Faith in the Folds: Recent Episodes
Kevin Burr
“Faith in the Folds” is a podcast for ministry, biblical studies, and Christian living. Find videos on YouTube and Facebook, and audio-only on Apple, Google, Spotify, Amazon, iHeartRadio, and podcast venues everywhere. Follow us on Twitter @faithinthefolds and Instagram @faithinthefolds.
In today's episode I review a pair of editorials from The Christian Chronicle and a related blog post from The Doc File. Each article treats Christian responses to ICE and immigration enforcement attempts in Minnesota and elsewhere. My main point is this: we the Church must be honest when we critique political systems, agents, and representatives–we cannot fall into the trap (and idolatry!) of partisanship.
I referred to the following articles in this video:
Kelly Walden, "ICE has gone too far": https://christianchronicle.org/icetoofar/
Jack Wilkie, "Anti-immigration, pro-love of neighbor": https://christianchronicle.org/iceandlove/
Luke Dockery, “Wise as Serpents, Gentle as Doves: Christian Engagement in the Public Square”: https://lukedockery.com/2026/02/02/wise-as-serpents-gentle-as-doves-christian-engagement-in-the-public-square/
Today I share my own translation of Paul's letter to the Colossians. Whenever I present on a book of the Bible in a new setting, I try to translate the whole book first, before I write any of my lessons. This translation of Colossians is from 2023 when I spoke at Harding University's Lectureship.
Today's episode comes from a lecture I gave at Harding University's 2025 Inspire Lectureship. The theme for the entire conference was Oneness: An Ancient Vision for Unity, drawing on Paul's letter to the Ephesians. In this lecture I address Paul's use of "predestination" language in Ephesians 1.
Today's episode is a lecture I gave at the 2025 Inspire Lectureship at Harding University. The topic for this lecture was "Unity in the Body," going along with the theme for Lectureship, Oneness: An Ancient Vision for Unity.
We recently celebrated our first anniversary of being in Searcy ... but for vacation we went back to Corpus Christi where I preached at our old church. This last year has been filled with both blessings and challenges, and in my sermon I talked about how God sometimes calls us simply to endure well.
Internationally respected author and New Testament scholar Craig Evans joins me on the podcast today to talk about the current state of research into the life and teachings of Jesus.
Are the gospels legendary accounts of a normal person blown up to mythical proportions? Are they entertaining novels about a beloved teacher? Or, are they reliable accounts of the life and teaching of Jesus of Nazareth? What we think about the literary genre of the gospels matters for how we interpret them. In today's episode I discuss some of the work by Richard Burridge who argues that gospels are not just legends but biographies of a real person.
In this episode I also discuss the work of Michael Licona. I highly recommend his book Why Are There Differences in the Gospels? published by Oxford University Press.
Today I share some thoughts on David Lipscomb's use of Scripture in his classic work titled Civil Government: Its Origin, Mission, and Destiny, and the Christian's Relation to It. Although this book is well over a hundred years old, it is surprisingly relevant today as Christians wrestle with how to understand the Bible and how to apply it.
Today I talk with Reverend Dr. Drew Holland, pastor of the Shaeffer's Chapel Global Methodist Church in Mississippi. Drew and I discuss his upcoming book, A Place for the Past, where he argues for the value of studying the Bible from a historical perspective.
On March 18, 2025, Brad East wrote a short but powerful post for Christianity Today in which he argued that the Church has taken too light a view of baptism for too long now. I respond to East's article here. "Baptism in Not Optional" by Brad East: https://www.christianitytoday.com/2025/03/baptism-is-not-optional-theology-church-salvation/
If you believe in the kind of predestination that rejects free will, I don't think you can take seriously Jesus's call to repent ... nor any other command in the New Testament.
What is the number of the Beast in Revelation 13? In today's episode I discuss the ancient practice of gematria and its relevance for uncovering one of Revelation's most intriguing mysteries.
Today I sit down with Casey Coston, Campus Missionary for the University of Delaware, with Blue Hens for Christ. Casey has been in campus ministry for 20 years, and he talks with me about how God has worked on him through the years to make him who God wants him to be.
You can find out more about Casey and his new book Made Competent here: https://www.reflectmissions.org/made-competent
Alex Bernardo of The Protestant Libertarian Podcast joins us again, this time to talk about the inherent similarities of Christian Nationalism and Progressive Christianity. Check out his insightful article from the Libertarian Christian Institute: https://libertarianchristians.com/2023/10/09/progressive-christian-nationalism-left-right-authoritarian/
The podcast has been mostly dormant for a few months because we moved out of state and I started a new career. But now we're back! Today I share the twenty-year journey of how I got my dream job of teaching college Bible.
Today I had the great pleasure of talking with one of my favorite YouTubers, Sam of the channel Master Samwise. He is an insightful film and TV critic, and has created several video essays on the virtuous masculinity of some of my favorite fictional characters: Aragorn and Samwise Gamgee of The Lord of the Rings and Iroh of the Fire Nation from Avatar: The Last Airbender.
You can find Master Samwise's channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@master_samwise
And check out this one on General Iroh: https://youtu.be/IzINu0wezWU?si=8qDO-oYY1Fp3DruJ
We referenced this video early on in the interview: Why Men Need Male Heroes: https://youtu.be/DkKcc-71fIU?si=vWYi3CQQ61wQglxC
Dr. Steve Cloer joins me today to talk about a new and exciting Memphis-based venture with Harding University, the Center for Church and City Engagement. Steve's extensive urban ministry experience and his work with Harding School of Theology's Doctor of Ministry program provide the ideal combination for raising the next generation of city-based ministry.
Do the gospels really contradict each other? What does it mean for the Bible to be "inspired"? Michael Licona joins me again on the podcast to talk about these issues and his new book Jesus, Contradicted: Why the Gospels Tell the Same Story Differently (Zondervan Academic, 2024).
You can find Mike's personal ministry Risen Jesus here: https://www.risenjesus.com/
Mike's new book Jesus, Contradicted is available from Zondervan Academic: https://zondervanacademic.com/products/jesus-contradicted
Or you can find Mike's book on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0darIKx
Joining me again on the podcast is Smith Hopkins, a longtime friend and a church planter in the University district of Memphis, Tennessee. Smith works with Oikos Church, a church plant in partnership with Highland Church of Christ in Cordova, TN (greater Memphis area). Smith and I talk about the challenges of church planting in an urban area, and what he has learned in almost three years of working with a church plant. It was a joy to catch up with Smith and to hear about the good things God is doing with Oikos.
You can find more about Oikos Church here: https://www.oikosmemphis.org/
Joining me on the podcast is Dr. Benjamin Shaw, President of CORE Apologetics and Adjunct Professor for Liberty University and Colorado Christian University. Today Ben and I talk about his interest and work in apologetics, a Christian ministry dedicated to helping others find meaningful answers to their questions about faith, God, Jesus, evil, reality, and so much more.
CORE Apologetics, https://www.coreapologetics.com/
Ben has several publications to his name which are linked below.
Coming July 30, 2024 from InterVarsity Press, Trustworthy: Thirteen Arguments for the Reliability of the New Testament, https://a.co/d/29ZJd1z
For more of Ben's work, you can follow him and his associates here, https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Benjamin-Shaw-3
In February of 2023, something extraordinary happened at Asbury University: worshippers stayed in the Hughes Auditorium, and students began to sing and pray non-stop for the next few weeks. Timothy Tennent, President of Asbury Theological Seminary, wrote of the events while they were taking place: “Several people have commented on some of the differences between these sacred days and the more well-known outpouring which took place in February of 1970. A lot has been said about the impact of social media in telling the story, or about the focus on worship. However, a deeper look at this outpouring reveals that it has the same elements which are found in any authentic revival: people repenting of their sins; people being filled with the Holy Spirit; men and women finding reconciliation with God and their neighbor; people capturing a renewed love for Jesus, the gospel and the Holy Scriptures. All of the above has been happening here day after day.” (http://timothytennent.com/thoughts-on-the-asbury-awakening/)
On the one-year anniversary of the 2023 #AsburyRevival, I speak with Timothy Tennent to ask him to reflect on last year’s outpouring and to comment on what fruit has come in the year that followed. He spoke of many students’ repentance, as well as the deep prayer life that many have developed since then.
