The Kuyperian Commentary Podcast: Recent Episodes
Kuyperian Commentary
Pastor Bill Smith joins the podcast to talk about his thoughts on trauma and biblical counseling.See his article here: https://kuyperian.com/trauma-biblical-counseling/
Pastor David Townsend joins the Kuyperian Commentary Podcast to talk about this transition from ministering in a Southern Baptist Church to being a pastor in the CREC.
In this episode, I'm talking about the dietary rules found in the Mosaic law and about distinctions between different kinds of laws in the Old Testament.You can read James Jordan's helpful booklet on the topic here:https://www.wordmp3.com/details.aspx?id=16727
Sam Lively joins the Kuyperian Commentary Podcast to talk about his book, The Trojan Mouse, and to discuss Christian media literacy.Get the book here:https://www.amazon.com/Trojan-Mouse-Disney-Winning-Culture/dp/1734257016
Rev. Rhett Crabtree joins the podcast to talk about weaponized language, the pejoratives of Babylon, humor, discipling men, and more!
Here are some of Pastor Windham's notes on small groups:Benefits of a Small Group 1. Immediate connection with others2. Fellowship (Koinonia) happens3. Increases knowledge — becomes knowledgeable4. Learning is Active — not Passive5. Participation in edifying conversations6. Comradere7. Knowing others and being known8. Accountability9. Opportunities to serve, bless, help, and share10. Imitation takes place11. Spouse & Children have common ground/language12. Communicate understanding to others 13. Learn to read a book14. Learn to study 15. Becoming a possible Small Group leader Individual & Group Transformation Colossians 1:27-28 Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.What is Jesus Like?Godly, confident, faithful, content, wise, on mission, happy, content, stands firm, compassionate, teaches others, builds other up, weeps with those who weep, contra mundum, does God’s will above His own, influences others, hates hypocrisy, leads well, corrects others, fights the Tempter, disciples others, impervious to Wall Street, Hollywood, the NFL, and Fifth Avenue.Transformation as a church member:
- Involved but not divisive
- Tithe’s cheerfully
- Ready to serve
- Worships enthusiastically
- Humble
- Filled with the Spirit
- Responsible in the marriage and family
Cultural Transformation:-Salt & Light-Evangelism through life, words, and actions-Sanctified neighborhoods-Righteous voting bloc-Entrepenureship
Rich Lusk joins the Kuyperian Commentary to discuss some hot-button topics:Race vs ethnicity (and why a strategy focused on racial solidarity isn't the way)Racial realismHitler (and why he's not our guy)Antisemitismand more...
Pastor Paul Liberati joins the Kuyperian Commentary Podcast to talk about how baptism connects us to the Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Here are the first three parts of his baptism series on Kuyperian Commentary
https://kuyperian.com/what-does-baptism-accomplish-part-one-introduction/
https://kuyperian.com/what-does-baptism-accomplish-part-two-an-adoption-ceremony/
https://kuyperian.com/what-does-baptism-accomplish-part-three-a-marriage-ceremony/
Jon Harris joins the Kuyperian Commentary Podcast to talk about the 1607 Project, the origin of the idea of America as a "proposition nation", the current presidential election, and more.Jon's Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3S-Zc7cwIFv0eNGs4ZaRyQThe 1607 Project website: https://www.abbevilleinstitute.org/1607-project/
The 1607 documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzg-yyhZPP0
Pastor Jack Phelps joins the Kuyperian Commentary Podcast to talk about JEEP (Joint Eastern European Project), a network of support and encouragement for CREC churches in Eastern Europe. Jack discusses the ways God has used JEEP's ministry to bless many churches as well as the challenges, opportunities, and needs brought about by the war in Ukraine.
JEEP Website: https://www.jeeproject.net/
The Covid Archives by Nathan Zekveld: https://www.amazon.com/COVID-Archives...-----In the episode I was trying to throw around some numbers about the plague in Wittenberg in Luther's time, but since it has been a few years I was off a bit.For reference, the bubonic plague had a case-death rate of 30% - 60%. Many people fled the city of Wittenberg in 1527 when the plague came. In his letter Luther mentions a number of people who stayed behind and died. His judgment was that the plague was not one of the worst, all things considered, and that the greatest evil to come from it was not the deaths but the scattering of the people from the city.
Pastor Jason Garwood presents a unique take on the interpretation of 1 Corinthians 11:1-16. Listen in as he discusses his exegesis of the passage.Pastor Garwood's Kuyperian Commentary Article on the topic.https://kuyperian.com/paul-the-head-covering-an-alternative-interpretation/
Is the CREC a cult? What makes some folks think we are cultish? And what do other churches need to do in order to become just as "cultish" themselves? Pastor Bill Smith answers these questions and more on this week's episode.Pastor Smith's article on Kuyperian Commentary: https://kuyperian.com/the-cult-of-reformed-evangelical-churches/
This week, Pastor Brian_Sauve joins the Kuyperian Commentary Podcast to talk about his philosophy of social media engagement as a pastor. We discuss principles of engagement, intentional vs unintentional offense, and the impace of a pastor's social media use on his local congregation.
Pastor Zachary Garris joins the Kuyperian Commentary Podcast to talk about the anti-Feminist theology of the Reformers, narrow complementarianism, egalitarianism, and male rule in the home, the church, and the commonwealth.
Honor Thy Fathers book: https://www.newchristendompress.com/store/p/honor-thy-fathers-recovering-the-anti-feminist-theology-of-the-reformers-kd42e
Dr. George Grant joins me this week to talk about a Christian's relationship to books and literature. Why is reading important? How do you discern what books are worth reading? How do you get started as a reader?Dr. Grant has been a major influence in my thought life, and many of my favorite authors today, I have discovered through his book recommendations. So, with his permission, I'm including a few of my favorite selections below from some reading lists of his that I got my hands on about 20 years ago. I hope you find on this list an author or book you've never read which will be the first step on a new path of literary discoveries!Non-FictionOrthodoxy by G. K. ChestertonKnowing God by J. I Packer84 Charing Cross Road by Helen HanffLectures on Calvinism by Abraham KuyperCity of God and Confessions by St. AugustineBondage of the Will by Martin LUtherOn the Incarnation by AthanasiusAll of Grace by Charles SpurgeonFrom Bauhaus to Our House by Tom WolfeThe Golden Booklet of the Christian Life by John CalvinPlutarch's LivesFictionThe Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. TolkienThe Father Brown Stories by G. K. ChestertonThe Four Quartets by T. S. EliotThe Ransom Trilogy by C. S. LewisA Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr SolzhenitsynThe Four Men by Hilaire BellocScaramouche by Raphael SabatiniThe Name of the Rose by Umberto EcoKristen Lavransdatter by Sigrid UndsetThe Anubis Gates by Tim PowersAt Home in Mitford by Jan KaronA Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O'ConnorThe Richard Hannay series by John BuchanIvanhoe by Sir Walter ScottThe Talisman by Sir Walter ScottPilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan
Pastor Joel Ellis's article on Kuyperian Commentary: https://kuyperian.com/am-i-a-christian-yes-live-and-die-as-one/
Here is information about a meeting for those interested in learning more about Boniface Fellowship. The meeting will be open to pastors and elders.
https://twitter.com/thisisfoster/status/1782451506517516598And here is information about the upcoming Guts and Glory Conference in Batavia, OH on August 29-31. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/guts-and-grace-2024-tickets-809265162887
Works Based Conference: worksbased.comWorks Based on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WorksbasedWorks Based on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WorksbasedFull Time: Work and the Meaning of Life by David Bahnsen https://www.amazon.com/Full-Time-Meaning-David-L-Bahnsen/dp/B0CCMMFGJY
Here is Joffre's newest book of poetry, Made in the Image https://www.amazon.com/Made-Image-Plain-Joffre-Swait/dp/1957905727Also available on Canon+ https://mycanonplus.comHere is a link to Joffre's Spanish language ministry website https://missaoguanabara.com/And here are a couple videos for youJoffre teaching you how to smoke a pipe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdougX9q3dMHere is that video that Joffre mentioned in the video so you don't have to search for it... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=br8JRuslwI8
Dr. Gordon Wilson joins the Kuyperian Commentary Podcast this week to talk about the current state of Creation Science.
Dr. Wilson's book Darwin's Sandcastle https://www.amazon.com/Darwins-Sandcastle-Evolutions-Scripture-Scientific/dp/B0CJKV4V17
Trailer for the Riot and the Dance series. (In the interview I said that I would put up the Riot and the Dance: Africa trailer, but it looks like it's not available to the public just yet, so this is the trailer for the series.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPVXpjQUE5c
This week, Pastor Rich Lusk joins the Kuyperian Commentary Podcast to talk about his new book, Measures of the Mission.Among other things, we discuss a "four chapter" view of the Bible as opposed to a "two chapter" view, the meaning of the Great Commission, and ecclesiocentrism.
Get the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Measures-Mission-Survey-Church-Family/dp/1957726083
Norwegian composer and entrepreneur Magnus Gautestad joing the Kuyperian Commentary Podcast to talk about restoring a sense of beauty to the western church and culture.Magnus's podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@UCrEip5lmSM74mz-7RoVz9hw
Composers for Beauty: https://www.composersforbeauty.org/
Garrett Craw joins me this week to talk about what it means to be a savage Christian in a savage age.The Savage Church: https://www.amazon.com/Savage-Church-Building-Churches-Age/dp/B0CTRBQD12
Pastor Tim Decker joins me to talk about the historical context of Romans 13, and how that affects the way we understand Paul's command to submit to governing authorities.Along the way we talk about Emperor Nero, Covid, and the lordship of Christ over government.Get a Kindle copy of Pastor Decker's book here: https://www.amazon.com/Revolutionary-Reading-Romans-Subjection-Magistrate-ebook/dp/B0CQKJ2CCKPre-order a hard copy of the book here: https://press.founders.org/shop/a-revolutionary-reading-of-romans-13/
Pastor Bogumil "Bubu" Jarmulak discusses the dangers of optimistic thinking and the advantages of a healthy pessimism for postmillennialists.Here is a talk Bubu gave on the same topic at the 2023 CREC Council.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hi4EA5wdKWs
Uri Brito joins the Kuyperian Commentary Podcast to talk about his new book, The War of the Priesthood.
