Equipoise: Recent Episodes
Michael
Balance is an unwelcome guest in our increasingly polarized society. The Equipoise podcast seeks to bring stability and level-headed thinking to the conversations we have every day, usually with a dash of humor. Symmetry and equilibrium is sorely needed in our beliefs and behaviors, and that’s why the Equipoise podcast exists: to bring some balance to the table.
Today, we talk about deputation -- are there areas where we could improve and find some balance? I think so. Have a listen.
In this follow-up to last week's episode, I try to bring some balance to our approach to people with depression, whether you're the one suffering or you're the one in a place to help them.
This episode is the first of two episodes in which I talk about depression. This week, I address three questions as a preface to next week's fully-orbed discussion on how to address depression from a balanced perspective.
It's important to be settled on matters of theological importance, but where do we draw the line? In other words, how settled should we be on things that aren't explicitly stated in Scripture? Have a listen!
In this sort-of sequel to "Hyles in Charge," an episode from two years ago, I've recorded a few other observations about some of the negative ramifications of an imbalanced view of the pastorate. Have a listen!
Last week, the United Methodist Church voted to redefine marriage and move forward in an LGBTQIA+ affirming direction. Why? Was it random or is there something more?
Say, what's the deal with people saying "amen" during the preaching? Is this Biblical? Is it good? Bad? Otherwise? Have a listen!
Ever been in a situation where you learned that someone didn't know you were a Christian until a little while into your friendship? Is this a bad thing? Depends. Maybe yes. Maybe no. There's a balance.
What's the deal with altar calls? Are they Biblical? Are they good? bad? As always, I think there's a balance. Have a listen!
It's been long held (and rightly so) that truth, goodness, and beauty are a trinity of sorts, each one inexorably connected to the other. However, I feel that beauty has been neglected in favor of the other two for too long. Balance is needed.
When to speak up? When to remain silent? What to say when we do speak up, and how to say it? When? Where? I hope you'll have a listen to some heartfelt (and hard-learned!) proverbial guidelines when it comes to speaking with wisdom.
This episode is a bit...different. I wasn't going to record one today due to the hectic business of life lately, but I decided to read a poem to you all instead. And yes, I'm aware the account in the poem is quite possibly fictitious, but it's beautiful nonetheless.
...and I loved it! This episode is about a balanced approach to physical fitness. I hope it is a blessing.
And yes, that is pickleball equipment superimposed on my logo for this episode. :)
In this episode, I talk about what I'm doing, what I'm not doing, and the potentiality of sunsetting the podcast.
Why is it that if you ask ten Christians what any given passage of Scripture means, you'll sometimes get ten different explanations? I think it's partly because not all of us are reading our Bibles with responsibility.
Or see. Or hear. There's much more we need to do before simply adopting something as correct and true.
Sources:
https://isbndb.com/blog/how-many-books-are-in-the-world/
https://wordsrated.com/number-of-books-published-per-year-2021/
This episode deals with a balanced approach to the beliefs and behaviors of the previous generation that are seen as outlandish (or even unbiblical) today. How do we respond?
*Note: I did not know about the 1965 Big John Patton album "Let Em Roll" when I titled this. I'm not re-titling this episode, though. Way too much work. Just gonna go with it.
If you're on the "horns of dilemma" or are wrestling with some aspect of your faith (or your faith entirely!), please know that this isn't necessarily a bad thing. On the contrary, it could be the best thing you've ever done. Have a listen!
What are "spiritual trump cards?" Have a listen!
Here's the link I promised. It's pretty good stuff: https://g3min.org/stop-saying-god-told-me/
What does the Bible say about hearing from God? Have listen!
As promised, here's the link to the article I referenced in the podcast. You'll note that he and I don't see quite eye-to-eye on this topic, but the author is a valuable resource and it'd be a shame to miss what he has to say here. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/how-do-we-hear-god/
What does it mean to "hear the voice of God?" Is this a legit thing? What's the balance? This miniseries will explore this topic over the next three weeks.
As a follow-up to my swearing episode, I thought I'd see if we can tackle this question from a balanced perspective.
What is "swearing" and "cursing," anyways? And -- given how we use those terms today -- who wrote the list of which words are "bad" and why? And can Christians swear? Why or why not? Listen in for some balanced takes on the topic.
