Thinking Theologically: Recent Episodes
Spencer Shaw
The podcast where we encourage you to think about your faith and Scripture theologically. Find more content at thinkingtheologically.org
In this episode, we introduce our series on developing a theology of how followers of Jesus should think about and engage politics. Check out the entire series, as well as additional content, on our website, thinkingtheologically.org. #christianscholar #podcast #theology #politics #jesus #bible #church Music:"Kid Kodi"Blue Dot Sessionswww.sessions.blue
Baptism and the Bible aid the Christian in our spiritual battle against the forces of evil.
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In this episode, we discuss Spencer's new book, "Cultivating Culture: Creating Spirit-Powered Churches for the Future." We discuss why church culture is so important and how churches can cast a vision incorporating the past, present, and future. Find the book on Amazon, our website, thinkingtheologically.org, or wherever else books are sold.0:00 Introduction6:34 About the Book15:30 Who is the Audience?22:24 Why Church Culture is Important37:37 A Culture with Vision (Visioning with the Past, Present, and Future)53:49 Closing Thoughts#christianscholar #theology #podcast #bible #newtestament #paul #church #culture Music:"Kid Kodi"Blue Dot Sessionswww.sessions.blue
The ministry of Jesus did not merely deal with the problem of sin (Genesis 3), but it was also the defeat of the spiritual powers (Genesis 4–11) and the establishment of the kingdom of the heavens.
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In the Old Testament, sacred spaces and places are connected to the divine. These themes appear again in the New Testament, particularly in Jesus' ministry.
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In this episode, we discuss how Yahweh God and his other spiritual beings interact and intersect with the gods of other nations and Ancient Near Eastern Religions.
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In this episode, we talk about the Nephilim and their role in the stories of Moses, Joshua, and David.
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In this episode, we address some recent criticisms around Spencer's "The Problem with the Bible's One Unified Voice" and talk at length about the importance of defining terms and speaking to one another.
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How do young women experience the church? What does the church's future look like? How can the church listen to and utilize women's voices? In this second conversation episode, we address these questions and many more.
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How important is the Tower of Babel to the greater biblical narrative? We discuss Genesis 11, its spiritual realm backing, and why it matters to us today in this episode.
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Spiritual beings are involved in mankind's fall from the very beginning. In this episode, we discuss the Fall of Genesis 3, the Flood of Genesis 6, and how spiritual beings were present in bringing about rebellion against God.
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Did you know that God has a spiritual council He converses with and even, sometimes, allows to make decisions? Jack and Spencer discuss Psalm 82 and God's Divine Council in this episode.
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In our first every conversation, I speak with Jake Doberenz about his new book "AI in Church and Ministry: Applications of Artificial Intelligence for Faith Communities." We talk about the ethical and theological considers of AI, how ministers and churches and begin integrating AI, as well as some helpful resources.
Introduction
- Personal introductions
- Describe/summarize the book (AI in Church Ministry: Applications of Artificial Intelligence for Faith Communities). (2:21)
- What is it about?
- Who is the intended audience?
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What is the main thing you want people to take away?
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Why is this topic important? (11:18)
- How important is it for churches to adapt to our ever changing world?
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Should Christian universities train ministers in the use of technology and AI? Will this be important in the future?
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Define AI (17:45)
Ethical/Theologically Considerations of AI
- What’s the biggest danger of AI? (24:21)
- Risk for children/youth ministry (28:59)
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How should youth ministers be speaking to their kids about ethical use of AI?
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The importance of human connection (emphasized heavily in the book) (36:38)
- What makes us human?
- Balance between AI and gifted members
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Balance between AI and the human touch
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AI has the potential to change the work landscape of our society. How important is work? What are God’s thoughts about work? (53:33)
- Ethical considerations for preaching (1:02:10)
- Plagiarism?
- Originality?
- Human/pastoral component
Ministry Usage
- Your book lists three different areas that AI can assist churches.
- Teaching Ministry
- Care and Community
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Administration
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What do you think is the biggest benefit AI can give to the church? (1:13:20)
- My personal experience with AI (Helpful for ministers in small church settings) (1:17:21)
- Church logo
- Cultivating culture logo
- Sermon illustration
- Sermon series title - Unleashed (Holy Spirit)
- Kahoot
- Discussion questions for youth class
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Discussion questions for small groups
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How can a minister get a congregation on board with AI? (1:28:43)
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Should every church be using AI?
