Intersect: Where Church Meets Culture

"Which Vacation is Better: A Cruise, or an All-Inclusive Resort?"

Welcome to the Official Launch of the "INTERSECT: Where Church Meets Culture" YouTube Video Show!

While most of our episodes will dive into meatier topics, today Josh and Betsy Desch have some fun with one of their (in)famous debates: Which Vacation do you think is better -- a Cruise on a Luxury Liner, or an escape to an All-Inclusive Resort on a Tropical Island?

Email us or chime in on our Facebook page... and come watch this inaugural video episode on our YouTube Channel!

Email us at:  [email protected]

Facebook page:  Facebook.com/IntersectPodcastNEPC

YouTube Channel: Youtube.com/@IntersectPodcast

Intersect Podcast is a ministry of Northeast Presbyterian Church. The views expressed on this podcast are those of Josh and Betsy Desch and are not intended to be presented as the official views of NEPC. Please see our Intersect Podcast landing page for further information.

Contact us at [email protected]

"Metaverse Madness"

Have you heard about the metaverse? Are you living in the metaverse already? Why is Facebook now called Meta? And do you need to take out a second mortgage and buy the new Apple Vision Pro glasses? Josh and Betsy are here to guide you through all these issues and more, so bring your “main character energy” and leave your NPC attitude behind as we jump into another exciting episode of "Intersect: Where Church Meets Culture".

Items Discussed:

 "We've Lost the Plot"-- The Atlantic Article

"Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee"-- Book Betsy discussed

Suggestions for future episodes? Email us at [email protected]

Intersect Podcast is a ministry of Northeast Presbyterian Church. The views expressed on this podcast are those of Josh and Betsy Desch and are not intended to be presented as the official views of NEPC. Please see our Intersect Podcast landing page for further information.

"A Bridge Too Far — Assisted Death in Canada"

Who has the right to determine when they die? For most of history, taking one’s own life has been viewed as something society should prevent at all costs. Yet in Canada today, assisted suicide is on the rise. In fact, the government has made it a legal option.

Josh and Betsy put these concerning trends under the microscope as they examine a difficult but highly pertinent topic: should we have the power to determine when we die?

Items Discussed:

 "How Canada's Assisted Suicide Law Went Wrong"-- The Atlantic Article

Suggestions for future episodes? Email us at [email protected]

Intersect Podcast is a ministry of Northeast Presbyterian Church. The views expressed on this podcast are those of Josh and Betsy Desch and are not intended to be presented as the official views of NEPC. Please see our Intersect Podcast landing page for further information.

"F·R·I·E·N·D·S, Friendship, and the Secret Sauce"

“The passing of Matthew Perry, the actor known to so many as "Chandler Bing" on the popular TV Show "FRIENDS", has the world talking about this show again. Josh and Betsy offer their take on why this iconic show has remained nearly as popular today as it was in its heyday. What does FRIENDS teach us about friendship... and have we lost that special something in our uber-digital world of today?

Do we still need good friendships? How do we make them?”

Join us for this fun conversation, and remember... "we'll be there for you..."

Items Discussed:

 "What Adults Forget About Friendship"-- The Atlantic Article

 "The Six Forces That Fuel Friendship"-- The Atlantic Article

"Matthew Perry Found God at his Lowest Moment"-- obituary in Premier Christianity

Suggestions for future episodes? Email us at [email protected]

Intersect Podcast is a ministry of Northeast Presbyterian Church. The views expressed on this podcast are those of Josh and Betsy Desch and are not intended to be presented as the official views of NEPC. Please see our Intersect Podcast landing page for further information.

"THROWDOWN - Is the Casualization of Clothing in Our Culture Good or Bad?"

“Josh and Betsy are ready to rumble! In this debate style episode they take opposite sides on the question of whether or not the casualization of clothing in America has been a good thing. This episode was prompted by the recent rule change in the United States Senate, which permits Senators to wear pretty much whatever they want on the floor of the Senate. So what will it be, stretchy pants or tailored slacks? You decide!”

Items Discussed:

 "The Senate Dress Code Gets a Casual Overhaul"-- NY Times Article

"Dress Up - What We Lost in the Casual Revolution"-- article in First Things Magazine

Suggestions for future episodes? Email us at [email protected]

Intersect Podcast is a ministry of Northeast Presbyterian Church. The views expressed on this podcast are those of Josh and Betsy Desch and are not intended to be presented as the official views of NEPC. Please see our Intersect Podcast landing page for further information.

