On This Episode:

BIBLE-READING THIS WEEK: WHEN WEARE FAILURES, GOD IS FAITHFUL

In the chronological reading of the Bible this week, there’s a theme of God’s people being total, embarrassing failures and God continually reaffirming His commitment to them. There’s a ton of comfort in that.

THE SPIRIT OF OUR AGE IS DECONSTRUCTION FOR THE SAKE OF IT

I want to systemize my definition of the ethos that surrounds us now. I’ll use Prince Harry’s book, a lesbian college student wanting to president of a Christian college’s student body and many other examples to unify a story.

That story is largely that we once DISRUPTED the molds that made us – communities, businesses, churches, arts, families – the goal of making them better.

Now, we DESTROY all molds and demand that the world conform to our feelings.

I also have some thoughts on how to live Christianly in that crazy world.

On This Episode:

WHAT DO WE DO IN A CULTURE GROWING MORE HOSTILE TO CHRISTIANITY?

We’re seeing stories of a Christian kicked out of the mall for wearing a “Jesus saves” t-shirt, of pastors being denied “Pastor Story Hour” at libraries that host “drag queen story hour,” of college athletes being benched and berated for not submitting to the spirit of the age, or people fired for following the wrong accounts on Twitter.

It’s becoming more hostile out there towards Christians. So, how do we respond?

I Peter gives us a lot of guidance on that. Let me walk you through it.

OUR CHRONOLOGICAL BIBLE READING

In our reading this week, we see the good news that God is a God of covenant-keeping, that the sin of Sodom isn’t that complicated, and that knowing the stories of the Patriarchs will change how you worship.

On This Episode:

HOW DO WE EXPLAIN AND EXPERIENCE SUFFERING

Let’s talk about Job, and its ancient interaction with the question of suffering. Job challenges us to trust God and acknowledge we don’t have the perspective to know always what is good and right.

STOPPING THE PORN INDUSTRY

Louisiana made great progress in stopping the porn industry from getting to our kids. It’s time for South Carolina to make the same progress, and I have a plan.

HILLSONG DOCUMENTARY

I have just a couple take-aways from watching the recent 4-part series.

HEADLINES THAT CAUGHT MY ATTENTION

You’ll just have to listen to find out.

On This Episode:

A NEW IDEA FOR 2023

This year, I’m going to try and open every show with a reflection on Scripture reading. The twist is that I’ll be using a CHRONOLOGICAL reading of the Bible. So, for this week, we start in Genesis.

LISTERNER QUESTION: WHAT DID JESUS MEAN WHEN HE SAID….

Jesus said that unless you’re more righteous than the Pharisees, you won’t enter the Kingdom of Heaven. What did that mean? This question is a fantastic opportunity to learn how we understand verses in their paragraphs, chapters, and in larger context.

THOUGHTS ON THE BILLS PLAYER WHO COLLAPSED

Of course, this event is unspeakably sad. I’m noticing, though, some folks using the event for their own agenda. I want to kindly and humbly argue against that tactic.

NEW YORK TIMES ADVICE FOR THE NEW YEAR

I respond (and sometimes mock and correct) advice the New York Times gave its readers for the new year.

On this Episode:

MY MOMENTOUS YEAR

From engagement, to home selling, to home buying, to travel, and finally to wonderful marriage, it was an incredible year for me.

THEME OF THE YEAR 1: Anger

From viral videos of temper tantrums on planes, in groceries stores and in restaurants, the rage came often this year. Let’s consider how NOT to add to it and how to be a force for peace in the new year.

THEME OF THE YEAR 2: Everyone noticed men are falling behind.

Even the secular media started noticing we have a masculinity crisis on our hands. In God’s ordered world, we need men to eschew childishness, embrace the challenge of being responsible for others and to lead.

THEME OF THE YEAR 3: Winsomeness vs. Confrontation

In both Christianity and American Conservatism, we’re relitigating the role of power and persuasion. I’ve wrestled with it all year, and I have some final thoughts.

