The Big Why: Recent Episodes
Living Water Church
A weekly conversation with the pastors and ministers of Living Water Church discussing the reasons that inform what we do.
In today's episode, Dave and Ben talk through the topic of theological triage and how we can disagree in a healthy way.
What are the regulative and normative principles of worship? What are the pros and cons of each? Where does Living Water lean more towards? Is one more biblical than the other? Ben and Dave address all of these questions and more in this episode.
For further listening: Matt Merker at Doxology & Theology https://www.doxologyandtheology.com/podcast/episode/2019-06-13/whats-the-regulative-principle-and-why-does-it-matter
Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman in Pastor's Talks https://www.9marks.org/pastors-talk/episode-115-on-the-regulative-principle/
We encourage families, especially fathers, to lead in times of Family Worship. It can be as simple as "Read, Pray, Sing." Listen/watch where Pastor David and Pastor Josh discuss the topic and explain how to use some of their recommended resources.
livingwaternw.com/family worship
You can now watch our latest episode centered around prayer and staying digitally connected during this season of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In this episode, Ben and Dave discuss the preventative measures Living Water is taking to keep the building safe throughout the week and they discuss where we are in the midst of live streaming conversations.
Ben and Dave discuss hats in church and a follow-up question on Cessationism. Scroll down to see the questions in their entirety.
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It bothers me when I see men wearing baseball caps or hats in church. Am I bordering on legalism? Or is it biblical for men to remove their hats in church?
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In a recent episode, you made a case for "practical cessationism". I heard a logical argument for "it should not be done this way" but not a biblical case that " now we have the canon, we don't need miracles". Could you expand on where we see miracles and signs end in the Bible?
Today, Ben and Dave discuss a question that came regarding the confession of sin. See the full question below.
How often should we confess our sins to the Lord, and how specific should we be about each exact sin, and can we possibly confess them all if you have intrusive thoughts during a stressful season? Sometimes I (question-asker) feel like confession time feels like a firing squad (knowing the firing isn't from God.
Ben and Dave discuss the topics of Cessationism and WOFNAR.
The questions answered on this episode were: 1. What is the stance of the leadership at Living Water on Cessationism? 2. How do they (the leadership of Living Water) approach the heretical movements of the "Prosperity Gospel"/ Word of Faith / New Apostolic Reformation?
Should children partake in the Lord's Supper prior to being baptized? There's a clear biblical mandate for believers to be baptized, and communion is exclusively for believers. What's the biblical order of operations here? Thanks!
Why does the church gather on Sundays? What is the primary purpose of the Sunday morning gathering? Dave and Ben address these questions in this episode.
Link to Episode 237 of TBTC podcast https://subspla.sh/6y43m9f
Why is expositional preaching important? Can a topical sermon be expositional? Why is preaching at the center of the worship gathering at Living Water Church? Ben and Dave answer all these questions today on the podcast.
Today, Dave and Ben discuss the Leadership Pipeline that has just begun at Living Water.
Dave and Ben discuss our return to the book of Acts and why a balanced diet of preaching through the Old Testament and the New Testament is healthy for the church.
In the final episode of 2019, David and Ben discuss Spiritual Disciplines and why they are important for the Christian.
Question answered 1. Does 1 Timothy 2:12 apply to church positions only, or does it extend further? I ask because one of our advent books for family devotion is written by a woman. I don't want to be legalistic, but only seek understanding of the passage.
In this episode, Ben, Dave, and Josh discuss Advent, and some opportunities Living Water has taken on to serve those in need.
Questions answered 1. Will Living Water Church ever get a church bus/van? What about a fleet of vans? 2. Will Living Water Church ever livestream their worship gatherings?
Question answered What do you do when a brother or sister in Christ continues to sin?
LISTEN ON THE APP: https://subsplash.com/livingwaternw/app
Dave Leandre is back from Togo! This week we discuss a phrase David mentioned in last week's episode, which was "building the kingdom." Do you ever wonder what this means? Listen in as Dave and David bring some clarity to this phrase.