This week on the Kuyperian Commentary Podcast, I talk to Pastor Zach Garris about his book Masculine Christianity and about the problem of narrow complementarianism in Reformed churches.Get a copy of Pastor Garris's book here: https://www.amazon.com/Masculine-Christianity-Zachary-Garris/dp/1735473901
In this episode, I talk to Jesse Sumpter about his book on Kuyper's Lectures, living Coram Deo, and Christ's lordship over all areas of life.Get a copy of Jesse's book here: https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-A...
Gabe Rench of Cross Politic joins the Kuyperian Commentary Podcast to talk about a recent brouhaha on Twitter about communion, grape juice, and effeminacy in the church.Wine, Communion, and Effeminacy in the Church https://gaberench.com/wine-communion-and-effeminacy-in-the-church/
"You cannot have God as your Father unless you have the church for your Mother.” - St. CyprianPastor Nathan Zekveld joins the Kuyperian Commentary this week to talk about the importance of the Church in the life of the individual Christian and the role of the Church in God's kingdom plans."The Church is our Mother: Why our doctrine of the church is limping along" by Nathan Zekveld https://kuyperian.com/the-church-is-our-mother-why-our-doctrine-of-the-church-is-limping-along/
Rev. Harold Guptill and Rev. Paul Edgar join the Kuyperian Commentary Podcast to talk about how they and their church have been influenced by the late Dr. Gary North, and about Gary North's working library that he bequeathed to Tri-City Covenant Church in Somersworth, New Hampshire.
Also included are excerpts from a video of Gary North giving a guided tour of his library. See the video podcast here: https://youtu.be/yPSXLgCFfXQ
Recommended Books for Gary North beginners:
Dominion and Common Grace: https://www.garynorth.com/freebooks/docs/pdf/dominion_and_common_grace.pdf
Unconditional Surrender: https://www.garynorth.com/freebooks/docs/214a_47e.htm
Biblical Blueprints Series: https://www.garynorth.com/public/14782.cfm
Pastor Daniel Stanley joins the Kuyperian Commentary Podcast for a conversation about Christ's lordship over the horror genre.What about horror is redeemable? What about horror is irredeemable and ought to be avoided? What does Christian horror look like? Listen to find out!Daniel's book recommendations:https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/301053https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17061.CoralineRick's book recommendations: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43723492-alternate-routes-1https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/952467.Declarehttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1335601.The_Willows
Former CREC Presiding Minister, Virgil Hurt, and current CREC Presiding Minister, Uri Brito, discuss the current state of the CREC and its future.
Pastor Brito's talks at Providence Church's recent KuyperCon can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QS-6aXjmUUE&list=PLCidfTedxVeWopR3nBkZ2Z3d1wwnOFDTh
In ths episode of the Kuyperian Commentary Podcast, Jamie Soles talks about his music, music and scripture memory, and singing Psalms.Jamie Soles' Music: https://solmusic.ca/Chinook Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/7qENC3A...Michael Owens: Contact box on website - https://treasuryofpsalmsandhymns.com/
Pastor Sam Andreades joins the Kuyperian Commentary Podcast to talk about his new book, "Across the Kitchen Table: Talking about Trans with Your Teen"
In the near future the church is going to be seeing broken people whose bodies are irreparably damaged by trans surgeries. We need to be ready to counsel those who identify as trans, and offer the gospel of Christ to those wake up later in life full of regrets.
Across the Kitchen Table: https://www.amazon.com/Across-Kitchen-Table-Talking-about/dp/B0CHL96CSV/
In this episode, I interview Pastor Chase Davis of The Well Church in Boulder, Colorado to discuss the challenges and blessings of ministering in an area hostile to the gospel.
Pastor Davis discusses the challenges and blessings that come from ministering in such a context, and he offers his advice for other churches that have yet to experience the full weight of the current anti-Christian cultural climate on how to prepare for when that time comes.
www.kuyperian.com
The last couple of years have seen a spike of interest in the topic of head coverings in the church. Pastor Adam Mcintosh joins the Kuyperian Commentary Podcast for a conversation about the exegesis of 1 Corinthians 11, and about the history of head coverings.Interested in reading more? Adam has written a series of articles for kuyperian.com on the subject. Check them out below:Uncovering the Head Covering Movement:Part 1: https://kuyperian.com/headcovering-pt-1/Part 2: https://kuyperian.com/headcovering-pt-2/Part 3: https://kuyperian.com/headcovering-pt-3/
Dr. Andrew Sandlin joins the Kuyperian Commentary Podcast to talk about his new/old book A Postmillennial Primer and about why the Bible's teaching on the victory of the gospel is so attractive in our society today.
A Postmillennial Primer: https://www.amazon.com/Postmillennial-Primer-Basics-Optimistic-Eschatology/dp/B0C7J78Q1C
Center for Cultural Leadership: https://christianculture.com/
kuyperian.com
Rev. Michael Shover talks about his encounter with the woke mob at the Iowa capitol building.
www.kuyperian.com
Pastor Kendall Lankford joins the Kuyperian Commentary Podcast in order to tell us how to Make America Great Again!
How To Make America Great Again (In 9 Biblical Steps) https://kuyperian.com/how-to-make-america-great-again-in-9-biblical-steps/
The last couple of years have seemed like Christmas in June with great decesions being handed down by the US Supreme Court. Law Professor Rodney Chrisman joins the podcast this week to talk about some of the Court's recent rulings.
http://www.kuyperian.com
Reverend Jack Phelps joins the Kuyperian Commentary Podcast to his newly published book, The Devil's Diet, a fresh look at the seven deadly sins. Jack brings nearly 50 years of pastoral ministry to the conversation about sin in our culture today.
The Devil's Diet: https://www.amazon.com/Devils-Diet-Seven-Deadly-Revisited/dp/B0C51PCVFB
Kuyperian Commentary: http://www.kuyperian.com
It's a double dose of Ricks on this week's episode, as attorney Rick Boyer joins the Kuyperian Commentary Podcast to discuss the failure of the modern church to render unto God the things that are God's.
God, Caesar, and Idols: https://www.amazon.com/God-Caesar-Idols-Struggle-Americas/dp/164960078X
Kuyperian Commentary: http://www.kuyperian.com
Tom Garfield shares his thoughts on the importance of art as part of a Christian education and about the state of the arts in our world today.
www.kuyperian.com
2023 marks the 25th anniversary of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC). Rick sits down with Pastor Virgil Hurt, Presiding Minister of Council for the CREC to talk about the opportunities and challenges facing the CREC in the future.
Kuyperian Commentary: http://www.kuyperian.com
New host, Rick Davis, has a conversation with Kuyperian Commentary founder, Uri Brito, about the general state of the Church and culture today.
Kuyperian Commentary: http://www.kuyperian.com
The Lord’s Day carries remarkable continuity with the Sabbath. Consider it this way: the Sabbath was a creation ordinance to indicate the rest God had when he completed his labors. When God made man and woman, he said it was very good. So he brought to life new flesh, bearing his image.
When the Lord’s Day, or the first day of the week, comes to life in the New Covenant, it also carries the promise of rest. There, God raised Jesus from the dead promising rest for all humanity. The new humanity will find rest in the true Sabbath.
The Sabbath indicated God’s rest when he made the first man. The Lord’s Day indicates God’s rest in raising the true Man. “The Sabbath is made for man not man for the Sabbath” is God’s way of saying, “We are united to the true man when we gather to worship him.”
That bit of theologizing may seem fine and dandy in the manual, but what about the nature of the Lord’s Day? How do we assume that the Sabbath has been transformed into the Lord’s Day? What about Jewish festivals? What role does the condemnation of “delight” in Isaiah 58 play in modern discussions of the Lord’s Day?
Our guest is Stuart Bryan:
Stuart Bryan and his wife, Paige, have seven children, four homegrown and three adopted internationally, as well as seven grandchildren. Stuart earned his B.A. in Religion from Whitworth College and his M.A. in Theological and Historical Studies from Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Florida. Stuart has been the pastor of Trinity Church in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, since 2007. Before moving to Coeur d’Alene, he taught at The Oaks, a Classical Christian school in Spokane, Washington. He has written several articles for the Veritas Press Omnibus curriculum and is the author of The Taste of Sabbath: How to Delight in God’s Rest. He’s also been known to enjoy a fine glass of port or a pint of porter and to cheer on the Zags.
Purchase The Taste of Sabbath
Our evangelical churches stress the importance of discipleship. It is good and necessary. But discipleship is often discussed in the context of intellectual learning; a fact-finding mission. However, there is more to discipleship than facts. Discipleship in the Bible is also the cultivation of bodily postures and biblical manners. The Bible trains us to move and live and to have our being in God. Any model of discipleship that does not include learning to kneel, raise hands, eat, sing, show affection, speak gently, receive, give, sit, stand, etc. is missing the mark. We need to school our imagination by seeing discipleship as more than biblical data but biblical living. Our guest on this episode is Chase Davis. He is the lead pastor of the Well Church in Denver, Colorado. He is the author of Trinitarian Formation: A Theology of Discipleship.
Follow Chase on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jchasedavis
Purchase his book: https://www.amazon.com/Trinitarian-Fo...
When I was in the heights of ignorance somewhere in my glorious teens, a radio show emerged on my station on a snowy evening in Altoona, PA. "Renewing Your Mind" with R.C. Sproul dramatically shaped my theological pursuits. I wasn’t fully on board with the fanatic Pittsburg Steelers fan by the name of Robert Charles Sproul, but I knew he was on to something.
My joy was made complete during my seminary days in RTS/Orlando where we had the opportunity to attend St. Andrew Chapel for a short season and sit under his preaching and also his classes on the Westminster Confession on Wednesday nights. I had the pleasure of interacting with R.C. on many occasions, but the memory of watching that titan preach from his Lutheraneque pulpit is something I will never forget.
When I came across a new biography of Sproul, who died in 2017, I had to contact the author. And it’s my delight to have Nate Pickowicz to discuss his book: R.C. Sproul – Defender of the Reformed Faith.
In this episode, we discussed:
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the educational background that gave roots to the genius of R.C. Sproul
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major theological issues that shaped R.C. theological ministry
...and many other topics.
You can purchase Nate's book here: https://www.amazon.com/R-C-Sproul-Def...
You can follow Nate on twitter: https://twitter.com/NatePickowicz
In our 100th episode, we spoke with the founder of the Center for Cultural Leadership, P. Andrew Sandlin. Sandlin is editor and contributor to a new work that challenges head-on the many failures of the evangelical church during the COVID season.
