The Practice of Theology: Recent Episodes
Tyler Kirkpatrick
The Practice of Theology exists to help the local church engage theology on a deeper level and learn how it applies to daily life.
In this episode, Tyler discusses the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints, which teaches that God's grace saves us and keeps us until Christ's return, and for all eternity.
In this episode Tyler looks at what the Bible says about the extent of Jesus' atoning death—for whom Christ died.
In this episode Tyler looks at what the Bible says about the means by which God redeems his people.
In this episode Tyler looks at what the Bible says about the all-encompassing nature of sin after the Fall of Genesis 3.
In this episode, Tyler talks with Joel Beeke about the Puritans and the influence that the Protestant Reformation had on this movement. Listen in as Dr. Beeke helps us to understand who the Puritans were, what they believed, and how it affected every area of their lives.
In this episode, Tyler talks with Peter Lillback about one of the most famed and controversial of all the Reformers, John Calvin. Known for his high view of God’s sovereignty in salvation, many know Calvin through what is called Calvinism—which is why he’s seen as a controversial figure by some. But if you love a big God theology, then you really must get to know Calvin.
In this episode, Tyler talks with Christopher Catherwood about the man who is considered by many as the father of the reformed movement, Ulrich Zwingli. Listen as Dr. Catherwood introduces us to the revolutionary life of Zwingli.
In this episode, Tyler talks with Herman Selderhuis about the father of the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther. Listen as Dr. Selderhuis helps us learn more about the crucial role that Luther played in sparking the Reformation.
In this episode, Tyler talks with Steven Lawson about one of the leading figures of the Protestant Reformation, William Tyndale. Listen as Dr. Lawson helps us learn more about Tyndale's life and theology, and why he's such an important part of the Reformation.
In this episode, Tyler talks with Timothy George about the Reformation. This episode serves as a general introduction to our season on the Protestant Reformation by discussing what the Reformation is and why it's worth our time and effort to study it.
In this episode, Tyler talks with Stephen Nichols about the topic of church history. This episode serves as a general introduction to our season on the Protestant Reformation by discussing what church history is and why it's worth our time and effort to study it.
Season 1 on The Protestant Reformation is coming August 1!
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Were you wondering where Monday's episode is? There isn't one! Listen to this exciting update about the podcast's new format moving forward.
In this episode, Tyler talks with Garrett Kell about his recent book, "Pure in Heart." Today’s topic is an important one. It’s also one that, at times, has be ignored by the the church to the church's detriment. No doubt, it can be an uncomfortable subject. But pornography is a real enemy that has a real foothold in our churches. It destroys men, women, boys, girls, relationships, and marriages. And so, our hope is that this conversation will lift your eyes to Christ, whether you are trying to help someone through this struggle or struggling yourself.
In this episode, Tyler talks with Jim Newheiser about money, debt, and finances. Many books, programs, and financial gurus will tell you what to do with your money, but God’s Word is the ultimate source of financial wisdom. First and foremost, it gives us our goal as Christians—not to be debt-free or to get rich but to glorify God in all things. Listen in as Jim helps us to understand how all other financial principles in Scripture flow out of this high calling.
In this episode, Tyler talks with Jonty Rhodes about his recent book, “Man of Sorrows, King of Glory.”
In this special episode, Tyler talks with Ken Magnuson about what the biblical, moral, and ethical implications of abortion. We know what the Bible says about abortion, but have we thought through how the Bible answers some of the tough questions we might be asked? Listen as Ken helps us think through how the Bible answers some of those questions.
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In this special episode, Tyler talks with Ken Magnuson about what the Bible says about the topic of abortion. With the sanctity of life Sunday right around the corner, it's important that we take time to remind ourselves what the Bible says about abortion.
In this episode, Tyler talks with Raphael, Springer, and Jared about what makes a healthy gospel partnership between two churches in different parts of the world and a bit about how the pandemic affected King Jesus Church and our ability to be with them in person. This is part 2/2 of our conversation we recorded in Busega, Uganda.
