The True Presbyterian: Recent Episodes
Mike Hutchinson
Navigating the world of Christian faith and practice can be difficult. Every Monday and Wednesday, join Mike Hutchinson, a long-time student of Christian theology, as he interviews guests who are expert guides to Christianity, theology, and the historic Reformed faith. Whether you're interested in learning about Christianity, you're a new Christian, you're new to Reformed theology, or you're a long-time student of theology yourself, this is the podcast to help you think biblically and think deeply about theology.
Ten years ago I sat on the floor in my parents' living room and promised my father that, when the day came, I would preach the homily at his funeral. On August 6, 2022 I was (barely) able to keep that promise. Thank you for your prayer and your support. Especially to Graham and all of my other patrons.
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My new friend Adi is a South African and a farmer so I thought he'd be able to give us the skinny on the situation on the ground for farmers in South Africa. Are things really as bad as you sometimes here? Are Afrikaaner farmers facing a significant number of murders. Adi has a lot to say about this. Be sure to listen.
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Today I talked with Dr. Jan Adriaan Schlebush of The Pactum Institute about his new book, Assailing the Gates of Hell: Christianity at War with the Left. We start at the French Revolution, make our way to Berlin, Moscow, and Frankfurt and talk about how we managed to find ourselves in clown world. This is a conversation that I thoroughly enjoyed and I believe that you will to!
My thanks as always to David, Graham, Daniel, Morgan, and Jared. Y'all make all this possible and I appreciate you greatly!
If you'd like to become a patron as well, go to Patreon and sign up.
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I was gifted a copy of A New Day of Small Beginnings by Pierre Courthial (thanks Graham!) and that sparked some thoughts about the future of theonomy. So if theonomy is to have a future, if it isn't to grow stagnant and get stuck in 1985, what needs to happen? Stick around and find out.
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It looks like both overtures from this past General Assembly of the PCA (Overtures 23 and 37) are dead in the water. Now what?
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All I can say is that 2021 was mighty strange and full of lots of challenges. But the Lord has been faithful through it all. I can't thank my patrons and listeners enough for how well the podcast has performed over the past twelve months. Let's take a look back at 2021 before we bid it goodbye and then let's talk about the future.
Here's to David, Morgan, Jared, Eric, and Graham. Y'all are the real stars of The True Presbyterian. Keep on rocking!
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There has been a lot of discussion about Christian Nationalism in both legacy media and social media over the past few weeks and so I decided, after mulling things over in my own brain for a bit, to wade into the fray. What's so scary about Christian nationalism? Why is all of this suddenly on the minds of everyone from the progvangelicals, to TGC, to Al Mohler? Can one square the idea of Christian nationalism with the Bible?
Come join me and let's think all this through.
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Once the microphones are cut off, I have some interesting conversations with my guests. This time, I'm talking with Eric Conn about hunting and male rites of passage. Enjoy!
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Today I'm talking with Mr. Eric Conn of The Hard Men Podcast about the Reformed Downgrade. We talk about the feminization of the culture, the church, and the pulpit and what you can do to fight it.
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I have some interesting conversations once the microphones get turned off. This time I talked with Dr. Clauson about a rather wild story about him, the late Greg Bahnsen, and Liberty University. This one is a little nuts, but it's all true.
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Well this episode has been a long time coming. My guest was Dr. Kevin Clauson of Bryan College in Dayton, Tennessee and our conversation ran the gamut! From Alfred the Great to English Common Law to Critical Legal Theory, this one has a little bit of everything. I hope that y'all enjoy this one as much as I did!
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I was invited to give a lecture to a group of folks on Discord about the church and cultural transformation. In today's episode, you'll get a glimpse into how I think the church qua church begins the process of cultural transformation.
Many thanks to Jon Kodada for inviting me to join them. I hope you all found it edifying!
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Last week I received an email that included hundreds of pages of emails from the National Partnership, a private group within the PCA that has existed since 2013 and that has been a driving force behind many of the decisions of the Presbyterian Church in America's General Assembly. After spending days pouring through these emails, I sat down at the microphone today to talk about what they reveal about the goings on within the PCA.
If you're interested in joining me for a lecture I've been invited to give on Discord, you can do so by following this link.
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I got a number of emails and text messages today about this episode of The Preacher Boys Podcast. Since Eric has been a guest and is a friend and patron of the show, and because y'all aren't going to leave me alone about this, here's a short episode where I ramble for a bit.
