Immanuel Pastors Podcast: Recent Episodes
Immanuel Baptist Church
What does it mean to live a holy life? And how does being a covenanted member of the church help you do that? Listen in on Pastors Nathan and Theo talking about the next part of Our Church Covenant about being distinct amidst a world of sin.
We're back for a third season. This season we'll be going through Our Church Covenant and talking about what it means to be a Christian and how that's connected to being in the church. Listen to Pastors Nathan and Theo talk about the introduction to the IBC Covenant.
Where do churches come from? Do giant storks drop them off to people who pray? It turns out... it's a little different than that. To find out how it happens and how you could be a part of the gospel spreading all across Chicago, listen as I chat with Pastor Nathan about Church Planting. Fresh Episodes every Wednesday!
A warm welcome to this (slightly longer) episode on hospitality! Whether you're married or not, we hope you feel right at home. Listen as I interview Griffin and Naomi on how they host even though they're single! Fresh episodes every Wednesday!
Are Chris and I friends? Or has he been secretly discipling me this whole time? Listen in as I find out by talking to Chris about discipleship. Learn how and why you can be doing spiritual good to others!Fresh episodes every Wednesday!
Are we Baptist? Are we catholic? Are we patrick?... Yes! (Maybe not that last one). Listen this week as Nathan and I discuss how we as Baptists remain committed and involved in the catholicity (small 'c') of the Church (big 'C').Fresh episodes every Wednesday!
If you've never met Dylan and Sandy... please do. Seriously. But in the meantime, listen as I talk to them about their plans to move overseas for the sake of the gospel and how you can support them!Fresh episodes every Wednesday!
We're back with Part 2! Is joining the church softball team the epitome of health? Listen to the second half of my conversation to find out! (The answer is yes, obviously)Fresh episodes every Wednesday!
Does the bible have anything to do with your body? Are your health and holiness related? Do we speak in alliteration the whole time? Listen as I talk with Dr. (Bryce) Daniels this week about all that and more! (Pt. 2 will drop next week!)Fresh episodes every Wednesday
Summer break! Perfect time to talk about... being a student? IBC has all sorts of students, from med school to moody. Listen as I talk to Owen about the particular challenges and opportunities of being a student, and how to get involved if you are one!Fresh episodes every Wednesday!
You can let go of your seats and relax... pt. 2 of my conversation with Yong, Celina, and Jon on the Asian-American church experience is here! Listen as we talk about the beauty, pain, and future of the church. Fresh episodes every Wednesday!
How is the Asian-American church experience different? Why is it worth talking about? And which celebrity does Yong think I am? Listen this week as I interview three members of IBC about their church experience. This is just the start of the conversation, Pt. 2 will be dropping next week!Fresh episodes every Wednesday
Why is the sameness of every Sunday service actually the best part? Does the 'C' in IBC stand for catholic? Listen for the answers to these questions and more as I talk this week with Theo about why the order of our service matters. Fresh episodes every Wednesday.
Your pastor thinks you're a fool... just kidding! But he does think we need more wisdom. I guess it turns out.. it's harder to live well than it seems. Listen as I talk with Theo about the beauty and benefit of wisdom literature. How should we read it? How does it relate to the gospel of salvation in Christ?Fresh episodes every Wednesday
What's it like to be a christian artist? To try and reach other artists with the gospel and make art to the glory of God? Listen to this episode as I talk with Alexis about all things art!Fresh episodes every Wednesday
Why do we celebrate Easter? Is there something more to it than chocolate and the Easter Bunny? If you want to know the answer to those questions... this podcast won't be helpful! We're taking a break for Easter this week. But come to Good Friday service at 6:30pm and Easter Sunday service at 10am (brunch at 8:45am) for the answers!Fresh episodes every Wednesday
Why do we sing on Sundays? Why don't we just turn on a Hillsong youtube video? What instrument does Naomi Louie think is the most spiritual? Listen this week as I chat with one of our worship leaders to hear most of these questions answered!Fresh episodes every Wednesday
At IBC, we aren't content just to see the gospel go forth from our pulpit every Sunday. We want to see churches planted here in Chicago, and around the world! Listen this week, as I talk to our pastoral apprentices, to learn how God uses his word, an aquarium, and three guys to see that mission accomplished!Fresh episodes every Wednesday
Sunday is the most important day for the church... but what's going on Monday-Saturday? Or here at IBC, Tuesday-Thursday? Listen this week as I talk to Pastor Theo about small groups, and learn what your small group leaders REALLY think about you (they love you and can't wait to see you each week!)
