Today's Conversation

What messages do women today need to hear? How has technology expanded the opportunities for women leaders and ministries? In Today’s Conversation with NAE President Leith Anderson, Rebekah Lyons fields these questions on today’s women’s ministry and many more.

In this podcast, you’ll hear Rebekah share:

How her personal experience with a panic disorder impacts her ministry to women;

Why it's important to have separate, specific ministries for women;

What churches can do to incorporate women into the mission of the church; and

Why national women leaders need to be connected to the local church.

Read a Portion of the Transcript

Leith: Most people in the world, in America and in the church are women. Women are the majority, and if we were to take a survey — not of everybody but at least in the context of those whom you know and that you speak to — what do you think … I guess there’s two sides to this: What do they want to hear, and what do you think they need to hear? What’s the message?

Lyons: Well, the message I think is: You don’t need to look like the other woman who’s doing something. There’s a lot of push back in the Church right now around the idea that calling has to be attached to a personal brand, or that you have to have a voice, or that you have to be using your gift in these specific streams — whether it’s writing or speaking or having a platform of some sort.

It actually really loses sight of the whole point. When Jesus says, “Follow me,” he calls us into his work — not our work. He’s saying, “Take my yoke upon you.” We’re co-laboring. We’re co-heirs with Christ because of the cross. It’s the sense of how do we not get ahead and run and establish our own agenda, but how do we walk behind him and with him? And just say, “Show me where to go, what to say, who to encounter or who to minister to.”

And so I think what women need to hear is: Take the pressure off yourself that we all need to look alike, or we all need to sound alike, or speak the same language, because there’s such diversity in the body. And there’s a reason for that. God’s that creative. His imagination is that vast.

Share the Love

If you enjoyed the program, please rate it on iTunes and write a brief review. That will help get the word out and raise the visibility of the show.

Today’s Conversation is brought to you by Christianity Today. Podcast listeners can get a 60-day trial, which includes 2 print issues and complete online access to the website by going to OrderCT.com/NAE.

 

In this podcast, you’ll hear Rebekah share: How her personal experience with a panic disorder impacts her ministry to women; Why it’s important to have separate, specific ministries for women; What churches can do to incorporate women into the mission of the church; and Why national women leaders need to be connected to the local church. ...

Daniel Henderson is a man of prayer, and he speaks to thousands of people each year at conferences and churches across the country and world on prayer and spiritual renewal. In Today's Conversation, he shares what's happening with prayer in America, and what should we do.

In this podcast, you'll also hear Leith Anderson, NAE president, and Daniel Henderson, president of Strategic Renewal, discuss:

The definition of prayer;

Practical tips for making prayer a priority;

Why it's important to pray with others; and

What churches can to do to cultivate an atmosphere of prayer in their congregation.

Read a Portion of the Transcript

Leith: Let’s start out with a basic yet kind of often asked theological question by a lot of people. Maybe it’s often unspoken. Maybe it’s said out loud. But why should we pray? You know, if God knows everything, why do we need to tell him what he already knows?

Daniel: That’s a great question, Leith. I think it really comes down to our definition of prayer. Traveling around the country — obviously pastoring over the years — people have a lot of interesting definitions, and I would say that definition determines destination.

I say that probably the most typical definition would be prayer is talking to God, which makes God one big ear and us one big mouth. It sounds like a one-way conversation. Some people really functionally think of prayer as informing God about what he’s supposed to do today in order to structure the universe according to my specifications for a happy, comfortable life.

But I found a definition by Alvin Reid who’s a seminary professor. I think it’s so key to help people understand why we pray. And it is that prayer is intimacy with God that leads to the fulfillment of his purposes. And I think when we start with that definition, it changes our destination in prayer. It helps us understand why we pray. It’s really more about relationship than it is necessarily our own self-determined outcomes. It’s more about transformation than therapy, although there are those components to prayer. And it is about joining God and his purposes and that makes prayer a real delight, and I think helps all of us be a little more motivated in our prayer life.

