Pocket Theology: Recent Episodes
Pocket Theology Podcast
Pocket Theology is hosted by small church pastors and all-around nerds Martin Hinten and Jason Frederick. We want to take "top shelf" scholarly work on the Bible, a deep respect for the inspiration of scripture, and our own pastoral experience and mix it all together in a way that is helpful and understandable for normal people like you.
We want our conversations to be approachable, upbuilding, and God-honoring. We hope you'll join us!
Martin and Jason talk about the reasons why we evangelize, if it's okay to scare people into Hell, and why Christians need to talk about Hell (but probably not as often as some of us do).
Jason interviews Dr. Sheri Bradley about her new book Valued by God: Elevating the Value of Women's Voices in the Church. In this conversation they talk about why women's voices have been silenced in many Christian denominations, what the Bible REALLY says about women in ministry, and how you can make sure that female image-bearers are valued by your congregation.
In this solo episode, Jason talks about the so-called "Protoevangelium" from the book of Genesis (and why it probably isn't about Jesus)
Martin and Jason talk about some of their favorite and least favorite parts of their jobs as pastors, and a little about how congregation members can make a difference in the lives of their pastors.
Martin and Jason debate Seeker Sensitivity, and whether or not it's a good thing for Churches.
Martin and Jason talk about Spiritual gifts, debate the difference between Spiritual gifts and plain, old talents, and talk about the Christian responsibility to work for the betterment of your church.
Martin interviews his co-host Jason Frederick, the Preaching/Executive Minister at United in Faith Christian Church in Murphysboro, IL.
Jason explains what executive ministry is, talks about the lack of leadership in the Church, at tells you how you can make sure your leadership-oriented pastors feel loved and supported.
Jason Interviews Carrie Smith, the Children's Minister at United in Faith Christian Church in Murphysboro, IL.
Carrie talks about being tricked into interviewing to be a minister (!), how her children pray, and the need for regular people to help support Pre-k - 5th grade ministry in their local churches.
Jason interviews his co-host Martin Hinten, the Youth Minister at North Grand Christian Church in Ames, Iowa.
Martin talks about why youth ministry matters, the importance of parenting, and how God used closed doors to get him into Youth Ministry.
Jason interviews Bryce Pitlick, the Preaching/Discipleship Minister at United in Faith Christian Church in Murphysboro, IL.
Bryce talks about what Discipleship Ministry is, how he entered the ministry to start with, and how you can help your church disciple its members better.
Jason Interviews Brandi Miles, the Worship Minister at United in Faith Christian Church in Murphysboro, IL.
Brandi talks about what scripture inspires her ministry, why worship ministry matters, and how everyday Church people can help worship improve at their church.
Martin and Jason talk about disgraced Pastor Mark Driscoll's latest antics, how Christians should correct one another, and the weirdness of Christian Men's conferences.
Martin and Jason discuss the "He Gets Us" Superbowl ads this year, whether or not they were really Unchristian, and how we should view how Christian groups use their money.
Martin and Jason talk about arguments for the existence of God, and (at the end of the episode) why they both believe in God personally (and it's probably not why you think!)
Almost everyone you know thinks the same way (at least, if you live in North America or Europe).
Martin and Jason talk about Naturalism, the default worldview of the Western world, and why ignoring the Spiritual world is a really bad idea.
Jason and Martin talk about "secularism" (why so many Atheists, and even many Christians, view the world so differently from the way Christians are supposed to see the world), how to detect area of your life that are more secular than sacred, and why you should care about your worldview.
Many of us have heard of (or experienced) Church splits, but not many of us have seen the fruits of a church merger. Berean Christian Church and First Christian Church of Murphysboro, IL decided to merge, and to keep the leadership of BOTH churches around. In this podcast Preaching Ministers Jason Frederick and Bryce Pitlick, along with Elder Russ Ward are interviewed by Dr. Gary Johnson and Dr. Billy Strother of E2 Effective Elders to tell the story of the reuniting of their two congregations.
after a nearly 6-month hiatus (!!!) Martin and Jason are back with a new season of Pocket Theology. This episode is a brief intro telling you what we've been up to, and giving a few tidbits about things we've been learning, why discipleship is important, and why the Church needs capable administrators.