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Finally got to sit down at the microphone and riff on how Christians could begin to influence the culture by thinking small, attacking on the oblique, and focusing on their county.
Many thanks to my patrons for their support. I've picked up some new folks recently and so a big thank you needs to go to Morgan and David, both of whom have just started supporting the show. But I haven't forgotten about Jared, Eric, and Graham, either. Y'all are pretty great.
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Once the microphones are off, my guests and I keep talking. Listen in as I chat with Zachary Garris about the weakness of the complementarian project and why it's called getting manhandled.
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I'm talking with Zach Garris today. Zach is a graduate of RTS-Jackson and Wayne State University Law School. He has also written an excellent little book called Masculine Christianity that's available from Zion Press. In this conversation we talk about what patriarchy is, whether there can even be a God-honoring patriarchy, and why we're seeing a patriarchal resurgence and much more!
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I sat down in my study with all of it's audio problems (echos, anyone? kid stomping upstairs? air conditioner like a freight train?) and riffed on some areas of life, politics, and theology that have been occupying my brain over the past two months. Enjoy!
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So I finally got to sit down in front of the microphone after a long time. Listen in as I clarify the point of season three.
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The big move to Charlotte, N.C. is getting closer. Listen in for an update on season three.
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If there is one area where many preachers struggle it's making the move from exegesis to homiletics. We have this strange idea that moving from one to the other is an arcane art that's the special domain of heroes that are somehow more than human. Today I'm talking about making your move from exegesis to homiletics and how I formulate the homiletical point of the sermon.
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This time I'm talking to Matt Hamilton about how he started Outdoor, Inc.
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Today I got to sit down with one of my best friends here in Chattanooga: Mr. Matt Hamilton of Outdoor, Inc. Matt is a deacon at Wayside PCA on Signal Mountain, Tenn. and we talk about the role that your deacons play in the church and in the larger community as we fight for the future. I had a great time with Matt—even if he didn't. Matt was a little nervous about this one but I have no idea why. He was an amazing guest and shared some great information.
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We're on to two important aspects of sermon preparation: text selection and arriving at the exegetical point of the text. How long should your preaching portion be? How do you arrive at the exegetical point of the text? Those are the two questions I'm focused on today in this episode.
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About 90% of the time the conversation after the interview is just as interesting as the interview itself (if not more so occasionally). Listen in as Derrick tells us about why you should roll at your local BJJ gym after a bad burrito.
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My conversation today with Mr. Derrick Brite of First Presbyterian Church, Aliceville, Alabama. We're talking about the necessity of fighting for the purity of the church as we fight for the future. We discussed what the church is, what it means to commit yourself to the purity of the church, concrete ways to fight for the church's purity, and a whole host of other issues. Enjoy!
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A glimpse into what happens after the interview when the mics are turned off. Listen in as Dr. Merkle and I talk about the great works of Western Civilization.
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I was joined by Dr. Benjamin Merkle (D.Phil., Oxford), President of New St. Andrews College in Moscow, Idaho today. We spent our time talking about the responsibility that parents have to educate their children and what role Christian education plays in our fight for the future.
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We're still plugging away at the How Sermons Work miniseries. Today I'm delving a little bit deeper into what a sermon isn't as well as what a sermon is. If you've ever wondered what makes preaching and sermons unique, you'll appreciate today's episode.
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I don't know a single pastor who hasn't—at some point—walked out of the pulpit completely discouraged and thinking, "That was the worst sermon of my life." It happens to us all. Listen in as Brian and I talk about his worst sermon. Ever.
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Today I spoke with Pastor Brian Sauvé of Refuge Church in Ogden, Utah. Christian parents have a weighty duty to raise godly children and in this episode we talk about the roles that mom and dad play (together and separately) in rearing godly children.
Watch on YouTube.
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Before we launch in to the nuts and bolts of sermons, I want to correct some common misconceptions about what sermons are, or in this case, what sermons aren't. At the top of my list is the fact that sermons are not identical with preaching. They're certainly related, but they aren't the same thing. Join me as I explain why and as I talk a little about proper criticism of sermons and of preaching.
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I'm back with Kevin Swanson and we're talking about his Colorado governor and Senate run in 1994 and 1998. Ever wondered what that's like. Listen in as Kevin tells you.
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My guest today is Rev. Kevin Swanson, a pastor, theologian, and former candidate for governor and Senate in the great state of Colorado. We're talking about why we need to fight for Christian marriage in our fight for the future.
