Kingdom Culture Conversations

The return of "What About?" Wednesdays! Text us your questions for apologist and pastor Robby Lashua!

In the post-pandemic world, the numbers tell us clearly that youth are at risk.  Teen suicide and the frequency of mental health diagnoses are at a historic high. 

Yet, just when youth need it most, their participation within local church youth ministry is in decline.

National polls of Evangelical Christian teens find young people reporting that 69% are saying that they attended youth group at age 17.  But, that number is cut in half before they graduate high school at age 18.

Could these two alarming trends be connected?

Uh, duh.

In today's Kingdom Culture Conversation, G is joined by Northwest Christian alumni Danny Trueblood who leads the thriving youth ministry at CCV North Phoenix.  Together, they wrestle with the top reasons that participation is declining and what can be done to stem the tide of the resulting cultural ills.

To learn more about the youth ministry at CCV North Phoenix, please follow this link.

"Kingdom Culture Conversations" is a podcast created through Frameworks, a Biblical worldview initiative of Northwest Christian School.

For more information on Frameworks, please visit:  https://frameworks.ncsaz.org/

For more information on Northwest Christian School, visit:  https://www.ncsaz.org/

To reach out to Geoff Brown, please email [email protected] or you can reach him by cell phone:  (623)225-5573.

"Kingdom Culture Conversations" is a podcast created by Northwest Christian School in Phoenix, Arizona.

For more information on Northwest Christian School, visit:  https://www.ncsaz.org/

To reach out to Geoff Brown, please email [email protected] or you can reach him by cell phone:  (623)225-5573.

The return of "What About?" Wednesdays! Text us your questions for apologist and pastor Robby Lashua!

It's homecoming week on the campus of Northwest Christian School and the team is excited to welcome home former superintendent, Matt Davidson.  Davidson served as Northwest Christian superintendent from 2007 to 2010 before taking the role at Timothy Christian School in Elmhurst, Illinois.

As a Christian Ed "lifer", and as a school administrator who has led in two very different socio-political environments, Davidson is uniquely positioned to get the proverbial lay of the cultural landscape and gauge the dangers that are overtly and covertly approaching on the social horizon.  In today's Kingdom Culture Conversation, he joins Geoff and G as they each present what they see facing schools and families that are wholly committed to rising above the culture and chaos contained with contemporary culture.

For more information on Matt Davidson, please follow this link.

To learn about Timothy Christian School, please click here.

"Kingdom Culture Conversations" is a podcast created through Frameworks, a Biblical worldview initiative of Northwest Christian School.

For more information on Frameworks, please visit:  https://frameworks.ncsaz.org/

For more information on Northwest Christian School, visit:  https://www.ncsaz.org/

To reach out to Geoff Brown, please email [email protected] or you can reach him by cell phone:  (623)225-5573.

"Kingdom Culture Conversations" is a podcast created by Northwest Christian School in Phoenix, Arizona.

For more information on Northwest Christian School, visit:  https://www.ncsaz.org/

To reach out to Geoff Brown, please email [email protected] or you can reach him by cell phone:  (623)225-5573.

The return of "What About?" Wednesdays! Text us your questions for apologist and pastor Robby Lashua!

So, maybe it's not exactly what you'd call "viral" but, nevertheless, it's a Youtube-based video that has been making the rounds within communities of evangelical Christian students that have a bent towards theology:  "Destroying Calvinism in 3 Minutes".  Try as we might, finding the specific Greenwood Baptist Church whose pastor is featured in this gloriously southern-Baptist-flavored tirade has been nigh near impossible! 

Yet, the video has produced questions in the minds of some Kingdom Culture Conversations student listeners.

But, not the sort of questions that you might expect.

This is not an episode in which we attempt to resolve the longstanding theological tension between Calvinism and Arminianism.  Rather, the student that brought this video forward is asking the question, "Why would God allow for a question of such seeming importance to remain unanswered or to be unclear in Scripture?"  As an extension of that question, the student's question to Robby today is also, "When Scripture is unclear on an issue perceived to be significant, how do we proceed?"

To view the Youtube video in question--"Destroying Calvinism is 3 Minutes"--please click here.