Last Wednesday, something happened that should never have happened. Please join me as I discuss a balanced way to navigate how we feel and how we respond to those feelings.
Full article here: https://mernestbritt.com/?p=680
How should we respond to what we're seeing happen in the Middle East? Should we hate Israel's enemies? Isn't that what the imprecatory Psalms are all about? But didn't Jesus say to bless our enemies? How do we reconcile the two? Have a listen for a balanced approach.
This podcast is an excerpt from mernestbritt.com. Give it a listen and check out the blog!
What is information control? How is it done? Is it ever okay? What's the alternative? Have a listen!
Today, we cover the second half of the refrain that we began dissecting last week. Have a listen!
You know the song: read your Bible, pray every day, and you'll grow, grow, grow. The inverse is offered as well, with the promise of shrinking! But is this children's song true? Or should it be discarded? Or...is there a balance?
Well, it's here -- the 100th episode, for better or for worse. This is simply a recapping episode. Thanks for enduring me these last two years or so. Here's to many more.
In this episode, I shine a light on the need for specifics rather than sweeping generalizations or excoriations.
Earlobe piercings aren't really disputed in most Christian circles, at least on women. But what about the other kinds of piercings? And what about men? Does the Bible say anything about this? How does culture play into this issue? Have a listen!
It's Pride Month in the U.S., so what does this mean for Christians? How should we respond?
In this episode, I follow up on my prior episode with a discussion of the word "Independent" as it relates to ecclesiological nomenclature.
In this episode, I take a look at the word "fundamental" and "fundamentalist" and see where it comes from, what it means today, and how we can exercise caution around this term.
We've talked about what the Disability Dilemma is, and we've tackled the objection of malingerers, but...what now? Have a listen.
Is everyone on disability simply because they're lazy or fraudsters? Well, that sort of thing does happen, but maybe not as much as you think. Have a listen!
This is the first in three episodes defining and addressing the "Disability Dilemma" in the United States.
Sorry about the audio quality on this one. Apparently Darth Vader was chilling out behind me in my temporary studio. When I get back to my normal studio space, I'm sure this will be remediated.
In this episode, I try to bring some corrective balance toward the notion of Baptist successionism, or, as popularized by one pastor in his series of lectures-turned-booklet, "The Trail of Blood."
To read the booklet in its entirety, follow this link: https://pastortim.com/the-trail-of-blood/
To read a proper criticism of this booklet, follow this link: http://www.covenantlegacy.com/mopping-up-the-trail-of-blood-part-1/
This is an episode in which I discuss Christians' various responses to culture, and then move to illustrate culture in a way that helps us see it as something not to be defeated, but transformed by the Gospel.
In this episode, I talk about heuristics, which are basically pathways in the brain that think for us. Think of it as "thinking on autopilot." These can be good or bad, depending on how they're trained and restrained. I hope this helps you today!
In this short update, I provide a bit of a road map as to where we're going this season, and I also confess the need for a couple of course-corrections.
How can we listen to those who've gone before us who either didn't "have it all together" or -- worse -- who advocated for outright sins? How should we respond? I hope this episode helps you.
We are living in what one man has called a "Strange New World." Others perhaps see it as an "Animal Farm." What's going on and how do we respond? I hope this brief episode is a help to you.
In this episode, I discuss the practice of cancelling church meetings on Christmas Day when Christmas falls on a Sunday.
Here are the links to the TGC articles I mentioned in the podcast, in the order in which I mentioned them:
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https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/church-services-christmas/
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https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevin-deyoung/a-plea-to-pastors-dont-cancel-church-on-christmas/
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https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/cancel-christmas-day-service/
Thanks for listening!
I'll warn you upfront -- I get a bit preachy in this one. I've had a front row seat to some egregious imbalance, and I take issue with it in this episode.
In today's episode, I strive for a balanced view of the practice of tattoos. Is it unbiblical? Even if it's okay, does that mean it's right for you? Have a listen. I hope you'll be blessed and informed.
First things first: Please pardon my voice -- I'm still a bit congested after battling a rough head cold last week.
In this episode, I share three cautions to observe in our pursuit of enacting changes for the sake of balance. I hope it is a blessing to you.