I truly believe that these essays will be a tremendous source of wisdom and insight in the days to come. I was honored to contribute a chapter to it and hope that you will order copies for your congregation and book studies. These essays can be studied individually, which will provoke a sturdy dose of conversations within the Church and the home.
In this episode, we cover some basic principles of preaching and teaching. Should there be a distinction between Bible Teaching and Catechetical instruction? If so, are there ways to communicate differently in certain scenarios?
This is an instructive episode for those who teach and preach in the Church.
Welcome to Kuyperian Commentary, this is episode 98. I am host Uri Brito.
The Rev. Dr. Gregg Strawbridge died a couple of weeks ago. Those of us who knew him well have mourned profusely these last 14 days. We have lost a friend, a mentor, and a titan of the Christian faith. His presence in the CREC was palpable every time we met. He was kind, gracious, studious, a Presbyterian of high caliber, a churchman with unspeakable talent, a pastor with theological and pastoral inclinations which made him a remarkable gem in every way.
When we were in Lancaster, PA last week, we had the opportunity to gather, remember, grieve and laugh over Gregg's stories. A gracious host provided the second floor filled with several fine beer taps and we told stories and rejoiced in the life of our brother.
I thought I would bring some of the men who were trained directly by Gregg Strawbridge to join me for this episode and do a bit of the story-telling bit from a perspective of folks who spent enormous time with him and who now shepherd their own flocks as a result of the Gregg Strawbridge School of Theology.
In this interview, Pastors Uri Brito and Brian Sauvé I discuss the nature of social media and how it can benefit Christendom, and conclude with a lovely dialogue on the place of church music in our day. Pastor Brian Sauvé is a wonderful musician and you can find his latest album on Spotify and a host of other platforms.
KC Podcast sits down with Pastor Luke Pierce of Apologia Church to learn about their worldwide ministry to proclaim the good news of life at the mill and their tremendous work of reinvigorating a passion to protect the unborn. END ABORTION NOW has over 700 participating churches.
You can visit them at https://endabortionnow.com/
Our Guest: Luke Pierce
Luke has been a Pastor/Elder at Apologia Church from its inception in February of 2010 and serves as Discipleship Pastor, primarily focusing on one-one-one discipleship and counseling, as well as overall general spiritual growth of the body at Apologia.
Luke, along with Pastor Jeff, co-founded Apologia Studios and End Abortion Now, and is Co-Host of the church’s radio and TV programs, Apologia Radio and Apologia TV. Luke, serving as Vice President of Apologia Christian Ministries and has been involved in outreach to the occults and various religious groups since 2000.
Luke is fourth generation in a long line of missionaries and full-time ministers of the Gospel going back to his great-grandfather in the early 1900’s. He also served in youth ministry for nine-plus years, at Bethel Church in Crown Point, Indiana and at LifeQuest Church, in Phoenix, Arizona. Luke and his wife of over seventeen years, Cheryl, have two daughters Evangeline Grace and Eliana Faith.
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Owen Strachan about his latest book, "Christianity and Wokeness: How the Social Justice Movement Is Hijacking the Gospel - and the Way to Stop It."
There are some good books dealing with the insidious doctrines of Critical Race Theory, Intersectionality, and Wokeness, but I have found Owen Strachan's work the most helpful at a more popular level. It is well-researched with a vast section of resources for the more studious among you.
If you are looking for an introduction to wokeness, this is the book I'd encourage you to purchase. Dr. Strachan and I discuss the nature of wokeness and its deleterious effects on the church and also how we can protect our flocks against its subtle methods infiltrating the evangelical churches in our day.
This is an issue I care deeply about in our oversexualized age. Children are being exposed earlier and earlier to sex through various technological means and they are exploring their sexuality through initiatory rituals as early as 13 years of age. While these exposures and practices deaden the soul and endanger the maturation of the mind, there is still a far deeper monster out there called sexual abuse. The recent Larry Nassar scandal is an indication that our society is attempting to grasp this issue but lacks the categories to deal with such barbarism. And while many of these events can be deeply politicized (Kavanaugh case), the Church must offer a proper response to this turmoil. We can say that the ministry of Jesus was a kingdom ministry to children. Our Lord desired their protection and even threatened with death those who would dare endanger or keep the children from being blessed by him.
In this episode, Pastor Uri Brito sits down with Dr. Justin Holcomb. The Holcombs have published two children’s books to help children understand their bodies. Indeed, it’s not just academicians that need to develop a theology of the body, but children as well. I encourage parents to seek these out and begin the conversation earlier with our little ones about their image-bearing status and the significance and uniqueness of the body God gave them.
Book 1: God Made All of Me: https://www.amazon.com/God-Made-All-M…
Book 2: God Made me in His Image: https://www.amazon.com/God-Made-His-I…
Kuyperian contributor, Bill Smith, is the Senior Pastor of Cornerstone Reformed Church in Carbondale, IL. His recent article entitled, “The Liberty of Conscience” published at Kuyperian has drawn some attention and offers a fruitful summary of this important Reformational distinctive.
Dr. Glenn Sunshine is the author of “Slaying Leviathan: Limited Government and Resistance in the Christian Tradition.” We discuss the early church biblical rationale for limited government as well as converse briefly about what role the Old Testament plays in framing the argument. We jump into some historical cases in Calvin’s Geneva and Kuyperian sphere sovereignty. This fruitful conversation should entice you to get a copy of Dr. Sunshine’s excellent work.
In this interview, we discuss the Genevan Psalter.
Dr. Koyzis notes that, “The Genevan Psalter was a project that began in the late 1530s as part of an effort to make available to the newly reformed congregations a way to sing the biblical Psalms, initially in Strasbourg and later in Geneva. How were they to be sung? Up to that point the western church had chanted the psalms in Latin according to the method ascribed to Pope Gregory I the Great (c. 540-604). The chanting of Psalms in course over a specified period of time had developed in the monasteries under the influence of the Rule of St. Benedict, shaping into what is known as the Daily Office or Liturgy of the Hours. Rooted in ancient Jewish usage (see, for example, Psalm 119:164 and Daniel 6:10), the Liturgy of the Hours consists of regular prayer offices said or sung throughout the day at approximately three-hour intervals (cf. Acts 10:9). In the Orthodox Church the Psalter is divided into twenty kathismata, or sittings, during which the entire Psalter is sung in course.”
Dr. Messer and I discuss our writing habits and share some personal thoughts on how writing has shaped us. We conclude our discussion on the importance of courage in writing.
I sit down via zoom with newly minted, Dr. Dustin Messer to discuss his dissertation on Micro-Christendoms. We discuss the role of local communities as a means to shaping the kingdom in more effective ways than our typical disposition towards D.C. politics, or the “outer ring,” as Dustin notes. This is a fruitful discussion and also a bold call to local faithfulness.
In this episode, I speak with Pastor Grant Castleberry, the Senior Pastor of Capital Community Church in Raleigh, NC, about the role of pastoral theology in this present age. Grant offers some sober thoughts on movements and coalitions drawing our attention to the importance of courage in a time of compromise.
I had a delightful time speaking with Jonathan Anderson, Executive Director at the Cornerstone Work & Worldview Institute. We discussed the mission of CWWI and what the program looks like. This would be of great interest to the young adults in your local church. Spread the word!
Resources:
Website
Contact CWWI for more information
CWWI Partners
Scott Aniol, PhD, is an author, speaker, and teacher of culture, worship, aesthetics, and church ministry philosophy. He is Associate Professor and Director of Doctoral Worship Studies at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, he founded Religious Affections Ministries, he lectures around the country in churches, conferences, colleges, and seminaries, and he has authored several books and dozens of articles. Scott is the Editor of Artistic Theologian, a scholarly journal of worship and church ministry, and serves as chair of the Biblical Worship Section of the Evangelical Theological Society. He also serves as an elder at his church in Fort Worth, TX.
Scott holds a masters degree in Theological Studies (SWBTS), a masters degree in Aesthetics (NIU), and a PhD in Worship Ministry (SWBTS).
Resources: Dr. Aniol’s Talk at the Psalm Tap mentioned in the interview
In this episode, Dustin Messer interviews Uri Brito on the completion of his doctoral work entitled: Principles for Pastoral Longevity: Friendship, Learning, and Leisure. Dustin asks questions pertaining to the life of the pastor in relation to those three principles and how this doctoral work affected Uri’s life.
On this episode, KC host, Uri Brito, speaks with Brian Daigle. Brian is the headmaster of the Oak Hill Classical School in Georgia, President of Mud House Art and Literature and an ordained minister in the ACNA. Brian has written and edited many works and keeps occupied in the business of the kingdom.
In this interview we discuss the role of fathers in the education of children as well as how men can engage the life of the mind. This 50-minute discussion tackles a host of related topics such as the importance of productivity, habits, piety, and faithfulness in men.
What a joy to chat with one of my favorite musicians in the Christian community, Jamie Soles. Jamie is about to release his 21st album filled. His music is not only melodically beautiful, but replete with musical joy and grace. You can buy or download his music at https://solmusic.ca/
Once in a while I have the joy of doing these on-line discussions. I have wanted to bring in Dr. Alistair Roberts on the show for quite some time and today I finally had the joy of his virtual presence. We discussed his prolific history of theological insights as well as his wonderful daily reflections on the Bible found on YouTube. You can find them here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmkS… We also discuss theological habits and our presence on twitter.
Pastors Dustin Messer and Uri Brito talk about pastoral life and discuss a bit of Uri's doctoral work as well as some of the blessings of learning from other pastors.
On this interview at Kuyperian Commentary, we discuss the latest work from American Vision: Against All Opposition: Defending the Christian World View by the late Greg Bahnsen. We talk a bit about the labor of presuppositional apologetics and the renewed interest in defending the faith. Gary was a close friend of Greg’s which makes the discussion more intimate and productive.
There are songs written for the church everyday. Entire industries rally around famous Christian artists who produce albums and songs for churches. What do they have in common? They do not endure. They are not generational in nature. On the other hand, the Psalter endures not only because they are God’s songs, but because they are intrinsically generational.
We, at Kuyperian, wish to support great church music and on this episode we speak with Dan Kreider. Dan has a kickstarter project where he seeks to raise support to provide a new Psalter comprised of several hundred psalm settings and representing all 150 psalms, in a variety of musical styles, intended for congregational singing.