Share the Love

If you enjoyed the program, please rate it on iTunes and write a brief review. That will help get the word out and raise the visibility of the show.

Today’s Conversation is brought to you by Christianity Today. Podcast listeners can get a 60-day trial, which includes 2 print issues and complete online access to the website by going to OrderCT.com/NAE.

 

In this podcast, you’ll also hear Leith Anderson, NAE president, and Daniel Henderson, president of Strategic Renewal, discuss: The definition of prayer; Practical tips for making prayer a priority; Why it’s important to pray with others; and What churches can to do to cultivate an atmosphere of prayer in their congregation. Read a Portion of the ...

Christian colleges and universities face many challenges today. Some experience legal battles as they seek to maintain their faith identity in an increasingly secular society. Others must address the competing interests of various constituencies, such as students, donors, faculty and alumni. They all need to make exemplary education affordable and accessible.

In Today's Conversation podcast, Leith Anderson talks with Shirley Hoogstra about the challenges and opportunities of Christian colleges, including:

Recent case studies challenging the religious freedom of Christian colleges, particularly as it relates to biblical marriage and LGBT rights;

Innovative approaches providing more opportunities for Christian college students;

Advice for college presidents in their unique place of ministry; and

Reasons to be encouraged about the future of Christian higher education.

Read a Portion of the Transcript

Leith: Peter Drucker once said that among the most difficult jobs in the United States, being the president of a university is one of the top three. And he explained that that’s because there are multiple constituencies. So there are donors and students and faculty and alumni. There’s the community and accreditation, there’s finance, there’s so many different constituencies for a college or university. You probably know Christian college presidents more and better than anybody and must give them advice. So, what advice do you give to these college and university presidents in negotiating all of these competing interests in their constituencies?

 

Shirley: Well first of all, they have to really be clear about the mission of their institution. They have to know that assignment. And then they have to choose to say, “I won’t look over my shoulder at what other places are doing. I’m going to be excellent in the assignment that I have.”

I would say: Don’t take things personally. There are going to people who agree with you and don’t agree with you. Most presidents have learned to be both gracious and have a thick skin. And I think that’s one of the best qualities that I have found when I deal with the 180 presidents in my association.

To a person, they care about their students, their faculty, their alumni, the donors, their constituents. They are self-sacrificing, and they are unflaggingly gracious towards others. They are welcoming, and they are thinkers who really feel the large assignment that keeps expanding, Leith.

You know 10 years ago they didn’t have to be government advocates. Ten years ago they didn’t have to have quite the fundraising expertise. Ten years ago they didn’t have to have this base of business relationships and medical relationships and legal relationships.

The job is more and more complex, and people on social media today — you know — they can be quite quick to critique and criticize. And I would say that our presidents — and the advice that I give to them and see that they are incorporating is that — “We serve an audience of one and that is does God say, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant?’” while they shepherd and hold this wonderful fiduciary duty towards their institution.

Share the Love

If you enjoyed the program, please rate it on iTunes and write a brief review. That will help get the word out and raise the visibility of the show.

In Today’s Conversation podcast, Leith Anderson talks with Shirley Hoogstra about the challenges and opportunities of Christian colleges, including: Recent case studies challenging the religious freedom of Christian colleges, particularly as it relates to biblical marriage and LGBT rights; Innovative approaches providing more opportunities for Christian college students; Advice for college presidents in their unique place of ministry; ...

Right now, there are 65 million forcibly displaced people worldwide. As Scott Arbeiter illustrates in Today's Conversation, that number would include the population of 12 Midwestern states in America. But, the crisis feels far from our doorstep, and information about refugees in the media can be confusing.

In this podcast, you'll hear Leith Anderson, NAE president, and Scott Arbeiter, World Relief president, discuss:

How the U.S. refugee vetting process differs from European countries;

Our country's response to the refugee crisis thus far;

Whether the United States should prioritize persecuted Christians who are refugees; and

How reductions in refugees to the United States will affect our country for years to come.