Four years ago, an EF 4 tornado devastated the I-40 corridor from Nashville, TN and eastward. While the physical damage was largely contained to Middle Tennessee, the loss of life was felt the world over. Four year old Hattie Jo Collins passed away when the tornado swept through Cookeville, TN. In the aftermath, Matt and Macy Collins began The Magnolia Foundation, a non-profit organization for helping families who have lost children.
You can find The Magnolia Foundation here: https://www.themagnoliafoundation.com
In September 2023, I had the great honor of speaking at the Neller Preachers’ Workshop during Harding University’s Centennial Lectureship, and today I’m sharing part one of the series of lectures I gave on the book of Colossians. The workshop is named after the late Ken Neller who served as a Professor of New Testament at Harding for many years—I took Greek 3 and 4 with him during the 2006-07 school year.
My first lecture, entitled “The Supremacy of Christ,” covers Colossians 1:1-23. In this opening chapter, Paul introduces the major themes the he will develop throughout the letter: Jesus’s supremacy over all as the enthroned Messiah, and the importance of the Colossians’ growth in the knowledge of Jesus.
Evertt Huffard joins me on the podcast today to share his unique perspective on the conflict in #Gaza. Having grown up in #Jerusalem and later worked in #Nazareth, Evertt has spent years working with church leaders and serving churches in #Israel. From the experience, he brings a careful, compassionate, and nuanced view to the Gaza conflict, and he urges us to “resist the impulse” to lose hope for peace.
You can find Evertt’s article in the Christian Chronicle here: “Resist the Impulse” https://christianchronicle.org/resist-the-impulse/
Does God transform us through travel? Jeremy Daggett, missionary in Peru and director of Harding University's Latin America international program thinks so. Join me and Jeremy as we talk about "intercultural spiritual formation" through travel, and how God uses these experiences to help us grow in love for others.
In our episode, Jeremy mentioned the following resources:
Michael Frost's book, Surprise the World: https://mikefrost.net/books/surprise-the-world/
Jonathan Sacks's book, The Dignity of Difference: https://www.rabbisacks.org/books/the-dignity-of-difference/
Willie James Jennings's commentary on Acts: https://a.co/d/dL7Syl5
Today’s episode is part two of my conversation with Alex Bernardo, host of the Protestant Libertarian Podcast. In this episode, I’ve asked Alex about three specific things libertarians believe:
1) Libertarians say things like “Taxation is theft.” How is it theft? Aren’t taxes the price we pay for living in a civilized society?
2) Drugs hurt people, so why do libertarians want drugs to be legal?
3) Bad people do bad things in other parts of the world. Why shouldn’t the US intervene?
I also asked Alex about some entry-level resources for anyone interested to hear more about this political and economic philosophy. He mentioned:
Alex’s Protestant Libertarian Podcast: https://libertarianchristians.com/shows/protestant-libertarian-podcast/
The Libertarian Christian Institute has an extensive collection of articles, podcasts, and other resources to peruse: https://libertarianchristians.com/
Alex also mentioned Reason Magazine, the Mises Institute, and AntiWar.com as other places for gaining a variety of libertarian perspectives on different issues.
Today on the podcast I interview Alex Bernardo, host of the Protestant Libertarian Podcast. In this first of a two-part conversation, Alex and I talk about how he became a libertarian (it might have something to do with him being a public school teacher), what is libertarianism, and does libertarianism have any biblical basis. We talked candidly and honestly, and I hope you come away from our conversation feeling inspired to dig more deeply into your own beliefs about politics.
Alex mentioned a few resources in our discussion.
Alex’s Protestant Libertarian Podcast: https://libertarianchristians.com/shows/protestant-libertarian-podcast/
The Libertarian Christian Institute has an extensive collection of articles, podcasts, and other resources to peruse: https://libertarianchristians.com/
Alex also mentioned Reason Magazine, the Mises Institute, and AntiWar.com as other places for gaining a variety of libertarian perspectives on different issues.
Joining me on the podcast is Luke Dockery, Youth In Family Minister for the Cloverdale Church of Christ in Searcy, AR, and John David Alston, Youth Minister for the Kings Crossing Church of Christ in Corpus Christi, TX. Today we talk about some highlights of Harding University's Centennial Lectureship, which lectures we liked the most, and why we love going to lectureship.
Today I sit down with Matthew Bates, professor of Theology at Quincy University in Quincy, Illinois to discuss two of his more recent books, Why the Gospel? Living the Good News of King Jesus with Purpose, and Salvation By Allegiance Alone: Rethinking Faith, Works, and the Gospel of Jesus the King. Bates has argued convincingly that “faith” in the New Testament means much more than “belief,” and that what God calls us to better described as fidelity, faithfulness, and allegiance. He also shares with me the intriguing idea of how God graciously shares his glory with humans–and that our salvation involves spreading God’s glory throughout creation. You can keep with Dr. Bates at his website: https://matthewwbates.com/index.php
Today I catch up with one of my favorite New Testament scholars, Constantine Campbell. Con has written two books this, an excellent commentary on Ephesians, and a provocative book on the problems facing American evangelicalism. In our interview, we discuss how the spiritual worldview of the #Bible informs both the issues which faced the Ephesians during Paul’s time as well as politically interested Christians today. You can check out Con’s work at his website: https://www.constantinecampbell.info/. And you can order his newest books from Amazon: The Letter to the Ephesians: https://www.amazon.com/Letter-Ephesians-Pillar-Testament-Commentary/dp/0802875858/ref=sr_1_1?crid=FPB066B2OZH8&keywords=campbell+ephesians&qid=1683491394&sprefix=campbell+ephesians%2Caps%2C388&sr=8-1 Jesus v. Evangelicals: A Biblical Critique of a Wayward Movement: https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-v-Evangelicals-Biblical-Critique/dp/0310135443/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3M3UOQGFSDJPE&keywords=jesus+v.+evangelicals+a+biblical+critique+of+a+wayward+movement&qid=1696347799&sprefix=jesus+v.+evangelicals%2Caps%2C113&sr=8-1
Joining me on the podcast today is Joy Vaughan (PhD, Asbury Theological Seminary) Assistant Professor of New Testament at Asbury University in Wilmore, KY. I’m excited to talk with Joy about her new book, Phenomenal Phenomena: Biblical and Multicultural Accounts of Spirits and Exorcism. In the wake of the Asbury Outpouring (February-March, 2023), Joy says she has noticed a dramatic interest in understanding the spiritual worldview of the Bible, and with her background and training in the world of the New Testament, she is the ideal person to talk with about this fascinating and very relevant topic. You can find Joy’s book here: https://www.baylorpress.com/9781481318365/phenomenal-phenomena/
Joining me today is Justin Brierley, #Christian author, speaker, and broadcaster. Justin has hosted many of Justin is a longtime radio and podcast host who has interviewed many of Europe’s and North America’s leading intellectuals in conversations about the intersection of #religion, #science, #culture, #society, and #politics. In 2017 he wrote Unbelievable?: Why After Ten Years of Talking with Atheists, I'm still a Christian, in which he tackled many of the claims of new #atheism. Part of our conversation today will deal with his new book coming out later this year, The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God: Why New Atheism Grew Old and Secular Thinkers are Considering Christianity Again, which is available for pre-order at http://justinbrierley.com.