In this episode, Tyler talks with Raphael, Springer, and Jared about what makes a healthy gospel partnership between two churches in different parts of the world and a bit about how the pandemic affected King Jesus Church and our ability to be with them in person. This is part 1/2 of our conversation we recorded in Busega, Uganda.
In this episode, Tyler talks with Marvin Olasky about his recent book, "Lament for a Father."Marvin played catch with his father, Eli, only once—it didn’t end well. Eli never laughed, rarely spoke with his son, and was periodically lambasted by his wife for his lack of ambition. How had a Harvard graduate failed to achieve all that he had once hoped for? Now an experienced investigative journalist, Marvin uncovers the true story of his father’s past in his most personal work to date—facing Eli’s pain and his own in order to understand and forgive.
In this episode, Tyler talks with Stephanie Hubach about parenting and disabilities. Every few years, churches jump into the latest evangelistic fad. Although parenting a child with exceptionalities can be an isolating experience, nothing can separate God’s children from his loving presence. In thirty-one daily readings spanning cosmic realities and the nitty-gritty of daily life, Stephanie Hubach, a researcher in disability ministry and the mother of a son with Down syndrome, explores the many blessings that come to you and your child through the promise of Immanuel, “God with us.”
In this episode, Tyler talks with Mack Stiles about the topic of evangelism.Every few years, churches jump into the latest evangelistic fad. Leaders administrate the new program, and members go on a raid. But picture a church where evangelism is simply part of the culture. Listen in as Mack shares some wisdom and encouragement to help us share faith consistently and openly.
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In this episode, Tyler talks with Deepak Reju about fighting pornography addiction. Do you know someone who is struggling with this particular sin? Unfortunately, it’s likely that you do—but you may not know how to help. Listen in as Deepak gives biblical strategies for guiding a fellow believer toward recovery, including how to listen well, develop a plan, encourage good accountability, and, by God’s grace, keep your friend focused on Christ throughout their journey.
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In this episode, Tyler talks with Melissa Kruger about mentoring. Women in all seasons of life can feel alone, longing for encouragement, guidance, and wisdom from someone who has been there before. They would value the wealth of knowledge and wisdom from older women’s experiences, but often these women don’t feel equipped to offer help. Listen in as Melissa discusses how women can intentionally invest into one another's lives and how they can become equipped to do so.
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In this episode, Tyler talks with Vern Poythress about his book, Redeeming Science. Listen in as Dr. Poythress discusses different interpretive methods of Genesis 1-2, origin stories and theories, and why all science inevitably relies on a divine Creator.
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In this episode, Tyler talks with Ellen Dykas about toxic relationships and finding refuge in Christ. Does your happiness depend on someone else's affection and presence in your life? Are your thoughts consumed by another person? Listen as Ellen helps us to strengthen our relationship with Christ—embracing him as our true refuge—and to cultivate godly relationships with others from a place of confidence and peace.
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In this episode, Tyler talks with Matt Merker about corporate worship. For many, worship is seen as a special moment between 'me and God,' and while it isn’t wrong, it’s not the whole story. In the Bible, God not only calls us as individuals to worship him but to gather together to worship him.
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In this episode, Tyler talks with Rob and Carrie Strickland about church planting and community development. Listen as Rob and Carrie talk about the church's crucial role in bringing true and lasting development to communities.
In this episode, Tyler talks with Rob and Carrie Strickland about church planting and community development. Listen as Rob and Carrie share the story of planting Highland Community Church and starting the work of Truth Spring in Columbus, GA. It's a story about hard beginnings, trust in the Lord, and a deep desire to see the gospel transform a community.
In this episode, Tyler talks with Keri Folmar about how women can thrive in the local church. Listen as Keri encourages women with helpful ideas on how to experience the fullness of God’s grace as they seek out biblical community with other believers.
In this episode, Tyler talks with Dan Doriani about what the Bible says regarding the work we do and the purpose God intends for it.
In this episode, Tyler talks with Raphael Kajjubi about global ministry partnerships and how they best serve the cause of the gospel.