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As you know, preaching in the United States is in particularly bad shape. Today I looked at R. L. Dabney's seven cardinal requisites of the sermon and spoke about how they related to the condition that preaching is in throughout Western culture.
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We're back with Pastor C. R. (Chris) Wiley to talk about classical literature for men.
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Rev. Chris Wiley joins me today to talk about the subject of his book: The Household and the War for the Cosmos. What exactly is a household and how is it distinct from the family? Why does Paul suddenly start talking about households and marriages at the end of Ephesians? We talk about all of this and a lot more in today's episode.
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Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes in your pastor's office when he's constructing his sermon for Sunday? Listen in as we start talking about how sermons work.
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After the interview when the mics are off, I have some really interesting conversations with my guests. Listen in as Dr. Phil Kayser and I talk about partial preterism and historicism and why they matter.
Watch on YouTube.
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If you were to look around yourself for very long, you'd come to the conclusion that the church is in retreat. Our culture is coming apart at the seams and we are as divided as we've been since 1865. Do we even bother keeping up the fight? That's the question before us today as I talk to Dr. Phil Kayser of Dominion Covenant Church in Omaha, Neb.
Watch on YouTube.
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This is a quick update on the schedule for season three. I'm sorry to say that their may be a short break in episodes early in the season that is (as of right now) almost certainly unavoidable. Listen in and find out why.
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Season three is just one week away! With that in mind I sat down at my desk to give you an idea of what's changing at The True Presbyterian, what's staying the same, and who and what you can expect in season three: Fight for the Future.
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This afternoon I got to interview my friend and very dear brother Zecharias Abraham Weldeyesus; I know that's a mouthful, but he's just Zecky to his friends. Zecky and I met several years ago when we were both at GPTS in Taylors, S.C., and he has an almost unbelievable story to tell about his experience of God's faithfulness.
Imprisoned several times in Eritrea for his refusal to stop proclaiming the gospel, tortured, nearly murdered more than once, Zecky's story is an incredibly moving examination of what God's faithfulness looks like in the life of a man who is the pastor of a suffering, persecuted church.
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Today you get a quick peek behind the scenes of my interview with Dr. Kelli Palfy about male sexual abuse victims. We were both a little punchy from exhaustion after this one—though for different reasons—and I wanted you to get an idea of what happens once I end the interview. I hope y'all like this!
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My guest this week is Dr. Kelli Palfy, author of Men Too: Unspoken Truths about Male Sexual Abuse. We're talking about male victims of sexual abuse, why men don't disclose their trauma and abuse, and about the general ignorance of the wider population regarding female predators. This was a tough episode, not only because of the content. Dr. Palfy was at the tail end of a looooooooooong day and I was running on fumes as well. Nevertheless, the content was outstanding and I was thrilled that Kelli chose to join me.
Thanks, again, Doc. I hope everyone who hears this buys a copy of your book!
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Today I sat down in front of my mic and spent some time ruminating on my interview earlier this week with Dr. John Haney. That was a tough interview to sit through as the host and I imagine it was tough for you to listen to as the audience. So why was this so important to me? Today's episode explains my reasons for having Dr. Haney on the show.
Thanks for joining me, John. Maybe we'll do it again.
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Today's interview was not an easy one to record. I have seen so many men fall apart after learning that their wife was unfaithful fall apart at the seams. The pain and devastation are difficult to look at, much less discuss. But that's what we're doing in this interview. If you know a man who is dealing with this right now, please share this episode with him.
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Today I'm talking about the extraordinary events of the past week and what it means for you, your family, and your church. I'm also testing out some new intro music that I'm considering for season three. Feel free to let me know what you think.
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We're back at the eschatology miniseries today, this time looking at Daniel 9:24–27 and asking who "makes a strong covenant with many" (ESV). Is this a text about a future Antichrist or is the Dispensationalist take on this text completely blasphemous? Stick around and find out!
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When I started this show I wanted to avoid controversy to the extent that I was able. However, given the ongoing controversy surrounding Aimee Byrd and her book Recovering from Biblical Manhood and Womanhood and that I'm acquainted with several of the parties who are at the center of this dispute, I wanted to invite them to come on the show and let them speak for themselves. I have done what I can to contact the folks on the other side of this controversy to come on the show; one of them declined and I'm still trying to reach the others. I would absolutely welcome them to come on the show as well.