Over the last year various news and ministry outlets have reported on an acute shortage of preachers and ministers in Churches of Christ. It seems social and political angst may be a factor, as well as certain trends among many Churches of Christ. In today's episode I discuss some reasons for this minister shortage and I offer a few tentative suggestions for how we can address this growing problem. To find the articles I mention in the episode, following these links: Carson Reed, "Ministers in Short Supply": https://www.mosaicsite.org/main/2022/5/24/ministers-in-short-supply Bobby Ross, "Editorial: Who's to blame for preacher shortage in Churches of Christ? We are": https://christianchronicle.org/editorial-whos-to-blame-for-the-preacher-shortage-in-churches-of-christ-we-are/ Luke Dockery, "Raising Up Ministers: Six Unhelpful Trends in Churches of Christ": https://lukedockery.com/2023/03/02/raising-up-ministers-six-unhelpful-trends-in-churches-of-christ/
Today's episode is part 2 of 2, and in this episode Thomas Lyons and I dig into what is really happening at the #asburyrevival. Tom has hours and hours of firsthand experience, not to mention a critical (i.e. discerning) eye for revival movements. In the first half of the episode I briefly work through the timetable of what started on February 8, 2023, and I remark on some of the criticisms that have arisen. In the second half of the episode, Tom and I discuss his and others' accounts of what is happening in Wilmore. As always, thanks for tuning in!
Check out Part 1 of my interview with Tom here: https://youtu.be/tE7JxuJNsQo
Tom's article from Seminary Now is here: https://seminarynow.com/pages/blog?p=asbury-revival-answers-to-help-us-understand
You can find Timothy Tennent's blog post on the Asbury Awakening here: https://timothytennent.com/thoughts-on-the-asbury-awakening/
asburyrevival #asburyrevival2023 #asburyawakening
On Wednesday February 8, 2023, Asbury University held morning chapel like usual. What was unusual was that chapel service didn't stop. Eyewitnesses say students lingered, the band continued playing, and they haven't stopped a week and a half later. What began as a regular weekly gathering has turned into something garnering international attention and being called a "revival," an "outpouring," or an "awakening" by those most closely associated. Today we're joined by Thomas Lyons, Director of Library Services and Educational Technology, and a professor in the New Testament department at Northern Seminary in the Chicago area wrote his dissertation on revival movements in the 20th century. Tom has a critical eye for understanding these kinds of events and the reported phenomena, and I wanted to talk with him to hear his firsthand experiences with what's going on in Wilmore, Kentucky.
Check out Tom's blog post on Seminary Now about the 2023 Asbury Revival: https://seminarynow.com/pages/blog?p=asbury-revival-answers-to-help-us-understand
asburyrevival #asburyrevival2023 #asburyawakening
Matt Love is one of my favorite young preachers. So, in December 2022 when I saw a certain Facebook post of his going around I knew it would be good. Matt joins us on the podcast today to share his list of five ways churches and #church members can better support those who minister to them. For preachers and any kind of #minister, Matt’s words are comforting and encouraging.
Check out Matt’s list here: https://www.facebook.com/matthew.d.love.3/posts/pfbid02Ga962yqJTkBMbzMUdUbfb4gpcfJ6z36vSAL9KGhGhL9ruF94dE1kepJ84tsQpbZUl
You can find more of Matt’s sermons and classes here: https://www.facebook.com/beebecoc/
What is Christian Nationalism, and why is it attractive to so many today? Is it really “Christian,” or a dangerous mixture of politics and religion? Join me and guest Wes McAdams as we discuss #Christian #Nationalism, how it is different from #patriotism, and how Christians today should view the use of political power for creating more just societies.
Wes McAdams is the preaching minister for the Church of Christ on McDermott Road in Plano, TX. You can find more about his church here: https://www.ccmcdermott.org/
Wes also runs a successful Christian resource website called “Radically Christian.” You can find links to Wes’s blog posts, podcasts, and books here: https://radicallychristian.com/
Today on the podcast I’m joined by John Nichols and Matt Collins of the Collegeside Church of Christ in #Cookeville, TN. Both John and Matt grew up in middle Tennessee churches which dedicated specific times and opportunities for training young people to grow their gifts of teaching, preaching, and sharing the gospel. Earlier this year they both sensed a strong need to offer something like this at Collegeside and out of this cooperation came Proclaim #Ministry Camp. What John and Matt shared is a beautiful testimony to how God works through churches to build and grow His #church.
You can find more about Collegeside Church of Christ here: https://collegeside.org
Today I welcome back Ross Harriman, my favorite #Tolkien expert and a budding scholar on resurrection in the New Testament. In this episode which was recorded right before Halloween, we delve into the world of Bible and the worlds of our favorite #fantasy series like Lord of the Rings, the Chronicles of Narnia, and Harry Potter to talk about how #magic operates in these worlds, and to see how it differs from magic in the biblical worldview.
Today on the podcast I share an older lecture of mine entitled “The Ghost with the Most: Demon Possession and Holy Spirit Indwelling in Luke-Acts.” In May 2018 I have the privilege to speak at Pepperdine University’s Bible lectureship, and the theme for that year was the Holy Spirit. The #church where I grew up did not hold a restrictive view of the Holy #Spirit, but neither do I remember us talking much about what the Spirit could do. In this lecture I wanted to explore what Scripture says about the different kinds of spiritual interactions humans can experience.
Today I’m joined by two preachers who joined forces with three others from #Nashville to participate in one of the most exciting and beautiful multi #church ventures in a long time. Christopher Jackson of the Jackson Street Church of Christ and Patterson Morgan of the Antioch Church of Christ sit down with me to talk about this momentous experience which, in my opinion, can genuinely be called a movement among Churches of Christ. I know you’ll be blessed by the Spirit-led unity on display as Chris and Patterson discuss how God is working through these churches to become “Greater Together.”
See the excellent write-up about this event in The Christian Chronicle by Bobby Ross, Jr.: https://christianchronicle.org/how-five-nashville-churches-came-together/
You can find more about each congregation and their preaching ministers at the links below:
Patterson Morgan, Antioch Church of Christ: https://antiochcofc.org/
Christopher Jackson, Jackson St Church of Christ: https://www.jacksonst.org/
Joshua Jackson, Rural Hill Church of Christ: http://www.ruralhill.org/
Aaron Tremblay, Smyrna Church of Christ: https://smyrnachurchofchrist.org/
Mark Adams, Tusculum Church of Christ: https://tusculum.org/
In July of 2022 I posed the question on Facebook, "When a #preacher (specifically during the #sermon) makes a point from a #Hebrew or #Greek word, have you found that information helpful and informative, or distracting and unnecessary?" The comments in the video are pulled from that Facebook post, and in this video we cover the good, the bad, and the ugly of using biblical languages in sermons.
Today I sit down with Dr. Candice McQueen, President of Lipscomb University, to discuss the current state of #Christian higher education. With #church membership and religious affiliation falling steadily over the last few decades, I wanted to ask Dr. McQueen how this trend is affecting Christian universities, and how those schools particularly affiliated with Churches of Christ are doing. Despite some negative trends in church growth, Dr. McQueen paints a hopeful picture that highlights the good work #Lipscomb and other Christian universities are doing to show students their calling and, more importantly, to introduce them to God the Caller who gives them true purpose and meaning in their vocations.
You can find more about Dr. McQueen here: https://www.lipscomb.edu/president/18/biography
For more information about Lipscomb University: https://www.lipscomb.edu/
Today I sit down Dr. A. J. Swoboda, Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies and World Christianity at Bushnell University in Eugene, OR. I was first introduced to Dr. Swoboda through a recommendation for his book, After Doubt: How to Question Your Faith without Losing It. I read through his book and used it for a Wednesday PM Bible study, and loved it. His earnestness in dealing with the issues of #faith #deconstruction while remaining connected to a #church were a breath of fresh air, and his even-handed approach leaves readers feeling both comforted and convicted.