New year, new church... Just kidding, same IBC here! But seriously, how our are pastors doing at their New Year's Resolutions? More importantly, what are we looking forward to this year as a church? Listen this week as I talk to pastors Nathan and Theo about renovations, retreats, and ROAs (plus much more!) Fresh episodes every Wednesday
The IBC Podcast is back! Check out this intro to hear about what's new in season 2! Fresh episodes every Wednesday
Happy Juneteenth! Last summer Michael convened a conversation in the park about how to do cross-cultural discipleship as a church. One year later we're revisiting this conversation along with Dami. Is diversity just a buzz word or a biblical idea? How does it play out at IBC?
Playing computer games as a kid might not be an altogether bad thing. Listen to how one thing led to another and now one of our members is employing several other people and building things the world needs.
Listen to this conversation with Katie about beauty, Bezalel, and buying bathroom tile.
Emma and Joy join the podcast and interview Pastor Nathan about his experiences and thoughts on education.
On this episode Nathan interviews Anika about one of her vocations. Why are lawyers necessary for life? What do they do? What are some struggles in the field? What are some of the joys? And how does being a Christian affect the practice?
Nathan & Theo are back with an episode on work, introducing a series of podcasts this year exploring the different vocations people in our church have and how their Christian faith should inform them. Here we talk about the goodness of work, the limits of work, and why you shouldn't hate your job.
In light of continued high profile moral failures among ministry leaders, Theo and Nathan talk about the sad reality. and what to make of it.
In this episode Nathan talks about the paper he just wrote for his class. He had to design a project that addresses an issue in urban ministry. He chose the topic of transience and here he talks a bit about urban church churn and explains some things we're going to be doing as a church this Spring to continue the conversation. A major part of it will be helping every member discern God's call on his or her life - Should I stay or should I go? Why? How?
Theo's on Christmas vacation, but Peter joins Nathan to discuss Sam Allberry's book 7 Myths About Singleness. We hope this encouraged the church family.
Headline: "Illinois has reported the second highest number of recent COVID-19 deaths in the U.S." "Another 126 people died from coronavirus in the past day across the state." We're seeing this all the time. Someone you love is going to die soon. You are going to die soon. What's that going to be like? What happens in those moments and beyond? Nathan and Theo walk you through this sober reality with what you can expect, based on what God has said.
Nathan brings Deacon of Finance and Pastoral Apprentice Michael on to talk about money, stewardship, personal budgets, church budgets...
Headline: "Illinois has reported the second highest number of recent COVID-19 deaths in the U.S." "Another 126 people died from coronavirus in the past day across the state." We're seeing this all the time. Someone you love is going to die soon. You are going to die soon. What's that going to be like? What happens in those moments and beyond? Nathan and Theo walk you through this sober reality with what you can expect, based on what God has said.
This season is supposed to be teaching us the absolute necessity of the assembly of the saints for spiritual life, but some people are finding other lessons in it (https://careynieuwhof.com/3-statistics-that-show-how-quickly-radically-and-permanently-church-is-changing-in-2020/). Nathan & Theo talk through a blog post Nathan wrote in 2014 about the importance of being with the church every Lord's Day (https://forthesakeofthename.wordpress.com/2014/05/06/why-christians-must-go-to-church-every-sunday/).
Listen to two VERY amateur music critics (Pastors Nathan & Theo) interact with the Billboard Hot 100, trying to listen to today's lyrical poets through a biblical filter.
Nathan interviews Pastoral Apprentice Tim Easterday about the topic of slowness. So stop and smell the roses and while you do, listen to this conversation.
We generally have 4 Membership Meetings a year? Why?! Do I have to come? Aren't they going to be boring? C'mon, did Jesus really have this in mind?? Listen in on a conversation between Nathan and Theo on the rationale and joy of these 'family meetings.'
