Out of Oz

Yoga has been a popular form of exercise and relaxation for many decades in the United States. While some practice yoga purely for the physical benefits, many have been introduced to the spiritual side of yoga and its origins. The practice of yoga and the poses that are done in classes are connected to Eastern religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Because of these origins, many Christians feel as though it is idolatry to participate in yoga, while others see it as nothing more than an exercise class. Today, we will unpack the question, is yoga demonic?

This week, Dani, Aaron, and guest-host Jenna Hart Shaffer discuss:

[02:52] - What is Jenna’s experience with yoga, specifically as an instructor?

[07:35] - What are the common concerns or dangers for a Christian participating in yoga?

[15:27] - Is it possible to do yoga for exercise only and not participate in the spiritual side of it?

[17:38] - Do the origins make it bad? Is it any different than Halloween or the Enneagram?

[29:55] - Is there any way to participate in the practice while still glorifying God? What if Christians don't feel convicted about it?

[37:13] - Are there any slivers of truth that could be found in yoga as we traditionally understand it?

Guest Hosts

Dani Van Nortwick

Jenna Hart Shaffer

Links

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Holy Yoga

Out of Oz 0401: Should Christians Redeem or Reject Culture?

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Why are truth and beauty set at odds with each other in the Christian community? It is human nature to be attracted to beautiful things, beautiful places, and beautiful people. It is part of the Imago Dei. As Christians, we know that God has wired us intricately and he has designed us to appreciate and desire beauty for a purpose. In Scripture, we have examples of gazing upon the beauty of the Lord, appreciating the wonder of creation, adoring the beauty of a spouse, and constructing extravagant temples for worship. How can we apply these biblical principles to modern Christian life? How much emphasis should Christians and churches place on the arts compared to other efforts? Should be concerned with artistic beauty?

This week, Dani, Aaron, and guest-host Nate Currin discuss:

[04:39] - Is the characteristic of God's beauty as important as His other characteristics?

[15:23] - How is beauty in the church misunderstood? Is it shallow or superficial to care about?

[22:12] - Why do you think there's so little focus on God's beauty compared to His other attributes within the church?

[27:50] - How would you respond to people who don’t understand why a church needs designers or a creative team?

[30:11] - What does concern or appreciation for beauty as a Christian look like practically?

Guest Hosts

Nate Currin

Dani Van Nortwick

Links

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Rembrandt Is in the Wind by Russ Ramsey

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Experiencing salvation is a moment or period of time that most of us remember vividly. It is usually a time of extreme love for Christ and passion for the Gospel. And yet, this incredible phase can also be filled with crippling doubts and questions regarding beliefs and the practicality of living as a new creation. So today we are taking ourselves back to when we were first redeemed, and unpacking the advice we wish we were given, and our advice for young Christians today.

This week, Dani, Aaron, and guest-host Adam Powers discuss:

[04:23] - What should young Christians do with the emotional high that often comes with becoming a Christian?

How can young Christians keep the love of Christ alive inside of them?

[12:06] - What advice would you give to young Christians struggling with the temptation to live the way they used to?

[26:58] - If you were going to give a young Christian one word of advice, what would it be?

[27:45] - Is the church really important for young Christians?

[31:38] - Is baptism really important for new Christians? 

[33:55] - What books of the Bible (and what other Christian books) would you recommend for young Christians?

Guest Hosts

Adam Powers

Dani Van Nortwick

Links

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SonRise Community Church

Martyn Lloyd-Jones

John Piper

Tim Keller

Martin Luther

Philip Melanchthon

C. S. Lewis

Cyprian

Augustine

Resources for new believers

Holiness by Adam Powers

The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan

Surviving Religion 101 by Michael Kruger

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Throughout the centuries, Christians from all over the world have made the pilgrimage to Israel to experience the land where Jesus lived on Earth. It has been called an indescribable experience to see the locations of so many landmarks of our faith — the waters Jesus walked, the temple where he taught, and the tomb where he was buried. After returning from a 12-day journey in Israel, we will be sharing our thoughts with you and asking the question, should Christians visit the Holy Land?