LISTEN ON THE APP: https://subsplash.com/livingwaternw/app
Question answered 1. What is the distinction between being called to full-time, vocational ministry and serving in church ministry as a volunteer?
Dave, David, and Ben talk through the Christmas outreach, SafePark, and Dave's trip to Togo.
Questions answered 1. Why was Lot’s wife turned into salt? Why salt versus other options? Why not sand, mud, or chocolate? Salt is supposed to be a preservative and we as believers are called the salt of the earth. 2. How should Christians act on social media and in-person when the topic of politics comes up?
Below are the questions and topics discussed.
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I am looking forward to the singing evening coming up. I was wondering if Living Water often gathers/collaborates with other churches in the area for such events and community outreach? I've been thinking lately about ways I as an individual and we as a church can help show unity in Christ to the community, even if we don't believe the exact things as another church.
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How do we get connected to serving at LWC?
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Kanye West and Benny Hinn
David, Ben, and Josh cover two questions submitted over the past couple of weeks.
Questions answered: 1. What commitment does Living Water Church have to corporate prayer?
- How does Living Water Church help someone struggling with habitual sin?
We cover two questions this week. See what they are below.
Questions answered: 1. Why did we paint our church's Mission and Vision Statements on the walls of the church? 2. In regards to Sunday's sermon discussing man's worth because of being created in God's image and likeness, can we dig deeper into understanding that? In the Bible, I see talk of "worthless men" in 1 Samuel 2:12, Job 11:11, Proverbs 6:12, and Romans 3:12. Can you elaborate to help with confusion and how we should understand worth? Do we really have worth apart from Christ? What makes someone have worth, worthlessness, or simply have inherent worth (which is what I understand from Sunday's sermon).
Questions answered: 1. What would you say to someone heavily struggling with believing in the Trinity? 2. Why do we do Communion the way we do? 3. Why do we weekly recite the Apostles' Creed?
This week the guys are back on schedule and are unpacking the new Vision Statement along with unpacking the term "seeker-friendly."
Question answered. 1. Is it wrong to have a "seeker-friendly" approach to church?
A lot has happened in the past couple of weeks! The guys sit down and hash out the new Mission statement and order of service.
David and Josh talk through a particular question relating to our T.U.L.I.P. series. To skip the banter, fast forward to 6:30.
Question answered 1. Hello, You were talking about Romans 7 in your podcast about the Perseverance of the Saints, and also how all believers are saved no matter what because God has us. This can be very comforting as a conscientious person always worried about pleasing God. However, there are many verses warning believers that we will be judged on account of our works, such as 2 Corinthians 5:10. Also, where James says if we correct a brother who is erring we will save their soul from death, and also in Revelation regarding removal of the lampstand, not to mention the parables of Jesus such as the one regarding the salt losing its saltiness, the wedding garment, and his teaching of where he will cast many who call him Lord, Lord out because they do not do what he says.
Questions Covered Today
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How do you address/caution a believer who is listening to false teaching? How do you address an unbeliever who's "seeking truth" but listening to false teaching?
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Coming from a place of believing in predestination, does God love everyone?
Questions Covered Today
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How do we distinguish between fruits of the Spirit (Holy Spirit) vs. spiritual gifts?
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How do you get baptized through the Holy Spirit? How do you know when you experience it?
How should we view biblical purity for the unmarried and what has it looked like over the decades in the evangelical church? What does it look like now? What is the gospel approach to this?
The article talked about on the podcast today is linked below.
https://www.npr.org/2019/07/21/743926857/evangelical-writer-who-influenced-purity-culture-announces-separation-from-wife?fbclid=IwAR1RZw8gXoSzypdyeeaRYiAXiWa47LQ_h3AzxPSEg50NP7K5qVC02vtO5rI
Does the church play a role in politics? How do we think rightly about topics such as this? Why are lyrics interchangeable within some of the hymns we sing on a Sunday? Tune in!
Today the guys discuss why we rotate preaching through books of the Bible before finishing them and training up leaders. Press play to listen!
This week, as promised, the guys talk through Irresistible Grace and read a question on their position on the second commandment.