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How can AI be used in a cost-effective manner? (1:36:32)
- Small churches
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Packed budgets
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What is the role of higher church leadership? (e.g., elders, lead minister) (1:41:41)
Closing Remarks
- Top 3 AI resources for churches (1:47:03)
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For many, the spiritual realm or "heavenlies" as Paul calls it in Ephesians 6 is an interesting, but unclear subject. On this episode, Jack and Spencer discuss, generally, what the spiritual is, and more specifically, why it's important to study it.
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For the ancient world, the apocalyptic genre was not particularly difficult to understand. This is not the case today.
In this episode, Spencer and Jack discuss Revelation, the genre of Apocalyptic literature, and how to interpret signs and symbols in Scripture.
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In this episode, Spencer and Jack discuss the writings of Paul and a few key elements present in his writing style.
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In this episode, Spencer and Jack observe the differences within various narratives in the synoptic gospels, discuss why we shouldn't try to harmonize them, and offer a better way of reading through them.
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In this episode, Spencer and Jack discuss the differences in the synoptic gospels, explain why they might be there, and discuss how to interpret the gospels as literature.
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In this episode, we discuss how to interpret Wisdom Literature in the Old Testament.
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In this episode, Spencer and Jack discuss what to look out for when interpreting the Old Testament. You can find the show notes on ThinkingTheologically.org
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On this episode, we conclude our discussion on the Lords Supper by making an appeal for a table that's open to all.
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In this episode, we talk about the phrase "do this in remembrance of me" and talk about exactly what kind of things we are to remember when taking the Lord's Supper.
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In Luke's gospel, Jesus is constantly interacting with those the text refers to as "tax collectors and sinners". Many of those times, Jesus is seated at a table, eating with them.
In this episode, Spencer and Jack look at the institution of the Lords Supper in Luke's gospel narrative and connect the theme of Jesus eating with sinners to Jesus' eating with Judas.
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Luke's gospel places the discussion between the apostles about "who is the greatest?" right after the Lord's Supper implementation. Why here, and what does this mean for us today? We discuss in this episode.
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In this episode, we discuss the atoning language that accompanies communion, and chase a few theological rabbits while we're at it!
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How does the table we sit around now in our worship compare to the table scene that awaits us in the end? We discuss eschatology and the Lords Supper in this episode.
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The Lord's Supper was not a random happenstance meal, but one that was built on the foundation of the Passover meal of Israel. When we understand the importance and significance of the Passover meal, we come to a better understanding of the wine and bread at the table of Jesus.
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Do Christians need to attend church buildings or is it alright for people to meet in smaller groups, or through livestream? We discuss how the early church met, why we are even asking the question, and some good reasons to attend and NOT attend congregations.
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Are people good or evil? We continue our look at the recent "State of Theology" survey, and discuss what Scripture tells us about people, sin, and human nature.
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Does God change His mind? Some Bible passages point explicitly to "no", while others seem to indicate a change. How can we navigate these seemingly contradictory passages? We discuss on this episode of Thinking Theologically.
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Is Jesus God? It turns out that a lot of people aren't sure. In this episode, we speak to this confusion and look to various references throughout the Bible to see what answer it holds.
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On this episode of Thinking Theologically, Spencer and Jack mirror the previous episode by looking at how Christians undervalue the sexual relationship God created, and overvalue the marriage as a result.
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On this episode, we discuss sex and marriage from the world's perspective. We talk about both what the world gets wrong and what it gets right about these two subjects.
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How does it all end? We go through the phrases that John uses for new creation in Revelation and see how they connect to the phrases we've seen used throughout the Bible.
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What does John's gospel teach us about God's plan for creation? We discuss in this episode.
On this episode, Spencer and Jack move into the text of 2 Peter 3, a chapter that very much ties together the new creation themes of Genesis, Isaiah, and Paul. Come study this incredible chapter with us and see what God has said about the "new heavens and new earth".
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On this episode, we look at the last big text of Paul when it comes to the topic of new creation. Come see what Paul says about the "coming" of Jesus and what his word choice reveals to us about how that will look.