"Theology" is a fancy word that describes what pastors do, or bearded seminary professors in dimly lit studies.... right?
Jason and Martin think theology is something that EVERY Christian can (and should) do. In this episode they tell you why and give some advice on how normal people can start "doing theology" better.
For many of us, the word "missionary" evokes images of brave evangelists trekking through wild lands to reach remote people who have never heard the gospel.
But... the Bible teaches that we're all called to evangelize. In this episode, Martin and Jason talk about how all Christians are called to be missionaries.
In part two of their conversation about the origins of the Bible, Martin and Jason talk more specifically about the origins of the Old and New Testament, and why you have footnotes in your Bible
Ask most Christians what the Bible is and they'll say "the Word of God"... but let's be honest, that's not a very helpful definition.
So what IS the Bible? Where did it come from? How do we interpret it correctly? Martin and Jason are tackling those questions in this podcast.
The Book of 1 Peter has some wild verses in it. Peter talks about Spiritual prisons, calls women weak, and claims that we're smarter than prophets... Or does he?
Today Martin and Jason are talking about some difficult-to-understand passages in 1 Peter and (hopefully) making them a lot easier to understand and apply to our lives today.
Martin and Jason talk about the author, audience, and themes of 1 Peter to help you prepare for reading an often-ignored book written by one of Jesus' closest friends.
You can help solve the shortage of full-time ministers the church is facing. In this episode, Martin and Jason finish up their conversation from last week, and then spend most of the episode telling you how you can help keep your pastor around, and a few ideas for how to raise up the next generation of pastors.
The church in America is running out of pastors. In spite of that (or maybe because of it) some people think the Church is due for a youth movement in its most senior leadership positions.
In this conversation, Martin and Jason talk about some reasons why the Church is having so much trouble holding on to ministers, and reasons why the we might (or might not) have a wave of young pastors incoming.
Many of us were taught as kids that the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11 is a story that tells us where different languages originated. In this episode, Jason and Martin talk about how the Tower of Babel isn't primarily about language at all, but is really a story about pride, arrogance, violence, and God's mercy.
In this episode Martin and Jason continue their debate on a hot-button issue in the Church: can Christians still perform miracles like the Apostles and Prophets did?
In this episode, Martin argues that some Christians can still perform miracles, and Jason Responds
In this episode Martin and Jason debate a hot-button issue in the Church: can Christians still perform miracles like the Apostles and Prophets did?
In this episode, Jason argues that Christians can't perform miracles, and Martin responds
We all know chronically upset Church People... so what do you do about them? No matter your role in your congregation, this episode will provide some insight on what to do when complaining and bickering crops up at your church.
Some churches get a "country club mentality". Highly vocal people (usually just a few of them) take charge and make sure that nothing changes, and that outsiders are forced to conform or leave. Why does that happen? What does the Bible say about that kind of behavior? Is there anything we can do about it?
This is the first half of a conversation about Spiritual Maturity, difficult people in the Church, and what any church member can do to stop a church mutiny.
This episode is a shortened version of a project Jason did for his MDiv. Jason fields questions about the context and meaning of one of the most beautiful passages in the Bible: Isaiah Chapter 11
Baptism is a really big deal in some churches, and is barely talked about in others. At Pocket Theology, we believe that Baptism is a vitally important part of our Christian faith, and that your questions about Baptism deserve to be answered.
In this episode, Martin will talk us through a basic definition of Baptism, give us some reasons why it matters, and talk about when we should and shouldn't be rebaptized (and more!)
