Life and Books and Everything

When someone has pastored the same church for nearly 40 years, you should listen to what he has to say about thriving in ministry. That’s the topic of Joel Beeke’s new book and the focus of this week’s LBE. Listen in as Kevin and Joel talk about the benefit of long-term pastorates, how a pastor might know he’s being called somewhere else, how to maintain healthy rhythms in ministry, how to avoid personal scandal, and why it’s okay for pastors to focus (within reason) on the things they do best.

What is classical theology? Why was it sometimes forgotten by evangelicals in the 20th century? What difference does this theology make for our modern world? Listen in as Kevin talks to Carl Trueman about his newest book, and they discuss important doctrines like immutability, impassibility, and the hypostatic union. You’ll also hear why Carl is encouraged about the next generation of students in America.

“What do I do about my grown children who not only have abandoned the faith and values they were raised with but have also estranged themselves from us?” This painful, and increasingly prevalent question, is what Noelle’s Mering’s new book is about. Noelle is a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, an author and commentator, and a wife and mother of six children. Listen in as Kevin and Noelle talk about the rise of this “No Contact” phenomenon—where it came from, what is wrong with it, and how parents can respond to it with truth and grace.

https://www.crossway.org/LBEKidsJournal

https://www.crossway.org/books/future-grace-case/

Just before heading to Belfast and Glasgow, Alistair stopped by LBE to talk to Kevin about his new book on the fruit of the Spirit. Listen in as Alistair explains why it’s “fruit” not “fruits” and why it is the work of the Spirit not ultimately our will power that makes the difference. You’ll also want to hear Alistair talk about what it’s like in a different season of ministry after stepping away from Parkside Church. And stick around until the end for some talk about the Beatles and the World Cup.

After a summer in the sun (as much as Scandinavians can dare to be in the sun), the boys are back in town and full of witty banter—on everything from the World Cup to Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. Make it to the middle, and you’ll get a bevy of book recommendations (including several books Kevin plugs but hasn’t read!). In the last third of the podcast, you’ll get a serious discussion about AI and writing—why it’s a wisdom issue and why there are also some lines we shouldn’t cross.

Sponsors

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A true LBE spectacular 250 years in the making. Come for Kevin’s amazing shirt. Stay for a slew of questions about America, including: What forgotten founding father deserves more attention? What is your favorite patriotic song? What four presidents would you put on Mt. Rushmore? What five places would you take a foreign visitor to in order to give him a snapshot of America? What is America’s greatest spiritual need for the next 25 years? And other fun questions!

Whatever you think of Kevin, everyone knows that his wife, Trisha, is his much, much better half. After much cajoling, and by popular demand, Trisha agreed to be interviewed by her husband and share more about her background, her family, her faith, and, of course, her favorite books. Don’t miss this (likely) once in a lifetime event!

With many decades of experience as a preacher and as an instructor in preaching, Mike Bullmore has a lot to offer pastors of every age and stage. Listen in as Mike and Kevin talk a little football, share stories, and explore what kind of heart and what kind of skills are necessary for effective preaching.

It is not an exaggeration to say that repentance is at the very heart of the gospel. And yet, Christians talk about repentance too little, and when we do, we are often confused about what repentance is and isn’t. In this episode, Chris Brauns, an author and pastor in rural Illinois, joins Kevin to talk about many of the misconceptions about forgiveness, how to discern true from false repentance, and why both fear and joy should motivate us to repent. Chris is a wise, clear, down-to-earth pastor who has written an extremely helpful book. You’ll also be able to tell he has memorized a lot of Scripture. In other words, he’s someone worth listening to.

Over the past ten years, Carl Trueman has proven to be one of the most incisive and helpful voices when it comes to identifying and understanding the problems of our contemporary world. In his new book, The Desecration of Man, Carl not only laments what we’ve lost, he calls us to a reclaim a positive vision for the future. Join Kevin and Carl as they talk about the state of higher education, where Protestants can learn from Catholics (and where they outshine Catholics), and what consecration looks like in a world that finds it exhilarating to (try to) deny humanity’s God-given constraints.