Think Deeper

This week we discuss gluttony, weight issues, and self-control.

CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Intro and outline
06:43 - The question, and defining our terms
14:46 - The steel man argument: navigating a tricky situation
18:29 - The visible fruits of poor eating
27:54 - Biblical considerations
35:15 - Is it a sin to be overweight?
41:52 - Why does the church avoid this subject?
51:43 - Poor metabolism, insulin resistance, and avoiding excuses
55:27 - Avoiding Gnosticism, and practical tips

With Will Harrub, Jack Wilkie, and Joe Wilkie

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Jack's article - https://jackwilkie.co/p/what-is-the-sin-of-gluttony 

Our Godly Young Men episode on practical tips - https://youtu.be/anxVvUmHxTw?si=EEfIbGzfozryONpb 

It's the second edition of our Bible debates series! Last time we considered the Nephilim, the author of Hebrews, and a few other hotly debated topics. This time we add five more entries to the list.

CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Intro and ground rules
02:48 - Baptism for the dead (1 Cor. 15:29)
14:24 - What happened between Ham and Noah (Genesis 9:20ff)
37:46 - Do people have personal guardian angels? (Matthew 18:10)
46:02 - What is the purpose of Song of Solomon?
53:23 - Did the Father truly forsake Jesus while on the cross?

We'd love to hear your takes on Focus+, our YouTube channel, or the Focus Press Facebook page!

With Will Harrub, Jack Wilkie, and Joe Wilkie

Check out our sponsor at www.cobbpublishing.com
Visit us at www.focuspress.org and www.jackwilkie.co 

You can support us and get the weekly Deep End episode and a huge library of Bible study material at www.focuspress.org/plus 

This week we talk spiritual burnout, and when to take a step back from involvement for a season of rest.

CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Introduction and the ups and downs of life
09:17 - Is there a time to step back from church work?
16:21 - Historic practices of rest
24:46 - What changed during the COVID years
33:13 - When the church calendar gets to be too much
38:08 - Why church work is often the first thing to get cut from the schedule
51:35 - Does the Bible tell us not to take these seasons of rest?

With Will Harrub, Jack Wilkie, and Joe Wilkie

Visit our sponsor at www.cobbpublishing.com
Visit us at www.focuspress.org and www.jackwilkie.co

Join Focus+ and get our huge library of content by going to www.focuspress.org/plus 

This week, we discuss a viral tweet that claimed that the strongest of Christians are people who watch Disney, celebrate Halloween, drink alcohol, and wear bikinis, and what it says about an all-too-common view of freedom in Christ.

CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Intro, and the tweet that inspired the episode
08:27 - Pitting Jesus against discernment
16:28 - Why heaven isn't all that matters
26:12 - The attitude problem behind "you can't bind that"
33:40 - The issues: boycotts, Halloween, swimwear, etc.
58:01 - How can churches discuss these issues?

With Will Harrub, Jack Wilkie, and Joe Wilkie

Visit our sponsor at www.cobbpublishing.com 
Check us out at www.focuspress.org and www.jackwilkie.co 

Join us for the weekly Deep End segment by supporting our Patreon - www.focuspress.org/plus 

Marco Arroyo from In Between Sundays join's Jack to discuss why we haven't joined in the trends to convert to Roman Catholicism or Eastern Orthodoxy.

CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Intro and the current religious landscape
04:37 - Our issues with Roman Catholicism
10:47 - Our issues with Eastern Orthodoxy
17:47 - Sola Scriptura vs. church tradition
27:17 - Do church councils solve doctrinal division?
39:51 - Infant baptism 
43:53 - Do "household baptisms" in Scripture inidicate infant baptism?
53:01 - The fruits of RC and EO: mass production of nominal members

Marco's channel: https://www.youtube.com/@IBSMarco

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Visit us at www.focuspress.org and www.jackwilkie.co 

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CHAPTERS:

00:00 - Intro, and the time and place for tougher talk
06:21 - Starting with the cautions and limitations
10:27 - Friendly teasing, thicker skin, and how men and women differ in their communication
19:32 - Sarcasm and mockery in the Bible
30:29 - Principles for properly using humor with an edge
38:20 - The time and place for sharp words
44:20 - Are we allowed to speak like Jesus, Paul, and Elijah did?
48:43 - When does it go too far? When is an apology necessary?
53:39 - Think Fast: Ed Sheeran and Macklemore's Israel/Palestine fiasco