The doctrine of the Trinity feels like something heady that pastors and theologians argue about, but doesn't really matter for the rest of us. Jason just completed a projects arguing that our belief in the Trinity should drastically affect every aspect of Church life, and even transform how we define the word "church", and how willing we are to leave a congregation we've committed to.
If the Trinity has ever seemed weird or unimportant to you, this episode is meant for you.
In this episode Martin interviews Jason about the doctrine of the Trinity. What is the Trinity? Why isn't the word in the Bible? Why did the Church not agree that the Trinity was a thing for hundreds of years? They'll answer all these questions and more in this episode of Pocket Theology.
Easter is a period of renewed excitement and commitment for many believers in Jesus... but often that excitement dies out within a week or two. In this episode, Jason and Martin talk about some thoughts and practices that can help Christians keep that Easter excitement going all year long.
God has a will, he interacts with us, and desires to have relationships with humans. In other words; God is a person.
God isn't some disembodied force floating through the cosmos, he's a person. That truth has a lot of ramifications that Martin and Jason will explore in this episode.
God is love. God is compassion. God is....
We often hear all kinds of positive descriptions of who God is. In today's episode Martin is talking about what we mean when we say God is love, and how God shows his compassionate, loving nature to us in his actions.
In this episode Martin and Jason are talking about God's justice. The Scriptures describe God as just all the time... so why is it that sometimes God seems so distant, or so unfair? Today Martin will lead the conversation explaining how Exodus (and the rest of the Bible) pictures God's justice, and how we should respond with worship.
We're back with more of our favorite church stories that inspire us, or show us important aspects of our faith!
We can learn a lot from the Bible. In fact, Martin and Jason believe that the Bible is our first and foremost authority on all kinds of matters. We can also learn from the stories of faithful (and not-so-faithful) people who have gone on before us. In this episode, Martin and Jason talk about Samson and Polycarp, whose stories warn us to keep our priorities in order, and to be ready to give anything for God's Kingdom.
".... or else you'll burn!" Most of us in the church have heard that kind of line over and over when preachers are talking about Hell. Here's the thing; that's not the only (or even the most popular) historic Christian understanding of Hell.
Martin and Jason are talking today about Hell, about some of the different Bible passages that describe Hell differently, and about why "Hell is a giant bonfire" isn't the whole story. We hope if you take the time to listen to this conversation that it'll give you a deeper appreciation for the weirdness of the Bible's descriptions of Hell, more empathy for other Christian traditions, and help you to lean more deeply into your trust in God (after all, he'll sort everything out in the end, one way or another!).
If you'd like to get in touch with us, reach out at realpockettheology@gmail.com!
This bonus episode is a snippet of a conversation between Martin and Jason where they talk about what Purgatory is (and briefly explain why most of our listeners probably aren't very familiar with it).
Most of us who grew up in Church think the Bible is clear; we know EXACTLY who is going to be in Heaven.... The problem is the church down the street disagrees with us! In this episode Martin and Jason explain some of the most common Christian ideas about who will be in Heaven and who won't.
It's Black History month, so Martin and Jason discuss somethings they've learned, read, observed, or been taught by others about how the church can grow more multi-ethnic, and how Christians can learn to be more empathetic when tragedies strike the African American Community (or any other community).
If you're looking for more in-depth resources; check out the work of Albert Tate, Esau McCaulley, Jemar Tisby, and Bryan Loritts.
Martin and Jason talk about homosexuality and the church, why some Bible-believing people think homosexuality is okay, and why the case for traditional marriage is a lot deeper than "the Bible clearly says..."
Our goal in this episode is to help listeners understand why Jesus-followers debate and disagree over the issue of homosexuality in our churches. We hope by hearing "both sides" our listeners can learn to be more understanding and empathetic toward Christians they disagree with.
It's probably not a question your pastor talks about a lot... why doesn't the Bible mention Dinosaurs (or any other prehistoric creature)? Where do Dinosaurs fit into the creation story we read in Genesis? If Dinosaurs DON'T fit in, then why do we keep finding fossils everywhere?!?!
