The Shepherd's Study

In this episode of The Shepherd’s Study, we sit down with Jesse Randolph (Pastor-Teacher at Indian Hills Community Church in Lincoln, NE, and co-host of the Sound Words Podcast). Randolph unpacks what it means to be a “pastor-theologian”—someone called both to shepherd a local flock and to engage theological issues with conviction. He shares three personal controversies that shaped his ministry:- Why his church declined to join a rebooted Gospel Coalition chapter in Nebraska (and the local fallout that followed).- His critique of “Reformed Dispensationalism” as a hermeneutical mismatch.- His ThM thesis work and public teaching on the imputation of Christ’s active obedience, and the significant relational and online consequences that followed.Throughout the conversation, Randolph offers hard-won pastoral wisdom: protect your own walk with Christ, keep the local church as the priority (1 Peter 5:2), pick your battles carefully, watch your tone and bandwidth, and remember that character matters as much as theological precision. The episode is both autobiographical and practical—especially useful for pastors navigating social media, doctrinal debates, and the tension between conviction and care for the flock.  ⁨@soundwordsmin⁩  site: https://soundwords.org ⁨@IHCC⁩  site: https://ihcc.org (sermons and more from Pastor Randolph)He has also appeared previously on The Shepherd’s Study (the episode on “The Great Tradition” and sola Scriptura).

In this episode, we explore a biblical-theological approach to Genesis 1–11—reading these foundational chapters from the perspective of the original Israelite audience who had just left Egypt, received the Law at Sinai, and wandered in the wilderness.Topics include:

• Strengthening the case for literal 24-hour creation days using the manna and the Sabbath command the Israelites had already heard
• What Ham really did in Genesis 9 (and why Canaan was cursed)
• The sons of God and the Nephilim in Genesis 6—why the angelic interpretation makes the best sense of the text and the Israelites’ background knowledge
• Why biblical scholarship is needed alongside scientific arguments in the creation movement

Practical encouragements for careful Bible reading instead of relying on assumptions or Sunday-school traditionsDr. Chaffey also briefly discusses the massive, archaeologically accurate 1:100 scale model of Jerusalem in AD 33 currently being built for the Ark Encounter (scheduled for around 2028).Tim Chaffey’s book Fallen: The Sons of God and the Nephilim: https://www.amazon.com/Fallen-Sons-Ne...Tim’s blog (Risen Ministries / Midwest Apologetics): https://midwestapologetics.org/blog/ (risenmin.com is expected to redirect here or to the updated site)Answers in Genesis bio & articles by Tim: https://answersingenesis.org/bios/tim...Ark Encounter: https://arkencounter.com/Creation Museum: https://creationmuseum.org/Shepherd’s Theological Seminary: https://shepherds.edu/

Dr. Neil Shenvi joins The Shepherd’s Study to talk about his new book with Pat Sawyer, Post Woke: Asserting a Biblical Vision of Race, Gender, and Sexuality. Shenvi traces how critical theory moved from the academy into the mainstream through BLM, #MeToo, social media, and real cultural wounds—and why it functions like a rival religion.In this conversation he covers:What “woke,” critical theory, critical race theory, and intersectionality actually meanThe four-part structure shared by critical theories: the social binary, redefined “oppression,” lived experience / standpoint epistemology, and “social justice” as dismantling normsWhy terms like justice, oppression, equity, anti-racism, and DEI get equivocatedA biblical view of race (one human race; ethnicity is real, U.S. racial buckets are socially constructed), sex and gender (two sexes; social expressions vary by culture but are rooted in creation), and sexuality (sex reserved for marriage between a man and a woman)Practical help for parents, pastors, workplaces, pronoun requests, Thanksgiving tables, and college-bound kidsWhy the gospel—not culture-war outrage—must stay central, and why these times are not unprecedentedShenvi’s counsel throughout: define terms, go to primary sources, tell the truth in love, and keep Jesus and the cross as what you’re known for.LinksPost Woke: https://postwokebook.com/ or https://www.amazon.com/Post-Woke-Asserting-Biblical-Sexuality/dp/0736992839Critical Dilemma (the longer, more scholarly companion): available wherever books are soldNeil Shenvi: https://shenviapologetics.com/X/Twitter: https://x.com/NeilShenviPat Sawyer: https://patsawyer.org/ · X: @RealPatSawyerHarvest House / Harvest Apologetics: https://www.harvesthousepublishers.com/books/post-woke-9780736992831/

https://www.shepherds360.org/

In this episode of The Shepherd’s Study, Dr. Bookman discusses the doctrine of biblical inerrancy—why it is under greater pressure today than during the classic debates of the 1970s and 1980s.Bookman traces the history of the modern inerrancy controversy, beginning with the Evangelical Theological Society’s simple doctrinal affirmation and the high-profile debates that led to the production of the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy. He contrasts the earlier clear divide between inerrantists and errantists with the present situation, in which many who still claim the label “inerrantist” embrace approaches that functionally allow historical errors.Key topics and resources discussed include:Bookman argues that event revelation (historical narrative) is essential to knowing God, that a priori commitment to inerrancy has historically driven careful resolution of apparent difficulties, and that a “nuanced” or “mature” inerrancy that permits invented details ultimately undermines the reliability of Scripture. He closes with a call for a clearer, more vocal defense of classical biblical inerrancy within the evangelical academy and church.