To learn more about apologist Robby Lashua and his work with Stand to Reason, please follow this link.

"Kingdom Culture Conversations" is a podcast created through Frameworks, a Biblical worldview initiative of Northwest Christian School.

For more information on Frameworks, please visit:  https://frameworks.ncsaz.org/

For more information on Northwest Christian School, visit:  https://www.ncsaz.org/

To reach out to Geoff Brown, please email [email protected] or you can reach him by cell phone:  (623)225-5573.

"Kingdom Culture Conversations" is a podcast created by Northwest Christian School in Phoenix, Arizona.

For more information on Northwest Christian School, visit:  https://www.ncsaz.org/

To reach out to Geoff Brown, please email [email protected] or you can reach him by cell phone:  (623)225-5573.

The return of "What About?" Wednesdays! Text us your questions for apologist and pastor Robby Lashua!

The Sutton Project began in 2010 when a teacher was torn between her love for the students of NCS and her desire to impact an impoverished community of students in south Phoenix.  She pulled a few students and teachers together and managed to scratch together 150 Thanksgiving meal boxes for these inner city families.

But, the Lord was just getting started.

What started as a simple mission to bless needy families at J.B. Sutton Elementary School within the Isaac School District became The Sutton Project.  Now with over ten times that number of Thanksgiving meals, Christmas gifts for families within three different schools, countless volunteer hours, over $50K in annual fundraising, and student-written grants, The Sutton Project has become a monster blessing to families in central and south Phoenix--as well as to the students of Northwest Christian School.

Today on Kingdom Culture Conversations, Samantha Maszton, G, and Geoff discuss the ROI on all of the time, energy, and financial resources invested in The Sutton Project...and, in consider the return on that investment, we ask the awkward questions: 

Is it worth it?  Is it working?

To learn more about The Sutton Project, please follow this link.

If you would like to join the effort to bless the Mitchell family and help offset some of Cheryl's medical expenses, please also consider giving at this link.

"Kingdom Culture Conversations" is a podcast created through Frameworks, a Biblical worldview initiative of Northwest Christian School.

For more information on Frameworks, please visit:  https://frameworks.ncsaz.org/

For more information on Northwest Christian School, visit:  https://www.ncsaz.org/

To reach out to Geoff Brown, please email [email protected] or you can reach him by cell phone:  (623)225-5573.

"Kingdom Culture Conversations" is a podcast created by Northwest Christian School in Phoenix, Arizona.

For more information on Northwest Christian School, visit:  https://www.ncsaz.org/

To reach out to Geoff Brown, please email [email protected] or you can reach him by cell phone:  (623)225-5573.

The return of "What About?" Wednesdays! Text us your questions for apologist and pastor Robby Lashua!

The Sutton Project began in 2010 when a teacher was torn between her love for the students of NCS and her desire to impact an impoverished community of students in south Phoenix.  She pulled a few students and teachers together and managed to scratch together 150 Thanksgiving meal boxes for these inner city families.

But, the Lord was just getting started.

What started as a simple mission to bless needy families at J.B. Sutton Elementary School within the Isaac School District became The Sutton Project.  Now with over ten times that number of Thanksgiving meals, Christmas gifts for families within three different schools, countless volunteer hours, over $50K in annual fundraising, and student-written grants, The Sutton Project has become a monster blessing to families in central and south Phoenix--as well as to the students of Northwest Christian School.

Today on Kingdom Culture Conversations, facing a sobering health diagnosis, Cheryl Mitchell joins Geoff Brown, Chris Gardiner, and Samantha Maszton to reflect and recollect on the times that they have seen the Lord propel two different communities to move together to sacrificially bless each other beyond measure.

To learn more about The Sutton Project, please follow this link.

If you would like to join the effort to bless the Mitchell family and help offset some of Cheryl's medical expenses, please also consider giving at this link.

"Kingdom Culture Conversations" is a podcast created through Frameworks, a Biblical worldview initiative of Northwest Christian School.

For more information on Frameworks, please visit:  https://frameworks.ncsaz.org/

For more information on Northwest Christian School, visit:  https://www.ncsaz.org/

To reach out to Geoff Brown, please email [email protected] or you can reach him by cell phone:  (623)225-5573.