This quick episode outlines the direction of the Equipoise Podcast as we look at the road ahead. In short, we're not going anywhere, and I'm looking forward to producing more engaging content in the future. Thanks for listening!
Growing up, I heard that the meaning of life was to evangelize. Or live a pure life. Or something.
But is it more than that? Less? Can the meaning of life be reduced to a set of objectives or can it be better understood as an ideal presented throughout the whole canon of Scripture?
Hope this is a blessing.
What should we think about getting mixed up with the Mega Millions or relishing a rousing round of roulette? I think we'd all agree it's generally unwise to play games of chance with our money, but is it strictly sin? Is it something we can authoritatively say Christians are not allowed to do? In this episode, I draw attention to the fact that the battery of objections that we apply to gambling are often ignored when it comes to other ways we use our money. Have a listen!
In this episode, I share some of my personal testimony with regards to this issue and trace the history of the KJVO movement from the late 19th century where it was born right up until today. I hope it's a help to you, and I hope this whole miniseries has been a blessing in general.
Here's a link to a helpful interview that touches on much of what I covered in the final two episodes of this miniseries: https://youtu.be/ARbbL2owBzk
***NOTE: I said “centuries” at around 3:10 when speaking of the Roman Catholic Church’s posthumous treatment of Wycliffe’s remains. My notes said “decades,” and I thought I said “decades” but didn’t catch it until after this was published. It’s definitely “four decades,” not “four centuries.” Oof. Anyhow, we're wrapping this miniseries up! In this episode, I recount the rich history of how we got the King James Bible starting with the autographs and working our way right down to the KJV. It's part of a double-header I'm releasing simultaneously. I hope it's a blessing to you!
In this episode, I speak of why, despite the benefits of new translations and any imperfections in the KJV, we should not discard the KJV entirely. On the contrary, we would be wise to incorporate it into our spread of translations.
This is a bit of a transitional episode as we move from a bit more of a sporadic approach to the issue toward the heart of it -- an idolization of certainty. In the closing weeks ahead, we're going to finish this miniseries strong as we strive for a balanced and truthful approach to the King James translation issue.
I know -- I said "...You heard Isaac and I..." in the opening sentence, and I should have said "...You heard Isaac and me..." since the personal pronoun there was the object, not the subject. I would go back and change it, but I just don't have time. :(
Enjoy.
Today Isaac and I wrap up our sessions together by discussing the reasons why some things in the different translations of the Bible are different, and why that's not only "okay," but actually good.
In the podcast episode, I promised a link to some cool stuff. I have no idea what I had in mind at that point in time, so I figure I'll post a link to the Textual Confidence Collective's youtube playlist. It'll do you some good; of this I'm quite certain.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLq1Aq0ucgkPC8DHPKsXWl8zl3iAG64qyV
We continue our conversation with Isaac Thibodeau in this episode, in which we discuss the Critical vs. Majority text positions.
In today's episode, I interview Isaac Thibodeau and learn more about how we got our Bibles -- specifically, our New Testaments. We also touch on canonicity, but mainly stay in the lane of Biblical copying and transmission.
In this episode, I whine that everyone seems to be beating me to the punch on this topic all of the sudden. I think I'll suspend reality and cope by imagining that I'm a trendsetter and it's all because of me.
Actually, in reality, it might be because our sovereign God is doing something -- maybe he's trying to use his saints to help others see some of the imbalance baked into the KJVO position.
Anyhow, here's the links I promised in the episode:
The article by Tim Berg, "Seven Common Misconceptions..." https://textandcanon.org/misconceptions-about-the-king-james-bible/
The patent for the King James translation: https://www.cambridge.org/us/bibles/about/rights-and-permissions/rights-and-permissions-kjv
In this episode, I move to do the following:
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Dismantle the erroneous "KJV was written on a 5th-grade reading level" narrative
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Briefly demonstrate a couple of other reasons why we would benefit from a newer translation of the Bible.
