Unpacked with Skyler: Recent Episodes
Skyler Elmer
The Unpacked Podcast, is a podcast devoted to unpacking faith, life, and leadership with Skyler Elmer. To simplify big ideas for greater impact in everyday people, like you and me.
In this episode Skyler interviews John Marriott on the Christian deconversion. John serves on the research staff at the Center for Christian Thought at Biola University, and adjunct professor in the department of philosophy. John's dissertation focused on deconversion from Christianity to atheism making him a leading voice in the area of understanding deconversion and a helpful resource to pastors, parents, and churches in today's world.
Notes: The Anatomy of Deconversion
John Marriott website
In this episode Skyler interviews David L. Rowe on the Latter-Day Saints and how Christians can have better conversations with them. David served as professor and dean of spiritual life at Salt Lake Theological Seminary, before transitioning to the dean of facilitators at The Vine Institute. In this interview David shares his wealth of knowledge and heart for the Latter-Day Saints.
Notes: I Love Mormons: A New Way to Share Christ with Latter-Day Saints The Vine Institute
In this episode Skyler interview Disciple-Making coach John King about the global movement of disciple-making and it's roots with the Discovery Bible Study. John transition from pastoral ministry into disciple-making coach shortly after a conversation with David Watson about their disciple making efforts that resulted in over 100,000 churches planted in 167 nations. This led John to ask the simple question: “Why not in Murfreesboro? Why not in Tennessee?” In this interview John gives us the challenge to ask the same question of where we live: "Why not in ..."
Links Email: johnkennethking@gmail.com Twitter: @johnkking John's Blog Dmmcoach Final Command Ministries Renew
In this episode Skyler interview Biblical scholar and Anglican priest Michael Bird about his most recent book, Seven things I Wish Christians Knew About the Bible. Michael is the Academic Dean and Lecturer in Theology at Ridley College in Melbourne, Australia. He has authored a number of books including one with N.T. Wright called the New Testament in its World. In this interview Michael shares his heart and hopes for giving Christians an mature view of the Bible in a readable format.
Links Seven Things I Wish Christians Knew About the Bible Newsletter Twitter @mbird12 Ridley College
In this episode Skyler interview New Testament scholar Michael Gorman about the Apostle Paul's vision for the spirituality of the Cross from his rerelease of his book Cruciformity: Paul's Narrative Spirituality of the Cross. Michael is the Raymond E. Brown Chair in Biblical Studies and Theology at St. Mary Seminary and University and a specialist in the theology and spirituality of the apostle Paul, the Gospel of John, the book of Revelation, and the missional interpretation of Scripture.
Quote: "Cruciformity is the all-encompassing, integrating narrative reality of Paul’s life and thought, expressed and experienced in every human dimension of his being, bringing together the diverse and potentially divergent aspects of that existence." (p. 371)
Links Michael Gorman Cruciformity: Paul’s Narrative Spirituality of the Cross, 20th Anniversary Edition
In this episode Skyler interview with New Testament scholar Ben Witherington about the origins of the Reformation, Christian origins in America, and theological problem from a rerelease of his book "The Problem with Evangelical Theology." Ben is Amos Professor of New Testament for Doctoral Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary. He has althored over 60 books including a commentary on every book in the New Testament. He brings a wealth of knowledge and wisdom for biblical scholarship and down to earth Christian living.
Links Ben Witherington III The Problem with Evangelical Theology: Testing the Exegetical Foundations of Calvinism, Dispensationalism, Wesleyanism, and Pentecostalism, Revised and Expanded Edition
In this episode Skyler talks with Ruth Jackson about how to disagree without being disagreeable, and why we should welcome conversations with those we disagree with. Ruth is a co-host with Premier Christian Radio and the Unbelievable Podcast where they specialize in bringing together Christians and non-Christians to discussion various topics. She has also launched a Podcast with Alister McGrath called The C.S. Lewis Podcast.