On this interview we discuss some of Dan’s background as well as the project itself. This is a worthwhile project!
We encourage you to support their work at kickstarter!
Intro and outro music by Dan Kreider
Follow Dan on Twitter
Welcome to episode 78 of Kuyperian Commentary. On this episode, Pastor Brito welcomes Pastor and Author, Douglas Wilson. Doug is the author of numerous books.
Doug is likely one of the more productive Christians in these last 50 years. He engages a host of topics with ease and does it eloquently and with a serrated edge. In this book, the reader has the joy of reading a bit of his daily work habits in a delightful little volume entitled, Ploductivity: A Theology of Work and Wealth.
“Ploductivity is productivity over time,” Doug says. We can be productive for a season, but ploductivity properly distributes time; a little 15 minutes here and a little 15 minutes there and suddenly you have something significant produced over time.
This little work will benefit anyone who struggles with meeting deadlines or who subscribe to that dangerous vocation of procrastination.
Resources:
Technofulness/Ploductivity
Release video for the book
Purchase the Book
The prolific Dustin Messer joins KC Podcast to talk about his latest article at Break Point What Would Jesus Tweet?We discuss the nature of rhetoric on social media and the important functions of truth and love in the process of communication in our day.
Andrew Sandlin has been a sober voice throughout this season. On this interview, Pastor Brito engages Andrew in Kuyperian talk as they apply a distinctly biblical view towards the Church’s response to this pandemic. Andrew argues that this pandemic reveals the intellectual bankruptcy of secularism, but also the failure of the church to deal biblically with this crisis.
Show notes:
You can follow Andrew on Facebook and Twitter.
He is the president of the Center for Cultural Leadership.
Pastor and author, Drew Hunter, wrote a concise and helpful work on the topic of friendship. In this interview, we take the time to define friendship, talk about Scriptural examples of friendship, as well as offer lots of helpful ways to move forward with pursuing this great gift. You will want to share this episode.
Episode Resources:
Here are three articles at Desiring God.
10 things to know about what the Bible says about friendship.
Friendship and leadership in pastoral ministry.
You can find a few articles and excerpts with Crossway.
The Harvard Magazine decided to take this COVID-19 season to attack homeschooling. Their article attacks homeschoolers and calls for legislation limiting the liberties of homeschool parents in America.
On this episode, Pastor Brito talks with Pastor Steven Wedgeworth, Associate Pastor of Faith Reformed Presbyterian Church in Vancouver, Canada and Co-Founder of The Calvinist International. They discuss various features of the article and the plethora of naive assumptions from the author.
Follow Pastor Wedgeworth on twitter.
Music by Smith Leithart
In these difficult days, many are in need. The elderly community has suffered the most with the isolation. But we also remember the single mother and individuals whose families are not close at this time. How does the church move towards faithful ministry in these times?
On this episode, Pastor Brito interviews Pastor Justin Borger from St. Paul’s Presbyterian in Orlando, Fl. to discuss pastoral ministry in this Corona Virus times. We hope this is encouraging to some and motivates others to join in this needed ministry of mercy.
In this episode, Uri and Dustin team up to discuss a few topics related to his recent article at Breakpoint entitled The Age of Corona of the Season of Lent. We discuss why the church has abdicated her task of speaking about to death to the cultural voices of our day.
Pastors and parishioners will benefit from this conversation between Pastors Brito and Messer. They discuss personal examples of how catholicity plays out in their pastoral labors and also how to encourage young pastors to apply catholicity in the midst of changes. Share this with your pastor and friends.
Resources:
Dustin’s Articles on Breakpoint
Follow Dustin on Facebook
How to Introduce the Nicene Creed in your Evangelical Church
In our 70th episode, we have the return of Dr. Brian Wright to Kuyperian. We discuss his newest book, Inspired Questionswhich focus on the questions raised in the New Testament. Brian structures his book following the liturgical calendar by discussing one question a day from the New Testament and providing theological and practical answers.
If you are looking for a great devotional to use at the dinner table–one which will raise good questions and provide satisfactory answers to the Bible’s deepest questions–look no further.
Once again, Mark Horne joins the KC Podcast to talk about a new project near completion which is a guide for young men through Proverbs called Solomon Says.We discuss a host of issues related to the temptation of young men, their formation, and the responsibilities necessary to form a royal servant. As Horne notes:
Proverbs is about a royal father raising a royal heir…it is about how to properly leave your father’s house and that is called finding wisdom.
This is an instructive conversation; one which would be fruitful for fathers and their sons to listen to.
Abraham Kuyper’s most concise work is entitled Lectures on Calvinismwhich were lectures delivered at Princeton in 1898. Little did Kuyper know just how much these lectures would shape Calvinist thought to this very day. Kuyperian Commentary decided to dedicate the month of October to Abraham Kuyper and his famous work. Our very own Jesse Sumpter took on the task to summarize the chapters of this work by providing the central features of each section and adding his own observations. The end result is six fine articles focusing on Kuyper’s views on Science, Sphere Sovereignty, Election, Culture, and more.
This is a great interview to send to a friend who you think would benefit from a synopsis of the work of this Reformed giant.
You can find Jesse’s articles here.
Conversations about the Lord’s Supper quickly delve into metaphysical categories like accidents and substance. But what if the institution of the Supper is rooted in the Passover meal? and what if Jesus’ words This is My Body was not something unique to the hearers, but rather a fulfillment of an ancient practice? These and other questions are discussed in this episode.
Dr. Matt Colvin’s book, The Lost Supper
Matt’s blog, Colvinism
Dustin’s opening line to his article on Breakpoint is striking:
The Telegraph caught my eye last week: “80 percent decline in religious funerals as mourners opt for golf courses and zoos over churches.”This rising phenomenon of un-traditional funerals speaks to the rapid decline of religious observance in the West. The non-traditional funerals are just one example of the ways in which marketers are succeeding in their efforts to become the new priests of Modernity.
Christians give some thought to the living, but has Christendom forgotten how to deal with the dead? In this interview, Pastor Brito interviews Pastor Messer on the implications of a culture that treasures the body in the now but gives no attention to the body in the after.
Pastor Uri Brito welcomes back Dr. Brian Wright to discuss his new book, The Rhythm of the Christian Life: Recapturing the Joy of Life Together.
Wright looks to Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s classic work, Life Together, as a helpful model for developing a Christian rhythm for all of the Christian life. Further, he shares the interplay between time alone with God and time with God’s people and argues that there is no contradiction between the two, but rather one works to prepare for the other.
We discuss practical steps for incorporating a healthy rhythm into our lives as families and church. This book is immensely practical, Bible-saturated, and a feast for our unrhythmic souls.
Kuyperian is giving away one signed copy on Friday. To enter, please share this post on any social media platform and let us know where it was shared by leaving a comment or e-mailing us or tagging us on Facebook or Twitter.
Resources:
The Rhythm of the Christian Life Endorsements
A Conversation about the Book with Brian Wright
Extraordinary Music featured by Smith Leithart, Used with Permission.
These three words are not synonymous, but it is hard to separate the author of the most well-known book on courtship in history and his falling away. Harris’s journey in the Christian world began with youthful zeal and ended zealously when he announced his departure from the Christian faith. In this episode, Dustin and Uri discuss Harris’ history, the courtship conversation and some of the key moments in his life as well as various lessons we can gain from this devastating news. The interview ends with a plea to Josh Harris. If you have been following this conversation, you will not want to miss this discussion
I Kissed Jesus Good-Bye: A Plea to Josh Harris by Uri Brito
Latest News: Josh Harris Marches in Gay Pride
Uri and Dustin team up once more to talk about the role of theology in a Twitter age. They focus on the good, the bad and the ugly of theologizing in a day of little patience and excessive opinations. They delve into some personal habits on-line as well as offer good advice on how to do theology that attracts rather than repels.
Music from Smith Leithart. You can find Smith’s music here.
Four Kuyperians walk into a bar.
Close enough.
Four KC contributors attended the 2019 ACCS Conference in Atlanta, GA. On this episode, filled with humorous teaching stories, they discuss the impact and lessons learned from the conference and the future of classical education. Anyone who teaches or whose children attend a classical school need to listen to this episode.
How do you prepare for summer months as teachers? Will Weaver teaches classes related to history, art, and theology at Legacy Christian Academy in Frisco, TX. In this episode, KC contributor Dustin Messer sat down with Will to talk about being a teacher in the summer: how should we use it, how much work is too much, etc? Teachers and parents will find this episode very instructive.
What is a ritual? “The word gets a bad rap,” says Dr. Johnson. So, if you are looking for a summary of the role of rituals inside and outside the Church, look no further. Dru’s book is packed with substantive arguments and down to earth applications sure to get folks thinking about their daily rituals and how these rituals form us into the humans that we are.
Pastor Brito and Dr. Johnson also talk about the power of rituals in replacing bad habits and how the act of repetition in communion with others actually change us.
Resources:
Purchase Dru’s book
Visit Dru’s Website
Intro and Outro music by George Reed
Rev. Mickey Schneider stands as a unique figure in Southern Presbyterian history. He assumed various leadership positions as a PCUSA minister and after the PCA was formed in 1973. Mickey’s 50 years of pastoral ministry provides a plethora of stories; not all of his stories are flowery; some, however, are sublime. The listener will get a glimpse into the life of a giant who has lived his life to the glory of God through trials– some of which he will admit was brought on by his own mistakes–and triumphs–which he places at the feet of Jesus.
Mickey’s transparency about the good, the bad and the ugly ought to provide an outline of half a century of faithful service to the Lord. May we learn and may we grow as a result of his life.
You can read Pastor Brito’s remarks at Mickey’s retirement.
Pastor Brito speaks with Pastor David Cassidy, lead Pastor Christ Community Church in Franklin, TN. David is an experienced pastor/theologian who has served the church for nearly four decades. His book Indispensable: The Basics of Christian Beliefoffers a compelling vision for the Gospel. David brings in remarkable insights into the Gospel story illuminated by life experience as a pastor and a touch of culinary skills to make the conversation even more desirable. Take a listen.
Follow David Cassidy on Twitter
Buy David’s book.
Who was R.J. Rushdoony? Rush influenced the homeschooling movement, the Moral Majority and remarkably established much of the groundwork for a Kuyperian revolution applying Van Tilian thinking to all areas of life. If you’ve never heard of Rushdoony, this is the perfect episode to find out about this pioneer of the Christian Reconstructionist Movement.