ALSO: Here's the link to Mark Ward's excellent book on the King James Bible -- note: same as I, he doesn't advocate for doing away with the King James Version. This helpful, read-it-in-two-hours-but-meditate-on-it-for-years kind of book will help you arrive at a balanced perspective on this topic, no matter what your position is on this issue.
https://lexhampress.com/product/144705/authorized-the-use-and-misuse-of-the-king-james-bible
Today, I examine the landscape; that is, I take a look at the different views within the KJVO movement and limit my scope to a couple of them.
Today I kick off our miniseries about Bible Translation, or, more specifically, the King James Only Controversy. I hope that this series will be a blessing to you and that you will commit to listening to it all the way to the end. Ten minutes a week for about twelve weeks, if all goes according to plan.
BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE, you have got to check out this link. I didn't spot it until after writing my script, and it's probably a good thing that I didn't, or this would have morphed into a seven-episode series: https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/proabortion-slogans-and-how-to-handle-them-9553
Ok, as promised in the episode, here's some of the cutting-room-floor text as well as some helpful links.
CUTTING ROOM FLOOR:
Another argument states that babies aren’t actually living people with human rights because they’re not “viable.” This one is weak. Babies aren’t even “viable” long after they’re born! Those with severe cerebral palsy or advanced muscular dystrophy aren’t “viable” for their whole lives! On the topic, many state that since the baby isn’t sentient until a certain amount of weeks, it’s morally acceptable to dismember or otherwise terminate the baby’s life until it is sentient and can tell what’s going on and/or feel pain. Barring the notion that people in comas are also not sentient, it nonetheless remains morally unacceptable due to the fact that babies are indeed sentient even as early as 12 weeks and can feel pain as early as 8 weeks.
Many (such as popular pro-abortion activist Katha Pollitt) say that although modern translations of Exodus 21:22–23 confer a financial penalty for an early delivery of a child due to abuse at the hands of an offender (see this link for more on that: https://www.christianity.com/wiki/christian-life/the-bible-say-about-abortion.html), Katha and many, many others like her hold that the earliest Rabbinical traditions state that there was a fine for miscarriage, not pre-term birth, thus indicating that since the death penalty wasn’t carried out for the miscarriage, the unborn child was seen as less than human. Well, that would be all well and good, except for these pesky little things called historical documents.
The famed historian Josephus, writing in the very first century (two thousand years ago), was fully aware that the Torah forbade abortions and stated clearly as much in his writings. Another early source which contradicts this is a first-century document called the Didache, which was a sort of church instruction manual written by Christians who knew their Torah inside and out. In it, it states “thou shalt not murder a child by abortion nor kill them when born.” Furthermore, the Letter of Barnabas, a second-century work, states “You shall not abort a child nor, again, commit infanticide.” Oh, and there’s no word for “fetus” in the Bible because the Greek word “brephos” is used in the Bible to refer to both an unborn child and an infant. There’s no distinction, and such a distinction is actually quite novel.
So tell me again how opposition to abortion is some new idea, Miss Pollitt?
In 2014, the same lady went on record as saying the following: “[Jewish tradition] does not have the concept of the personhood of the fetus (much less the embryo or fertilized egg). In Jewish law, you become a person when you draw your first breath.” So let’s address that one, too.
First, most arguments in this realm enter weird territory pretty quick, going so far as to include Ezekiel’s vision in the valley of dry bones or Adam having received the breath of life as some sort of prescriptive argument for when life begins. It’s wildly outlandish. But for what it’s worth, it’s really popular to make the claim that life doesn’t begin until the first breath. But is this what the Bible teaches? No. Here’s a link for more on this: https://www.str.org/w/does-bible-teach-life-begins-first-breath.
Source on statistics of reasons for abortions: http://www.johnstonsarchive.net/policy/abortion/abreasons.html
Lastly, here's a really, really cool page that very fairly shows arguments for and against abortion: https://abortion.procon.org/
Yes, it's a riff on the show, "Charles in Charge." Yes, I do a song parody at the end.
But yes, I do hope there's helpful content in this episode somewhere. :)
What's the deal with Disney? How should we respond to the recent hubbub about their LGBTQIA+ agenda? Should we even respond at all? What to do? I hope this podcast episode gives us some ideas as we explore a few tactics used to advance any agenda on the big screen (or little screen).
Here's the link to Brett McCracken's article as promised: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/turning-red/
In this episode, I explore the comparison between our dojo and the local church. It may seem far-fetched at first, but the similarities may surprise you.