Today's guests were Mr. Shane Anderson (of The Daily Genevan) and the Reverend Michael Spangler. They are two of the men who have been at the center of the controversy surrounding Mrs. Byrd, her book, and feminism in Reformed and Presbyterian churches.
When I record episodes of The True Presbyterian, they get some very light editing, mainly for breath sounds or vocal tics and occasionally to remove any long silences. This audio is much more unrefined than usual; I wanted to ensure that you all got to hear exactly what was said.
I genuinely hope that this show contributes more light than heat to this continuing controversy. Thanks for listening.
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Today I sat down with Dr. Joseph Pipa, President Emeritus of Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary to talk about God's holiness.
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Alright folks, this episode is full of apologies and updates. Things here haven't gone as smoothly as I hoped, but hey, 2020, right? Thanks for sticking with me.
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Well, this episode was a rush job if there ever was one. Since I haven't been able to get the guest that I really wanted scheduled to appear on the show, and because my alternate guests don't respond to emails, I got put in the hot seat today by my lovely wife, Tricia. We spent some time talking about the biblical basis for the doctrine of the Trinity, errors that need to be avoided, and a host of other issues that surround this most central doctrine of the Christian faith.
Tricia, thanks so much for taking the wheel and driving the car for this episode. You did great, sweetheart. I just hope that I didn't bumble around and fall into a pool of heresy.
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Today I'm speaking with Dr. Cornelis Venema of Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Our subject is God's infinity. Dr. Venema gives us an update on Dr. Alan Strange, builds our doctrine of God's infinity from Scripture, talks about some particular errors that Christians need to avoid, and helps us navigate the question of how God's infinity relates to the Person of Jesus Christ. As always, we end on an experiential note and Dr. Venema explains why the fact that God is infinite matters to you.
This was an outstanding conversation and it was a privilege to talk with Dr. Venema.
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"God is Spirit and those who worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." So says John 4:24. But what does it mean when we say that God is Spirit? That's the subject of today's episode of The True Presbyterian with Dr. Guy Richard, Executive Director of the Atlanta campus of Reformed Theological Seminary.
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The election is dragging on and I have some thoughts about what the church needs to be doing next whether Donald Trump stays in office or whether Joe Biden is our next president. I hope that y'all will listen closely and think about how my sleep deprived ramblings might apply to you. I'm sorry if the audio on this one isn't great or if I ramble a little bit but I was at the end of my ability to stay awake. You get what you get at 3 AM in the morning.
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It was my great privilege to interview Dr. Ligon Duncan of Reformed Theological Seminary again. Today we talked about God's name—Yahweh, or Jehovah— what it means, how it connects to covenant theology, our understanding of the Trinity, and Christology, as well as what experiential benefit the believer derives from knowing that God Is: Yahweh. We also learned just how badly telemarketers manage to mangle Dr. Duncan's name.
Dr. Duncan, thanks again for coming back on The True Presbyterian.
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By far the most prevalent method of biblical interpretation in American evangelicalism today is Dispensationalism. But can the most central dogma of a dispensationalist hermeneutic stand up to sustained scrutiny? I think not. Join me today as we begin dismantling dispensationalism.
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I decided to go ahead and start the miniseries for season two. This time we're looking at eschatology—a hot topic if there ever was one. Today I'm just giving a general overview of the subject and talking about a particularly overlooked aspect of how we interpret the book of Revelation.
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In order to whet your appetite for the upcoming season of The True Presbyterian, I want to give you a sneak peek at part of my interview with Pastor Zecharias Abraham Weldeyesus, formerly of Eritrea.
If you'd like to hear the whole episode right now, you can do that by becoming a patron of the show.
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Earlier this week a gentleman on the Tweeter (@TrinitarianRick) sent out a tweet (https://bit.ly/3kDh0ty) that got some people riled up. What Rick said shouldn't be controversial—wives should in fact submit to their husbands. However, one reply in particular (https://bit.ly/3cjCyIG) caught my eye. She says:
If you read the full text, which men never do, he says submitting yourselves to each other as to the Lord.And then goes on to reference Ephesians 5:21.
So @TwitZanne, if you're out there, this episode is for you and for those like you!
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Recorded several months ago as more an audio diary than a podcast episode, tonight I'm thinking through the ways that culture has shifted since roughly 1995 and the church's attempts at a strategic response to those changes. We are, at least in my opinion, facing one of the largest cultural changes in nearly a millennium, and I don't think that we have any idea where these changes are leading us or how we should go about responding.