Resources:
Chalcedon Foundation
The Messianic Character of American Education by Rushdoony
Pastor Brito talks with Mr. Sean Johnson on his fantastic essay, Are the Culinary Arts Liberal Arts?
The essay seeks to make an argument for treating cooking as an essential part of a Christian’s education in its classical sense, as well as the experiential day-to-day of Christian living. Sean details the purpose of food in its creational and post-fall environment and also elaborates on how eating prepares us for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. If I said this interview was “delicious,” some might retort that such a statement is cheesy and corny, but I think it’s because they haven’t tasted the ingredients of this conversation. So, bring the bread and wine, and let’s roll.
In a deeper sense, my act of making—every human act of making—is an imitation of God’s own creative act. -Sean Johnson
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On this episode, Pastor Uri Brito sat down with Dr. Jeff Meyers to discuss the book of Ecclesiastes. Jeff wrote a fascinating commentary on this wisdom literature book many years ago, and it still remains one of the most insightful commentaries to this day. Among other things, the conversation focuses on the use of the word generally translated as vanity in our English Bibles. But Meyers observes that a proper translation of the Hebrew hebel can influence the rest of the interpretation of the book. This is a fascinating and fruitful conversation.
Resources:
You can purchase Dr. Meyers’ book on Athanasius Press.
Three Essays on The Wisdom of Ecclesiastes By Jeff Meyers
Pastors Brito and Messer sit down for another conversation on the nature of Lent. They discuss what is at the heart of the revival of the Church Calendar in the evangelical environment (think Matt Chandler) and also why the abuse of Lent is not an argument against its proper use. Dustin also offers an Amazon Prime recommendation where we can apply a Lenten hermeneutic.
Resources:
Joan Chittister: The Liturgical Year
Ten Reasons to Celebrate the Church Calendar by Uri Brito
Brawl in Cell Block 99, A movie with Vince Vaughn (available on Amazon Prime)
Church Calendar Resources from Rich Lusk
In light of the recent 2019 Special Session held in St. Louis of the United Methodist Church regarding the denomination’s view on the definition of marriage, Kuyperian reached out to Dr. Matt O’Reilly, a UMC minister, to ask him about what it means to be a Methodist and to give us a summary of what happened in this special session.
Listeners will learn much about Methodism, its polity, and the positive direction towards a biblical view of sexuality within the denomination guided by the heroic efforts of the African bishops.
Dr. Matt O’Reilly is pastor of Hope Hull United Methodist Church near Montgomery, Alabama, Adjunct Professor of New Testament and Pastoral Ministry at Wesley Biblical Seminary, and a fellow of the Center for Pastor Theologians. He holds a Ph.D. in New Testament Studies from the University of Gloucestershire in Cheltenham, England, an M.Div. from Asbury Theological Seminary, and a B.A. in Philosophy from Auburn University.
You can read Dr. O’Reilly’s articles and find links to purchase his books here.
Pastor Brito sat down on this one-on-one interview with Dr. Brian Wright to talk about Wright’s fascinating book published in 2017 entitled Communal Reading in the Time of Jesus.
Much of the contemporary discussion of the Jesus tradition has focused on aspects of oral performance, story telling, and social memory, on the premise that the practice of communal reading of written texts was a phenomenon documented no earlier than the second century C.E. Brian J. Wright overturns that premise by examining evidence that demonstrates communal reading events in the first century.
We also discussed whether the assertion that the early church was vastly illiterate is a historically accurate description or whether historians have misunderstood the clear data.
The interview concludes focusing on how we can apply the practice of communal reading to our modern church context. While the book is a bit technical, Pastor Brito and Dr. Wright focus on the important applications to Bible Studies, liturgical readings, poetry readings, etc. This interview may encourage a renewed interest in reading and discussing the text, whether of Holy Scriptures or other significant writings together in community.
Resources:
Dr. Brian Wright’s academic papers can be found here.
Wright’s articles on the Gospel Coalition.
In this short bonus interview, Pastor Uri Brito speaks with Rep. Greg DeVries from Montana who was a concerned citizen who took his calling as a Christian seriously and entered the political battle. Greg DeVries is a Republican member of the Montana House of Representatives, representing District 75. DeVries was elected to the office on November 6, 2018. Instead of typing away on his keyboard, Greg took the advice of a fellow parishioner, put his name on the ballot for $15 and was elected to serve. He’s not a lover of politics, but he loves the Church and her call to speak for the defenseless. Our deepest thanks at Kuyperian to Rep. Greg DeVries and may his fight bear good fruit.
For our monumental 50th episode, Uri and Dustin joined forces to discuss Dustin’s first official article as a writer for the Colson Center entitled Awakening the Woke: Persuasion in a Tribal Age.
Of course, the article leads us to all sorts of interesting conversations, including why we think Ben Shapiro's Facts Don’t Care About Your Feelingsneeds a little adjustment. Take a listen and leave us a comment on our iTunes page.
Jerry Bowyer is an economist with a developed theology. He brings insightful commentary to world events and his recent article at the Asia Times is no different.
In this interview, Pastor Uri Brito discusses the article with Mr. Bowyer focusing on the political and economic consequences to regimes that persecute Christians. We also discuss the heroic sermons and actions of Early Rain Covenant Church Pastor, Wang Li, who is currently imprisoned with his wife and others. This is a must listen.
In this interview, Mr. Dustin Messer speaks with co-author of a newly published commentary on Ruth. They discuss a host of questions pertaining to the content of Ruth, how to preach through Ruth, the role of application in Ruth’s story, and the influence of James B. Jordan in this Ruth project.
Brito says:
What we argue is that Ruth is actually a political tract making the case for the Davidic Kingdom…in other words, Ruth makes the case for why Israel needs a faithful King who will be strong like Boaz, loyal like Ruth, and whose fortunes will turn like Naomi’s.
Purchase the commentary on Amazon or Athanasius Press.
In this conversation of KC Podcast, Pastor Uri Brito speaks with Dr. Karen Prior. Dr. Prior is a Professor of English at Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA. She received her Ph.D at the State University of New York Buffalo.
She is a recipient of various awards, author of four books, published articles for various Christian and non-Christians organizations. Her most recent book “On reading well: finding the good life through great books” has received much praise and has ignited a renewed vigor for reading great books.
In this conversation, Dr. Prior speaks of the necessity of intentional reading in an age of distraction. She notes that not all reading is created equal. Reading modern self-help books or articles on the smartphone is a different kind of reading than reading great books. We further discuss the purpose of reading and the kinds of questions we ought to ask before our reading.
Hope you enjoy our conversation and don’t forget to leave a review of our show.
Resources:
Concerning distractions in an age of distraction, Dr. Prior recommends Maryann Wolf’s Reader, Come Home!
You can purchase Dr. Prior’s book: On Reading Well: finding the good life through great books.
From the faculty room of Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Pastor Brito interviews Associate Editor of Ligonier Ministries, Robert Rothwell. The famous TableTalk magazine, read by over 250 thousand people around the globe is one of the most treasured devotional in our day. Robert writes those devotionals as well as contributes to theological articles.
In this interview we discuss the history of the magazine, as well as delve into some questions concerning the Trinity. Robert is considering a dissertation on the topic. Take a listen.
Resources:
TableTalk Magazine
Articles by Robert Rothwell
In this interview, Pastor Brito interviews Pastor Bill Smith. Bill shares his story from fat Eglon to a fit servant for his king. This may not be the most appetizing conversation to have, but one that pastors (and parishioners) need to have.
The pastoral profession produces portly pastors on their way to an early death. With emotional and physical demands placed on ministers on any given day, pastors are called to make their bodies a living sacrifice unto God for the sake of their congregations. I hope this episode will land in as many pastor’s smartphones as possible. They need to hear it. God cares about our bodies and it’s about time we begin caring for it.
Resource: Cultivating the Body by Bill Smith
Pastor Uri Brito sits down with Canadian apologist, Sye Ten Bruggencate, to discuss how to do biblical apologetics. We delve a little into his applied apologetics in the streets and what led him to reconsider his methodology.
You can watch a host of Sye’s videos on proofthatexists.org.
Watch the film How to Answer a Fool.
In this interview, Pastor Uri Brito speaks to Andrew Sandlin, the president of the Center for Cultural Leadership. We discuss the legacy of Professor Greg Bahnsen and the lessons he left us as we celebrate the 23rd anniversary of his death.
Andrew was a friend of Dr. Bahnsen and one who continues the Bahnsenian legacy of faithfulness to the Scriptures and commitment to the absolute Lordship of Jesus Christ over all areas of life.
Resources:
The Bahnsen Book Library
The Bahnsen Audio Library
David Bahnsen honors his father.
In this episode, Pastor Uri Brito speaks with the president of New College Franklin in Tennessee. New College is a classical college where students enter into the great conversation through the great works of western history and the significant philosophical questions of our day. Pastor Brito inquires about the uniqueness of New College in the modern educational environment as well as the kind of human beings this educational model produces in the workplace and in the church.
Resources:
Greg Wilbur’s Music
Greg’s Twitter Account
The Pedagogy of New College Franklin
Augustine’s Confessions: New Translation by Sarah Ruden
Intro and Outro Music by George Reed
In this interview, Dustin Messer interviews NSA President Dr. Ben Merkle. Merkle discusses the vision of New Saint Andrews as well as what differentiates NSA from other traditional colleges. There is also an interesting discussion on how technology has shaped the college experience.
For more information on New Saint Andrews College, visit NSA’s website.
Ben’s books:
The White Horse King
Defending the Trinity in Reformed Palatinate
Esteemed theologian and missiologist Michael Goheen sits down with Dustin Messer to discuss ecclesiology, election, ecumenism, and other themes from his new book, The Church and its Vocation: Lesslie Newbigin’s Missionary Ecclesiology.
Dr. Goheen has authored, co-authored, or edited ten books, including A Light to the Nations: The Missional Church and the Biblical Story (IVP, 2014), Introducing Christian Mission Today: Scripture, History, and Issues (Baker, 2011), and The Church and Its Vocation: Lesslie Newbigin’s Missional Ecclesiology (Baker, forthcoming, 2018). He spends time each year in Brazil and Hungary training pastoral leaders.