In this episode, Tyler talks with Elizabeth Garn about her new book, Freedom to Flourish. So many Christian women are exhausted because they've come to believe that God's purpose for them is rooted in what they do, which means they're constantly striving to have somehow done enough. Elizabeth helps us to see that God has a gracious plan for women to flourish.
In this episode, Tyler talks with Springer Cain about what it looks like to care for missions partners. Raising up missionaries has always been an important task for the church, but equipping and sending them is just the beginning. Many missionaries feel “out of sight, out of mind,” which is why a conversation like this is so important.
In this episode, Tyler talks with Jonathan Leeman about the topic of church discipline. Church discipline is not a topic that sits at the top of anyone’s favorites list. That’s because the very nature of church discipline is sobering. No one wants to be under church discipline, but neither does anyone want to have to conduct it. And yet, Jonathan helps us see why practicing church discipline is a loving act that makes our churches healthier.
In this episode, Tyler talks with Hershael and Tanya York about the topic of marriage. Listen as The Yorks share their experience and wisdom about what it takes to cultivate a healthy, Christ-honoring marriage.
In this episode, Tyler talks with Juan Sanchez about the topic of cultivating leaders in the local church.
In this special episode, Tyler talks with Mack Stiles about the current events in Afghanistan and how Christians can pray.
In this episode, Tyler talks with Michael Lawrence about the topic of conversion. Essential to the Christian faith is understanding how someone is saved. Understanding properly what the Bible has to say about conversion provides us with hope and confidence even in the bleakest of times.
In this episode, Tyler talks with Robert about connecting to the local church as a college student. For many, the years away at college can be spiritually barren, but it doesn’t have to be this way. Listen in as we talk about practical ways to quickly and intentionally get connected to a local church.
In this episode, Tyler talks with Rosaria Butterfield about the topic of biblical hospitality. What did God use to draw a radical, committed unbeliever to himself? Did God take her to an evangelistic rally? Or, since she had her doctorate in literature, did he use something in print? No, God used an invitation to dinner in a modest home, from a humble couple who lived out the gospel daily, simply, and authentically. Listen as Rosaria helps us to understand the biblical importance of hospitality.
In this episode, Tyler talks with Herbie Newell about the topic of adoption. For almost twenty years, Herbie has been an advocate for vulnerable children around the world, leading organizations to serve the fatherless with the gospel of Jesus Christ both in word and deed. Listen as Herbie unpacks the legal, theological, and practical implications of adoption in the U.S. and abroad.
In this episode, Tyler continues his conversation with Jonathan Pennington on the Sermon on the Mount. Dr. Pennington helps us to understand the theological significance of a few of the major parts of the sermon, like the Lord's Prayer, and how exactly they apply to our lives today.
In this episode, Tyler talks with Jonathan Pennington about the Sermon on the Mount. In this most famous of sermons, Jesus lays out for his followers what it means and looks like to be one of his disciples. It's a call to pursue Christlikeness above all else and to live counter to the world around us.
In this episode, Tyler talks with Denny Burk about what the Bible says about the topic of manhood and womanhood.
In this episode, Tyler talks with Dr. Ayman Ibrahim about understanding Islam. While Christianity remains the largest religious group in the world, Islam is a close second, and recent research shows that Islam is growing rapidly and will likely surpass Christianity by the year 2060. Because of this Christians need to take care to understand Islam. If we are to effectively engage the Muslims around us with the gospel we must understand what they believe.
In this episode, Tyler talks with Matt Smethurst about the office of deacon. Most every church has deacons, but what do they really do? In some churches the deacons are the defacto leaders while in other churches they serve the congregation and pastors behind the scenes. One thing we know for sure is that the Bible is clear that the church ought to have deacons, but it's of the utmost importance to know why and for what purpose. With biblical clarity and pastoral warmth, Matt helps us to think through these questions and more.
In this episode, Tyler talks with Robert Ward about connecting to the local church. One of the questions we must ask is whether or not attending church is enough—the weekly waking up, getting out the door, and listening to the sermon. Of course, this is a part of what Christians are called to do, but it isn't the whole of it. Listen in as Robert and Tyler take a look at what the Bible says about the how and why of connecting to the local church.