To contact Dr. Swoboda, you can find his faculty page here: https://www.bushnell.edu/faculty/a-j-swoboda/
For more information on Swoboda’s books, see: https://www.ajswobodawrites.com/
In May of 2022, Dr. Carson Reed (Siburt Institute for Church Ministry, Abilene Christian University) penned a short but important article highlighting a growing problem facing many churches in America today: the shortage of ministers working in congregational settings. Today I sit down with Carson to ask him how this trend began, what can be done about it at the congregational level, and how can churches and Christian colleges work together to address this dire issue.
church #ministry #Americanchurch
“Ministers in Short Supply”: https://www.mosaicsite.org/main/2022/5/24/ministers-in-short-supply
Dr. Carson Reed’s faculty page: https://acu.edu/faculty/carson-reed/
Siburt Institute for Church Ministry: https://www.siburtinstitute.org/
In 1973, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the due process clause of the fourteenth amendment granted a woman the fundamental right to privacy, which included her right to an abortion. On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, stating that the right to an abortion was not inherent to the due process clause. Christian reactions to Dobbs have been mixed, and to help us bring some clarity and historic context to the discussion, I sat down with Keith Stanglin of the Center for Christian Studies based in Austin, TX. Dr. Stanglin is a church historian and ethicist, and has recently published a very accessible and engaging book entitled Ethics Beyond Rules: How Christ’s Call to Love Informs Our Moral Choices (Zondervan, 2021) in which he offers a compelling #Christian perspective on #abortion. I greatly appreciated his insight and pastoral approach to this difficult and divisive topic.
You can find more from Keith at the Center for Christian Studies website: https://www.christian-studies.org.
Today I sit down with Reverend Dr. Drew Holland, Assistant Professor of Religion and Philosophy at the #UniversityOfTennessee Southern. Drew and I first met in 2014 when we began Asbury's doctoral program, and we became fast friends given our mutual support for the same college football team. Given his expertise in the #OldTestament and his time as a minister, I wanted to ask him about the joys and struggles of teaching Bible and Religion at a public university, and what what he thinks churches can do to reach this generation of young adults.
Today’s episode is the conclusion of our series on the #NewTestament, and I couldn’t think of a better guest than Dr. Michael J. Gorman, Raymond E. Brown Professor of Biblical Studies and Theology at St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore, MD. Dr. Gorman has written nearly twenty books on the New Testament, the letters of Paul, and #Revelation. His book Reading Revelation Responsibly is a favorite among teachers and ministers alike, and for this reason I wanted to talk with him about what exactly the book of Revelation is.
You can find most of Dr. Gorman’s book on his Amazon author’s page: https://www.amazon.com/Michael-J.-Gorman/e/B001JP7N0K%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share
Today I sat down with Dr. Constantine Campbell, Honorary Research Associate of the Sydney College of Divinity. Con has been teaching for almost 15 years and has written extensively on the theology Paul, the letters of #John, and various aspects of Greek grammar. In addition to his scholarly works, Con has several video teaching guides that are perfect for church audiences. We had a great time talking about the contributions John’s letters make to the #NewTestament, and I was particularly drawn to the theory that 2 John serves as a cover letter of sorts to the Johannine #epistles. For more information about Con Campbell, check out his website: https://www.constantinecampbell.info
You can find links to several of his books here: https://www.constantinecampbell.info/writing
Today I sit down with Dr. Rob O’Lynn, Dean of the School Of Distance and General Education, Director of Graduate Bible Programs, and Associate Professor of Preaching and Ministry at Kentucky Christian University; he is also Affiliate Associate Professor of Preaching at Fuller Seminary and is the Senior Minister at Beech Street Christian Church in Ashland, KY. Rob has published articles in Christianity Today, Christian Education Journal, International Journal of Homiletics, Restoration Quarterly, and others, and is a fellow Harding alumnus. Rob’s expertise in preaching from the whole Bible makes him an ideal conversation partner on two of the more underrated books in the New Testament, 2 Peter and Jude. Although generally ignored, Rob shows us how these books are still very relevant for the church today.
You can find one of Rob’s articles in Christianity Today here: https://www.christianitytoday.com/pastors/2018/april-web-exclusives/share-load-your-small-congregation.html
You can find Rob’s book, Practicing Presence, here: https://www.amazon.com/Practicing-Presence-Theory-Practice-Pastoral/dp/1490863192/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1S346I4Y9UVIC&keywords=rob+o%27lynn&qid=1648823309&sprefix=rob+o%27lynn+%2Caps%2C74&sr=8-1
Today I sat down with Reverend Dr. Dennis Edwards, Associate Professor of New Testament at North Park University in Chicago. Dr. Edwards and I talked about 1st Peter, strangely one of the more neglected books of the New Testament, but as it turns out this short letter is one of the most relevant for the #Church today: Peter deals with #persecution, households, and how Christians should respond to worldly #power. We had a great time talking about all these issues and more!
You can find Dr. Edwards’ commentary on 1 Peter here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VEYI3S2/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i1
Dr. Edwards has also written Might from the Margins: The Gospel’s Power to Turn the Tables on Injustice: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B085PZVS7D/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i2
His short guide to the Bible is also helpful: What Is the Bible and How Do We Understand It? https://www.amazon.com/What-Bible-How-Understand-Jesus/dp/1513805649/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Today I sit down with Dr. Ruth Anne Reese, Professor of New Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary where she also serves as the Chair of the New Testament Department. Dr. Reese is a perennial favorite among graduate and post-graduate students at Asbury, excelling at teaching both the technical knowledge inherent to studying the #NewTestament as well as being sensitive to the pastoral issues that arise in the NT. Reese is an expert on the General Epistles, and has written commentaries on 1--2 Peter and Jude (both available on Amazon), and serves on the board of the highly esteemed Institute for Biblical Research. We had a delightful time talking about one of my favorite books of the NT, the letter from #James to Jewish believers in Jesus.
Today I sit down with Dr. Ben Witherington, III, Jean R. Amos Professor of New Testament for Doctoral Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary. Ben has written over 60 books, numerous articles, he has led several tours to the lands mentioned in the Bible, and has appeared on dozens of television programs on PBS, CNN, and the BBC to discuss topics like Easter, the historical Jesus, and even Dan Brown’s The DaVinci Code. I thoroughly enjoyed talking with one of my doctoral professors about a book many Christians don’t really know much about, the letter? sermon? homily? to the Hebrews.
You can follow Dr. Witherington on his Patheos blog: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/bibleandculture/
Dr. Witherington’s many academic and popular level books can be found on his Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Ben-Witherington/e/B000AP60HW?ref_=dbs_p_ebk_r00_abau_000000
Today I sit down with Dr. Shawn Craigmiles, Assistant Professor of Bible and Church Ministry at Warner University in Lake Wales, Florida. Shawn and I overlapped a few years at Asbury Seminary where we both completed our PhDs in New Testament. Shawn pastored at various churches in Illinois and Kentucky before beginning a teaching career in 2018. Shawn is an excellent teacher, a great communicator, and has a pastoral warmth about him that makes him an ideal candidate to talk about three of Paul’s lesser known letters, 1–2 Timothy and Titus, a collection also known as the Pastoral Epistles.
Today I sat down with Dr. Nijay Gupta, professor of #NewTestament at Northern Seminary. Dr. Gupta is known for his work on Christian formation and the life and writings of the apostle #Paul. He has written commentaries on #Philippians, Colossians, 1—2 Thessalonians, and other works on the concepts of worship and sin in Paul’s thought, as well as on the Sermon on the Mount and general New Testament studies. Check out his New Testament Commentary Guide which helpfully directs students and others interested persons navigate the potentially overwhelming mass of commentaries on the NT. I was so thankful to Dr. Gupta for being able to talk with me about one of my favorite books of the Bible, Paul’s short letter to the Philippians.
