A Time to Think: Recent Episodes
Downtown Mission Church
Chris and Josh discuss the fall: We believe that Adam, made in the image of God, distorted that image and forfeited his original blessedness—for himself and all his progeny—by falling into sin through Satan’s temptation.
Chris and Josh discuss the creation of humanity: we believe that God created human beings, male and female, in his own image.
Chris and Josh start of a new series about the affirmation of our faith, starting with the triune God.
Chris and Josh discuss the current scientific consensus of evolution and how Christians can challenge it.
How do we judge what is truly impressive? Often what man sees in outward appearance hides what the Lord is seeing and judging in the heart. On this episode of A Time to Think, Josh and Chris discuss various fallouts in the evangelical church and music industry. They tie together a thread that often what we deem to be impressive can cover over major issues.
Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. This teaching from Jesus declares that the Sabbath day of rest is a day meant not to burden but to bless God's people. So, should Christians take a literal 24 hours each week off from work? Chris and Josh take some time to think.
The church is a witnessing community that operates differently than the rest of the world.
Content Note: This episode contains mentions of violence and may be inappropriate for some listeners.
This is the one we feel the most. How could a good God exist while evil and suffering continue? This problem is not merely intellectual, but is existential driving at the core of our emotions and pains in this world. Chris and Josh seek to show how the existence of evil and suffering presuppose God's existence along with offering the gospel of Jesus Christ as the world's best and only solution to the problem.
The Bible and science are often pitted against each other with questions like, "can we trust the Bible or Science?" This question and others make it seem that to trust one is to banish the other. Chris and Josh discuss how scientific study is dependent on Christian truth while showing that scientific investigation is just as interpretive as theological investigation.
Pastor Chis and Pastor Josh break down the presuppositional worldview approach to apologetics.
Without the resurrection, life is hopeless. Pastor Josh and Pastor Chris defend this bold claim then show you how to use evidences for the resurrection of Jesus to defend the Christian worldview.
What is the right way to defend the Christian faith? Chris and Josh describe three basic methods and tip their hands as to which of the three they think is most helpful.
What is apologetics and why should we do it? On A Time to Think, Chris and Josh discuss the what and why behind defending the faith as well as giving warnings for bad motivations during apologetics.
What about all the rest of the questions? On this episode of A Time to Think, Chris and Josh discuss various final thoughts on common objections to trusting the New Testament.
What about other gospels which aren't included in the New Testament? One of the major modern objections to the New Testament is so-called "gospels" which are left out. On this episode of A Time to Think, Chris and Josh discuss the nature of these books and why their content displays that they don't belong.
Pastor Josh and Pastor Chris speak on the relevance of discussing canon issues and how to engage with a culture which prizes rationality.
Often times critical New Testament scholars fail to prioritize the oldest Gospels and letters we possess which witness to the beliefs of the early Christian community. These early witnesses are found in the books we know as the New Testament! Chris and Josh discuss the early confessions and formulas of orthodoxy found in the New Testament and how this relates to canon.
One of the most compelling qualities of the Bible is how it tells one story of salvation over 66 books written by dozens of authors and thousands of years. This is not only cause for the Christian to delight in, but also reason to have confidence in the New Testament. Pastor Chris and Pastor Josh discuss how continuity between the Old Testament and the New Testament is proof of the New Testament's inclusion in the canon of Scripture.
One simple question can be asked to cause doubt in many modern claims about the origin of the Bible's New Testament: "Is it true?" One example of this is the claim that many cultural sites prove that there was no "right" form of Christianity in the second century. Is that true? Chris and Josh discuss that and the nature of heretical teaching on A Time to Think.
How do we engage in conversation based on historical data during a time where subjectivity rules in people's minds? How do we balance being persuasive both with objective facts and also appealing to people's experiential beliefs? Pastor Josh and Pastor Chris discuss.
How do we know we have the right books in the Bible? Put another way, how do we know the books we have are the only right books or if they are God's words at all? Pastor Chris and Pastor Josh begin a series discussing "The Heresy of Orthodoxy".
Pastor Josh and Pastor Chris talk about watching and waiting in prayer along with giving thanks to God.
Pastor Josh and Pastor Chris discuss the difference between holy and unholy discontentment. They also discuss how modern mobility and options lead us to greater discontentment.
What stands in the way of Revival? Or in Martin Lloyd Jones language, what has clogged the well? Chris and Josh discuss what blockades must be removed before personal and community revival can happen.