In this episode, Tyler talks with Dr. Gregg Allison about the topic of systematic theology and how it applies to all of life. Theology is often thought to be for “intellectual” Christians, but in this discussion Dr. Allison helps us to understand how we can do systematic theology in a way that grows us in our understanding of God, but also, in our affections too.
In this episode, Tyler talks with Bruce Ware about the God of the Bible. The Bible makes it very clear that the Holy Scriptures are God's breathed word to his creation. This means we can only understand who God is and how he acts based on what we he has communicated to us in his Word. But what does God say about himself? Is he one God, three Gods, are other religions' gods actually just the God of the Bible? There are a number of good and important questions that must be answered to ensure that we worship God rightly. In addressing these questions and others, Dr. Ware helps us to more faithfully understand what God revealed about himself and why he alone is worthy of all praise.
In this episode, Tyler talks with Albert Mohler about the topic of Christian worldview. Each of us has a lens through which we make sense of what we see in the world, a view that ultimately informs the way we think and believe and behave. This is true of every human being living today. The difference is not whether someone has a worldview or not, but rather, what informs their worldview. For Christians, the Bible calls us to cultivate our view of the world on the basis of the absolute truths of Scripture, God's revealed Word to his people. For most of his life, Albert Mohler has dedicated himself to the task of helping Christians analyze the world around them through the lens of Scripture. In this conversation, Dr. Mohler seeks to helps Christians to better understand and apply the Christian worldview.
In this episode, Tyler talks with Greg Gilbert about the question, "What Is the Gospel?" Of all of the truths of Scripture, none is more vital to the Christian faith than that of the gospel. Quite literally, the gospel is the good news, and it’s good because it’s the message of salvation to sinners. So, it’s supremely important to have a clear, biblical understanding of this life-giving message. To misunderstand the gospel is to misunderstand God’s entire plan of redemption—his means of bringing forth life from death. In this conversation, Greg helps us think through what the gospel is, and just an important, what it is not.
In this episode, Tyler talks with Dr. Andy Naselli about Christians and politics. Politics is one of those arenas that presents ample opportunity for hostility, dissension, hatred, and disunity—and the last decade or so has revealed to the world that American politics is more divisive than ever. In a contentious political climate such as this what are Christians to think and do? How are we to think through political issues biblically? Dr. Naselli helps us to think through these things and more, and most importantly, encourages us in how to love those who have different politics than we do.
In this episode, Tyler talks with Dr. Sam Emadi about church membership. A casual conversation about church membership can go in a lot of directions. For some, it's a quick and easy one, for others a lengthy and emotional one, and for others, it may seem like a pointless one about an outdated practice. But what does the Bible say about church membership? In this conversation, we discuss how the Bible is quite clear on church membership and how the New Testament in particular sets church membership as the standard of the church.
In this episode, Tyler talks with Dr. Danny Akin, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, about the preached Word. The tradition of the Christian church has always centered around the preaching of God's Word. But why? Why is it that Christians all around the world gather, some at the risk of losing their life, to hear a man preach from a book? Is this really what we're called to do? Dr. Akin answers these questions and more as he helps us to better understand why God has chosen preaching as his main means of revealing himself to the world and why it's a vital and irreplaceable part of the Christian life.
In this episode, Tyler talks with Dr. Donald Whitney about the spiritual disciples of the Christian life. This conversation explores what spiritual disciplines are, how to engage in them, and the reasons for doing so. Christians agree that reading the Bible and praying are good and vital disciplines for the Christian life, but what about other things like meditating and fasting? Are they for the uber-spiritual? Dr. Whitney has dedicated his life to helping believers strengthen their relationship with God through the practice of these disciplines, and his guidance here is will encourage you and spur you on as you seek to grow in the commitment of your faith.
In this episode, Tyler talks with Dr. Steve Wellum about seeing Christ in all of Scripture. Many of us know that the Bible is a book about Jesus, but how exactly do the Prophets, the Old Testament Law, Creation, and King David help us to understand the person and work of Jesus with greater clarity? Isn't everything we need to know about Jesus found in the Gospels? Dr. Wellum helps us to see how the Bible tells a progressively revealed story of the God-man Jesus Christ and the work he came to do. This episode is sure to cause your heart to worship!