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In this episode, Spencer and Jack discuss a section of Scripture that feels somewhat out of place. We look at the greater context of Romans, the cyclical nature of Paul's language throughout the book, and what exactly he believes will happen to the creation.
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In this episode of the Thinking Theologically podcast, Spencer and Jack discuss Paul's new creation language in 1 Corinthians 15. Lots of discussion about the resurrection of Jesus, our resurrection, and why it's important that Jesus is described as the new Adam.
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How did Paul view the world in which he lived? How did this view effect his writings and belief about this life and the one to follow? We discuss all of this on this episode of the Thinking Theologically podcast.
For more content like this visit ThinkingTheologically.org
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In this episode, Spencer and Jack discuss new creation terminology in the mission, language, and worldview of Jesus, specifically as it is shown in the synoptic gospels.
Check out our other episodes on ThinkingTheologically.org
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In this episode of the Thinking Theologically podcast, Spencer and Jack continue their discussion of New Creation language found in the Bible. We take a look at the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) and how the terms "heaven" and "earth" are used there. We also start a conversation about Jesus' worldview, a conversation we'll pick up and finish in the next episode.
For more check out ThinkingTheologically.org
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In this episode of the Thinking Theologically podcast, Spencer and Jack jump into the plan of God to redeem creation (Genesis 12) and unpack the language of Isaiah 65-66, language that will be picked up by Peter, Paul, and John in the New Testament.
Visit ThinkingTheologically.org for more content like this!
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How does the Bible describe the end of it all? What is heaven going to be like? Can we actually know? In this episode of the Thinking Theologically podcast, Spencer and Jack begin a multi-part series on New Creation Theology(also called NHNE theology). We hope you enjoy this interview and all of the episodes to follow on this dense, deep subject.
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How does Christian theology and the beliefs and values of various nations interact with one another? Spencer and Jack discuss on this episode of the Thinking Theologically podcast.
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In this episode of Thinking Theologically, Spencer and Jack talk about the resurrection accounts in the four gospels and why the different gospels present different numbers of women and angels at the tomb of Jesus.
On this episode of Thinking Theologically, Spencer and Jack discuss the composition of the gospels. When we take a look at Luke 1:1-4 we see that the gospels came together in a way that we may not normally think. Join us as we talk about how these writings came to be.
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In this week's episode of the Thinking Theologically, we talk about the tradition of the gospel and what genre the Gospels are. This builds off of our previous two-episode discussion of inspiration.
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In this episode of Thinking Theologically, Spencer and Jack finish up their conversation on inspiration, and what it means to say that the Bible is inspired. Make sure you listen to our previous episode first before you jump into this discussion.
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On this episode of Thinking Theologically, Spencer and Jack discuss five theories of biblical inspiration and discuss the purpose of Scripture. On our next episode we'll wrap up this big discussion on what inspiration is.
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In this episode of Thinking Theologically, Spencer and Jack talk the story of Tamar (Genesis 38) and how it relates to the holocaust and our understanding of ethics, morality, and blame.
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On this episode of Thinking Theologically, Spencer and Jack discuss Hell and whether or not you can square that place of torment with a loving God.
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On this episode of Thinking Theologically, Spencer and Jack try to answer the question of what it meant when Jesus said "My God, my God, why have you forsaken Me?" Join us as we talk about the classical interpretation, weave in previous episodes, and break down Psalm 22. We think you're going to love this episode!
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On this episode, Spencer and Jack discuss the Trinity. The Trinity is a teaching that's hard to understand and very easy to get wrong. Listen to us as we navigate the discussion and join us in discussing the Trinity in the comments!
On our last episode we talked about Jesus needing to be fully human. On this episode we talk about whether Jesus needed to be fully God as well.
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In this episode of Thinking Theologically, Spencer and Jack discuss the incarnation of Jesus, its necessity, and its significance. If you enjoyed this episode please share it with others! Thank you for listening.
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In this episode of Thinking Theologically, Spencer and Jack discuss six different theories of atonement and choose which one they think is the most likely option. Knowing what happened at the cross is beneficial to our understanding of salvation. We hope you enjoy this conversation!
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In this part 2 episode, Spencer and Jack discuss principles that keep churches from moving towards death and instead lead them back to redreaming the dream.