Links Ruth Jackson (Twitter) Justin Brierley (Twitter) Premier Christian Radio Unbelievable Podcast Ask N.T. Wright Anything The C.S. Lewis Podcast The Daisy Chain Will Our Children Have Faith? by John Westerhoff III Tactics, by Gregory Koukle
Podcasts, Books, and Resources Where is God in all the suffering? Amy Orr-Ewing and Jon Steingard Unbelievable? God, Gay Christians and the Church - Brandan Robertson and David Bennett The Big Conversation Unbelievable the Conference Alpha
In this episode Skyler interviews Alan Robertson from Duck Dynasty. Alan helped his family with the family business (Duck Commander) making duck calls until he left to serve as a pastor at White's Ferry Road Church in West Monroe, LA. In 2012 he entered the rest of the Robertson family on the A&E Duck Dynasty show. Since the show last aired Alan has co-authored two books and travels frequently to speak on various topics. In this episode Skyler and Alan talk about his story, marriage, ministry, and the open doors God's brought their way as a result of the show.
Links Alan Robertson (Website) Unashamed with Phil & Jase Robertson (Podcast) White's Ferry Road Church A New Season (Book) The Duck Commander Devotional for Couples (Book)
In this episode Skyler interviews Danny Davis a rural pastor, Bible college professor, and rural church revitalization coach. Danny has planted and revitalized churches in South Africa and the USA. He holds a Doctor of Education in Transformational Leadership and is the author of "Rural Church Turnaround: Real Life Experiences of Rural Pastors and Lay-Leaders." In this episode Skyler and Danny talk about his story, God's work of revitalization, and our role in the process.
Rural Church Turnaround (website) Rural Church Turnaround: Real Life Experiences of Rural Pastors and Lay-Leaders.
In this episode Skyler talks with Dr. Andy Bannister about Islam and Christianity. Andy is a respect and sought after Christian scholar and speaking on Islam, Atheism, and apologetics. He serves as the director of Solas and is an adjunct speaker with the Ravi Zacharias International Ministry. On this episode Andy helps us to understand the complexities if Christians and Muslims worship the same God.
Links Andy Bannister St. Patricks Bad Analogies Solas Center For Public Christianity Ravi Zacharias International Ministry The Atheist Who Didn't Exist (Book) Do Christians and Muslims Worship the Same God?
In this episode Skyler talks with Jon Good from International Justice Mission (IJM) about the issue of modern day slavery and worldwide injustice. Jon serves as one of IJM’s church mobilization directors and helps equip churches by sharing the biblical call to justice, introducing churches to IJM’s ministry and mobilizing churches to engage in local and global justice ministries.
Links Jon Good International Justice Mission Global Slavery Index Central Illinois Prevention of Abuse Become a Freedom Partner For Churches The Good News about Injustice (Book)
Notes
- IJM's mission is to protect the poor from violence by partnering with local authorities to rescue victims, restore them back to health, retrain perpetrators, and restore the public justice system.
- Over 40 million people are enslaved today.
- Two main forms of slavery today: Forced Labor and Sex Trafficking.
- The 10-80-10 rule: in a corrupt system about 10% are corrupt and in it for the wrong reason, 10% are good and in it for the right reason, and 80% in the middle will go in the direction of whomever is getting the affirmation and the benefits.
As many families are now experiencing the new advent of education at home is not simple and easy as it sounds. There are many factors and challenges that go into it, but at the same time there is also one of the greatest opportunities for parents, caregivers, and educators for discipleship. In this interview Skyler talks with Shelia Maia about a recent workshop that Rise City Church of Gresham, Oregon did to help resource parents with practical and biblical insights to navigate and redeem this new normal of distance learning.
Links Rise City Church Tiny Theologians The Daily Grace Co
Four Common Challenges Families Are Facing with Distance Learning
- Trying to recreate a 6 hour school day at home.