Today Martin is asking Jason all about Dinosaurs, the Bible, and how the two fit together. Tune in to have all your Jurassic-sized questions answered.
Martin and Jason are have a conversation about NHL Player and Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov's decision to sit out a pride-themed pre-game skate a few days ago. Is it unloving for Christians to refuse to participate in pride nights, or is it deceitful for Christians to pretend to support something they don't condone? Join use for a challenging but loving conversation about a difficult and complicated situation.
Discipleship is a fancy Christian term that we normally don't understand (but still seems intimidating). How do we "disciple" others? What should we look for in a spiritual mentor? Do I really need to "be discipled" at all? Jason and Martin are talking about that and more in this podcast.
Jason asks Martin about Evangelism strategies, and how to know if you're "ready" to evangelize to others.
If you want to tell others about Jesus, but don't know where to start, this episode is for you.
Thanks for joining us on our evangelism and discipleship series! Next week, our final episode in the series will post and we'll be on to new topics. If you have any ideas or questions for future episodes, email us at realpockettheology@gmail.com
In this episode, Martin interviews Jason, asking questions about finding (and being) people who grow the spiritual lives of those around them. If you want to find a spiritual mentor that will guide you as you grow your walk with Jesus, this conversation is for you.
Merry Christmas! Martin and Jason are talking about their favorite Christmas verses, what they teach us about Christmas, and why you need a dragon in your manger.
In this short bonus episode, Martin talks about one of the biggest influences in his walk with Jesus, and how loving friendships are the best way to show others the love of God.
In this episode Martin and Jason are talking about evangelism, and why it matters that Christians tell others about Jesus (spoiler; it's not just about Heaven and Hell!). They also answer the popular claim that teaching a child religion is "indoctrination" or "brainwashing".
Join Martin, to get a Youth Pastor's perspective on helpful things you can do to encourage your child's spiritual growth.
1) Practice your faith with and in front of your children;
2) Worship as a nightly routine;
3) Be willing and capable of having spiritual conversations with your children.
Evangelism and Discipleship are words that churches love to use, but rarely define. In this episode, Jason and Martin talk about what discipleship and evangelism really are, what a "win" in evangelism looks like, and how any Christian can get better at both!
It seems like a lot of churches teach that if you open your Bible, you'll magically learn everything you need to know to be a good Christian. While we believe that regular Bible reading is integral to growing in your relationship with God, it's wrong to think that any Christian can understand the immensity of God's glory and purpose for humankind without help from other Christians. Today, Martin is asking Jason about the harmful traditions that make some Christians misunderstand the purpose of the Bible so badly.
In honor of Native American Heritage Month, we had the pleasure of interviewing Andrew Thomas, a pastor who works with Diamond Willow Ministries in the Crow Creek Sioux Tribal Community. Tribal Communities are unfamiliar to many Americans, so we asked Andrew to talk about his ministry at Diamond Willow, and to tell us about the things that make the Tribal Community unique.
Learn more about Diamond Willow, or donate at: Diamond Willow Ministries - Diamond Willow Ministries (d-w-m.org)
Learn more about the Crow Creek Sioux at: Crow Creek Sioux Tribe | South Dakota Department of Tribal Relations (sd.gov)
Many of us who were raised in or around Church were taught that the earth was created by God in 6 days. Is that really what the Bible teaches?
Well... that depends on who you ask. Today Martin and Jason are exploring a few common Christian perspectives on the creation of the earth so that you can be better prepared the next time you read the first few chapters of your Bible.
For a few years, claims have circulated in some circles that the Bible was edited to hide from its readers that God originally was conceived of as having a wife. Is this true? Is the Bible lying to us about how Yahweh was originally worshipped? Are Judaism and Christianity just religions that "came about naturally" as patriarchal societies edited out the female deity of the Israelites?!?
Short answer; no. Jason and Martin are here to tell you all about how this claim uses true claims twisted and presented to make your question your faith.
