It’s been a long time since the last LBE episode—too long some (i.e., our mothers) might say. But after a summer hiatus, the three amigos are back in the podcast studio to talk about familiar topics like football, books, and “what time it is” in our world. They also touch on a few unfamiliar topics like weight loss and how funerals bring people together.

The triumvirate comes back together to wrap up another season of LBE. Along with the obligatory sports chatter, the three guys talk at length about the first Midwest Pope (and why they are not Catholics) and about life in middle age (and why they are not too depressed). There are, of course, many book recommendations as well.

CHAPTERS

0:00 Sponsors

1:47 Greeting & Salutations

4:10 The Midwestern Scale Of How Are You Doing?

5:10 The First Midwestern Pope

14:05 Deep Dive Into New Pope Expectations

18:20 Why Don’t We Believe In A Pope?

28:35 From The Midwest To Midlife

32:44 Get A Tattoo And Buy A Motorcycle?

35:07 Sponsor Break

36:55 More On Midlife & Life As A Parent

40:56 Have We Changed In Significant Ways?

52:31 Collin’s Reading List

57:50 Kevin’s Reading List

01:03:01 Justin’s Reading List

01:06:59 Summer Sports Report

01:08:38 Thank You & Goodbye

What does the Bible say about life in the womb? When does life begin? What about personhood? What has the church taught about abortion over the centuries? How should we respond to familiar slogans like “My body, my choice”? In this important episode, Kevin talks with Tom Pennington, Pastor at Countryside Bible Church in Southlake, Texas, about his new book The Biblical View of Abortion: God’s Heart for Life in the Womb. Listen in as Tom and Kevin try to equip Christians to defend life and love the unborn, just like God does.

CHAPTERS

0:00 Sponsors

1:39 Greeting & Salutations

2:48 Who Is Tom Pennington?

4:16 Grace To You Origins

5:04 Tom’s Time In Texas

7:24 Let’s Talk About The Book

9:08 What’s Happened Since Roe v. Wade Overturned?

11:40 The Effort To Persuade & Promote Biblical View

15:17 Counterargument To “Historical Acceptance”

18:33 Counterargument To “Might As Well Make It Safe”

20:13 Counterargument To “Keep State Out Of Bedroom”

21:35 Counterargument To “My Body, My Choice”

22:19 Counterargument To “Can’t Legislate Morality”

24:30 Positive Rights & Negative Rights

29:28 Lack of Scientific Debate About Origin Of Life

30:25 How Do We Diagnose This Issue Spiritually?

33:55 Sponsor Break

35:54 Speak To The Person Who Hates What We’re Saying

39:42 Counterargument To “When Personhood Begins”

42:24 Connections To Jesus Christ & Christology

45:25 The SLED Acronym

47:08 Church History Related To Abortion

49:10 Rape, Incest & Life Of The Mother

57:04 Ending Treatment vs Ending Life

58:38 Pray For Us Pastor Tom

1:00:55 Thank You & Goodbye

BOOKS & EVERYTHING

The Biblical View of Abortion: God’s Heart for Life in the Womb by Tom Pennington

CROSSWAY | A Light On The Hill

DESIRING GOD | Be Happy Event

GREENVILLE SEMINARY | Pastoral Theology

WESTMINSTER SEMINARY | Theological Studies

Kevin welcomes his good friend—neighbor, church colleague, and seminary colleague (soon to be boss!)—Blair Smith to the podcast. As a systematic theology professor, Blair’s expertise is on Trinitarian theology, in particular in the crucial fourth and fifth centuries. Listen in as Kevn and Blair look at the theology and the history behind the Council of Nicaea (325) and the Council of Constantinople (381). Yes, there are a lot of names and concepts flying around in the podcast studio with this one, but for good reason. What could be more important than the doctrine of the Trinity, than knowing who God is?

CHAPTERS

0:00 Sponsors & Intro

2:11 Who Is Blair Smith?

9:34 Four Degrees & Education Background

12:20 Conversation Outline & Begin Nicene Discussion

19:38 What Should We Know About The Fatherhood Of God?

25:25 Nicene Origins & The Need For Clarity

28:40 Sponsor Break

30:54 How Does This Help Us Understand The Eternal Son?

37:15 Trinity Debates & Subordination Controversy

46:59 What Led To The Revision Of The Nicene Creed?

54:53 Common Ground & Finding The Right Language

57:07 How Does Augustine Fit Into Nicene Orthodoxy?

1:01:38 Books From Blair To Consider

1:03:42 Why Should We Care About The Doctrine Of The Trinity?

BOOKS & EVERYTHING

The Nicene Creed

Reformed Confessionalism

One God Almighty: The Biblical Doctrine of the Triune God

Our Father in Heaven: Rediscovering and Embracing the Fatherhood of God

CROSSWAY | The Nicene Creed

DESIRING GOD | What’s The Difference?

GREENVILLE SEMINARY | Pastoral Theology

WESTMINSTER SEMINARY | Biblical Languages

First published in 1877, Thomas Murphy’s Pastoral Theology: The Pastor in the Various Duties of His Office is one of the absolute best books of its kind. Murphy’s treatise is inspiring, challenging, comprehensive, opinionated, practical, and spiritual in the deepest sense of the word. Listen as Kevin and Jonathan Master, president at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, talk about Thomas Murphy (pastor for 46 years of Frankford Presbyterian Church outside of Philadelphia) and this neglected resource, just recently republished by Log College Press.

CHAPTERS

0:00 Sponsors & Intro

2:37 Who Is Jonathan Master?

