our waiting.

At the first Advent, God came with us. He was born in a manger, walked our roads, and carried our weakness. But the Christmas story does not end in Bethlehem. It points forward. At the second Advent, Jesus comes again, not as a child, but as King, to complete what He began. Christmas, then, is not only about looking back at what God has done, but about living in the tension of what He is still doing.

In this episode, we’ll explore what it means to live between the Advents, between a Savior who has already come and a Savior who is still coming. We’ll reflect on how the promise of Emmanuel shapes our present faith and future hope, and why Christmas is ultimately a story about God with us, then, now, and forever.

Song and Book Recommendation: 

Sing We The Song of Emmanuel by Keith Getty, Kristyn Getty, Matt Papa, and Matt Boswell https://open.spotify.com/track/6kt0kcWmRFWuNpVSBEyWyj?si=d487d82c79e24365

The Advent of Glory: 24 Devotions for Christmas by R.C. Sproul

https://a.co/d/e5OGrls

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#theology #reformed

In this episode, we trace a story that begins long before Bethlehem, a story that explains why Christ had to come at all. Many of us hear the Christmas story every year, but miss the deeper question behind it. Why a manger? Why a child? Why did God enter the world in flesh and blood? To answer that, we have to go back to the very beginning.

In Genesis 3, humanity’s story shatters. Sin enters, death follows, and the world that was meant for life becomes marked by brokenness. Yet in the middle of the curse, God makes the first promise of Christmas. He speaks of a coming offspring who will crush the serpent and undo what Adam set into motion. That promise becomes the thread that runs through all of Scripture.

When we follow that thread, we see that Jesus is the Better Adam. Adam failed where Christ obeyed. Adam brought death, Christ brings life. Christmas is not just the birth of a baby, but the arrival of the new Head who restores what humanity lost.

In this episode, we’ll explore why humanity’s deepest problem required God Himself to step into the story, why the manger marks the beginning of Christ’s mission, and how the journey from the Garden to Bethlehem reveals Christmas as the fulfillment of the oldest promise ever spoken. Seen this way, Christmas offers a hope that is steady, ancient, and unbelievably good.

Song and Book Recommendation: 

Hope of the Ages by Sovereign Grace Music https://open.spotify.com/track/363USv9tAseh0j8h8yUXFX?si=a46964ae3dc740b7

Heaven Came Down - Michael Horton

https://solamedia.org/offers/heavencamedown/

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#theology #reformed