In today's episode, I take what started as one episode, then turned into two, then three, then four, and then all the way back to just one again. In other words, the longer I studied on the topic, the deeper the rabbit hole got, and I had to make a decision -- turn this into a 5-part series, or just condense and stay on the surface. I decided to go with the latter option.
As stated in the podcast, here's the section from one of the drafts with most of the quotes:
[On the San Diego Foundation’s website, you’ll read that United Nations defines social justice as follows: “Social justice may be broadly understood as the fair and compassionate distribution of the fruits of economic growth.” Ok, so the United Nations is linking it primarily to economics here. Next, to hear the National Association of Social Workers tell it, “Social justice is the view that everyone deserves equal economic, political and social rights and opportunities.” Ok, so these folks go a little deeper and say that it’s not just economics that need to be redistributed — it’s politics and social rights and opportunities. There’s some ambiguity here, but that’s to be expected with a nebulous term like this. Let’s continue and see if we can’t get a little bit more elucidation on this. Another organization, the Center for Economic and Social Justice, states the following: “Social justice is the virtue which guides us in creating those organized human interactions we call institutions. In turn, social institutions, when justly organized, provide us with access to what is good for the person, both individually and in our associations with others.” Ok, so this is the clearest definition so far. Although after that, I admit to wondering what they mean by economic distribution as well as distribution of political and social opportunities. Who’s doing the distributing of the economics and opportunities? And to whom? And from whom are we redistributing? And based on what metrics? So I’m still compelled to ask, “what is social justice?” I eventually found a website called “Investopedia,” which had this to say: “Social justice is a political and philosophical theory asserting that there are dimensions to the concept of justice beyond those embodied in the principles of civil or criminal law, economic supply and demand, or traditional moral frameworks.” Ok, so this means that social justice means we’re not just applying justice in the traditional way, where “justice is blind,” so to speak. Let’s continue with the quote to understand a little bit more: “Social justice tends to focus more on just relations among groups within society as opposed to the justice of individual conduct or justice for individuals.” So this means not only are we taking off justice’s blindfold, but we’re now using group factors to decide on justice rather than individual factors. The quote continues: “Historically and in theory, the idea of social justice is that all people should have equal access to wealth, health, well-being, justice, privileges, and opportunity, regardless of their legal, political, economic, or other circumstances.” Now listen to this last part carefully: “In modern practice, social justice revolves around favoring or punishing different groups of the population, regardless of any given individual's choices or actions, based on value judgments regarding historical events, current conditions, and group relations. In economic terms, this often means redistribution of wealth, income, and economic opportunities from groups whom social justice advocates consider to be oppressors to those whom they consider to be the oppressed.”]
Links to help you:
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/thabiti-anyabwile/reparations-are-biblical/
https://www.heritage.org/poverty-and-inequality/report/social-justice-not-what-you-think-it
In this episode, I talk about what it means to do the work necessary to properly understand and teach the Bible.
I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I enjoyed making it. I did have fun with this one. :)
Used music: "The Little Flying Bears" (C) Zagreb Film and CinéGroupe. Use protected under Fair Use as described in the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976.
With anything this large and looming on the world stage, there appear many people who feel that they know a lot about what's going on, as if they have the inside scoop. Thing is, they often disagree with each other. So who's right? What do we do? Well, at the very least, we ought to check our biases. That's a good place to start.
A recent FB post containing a quote from the late scholar Søren Kierkegaard was used to defend simplicity and consequently vilify learning, criticism, and careful research. But was this quote used in context? Is simplicity equal to saintliness after all? Let's take a look.
Is there virtue to be found in a declaration of simplicity and ignorance? Or is it just a cover to veil a retreat from complexity?
I finish up our brief look at this phrase "the Word of God" and talk about why correctly using this phrase matters.
Today we're beginning a two-parter on the phrase "The Word of God." I hope it's a help to you.