In this episode, the guys introduce a mystery guest, continue through T.U.L.I.P., discussing Limited Atonement, and answer a question about how often we take Communion. Tune in and join the conversation!
Books mentioned in Podcast
The Doctrines of Grace: Rediscovering the Evangelical Gospel by James Montgomery Boice and Philip Graham Ryken
The Reformed Faith by Loraine Boettner
David's back! Hazah! On this episode, the guys remind you of the Potluck and Members Meeting this Sunday, May 19th. Then they cover the first letter in T.U.L.I.P: Total Depravity.
To sign up to bring something to the church potluck, copy and paste this link into your web browser: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050f4fa9a82ba1f85-taco
In this episode, Dave and Ben begin the discussion of a six week series on Calvinism. This week, the guys talk through what a cage-stage Calvinist is.
In this episode, Dave and Ben sit down and answer a few questions that have sat in the mailbag for a couple of weeks.
On this episode, the guys talk through highlights of TGC and the thinking behind going into the book of 1 John.
On this episode, the guys talk through the intentions of the ropes on the chairs and the significance of Good Friday.
Are you curious about where we are in the hiring process? Tune in and find out how close we are to hiring a Youth Director.
Pastor Dave has been at Living Water Church for about 9 months now! It's time we sat down to check in and ask how he and his family are adjusting to the Pacific Northwest.
Why is it helpful for pastors and ministers to go to a conference? What is TGC and why are the guys going there April 1-3? What is a prelude? Is it useful? Tune in and find out!
It's been a long wait but Dave, David, and Ben have returned. Our conversation today surrounds the topic of our Church Health Process.
The books mentioned on the podcast are listed below and can be purchased on Amazon.com
- Holiness by J.C. Ryle
- Humble Calvinism by J.A. Medders
- Community by Brad House
- The Gospel-Driven Church by Jared Wilson
This week the guys sit down and talk through the importance of creativity in the local church. They also talk about a particular element added for this Advent season.
Show Notes: If you're curious about what Humble Beast is, go to humblebeast.com.
Why does Pastor Dave say that he is not the CEO of the church? Is the word gospel-centered a buzzword or does it have a purpose in the church's mission? Dave, David, and Ben sit down with a bag of left-over Halloween candy in this episode to talk it out.
Question answered:
We used to have a time after service that we could meet with someone in the small room by the stage if we needed prayer. Why was this discontinued? Sunday service can bring a lot of intense emotions to the surface when you are struggling with an issue. It can be really helpful to talk with someone on Sunday instead of waiting until you can arrange a time to meet with a pastor during the week.
This week, David sits in the host's seat and asks Ben and Dave why we sing as a church.
Community Groups are the backbone of our church – the primary place where you will be guided closer in your walk with Jesus Christ. Made up of men and women from all walks of life, CGs gather throughout the week to know and love one another, study along with the Living Water sermon series, and pray for one another (Acts 2:42). Community Groups are much more than a weekly event; it’s a group of people to do life with, powered by the grace of God.
Why are Solomon's writings, specifically Song of Solomon, celebrated as an ideal of sexual/romantic love when he was with so many women? Doesn't this seem upside down? Aren't there consequences for Solomon's sin? Click play to hear the discussion.
Resources mentioned in the Podcast ESV Study Bible https://www.crossway.org/bibles/esv-study-bible-case/
This week, Dave, David, Chad and Ben discuss why we practice covenant membership at LWC.
On this episode, the guys discuss the news of Chad's departure to Albuquerque, New Mexico in light of a lead pastor position.
This week, Dave, David, and Ben sit down with a special guest. Together they answer questions about the church on mission, worldliness, and what in the world is the table-logo for on our sermon series graphic.
On this week's episode, Dave, David, Chad, and Ben sit down and talk through the reasons of a topical series and complementarianism in the home, workplace, and church.
In the inaugural episode, Dave, David, Chad, and Ben sit down to discuss the purpose for the creation of The Big Why podcast and how it will benefit and equip Living Water to live on mission with Jesus.