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Today I got to talk with Brandi Fleck of the On Being Human Podcast. She was kind enough to invite me on her show for two interviews in June and I thought it was only fair to return the favor and have her join me here to record the episode she didn't get to record on her own show.
This is one of the most interesting conversations I've had as the host of The True Presbyterian. There's a lot in this episode for you to chew on: the importance of good fathers, good pastors, and a good church are just a few. Brandi was very vulnerable in talking about where she finds herself today, having only recently returned to church in the last year.
Brandi, having you on the show was a blast, and I can't thank you enough for being so very honest about your own life and how you've returned to a church that hasn't always been good to you.
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This week's audio is a sermon that I preached at Wayside PCA in Signal Mountain, Tennessee on Sunday, November 11, 2019. We were concluding our year-long study of the Heidelberg Catechism and it fell to me to cover Heidelberg Catechism Question and Answer 129.
"What doth the word 'Amen' signify?"
"'Amen' signifies it shall truly and certainly be, for my prayer is more assuredly heard of God than I feel in my heart that I desire these things of him."
I'm still working on getting guests lined up for season two, which has been more difficult that I anticipated.
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Today I sat down to share some thoughts about season one in retrospect. I had great conversations with excellent guests and even got to do some outside interviews as well. Be sure to stick around for the end of this episode, so you can get a sneak peek at the first episode of season two. God Is: Simple with Dr. James Dolezal of the Cairn University Divinity School and author of All That Is in God: Evangelical Theology and the Challenge of Classical Christian Theism.
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Well, it's been a long time coming, but it's finally here: the last episode of season one. This episode is a fun conversation with Dr. Joey Pipa of Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary about his excellent book The Lord's Day. Is there a biblical case to be made for setting the first day of the week apart as a day of worship and rest? (See Dr. Pipa, I got it right that time!) What do your confessional standards add to this discussion? What are some good, practical ways to honor the Lord's Day in our own homes?
We cover all of this in today's episode.
In other news, I already have the first episode of season two recorded, so stick around for our next season, God Is....
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Well, the Tweeter got me fired up today. Tonight we're talking about infertility and rural church planting, both of which are subjects that get me fired up. I'm sorry that I've not gotten an episode up in a while, but as you'll hear in this episode, there have been some things that have just been in the way.
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When I first looked into the question of baptism—particularly infant baptism—as I was coming to Reformed convictions, a friend put three books in my hands that were particularly helpful. Today I'm talking to Dr. John V. Fesko, author of Word, Water, and Spirit (among other excellent works). As far as I am concerned, it is the single most helpful book on the subject of baptism that's been written since John Murray's little book, Christian Baptism. This episode gives an overview of Christian baptism from a systematic, redemptive-historical, and church history perspective and ends with a great section on the experiential benefit that the believer derives from his or her baptism.
Dr. Fesko, thanks again for joining me!
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I spoke with Dr. Maarten Kuivenhoven of the Heritage Reformed Congregation of Grand Rapids, Michigan about the role of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament in Reformed piety. This conversation ran the gamut as we talked about the meaning of pietas (piety), what Scripture itself teaches about its role in our piety, how we can use the Scripture to grow in grace, as well as the role of Scripture in our sanctification.
I hope you all enjoy this episode as much as I did.
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I often find it helpful to think out loud, to simply sit and talk my way through something by myself. Today, though, I sat in front of a microphone and did it, which means that you get to listen in as I work my way through a couple of biblical texts on marriage and where I think the church has gone totally wrong.
I don't know that this will be on anybody's list of their favorite podcast episodes of the season, but it helped me get some things straight in my own head; in my estimation, that makes it worth it.
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Today I talked with my good friend and co-belligerent Rev. Derrick Brite. Derrick is a recent graduate of RTS-Atlanta and he is the new pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Aliceville, Alabama. We started by defining what we mean when we speak about perseverance, look at some texts of Scripture that deal with perseverance, and talk about what a comfort perseverance is to the believer.
Derrick was kind enough to close the show with a strong presentation of the gospel, for which I am particularly thankful. Derrick, I didn't text the wrong person for this episode—I texted the right one. Thanks for joining me, brother! Let's do it again!