As promised in the episode, here's a list of how the phrase "Word of God" is used in the Old Testament as follows:
It’s found 49 times across 48 verses in the while Protestant Bible, but only four of those times are in the Old Testament. Three out of the four times it’s found in the English Old Testament, it’s a translation of the Hebrew word “דָּבָר (daw-bar)” which it self simply means “matter of thing,” or “act, advice, affair, answer, counsel, decree,” and so on. All three of these times refer not to a written word, but a shown word (in the case of I Samuel 9:7) or a spoken word to a prophet (in the case of I Kings 12:22 and I Chronicles 17:3).
The other time we see in the Hebrew Scriptures, it’s found in the thirtieth chapter of the book of Proverbs, which is Agur’s proverb. It’s the Hebrew word “אִמְרָה (eem-raw)” and means “something said, answer, saying, speech,” and “word.” So it’s pretty clear we’re talking about edicts and declarations, just like in the other three cases — Agur has just chosen to use another word for it.
Now, that's not to mentioned the "Word of the LORD," but it has the exact same meaning, which is simply "A declaration of the mind of God."
I cover the New Testament uses a bit more thoroughly in the episode, so no need for notes on that, methinks.
Here's 15 little tips to help keep us from camping out in one extreme or the other. Hope this helps!
I've gone off the deep end. I've taken a sharp turn left, theologically and politically. I've compromised. I've been brainwashed by all those smart academics and all their degrees. You name it -- I've done it. Have a listen to know what I mean.
Music credit: "Cute Avalanche" by RKVC - No Copyright (Thanks, RKVC!)
Is Christmas pagan? Is Santa Claus really "Satan's Claws?" How do we sort through all the stuff we've heard and read about this? Well, in the interest of balance, I try to disabuse us of the notion that there is a demonic boogeyman hiding under the Christmas Tree. Have a listen. I hope it helps.
For more on this, check out “TOP TEN Christmas Traditions (& their Origin Stories)” by InspiringPhilosophy on Youtube.
Also, check out https://www.macon.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/article222666770.html
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In this second of a brief two-parter on individualism, I try to bring a little balance to the notion of individualism with regards to church life and community and Christ himself. I also provide a warning against running to the opposite extreme of a hard and fast "Extra Ecclesium nulla salus" stance concerning church attendance as it applies to final salvation for wayward sheep.
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This is part one of a two-parter on how individualism has negatively affected Christianity. In case you get the wrong idea -- this podcast episode is not about me discouraging you from reading your Bible. I'm simply trying to get folks to read it with the right lens, from the right perspective.
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This is a short podcast to touch base and let you know that the Equipoise Podcast is preparing to return soon after an unexpected hiatus.
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So -- Halloween is about here. What's a balanced way to view this holiday? Is it pagan? If it was, is it okay to celebrate now? Should Christians categorize this with "works of darkness?" Well, to be fair, I don't go too much into how Christians should respond -- that's on you -- but rather take a look at the history of this holiday to decipher whether or not it always was a "pagan" holiday or if some of the ghoulishness and gore are relatively recent infusions into this holiday.
Here's the links I mentioned in the podcast:
An article mentioning why Christians essentially shouldn't celebrate it, since it is reportedly pagan in origin: https://www.bibleinfo.com/en/questions/it-wrong-celebrate-halloween
An admittedly more scholarly and unbiased article correcting the misinformation proffered in the article above: https://historyforatheists.com/2021/10/is-halloween-pagan/?unapproved=43672&moderation-hash=865f37ac85ef34cef7f178a91341dbaa#comment-43672
Hope this helps clear things up a little bit!
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An open letter to Almost Every Baptist College. It's not written to any college in particular, including my own Alma Mater. It's written to an institution known as AEBC; simple as that. :)
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We made it to the end of this miniseries! Hooray!
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After two weeks, I hereby release a really rough episode that doesn't flow very well but hopefully still makes some degree of sense.
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Sorry -- I wasn't able to get my regularly scheduled podcast out on time this week, so I apparently chose to ramble, bloviate and chat for ten minutes. Sorry about this one. :)
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In today's episode, I talk a bit about the Christian and how to consume alcohol in a way that is glorifying to God. I hope it is a blessing to you.
Here's the link I mentioned in today's episode: https://observer.com/2012/04/bottoms-up-the-ballmer-peak-is-real-study-says/
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In today's episode, I try to build a balanced case for abstaining from alcohol. Despite Christianity's rich, intertwined history with alcohol, many Christians often choose to not drink for some legitimate reasons (while some are not-so-legitimate). Here are some of them.