- An overabundance of screen time.
- Figuring out what to do with your kid if the parent(s) have to work.
- Figuring out how to balance working from home and doing home education.
Three Opportunities Presented to Families with Distance Learning
- A ministry opportunity for homeschool families and/or families with stay at home parent(s): offer support to working parent(s) by offering to open up your home for their kids to have a safe and supervised place for study or learning along with your kids.
- Distance learning allows families greater flexibility for education. Pick the time that works best for you.
- The Discipleship opportunity is GREAT! Use this time to shepherd your kids heart toward Christ.
Tips for educating and learning successfully
- Create a vision statement for this school year.
- Be on the lookout for and acknowledge the Christlike character in everyday moments.
- Have them teach it back to you.
- Be your children biggest cheerleaders.
- Be mindful of the struggle for the stress and struggle this season has on everyone.
- Set an example for how you expect your kids to act and respond (more will be caught than taught)
- Assume the best about your parents.
- Do the hard things first.
- Eat good snack and get adequate movement.
In this episode Skyler interviews Jon Sanders on life and ministry in rural America. Jon served as the Lead Pastor of The RESCUE Church in South Dakota. And had been considered a leading voice in the rural church arena. Jon hosts the Small Town Big Church Podcast that seeks to encourage rural pastors with the message that God delights in doing BIG things in small places. In addition to his passion for the rural church, Jon also serves as firefighter/EMT, and the regional director of the Rural Matter Institute.
Links Rural Matters Institute Small Town Big Church (Podcast) Small Town Big Church (Website)
In this interview Skyler interview Dr. Gerry Breshears spiritual warfare, demons, and Jesus. Gerry is a professor of Theology at Western Seminary, on the Board of Directors for the Bible Project, and an Elder at Grace Community Church in Oregon. Gerry I spent countless hours researching and teaching on this topic. [NOTE: Our Podcast will be releasing episodes every other week]
Spiritual Warfare Couse 3 Crucial Questions about Spiritual Warfare, by Clint Arnold Gerry Breshear (Website) Western Seminary
Spiritual Warfare takes place in ...
- In the World: The narrative of what will make you successful
- In the Flesh: Our selfish desires.
- And the Devil: demonic beings working through attachment to attack.
- Most common form in the Western world is accusation and deception.
Method of Attack
- Have an assessment of things in your life (physical, emotional, relation, and demonic)
- Gerry listens for an accusing voice, an oppressive presence, and if one has had involvement in spiritualism and occultism.
- Understand your foundation and authority you have in Christ
- You're in the kingdom of light (Colossians 1), not in the kingdom of darkness.
- Jesus has disarmed the the demonic forces at the cross (Colossians 2), they have no authority over you.
- Act like Jesus
- Speak Scripture out loud.
- Tells whatever it is to go away because you are a Son of the Most high God.
- Focus 100% of your attention upon Jesus.
Things you must know about Spiritual Warfare
- Demons are real (contrary to Western opinions)
- Our Problems as people are Multimodal, so see...
- a doctor to check on your physical health
- a go to Christian counselor to check on your psychological health
- a pastor to check on your spiritual health
- a spirit led friend to help you discern your inner world
In this episode Skyler shares some of his own research and questions on the Apocalyptic literature in the Bible following his interview with Dr. Shane Wood (Episode 13). He looks at questions such as "Why do churches shy away from Apocalyptic parts of the Bible? Where did this literature come from? What do people actually believe about it? and why did God speak in Apocalypses? Skyler is the pastor at the Christian Church of Litchfield in Litchfield, IL and a student at Lincoln Christian University where he is finishing up his Master in the New Testament.
Links: My Strange Bible: Shane Wood The Bible Project: Apocalypse Series Brent Sandy, Plowshares and Pruning Hooks: Rethinking the language of Biblical Prophecy and Apocalyptic
Notes: Apocalyptic Passages: Isaiah 24–27; 33; 34–35; Jeremiah 33:14–26; Ezekiel 38–39; Joel 3:9–17; Daniel 7-12; Zechariah 12–14; Matthew 24; Mark 13; 2 Thessalonians 2; Revelation.
