The Puddcast

Frank Viola is the author of many books on Christian living and theology, 8 of which have been bestsellers. He is also a well regarded blogger and conference speaker. Frank and I discussed the Gospel of the Kingdom, what happens when you fall in love with Jesus, and how the church can be reformed from within by radical Kingdom cells.

Resources:

Insurgence, by Frank Viola
Pagan Christianity, by Frank Viola
Reimagining Church, by Frank Viola
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"When two people have sex enough times, the oxytocin that is released in each person forms a strong bond. This is what causes a woman to attach to a man, and a man to become defensive and territorial over her. Hormones establish a soul tie. It’s a connection mechanism that God designed for a husband and wife to come together and to get them through the storms of life so the family wouldn’t break up, but what we do is treat sex like recreation. We become attached to people that we aren’t even in love with, people that we would likely never be relationally compatible with. We can’t make each deeply happy, so we drift through life, neither one of us reaching our purpose because each of us were made to do something completely different from the other. The attachment and misplaced sense of loyalty keeps us together and because we’re being kept together with someone based solely on attraction and not personality and character, we are kept from experiencing a richer more fulfilling life.

Resources:

Why Waiting Works, by Rob Kowalski
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Chad Bird is an author, blogger and speaker who recently wrote a few articles on children's ministry which peaked my interest. We discussed whether children's ministry is really for the children or just for adults who don't want to be distracted, and what that might mean about the health of your church. Chad offers some wise advice for crafting a church experience that appeals to all ages.

Resources:

Night Driving, by Chad Bird
Your God is Too Glorious, by Chad Bird
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A friend of mine grew up in a strict Christian tradition where women weren't allowed to minister to men. Years have passed since then but she still finds herself feeling guilty or confused about what exactly it was that Paul said to Timothy. She asked me for my thoughts on women in ministry, and so you get a whole podcast out of it. It's Holy Week too, which means you're going to hear about Mary Magdalene, the Apostle to the Apostles. Strap yourselves in, this one is full of fire.

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