In this episode of The Shepherd’s Study, we sit down with Dr. Thomas Pittman, Associate Professor of Leadership and Research and Vice President of Academics at Shepherd’s Theological Seminary. Dr. Pittman discusses his new book on biblical leadership and the crisis facing the American church—celebrity pastors, the “pastor as CEO” model, seeker-sensitive pragmatism, declining numbers, pastoral attrition, and widespread distrust of clergy. He argues that these problems stem from a loss of confidence in the sufficiency of Scripture and offers a return to biblical principles: responsibility, servant leadership modeled by Christ, elder qualifications, faithfulness over numerical success, shepherding over managing, plurality of leadership, and true discipleship.Whether you’re a pastor, elder, or Christian man seeking to lead well in the home or church, this conversation points us back to the only reliable foundation for godly leadership—the Word of God.

In this older recording, Dr. Miller sits down with Dr. Chuck Quarles (Professor of New Testament and Biblical Theology, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) to dig deep into the Sermon on the Mount. Drawing from Quarles’ extensive work on Matthew—including his commentary on the Sermon—they explore why Matthew places this discourse so early, who the original audience was, and how the Beatitudes describe the process of salvation and the transforming work of the new covenant.They tackle key interpretive questions: What does it mean that our righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees? How should we understand “salt of the earth”? Did Jesus abolish or fulfill the Law? How do commands like “turn the other cheek,” love of enemies, and “judge not” actually function? And what does the Sermon teach about the already/not-yet kingdom and authentic discipleship?A rich conversation on why the Sermon on the Mount is not an impossible ethic for a future age, but the normal (though imperfect) way of life for every true disciple of Jesus today.Book: Sermon on the Mount: Restoring Christ’s Message to the Modern Church by Charles L. QuarlesWebsite: GospelofMatthew.net

Pastor Erwin Lutzer joins the conversation to discuss his book Hitler’s Cross and the companion volume When a Nation Forgets God. Drawing on his German heritage, Reformation tours, and extensive research, Lutzer explores how the church in Nazi Germany compromised with Hitler—through liberalism, nationalism, propaganda, and the co-opting of Christian symbols—and why those same pressures still threaten believers today.From the fusion of church and state, the power of cultural “streams,” the battle over parental authority, and the necessity of a law above the law, this episode unpacks hard historical lessons that call Christians to faithfulness rather than self-righteous judgment. Lutzer also highlights the courage of those who resisted, including Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Martin Niemöller, and challenges listeners with a searching question: What price are we willing to pay to remain true to the gospel?Link to Lutzer's book: https://a.co/d/03FHsWpf

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Paul Hartog, professor of theology at Faith Baptist Theological Seminary and specialist in second-century Christianity and patristics, to explore the reality of persecution and martyrdom in the early church.Hartog unpacks why Christians were targeted in the Roman Empire—from their exclusive monotheism and refusal to participate in pagan civic life to the specific (and strange-to-modern-ears) charges of atheism, cannibalism, and incest. He examines the nature of persecution (mostly local and sporadic rather than constant empire-wide campaigns), key martyr texts like the Martyrdom of Polycarp, the Martyrs of Lyons and Vienne, and the story of Perpetua and Felicitas, and the rich themes that run through them: imitation of Christ, spiritual warfare, athletic and soldier imagery, God’s sovereignty, and suffering as a divine gift.We also discuss voluntary martyrdom, the debates over “episcopal flight,” and how the early Christians cultivated endurance and joy even in the face of death. Finally, Hartog draws practical lessons for the church today—encouraging solidarity with persecuted believers around the world and a mindset of faithful perseverance in every season.

What IS true Christian apologetics according to the Bible? Pastor Cliff McManis joins The Shepherd's Study to challenge popular approaches that rely on philosophy, natural theology, and arguments like the cosmological or ontological proofs (think William Lane Craig, RC Sproul, Norman Geisler). Instead, he calls for redeeming apologetics by returning to Scripture-centered defense: using the Bible to defend the gospel and hope in Christ — just as Jesus and the apostles did.

This powerful discussion covers:

• Why most seminary apologetics classes leave pastors disappointed
• The problem with "natural theology" and philosophical mastery requirements
• 1 Peter 3:15 in context: exalt Christ, share your hope!
• How epistemology, Romans 1, and satanic blindness change everything
• Practical tips: focus on Jesus/gospel, avoid winning arguments, be gentle
• Why every Christian (yes, even grandma!) is qualified to defend the faith

Cliff's book: Redeeming Apologetics: Restoring Biblical Supremacy in Defending the Christian FaithGet it here → https://www.amazon.com/Redeeming-Apologetics-Restoring-Supremacy-Defending/dp/1952221153

0:00 – Intro & Cliff's background3:45 – Defining apologetics biblically vs. philosophically12:20 – Critiquing quotes from Ram, Groothuis, Pearcey, Craig25:10 – Jesus & apostles used special revelation, not natural theology38:50 – 1 Peter 3:15 unpacked: hope in Christ, not theism48:00 – Epistemology, Romans 1, & satanic blindness1:05:00 – Practical mistakes Christians make & how to fix them1:15:30 – Recommended resources & final plea: proclaim the gospel!