The Fall out of Apocalyptic preaching in America happened through three cultural movements
- The rise of Higher criticism
- Comparative study of religion
- Darwinism
What is an Apocalypse?
- The literature existed for about 700 years.
- Distinctly Jewish and Christian literature.
- Was seen with great skepticism after a heretical group used Revelation to espouse new teaching.
- SBL Definition: "a genre of revelatory literature with a narrative framework, in which a revelation is mediated by an otherworldly being to a human recipient, disclosing a transcendent reality which is both temporal, insofar as it envisages eschatological salvation, and spacial insofar as it involves another, supernatural world."
- Skyler's paraphrase: "Apocalyptic literature is a writing style that reveals hidden truth in story form. Revealing future salvation and the supernatural world to humans by a heavenly messenger."
Five theme of Apocalyptic literature:
- Dualism
- Symbolism
- Narrative
- Cosmic End
- Future Salvation
Six functions of Apocalypses
- A call to worship
- Comfort that God is in control
- Insight into cosmic issues
- Hope for the persecuted
- Assurance of God’s victory
- Call to purity
In this interview Skyler interview Dr. Tremper Longman III on one of the most cited passages in the Old Testament about the End of the World. Tremper is a sought after Bible scholar who has been involved with translating several english translations, author numerous popular level as well as scholarly level books and commentaries. Tremper earned his PhD at Yale University and has recently retired from his full time teaching position at Westmont College -- but he continues to write and lecture.
Links Tremper Longman III Daniel (the NIV Application Commentary) How to Read Daniel Bible and the Ballot Confronting Old Testament Controversies
Notes
- The Old Testament uses highly symbolic language and numbers.
- Apocalypses communicate to the reader (without plotting it out on a calendar) that God is in control and evil will not last forever.
- Daniel 9 is clear on the big points, but not our specific points.
- Old Testament prophecy may have near term fulfillment and often further fulfillment in Christ.
- We need caution when interpreting the Bible and respect toward differing opinions.
In this interview Skyler interview Dr. Tyler Stewart on the time between the Old and New Testament often referred to as the Second Temple period. This is an often overlooked period that has tremendous impact on how we understand the Bible. Without it, it would be nearly impossible to enter the world of the New Testament. Dr. Tyler Stewart earned his PhD at Marquette University and is currently teaching New Testament at Lincoln Christian University.
Tyler's Recommended Resources NRSV Harper Collins Study Bible Matthias Henze, Mind the Gap Warren Carter, Seven Events that Shaped the NT World Steve Mason, Josephus and the New Testament James VanderKam, Dead Sea Scrolls Today Kenneth Schenk, A Brief Guide to Philo
Notes:
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Three Biggest discoveries
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Learning Greek and Hebrew
- The Unity of the Bible
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Studying Second Temple Judaism
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Four Reasons why we shouldn't call the period between the Old & New Testament years of silence
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This is a period of explosive literary production.
- The Jews then thought God was still speaking to his people.
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This was an important time for the formation of the Old Testament.
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Five Major events
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Death of Alexander the Great (323 BCE)
- Ptolemaic Rule (301–200 BCE); the Old Testament is translated into Greek
- Seleucid Rule (200–167 BCE)
- Hasmonean Dynasty (166–63 BCE)
- Roman Rule (63 BCE)
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.
Westside Christian Church
Highlights from interview
- Covid has revealed and accelerated what has already been in our hearts and minds.
- This seasons has unlocked the genius of the church.
- The church doesn't require a location to be activated for mission.
- The quicker we are to accept that disruption is our reality
- The church was designed to flourish in and with instability.
- God's favorite part of my story is the part where I trust him.
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.