On this Episode:

THE HOPES AND FEARS OF ALL THE YEARS

Jesus's coming was the long-awaited answer to all our hopes for a good world being fulfilled. I want to walk through those details and demonstrate how Jesus fulfills our every hope and quells our every fear.

ORIGIN STORIES

Christmas is the Christian's origin story. Another compelling origin story is how Henry Wadsworth Longfellow came to write, "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day." I want to tell you that story.

JESUS CAME AS A BABY -- BUT ALSO A KING

Christmas is good for reflection and celebration. I want to close the show by challenging you to find some silence to question where the arrived and soon-coming King's kingship hasn't fully claimed your life.

On This Episode:

ADVENT WEEK 4: Love

The Christmas story is filled with love – Elizabeth choosing joy instead of jealousy about Mary’s pregnancy and Joseph choosing belief instead of skepticism about the same. But the greatest act of love was the incarnation itself. I have some thoughts from Romans 5 about how this Christmas seasons exemplifies God’s love for his children.

CHRISTIAN LOCALISM

There’s a lot of debate right now about something called “Christian Nationalism.” I want to tell you why Christian Localism is the much better idea. This is the idea that first being concerned with your street, neighborhood, school or workplace will be much more effective than trying to win the government of a country.

NATIONAL HEALTH CRISIS

I know the holidays are a terrible time to talk about this. However, I saw, back-to-back, a story about our obesity rate and then another about how giant food makers give millions to dietician and nutritionist programs. I have just a few thoughts.

BEWARE OF WHO YOU LISTEN TO

For the Christian, it’s tempting to listen to the voices that agree with you politically. It’s important to recognize, though, that many of those voices are not Christian voices.

On This Episode:

ADVENT WEEK 3: Joy

When hope is fulfilled, there is joy. We’ll take a brief look at the shepherds, Simeon, and Ana to examine how the first Advent brought joy. We’ll also take that cue to think about the first Advent as a signpost, pointing us to the second and final Advent of Christ. If we’ll live in that light, we’ll walk in joy.

WHAT DOES “REIGNING WITH CHRIST” MEAN?

I heard a challenging sermon this week about what it would mean or us to actually reign with Christ right now – reigning in our households and over the parts of Christ’s Kingdom he’s entrusted to us. I’ll play you some of that audio that has a particular challenge for Christian parents.

THE 303 CREATIVE VS. ELENIS CASE

Seeing the progressive, secular Left react to that case crystalized three things for me. First, there’s a segment of the secular hard left that despises Christians. Second, the modern Western world has concocted a novel system where one’s sexual desires are a CORE identity. That’s new in human history, and most of the planet now has no paradigm for sex being someone’s core identity. Finally, the just ruling is clear. The Supreme Court should end Colorado’s prejudiced law.

On This Episode:

ADVENT WEEK 2: Preparation

Week 1’s theme was hope. As we hope for ultimate Advent of Christ, though, we prepare. I’ll note in this segment that a too-common experience is that a promise – even a fulfilled promise – can sometimes leave us underwhelmed. Sometimes we overestimate our joy at an experience. The Second Advent will not be that, though. Whatever hope you have for Jesus’s Second Coming, you’re not hoping enough. So, as we await that hope, we prepare. I’ll give you some ideas on how to do that.

WHAT HAPPENED, WHERE WE ARE, AND WHERE WE’RE GOING

I saw data this week that recorded the rapid secularization of the United States. As Christianity’s influence has plummeted, the consequences have been devastating to the culture. I also want to point you to even more secular societies as a warning of where we might be headed if the church doesn’t go about its own purity and renewal to lead the culture around it in renewal.

OUR MEDIA DIET IS MAKING US SICK

Just as a bad nutrition regimen will make us sick, our media diet of relying on social media and internet is making emotionally, mentally and even physically sick. I have a solution.