Second Look: Recent Episodes
Second Presbyterian Church
Second Look is a forum to learn more about the ministries, members, and mission of Second Presbyterian Church.
In this episode, we explore how Christians can respond to claims that Christianity is “anti-intellectual.” The trustworthiness of the Gospels and the “surprising genius” found in the teaching of Jesus in the Gospels show that any such claims are unwarranted. This episode is intended to equip you to have confidence in the scriptures and in how to respond to skepticisms and challenges that come your way.
Listen in as Josh Preston, George Robertson, and special guest Dr. Peter Williams, Bible Researcher and CEO of Tyndale House Cambridge (the world’s foremost evangelical bible research institute) discuss ideas from two of Dr. Williams' most recent books: The Surprising Genius of Jesus and Can We Trust the Gospels?
In the fourth episode of our Equipping the Saints series, titled “Living within God’s Story,” we’ll hear from Pastor Josh Preston and special guest Dr. Chris Wright as they step back to look at the bigger story of Scripture and help us see how doing so can shape and transform what we believe about politics. Dr. Wright is the Global Ambassador for Langham Partnership and Honorary Curate at All Souls Church in London as well as the author of"Here Are Your Gods" and "The Mission of God’s People".
Books: Here Are Your Gods, The Mission of God’s People
Website: langham.org
Podcast: On Mission with Chris Wright
Middle Grade:
Clara Poole and the Long Way Round by Taylor Tyng
21 Balloons by William Pene de Bois
Wish Tree by Katherine Applegate
Key Player by Kelly Yang (Series)
Hummingbird by Natalie Lloyd
The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt
Young Adult Fiction:
American Royals by Katharine McGee (Series)
The Royal We by Heather Cocks
Pride by Ibi Zoboi
The Do Over by Lynn Painter
Unequal Affections by Lara S. Ormiston
Rom-Com:
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson
Moorewood Family Rules by HelenKay Dimon
The Good Part by Sophie Cousens
Memoir:
Finding Me by Viola Davis
How to Stay Married by Harrison Scott Key
All My Knotted-Up Life by Beth Moore
Taste by Stanley Tucci
You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey by Amber Ruffin
Non-fiction:
The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green
Good Apple by Elizabeth Passarella
Historical Fiction:
The Women by Kristen Hannah
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
The Dictionary of Lost Words by Philippa Williams
The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
Science Fiction:
The Road to Roswell by Connie Willis
General Fiction:
Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn
Cassandra in Reverse by Holly Smale
How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Mrs. Quinn’s Rise to Fame by Olivia Ford
Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal
Summer Stage by Meg Mitchell Moore
Charm City Rocks by Matthew Norman
Talking at Night by Claire Daverley
The Last Love Note by Emma Grey
Thriller/Mystery:
Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister
The Fury by Alex Michaelides
The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett
Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson
Going Zero by Anthony McCarten
Spiritual Growth:
Mostly What God Does by Savannah Guthrie
Real by Catherine Parks
Made to Belong by David Kim
Made for People by Justin Whittle Earley
In the second episode of our Equipping the Saints series, titled “Faithfully Following Jesus in an Election Year,” we’ll hear from Pastor Josh Preston and Senior Pastor George Robertson where they will discuss what it looks like to have a biblical mindset going into election season. Listen in for a conversation about the difficulties and importance of seeking justice, mercy, and faithfulness in the political enterprise of our country.
On this episode of Second Look, our Growing Place Library staff members, Jennifer Wilson and Merrill Skipworth, along with 2PC member and avid reader, Lacey Moody, sit down for the fifth annual book talk! The list below features books recommended and mentioned in this episode as well as links to the Instagram accounts for the Library and Lacey Moody.