Shane Wood Garden City Project: Online Class on Revelation Blue Letter Bible Next Level Revelation (Free Course) Revelation's Rhapsody (Book) Breaking the Code (Book) Commentary on Revelation (Book)
Highlights on Apocalyptic Literature
- 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.
- The goal is to reveal clearly who God is through exaggerated images.
- Apocalyptic texts are intentionally designed to communicate truth at the emotive side of humanity. This allows us to be challenged and transformed at the deepest part of ourselves. And it invites us to place ourselves into the redemptive story of the Bible.
- Fun Fact: only 17% of all prophetic words and phrases are predictive in nature.
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.
Links Mark Moore Christ Church of the Valley (CCV) Ozark Christian College Core 52 (Website) Core 52 (Book) The Chronological Life of Christ (Book)
Recommended Resources from Mark How the West Won, Rodeny Stark (Book) Mark's recent sermon on Racism
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.
Shane Wood Ozark Christian College Between Two Trees Book Between Two Trees Class (free)
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.
Links Rise City Church Parent Podcast
Intentional things Rise City Church did to thrive in Babylon (ie, Oregon)
- Build a church on a theology of mission.
- Empowered all Christians to do ministry (not just pastors)
- Look for average people to lead, not just professional.
- Embraced the hustle: work hard, don't be lazy.
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.
Links Gary Zustiak Jean Twenge: iGen Nicholas Kardaras: Glow Kids The Coddling of the American Mind National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255 Notes:
How to recognize it before it becomes a problem:
- 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.
- Do not isolate yourself or deny the problem hoping it will go away. Ask for help.
Steps to manage depression:
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Be intentional about rebuilding connections
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Do things you’ve never done before.
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Like having virtual hangouts with friends or family.
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Follow a normal routine.
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Get up and go to bed at similar times every day.
- Organize your day.
- Keep up with personal hygiene.
- Eat healthy meals at regular times.
- Exercise regularly.
- Allocate time for working and time for resting.
- Make time for doing things you enjoy.
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The more you structure your day, the more your brain will calm down.
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Make a list of things you can control.
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Surrender what you can’t.
- Write down things you actually have choices with.
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Minimize newsfeeds. Try to reduce how much you watch, read or listen to news that makes you feel anxious or distressed. Seek the latest information at specific times of the day, once or twice a day if needed.
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Practice mindfulness.
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Take every thought captive.
- Don’t give in to thoughts of panic, process your thoughts.
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Increase all the spiritual practices you do.
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Reach out to loved ones in your life whom you can talk to.
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Don’t hesitate to seek professional help.
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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.
- Treat people how they want to be treated.
- Respect their wishes.
- Listen non-judgmentally.
- Give support and reassurance.
- Encourage professional help if needed.
- Encourage self-help organizations like Celebrate Recovery.
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.
Links Scott Womble Double Slit experience Entanglement How to Read the Bible for all it's Worth (Beginners) Grasping God's Word (Advanced)
Notes: Why the Bible important?
- It is the basis for life and faith in Christ.
- It shows us the Story of Salvation.
- It explains what God's will is for your life.
Is the Bible hard to understand?
- It is easier to understand than we think.
- It is hard when ignore its literary context.
- Read the Bible like you would a newspaper. Different sections require different rules of interpretations (headlines, comics, advertisements, obituaries, etc.). The Bible is a large book with different literary genres (narrative, law, prophetic, poetic, etc.).
The Central Message of the Bible
- God created everything.
- God revealed himself (the Bible).
- There's a Sin problem (God is holy and humans are sinful).
- God's love overcame the Sin problem (Jesus came to die for sin and was resurrected).
- Follow Jesus and live in eternity with God.
Dos and Don'ts for Reading the Bible
- Learn the context of the passage (Context is king): Layers of context:
- Immediate: the paragraph
- Surrounding: several chapters
- The book: what is the book about
- the Bible: what is the message of the bible
- Christian: Read bigger portions of Scripture (e.g., read the New Testament in a Month)
- Non-Christian: Start by reading the Gospel of John.