If you’d like to contact Nijay at Northern Seminary: https://www.seminary.edu/faculty/dr-nijay-gupta/
Check out Nijay’s blog, Crux Sola, on Patheos: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/cruxsola/
You can find many of Nijay’s books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Nijay-K.-Gupta/e/B004I4TYLA%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share
Today I sat down with Dr. Lynn Cohick, Provost and Dean of Academic Affairs at Northern Seminary in Illinois. Dr. Cohick has taught in different venues across the globe for decades, she is an expert on #women in the world of the early church, and she has recently written a wonderful commentary on one of my favorite books of the Bible, Paul’s letter to the #Ephesians. I had a delightful time meeting and talking with Dr. Cohick about this short but powerful letter, and I hope you are blessed by what she has to say.
Dr. Cohick’s personal website is http://lynncohick.com.
You can find more information about Dr. Cohick’s from Northern Seminary: https://www.seminary.edu/faculty/lynn-cohick-2/
You can also find several of her books here: https://www.amazon.com/Lynn-H-Cohick/e/B001JSCKP0?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1643939858&sr=8-1
Today I'm joined by Dr. Fred Long, professor of New Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary. Fred is an expert in 2 Corinthians, having written extensively on the grammar and rhetoric of the letter. I was delighted to catch up with Fred and to talk with him about 2 Corinthians since this is one of Paul's letters I know relatively little about.
Today I sit down with Dr. Richard Oster, professor of New Testament at Harding School of Theology. Dr. Oster is one of my all time favorite professors, and offered some of the most challenging courses I've ever taken. He is an internationally acclaimed expert on the archaeology of the city of Ephesus, and has also published various articles on 1 Corinthians as well as a commentary. I really appreciated Dr. Oster's emphasis on #Paul as a #missionary to #Corinth and how we must keep that in mind as we read his letters.
For today’s episode, I strike out into the unknown with neither a guest nor a script! Instead, with naught but a rough outline of some ideas, I reflect on how the podcast and I have grown over 2021. I’m generally an introspective person, so reflecting on the lessons I’ve learned or re-learned during Covid made sense to me. I hope you will be encouraged by the two main takeaways from today’s episode: God often provides for us before we know we need it, and, when faced with difficulty, do the next faithful thing however small or seemingly insignificant that is. I appreciate each listener, subscriber, and follower—and as always, thank you so much for tuning in today.
Today I sat down with friend, author, and PhD Candidate Ross Harriman. Ross is my go-to source for all things J. R. R. #Tolkien, but he is also very well read on a myriad of topics related to biblical studies and church history. Years ago Ross shared a series he’d written on the dating and time of Jesus’s birth that caught my attention. Since #Christmas is right around the corner, I wanted to catch up with Ross and talk to him about what the Bible says about when #Jesus was born, and what early Christians thought as well. We also talk about the annoying and persistent myth that Christmas started out as a #pagan holiday: guess what, it didn’t.
To sign up for Ross’s Substack, go here: https://krharriman.substack.com
You can also find some of Ross’s academic publishing here: https://asburyseminary.academia.edu/KRHarriman
Today I sat down with best-selling #author, ghostwriter, and editor Tama Fortner of Nashville, TN. Tama has been in love with writing since she was eight years old, and has several hit children’s books—not to mention over forty titles altogether—on her resumé. I caught up with Tama to talk with her about her latest book, Simply Christmas: A Busy Mom’s Guide to Reclaiming the Peace of the Holidays: A Devotional. This delightful devotional book includes 31 reflections and encouraging thoughts that lead readers out of the hustle and bustle of the holidays and into the peace and love of the #Savior. Simply Christmas can be found in major book retailers and Target, as well as Amazon and other online shops.
Check out Tama’s work here at her personal website: https://tamafortner.com
Today I sit down with Dr. Rafael Rodríguez, professor New Testament at Johnson University in Knoxville, TN. Rafael and I had a delightful conversation about Paul's massive tome to the churches in Rome. I'm especially thankful for our discussion because #Romans is such a sophisticated argument that I sometimes feel it's easy to get lost in the weeds and in the extraordinary amount of secondary literature written about Romans--and this is where Rafael shines as he walks us through some of the major themes and points of what is arguably Paul's greatest explanation of the #Gospel.
For a quick glance of Rafael’s work, check out his page at Johnson University. Here you’ll find links to his several books and articles: https://johnsonu.edu/staff/rafael-rodriguez/
Today I sit down with Dr. Craig Keener, the F. M. and Ada Thompson Professor of Biblical Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary. I first encountered Craig’s work in 2012 when I was about halfway through my Masters of Divinity. Our librarian was excitedly showing off the massive first volume of Keener’s commentary on the book of Acts—his first volume of four! Little did I know I would later write my dissertation for Craig Keener on the a particular aspect of studying Jesus as a historical figure.
Craig is an internationally respected expert on the #NewTestament in general, and on the #Gospels and #Acts in particular. He has authored several books for academic and general audiences, and has a fairly active YouTube channel as well. Find the links below to check out Craig’s work.
Craig’s personal website includes links to his various publications, videos, and even his humorous cartoons about life in academia: https://craigkeener.com
You can find several of Craig’s academic books here: http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/authors/craig-s-keener/358
Craig has also published academic works here: https://www.eerdmans.com/AdvancedSearch/DefaultWFilter.aspx?SearchTerm=keener
Craig and his wife Médine have co-authored a spiritual autobiography, Impossible Love: http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/authors/medine-moussounga-keener/2465
You can also find Craig’s YouTube page here: https://www.youtube.com/c/CraigKeenerPhD/videos
Today I sit down with Dr. Paul Anderson, Professor of Biblical and Quaker Studies at George Fox University. As a leading expert on the #Gospel of #John, Dr. Anderson has written extensively on the fourth Gospel, and was a founding member of the John, Jesus, and History Seminar within the Society of Biblical Literature. Some of his more recent work deals particularly with the composition of John’s gospel, and he argues persuasively that John’s account offers valid, independent testimony of Jesus alongside the Synoptic Gospels.
For more information about Paul Anderson, check out his faculty page here: https://www.georgefox.edu/academics/undergrad/departments/religion/faculty/anderson.html
For easy access to Paul Anderson’s works available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Paul-N.-Anderson/e/B001HODFI2/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1458067302&sr=1-2-ent
This link provides a succinct discussion of Paul Anderson’s view of the interaction of John’s and Mark’s Gospel accounts: https://ntscholarship.wordpress.com/2012/07/18/a-bi-optic-hypothesis-a-theory-of-interfluentiality-between-the-johannine-and-markan-gospels/
Today I sit down with Dr. Darrell Bock, Executive Director of Cultural Engagement and Senior Research Professor of New Testament Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. Dr. Bock is an expert in New Testament studies, having written over 40 books, many of which touch on the historical #Jesus, the #Gospel of #Luke, and Acts. Given his expertise in Luke—not to mention his nearly forty years of teaching and researching on Luke!—Dr. Bock is the ideal guest to interview on the Gospel of Luke in this series.