For our 40th show, Pastor Brito interviews KC contributor Pastor Dustin Messer concerning his recent piece published at the Theopolis Institute entitled Sacred Work in a Secular World. The discussion begins with a false distinction between “full-time Christian ministry” and “secular work” so mistakenly proclaimed in the evangelical church. Dustin traces the history of vocation in the work of the Reformer Martin Luther and articulates a fuller vision of vocation based on the creation account of Genesis. Messer concludes by discussing how he would encourage a young person who is uncertain about what vocation to pursue.
Additional Resources:
Sacred Work in a Secular World by Dustin Messer
Visions of Vocation by Steve Garber
Quotes from Interview:
“Most folks start in Genesis 3 to think about vocation…but if you start with the Fall explaining what’s wrong with work you can lead people to believe that work is just a necessary temporal good… We should go to Genesis 1 and ground your view of vocation in the creation of the world.”“God is ruling over all creation through mortal humans and he has chosen a church for his mission so that what you do has real meaning and value.”
On this episode, we examine the recent State of the Church Theology Survey produced by Ligonier Ministries. Pastor Uri Brito interviews CEO and President of Ligonier Ministries, Chris Larson. We discuss the status of Ligonier Ministries after the death of its beloved president, R.C. Sproul, and also the state of theology survey which asks a host of questions to the evangelical population concerning the doctrine of Christ, salvation, and sexuality.
Chris Larson
Chris Larson is president and CEO of Ligonier Ministries. You can follow him on Twitter @ChrisLarson.
Additional Resources:
The State of Theology
A Renewed Mind, A Transformed Mind
Ligonier Ministries
Reflecting on the Life of R.C. Sproul
Quotes from Chris Larson in the Interview:
“The higher educated and the higher income brackets, the less orthodox people are across America.”“Our politics and our sociology flow out of our theology.”
In this episode, Dustin Messer sits down with Gerald McDermott to discuss his newest book, Everyday Glory: The Revelation of God in All of Reality. Dr. McDermott holds the Anglican Chair of Divinity at Beeson Divinity School and ministers at Christ the King Church in Birmingham, AL. Before going to Beeson, McDermott was the Jordan-Trexler Professor of Religion at Roanoke College. This discussion covers diverse topics from McDermott’s book, namely Jonathan Edwards, sexuality, the #metoo movement, and whether all religions are the same.
In this interview, Pastor Uri Brito joins his fellow pastor at Providence Church, Alan Stout, to talk about Pastor Stout’s role in the pro-life work in Pensacola. He offers a brief history of the role Pensacola plays in the abortion debate, offers encouragement to those who wish to engage in defending the helpless and much more. You will want to share this episode.
In this episode, Pastor Uri Brito interviews one of the leading Reformed theological translators in Brazil, Dr. Fabricio Tavares de Moraes. Fabricio joined the Monergismo team who is responsible for translating into the Portuguese language some of the most important Reformed tomes ranging from Bavinck to Van Til. In this episode, we discuss the religious context in Brazil including the relationship between religion and politics as well as the revival of Reformational literature in the country. This is an informative episode for those interested in the growth of Reformed theology in South America.
In this double dose of KC podcast, Pastor Uri Brito interviews Lisa Robinson and Dustin Messer on the recent Social Justice Statement.
Lisa Robinson observes that the whole counsel of Scripture portrays a creation that does not separate God’s salvation from His acts in and through Jesus Christ. Lisa observes:
Jesus was addressing the physical concerns of the people…and the social justice statement seems to set up a dichotomy of either you are for the gospel or you are for social justice as if those who can readily proclaim the Christian Gospel could not also be engaged and concerned for issues of social justice.”
For further study, Lisa recommends Al Mohler’s recent Q&A where he addresses directly the definition of social justice and Kevin DeYoung’s article.
Dustin Messer also joined the podcast to talk about the recent statement which he writes about here. Dustin affirms that though he agrees with many of the points in the statement, the statement ultimately offered enough false dichotomies to make it unhelpful. Dustin asserts that flattening out God’s justice may actually lead to greater danger in how the Christian views his role in society. Further, he affirms that the main problem with the parishioner in the pew is not the danger of a subtle Marxist ideology, but sheer apathy.
In his new book Last Call for Liberty: How America’s Genius for Freedom Has Become Its Greatest Threat, Os Guinness offers a keen analysis of the current state of the West generally, and America particularly. Dustin Messer has a ranging discussion with Os, touching on Donald Trump, social justice, and religious freedom.
In this interview, Pastor Uri Brito interviews Rev. Mark Horne on his ongoing project on the book of Proverbs. Horne observes that while Proverbs is for everyone, it has a particular application for the young men. Proverbs’ themes and purposes are generally overlooked because of the pietistic way it has been read and the failure to grasp Proverbs’ place in the wisdom literature. You will want to listen to this interview.
On this episode, Pastor Brito interviews Mr. Jarrod Richey. Jarrod is a gifted musician and thinker. He directs the Jubilate Deo Music Camp (Rejoice in the Lord) every summer in Munroe, LA. The camp provides an opportunity to saturate students in the wonder of God in music, but it also adds art and dancing to their experience. Students from 4th-12th grade spend a wonderful week learning about a particular theme in the Scriptures culminating in a concert on the last Sunday on the theme which they have immersed all week.
Jarrod Richey is an avid apologist for church music. In this interview, he discusses the reason music has taken such a secondary role in the life of the church. “Individualism in worship has hurt the cause of music. Music in history was something you did for others, but after the Enlightenment, music has become about how I feel,” he observes. Richey further notes, “You can’t miss the imperative to sing joyfully…the historical understanding of singing is that the Triune God sings first and we follow.”
This is an important episode. Please listen and share.
The Left Behind series was captivating because of its fast-paced rhythm and its dispensational appeal. It sold millions of copies. But imagine if a work of fiction was published based on an eschatological position that has gravitas in Church History but also a work of fiction which is based on actual historical events! This is what Hollywood Screenwriter Brian Godawa does in his new series The Chronicles of the Apocalypse.
In this interview with Pastor Uri Brito, Brian delves into controversial theological areas and explains his rationale behind this successful series. Take a listen and visit godawa.com for more resources on worldview and writing.
Does baptism save? What is the role of the Spirit in baptism? What is the nature and significance of our baptisms today? These questions and others are the focus of this insightful podcast. Pastor Uri Brito speaks with Pastor Adam McIntosh who recently published a three-part essay developing the connections of fire, water, and Spirit to baptisms (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3). Adam uses his charismatic background to develop the contrast between a sacramental view and the non-sacramental views found in the charismatic and broad evangelical traditions. Adam hopes that these essays will provide a helpful introduction of the various baptisms found throughout the Bible foundational for how we are to understand baptism in the New Covenant.
The debate over the proper recipients of baptism is a long one. While the biblical text takes a primary role in shaping our view of baptism, we are also a people incorporated into a holy, catholic, and apostolic church. While tradition does not solve this question for us, it certainly orients our attention to the way the Church has considered the issue of baptism for centuries. In this conversation, Pastor Uri Brito interviews Dr. Tim LeCroy on the history of infant baptism. His article can be found here. The discussion is quite interesting and will shed some light on this important topic.
Pastor Tim LeCroy blogs here.
On this episode, KC contributors Uri Brito and Dustin Messer discuss the nature of fake news. Dustin recently contributed to the discussion by writing on the recent debate over Donald Trump’s “These are Animals” comment.
Dustin concludes that “Journalists indeed need more integrity, but so too do we need more empathy. Until we’re able to see the villain in our tribe (and, indeed, ourselves) and the hero in the other tribe, we’ll keep getting half the story.”
This discussion also touches on the responsibility of Christians to share and engage the news. We hope you will enjoy and share this discussion. Please leave a comment.
In this episode of the Kuyperian Commentary Podcast, Pastor Uri Brito discusses the role of the Church toward the autistic community. His guests on this episode are Tim and Christine Russell.
“Parenting a child with autism is a difficult and lonely world,” said Christine, who helps explain the difficulties of navigating life, work, school, and church with an autistic child. Her husband Tim adds, “The pastor must model a heart of love for children who have autism. They demonstrate that through how they include them in various activities of church life.”
A few helpful resources: A reader highly recommends “Simply Classical” by Cheryl Swope about the need to classically educate special needs children and the need to address their hearts rather than just their behavior.
Disability Makes a Church Strong by Pastor Anthony Kidd
https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/disability-makes-a-church-strong
Rhema’s Hope – A mother’s blog about life and her autistic daughter
https://rhemashope.wordpress.com
A blog of inspiring autism stories
http://faithhopeloveautism.blogspot.com/
The Rev. Billy Graham died on February 21, 2018, just shy of his 100th birthday. In this episode of the Kuyperian Commentary, Pastor Uri Brito and Dustin Messer discuss the important role that Billy Graham plays in the sociology of American Christianity.
“He [Graham] was just this larger-than-life personality,” remarked Dustin Messer, “who was able to rally such disparate fractions of Christendom in a way very few were able to do before him—and certainly no one is able to do today.”
Pastor Uri Brito reflects on Graham’s commitment to simplicity, personal integrity, and prayer. “Billy Graham maintained and preserved, what we would call, a very simple message and definition of the Gospel in full reliance on the Holy Spirit.”
The world of Evangelicalism in the West was shaped by men like Billy Graham and the two explore what the future of American Christianity might look like in the next generation of Evangelicalism.
The two also discuss the legacy of Billy Graham as the scorn of both theological liberals and Christian fundamentalists.
In today’s episode, Dustin Messer and Uri Brito talk with Dr. Gordon Wilson, Sr. Fellow of Natural History at New St. Andrews College. Dr. Wilson, along with his nephew N.D. Wilson, recently produced a nature documentary, The Riot and the Dance. It follows Dr. Wilson’s biology textbook, The Riot and the Dance: Foundational Biology. He and Gorilla Poet Productions have teamed up to create a cinematically stunning nature documentary.
From the website:
The Riot and the Dance is a two-part nature/science documentary, showcasing the vast and beautifully intricate planet on which we live. Produced in a fully cinematic style, the film presents a wide variety of ingeniously designed creatures from around the world in a way that will fascinate audiences of any age. Through this vividly powerful experience, the audience will develop a greater understanding of and appreciation for the Creator’s workmanship and personality.
You can learn more right here.
In this episode of the Kuyperian Commentary Podcast Jarrod Richey and Derek Hale discuss music making in our culture.