Have you noticed we've been spending a lot of time and money on our building lately? Is that wise? Biblical? Join Nathan and Theo as they discuss how we should think of church buildings.
Listen in on a conversation between Pastor Nathan and Theo on politics: the pitfalls and potential, how to avoid apathy and idolatry, and why you can be confident when you wake up on November 4th because Jesus is still on his throne.
It's been almost 6 months since our world got turned upside down. Nathan and Theo step back and reflect a bit on what they're seeing and what God might be doing.
Nathan & Theo talk through the hard decision to reluctantly, temporarily, move to two indoor services on Sunday mornings (when we can't meet outside) and how this could potentially turn into a church plant.
Where are vacations in the Bible? Listen to Nathan and Theo chat a bit about work and rest and getting away for a while.
Nathan gives a preview of this year's Summer Retreat. It's gonna be great - a theology of the body!
Nathan and Theo discuss why we're Immanuel BAPTIST Church and not Immanuel PRESBYTERIAN Church... or just Immanuel Community Church... or Rhythm or Vibe or Oikos or something like that.
Nathan got to preach again last Sunday. Listen to him and Theo talk about why that's a big deal.
For further reading check out this article that Pastor Nathan wrote a few years ago about "Is Preaching Passe?" https://forthesakeofthename.wordpress.com/2015/08/10/is-preaching-passe/
Nathan and Andrea record a short conversation during their anniversary getaway about marriage - why they're for it, how it's supposed to work, and what to do when it doesn't.
Nathan & Theo bring on a former pastor at Immanuel to talk about what everybody else is talking about these days. Nathan dropped out in the middle due to technical difficulties and Theo and Randle got it all figured out entirely without him.
Let's talk about what evangelism is, isn't, how it works, our role, God's role, mob evangelism, the priority of evangelism, motivations, and ways to do it even when everyone's staying at home and scared to talk to strangers... oh my...
Listen in on a conversation about how to engage with visual media (movies, tv...). They give their take on The Chosen and a few other shows...
Nathan & Theo banter a bit about beards and then talk about one of the hardest things: witnessing to your family.
On this episode, Nathan and Theo are joined by our resident psychiatrist - Rosario - to talk about the heavier side of life. It's a groaning world and many of those sad feelings are more prevalent these days. We hope this conversation gives you encouragement and practical advice.
Do you feel like you're being pulled in a thousand different directions? Can we try to know everything and be everywhere at all times? Nathan & Theo just scratch the surface in this free-flowing conversation.
Nathan and Theo chat with Vivian about what we've done in the past and hope to see in the future with regard to women teaching women in the church.
Listen to hear what a seminarian has been reading. MINISTRY IN THE IMAGE OF GOD: THE TRINITARIAN SHAPE OF CHRISTIAN SERVICE by Stephan Seamands, ALL THAT IS IN GOD by James Dolezal, and some other heady things.
Here are some books Nathan has been reading lately: THE HOLY BIBLE by God; CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY by Alister McGrath, PARENTING WITH WORDS OF GRACE by William P. Smith, MATURITY by Sinclair Ferguson, GUARANTEED PURE: THE MOODY BIBLE INSTITUTE, BUSINESS, AND THE MAKING OF MODERN EVANGELICALISM by Timothy Gloege, MEDITATIONS ON PREACHING by Francis Grimke, ONE ASSEMBLY by Jonathan Leeman, LITURGY OF THE ORDINARY by Tish Harrison Warren, JOHN ADAMS by David McCullough, THREE PIECES OF GLASS by Eric Jacobsen, THE PENDERWICKS by Jeanne Birdsall, EMBER'S END by S.D. Smith
Hear Nathan and Theo discuss why reading is a good thing to do, especially as a Christian!
Hear Nathan and Theo talk about this often neglected element of the Christian life sometimes called 'Family Worship'. Sorry for the audio quality on this one; we're working on it.
Ever wondered what Elders do when they meet and why? You're invited to listen in on what happens at an Elders' Meeting at Immanuel in this episode with Nathan and Theo.
Hear Nathan and Theo talk through some of their thinking behind their decision not to try to 'do church' on Sundays via a digital platform.
Nathan and Theo talk about what Immanuel is doing to keep in touch and keep the church together during this time apart.