"I have learned to kiss the waves that throw me up against the Rock of Ages." RD referenced this quote by Charles Spurgeon in a sermon he preached back in August, and it is the perfect summation of this podcast episode. Using RD's sermon as a springboard, Greg and RD consider suffering and the ways in which Christians can misinterpret the Bible's teachings on suffering.

Right away, Greg and RD relate that Fellowship Church does not subscribe to the "name it and claim it" gospel. Instead, Fellowship teaches that God is working for your good, as the Bible teaches, even if we never understand how He is working or even if we don't see the good God is doing.

Greg is quick to state that there are truly evil things that happen to Believers, but that we must still say "God is sovereign over everything" and believe that He is bringing about His glory through our suffering; we cannot waiver on the goodness of God. If we start to question God's goodness, we are entering a man-centered theology realm instead of a God-center theology. RD also references Genesis, where we are told that what man meant for evil, God used for His good.

This leads Greg and RD to examine the misconception that God owes us an explanation for our suffering. While God sometimes will show us the reason for our suffering, He does not owe us, nor does He ever promise us, an explanation, and we have to be okay with never knowing why, and trusting that everything, including our suffering, is for God's glory. 

When we are walking with someone in their grief, we need to find a balance of reminding them that their suffering is for God's glory but also weeping with those who are weeping, just as Jesus wept with Mary and Martha, even though He knew He would shortly be raising Lazarus from the dead. However, Greg warns that there is a way in which we have to match the place a person is in when they are grieving, but still not let grief get in the way of calling out someone's sin (the example of someone sinning during grief Greg uses is when someone is lashing out in anger at God during suffering).

Greg and RD end with encouraging words of how God is committed to walking through things with you. And as we walk through it with God, we must learn to worship Him through the suffering. A great example of this is in Joni Eareckson Tada, who has said that the first thing she will do with her restored body in Heaven is "to suddenly drop to my knees and not move… [this] will be my joy and a real sacrifice."

Along with Tada, others like Katherine and Jay Wolf, Tim Keller, and C. S. Lewis also share that it is through suffering that God grows us and reveals His glory.

If you have questions about suffering and grief, or would like to reach out to Greg and RD, email them at [email protected]

Greg and RD jump right into this Deep Dive episode by talking about Sola Scriptura, or the idea that Scripture alone governs faith and practice, and is the supreme authority over the Church. After spending some time in the ideas behind Sola Scriptura, they discuss the three things that Sola Scriptura rests on:

1. Inspiration - the human authors of the Bible were inspired by God

2. Inerrancy - God has perfectly communicated the Bible to us

3. Sufficiency - The Bible has everything we need for faith and practice

Based on these truths, we can't look at the Scriptures and think "What does this passage or text mean to me?" By looking at the Bible this way, we could be misinterpreting or missing what the text actually means. Instead, we need to focus on what the Bible actually says.

This idea leads Greg and RD to discuss perspicuity, or the truth that the teachings of the Bible are fundamentally clear. This is an important thing to remember because we can make the Bible unclear by the things we bring to the Bible, like our predispositions and expectations.

From there, Greg and RD discuss Rob Bell's book Velvet Elvis, and the danger this type of thinking can do to the Bible.

Lastly, RD and Greg hone in on the concept of unity of the Bible, that the Bible is not whimsical or a fairytale, but a living, breathing Word of God that is clear and without error.

Greg and RD jump right into this Deep Dive episode by talking about Sola Scriptura, or the idea that Scripture alone governs faith and practice, and is the supreme authority over the Church. After spending some time in the ideas behind Sola Scriptura, they discuss the three things that Sola Scriptura rests on:

1. Inspiration - the human authors of the Bible were inspired by God

2. Inerrancy - God has perfectly communicated the Bible to us

3. Sufficiency - The Bible has everything we need for faith and practice

Based on these truths, we can't look at the Scriptures and think "What does this passage or text mean to me?" By looking at the Bible this way, we could be misinterpreting or missing what the text actually means. Instead, we need to focus on what the Bible actually says.

This idea leads Greg and RD to discuss perspicuity, or the truth that the teachings of the Bible are fundamentally clear. This is an important thing to remember because we can make the Bible unclear by the things we bring to the Bible, like our predispositions and expectations.

From there, Greg and RD discuss Rob Bell's book Velvet Elvis, and the danger this type of thinking can do to the Bible.

Lastly, RD and Greg hone in on the concept of unity of the Bible, that the Bible is not whimsical or a fairytale, but a living, breathing Word of God that is clear and without error.

After Hannah Brown's comments about her sexual history, Christians took to social media to share their opinions, both negative and positive towards Hannah. In light of this, Greg and RD spend this follow-up episode talking about the distinction between God's love for us and Christians walking in obedience with God.

This obedience to God is different from Legalism, which is often tied to the Pharisees. RD and Greg stress that there is a difference between following God's Word and saying to someone, "You're not a Christian because you didn't do x, y, and z."

In looking at what a healthy pursuit of God and holiness looks like, Greg shares the four non-negotiable things that all Believers need to be doing: Studying the Bible, praying, being in fellowship with other Believers, and engaging in corporate worship. He and RD also discuss how we are given the Holy Spirit and the fruits of the Spirit to help guide us, but to be careful to use the Bible's definition of what these are, not our own definitions.

Greg and RD also discuss using the fruits of the Spirit as a way to approach your brother or sister in Christ who is not walking in obedience. Both pastors admit that this is a hard thing to do, but that it is our responsibility as we are all one Body in Christ.

Arguments over Hannah's walk with Jesus began back in July, after an episode aired where Luke P. challenged Hannah's Christianity by asking her about her sexual history. In response, Hannah said, "I have had sex, and honestly, Jesus still loves me." Not only was this a controversial conversation, but it showed a shift in The Bachelorette, as this season is the first in which Christianity has played a part. The producers of the show have since said that they were angling for this conversation between Luke and Hannah to happen, and wanted things to blow up.

Knowing this about Hannah and The Bachelorette, RD and Greg take time to establish that Jesus does love all sinners, but He asks His followers to walk in obedience with His commands; the two reference passages such as Luke 6 and John 14. RD also references Matthew 5, where Jesus talks about even looking at someone lustfully is wrong.

Their discussion also turns to how the Church used to have a lot of societal authority on all kinds of subjects (such as the prohibition of alcohol), but now, it seems society places an over-emphasis of Jesus as a savior and a de-emphasis on Jesus as Lord (meaning people can say things like, "How I behave doesn't change or affect how Jesus feels about me").

RD and Greg's talk culminates with RD sharing a story from his past, where a woman at a party asks him if he really believes having sex before marriage is wrong.

In this introduction to their podcast, RD and Greg share their heart and reason behind starting the podcast, and discuss some of the special episodes they will have throughout the podcasts, like Deep Dive and Rapid Response.

Deep Dive will be a more in-depth, longer podcast episode in which RD and Greg will break down a  specific Bible text, and Rapid Response will take a current story in the news and discuss it from a Christian standpoint, to help the listener better know how to discuss the topic in their everyday life.

Through their podcast, Greg and RD will be showcasing how theology and culture intersect, with the hope that it not only brings the listener closer to Christ but encourages Christians to engage with and talk about cultural and theological subjects in confidence.