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On this episode, Spencer and Jack discuss the Organizational Lifecycle presented in "Managing Transition" by the business author William Bridges. Spencer compares this business lifecycle to that of the church and he and Jack discuss how churches can grow and avoid closing their doors.
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In this episode, Spencer and Jack discuss creation and immortality. Were Adam and Eve created with immortality or was immortality something for them to grasp later on? How does the answer relate to today? Join us for this discussion on immortality.
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On this episode of Thinking Theologically, Spencer and Jack discuss sanctification (the process of becoming more like Christ). We take a look at the individual's journey through the sanctification process and discuss how more mature Christians can help new Christians along that journey.
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Is it possible to be so focused on heaven that we lose sight of our earthly responsibilities as Christians? We believe that that's not only possible, but that that mindset is extremely pervasive in our churches today. Join us as we talk about how we turn eternity into idolatry, and how we fix the problem.
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Logo by Wayne Roberts
In today's episode, Spencer and Jack discuss the subject of baptism, it's importance, and how we can take it too far, cutting God out of frame entirely.
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On this episode, Spencer and Jack discuss the difference between studying the Bible and being transformed by it. We need the Bible to know God, but if all we're doing with it is gaining knowledge, we may be guilty of turning the Bible into an idol.
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On this episode, Spencer and Jack discuss the difference between worshipping God and worshipping our worship service. We discuss not only the ritual and emotional aspects of worship, but the purpose behind our worship as well.
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On this episode, Spencer and Jack discuss the difference between worshipping God and worshipping the church. This is the first of a few discussions we will have under the umbrella of modern day idolatry. Give it a listen and let us know what you think!
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In this episode, Spencer and Jack discuss a couple very relevant topics in our culture today from the account of David and Bathsheba. Come join our discussion on David and Bathsheba, victim blaming, and cancel culture.
In this episode, Spencer and Jack take a look at the song "Hallelujah" alongside the account of David and Bathsheba and discuss why the Bible shares accounts of Biblical heroes at their worst. What can we learn from such accounts? A lot about who we are and who God is.
Inspired by: “A Broken Hallelujah: Remembering David, Justice, and the Cost of the House” by Donna Nolan Fewell, in the book, The Fate of King David: The Past and Present of a Biblical Icon.
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On this episode of Thinking Theologically, Spencer and Jack explore the relationship that exists between Christians and politics and how to navigate being citizens of this nation while being citizens of the Kingdom.
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What did Jesus say about government? What is the relationship that Christians should have with the government? On this episode, we answer these questions and more about Christianity and politics.
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How do apologetics affect our theological thinking? Should apologetics even have a place at the table? We discuss this on this episode of Thinking Theologically.
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Grace, faith, and works are all important biblical concepts, but the connection between the three of them can be difficult to keep straight sometimes. On this episode, Spencer and Jack explore the relationship between grace, faith, and works, what happens when you put too much importance on the wrong parts, and what the right theological order is.
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In this episode of Thinking Theologically, we examine the parallel accounts of 2 Samuel 24 and 1 Chronicles 21 and talk about why "Yahweh" is changed to "Satan" in these different accounts. What we find out has a lot to teach us about our view of Satan in the Old Testament.
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Was "Satan" viewed the same way in the Old Testament as he was in the New Testament or is the word "satan" trying to convey something broader? We discuss that topic in this very interesting episode of Thinking Theologically.
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In this episode of Thinking Theologically, we examine the text of Genesis 16 to see the oppression and liberation of Hagar, Abram and Sarai's slave. Come study with us as we view this text through the eyes of Hagar and see the incredible liberation of God at work.
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In this week's episode of Thinking Theologically, we piggy-back on our last episode discussing the theology of life and how all are made in the image of God and move to liberation theology, how God sets everyone free.
Send feedback, questions, and suggested topics to StrongChurchMinistries@gmail.com.
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Is it fair that Christians are often told they are "pro-life" when it comes to infants only? How should Christians view life in all its forms? In this episode of Thinking Theologically, we discuss how God views life and what that means for us as His people.
Send feedback, questions, and suggested topics to StrongChurchMinistries@gmail.com.
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In our inaugural episode of "Thinking Theologically", Jack and Spencer spend time discussing their hopes and dreams for the podcast, define theology, and explain why theology should be important for every Christian.
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