Fiction
Authentically Izzy- Pepper Basham
Carrie Soto is Back- Taylor Jenkins Reid
Cartographers- Peng Shepherd
Daisy Jones and the Six- Taylor Jenkins Reid (audiobook is excellent)
Flight- Lynn Steger Strong
Hello Beautiful- Ann Napolitano
Lessons in Chemistry- Bonnie Garmus
Lord Peter Mysteries- Dorothy Sayers
Nora Goes Off Script- Annabel Monaghan
Remarkably Bright Creatures- Shelby Van Pelt
Signal Fires- Dani Shapiro
The Exiles- Christina Baker Cline
The Golden Spoon- Jessa Maxwell
The Record Keeper-Charles Martin (Book 3 of Murphy Shepherd Trilogy)
The Red Notebook- Antoine Laurain
The River- Peter Heller
The White Lady- Jacqueline Winspear
Thursday Murder Club Series- Richard Osman
Tobacco Wives- Adele Myers
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow- Gabrielle Zevin
Non-fiction
A Meal With Jesus- Tim Chester
Becoming Duchess Goldblatt- Anonymous
Confronting Christianity- Rebecca McLaughlin
Find Your People- Jennie Allen
Good Apple- Elizabeth Passarella
Gospelbound- Collin Hansen and Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra
Habits of the Household- Justin Whitmel Earley
It Was an Ugly Couch Anyway- Elizabeth Passarella
Joyful- Ingrid Fetell Lee
Left on Tenth- Delia Ephron
Made to Belong- David Kim
One More Croissant for the Road- Felicity Cloake
Redemption Accomplished and Applied- John Murray
Secular Creed- Rebecca McLaughlin
Surprised by Oxford- Carolyn Weber
Taste- Stanley Tucci
The Anthropocene Reviewed- John Green
This is Where You Belong- Melody Warnick
When Thoughts and Prayers Aren't Enough- Taylor Schumann
Middle Grade
Serpent Slayer and the Scroll of Riddles- Champ Thornton
The Dragon and The Stone- Kathryn Butler
The Secret Lake- Karen Inglis
The Shoe Books (Ballet Shoes, Theatre Shoes…)- Noel Streatfeild
The Westing Game- Ellen Raskin
Tuesdays at the Castle, series- Jessica Day George
Wolves of Willoughby Chase- Joan Aiken
Other Books and Authors Mentioned…
Chanel Cleeton- Perez Family Series
Drowning- T. J. Newman
Falling- T.J. Newman
Habits of Grace- David Mathis
Happy Place- Emily Henry
Jesus Through the Eyes of Women- Rebecca McLaughlin
Mhairi McFarlane, author
My Life in France- Julia Child
Paris by the Book- Liam Callanan
Today we’ll hear a roundtable discussion from Pastor Josh Preston, Director of Shepherding resources Laurin Maddux, and Senior Pastor George Robertson where they discuss the tension of seeking the peace and prosperity of a city that is sometimes dangerous. Listen in for an honest conversation about loving our neighbors in turbulent times.
On this episode of Second Look, Associate Pastor Dan Burns sits down to chat with former 2PC members Deanna and Adam Hoyt and current 2PC member Meghan Rintoul about their plans to move to the U.K. this Summer, where they’ll work with Campus Outreach building relationships and sharing the gospel with Muslim students in Birmingham, England.
In July of 2022, our church enjoyed a special Sunday School series called, “Everyone Within My Reach: From Strangers to Neighbors to Friends.” Tune in as we share each Sunday’s audio on the podcast.
On today’s episode, Todd Erickson teaches on prioritizing time to live missionally in our neighborhoods, and Lizy Wegener and Susan and Mark Warner discuss how they’ve sought to make time for their neighbor.
The series title is adapted from Rosaria Butterfield’s book, The Gospel Comes With a House Key.
In July of 2022, our church enjoyed a special Sunday School series called, “Everyone Within My Reach: From Strangers to Neighbors to Friends.” Tune in as we share each Sunday’s audio on the podcast.
On today’s episode, Todd Erickson teaches on building a gospel-centered community amidst differences, and Kathe Russell and Gaye Carter discuss how they’ve sought to hear their neighbor.
The series title is adapted from Rosaria Butterfield’s book, The Gospel Comes With a House Key.
In July of 2022, our church enjoyed a Sunday School series called, “Everyone Within My Reach: From Strangers to Neighbors to Family.” On this episode, Barton Kimbro teaches on cultivating relationships and connecting with the people God puts in our path, and Rong and Sheng Zou discuss how to be intentional in our connections with others.
In July of 2022, our church enjoyed a special Sunday School series called, “Everyone Within My Reach: From Strangers to Neighbors to Family.” Tune in the next few weeks as we share each Sunday’s audio on the podcast. On today’s episode, Barton Kimbro teaches on overcoming our habits and fears to reach those around us, and Julia and Seth Harkins discuss how they’ve followed Christ by seeking to know their neighbor. The series title is adapted from Rosaria Butterfield’s book, The Gospel Comes With a House Key.
In this episode, Josh Preston interviews senior pastor George Robertson about the series, "This is My Father's World: Ethics for Daily Living from the Minor Prophets." Although these twelve small books of the Bible contain only 67 chapters in totals, in terms of their theological significance and relevance to our lives, there is nothing "minor" about them. Listen in as Pastor George demonstrates for us the value of digging in to this portion of God's Word.
In this episode, World Missions pastor Dan Burns sits down with Thomas and Jennifer McIntyre, longtime missionaries to Taiwan, to hear about the challenges and joys of sharing Christ in a culture steeped in both idol and ancestral worship. Although Christians make up less than 1% of the population of the capital city, the McIntyres report that the Lord has raised up an indigenous Taiwanese pastor to assume leadership of the church they planted years ago, allowing them to move into a different part of Taiwan with even fewer Christians and an even greater need for missionaries dedicated to doing the long and slow, yet fruitful, work of evangelism.
Jennifer’s book:Unbound
The McIntyre’s missionary profile on the 2PC website:Thomas and Jennifer: Church Planters/Community Outreach in Taiwan
In this episode, World Missions pastor Dan Burns sits down with longtime missionary Roger Lowther to discuss how God is using creativity, culture, and the arts to reveal Himself to the Japanese people.