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After a lot of pain, heartache, and trouble, I finally got the irresistible grace episode recorded. My guest is Rev. Bill Hill (Twitter: @WmHillJr), the pastor of Fellowship PCA in Newport, Tennessee (https://www.fellowship-pca.org/). Bill is a good friend from my days at GPTS and we had a superb conversation about a misunderstood doctrine of grace. If you have friends that are unconvinced of irresistible grace, this is an episode you may want to share with them.
Thanks for coming on the show, Bill. It was great to catch up!
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Today's episode was an excellent conversation with Dr. Anthony Bradley about misandry. If you've never heard of misandry, or don't know what it is, this will be an eye-opening conversation. This was a wide ranging conversation that touched on male suicide, fatherhood, criminality, and how the church can help men in a society that has recently asked if men are really necessary any longer.
I hope that you all will enjoy this episode as much as I did. I enjoyed it so much, in fact, that Dr. Bradley and I are going to get a followup conversation on the books soon.
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Well, all good things must come to an end eventually. Today's episode is the last of our miniseries on family worship. I looked at several passages of Scripture (John 17:3; Mark 8:34) in order to talk about the goal(s) of all worship, including family worship.
I've enjoyed doing this series very, very much and I hope that you were encouraged by it, rather than discouraged. By the way, I'm sorry that I sound a little down during this episode. The idea for it occurred to me in the middle of the night and I thought I should get it recorded before the idea disappeared completely. I finished the editing at 2:05 AM, so I'm pretty exhausted. Thanks for listening!
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Well, it's not exactly the end of the world as we know it, but people are certainly acting that way. For that reason, today we're going to talk about God's providence as it relates specifically to the church. We'll be looking at several passages of Scripture as well as the Westminster Standards and the Heidelberg Catechism.
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My guest today was Dr. Brian Cosby of Wayside Presbyterian Church (http://waysidechurch.org/) in Signal Moutain, Tenn. We spent our time talking about total depravity, man's deadness in sin, free will (or lack thereof), and how total depravity relates to other parts of the Reformed system of theology.
Thanks for joining me, Brian. Let's do it again!
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By listener request, I'm talking a little about singing in family worship today. Most of us aren't incredibly gifted singers. Well...I'm not, anyway. Maybe y'all are. But singing within your family has some unique difficulties and I want to give you a few ideas about how you can meet those challenges. So this episode includes a short primer that explains the difference between tune and meter, as well as some information about an app that will help your singing.
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I talked to one of my pastors today about limited atonement. Chuck is the associate minister at Wayside PCA here in Signal Mountain, Tennessee, and he's as theologically sharp as anyone you're going to come across. We talked about the biblical basis for limited atonement, why we both prefer the language of "particular redemption," as well as covering some objections to limited atonement and the comfort that the believer can derive from this doctrine. All in all, I think this is one of the most helpful episodes of season one!
Chuck, thanks again for joining me, and rest assured that Fiona the Theology Dog (@TheologyDog) didn't wake up until well after our interview was over!
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I sat down this afternoon to talk with Pastor Craig Scott again. You might even go so far as to say that he returned by popular demand. This time we talked about a (somewhat) controversial topic within the Reformed and Presbyterian world—exclusive psalmody. Pastor Scott walks us through the biblical, historical, and confessional case for singing only the 150 psalms found in the Book of Psalms, and ends by giving us some experiential reasons to sing the psalms.
We had a number of technical difficulties in this episode, but we were, by God's grace, able to push through to the end. There's was a lot more that could have been said, but since we came in at one hour and twenty minutes, I thought it best not to chase every trail I wanted to follow.
Pastor Scott, I'm grateful that you were willing to come back on the show! Let's do it again next season.
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In today's episode I spent some time looking at Mark 1:21–27 and talked about how to arrive at the single sentence summary of a text, mentioned a couple of Psalm suggestions for this text, and talked a little about prayer in family worship.
If you entered the giveaway—and quite a few of you did—hang around for the end of the episode where the winners are announced!
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In today's episode, I got to talk with Rev. Gavin Beers of Cornerstone Presbyterian Church (https://cornerstone-presbyterian.com/) about unconditional election. The Reformed doctrine of election is one that tends to fire up the cage stage guys and make our Arminian friends yank out their hair. All things being equal, I'd call this a very amicable discussion of a doctrine that tends to make folks heated.
Oh, and Rev. Beers, my apologies once again for thinking you were Scottish. My ears aren't what they used to be!