"Kingdom Culture Conversations" is a podcast created by Northwest Christian School in Phoenix, Arizona.

For more information on Northwest Christian School, visit:  https://www.ncsaz.org/

To reach out to Geoff Brown, please email [email protected] or you can reach him by cell phone:  (623)225-5573.

The return of "What About?" Wednesdays! Text us your questions for apologist and pastor Robby Lashua!

The unforgivable sin.  According to Jesus in Mark 3:29, all sins will be forgiven men except for one--the unforgivable sin.

It would seem, reasoned the student that submitted this question to "What About?" Wednesday, that we'd want to figure out what the unforgivable sin is...

And, quick!

Yet, questions about the nature of this sin and the nature of blasphemy persist.

Cue Robby Lashua, apologist with Stand to Reason, who joins us on Kingdom Culture Conversations every other Wednesday, as part of our "What About?" Wednesday tradition of answering student/listener questions stemming from the intersection of theology, orthodoxy, and culture.  In today's episode, we wrestle with the questions, "What is Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit?", and further, are we, within Christian culture, taking the notion of "blasphemy" seriously enough?

"Kingdom Culture Conversations" is a podcast created through Frameworks, a Biblical worldview initiative of Northwest Christian School.

To learn more about apologist Robby Lashua and Stand to Reason, please click here.

For more information on Frameworks, please visit:  https://frameworks.ncsaz.org/

For more information on Northwest Christian School, visit:  https://www.ncsaz.org/

To reach out to Geoff Brown, please email [email protected] or you can reach him by cell phone:  (623)225-5573.

"Kingdom Culture Conversations" is a podcast created by Northwest Christian School in Phoenix, Arizona.

For more information on Northwest Christian School, visit:  https://www.ncsaz.org/

To reach out to Geoff Brown, please email [email protected] or you can reach him by cell phone:  (623)225-5573.

The return of "What About?" Wednesdays! Text us your questions for apologist and pastor Robby Lashua!

Christian education in Russia.  Yes, you read that correctly.  And, not only is it happening, it's been happening for thirty years.

Three decades of Christian education within a nation with a track record of hostility towards the Gospel is not for the faint of heart.  For the brave men and women involved, it has required courage and a constant commitment to excellence.

And, Joy Watson has led that team.  Today, we enjoy a remarkable Kingdom Culture Conversation with Joy has she articulates the courage of her team, the risks that they face, and how a commitment to excellence undergirds the ability to provide a transformational education in a very surprising locale.

"Kingdom Culture Conversations" is a podcast created through Frameworks, a Biblical worldview initiative of Northwest Christian School.

For more information on Frameworks, please visit:  https://frameworks.ncsaz.org/

For more information on Northwest Christian School, visit:  https://www.ncsaz.org/

To reach out to Geoff Brown, please email [email protected] or you can reach him by cell phone:  (623)225-5573.

"Kingdom Culture Conversations" is a podcast created by Northwest Christian School in Phoenix, Arizona.

For more information on Northwest Christian School, visit:  https://www.ncsaz.org/

To reach out to Geoff Brown, please email [email protected] or you can reach him by cell phone:  (623)225-5573.

The return of "What About?" Wednesdays! Text us your questions for apologist and pastor Robby Lashua!

Stuart Delony is unabashedly snarky.  In fact, you could call it his trademark.  He's unapologetic.  He's direct.  He uses profanity.  And, he is calling out the inconsistencies within Evangelical Christianity and the American church, distinctions between what Jesus called His church to do and what we actually do.

He's also a former pastor from within Evangelical Christian culture.

That's awkward.

But, is he correct?  And, if he is correct, is he going about it in the right way?

Today's Kingdom Culture Conversation is going to be very interesting!

Stuart Delony founded his blog and podcast--Snarky Faith--and it has grown to have a national reach.  His tagline is "Radio for the Spiritually Disenfranchised" and he's been prominently featured within the documentary, "In God we Trump"--an expose on the American church and its relationship with President Donald Trump.  With trademark snarky-ness as a key element of his communication tact, he can be seen as abrasive but the awkward part of it is, there are times where he may be right.