From non-believing musicians coming to know the Lord through serving as worship leaders, to makeup artists gaining a deeper understanding of how their craft fits into the greater story God is telling, this conversation is a rich display of the multi-faceted nature of Jesus and the whole-life implications of following Him in faith.
Roger’s Books:
- The Broken Leaf
- Aroma of Beauty
- Pippy the Piano and the Very Big Wave
Web Resources:
- Roger's Website
- Roger's Blog
- Roger's Podcast
The list below features books and resources mentioned on the podcast as well as others Jennifer and Lacey suggest:
The Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
Color of Compromise by Jemar Tisby & Lecrae Moore
Gentle and Lowly by Dane C. Ortlund
The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict
The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict
Lady Clementine by Marie Benedict
Carnegies’s Maid by Marie Benedict
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
Dearly Beloved by Cara Wall
Jo and Laurie by Margaret Stohl & Melissa de la Cruz
March by Geraldine Brooks
Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger
This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger
The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré
Transcendant Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
Homecoming by Yaa Gyasi
Growing Together by Melissa Kruger
The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson
The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
Uncommon Ground by Tim Keller & Jon Inazu
Good Apple by Elizabeth Passarella
House Lessons by Erica Bauermeister
Ten Words to Live By by Jen Wilkin
Kitchen Table Devotions by Sergey Sologub
Family Discipleship by Matt Chandler
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
Josephine and the Quarantine by Candace Echols
Wherever You Go, I Want You to Know by Melissa Kruger & Isobel Lundie
Arlo and the Great Big Cover Up by Betsy Childs Howard
Redwall by Brian Jacques
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy M. Montgomery
Wingfeather by Andrew Peterson
Book Lists, Podcasts, and Other Resources:
- @laceymoodyreads
- The Growing Place Library's Online Catalog
- What Should I Read Next (Modern Mrs. Darcy)
- From the Front Porch with Annie Jones
- Life, Books, and Everything
- Gentle and Lowly: A 14-Day Audio Devotional
- Aunt Blanche's Story Corner
- Redeemed Reader
- Good Book Mom
- Read-Aloud Revival
In this episode, Taylor Tollison, Domestic Outreach Coordinator, takes a look back with our pastors at what we learned during CityServe in September. Taylor also mentions a few ways we can serve our neighbors this holiday season, as we seek to bring Shalom to our city. Visit 2pc.org/serve to view the full list of service opportunities.
In this episode, which was recorded a week before the 2020 presidential election, Pastor George talks with 2PC member and Chair Pro Tempore of the Shelby County Commission, Brandon Morrison, and Rufus Smith, Senior Pastor at Hope Church and Executive Chairman of the Memphis Christian Pastors Network, about a Christian’s calling in an election year and in the everyday.
In this episode, Senior Pastor George Robertson asks Jon Tinniswood of the Christian Psychological Center for some practical things everyone can do during the pandemic—an age of disconnection for many—to not only cope but to thrive. The discussion covers everything from breathing techniques and the way laughter activates the parasympathetic nervous system to the way social media affects our dopamine levels.
In this episode, our very own Pastoral Resident Josh Preston interviews Senior Pastor George Robertson about George’s new book about the Psalms titled “Soul Anatomy: Finding Peace, Hope, and Joy in the Psalms. Learn more about the book here.
In this episode, Pastor George is joined by his long-time friend, Judge David Watkins of Augusta, Georgia. Judge Watkins is a Christ-follower, an officer of the court sworn to uphold justice, and an African American who observed racial abuse of authority over the course of his life. Hearing his perspective about recent news reports, including the shooting of Jacob Blake, is powerful.
In this episode, Senior Pastor George Robertson talks with Dr. Brent Stenberg, director of the Christian Psychological Center, about what these many months of uncertainty and stress due to the pandemic and unrest in our country might be doing to our hearts and minds. Dr. Stenberg calls the result of these unprecedented times “soul weariness.” Take a listen and be encouraged.
Books:
Be the Bridge by Latasha Morrison
Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon
The Color of Compromise by Jemar Tisby
The Dearly Beloved by Cara Wall
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Enough About Me by Jen Oshman
A Gentle Answer by Scott Sauls
Growing Together by Melissa Kruger
How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram Kendi
In His Image by Jen Wilkin
My Dear Hamilton by Stephanie Dray, Laura Kamoie, et al.
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
None Like Him by Jen Wilkin
Olive Again by Elizabeth Strout
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston
The Valley of Vision by Arthur Bennett
Other Resources:George Robertson’s “52 Reasons: The Importance of Corporate Worship” Weekly Devotional Series
The Growing Place Library online catalog
Gospel Transformation Study Bible (Crossway)
ESV Illuminated Scripture Journal: Matthew (specifically for the August Word-filled Women Workshop)
The Journeywomen Podcast with Hunter Beless
Challies.com (book reviews and Kindle deals by Tim Challies)
Lacey’s Instagram Account
In this episode of Second Look, guest speakers Quina and Jon Aragón share about living out their identity as Christ’s workmanship in their family, as creatives, and in their local church. Quina is an author and spoken word artist and Jon is a creative director, designer, and pastor.