This week, Dani, Aaron, and guest-hosts Ryleigh Demarse and Kristi Couchenour discuss:

[03:23] - What were your expectations for visiting Israel? Were you expecting it to be a life-changing trip?

[12:22] - What did you encounter in Israel that surprised you?

[26:15] - What location was the most impactful?

[34:11] - Would you say that visiting the Holy Land is essential for all Christians if they are able? 

Guest Hosts

Ryleigh Demarse

Dani Van Nortwick

Kristi Couchenour

Links

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There are few topics that divide Christian and secular culture more than sex. Mainstream media throws intimacy around casually while the church sits across the metaphorical room in utter, or even awkward, silence. With confusion swirling inside and outside the church, Christians may be wondering, what is sexually permissible in marriage?

This week, Aaron, and guest-hosts Adam Powers and Melissa Hale discuss:

[03:06] - Why are we having this conversation?

[06:55] - How has the church historically viewed sex and sexuality?

[09:41] - How does the secular culture influence the Christian’s view of sex?

[12:17] - What does the Bible say about intimacy?

[18:27] - What is sexually permissible in marriage?

[37:07] - What is off-limits, sexually, between husband and wife?

[33:37] - Is a women permitted to refuse her husband sex? Or can the husband refuse the wife?

[41:02] - How do you navigate a situation where one of the spouses is uncomfortable with a sexual request?

[45:50] - How would you encourage a Christian couple who is wading through the confusing waters of intimacy?

[48:02] - Is it ok to schedule sex?

Guest Hosts

Adam Powers

Melissa Hale

Links

Watch Out of Oz on YouTube 

SonRise Community Church

Out of Oz 0110: Is Porn Really That Bad?

Marriage365

Intended for Pleasure by Ed MD Wheat and Gaye Wheat 

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He Gets Us is a new buzz-worthy campaign aimed at highlighting the humanity and relatability of Jesus. Right next to the organization's name online, it states, "Radical Forgiveness & Love", and there's no mistake that these are the primary values they are conveying to the world about Jesus and Christianity. Since their recent Super Bowl commercials, the organization has caused immense applause and concern, so today we are asking, is “He Gets Us” worthy or wicked?

This week, Dani, Aaron, and guest-host Jon Robinson discuss:

[03:19] - Initial reactions to the ad campaign.

[05:45] - The commercials that have aired made statements such as “Jesus was a refugee”, “Jesus was canceled”, and “Jesus loved the people we hate”. What are your thoughts on these statements?

[16:58] - The He Gets Us ads seen during March Madness and The Super Bowl are part of their “100-million-dollar media investment”. What are your thoughts on the price of these ads?

[20:06] - Why Jesus “getting us” only matters if he is who he claimed to be. 

[33:17] - How do we engage with movements like this?

Guest Hosts

Jon Robinson

Dani Van Nortwick

Links

Watch Out of Oz on YouTube 

Liberty Church Tampa

He Gets Us

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Throughout Scripture we find multiple mandates for Christians to be “set apart” and to “not conform to the world”. Yet as we look throughout church history and compare it to our day, the interpretations of these mandates could not be more different. Some Christians believe there is nothing good to be found in the “secular” world and remove themselves from it, while others live in a way that cannot be distinguished from an unbeliever. And as the pressures of culture become increasingly more hostile, we are left with the question, should we redeem or reject culture?

This week, Dani, Aaron, and guest-host Adam Powers discuss:

[02:53] - How should we approach this question?

[07:01] - What examples do we have from Scripture about redeeming or rejecting culture?

[12:15] - Does it seem like more Christians/churches today are redeeming or rejecting culture?

[19:21] - Should Christians partner with non-Christians? And, if so, how?

[28:31] - How can we create a holy balance of living in the world but not living like it?

Guest Hosts

Adam Powers

Dani Van Nortwick

Links

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SonRise Community Church

Timothy Keller

Christ and Culture by Richard Niebuhr

G3

Acts 29

Gospel Coalition

Maverick City

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Deconstruction is on the rise throughout Christianity in our day; people who have started to pick apart beliefs they once held or a relationship with Christ they seemingly once had and now claim to not be Christians anymore. As believers, we need to know how to kindly, compassionately, and thoughtfully answer these questions not only for their souls but for our own as well. 