Find out more about Dr. Bock here:https://www.dts.edu/employee/darrell-bock/
For a list of select publications, check out: https://voice.dts.edu/contributor/darrell-bock/
Today I sat down with Dr. Allen Black, Professor Emeritus of New Testament at the Harding School of Theology in Memphis, TN. Dr. Black is a returning guest on the podcast, and I encourage you to check episode 16 of Faith in the Folds to hear him reflect on his 38-year career in teaching. I first heard Dr. Black teach on the #Gospel of #Mark in the Spring of 2010 during my first campus visit to HST, and looking back on that evening I had no idea just how many more times I would sit in class with him. As his student, graduate assistant from 2011-14, and now his colleague, Dr. Black is one of the professors I admire most and this interview gives several great examples of why I love his teaching style: he is always updating his classes and lectures with the best of the most recent scholarship. Several times in our interview on the Gospel of Mark, Dr. Black mentioned new works that brought a fresh perspective to issues in the second gospel. I know I learned a lot from our time together, and I know you will too.
My seminary alma mater and where I currently teach adjunct is Harding School of Theology: http://hst.edu
You can find more about Allen Black here: https://hst.edu/allen-black/
You can also find Allen Black’s commentary on the Gospel of Mark here: https://www.collegepress.com/collections/commentary/products/mark-niv
Today I sit down with Dr. Jonathan Pennington, Associate Professor of New Testament Interpretation at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY, who also serves as the Pastor of Spiritual Formation at Sojourn East in Louisville. Dr. Pennington has taught courses on the gospels every semester for almost twenty years, and has written extensively on the Gospels, particularly on Matthew. The #GospelOfMatthew is my favorite #Gospel, and although I’ve read it multiple times, taken a doctoral seminar on Matthew, and spent a year teaching through it on Wednesday nights, Dr. Pennington helped me understand the first Gospel even better by highlighting how #Jesus is not just the new and greater Moses, He is also very much the #fulfillment of the promises to both Abraham and David—maybe that’s why Matthew begins his genealogy “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matt 1:1).
You can find much of Dr. Pennington’s academic and church work at the links below.
Jonathan Pennington’s personal website: https://www.jonathanpennington.com/home
Books authored or co-authored by Jonathan Pennington: https://www.jonathanpennington.com/books
You can also find Jonathan’s Human Flourishing Podcast here: https://www.jonathanpennington.com/preaching-and-speaking-resourcces
And be sure to check out Jonathan’s YouTube Series “Coffee, Cars, Theology”: https://www.carscoffeetheology.com
For today’s episode, I wanted to share with you a special presentation I gave to Harding University’s Archaeology Club on Monday, September 27, 2021. Dr. Dale Manor, who has been on the podcast before (episodes 21 and 22), asked me to speak to the archaeology club. This presentation is called “History in His Story: Biography and Archaeology of the Life of Jesus,” and in this presentation I take a couple of test cases and examine the gospels for corroborating evidence as a historian and an archaeologist would do. This episode serves as kind of a recap to what Mike Licona and I talked about the last two episodes, before we begin digging into the individual gospel accounts.
Today I sat down again with Dr. Michael Licona, Associate Professor of Theology at Houston Baptist University. This episode is the third in a new series where we’ll take a book-by-book approach for most of the New Testament, but before we actually get to the individual books of the New Testament, though, I wanted to take some time to dig into the #Gospels as ancient biographies. To do just that, Mike joins us for the second week in a row, this time to talk about the differences between each Gospel.
In 2017 Mike wrote a book titled Why Are There Differences in the Gospels? What We Can Learn from Ancient Biography (link below). I think this is the clearest and best all around explanation for why the four #canonical #evangelists differ in matters of detail, arrangement, and emphasis in each of their accounts.In the book, Mike examines several biographies written by a Greek author named Plutarch, who lived from roughly ad 46 to 120. #Plutarch often discussed the same person in different biographies, and Mike shows how these differences in matters of detail, arrangement, and emphasis from Plutarch are precisely the kinds of differences we see in the Gospels. Near the end of the episode Mike says, “Our view of inspiration must be consistent with what we see in Scripture,” and I think he’s correct.
For Why Are There Differences in the Gospels? What We Can Learn from Ancient Biography, go here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/why-are-there-differences-in-the-gospels-9780190264260?cc=us⟨=en&
Additional books from Mike Licona, referenced in an earlier episode of Faith in Folds that debuted on October 1, 2021, can be found at these links
The Resurrection of Jesus: A New Historiographical Approach: https://www.ivpress.com/the-resurrection-of-jesus
Paul Meets Muhammad: http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/paul-meets-muhammad/269070
The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus: https://www.kregel.com/theology-and-religious-studies/the-case-for-the-resurrection-of-jesus-6964/
You can also find several of Mike’s resources at his personal website, Risen Jesus: https://www.risenjesus.com/
Check out Mike’s YouTube page, which has his Risen Jesus podcast and many of his debates: https://www.youtube.com/c/milico885
Today I sat down with a scholar, a friend, and Associate Professor of Theology at Houston Baptist University, Mike Licona. Mike has written several books, including Paul Meets Muhammad, and coauthored with Gary Habermas the award-winning book The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus. Mike’s largest work is also on the resurrection, entitled The Resurrection of Jesus: A New Historiographical Approach. Links to these works can be found below.
This episode of the podcast is the second in a new series where we’ll take a book-by-book approach for most of the New Testament, and it’s my hope to take some of the best of what the Academy has to offer and help make that relatable for church audiences.
For The Resurrection of Jesus: A New Historiographical Approach, go here: https://www.ivpress.com/the-resurrection-of-jesus
For Paul Meets Muhammad, go here: http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/paul-meets-muhammad/269070
For The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus, go here: https://www.kregel.com/theology-and-religious-studies/the-case-for-the-resurrection-of-jesus-6964/
You can also find several of Mike’s resources at his personal website, Risen Jesus: https://www.risenjesus.com/
Today I sat down with Dr. Kevin Youngblood (PhD, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary), Professor of Old Testament at Harding University and author of the highly praised commentary on Jonah in the Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the OT series (links below).
Kevin has a gift for making the #OldTestament seem less strange and more accessible. This episode of the podcast is the first in a new series where we’ll take a book-by-book approach for most of the New Testament. To help us set the stage, I wanted to ask Kevin one simple but profound question, “How does the Old Testament anticipate Jesus?”
Because the Old Testament is so strange and so remote from our normal experience, I think it’s easy for many Christians to use the Old Testament like a buffet line: we so often pick out just the things we like and we leave the rest behind. The problem is, if we take the arrangement of the Christian Bible seriously, we can’t leave all this other stuff out just because it’s weird or uncomfortable. The Hebrew Old Testament ends with Chronicles, and in English with Malachi, and both endings leave something to be finished. Youngblood thinks this is intentional: the entire Old Testament story drives us to anticipate some final, decisive act of God, and that is where #Jesus enters in.
Kevin’s commentary on Jonah is now in a 2nd edition: https://zondervanacademic.com/products/jonah2
You can find Kevin’s lectures on Jonah in Zondervan’s Master Lectures series: https://masterlectures.zondervanacademic.com/jonah-kevin-j-youngblood
Faith in the Folds is a podcast for ministry, biblical studies, and Christian living. You can find full videos on Facebook or YouTube, and audio versions on Apple, Google, Amazon, Spotify, and iHeartRadio podcasts, as well as rss.com/podcasts/faithinthefolds/. You can also follow us on Instagram @faithinthefolds.
Today I sat down with two friends to discuss an interesting article they co-authored earlier this year. Garrett Best is a friend of the podcast and joins us again today. I really appreciated talking with him in June of 2021 about the book of Revelation, a book which simultaneously fascinates and disturbs many. He helped us demystify Revelation a little bit as we talked about the seven letters, the number 666, and other things: go check it out—Faith in the Folds episode 19.
Joining me and Garrett today is the primary author of the article which we’ll talk about today, Alan Howell. Alan and I have known each other for almost two decades now as my home congregation sponsored the Howells’ mission work in Mozambique—something we’ll hear more about later.
The article they wrote together is entitled “Apocalypse, Authority, and Allegiance: Interpreting Symbols and Revelation in Mozambique.” Doing missions in foreign countries involves interpreting social, cultural, and political symbols, much like the process of interpreting scripture.