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Today we're digging a little deeper into the how of family worship by looking at Mark 1:9–20, pairing psalms with the text, and I mentioned some resources that will absolutely help you prepare for worship with your family. Be sure to listen to the end of the episode because somenbody is going to get some free stuff!
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Today I got to talk with Rev. Danny Hyde about the Canons of the Synod of Dort and his new book on the subject, Grace Worth Fighting For: Recapturing the Vision of God's Grace in the Canons of Dort. Pastor Hyde gave an overview of the book, helped us understand some of the history behind the Synod, and talked about the comfort that the believer can find in the Canons themselves. His book is available on Amazon (https://amzn.to/39rTXMN) and I highly recommend that you buy a copy!
Thanks again for coming on the show, Pastor Hyde. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
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I had never even heard of family worship before I started going to seminary. It wasn't a part of my childhood and I had no idea where to start. Because we've recently talked about worship with Craig Scott, and because family worship was mentioned, I thought I'd put together a short episode explaining how to worship in your family. This isn't half as hard as we seem to think it is. Sing a psalm, read a chapter of the Bible, give a short explanation, and pray together. That's it.
If you've struggled with family worship in your home, don't feel alone. We all do. But maybe this can help you get started.
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Well, it's all over but the shouting for season one. There are some details to work out but for the most part season one is in the books. Now I need your help for season two!
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Rev. Michael Ives of the Presbyterian Reformed Church of Rhode Island (https://prcofri.com/) came on the show to talk about the nearly forgotten parish ministry of Rev. Thomas Chalmers, a nineteenth-century minister in the Free Church of Scotland. If you're thinking that this episode includes nothing more than a short lesson on the history of an obscure Presbyterian minister in Scotland, think again. As Rev. Ives so ably demonstrates, there is a lot that the Presbyterian Church in the twenty-first century can learn from this giant of Scottish Presbyterianism.
Please check out Rev. Ives' website https://westportexperiment.com/ if you want to know more about what parish ministry looks like in a modern context.
Rev. Ives, thanks so much for joining me! I look forward to doing it again soon!
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I got to talk with Mr. Eric Skwarczynski today. He's the host of Preacher Boys, a new podcast and forthcoming documentary on abuse in the Independent Fundamental Baptist Churches, and this episode was difficult to record but it was completely worthwhile. We talked a little bit about the Cameron Giovanelli sexual abuse case, the prevalence of abuse within IFB circles, the pernicious continuing influence of Jack Hyles, and identified some red flags that are signs it's time to leave your IFB church.
Thank all of you for listening to this. I know it's a tough subject but it's one that needs to be addressed head on. Thank you as well to Eric for sitting down with me for the interview, and to Wayside Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Signal Mountain, Tennessee for supporting the podcast. Y'all are pretty awesome!
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After playing email tag for a couple of weeks, Rev. Craig Scott and I were finally able to get together and talk about a sermon series that's he's been preaching at First RP on Gospel Worship. They are without a doubt among the best sermons and some of the best preaching I've ever heard. Today we're talking about what it means to worship God reverently, how we can prepare for worship, and how we should respond to worship once the service is over. Warm and experimental, I think this is one of my favorite episodes of the season.
Rev. Scott, thanks so much for being my guest here at The True Presbyterian! I'm sorry we got cut off after the recording was over, and I'm looking forward to having you back on the podcast to talk about exclusive psalmody!
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Before we delve into the five points of Calvinism, I wanted to sit down with the Rev. Nick Batzig and talk about the fifth sola of the Reformation—the sola that sums up what the Calvinist system is all about: soli Deo gloria. Pastor Nick did a great job of showing us how all of our salvation is to the glory of God alone, why this sola matters, and how this sola comes into contact with our Reformed piety and practice.
It was a great pleasure to have Nick on the show!
A big thank you to those of you who have subscribed to the podcast and are downloading these episodes. And here's a special shoutout, once again, to Aaron Gipson. Be like Aaron and go to www.patreon.com/thetruepresby and consider donating to the podcast so that I can reach more listeners like you!
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I got to chat with Rev. Shawn Anderson, a graduate of Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary, pastor of Sycamore Reformed Presbyterian Church (https://www.sycamorerpc.org/), and co-host of The Jerusalem Chamber (https://jerusalemchamber.com/listen/) about regulated worship. If you've ever wondered why a historic, Reformed worship service looks so different from worship in the evangelical tradition, this podcast will help you understand why we Reformed worship the way we do. In this episode, we talk about the biblical basis for the Regulative Principle of Worship, Shawn defines what we mean when we speak of elements, circumstances, and forms of worship, as well as how applying the Regulative Principle could help cool off the worship wars, and much more.
