Are you open to correction by others? Are you willing to be held accountable for your behavior? I'm not, and that is a huge problem. What's the answer? Maybe taking the book of Proverbs to heart.

After a Hannukah mass shooting perpetrated by Muslims in Australia, we revisit if Islam is compatible with the West? Is it even Abrahamic? Do "mean words" justify violence? Can Christians coexist with cultures that condone and encourage the rape of children?

Are we meant to live lives of ease and comfort? Are we meant to go through life numb and comfortable until we die? Are we supposed to be nice and gentle and never offend anyone? Scripture says no. We are to be alive, active, doing hard things, teaching difficult things, and not focused on our own comfort. We are not to embrace a numb, painless existence, but to pick up our cross and follow Christ.

We love to cherry pick Scripture, plucking it out of context, to fit our own ideas. Whether women can preach or teach is pretty clear in Scripture, but a bigger question is this: is preaching all that pastors do? Did the Reformation get the role of pastor/priest/elder/bishop wrong?

Why does Scripture constantly call us to gratitude? To remember God and all he has done for us? Why is the Eucharist (communion) a "thanksgiving" that we receive rather than give? Because the opposite of thankfulness is contempt, disdain, scoffing, ridicule, mockery, arrogance, and insecurity. Over and over Scripture warns us against this attitude of ingratitude that isolates us from both God and our fellow man. You cannot receive the blessings of God if you're looking down your nose at them.

Referenced:

Polyeleos: Traditional Hymn of Thanksgiving based on Psalm 135

The people you spend the most time with have a huge impact on shaping how you view the world. Christ broke bread with prostitutes and Pharisees, but his close circle was small: 12 disciples, 3 close friends, and a handful of family. All of those people, flawed but seeking for God, shared his core values and faith.

Also, a brief discussion on Raymond Ibrahim and his insights on Islam, the history of the Christian West, and our cultural amnesia.

Are you ready to let go of your sin? Maybe you feel like you've rejected feminism and you value men, but your relationships are still full of tension, stress, miscommunication, and fighting? Maybe it is time to lay down your sword, the one you are swinging all while crying out for peace?

Referenced in the Episode:

Alison Armstrong's Website

The Queen's Code by Alison Armstrong

Lila Rose's Interview with Alison Armstrong

Do you realize that Abraham had 8 sons, and the blessings belong to the descendants of all of them? In this episode we explore the cruelty of the beautiful Sarah, and the obedience of the enslaved Hagar, whose suffering was acknowledged by a loving God.

Referenced in this episode:

Hillsdale College free course on Genesis by Prof. Justin Jackson

Robert Alter's translation and commentary on the Hebrew Bible

Galatians 3:14-29

Paul was both a Jew and a Roman citizen from birth who spent a lot of effort to spread Christianity among ethnically diverse populations. What does that tell us about ancient immigration issues? What does that tell us about modern immigration issues? Is war, natural disaster, or disease the only way an ethnic group disappears? And what does that mean for preserving our faith and our religious culture?

Referenced in the episode:

Ancient Rome: A genetic crossroads of Europe and the Mediterranean | ScienceCivitas | Origins, Government & Decline | Britannica

Alison Armstrong blew my mind and completely shifted how I think about men and women, leaving me deeply convicted of my own sin. This Christian journey is one of continual unfolding revelation of our own brokenness and incompleteness, that drives us towards greater love, understanding, and joy.

Referenced in the Episode:

Alison Armstrong's website

Lila Rose interviews Alison Armstrong: The Biggest Mistakes Women Make With Men (That Pushes Them Away)

Alison Armstrong's YouTube Channel

Love & Respect: The Love She Most Desires; The Respect He Desperately Needs by Emerson Eggerichs