Unpacked with Skyler

In this episode Skyler interviews Eddie Lowen on what it was like to transition a large church completely digital (due to Covid-19) while undergoing one the biggest building project in the churches history, and leadership lessons he's learned along the way. Eddie is a seasoned leader with lots of experience and lives and breaths leadership. Eddie is the lead pastor at Westside Christian Church in Springfield, IL.

• Covid has revealed and accelerated what has already been in our hearts and minds. 

In this episode Skyler interviews Dr. Shane Wood on one of the most particular literature in the Bible know as Apocalyptic. Many wrongly understand this genre as short hand for prediction of the end of the world. However, Shane helps us understand what it actually does and how reading it that way side steps what God intends to do inside of people.  Shane is a New Testament scholar who earned his Ph.D. from the University of Edinburgh on Revelation and currently teaches New Testament Studies at Ozark Christian College where he is the Associate Academic Dean at Ozark Christian College.

• Apocalyptic literature is a group of texts that are communicating transcendent realities, (things beyond our senses) often communicated by otherworldly beings (e.g. angels), that are heavily laden with symbolism that emerges out of a time of perceived or real persecution.

In this episode Skyler interviews Dr. Mark Moore on the pressing issue happening right now in our country and where Christians should do about it. More than that, how we move forward from here. Mark is a New Testament scholar who earned his Ph.D. from the University of Wales on the Politics of Jesus and currently the Teaching pastor at Christ Church of the Valley in Arizona.

In this episode Skyler interviews Dr. Shane Wood on his most recent book Between Two Trees: our transformation from death to life. Shane is a New Testament scholar who earned his Ph.D. from the University of Edinburgh and currently resides in Joplin, MO where he is Professor of New Testament Studies and the Associate Academic Dean at Ozark Christian College. The book originally was designed to be about explaining how to read the book of Revelation, but it soon morphed into a book about God transformation in our lives. Shane helps students of the Bible understand the importance of sin, salvation, and the message of spiritual transformation in a fresh and insightful way.

In this episode Skyler interviews pastor Nolan Tjaden on the amazing story of what God is doing at Rise City Church in the secular area of Oregon. Nolan does not have your traditional ministry journey, and yet after feeling very strongly that God was calling him into ministry he responded and has experienced God work in powerful ways. In this episode Nolan shares his story and lessons he has learned along the way leading in the church. Nolan is currently on staff as the Youth and Young Adult Pastor at Rise City Church.

• Build a church on a theology of mission.

In this episode Skyler interviews Dr. Gary Zustiak (Dr. Zus) on the growing issues loneliness and depression. Dr. Zus holds a DMin from Abilene Christian University and is the head of the Psychology and Counseling program at Ozark Christian College. He has been regarded as a longtime expert on youth ministry and mental health, and he has written a number of related works, including the books Intensive Care: A Manual for the Nonprofessional Who Work with Hurting and Broken Youth and Student Ministry That Leaves a Mark: Changing Youth to Change the World.

How to recognize it before it becomes a problem:

1. Know yourself and monitoring your emotional pulse. Ask questions like: "How often do you feel hopeless? How often do you feel that you have lost interest in the things that used to bring you joy or purpose? How often do you feel overwhelmed? etc.

Steps to manage depression:

 1. Be intentional about rebuilding connections

• Do things you’ve never done before.

2. Follow a normal routine.

• Get up and go to bed at similar times every day.

3. Make a list of things you can control.

• Surrender what you can’t.

4. Practice mindfulness.

• Take every thought captive.

5. Reach out to loved ones in your life whom you can talk to.

• God never intended for us to face our problems alone.

How to help if someone battling depression

• If you believe someone is struggling with depression reach out to them. Let them know you care.

In this episode Skyler interviews Dr. Scott Womble on why the Bible is so difficult and hard to understand. Scott is the Vice President of Academics & Professor of Bible & Ministry at Saint Louis Christian College where he has been teaching Bible interpretation for over 20 years. In this episode Scott shares with us why the Bible is not nearly as difficult as we make it and a few tricks of the trade to interpreting the Bible well.

1. It is the basis for life and faith in Christ. 

Is the Bible hard to understand?

1. It is easier to understand than we think.

The Central Message of the Bible

1. God created everything.

Dos and Don'ts for Reading the Bible

1. Learn the context of the passage (Context is king): Layers of context:
   1. Immediate: the paragraph

In this episode Skyler interviews Dr. Shane Wood on the issue of racism from Shane's book Between Two Trees. Shane is a New Testament scholar who earned his Ph.D. from the University of Edinburgh and currently resides in Joplin, MO where he is Professor of New Testament Studies and the Associate Academic Dean at Ozark Christian College. As a biracial family, Shane has had to wrestle with the troubling problem that plagues our country today.

In this episode Skyler interviews Devin Robertson about lessons learned while being a young leader. Devin is the lead pastor at the Cornerstone Christian Church in Jackson, MI and has had to navigate through many unknown seasons as a leader. In Devin shares his perspective  interview we talk about what makes Jesus unique, what hangs people up, and how to help skeptics on their journey toward faith.

• Reengaging with safety while focusing more spiritually than physically (how do we balance between operating in fear and operating wisely)

Leadership lessons

• Mission drives everything

A Few Tips to staying healthy

• Play as hard as you work.

Links:

In this episode Skyler interviews Mark Clark on the problem of Jesus. Mark is the lead pastor at the Village Church in Vancouver Canada and author of the book The Problem of God. Mark is passionate about reaching people for Jesus and helping skeptics find answer to their questions. In this interview we talk about what makes Jesus unique, what hangs people up, and how to help skeptics on their journey toward faith.

• He claimed to be God in a way a first century Jew would understand.

What are the common hangups for post-Christian people

• Reliability of Jesus

How can people encourage skeptics toward belief 

• Bridge the gap between faith and science

Links:

Most influential books for Mark on Jesus (outside of the Bible)