I particularly enjoyed recording this episode, even with the flaws (sorry, Shawn. I'll do better next time. I promise.). It turns out that, after playing a wicked game of Presbyterian bingo, Shawn and I have quite a few connections in the Reformed world, where there are more like two degrees of separation rather than six!
Thanks for joining me Shawn!
If you'd be so kind, please go over to www.patreon.com/thetruepresby, and prayerfully consider donating to the show. Every little bit helps!
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I had the privilege to sit down with the Rev. Keith Waters, an embattled pastor in Ely, Cambridgeshire, tonight. Pastor Keith has been caught in a firestorm of criticism over a tweet that he posted encouraging Christians not to take their children to any of the events related to Pride Month (June) in the UK. He was kind enough to share his story about how a single tweet turned into a lost job as the caretaker for the local primary school and, ultimately, rather inventive death threats.
If you want to keep hearing content like this, please go to www.patreon.com/thetruepresby and support the podcast. Leaving a review will help, as well. Thanks for listening!
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In this episode, I got to sit down for a chat with Dr. R. Scott Clark, Professor of Church History at Westminster Seminary, California. His book Recovering the Reformed Confession was a significant influence and help to me as I was investigating Reformed theology over a decade ago.
He was kind enough to explain the biblical basis for confessions of faith, how confessions related to the sufficiency of Scripture, gave an excellent overview of archetypal and ectypal theology and explained the role our confessions and catechisms play in Reformed piety.
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Dr. J. Ligon Duncan III, CEO of Reformed Theological Seminary and the John E. Richards Professor of Systematic and Historical Theology was kind enough to join me—and my special guest host, Aaron Gipson—to talk about Covenant Theology. Dr. Duncan's lectures on Covenant Theology (available for free in the RTS app) have been very, very influential on an extraordinary number of folks; today, he was kind enough to give us an overview of covenant theology, talked about its importance, how it connects with other doctrines in the Reformed and Presbyterian faith and gave a great answer to why covenant theology matters and explains the comfort that it provides the believer.
My guest host, Mr. Aaron Gipson, is the first patron of the podcast. He and I became fast friends as we bonded before the episode over some shared life experiences. Aaron, it was a real pleasure having you join me, and don't worry, brother: I'll be interviewing you shortly!
If you want to be like Aaron—and who doesn't really?—you can become a patron of the show by going to www.patreon.com/thetruepresby
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Dr. Alan Strange, professor of church history at Mid-America Reformed Seminary and associate pastor of Covenant Community Church (an OPC congregation) is my guest as we talk about Reformed theology, its relationship to evangelicalism, how it relates to Calvinism, and building a distinctively Reformed spirituality.
Dr. Strange was a wonderful guest, whose passion for the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and love for the Reformed faith couldn't have been more apparent. It was a real pleasure getting to talk to him!
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I got to talk with Dr. Preston Graham, Director of Mission Anabaino, Pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in New Haven, Connecticut about the Rev. Stuart Robinson, the subject of his Master's thesis at Yale University. Dr. Graham tells us a little bit about who Stuart Robinson was, why his ecclesiastical newspaper The True Presbyterian was so important and helps us recover a healthy understanding of the as a kingdom of Christ, and not of this world.
There are some minor flaws in the audio of this episode, for which you have my apologies. This was my first attempt at recording an interview and there were some kinks that needed to get worked out. Blame me, not Dr. Graham.
I had an absolute blast talking to Dr. Graham. If you want to learn more about his work as a church planter, check out www.anabaino.org.
Thanks for joining me, Dr. Graham. Next time, let's talk about Samuel McPheeters!
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A short introduction to The True Presbyterian. I'm Mike Hutchinson, a long-time student of theology and the host of The True Presbyterian. Navigating the world of Christian theology can be difficult, to say the least, and this podcast is here to help. The True Presbyterian is a bi-weekly interview show where you'll get to listen to expert theologians help guide you through the details of the historic Christian faith, all from a Reformed and Presbyterian perspective. In every episode, you'll hear my guest walk you through Christian doctrine biblically, provide a confessional summary, and help you understand the importance of doctrine for life. You can find me in iTunes or you can go to the thetruepresbyterian.transistor.fm and subscribe to the podcast there.
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