5:48 Let’s Dive Into Pastoral Theology

9:23 Kevin Outlines Thomas Murphy Book

10:58 Why Does Jonathan Love The Book?

13:30 Kevin & Jonathan Explore Exemplary Piety

17:18 Sponsor Break / Link For Book

19:22 Vital Role For Women In The Church

23:00 The Work Of God In The Church & Community

24:18 How To Profit My Congregation As A Preacher

27:41 Pastoral Care & Troublemakers In The Church

31:10 Preach, Pray, People AND Patience

32:31 What Else Is Jonathan Working On?

33:53 Kevin’s Book Republishing Thoughts

35:44 Until Next Time…

BOOKS & EVERYTHING

Pastoral Theology by Thomas Murphy

Crossway | The Lord of Psalm 23: Jesus Our Shepherd, Companion, and Host

Desiring God | What's the Difference

GPTS | Pastoral Theology

WTS | MATS

It is often believed, by friends and critics alike, that the Reformed tradition, though perhaps good on formal doctrine, is impoverished when it comes to spiritual formation. The charge is that the Reformed approach to piety is all about head knowledge, about learning things as brains on sticks. Other Christians may be less critical but simply assume that there is no right or wrong way to do spiritual formation. This often leads evangelical to adopt an eclectic approach to personal growth in Christ. Many Christians in conservative Protestant churches end up adopting Catholic and Orthodox approaches as being more fulsome and effective. But what if there is a Reformed approach to spiritual formation that is rich, deep, historic, and more biblical than the alternatives? That’s what Kevin explores with Matthew Bingham (associate professor of church history at Phoenix Seminary) as they dig into Matthew’s fantastic new book A Heart Aflame for God: A Reformed Approach to Spiritual Formation (Crossway).

Chapters:

0:00 Sponsors & Intro

3:27 Tell Us About Yourself

8:16 Spiritual Formation

14:18 A Heart Aflame for God

21:15 A Reformed Approach to Spiritual Formation

26:53 Sponsor Break

29:44 Biblical Centrality

40:40 The Reformed Triangle of Spiritual Formation

47:24 Quick Takes

1:06:41 Final Thoughts

1:12:14 Until Next Time…

Books & Everything:

ESV New Testament, Share the Good News® Edition

Desiring God | Holy Week

GPTS | A Sacred Calling

WTS | MA in Theological Studies

Heart Aflame for God: A Reformed Approach to Spiritual Formation

Recently, Peter Williams, Principal at Tyndale House in Cambridge, preached at Christ Covenant Church for its missions week. At the end of the evening service, Kevin sat down with Peter and fellow Cambridge-alum Will Ross, who teaches Old Testament at RTS Charlotte, for a discussion about the importance of Tyndale House and its mission to foster faithful, biblical scholarship for the church. The group also talked about apologetics, the Septuagint, being confident in the word of God, and not being so smart that you believe stupid things.

Chapters:

0:00 Sponsors

2:32 The Surprising Genius of Jesus

6:27 On Tyndale House

14:42 Christianity in the Cultures

17:42 Sponsor Break

19:45 On the Old Testament

29:15 On Confidence in God’s Word

31:55 On Biblical Scholarship

37:24 Until Next Time…

Books & Everything

Understanding God's Word: An Introduction to Interpreting the Bible

The Supremacy of God in Preaching

GPTS | A Sacred Calling

WTS | Biblical Language Certificates

The Surprising Genius of Jesus: What the Gospels Reveal about the Greatest Teacher

In this wide-ranging interview, recorded live at Christ Covenant Church in conjunction with the Coram Deo Pastors Workshop, Kevin asks John about everything from preaching style, to the influence of his parents, to growing up in the South, to his strengths and weaknesses as a pastor. You’ll hear lots of stories, pastoral wisdom, and personal transparency. This is one episode you won’t want to miss.

Chapters:

0:00 Sponsors

1:42 Introduction

2:35 The Privilege of Preaching

29:53 Humility in Pastoral Ministry

41:38 On Marriage

46:31 Sponsor Break

48:13 Pastoral Communication

53:30 Did You Ever Think of Leaving Ministry?

54:58 Parental Influence

1:01:23 Additional Thoughts

1:13:53 John Piper’s Legacy

Books & Everything:

Ask Pastor John

The Supremacy of God in Preaching

GPTS | Midweeker

Master of Arts in Theological Studies

Before the Bushes or Clintons, before the Kennedy or Kardashians, there were the Beechers—a sprawling family of preachers, suffragists, abolitionists, and moral crusaders that defined (and exemplified) America as much as any single family in the nineteenth century. Join Kevin as he interviews Obbie Tyler Todd, a pastor and professor, about his new biography of the Beechers (LSU Press). From patriarch, Lyman Beecher, to the famous novelist Harriet Beecher Stowe, to the most famous pastor of his age, Henry Ward Beecher, this episode explores the crazy and controversial life of Lyman Beecher, his three wives (not at the same time), and their thirteen children.

Chapters:

0:00 Sponsors

2:00 Introductions

5:37 The Beecher Family and Moral Influence

10:45 Three Themes of the Beecher Family

21:36 Beecherism and Controversy

28:07 The Fate of the Nation and Presbyterianism

36:49 Other Beeches

50:38 Harriet Beecher Stowe

54:43 Henry Ward Beecher

1:09:11 The Beecher Legacy

Books & Everything:

Be Thou My Vision: A Liturgy for Daily Worship

The Supremacy of God in Preaching

GPTS Midweeker

Master of Arts in Theological Studies

The Beechers: America's Most Influential Family

Listen to a special episode of Life and Books and Everything promoting Crossway's new Podcast, Doctrine Matters.