Chris and Josh do a cursory overview of high points in the history of revivals and what we learn from them.
We're pausing the Revival conversation to deep dive into one of the most controversial passages of the Bible.
Pastor Chris and Pastor Josh change the topic to something that's been placed on both of their hearts.
Pastor Chris and Pastor Josh continue their discussion of Digital Liturgies by Samuel D. James.
Pastor Chris and Pastor Josh continue their discussion of Digital Liturgies by Samuel D. James.
Pastor Chris and Pastor Josh continue their discussion of Digital Liturgies by Samuel D. James.
Pastor Chris and Pastor Josh continue their discussion of Digital Liturgies by Samuel D. James.
Pastor Chris and Pastor Josh continue their discussion of Digital Liturgies by Samuel D. James.
Pastor Chris and Pastor Josh continue their discussion of Digital Liturgies by Samuel D. James.
Wisdom is not just having the right answers or making the right decisions. Biblical wisdom is living in light of the reality God has created. Pastor Chris and Pastor Josh talk about how the technological age often draws us to try to live outside our created realities and how we can guard against it.
How do we have healthy relationships with those in your farthest circle - coworkers, neighbors, extended family?
What is God calling us to as parents and how do we work that out in our own unique situations?
What does the picture, procreation, and partnership from part 1 of the Defining Relationships: Marriage look like for a couple in the church?
In our day and age, marriage is a term that needs to be defined. Pastor Josh and Pastor Chris break it down.
Romans has one of the clearest passages in the New Testament that lays out sexual codes and their relation to God as a creator. Join Pastor Josh and Pastor Chris for an exegesis of Romans 1.
Pride Month is over, but pride continues with the culture changing to have more unclear language.
The goal of the LGBTQIA+ is no longer to just allow them to celebrate their diversity but to defame the core of the Christian beliefs.
When the church gathers, they come together to be strengthened and when the church is scattered, they are sent to strengthen others.
Let's think about how you can invite those outside of the church into the church of Christ and how you can invite those inside the church to greater engagement and attendance.
What happens after you show up to church? Don't just turn around and go home; stay and engage. Chris and Josh show that healthy relational engagement is vital to the life and discipleship of the church. Don't underestimate what God will do with simple acts of love as you engage with other believers.
What the church is determines what the church does. As they begin a conversation of the 5 Vowels of Healthy Church Membership, Chris and Josh define who/what the church is before talking about the first vowel: A for attending. To be the church, you must be there!
How do Christians evaluate claims of revival? Recently, national news and Christian social media have been buzzing with talks of revival in a small town in Kentucky. While much of the conversation is about whether or not the revival is real, Chris and Josh spend their time discussing how this event can lead Christians to hope and confidence in the working of God.
In this world we get bombarded by information, let's step back and discuss what Pastor Chris and Pastor Josh have been intaking recently.
In this world we get bombarded by information, let's step back and discuss what Pastor Chris and Pastor Josh have been intaking recently.
In this world we get bombarded by information, let's step back and discuss what Pastor Chris and Pastor Josh have been intaking recently.
The plain teachings of Scripture can be understood by a child. This does not make the Bible a simple book, but the clarity of Scripture is such that all things needed to be known for salvation are clear and evident. On this episode of A Time to Think, Pastor Chris and Pastor Josh talk about the God of light who brings light to his children by his clear word.
Enough! In an a la carte world where we may have dozens of sources from different spheres of life giving us advice and direction, the Bible is enough. The Bible is sufficient. While this does not mean the Bible tells us everything about everything, biblical sufficiency means the Bible tells us something about everything. Find out more on this episode of A Time to Think.
How do we know God's word is true? How do we know we can trust the Bible? One of the classic qualities of Scripture is its inerrancy. This doctrine that the Bible is true in what it says butts up against a culture which doubts objective truth.
Who gets to tell me what to do? Our culture believes each individual is the chief authority in their own lives. This fights against the divine right of God to be the authority in our lives. In this episode of A Time to Think, Pastor Chris and Pastor Josh speak about the authority of Scripture and the goodness of God being the authority in our lives.
Why are our resolutions doomed to failure before they even start? Why do we look at days like January 1st or Monday to start next week as the day in which we will begin our new goal? What does God teach us about our resolutions and keeping our promises? Join Pastor Chris Tillman and Pastor Josh Holland as they think through New Year's Resolutions on A Time to Think.