Or, is he?  Today, you'll hear from Stuart directly and get the chance to decide.

To learn more about Stuart Delony and Snarky Faith, please visit SnarkyFaith.com.

To read the specific blog post that we discuss within the episode, "Culture Wars Distract from Jesus' Call", please follow this link.

"Kingdom Culture Conversations" is a podcast created through Frameworks, a Biblical worldview initiative of Northwest Christian School.

For more information on Frameworks, please visit:  https://frameworks.ncsaz.org/

For more information on Northwest Christian School, visit:  https://www.ncsaz.org/

To reach out to Geoff Brown, please email [email protected] or you can reach him by cell phone:  (623)225-5573.

"Kingdom Culture Conversations" is a podcast created by Northwest Christian School in Phoenix, Arizona.

For more information on Northwest Christian School, visit:  https://www.ncsaz.org/

To reach out to Geoff Brown, please email [email protected] or you can reach him by cell phone:  (623)225-5573.

The return of "What About?" Wednesdays! Text us your questions for apologist and pastor Robby Lashua!

The return of a tradition!  It's the debut of "What About?" Wednesday for the 2023/2024 school year!

Today, on Kingdom Culture Conversations, we're thrilled to welcome apologist Robby Lashua, of Stand to Reason, back to the International Podcast Headquarters of Kingdom Culture Conversations.  As has been our long-standing tradition, we invite Robby back into the studio to wrestle with theological questions and apologetic issues that are put forward by students and other KCC listeners.

But, today, we react to a recent STR article that Robby wrote:  "Why My LDS Friend Isn't Trying to Convert Me to Mormonism".   The article presents a conundrum:  if my LDS friend believes that I don't believe...and, further, that not believing means that I'll spend eternity in hell...shouldn't they be motivated to see me accept Mormonism?  But, as we'll learn today, the conundrum is rooted in an assumption:  Mormons believe about hell and eternity the same things that Christians do...

Wait.  What?  They don't?

Tune in today to find out!

To read Robby's great article, please click here.

To learn more about Robby Lashua and all the amazing apologetic resources available at Stand to Reason's STR.ORG, please follow this link.

"Kingdom Culture Conversations" is a podcast created through Frameworks, a Biblical worldview initiative of Northwest Christian School.

For more information on Frameworks, please visit:  https://frameworks.ncsaz.org/

For more information on Northwest Christian School, visit:  https://www.ncsaz.org/

To reach out to Geoff Brown, please email [email protected] or you can reach him by cell phone:  (623)225-5573.

"Kingdom Culture Conversations" is a podcast created by Northwest Christian School in Phoenix, Arizona.

For more information on Northwest Christian School, visit:  https://www.ncsaz.org/

To reach out to Geoff Brown, please email [email protected] or you can reach him by cell phone:  (623)225-5573.

The return of "What About?" Wednesdays! Text us your questions for apologist and pastor Robby Lashua!

Yesterday, we started a conversation with Dean Schifferer, a general contractor who is called to what he calls "the ministry of construction".

Today, we continue the conversation as we discuss, specifically, the impact of the forthcoming collision between ministry, construction, and the campus of Northwest Christian School.  As we start this new building, what will be the impact?  Have we given proper attention to safety?  Will there be inconveniences?

For more information on Schifferer Built, please follow this link.

For more information on Northwest Christian's "Build Here, Build There" campus improvement plan, please click here.

"Kingdom Culture Conversations" is a podcast created through Frameworks, a Biblical worldview initiative of Northwest Christian School.

For more information on Frameworks, please visit:  https://frameworks.ncsaz.org/

For more information on Northwest Christian School, visit:  https://www.ncsaz.org/

To reach out to Geoff Brown, please email [email protected] or you can reach him by cell phone:  (623)225-5573.

"Kingdom Culture Conversations" is a podcast created by Northwest Christian School in Phoenix, Arizona.

For more information on Northwest Christian School, visit:  https://www.ncsaz.org/

To reach out to Geoff Brown, please email [email protected] or you can reach him by cell phone:  (623)225-5573.