In this episode, Tyler talks with Dr. Andreas Köstenberger about the topic of family, which is an important and urgent discussion since we are facing one of the greatest attacks on the traditionally held, biblical view of family and marriage in all of history. And if our understanding of the family is not firmly founded upon God's Word then we assume the danger of being swept away by the consuming tides of our culture. This conversation is a helpful and encouraging plea to embrace and fight for God's design and intent for the family, and covers a wide range of topics from a biblical definition of family to what appears to be a common pattern of polygamy in Scripture. With great scholarly depth and broad practical application, Dr. Köstenberger helps us to see why we believe what we believe, and why it's worth fighting for.
In this episode, Tyler talks with Dr. Tom Schreiner about the topic of spiritual gifts and how they relate to the church today. With such a wide array of views and practices regarding the spiritual gifts it may seem difficult to discern what's actually right and true—or whether or not it even matters in the first place. Informed by his years of New Testament scholarship and pastoral ministry, Tom helps us look at what the Bible has to say about the spiritual gifts, how we are to discern the manner in which they are to be practiced, and some of the dangers and shortcomings of a few of the widely held views of our modern day.
In this episode, Tyler talks with Dr. Jim Hamilton about the topic of biblical theology and why theology is vital to our right understanding of the story of the Bible. The word theology simply means “the study of God.” But to many, it really may not seem so simple. Between theological debates, theological shallowness, and theological abuse—many may be left wondering whether diving into theology is worth it at all. But theology is not just the study of God for greater knowledge and better arguments, it’s also the study of God for the purpose of growing in godliness. Jim helps us to see how we can use biblical theology to better understand God's unfolding story of redemption from Genesis to Revelation.
In this episode, Tyler talks with Hunter Beless about the Christian and social media. Most of us are aware of the "side effects" of our virtual lives, but to what extent? As Christians, we are in just as much danger as anyone else when it comes to social media, and yet, we are called to "look carefully how we walk, not as unwise but as wise,making the best use of the time, because the days are evil." But how do we do this? How do we "redeem the time" that we have, and so often, spend online? Listen in as Hunter helps us to think wisely and biblically about the way we view and interact with social media.
In this episode, Tyler had the opportunity to sit down with his friend and pastor, Brad Evangelista. For the past three years they’ve served as pastors together at CrossPointe Church. Since that time there’s been a pretty typical pattern of local church ministry, until March of 2020. It's likely the circumstances of 2020 have been some of the most consistently difficult and widespread that many of us have faced. And yet, Brad reminds us that God's goodness and faithfulness can be clearly seen and trusted, even—especially—in such a time as this. Join us as we talk about church planting, matters of doctrine and theology, ministry and shepherding during a pandemic, some potential negative effects of "virtual church" and pastoral encouragement to counteract them, and a bit about youth ministry.
In this episode, Tyler talks with Dr. Andrew T. Walker about the topic of religious liberty, and specifically, whether it is a right divested by governmental powers or by God. This is a particularly helpful conversation in light of all of the political turmoil over the past several years in the United States, and around the world. This isn't a conversation about left and right, Democrat or Republican—it's about something much greater than that—what are our God-given rights, and what constitutes an infringement upon those rights? Dr. Walker helps us to think through these questions and more with a biblically rich and pastoral tone.
In this episode, Tyler talks with Sam Allberry about what the Bible has to say about human sexuality, same-sex attraction, and homosexual sin. This conversation is a kind, thoughtful, and biblically rich look at an area in which the Christian church has historically fallen short. Sam helps us to see more clearly the Bible's teaching on human sexuality while guiding us to better love, encourage, and engage those struggling with sam-sex attraction.
The Practice of Theology exists to help the local church engage theology on a deeper level and learn how it applies to daily life. We’re thankful you’re here to join us, and we pray this podcast will be a help to you as you seek to grow in your faith for the glory of God.