I hope you enjoy the conversation I had with Alan and Garrett as we look at some real world examples of how even something as strange as Revelation can come alive in ways we didn’t expect.
Around 51:49, Alan mentions a song the Mozambican churches would sing. You can find an older clip of that song here: http://howellsinmoz.blogspot.com/2015/03/and-then-they-sang-proudly-jesus-is-our.html
Access to Alan’s and Garrett’s article can be found here: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/02653788211005813?journalCode=trna
The Howells featured their blog here, which was last updated near the end of their tenure in Mozambique: http://howellsinmoz.blogspot.com
The Howells were featured several years ago in these publications as well:
Harding University’s The Bison: https://thelink.harding.edu/the-bison/2015/09/10/visiting-from-mozambique/
The Christian Chronicle: https://christianchronicle.org/after-armed-home-invasion-missionaries-overwhelmed-with-support-from-african-community/
Today I sat down with John Mark Hicks, professor of theology at Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN. I first encountered John Mark almost twenty years ago through his books, specifically his Come to the Table: Revisioning the Lord’s Supper published in 2002 by New Leaf Press. I was in high school at the time and had no idea I would later be required to read more of his works for graduate classes about ten years later.
John Mark is a deep thinker, an excellent communicator, and wonderful dialogue partner on social media—which brings us to our topic for today. A few weeks ago John Mark shared on his personal Facebook page 12 guidelines for positive social media interactions: what caught my attention was not just the wisdom of these guidelines, but also the fact that I have seen John Mark follow each of these with various people who agree and disagree with him a given topic. As I told Robby John in episode 14 of Faith in the Folds, if there were one person after whom I would model my social media interactions, it would be John Mark Hicks.
You can find links to John Mark's books, articles, and blog posts at his personal website, https://johnmarkhicks.com/.
When we study history, do we learn about others or ourselves? Maybe a little of both? Today’s interview is with John Young, a budding historian of the religious history of the South in general and the Churches of Christ in particular. We had a delightful conversation about the value of church history for spiritual formation as well as three main benefits of studying history.
John Young is assistant professor of church history in the Turner School of Theology, Amridge University. You can find John’s personal blog with links to the following here: https://johnyounghistorian.com
Check out John’s blog series entitled “Church of Christ Celebrities” here: https://churchofchristcelebrities.wordpress.com
John has authored and edited the following books:
Redrawing the Blueprints for the Early Church
https://www.hcu.edu/product/redrawing-the-blueprints-for-the-early-church-by-john-young-pre-order-available-june-15-2021/
Visions of Restoration: The History of Churches of Christ
https://www.amazon.com/Visions-Restoration-John-Young-ebook/dp/B08F2XCB7S/
Editor of Living and Active Word: A Symposium by the Faculty of the Turner School of Theology, Amridge University
https://www.amazon.com/Living-Active-Word-Daniel-Fletcher/dp/1616470216/
In today’s episode I sat down with friend and former student of mine Jared Mayes. Jared has been preaching for the Leominster Church of Christ in Leominster, Massachusetts for a few years now and still remains active with the Kerusso Experience, a camp for teenagers wanting to hone their preaching skills, hosted by Harding University where Jared and I are both alumni. In the course of our conversation, Jared shared with me his love for preaching, how he learned what preaching is really about, and the amazing power the church had for helping him endure his faith crisis. Jared is also probably the biggest Star Wars fan I know personally. Earlier in 2021 he, another friend from his church, and I started a Star Wars and theology podcast called “Hyperspace Theology,” where we explore theological themes found in everyone’s favorite galaxy far, far away. But even if you’re like Freddie Mercury and you don’t like Star Wars, I know you’ll be blessed by what Jared has to say.
Today’s episode is part two of my interview with Dr. Dale Manor, professor emeritus of Bible and archaeology of Harding University. In the first half of our interview, which debuted about two weeks ago, we talked about Dr. Manor’s involvement in archaeology and what archaeology can and cannot tell us about the Bible. I also posed the question to Dr. Manor, “What’s one thing you wish every Christian knew about the Old Testament?” He and I talked about the nature of God—that the God of the Old Testament is the same as the God in the New Testament. We even dived into the murky waters of what God cannot do; taking our cue from James chapter 1, God cannot be tempted by evil. On this basis Dr. Manor and I talked about the necessity of Jesus’s incarnation for saving humanity.
You can find more information about Dr. Manor’s hands-on archaeology “classroom,” Tel Achzib, here: https://www.harding.edu/honors/archeologicalphotos
For a helpful article on the Linda Byrd Smith Museum of Biblical Archaeology housed at Harding Unversity: https://wordpress.harding.edu/harding/2017/11/02/museum-showcases-biblical-artifacts/
To reach out to Dr. Manor for lectures and other information, you can contact him through his personal website: http://www.dalewmanor.net/
Faith in the Folds is a podcast for ministry, biblical studies, and Christian living. You can find full videos on Facebook or YouTube, and audio versions on Apple, Google, Amazon, Spotify, and iHeartRadio podcasts, as well as rsscom/podcasts/faithinthefolds/. You can also follow us on Instagram @faithinthefolds.
Today I had the great honor of interviewing Dr. Dale Manor, Professor Emeritus of Bible and archaeology of Harding University. I first met Dr. Manor my freshman year as I took him for an Old Testament survey class. Even though the Old Testament isn’t where my own studies would eventually focus, Dr. Manor ranks among my all-time favorite professors. In addition to Dr. Manor’s teaching and preaching background, he also serves as the field director for excavations at Tel Beth-Shemesh in Israel, partnering with two professors from Tel-Aviv University, Zvi Lederman and the late Shlomo Bunimovitz. Given Dr. Manor’s expertise in both the Old Testament text and the archaeology of Old Testament sites, I wanted to ask him what archaeology can tell us about the Bible, and what is one thing he would want every Christian to know about the Old Testament. Our conversation was so enthralling that we ended up having enough material for two episodes. Thanks for tuning in to part one of two.
Today I sat down with Smith Hopkins. Smith and I first met in 2010 at Harding School of Theology in Memphis. He was and is a serious Bible student and I have always appreciated how he presents his ideas and handles himself even when faced with disagreement. Early in 2021 Smith stepped away from his preaching position at a suburban church in Memphis in order to begin the challenging but necessary work of planing a church closer to the heart of urban Memphis. I caught up with Smith to ask him about his upcoming church plant, and Smith’s excitement and passion for planting healthy churches was infectious. I hope you enjoy the conversation and find yourself inspired to step out in faith where God may be calling you.
Smith mentioned research by church planter Stan Granberg, which you can find here: https://digitalarchives.apu.edu/gcrj/vol10/iss1/17/ (Stan E. Granberg, “A Case Study of Growth and Decline: The Churches of Christ, 2006-2016” Great Commission Research Journal [2018] 10.1: 90-113).
If you’re interested in learning about the church plant Smith is leading or if you would like to partner with them or pray for them, you can find more information here: https://www.oikosmemphis.org
Today I sat down with my friend Garrett Best. Garrett is the preaching Minister for the Oliver Creek Church of Christ in the greater Memphis area, and he recently defended his doctoral dissertation on the book of Revelation. Had you asked Garrett a couple of years ago if he thought he would become a budding scholar on the last book of the Bible, he certainly would have told you “No way.” It was a treat hearing his reflections on this unexpected turn of events.
In today’s episode Garrett and I talk about some of the recurring questions people have about the book of Revelation. I hope our conversation will help demystify the last book of the Bible for you.