The Desert of Musical Literacy Jarrod begins with the observation, “Everybody in the world has music around them all the time, and yet, no one can make it. Everybody has a device, everybody has access to the world’s greatest music (and the world’s worst music) at the touch of a button or the click of an app. And yet, very few people have formal music training, have the ability to make music, or to be what we would call literate in music.”
Jarrod Richey is a music instructor at Geneva Academy in Monroe, Louisiana and also serves as choir director at Auburn Avenue Presbyterian Church. He is the author of Bach to the Future: Fostering Music Literacy Today. Jarrod studied music at Louisiana Tech, received a Masters in music from the University of Louisiana at Monroe, and his Kodály music teacher certification from Wichita State University.
How the Spirit Moves in Worship “I do find it interesting, that the Spirit in a lot of these churches really hates classic hymnody,” remarked Derek Hale, who points out how many modern churches have confused our responses to contemporary music with genuine spirituality. Derek points to Ephesians 5:19 where St. Paul tells the church to address, “one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”
“There is a this horizontal aspect [of worship] where we address one another,” explained Hale. He goes on to explain that the worship service is not only directed toward God, but serves as a means of grace, comfort, and edification for the community that you are presently worshipping amongst.
Derek Hale is an elder, chief musician, and performs pastoral duties at Trinity Covenant Church (CREC) in Wichita, Kansas.
Not Music Snobbery Jarrod Richey also cautions musicians and pastors against musical snobbery. “We’ve got to encourage people to see the importance of music making…start where you are, but don’t settle or resign yourself.”
Additional resources on Music and Culture:
Why Johnny Can’t Sing Hymns: How Pop Culture Rewrote the Hymnal
In this book, T. David Gordon looks at changes in Christian worship and not only examines the problems, but also provides solutions. They are solutions of great importance to us all- because how we sing affects how we live.
All God’s Children and Blue Suede Shoes
Cultural expert Ken Myers helps us to engage pop culture from a historical and experiential perspective so that we can live in it with wisdom and discernment.
Exhortations : A Call to Maturity in Worship
This is a collection of the exhortations that Pastor Douglas Wilson delivers as a “call to worship” at the beginning of each Lord’s Day service at Christ Church, Moscow, Idaho.
Recorded a few years back.
The Lavish Grace of Christmas! Pastor and Author J. Steven Wilkins discusses the misguided thinking that Christians should not give lavish gifts at Christmas. Our talk centers around a recent movement called the Advent Conspiracy. Pastor Wilkins reminds us of what Christ has done for us at Christmas and how we are to respond in kind.
In this episode of the Kuyperian Commentary Podcast, Pastor Uri Brito and Dustin Messer discuss the life and legacy of the late Dr. RC Sproul. On December 14, 2017, at 78-years-old Dr. Sproul passed away and went to be at home with the Lord.
Dr. R.C. Sproul (1939–2017) was founder and chairman of Ligonier Ministries, an international Christian education ministry located near Orlando, Fla. In addition, he was copastor of Saint Andrew’s Chapel, first president and chancellor of Reformation Bible College, and executive editor of Tabletalk magazine.
In this Episode of the Kuyperian Commentary Podcast, Pastor Uri Brito and Mr. Sean Johnson discuss our worship music for the Advent season.
The two discuss the important theme, tone, and composition distinctions between Advent and Christmas hymns. Pastor Uri Brito mentions the Cantus Christi Hymnal and The Lutheran Hymnal which both include a section of Advent hymns.
The two also discuss their favorite examples of Advent songs.
- “O Come O Come Emmanuel” (8th Century, translated by John Mason Neale)
The words for “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” comes from the seven verse poem that dates all the way back to the 8th century. 2. “Savior of the Nations, Come”
The original version of Savior of the Nations, Come was St. Ambrose’s Veni, Redemptor Gentium composed in the late fourth century. 3. “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day”
A Christmas carol based on the 1863 poem “Christmas Bells” by American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. 4. Comfort, comfort Ye my peopleThis song is based on Isaiah 40 to express the hope that Judah’s exile in Babylon was almost over.
On this episode Pastor Uri Brito interviews Dr. Brandon Crowe, Associate Professor of New Testament Studies at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. Brandon is the co-editor of The Essential Trinity: New Testament Foundations and Practical Relevance published by P&R.
Dr. Brandon Crowe is also the author of two essays in this insightful and accessible volume.
While many books on the Trinity focus on patristic and philosophical disputes, this volume centers on what the New Testament Scriptures says about the Trinity. Particularly, Dr. Crowe discusses St. Matthew’s Trinitarian theology in the Gospels.
In this Episode of the Kuyperian Commentary Podcast, Pastor Uri Brito and Mr. Sean Johnson discuss the next season of the Church Calendar: Advent. The season of Advent, which comes from the Latin word adventus meaning “coming” or “visit,” begins four Sundays before Christmas and ends on Christmas Eve. Advent is the beginning of the liturgical year for Christians.
Pastor Uri explains how this section of the church calendar helps give us a picture of the Gospel in a Biblical promise and fulfillment paradigm. “Advent and Christmas work together… and when we skip Advent we’re missing that first portion of the Gospel.” He also recommends the book: The Liturgical Year: The Spiraling Adventure of the Spiritual Life by Joan Chittister.
Mr. Sean Johnson continues to emphasize the importance of observing Advent with, “Anything that you want to enjoy seems to deserve the service of expectation… Anything that you can await is going to be enjoyed more.” Both believe that Advent adds to the importance and significance of our greater Christmas feast. Brito reminds us that: “If we have a major event like Christmas on December 25 and we simply arrive at Christmas without haven’t spent the season prior to that in preparation for Christmas, I think over the years—it trivializes the event. It becomes something you do, not something you expect.”
Advent 2017 will begin on Sunday, December 3 and ends on Sunday, December 24. The liturgical color for Advent is purple. Kuyperian Contributor Steve Macias also wrote on its significance here.
In this Reformation Day episode of the Kuyperian Commentary Podcast, Jarrod Richey discusses Luther’s original version of the hymn “A Mighty Fortress.”
Unless you grew up in a Lutheran church, chances are that you’re singing quite a bit different version of that great hymn of the Reformation, Ein feste burg ist unser Gott or A Mighty Fortress is Our God. This great hymn based on Psalm 46 has a story that the average evangelical Christian has not heard. Here’s an audio post with sound clips explaining how this hymn has changed over the years. There is more that could be said and those who could say it more eloquently, but my hope is that we can begin to better appreciate this hymn in ways we hadn’t before.
Also, Here’s a link to the PDF of the Lutheran version closest to what Martin Luther penned.
In this episode of the Kuyperian Commentary Podcast, Pastor Uri Brito interviews Dr. Gerrit Dawson.
Dr. Dawson is the Senior Pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Baton Rouge, LA and the author of The Blessing Life: A Journey into Unexpected Joy, IVP Press. In this interview, KC host, Uri Brito, engages Dr. Dawson on the biblical definition of blessing rescuing it from its misuse in evangelical discourse.
In this episode of the Kuyperian Commentary Podcast, Dr. David Koyzis and Pastor Uri Brito discuss an article published by First Things editor R. R. Reno in which he is cautiously raising questions about “The Spirit of Democratic Capitalism.”
Dr. Koyzis published his written thoughts on the subject “Trees and Three-Legged Stools: Reno and Gregg on Novak’s legacy” with the appropriate background information here.
The two outline the three-decade long history of this economics discussion and ask the question, “How would Abraham Kuyper view these issues today?”
Originally recorded in 2015, this interview is focused on the nature of Biblical interpretation espoused by the Biblical Horizons and the Theopolis groups led by James B. Jordan and Peter Leithart.
The lectures offered at the 24th Biblical Horizons Conference, 2015, can be found and purchased at wordmp3.com. The 2015 Conference featured talks from Peter J. Leithart on Revelation, James B. Jordan (4 talks) on Joshua, Jeff Meyers (3 talks) on Wealth in Luke and Acts, Rich Bledsoe (2 talks) on Psychotherapy and Drugs, and Uri Brito (1 talk) on Christian Counseling from Jay Adams to David Powlison, and some psalmody/services and interviews.
Gregg Strawbridge, Ph.D., is the pastor of All Saints Church in Lancaster, PA. He became a committed follower of Jesus Christ at age 20, discipled in the context of a University Navigator Ministry. As a result of personal discipleship he went on to study at Columbia Biblical Seminary (M.A., Columbia, SC, 1990), as well as a Ph.D. in education and philosophy (USM, 1994)
In this episode of the Kuyperian Commentary Podcast, Pastors Uri Brito and Andrew Isker discuss the recent brouhaha over the flag and the NFL. They discuss the religious nature and culture of the NFL as well as various American idolatries.
On August 26, 2016, then–San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick quietly remained seated during the National Anthem at 49ers pre-season game. A few weeks into the new ritual, he was asked about it: “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” explained Kaepernick.
Since then some players have continued the protest, but “gasoline was poured onto the fire,” said Andrew Isker, at a campaign rally for failed Republican Senatorial candidate Luther Strange. At the event, President Trump criticized the on-going protests as, “a total disrespect for our heritage,” and encouraged NFL owners to fire protesting players. Trump described a scenario where NFL owners would react to the protest with, “Get that son of bitch off the field right now, he’s fired. He’s fired!”
Pastor Isker explains how the protests have revealed the political worldview of the NFL as aligned with the entertainment industry. “Their views, especially in the case of Kaepernick, are radically to the left and the NFL has more-or-less given cover to allow this.”
They conclude with a call to worship the Triune God as the most central act of the Christian. This is a helpful discussion. Please leave your comments.
Contributors Uri Brito and Dustin Messer introduce the listeners to author and pastor, C.R. Wiley. We learn about Pastor Wiley’s pastoral and writing ministry and his book, Man of the House: A Handbook for Building a Shelter That Will Last in a World That Is Falling Apart, as well as his new fiction series published by Canon Press. You will not want to miss this!
In this episode of the Kuyperian Commentary Podcast, Pastor Uri Brito and Dr. Paul Tautges discuss the role of Biblical Counseling in the Church.
“Counseling is the normal work of Christian Discipleship,” says Dr. Tautges, who also serves as senior pastor of Cornerstone Community Church just outside of Cleveland, Ohio.