A few meditation thoughts that didn't make it into the Book of Jonah episode, plus about thirty seconds of Martin and Jason mocking each other (in a loving, Christian way of course).
The Book of Jonah in the Christian Old Testament is SUPER strange, but poses a really poignant question about our willingness to trust God, and the boundless grace of our Savior.
Join friends and Pastors Martin and Jason as they explore this fascinating and underappreciated book of our Bible.
Is Jason still giggling every time he sees the word "splendiferous"? Maybe.
In this episode Martin and Jason talk about double-fulfillment prophecies and how a Hebrew word and a Greek word both often translated "love" are kinda the same thing, but don't at all mean what "love" means in English.
Feel free to reach out at realpockettheology@gmail.com if you have questions or suggestions! You can also find us on facebook as "Pocket Theology"
Jason just really wanted to use the word "splendiferous" in a title.
Jason and Martin have a chat about how the New Testament authors use the Old Testament to proof and illustrate their points, so you can make sense of some of the wacky ways that the Apostles use the Hebrew Scriptures.
Martin and Jason finish their conversation about Jesus' quote of Psalm 22 on the cross and Jason chases a brief rabbit trail about "Paradise", "Tartarus", and "the souls in prison".
Jason and Martin continue their conversation about Jesus' famous exclamation "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?". In this episode, they explore how the gospel writers decided what details to include in their books, and why some contradictions in the gospels seem to be irreconcilable.
Martin and Jason talk about Jesus quote of Psalm 22 in Mark and Matthew ("My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?"), how it confused them when they were younger, and why Luke and John don't mention the quote at all.
Martin and Jason finish up their conversation about the golden calf incident, including giving some take-home lessons about evangelism, Christian duty, and why "feeling right with God" isn't a great indicator of your status before the Almighty.
The Golden Calf incident in Exodus 32 is a favorite of Sunday school classes across the nation, and is often taught wrong. In this conversation, Martin and Jason talk about
Explicit Content Warning: Martin and Jason talk about an adult subject relevant to this passage of scripture during this episode. This may not be suitable for young children.
Continuing their talk about Greek and Hebrew words that everyone should know, Martin and Jason talk about "holiness" and "submission", two words some Christians use a lot but don't really understand.
In the first half of this week's two-part episode, Martin and Jason talk about what the Bible really means when it tells people to "repent", and some simple practices we can implement in our lives to live out repentance better.
Jason and Martin talk about the book of Acts (an awesome book of the Bible recounting key events in the Christian movement's first few decades) and take some time to give you some tips on how to read the New Testament's only "history" book.
Churchy people can be weird. We get it. But some of that "weird" churchy stuff is super helpful, while some of it is super harmful. In this episode, Martin and Jason are talking about some of the helpful and harmful church traditions they've seen growing up in and working in American churches.
Pastor Martin (with a few comments from Jason) explains why some people think Elihu's monologue was a late addition to the book of Job, and why we aren't concerned about it.
This week friends and Pastors Martin Hinten and Jason Frederick are talking about Job's mean friends and "the Satan" in God's divine throne room in Job ch. 1 and 2. What are we supposed to learn from these weird antagonists of Job's tale?
EDIT NOTE: the original release of this episode contained an audio editing error that cut off most of Jason's answer to the first question, as well as the first few words of Martin's response. This has been rectified.
Pastors and friends Jason and Martin talk about the point of Job, why God allows suffering, and briefly have a pointless disagreement about whether or not the Psalms are "wisdom literature". Tune in to hear about God-as-King, why archaeology can't help us prove Job's existence, and more!
Welcome to Pocket Theology! Friends and Pastors Jason Frederick and Martin Hinten will host this podcast meant to take the leading scholarship of today and the timeless truths of the Bible and combine them to give God-honoring and life-building lessons that will be easy to understand and apply every day of your life.
We hope you'll join us as we dive into our Bibles together!