Here's the link I mentioned in today's episode: https://www.healthline.com/health/addictive-personality-traits#alleged-traits
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In this episode, I trace the history of Christians and their relationship to alcohol. We find that the default position of Christians since the time of Christ (and Jews before Christ) has been well-summarized by Luther as follows:
“If you are tired and downhearted, take a drink; but this does not mean being a pig and doing nothing but gorging and swilling… You should be moderate and sober; this means that we should not be drunken, though we may be exhilarated.” - Luther
There ya go.
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In this episode, I trace the origins of the belief that alcohol consumption is a sin. Did this start in AD 30 or so? Or earlier? Or much later? In short, I conclude that the alcohol-as-a-sin, abstinence-only movement is likely about 150-200 years old in total, making it a relatively novel innovation for such a widespread persuasion in America.
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In this episode, I attempt to begin wading into the waters of the alcohol discussion. It's going to take a while to address this issue, even briefly! So bear with me as we manage a brief introduction this week to the subject. I hope this helps.
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In this episode, I discuss the dangers of allowing entertainment to dictate what we consider to be valuable or good. I hope it helps bring balance to the issue of what I'm calling "The Postman Postulate."
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In today's episode, we touch on the relationship between a pastor and the flock over which he is called. It's a little different than the format I'd like to be in on a regular basis, but it'll have to do for today. :)
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This is my episode on how to dress for church. I could have done a three-parter on this one pretty easily, and maybe I should have, but here's my attempt to find a little balance in the discussion.
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Today we finish our discussion about "modesty" as approached in the Christian West. Keep in mind that a discussion of such a nature might not be super appropriate for your kiddos. I don't get anywhere near "graphic," but hey. Just wanted to throw that caution out there.
Yes, I know I said "unbalanced" instead of "imbalanced" early on, but "unbalanced" still shows up in the dictionary so I'm letting it slide. :)
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Today we continue our discussion about "modesty" as approached in the Christian West. Keep in mind that a discussion of such a nature might not be super appropriate for your kiddos. I don't get anywhere near "graphic," but hey. Just wanted to throw that caution out there.
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Today we begin a brief discussion on the issue of "modesty" as approached in the Christian West. Keep in mind that a discussion of such a nature might not be super appropriate for your kiddos. I don't get anywhere near "graphic," but hey. Just wanted to throw that caution out there.
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In this episode, I try to bring some balance to the notion of the Patriotic Pulpit, so to speak. It's better if you just listen. :)
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Note: at 6:26, I say “isn’t” when I clearly meant “is.” Not sure why. Oh, well. This episode is about the phrase "abstain from all appearance of evil" found in I Thessalonians 5:22. Did Paul mean to be careful not to walk down the wrong grocery aisle so as not to accidentally convey evil intent? Or did he mean something else? Find out in this week's episode of Equipoise!
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I caution you: this might be a boring episode. I'm just responding to some questions/pushback I received on a couple of episodes I recorded. Hope it helps!
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In this episode, I try to bring a little bit of balance to the discussion of how we approach the original languages in which the Bible was originally penned. Is it helpful to "use" the Greek and the Hebrew? Harmful? Maybe both? Neither? I hope my brief take on how we approach the original languages will help you.
For further help, check out Mark Ward's short video on this subject: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2f6Qj7XKU9c
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In this episode, I attempt to find a balance in the notion of submission by building a case for the Greek word ἀλλήλων to be used in a "one upon another" sense (as it is found in Luke 12:1) instead of the easily-misunderstood English translation of "one to another," often supporting a mistaken "reciprocal" sense. Don't worry, I don't get into the Greek jargon too much in this episode, but rather examine the context, syntax, and picture of submission to help us understand how the Bible expects us to understand submission with regards to whether or not it is "mutual." Hope this helps.
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In this episode, I scrutinize the claims that I mentioned in the preceding episode. It's a little hurried and I'm still working on sound quality, but I hope that my examinations come through clearly enough.
I rebut the claim that the church has failed in every sense, and rebut the claim that this perception justifies a departure from church or a retreat into an alternative model besides the local church as prescribed and commanded in Scripture.