Where preaching is often considered the public ministry of the word, Tautges suggests counseling may be the “personal ministry of the word.” The two discuss the Biblical basis for Christian counseling and its relationship to psychology and the Church. Pastor Uri Brito is also a certified counselor through the Association of Biblical Counselors.
In this episode of the Kuyperian Commentary Podcast, Pastors Uri Brito and Peter Jones discuss the impact of the Nashville Statement.
On August 29, 2017, the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW) announced the release of The Nashville Statement, an evangelical coalition statement on biblical sexuality. The statement, comprised of 14 affirmations and denials, addresses issues related to the Christian view of human sexuality.
“When it came out, the reaction was quick and sharp by the progressives,” said Peter Jones, who published a reaction on Kuyperian entitled Mere Sexuality. Jones writes, “the reaction of progressive Christians and secular folks indicates that the document was necessary.”
In a guest post for Kuyperian, Alistair Roberts said that, “In signing the statement, I am not committing myself to walk in lockstep with a particular party, but am joining with fellow flawed Christians in bearing witness to what I believe to be essential Christian truth.”
The entire text of The Nashville Statement can be read here, with a list of endorsements for the statement found here.
“If you reject the substance of the document that is a serious issue” said Peter Jones, “In my mind, you are rejecting Christian orthodoxy and Christian morality.”
In this episode of the Kuyperian Commentary Podcast, Pastor Uri Brito and the Rev. Canon Dr. Tony Baron discuss the idea of clergy self-care and pastoral life satisfaction.
“We ought to love the church,” says Uri Brito. “But never at the expense of our families.”
Uri Brito is the Senior Pastor of Providence Church in Pensacola, Fl. He is married to Melinda and is the father of four children. He is the editor of The Church-Friendly Family, author of The Trinitarian Father, and a certified counselor through the Association of Biblical Counselors (ABC). Uri is also the founder and a contributor to Kuyperian Commentary and a board member of the Theopolis Institute. Rev. Brito received his M.Div from Reformed Theological Seminary and is currently a doctoral student at RTS.
The Rev. Canon Dr. Tony Baron shares on what constitutes a healthy and satisfying life and how to approach each of them. You can watch his entire video series on pastoral life satisfaction here.
Tony Baron is a psychologist, theologian, professor and author— he has successfully planted two churches, developed a Christian Healing Center, and started two consulting firms based on the concept of servant leadership. Dr. Tony Baron serves as the Director of Azusa Pacific Seminary in San Diego and Associate Professor of Christian Leadership and Spiritual Formation at Azusa Pacific University. Baron is also founding president of Servant Leadership Institute, a resource think tank on leadership development and transformation, and has shared his expertise with churches and denominations worldwide. Ordained as an Anglican priest and serving as Canon for Clergy and Congregational Care for the Anglican Church in North America under Bishop Todd Hunter, Baron has a great love for current and future pastors who seek to live, learn, and love the Christ-life within the Church.
In this episode of the Kuyperian Commentary Podcast, Jesse Sumpter interviews Pastor Toby Sumpter to discuss the Christian’s responsibility on the abortion issue. Pastor Sumpter believes, “We need to pass laws outlawing abortion in our states and then we need to refuse to show up in federal court.”
In June of 2017, Pastor Sumpter penned an article entitled, “Courage & Blood Money: A Proposal toward the Abolition of Abortion” for his blog on Crosspolitic. In this cutting blog post, he criticizes Christians for failing to demonstrate the courage to challenge the federal government on abortion.
“What would happen if the Feds started sniffing around the Colorado or Washington State marijuana laws?” asks Pastor Sumpter. “Or what about states that have declared that they will not enforce illegal immigrant laws? I’m pretty sure the states wouldn’t give the Feds the time of day.”
The Idaho pastor notes that current efforts to make progress against abortion are often undermined by the cowardice of American Christians. “We think we need to be nice — but that is not a fruit of the Spirit,” said Sumpter. “We need to be patient, to be kind… but what we need to recognize is that there are more options and tools at hand.”
Another significant obstacle for states like Idaho is the amount of federal funding that the state depends on each year. A legal breech between the state and federal government could jeopardize the billions of dollars the federal government gives to the state. According to Pastor Sumpter, “the feds are paying us to murder 1300 to 1400 babies every year in the state of Idaho… they are bribing us to murder our children. We ought to say ‘no’ and that we won’t sacrifice the life one child for all the money in the world.”
Toby J. Sumpter serves as a minister at Trinity Reformed Church in Moscow, Idaho and is the author of the commentary Job Through New Eyes: A Son for Glory and Blood-Bought World. He is married to Jenny and they have four children.
Podcast music and editing by George Reed.
In this interview, Pastor Uri Brito discusses the life and legacy of J.R.R. Tolkien with Pastor Mark Horne.
Pastor Horne is the author of J.R.R. Tolkien of Christian Encounters, a series of biographies from Thomas Nelson Publishers, which highlights important lives from all ages and areas of the Church.
“When Tolkien becomes famous he’s almost too old,” says Horne, who has written about Tolkien’s little known early life and career.
Born in South Africa and growing up in Great Britain, J.R.R. Tolkien, or Ronald as he was known, led a young life filled with uncertainty and instability. His was not a storybook childhood- his father died when Ronald was three years old, and his mother died just before he reached adolescence. Left under the guardianship of his mother’s friend and priest, Ronald forged his closest relationships with friends who shared his love for literature and languages.
As Tolkien grew older, married, served as a soldier, and became a well-respected Oxford professor publishing weighty works on Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Beowulf, the Christian faith that his mother had instilled in him continued as an intrinsic element of his creative imagination and his everyday life.
It was through The Hobbit and the three-volume The Lord of the Rings that Tolkien became a literary giant throughout the world. In his fiction, which earned him the informal title of “the father of modern fantasy literature,” Tolkien presents readers with a vision of freedom- nothing preachy- that a strong, unequivocal faith can transmit.
What should a pastor’s reading list and library look like? Should his reading be limited to serious theological tomes and commentaries?
In this episode of the Kuyperian Commentary Podcast, Pastor Uri Brito explains how our patterns and choices in reading can reflect a more Trinitarian approach that includes a broader variety of reading.
In part two of this series on music, Jarrod Richey again interviews James B. Jordan, scholar in residence at the Theopolis Institute (Birmingham, Alabama) and founder of Biblical Horizons.
On this podcast, Jordan addresses the question of the appropriateness of music in worship, the use of chant in the Protestant tradition, and musical instruments.
Jordan makes the argument that “worship shouldn’t sound like the rest of the week.” He acknowledges that this often makes modern worshippers uncomfortable, but points to John Calvin’s example of teaching the Genevan Psalter, then strange and unfamiliar to the adults, to children. “Do you want you children growing up not knowing the psalms?” asks Jordan. “Or are you willing to set aside what makes you feel good for the sake of your kids?”
Demystifying chant, Jordan points out that part of the problem is the English language itself. He explains that “other languages don’t have two different words for sing and chant.” Jordan surveys the various Protestant uses of chant and explains the surprisingly recent history of what we think chanting sounds like.
Finally, James B. Jordan offers practical wisdom for pastors and worship leaders on how to develop music in their local congregations. “Don’t do anything that calls attention to yourself,” says Jordan, who prefers to see the leaders in worship as servants, not performers. On the issue of instruments in Worship, Jordan playfully tackles to the controversy of guitars and explains how the pipe organ most fully respects the orchestral dignity of the worship service.
About James B. Jordan
His father was a professor of French Literature and his mother a piano teacher and a poetess. Jordan graduated from the University of Georgia in 1971 with a degree in Comparative Literature and studies in music and political philosophy. He finished his master’s degree in systematic theology at Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia and was awarded the D. Litt. degree from the Central School of Religion, England, in 1993.
Jordan is the author of several books, including The Sociology of the Church (1986); Through New Eyes: Developing a Biblical View of the World (1988); Creation in Six Days (1999); and several books of Bible exposition, worship, and liturgy.
Music:
Psalm 119 – Psalm Sing, Christ Church, Moscow, ID.
Rendition of Psalm 119 by Dr. David Erb.
In part one of this series on music, Jarrod Richey interviews James B. Jordan, scholar in residence at the Theopolis Institute (Birmingham, Alabama) and founder of Biblical Horizons.
This podcast on “fighting musical relativism in the church” is a discussion about a Christian theology of music, how to read the Bible’s musical themes, and developing mature church music.
Jordan also discusses the historicity of the psalms and how music shapes our theology.
About James B. Jordan
His father was a professor of French Literature and his mother a piano teacher and a poetess. Jordan graduated from the University of Georgia in 1971 with a degree in Comparative Literature and studies in music and political philosophy. He finished his master’s degree in systematic theology at Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia and was awarded the D. Litt. degree from the Central School of Religion, England, in 1993.
Jordan is the author of several books, including The Sociology of the Church (1986); Through New Eyes: Developing a Biblical View of the World (1988); Creation in Six Days (1999); and several books of Bible exposition, worship, and liturgy.
Thomas Purifoy, writer, director, and producer of the recent feature film, “Is Genesis History?” discusses the current state of the Bible and creation debate with Kuyperian contributor Luke Welch. We discuss the difference in asking the question from a science framework, and from a historical framework. Purifoy answers questions about why the way you read the Bible about this matters, and about what directions the current church is headed. The interview is full of historical and scientific highlights.
Thomas Purifoy, writer, director, and producer of the recent feature film, “Is Genesis History?” discusses the current state of the Bible and creation debate with Kuyperian contributor Luke Welch. We discuss the difference in asking the question from a science framework, and from a history framework. Purifoy answers questions about why the way you read the Bible about this matters, and about what directions the current church is headed. The interview is full of historical and scientific highlights.
On this fourth episode, Mr. Dustin Messer interviews author Tim Gallant on his most recent book, “Metanarrative: The Bible’s One Story of Love, Truth and Beauty.”
Purchase the Book from Amazon or Pactum Books.
Original music by George Reed.
On this third episode, Andrew Isker interviews Uri Brito to discuss the question of why we should celebrate the Church Calendar.
On this second episode, Pastor Dustin Messer interviews Pastor Uri Brito concerning his most recent article entitled: ”10 Questions Preachers Should Ask Before Sunday Morning.” We would love to hear your comments.
Original music by Mr. George Reed
On this inaugural episode, Pastors Steve Jeffery and Uri Brito discuss the influence of Abraham Kuyper and the purpose of Kuyperian Commentary.