Read a Portion of the Transcript

Leith: As far as Christians are concerned — and particularly evangelical Christians in America — there’s fear. Some people are just afraid, and fear is shaping what their attitude is towards refugees as well as their interpretation of Scripture. So what’s your take on the role of fear in our country right now over this?

Scott: Well, I think there are probably a couple of factors. One is that it’s a frightening world, and there are reasons that we should be certainly alert. But as believers I don’t think fear is ever our best instinct, and I don’t think it’s what God gives us. We understand that he’s given us not a spirit of fear but of power, and love, and of a sound mind. We ought to operate out of that even as we recognize we need to be diligent.

But I think what really helps me most is that so many Scriptures go back and tell us that we, in fact, should enter into an open-hearted view towards the stranger and the suffering. And I think about Philippians 2 where it says of Jesus; first, it instructs us, let the mind or the attitude that’s in Jesus be in you who though he knew that he was the son of God he did not use that for his advantage yet he humbled himself as a servant even to the point of death, death on a cross.

So I ask myself: If Jesus was self protective, what would have happened? There would have been no manager, and no cross, and no resurrection, and I would be dead in my sins. But Jesus threw off all the protections of heaven, because he loved you and me and the refugee enough to come for us. And so the question I ask is: What is it about those of us who follow Jesus and our response to this crisis? What most resembles him? And I think that a primary interest in our well-being and safety cannot be the principle driver. We should be wise, but we shouldn’t be fearful.

Share the Love

If you enjoyed the program, please rate it on iTunes and write a brief review. That will help get the word out and raise the visibility of the show.

In this podcast, you’ll hear Leith Anderson, NAE president, and Scott Arbeiter, World Relief president, discuss: How the U.S. refugee vetting process differs from European countries; Our country’s response to the refugee crisis thus far; Whether the United States should prioritize persecuted Christians who are refugees; and How reductions in refugees to the United States will ...

What do Mormons believe? Are they a cult? How is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints organized? What should evangelicals say when Mormon missionaries come to their door? Today's Conversation with Leith Anderson and Greg Johnson covers these topics and more. 

In this podcast, you’ll hear from a former Mormon, now evangelical leader in Utah on:

The main distinctives between historical, biblical Christianity and Mormonism;

A dialogue approach with Mormons;

What Mormons and evangelicals have in common; and

How the LDS church has changed in the last decade and where it's headed.

Read a Portion of the Transcript

Leith: There are some pretty significant differences between historical, biblical Christianity and Mormonism. So what are the noteworthy, the big differences, or distinctions?

Greg: Yeah, and that’s the key as we build our friendships and relationships with the members of the Mormon church is to understand that while we have a lot of similar moral beliefs and values that we do have some key doctrinal differences. And I would really summarize — in a very short way — what I think are the six key differences. And that would be in the nature and understanding of God himself. Who is God, and how do we understand him? Secondly, the understanding of salvation. How is a person made right with God? Third, the nature of human beings and their sin. What is sin? Fourth, understanding the nature of revelation and what is scripture. Fifth, the issue of authority, priesthood and temples. And then finally, the distinctive that the LDS church claims to be the only true Christian church in all the world.

Leith: Wow. That is a pretty big list. Do you think that …

Greg: (Laughs) Well, we could break that down but I just wanted to give a quick summary.

Leith: So do most Mormons — the average person or student at BYU — would they know all those differences?

Greg: Yeah, in fact, why I key in on those is those are fundamental basic understandings of typical Latter-day Saints in relationship to those key doctrinal areas, and they would see them as different than most other kinds of Christian churches.

Share the Love

If you enjoyed the program, please rate it on iTunes and write a brief review. That will help get the word out and raise the visibility of the show.

In this podcast, you’ll hear from a former Mormon, now evangelical leader in Utah on: The main distinctives between historical, biblical Christianity and Mormonism; A dialogue approach with Mormons; What Mormons and evangelicals have in common; and How the LDS church has changed in the last decade and where it’s headed. Read a Portion of the ...