With Will Harrub, Jack Wilkie, and Joe Wilkie

Visit us at www.focuspress.org and www.jackwilkie.co 

Check out our sponsor at www.cobbpublishing.com

Join us for the weekly Deep End episode and hundreds of hours of audio and video Bible studies and sermons at www.focuspress.org/plus 

Last week at the Engage Conference, Dr. Brad Harrub joined us for our first ever episode in front a live audience!

We discussed the problem of apathy in the church, including:
- How leadership can cause it, and what they can do to fix it
- The "good enough" mindset that leads people to give minimum effort
- Dealing with the busyness that keeps us from doing more
- Ways the church can do a better job of engaging the men in the pews

With Will Harrub, Jack Wilkie, and Joe Wilkie

Check out our sponsor at www.cobbpublishing.com  
Visit us at www.focuspress.org and www.jackwilkie.co 

Join us for the Deep End and more at www.focuspress.org/plus  

Deacons are one of the most misunderstood roles in the church. We discuss the differences between deacons and elders, the qualifications for the role, and how deacons can help oversee practical responsibilities such as budgets, maintenance, education, and logistics.

The conversation also addresses questions like whether deacons are elders in training, who should appoint them, whether churches can have deacons without elders, and whether Romans 16:1 justifies deaconesses.

CHAPTERS:
00:00 - What is a deacon, and what are the qualifications?
10:59 - Differences between elder and deacon qualifications, and what that tells us about the roles
18:20 - Is the deacon role a stepping stone to eldership?
23:24 - What kind of work is deacon work vs. elder work, and how much should the elders exercise oversight?
38:24 - Is it an ongoing role, or task-based?
43:09 - How are they to be appointed?
48:59 - Can you have deacons if you don't have elders?
56:09 - Why Phoebe wasn't a "deaconess" 

With Will Harrub, Jack Wilkie, and Joe Wilkie

Come hear us at the Engage Conference in Waxahachie, TX September 11-13! cocbrownstreet.org/engage

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Check us out at focuspress.org and jackwilkie.co
Join us for the Deep End and more at focuspress.org/plus

In Christ, Christians form what Peter called a "brotherhood"—but that doesn't mean we always see eye to eye.

On this episode, we look at the issues that complicate our relationship with the brotherhood at large, including sectarianism, differences in perspectives, and the command to love each other through it all. 

CHAPTERS
00:00 - How a simple command becomes complicated
09:12 - Surveying some of the different camps and views in the broader church
14:15 - Recognizing value in each other even when we disagree
24:48 - Learning from Paul, Barnabas, and John Mark
29:53 - Fighting viewpoints, not people
40:42 - How do you know who's right?
46:12 - How social media helps and hurts our love for each other
52:51 - The challenge of loving people we don't really know in person

With Will Harrub, Jack Wilkie, and Joe Wilkie

Visit our sponsor at cobbpublishing.com
Follow us at focuspress.org and jackwilkie.co

Join us for the Deep End at focuspress.org/plus

Jack's article referenced - https://jackwilkie.co/p/but-which-side-is-biblical

A tragic case involving the death of three small children has gripped the internet, with debates raging about postpartum depression and psychosis, what justice looks like, women's issues, and more.
We discuss a number of the angles to the story.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 - Introducing the case
06:41 - Joe gives a therapist's view on postpartum depression and psychosis
15:48 - The danger of glamorizing struggles
20:26 - The "Victim mindset" of Critical Theory's intersectionality
27:57 - Women's resistance to accountability in cases like these
37:12 - The cost of the church downplaying sin
42:05 - The problems with the current fixation with "true crime" and internet sleuthing
52:40 - The importance of being there for each other

With Will Harrub, Jack Wilkie, and Joe Wilkie

Check out our sponsor at cobbpublishing.com

Visit us at focuspress.org and jackwilkie.co
Join us on Focus+ at focuspress.org/plus