The death of Pope Francis and subsequent election of Leo XIV has put the papal office at the forefront of cultural discourse. But how and when did Christians start to revere the bishop of Rome? Where did the Pope's authority and importance originate? And why did the Reformers strongly critique the papacy? In this episode, we discuss the development of the papacy in church history, the internal and external pushback against the Pope, and the importance of developing thoughtful, convictional Protestant sensibilities.

(0:00) Introductions: Why We’re Not Papists
(3:24) The Rise of the Pope in Church History
(11:07) Apologetic Arguments Against the Papacy
(24:47) Reading a Letter from Luther
(31:36) It's OK to Be a Convictional Protestant

For decades, Christianity has been in decline in the UK. The common wisdom held that secularization was inevitable, and that the US would follow the same pattern. But a brand-new study shows a surprising trend. Over the last 6 years in England and Wales, church attendance has risen 50%. The largest increases are among young people – especially young men. And they're not just showing up to church, they're also reading the Bible and practicing spiritual disciplines. In this episode, we dig into what the Holy Spirit is doing across the pond and what it portends for the future of the church.

(0:00) Introductions: Katrina’s Last Snacks
(1:48) The Quiet Revival in the UK
(6:47) The Kids are Alright
(11:57) The Stats Say: Invite Your Friends to Church!
(16:54) Investing in the Kingdom of God

Study: https://www.biblesociety.org.uk/research/quiet-revival

Everyone is in need of change. But how do Christians actually participate in the work of change? In this archive episode from 2018, we survey Paul Tripp’s book Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands to discuss the simple biblical pattern for helping people change: love, know, speak, do.

A couple weeks ago, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School announced the impending closure of its Chicago-area campus. The demise of TEDS is the latest in a spate of struggles among Christian higher-ed institutions. Why are seminaries and colleges closing their doors? What does it mean for the future of theological education? In this episode, we dig into the history of 20th-century American Christianity to explore the founding of evangelical institutions, the challenges that brought them to this point, the "Southern takeover" of American evangelicalism, and what the future might hold.

(0:00) Introductions: Theological Education is Suffering
(5:00) What Happened at TEDS
(10:36) Some Broader Analysis & Bob's Historical Survey
(22:16) The Rise of the SBC
(32:29) What this Means for Christian Scholarship
(37:07) Opportunities for the Future

 Intelligence is everywhere. People used to say that "knowledge is power," but machine learning is changing everything. One author argues that we've moved from the Information Age to the Age of Agency. In this new era, your impact will be measured not by what you know, but by your ability to take action and make things happen. What changes might this new era require in education, discipleship, and spiritual formation? In this episode, we discuss how Christians can apply the wisdom of the Scriptures to this moment and spur one another to renewed agency.

(0:00) Introductions: We’re Talking A.I. Again
(3:10) The Rise of Agency
(10:31) 4 Eras of Human History
(16:07) You Can Just Do Things
(22:41) Wisdom vs. Knowledge
(24:56) Applying Wisdom to the Intelligence Age

Article: https://jeffgiesea.substack.com/p/agency-is-the-new-superpower

In our recent conversation about the recent Pew Religious Landscape Study, we missed an interesting data point: the decline of the Roman Catholic church. In this episode, we interact with a WORLD Opinion piece that explores the data and proposes some explanations for the downward trend. We discuss Catholic/Protestant apologetics; why high-profile "celebrity conversions" don't tell the whole story; and why discipling and catechizing our kids is vital to the growth and health of Christianity.

(0:00) Introductions
(1:19) Something We Missed from the Pew Religious Landscape Study
(13:38) What the Decline of Catholicism Means for Culture At Large
(16:14) Opportunities for Charitable Conversations Among Protestants and Catholics
(24:17) The Importance of Discipling and Catechizing Our Children

Article: https://wng.org/opinions/mass-exodus-1743031983

Research Study: https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2025/02/26/decline-of-christianity-in-the-us-has-slowed-may-have-leveled-off/

In 2021, Mark Zuckerberg changed his company's name from Facebook to Meta. It signaled his decision to go "all in" on virtual reality and everything it promised. (We talked about it in Episode 366: Meta Church.) But less than four years later, the meta-hype is collapsing, with every major VR company reporting losses and pulling back products. In this episode, we discuss what we can learn from the meteoric rise and decline of virtual reality... and how this tale can make us wiser in our approach to technology.

(0:00) Introductions and a Quick Trip into the Archives
(2:56) Virtual Reality Gets a Reality Check
(8:22) Humans Actually Like Embodied-ness
(17:28) Knowing How Technology Shapes Us

Article: https://wng.org/articles/a-dose-of-reality-1738632435

Modern people spend lots of time, energy, and money on their bodies - whether it be through diet and supplements or working out and exercise. Some become so focused on exercise and nutrition that they idolize their bodies while others are prone to neglect their physical bodies. In this episode, we respond to a listener-submitted question about the role of physical fitness in the life of the Christian. How does the fact that we're going to die (Psalm 90:10) inform a Christian approach to fitness? How can we avoid idolizing or neglecting our physical health? Listen in as we discuss the wisdom Scripture provides in this area.

(0:00) Introductions and Talking Physical Fitness
(5:50) Grounding the Conversation in Scripture
(9:23) What Role Does Physical Fitness Play in the Life of a Christian?
(19:08) How Do I Know I’m Glorifying God with My Body?
(27:06) Stewarding All of Our Resources Well

Much has been said and written about the decline of Christianity in America, including on this podcast. But is something changing? A new Pew Research Center study shows that the decline of Christianity has tapered off over the past few years. In this episode, we dig into the statistics and analyze the opportunities they present for Christians to be on mission.

(0:00) Introductions
(1:05) The Data Shows…De-Churching Is Leveling Off
(7:50) Some of Our Favorite Research Study Nuggets
(12:13) How to Make Sense of This as Church Leaders
(24:10) The ONE Thing We Want You to Take with You

Article: https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2025/02/26/decline-of-christianity-in-the-us-has-slowed-may-have-leveled-off/

On January 10th of this year, book lovers lined up to purchase the newest release in the Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarros.  These books are part of a genre known as romantic fantasy, or "romantasy" - and its popularity is exploding. But how should Christian women relate to romantasy literature? Recently, a church member reached out to us with some unease about how nonchalantly her Christian friends were imbibing the explicit sexual imagery in these novels. So we invited her to come on the podcast and talk about it! In this episode, Adrienne joins us to discuss the rise of romantasy, the ways that it can steer us away from a godly view of sex and intimacy, and how Christians can better commend what is good, true and beautiful.

(0:00) Introductions: Guess Who’s Baaaaaack??
(2:15) The Rise of Romantasy and What Makes it Problematic
(11:27) Two Main Romantasy Markets
(15:50) Why Escapism is a Powerful Temptation
(19:29) What Does it Mean to Engage Culture?
(32:38) How to Commend Good Art

Article: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/christians-need-know-romantasy/