In the final episode of this three-part series, Peter and Aaron respond to and discuss Rhett McLaughlin's video Rhett’s Spiritual Deconstruction. Rhett, and his co-host Link, are the very popular media personalities behind Good Mythical Morning and Ear Biscuits. Both claim to be former Christians who have deconstructed and walked away from their faith.

This week, Peter and Aaron discuss four questions Rhett was always afraid to ask himself:

[03:22] - “If I don’t have to believe that God ordered his chosen people to slaughter men, women, and children by the thousands, then why would I?”

[09:51] - “If I don’t want to believe that every religious experience of every person that is not a Christian is ultimately illegitimate, then why would I?”

[13:56] - “If I don’t have to believe that anyone who doesn’t have a relationship with Jesus (i.e. the majority of people who have ever lived) are going to spend eternity being literally tortured in a fire, experiencing neverending pain and suffering, then why would I?”

[13:56] - “If I can somehow accept the idea that Hell exists because of God’s holiness, why would I believe in a God who would choose to create that particular world where people have no choice whether or not they’re going to born, but then once they are born, if they don’t adopt the correct understanding of God, he will punish them forever? Why believe in that God if I don’t have to?”

Links

Watch Out of Oz on YouTube 

Responding to Rhett’s Spiritual Deconstruction: Part 1

Responding to Rhett’s Spiritual Deconstruction: Part 2

Good Mythical Morning

Ear Biscuits

Rhett’s Spiritual Deconstruction

Rhett's Spiritual Deconstruction - One Year Later

Bart D. Ehrman

Out of Oz 0304: What is Hell?

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Deconstruction is on the rise throughout Christianity in our day; people who have started to pick apart beliefs they once held or a relationship with Christ they seemingly once had and now claim to not be Christians anymore. As believers, we need to know how to kindly, compassionately, and thoughtfully answer these questions not only for their souls but for our own as well. 

In part two of this three-part series, Peter and Aaron respond to and discuss Rhett McLaughlin's video Rhett’s Spiritual Deconstruction. Rhett, and his co-host Link, are the very popular media personalities behind Good Mythical Morning and Ear Biscuits. Both claim to be former Christians who have deconstructed and walked away from their faith.

This week, Peter and Aaron discuss:

[03:11] - Historical records

[17:42] - Foundation of feelings

[24:50] - Doubts about the New Testament and Jesus

[33:20] - The Bible is any other holy book

[39:41] - Appetite for certainty

[43:47] - Innate morality

Links

Watch Out of Oz on YouTube 

Responding to Rhett’s Spiritual Deconstruction: Part 1

Good Mythical Morning

Ear Biscuits

Rhett’s Spiritual Deconstruction

Out of Oz 0308: How Can We Trust the Bible?

Bart D. Ehrman

The Historical Jesus: Five Views

Christopher Hitchens

Jordan Peterson

Abraham Piper

Ravi Zacharias

Sam Harris

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Out of Oz Podcast

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Deconstruction is on the rise throughout Christianity in our day; people who have started to pick apart beliefs they once held or a relationship with Christ they seemingly once had and now claim to not be Christians anymore. As believers, we need to know how to kindly, compassionately, and thoughtfully answer these questions not only for their souls but for our own as well. 

In this first part of a three-part series, Peter and Aaron respond to and discuss Rhett McLaughlin's video Rhett’s Spiritual Deconstruction. Rhett, and his co-host Link, are the very popular media personalities behind Good Mythical Morning and Ear Biscuits. Both claim to be former Christians who have deconstructed and walked away from their faith.

This week, Peter and Aaron discuss:

[01:56] - Why are we addressing this?

[06:55] - Rhett’s purpose in telling his story

[12:30] - Young Earth vs old Earth

[21:05] - Chromosomal evidence for macroevolution

[27:57] - Retroviruses

[32:48] - Vestigial structures

[40:18] - Resistance to science

Links

Watch Out of Oz on YouTube 

Good Mythical Morning

Ear Biscuits

Rhett’s Spiritual Deconstruction

Francis Collins

Bart D. Ehrman

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Out of Oz Podcast

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BLDG 28 on Facebook

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