Garrett Best is the Minister for the Oliver Creek Church of Christ in the greater Memphis area: https://www.olivercreek.org/
Two of Garrett’s blog posts on Revelation can be found here:
https://ministryofstudy.wordpress.com/2018/11/27/amazon-headquarters-the-imperial-cult-and-the-book-of-revelation/
https://ministryofstudy.wordpress.com/2018/12/05/elvis-presley-nero-and-the-book-of-revelation/
Today we get to hear from Robin Gough, Associate Minister for the Fairfax Church of Christ in Fairfax, VA - just outside of Washington, D. C. Robin recently shared on social media a list of five lessons he’s learned during his nearly two decades in ministry. I thought it would be fun to dig into this list with him and gain a little bit of insight into life and ministry. I know you’ll be blessed by what Robin has to say.
You can check out the church where Robin works here: https://fxcc.org/
Faith in the Folds is a podcast for ministry, biblical studies, and Christian living. You can find full videos on Facebook or YouTube, and audio versions on Apple, Google, Amazon, Spotify, and iHeartRadio podcasts, as well as rsscom/podcasts/faithinthefolds/. You can also follow us on Instagram @faithinthefolds.
Today I sit down with Russ King, preaching minister for the Donelson Church of Christ in Nashville, TN. Russ has served churches in Florida, Kentucky, and Tennessee, and has been at Donelson--his home church--since 2011. I asked Russ about his congregation's community involvement, and we had a great time talking about the ways churches can learn how to bless their communities in Jesus's name.
Today I sit down with Dr. Allen Black. I first met Dr. Black when I took a campus visit to Harding School of Theology (then known as Harding University Graduate School of Religion, or HUGSR for short) in 2010. Dr. Black was assigned as my academic advisor, and a year into my program I became his Graduate Assistant. At the end of the 2020-2021 school year, Dr. Black retired from HST after nearly 40 years of teaching, the last six of which he also served as Dean. I had the privilege and honor to talk with Dr. Black and reflect with him on his decades of service.
Today I had the privilege of continuing my earlier conversation with with Stephanie O’Brian, Licensed Professional Counselor and the Director of Upward Bound at Harding University. I asked her about the good things college #students can offer the church. It’s tempting for many older Christians to overlook the value of what Christian college-aged students can bring to the church. Perhaps, as Stephanie says, they can offer a helpful corrective to some things the Church has maybe missed. Most importantly, you people today—like many who have gone before them—are eager to see in others and experience for themselves a #faith of conviction, not merely a faith of convenience. This conversation may ruffle some feathers, but I’m glad for Stephanie to raise these important issues.
Today's guest is Robby John, Youth Minister for the Bay Area Church of Christ in Tampa, FL. I asked Robby to share with me one or two lessons he’s learned in #ministry, and what are a few #resources he consistently uses to keep himself fresh. Robby stressed the importance of having mentoring figures in life and ministry, and he also emphasized the value of community for developing #creativity. I know Robby will encourage you and give you some great resources for your own growth. Faith in the Folds is a podcast for ministry, biblical studies, and Christian living. You can find full videos on Facebook or YouTube, and audio versions on Apple, Google, Amazon, Spotify, and iHeartRadio podcasts, as well as rss.dot.com/podcasts/faithinthefolds/
Today I got to talk with Steve Maxwell, worship minister for the North Atlanta Church of Christ. Steve has been a good friend of mine for over ten years, and I was excited to ask him “What’s one piece of advice you’d give younger ministers?” Steve talked about the importance of taking the time to observe and understand your surroundings, not just in whatever local church a minister happens to serve but also the neighborhood and larger contexts. I also resonated with Steve’s words about reflecting on our younger selves—something I think every Christian should do regularly. I know you’ll be blessed by what Steve has to say.
Today I sat down with my friend Bob Turner. I first met Bob when he was a librarian at Harding School of Theology in Memphis. I loved talking with Bob about my classwork, current events, or trends in churches when we overlapped at HST. These days Bob is the Senior Minister for the Church of Christ at White Station in Memphis, and I was glad to talk with him about how we can disagree without being jerks to each other. Bob stresses knowing the important difference between arguing and being argumentative, and he offers a few rules for how to get the most out of our conversations.
Today I talk with Mark Adams, preaching minister for the Kings Crossing Church of Christ in Corpus Christi, TX—a lifelong friend and peer-mentor. I asked Mark what’s one piece of advice he’d give young ministers, and in the course of our conversation he shared several great ideas not just for ministers but for anyone wanting to grow in #discipleship. We talked about the necessity to invest in others and in yourself—and the grave dangers of #overwork, something that seems like it is a virtue but really has serious detrimental effects on ourselves and our #relationships. I hope you’ll be challenged and encouraged but our conversation.
Check out Mark's blog at https://kingdomupgrowth.com/
You can also find Mark's podcast on Apple, Spotify, and other podcast venues.
Today I sat down with a trio of ministers who have spent years investing in Christians in college. Chris Buxton, Casey Coston, and Rusty Jordan and I talked about the spiritual challenges facing Christians in public colleges and universities—which is where these three have served collectively for several decades. We talked about how the college years are one of the most formative times of life for developing faith and forming a worldview. When I asked how do we as the church help disciple these Christian young men and women, I was not surprised to hear Chris, Casey, and Rusty talk about the importance of community—I’ve been podcasting for a month now and I’m starting to lose count of how often my guests have mentioned the necessity of community for discipleship.
Today I got to talk with Zach Neal, Dean of Students at Harding University. I asked Zach about the spiritual challenges college students face. In the course of our conversation we kept coming back to the importance of listening and being present with others. Whether in a ministry setting like I find myself in, or in an administrative setting for Zach, the importance of genuine connection cannot be overstated. I think this is a timely reminder for us when so many of us were starved for regular, meaningful connection over the last year - and Zach was able to share his insight into the importance of these connections for college students.
Today I had the privilege of talking with Stephanie O’Brian, and Licensed Professional Counselor, and the Director of Upward Bound at Harding University. I asked Stephanie about the spiritual challenges college students face, and the resulting conversation was a pretty sobering one. There was actually so much to talk about, that a little over halfway through our conversation we began to realize we would need another hour or so to finish. So, this episode is part 1 of 2. Although there is a lot of reason to be concerned about and pray for Christian college students, Stephanie assured me there is plenty of reason to have hope as well.
The Bible is a hyperlinked text, pointing forward and backward in every book. Genesis begins with creation, Revelation ends with new creation. The psalms and prophets point forward to God's fulfillment of his promises, and the Gospels point backward to the promises made long ago. But what about Proverbs? In this episode we'll see wha Lady Wisdom from Proverbs tells us about Jesus.
In this episode I was able to talk with my friend and former student Matthew Love, preaching minister at the Beebe Church of Christ in central Arkansas. Matt and I discussed what he's learned and how he's grown through his years in congregational ministry.
Luke Dockery, Youth In Family Minister at the Cloverdale Church of Christ in Searcy, AR, sat down with me to talk about the disturbing trend of teenagers leaving their faith after graduating high school. Are some common youth ministry practices to blame? If so, what can be done to correct this?
What happens when our heroes become villains? What do we do when they have hurt others and deceived many? In this short reflection I share my thoughts on the reprehensible behavior of author and apologist Ravi Zacharias.
In today's episode Dr. Jim Martin, Vice President of Harding School of Theology in Memphis, TN, sits down with me to talk about the one piece of advice he would give young ministers. I loved hearing his perspective on growth and learning - and whether you're a minister or not, I hope you'll be blessed too!
I sat down with veteran minister Fate Hagood III of the Metropolitan Church of Christ in the greater Los Angeles area to ask him "What's one piece of advice you'd give young ministers?" I was blessed and challenged by what Fate had to say, and I hope you will be too!
In this inaugural episode of Faith in the Folds, I sit down with minister John Nichols to discuss what has happened in the year since destructive and deadly tornadoes swept through middle Tennessee on March 2-3, 2020.