Don't think much when you watch Hallmark movies or Christmas animated films. If you do, you might just find out how peppy yet empty most Christmas messaging is. As usual, Pastor Chris and Pastor Josh are willing to be annoying in order to be helpful, so they decided to tediously comb through a number of song lyrics and movie quotes from popular Christmas media.
Lights, trees, gifts, oh my! Decorations and traditions transform many a home, workplace, and family into a new environment during December. Many of us, without thinking about it, find joy in these decorations. But what if thinking just a bit could bring an even deeper joys to these beloved holiday symbols? Pastor Chris and Pastor Josh discuss.
Christmas is a time of competing symbols and storylines. One storyline centers around the birth of Christ and the other involves the coming of a gift-giving visitor on Christmas Eve. How should Christians consider Santa Claus as a symbol and storyline in the Christmas season? Pastor Josh and Pastor Chris talk about engaging in holiday tradition while remembering that anything Santa can do, Jesus can do better.
Is tuning in the best way to turn off? In our pursuit of rest and relaxation, we often turn to technology (tune in) in order to quiet our minds and escape from the burdens of our lives (turn off). However, we find that turning on media of any sort usually doesn't provide us the rest we desire. Pastor Chris and Pastor Josh discuss this conundrum and what to do about it.
Headphones have dramatically shifted how we interact with media. Instead of a community of people gathering to listen to a speaker or a musician, now content and music is in the ear of the individual. You may have no idea what the person beside you on a plane or in line at the grocery store is listening to. How does that affect our culture and the church?
Short, opinionated news media has made us disagreeable people. The media we consume has led to a decline in our ability to have basic discourse with others, and instead we spend much of our time focused on how we disagree with others rather than pursuing conversation with them. Pastor Chris and Pastor Josh set aside A Time to Think about the difference between disagreeing and discourse.
Every channel on TV is designed to entertain. Politicians seek to entertain and often pastors do as well. Entertainment culture seeps into every way we encounter information, so Pastor Chris Tillman and Pastor Josh Holland help work through how to approach media content in an entertainment driven world.
We are tempted to spend the great majority of our time thinking of trivial things. Social media, TV entertainment, and the vast amount of content available to consume on the internet lead us to be bombarded by and focused on insignificant things. Pastor Chris and Pastor Josh discuss how to divide our time on media between the trivial and the significant.
For the Christian, being counter-cultural is about more than criticizing ideas outside of the church. The Christian must also fight by creating a better, more persuasive culture within the church. Pastor Chris and Pastor Josh give ideas on how to build attractive cultures which are more beautiful than the competing ideas around them on this episode of A Time To Think.
How do Christians think through being called a bigot or being charged with hate speech? How do thinking people respond in a society which is quick to level personal attacks prior to discussing the substance of an idea? Pastor Chris and Pastor Josh discuss in A Time To Think.
We think we have freedom to chart our own path or create ourselves as we want to be. However, we are not truly free to create ourselves, because we ultimately need someone to like what we create. We need the people around us to affirm or "recognize" who we are as good and right and true. Pastor Chris and Pastor Josh discuss our culture's deep longing for recognition.
We are plastic people in a liquid world. Technological advancements in the realms of transportation, communication, and medication have all lead us to feel that we can shape the world around us and determine our own shape as well. Pastor Chris and Pastor Josh discuss the issues with these changes in thought.
Pastor Josh and Pastor Chris discuss how Sigmund Freud led us to believe that we are primarily sexual creatures.
Pastor Chris and Pastor Josh discuss views of morality divorced from God held by Karl Marx and Friedrich Nietzsche.
Pastor Chris and Pastor Josh discuss the Supreme Court's ruling which had massive consequences for the legality of abortion in the United States.
Pastor Josh and Pastor Chris engage with five common arguments from the Pro-Choice side of the debate about abortion.
Pastor Josh and Pastor Chris discuss how the ideas of scholars and philosophers trickle down into our everyday lives.
Pastor Josh and Pastor Chris from Downtown Mission Church discuss the question of what exactly the "sexual revolution" is in relationship to the new self in western culture.
Pastor Josh and Pastor Chris talk about expressive individualism and how it creeps into the church.
Pastor Josh and Pastor Chris discuss how we came to view individuals as a "self" and how this impacts our discussions of gender and sexuality.
Two Downtown Mission Church pastors explain why they want to engage cultural issues in a way that helps the people in their church.