"A Christian Perspective on Mental Health -- Are

Mental Health Professionals the New High Priests?"

Mental health is an area of constant growth and awareness in our country. We have certainly seen the demand for mental health services increase since COVID. So how should Christians navigate these challenging waters, especially as it relates to teenagers?

In this interview, Josh and Betsy talk with Doctor Mo Hanna, who is both a highly successful child and adolescent psychiatrist and a deeply devoted Christian. Doctor Mo brings two decades of private practice and a keen analysis of the prominent issues in our culture. Get ready for a conversation that covers a wide range of topics and will cause you to think hard about the area of mental health.

Books Discussed:

"The Toxic War on Masculinity" by Nancy Pearcey (book)

 "A Secular Age" by Charles Taylor (book)

Suggestions for future episodes? Email us at [email protected]

Intersect Podcast is a ministry of Northeast Presbyterian Church. The views expressed on this podcast are those of Josh and Betsy Desch and are not intended to be presented as the official views of NEPC. Please see our Intersect Podcast landing page for further information.

"Every Human Has A Story"

Stories. We read them, we watch them, we live them. Every person has a story, and every person has to make sense of life in terms of a story. That is to say, everyone believes some story about how we got here, what is our purpose, and what happens when we die. We are en-storied beings. Josh and Betsy jump into this topic and help us to think about the big questions. It’s time to examine your story. Is it a good one?

Show Notes:

"Being Mortal:Medicine and What Matters in the End" by Atul Gawande (book)

Suggestions for future episodes? Email us at [email protected]

Intersect Podcast is a ministry of Northeast Presbyterian Church. The views expressed on this podcast are those of Josh and Betsy Desch and are not intended to be presented as the official views of NEPC. Please see our Intersect Podcast landing page for further information.

"Résumé Virtues vs. Eulogy Virtues"

Have you heard of the difference between ‘résumé virtues’ and ‘eulogy virtues’? This distinction, first brought to the public’s awareness by NY Times columnist David Brooks, is worth contemplating for all of us. What are we living for? What virtues are we cultivating? Are we more concerned with the things that we put on our resume or the things that others will say about us at our funeral? And how does all of this apply to modern parenting?

Show Notes:

"The Moral Bucket List" by David Brooks (article)

"America’s Fever of Workaholism Is Finally Breaking" by Derek Thompson (article)

Cobalt Red by Siddharth Kara (book)

Suggestions for future episodes? Email us at [email protected]

Intersect Podcast is a ministry of Northeast Presbyterian Church. The views expressed on this podcast are those of Josh and Betsy Desch and are not intended to be presented as the official views of NEPC. Please see our Intersect Podcast landing page for further information.

"Cultivating Intellectual Humility over Intellectual Suspicion"

PCA pastor and writer Derek Radney joins Josh and Betsy to talk about our culture of suspicion and bad faith readings of those we disagree with. Why has our culture become so polarized? When should we confront others? What does it mean to have intellectual humility without compromising on the truth? This episode will help you embrace curiosity and gospel-rootedness over fear and suspicion.

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Show Notes:

Derek Radney Website

Derek Radney - Twitter

Framing Doctrinal Disagreements - Part 1

Framing Doctrinal Disagreements - Part 2

Suggestions for future episodes? Email us at [email protected]

Intersect Podcast is a ministry of Northeast Presbyterian Church. The views expressed on this podcast are those of Josh and Betsy Desch and are not intended to be presented as the official views of NEPC. Please see our Intersect Podcast landing page for further information.

"You Are Not Your Own... and Why That's a Good Thing"

Oftentimes we hear about the benefits of home ownership, but what we don't think about is that our culture is constantly talking to us about self-ownership. We are all constantly hearing the message that we belong to ourselves, and no one else, and that what we do with our lives is totally up to us. Josh and Betsy discuss this cultural belief through a biblical lens, leaning heavily on Alan Noble's excellent book, You Are Not Your Own. Learn how to give up an ownership mindset and instead embrace a stewardship mindset.

Show Notes:

You Are Not Your Own by Alan Noble (book)

Suggestions for future episodes? Email us at [email protected]

Intersect Podcast is a ministry of Northeast Presbyterian Church. The views expressed on this podcast are those of Josh and Betsy Desch and are not intended to be presented as the official views of NEPC. Please see our Intersect Podcast landing page for further information.