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.
Shane Wood Ozark Christian College Between Two Trees Book Between Two Trees Class (free)
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.
Concerns and Excitement about the post-pandemic season
- Reengaging with safety while focusing more spiritually than physically (how do we balance between operating in fear and operating wisely)
- Church is viewed with greater importance.
Leadership lessons
- Mission drives everything
- Successful leaders have a variety of people around them
- It only hurt the organization when you cast doubt on those leading in chair one (Chair one is harder than you think).
- God will often use you disproportionally to who you
A Few Tips to staying healthy
- Play as hard as you work.
- Listen to the core voices around you (not the distant voices).
- Remember God always uses broken people to lead broken people.
- Read Leadership Pain by Samuel Chand.
- Call someone more seasoned than you.
Links: Devin Robertson Cornerstone Christian Church Leadership Pain, by Samuel Chand
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.
What makes Jesus Unique
- He claimed to be God in a way a first century Jew would understand.
- He claimed to be the only way to the Father
- He claimed to accomplish what humans could never do for themselves (ie. Pay for their own sins).
What are the common hangups for post-Christian people
- Reliability of Jesus
- Sexuality
- Exclusivity
- Errors and contradictions
- Not wanting to be narrowed into one belief system
- Hypocritical
How can people encourage skeptics toward belief
- Bridge the gap between faith and science
- Encourage people to read through the Gospels.
- Start with Jesus identity statement, then look at the evidence for the resurrection.
- Belief probably won’t happen over night, it’s a process.
Links: The Village Church Mark Clark The Problem of God The Problem of Jesus
Most influential books for Mark on Jesus (outside of the Bible) N.T Wright, Jesus and the victory of God; John P Meier; The Marginal Jew Vol. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
In this episode Skyler interviews Mike Gunderson on the problem of evil and suffering and the challenges it presents to us. Mike is the lead pastor at Oak Park Christian Church and is someone who has known first hand what it feels like to suffer. In this episode Mike shares with us his unique perspective on dealing with evil and suffering and why it is not the greatest issue we should be wrestling with.
Links: Mike Gunderson Room For Doubt
Notes: Why Believe God is Good in the Face of Suffering
- Three options to the problem of suffering:
- There is no God and life is what it is (no purpose, meaning, or hope).
- There is a God, but he's not good.
- There is a God and he is good.
- The bigger problem is not the problem of evil, but the problem of good.
- Why is there so much good in the world?
- For something to be bad, good must exist.
- Why don't more bad things happen?
- How to safeguard your faith from suffering:
- Expect suffering.
- Realize that God has a grader purpose to life (we do not fully understand it now).
- Use difficulty as a time to depend on God's grace.
- How to have a conversations with someone suffering:
- See it as a challenge to do more good for people and the world.
- Be merciful to those who are doubting because of suffering (this was Jesus strategy and James instruction)
- Remember that doubt is not the opposite of faith, unbelief is.
In this episode Skyler interviews Richard Knopp on the topic of doubt, younger generation walking away from the church, and Biblical illiteracy. Rich is the professor of Philosophy and Apologetics at Lincoln Christian University, as well as the director of Room for Doubt. Rich has first hand experience with the questions people are asking and life changing wisdom to help navigate a doubting generation.
In this episode Skyler interviews Doug Aldridge on the topic of doubt and God. Doug is the Academic Dean of Ozark Christian College where he has taught classes on apologetic and hermeneutics for 15 years.
In this episode Skyler interviews Chris DeWelt on the critical topic of prayer. Chris is someone who knows the importance of prayer better than anyone. He is the new president of College Press Publishing, has taught intercultural studies for over 20 years at Ozark Christian College, holds a doctorates from Biola University, and has done missions work in over 100 countries.