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In this episode, I attempt to fairly state the position of those who state that the church has failed, and as a result, new methods of assembly (or no assembly at all!) are required. Those who hold to this view typically promote this view as a reason for not attending a church, leaving a church, splitting a church, opting instead for staying home with their families or watching a sermon online. I don't scrutinize their claims in this episode, but instead try to state their position fairly in the interest of balance.
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In this episode, I seek to make up for a lost opportunity earlier this week to touch quickly on the ordinances and explore some possible viewpoints in just a few minutes. It's not exhaustive, by any means, but just wanted to briefly acknowledge the different views. At the end, I address some early pushback from someone who chose to unfriend me on FB (and in real life, it would appear) as a result of my "Bias" series. Hope it's a help to you.
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In this episode, I try to tie up some loose ends with regards to the church and its importance in the life of the believer. It's a bit more scattered than I'd like, but I did several takes and finally just put it out there. :)
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This whole week (except for this coming Saturday), I'll be releasing a 5-minute or less episode each day on issues pertaining to the Church. This is my best hope of wrapping up all the little topics while not trying to squeeze everything into a single 10-minute episode. I hope these all are a blessing to you!
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This whole week (except for this coming Saturday), I'll be releasing a 5-minute or less episode each day on issues pertaining to the Church. This is my best hope of wrapping up all the little topics while not trying to squeeze everything into a single 10-minute episode. I hope these all are a blessing to you!
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This whole week (except for this coming Saturday), I'll be releasing a 5-minute or less episode each day on issues pertaining to the Church. This is my best hope of wrapping up all the little topics while not trying to squeeze everything into a single 10-minute episode. I hope these all are a blessing to you!
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This whole week (except for this coming Saturday), I'll be releasing a 5-minute or less episode each day on issues pertaining to the Church. This is my best hope of wrapping up all the little topics while not trying to squeeze everything into a single 10-minute episode. I hope these all are a blessing to you!
Music credit: "Cute Avalanche" by RKVC - No Copyright (Thanks, RKVC!)
This whole week (except for this coming Saturday), I'll be releasing a 5-minute or less episode each day on issues pertaining to the Church. This is my best hope of wrapping up all the little topics while not trying to squeeze everything into a single 10-minute episode. I hope these all are a blessing to you!
Music credit: "Cute Avalanche" by RKVC - No Copyright (Thanks, RKVC!)
This whole week (except for this coming Saturday), I'll be releasing a 5-minute or less episode each day on issues pertaining to the Church. This is my best hope of wrapping up all the little topics while not trying to squeeze everything into a single 10-minute episode. I hope these all are a blessing to you!
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This isn't intended to be exhaustive or even conclusive. Just looking to bring a little balance to the discussion. Hope it helps!
Recommended reading: "One Assembly" (Leeman), and "Uncomfortable" (McCracken). Good modern books on church.
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In this episode, we move to dismantle three popular but invalid notions of church. This is necessary if we wish to have a balanced discussion on the nature of "church" itself. Is it local? Universal? Institutional? Something else completely? Either way, we've got to properly define church and disqualify some oddities before answering that question.
Hope this episode is a help to you!
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In this episode, I kick off our miniseries on the church. We need some balance when it comes to this area for sure! This is sort of an introductory podcast to this miniseries, and we talk about what the word "church" means and why we call it a "church" instead of an "assembly" as some might imagine we should, since it comes from the Greek word "ecclesia" after all.
I hope this episode and future episodes are a help and a blessing to you!
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It's no surprise that these two episodes aren't going to be my "biggest hits," but I still think it's important to be able to have something to which we can refer when the issue of "Religion vs. Relationship" comes up. In this episode, I continue to work through this odd dichotomy, examining the concept of a "personal relationship with Jesus" from a balanced point of view.
As with last week, I hope this is a help to any and all who have questions or opinions about this subject.
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In this episode, I try to bring some much-needed balance to the ongoing vilification of the term "religion" by showing its etymology, how it is used in Scripture, and what it means as opposed to what most think it means today. I hope to help us avoid throwing out the proverbial baby with the bathwater when considering the proper and improper uses of this word.
I hope this is a help to any and all who have questions or opinions about this subject.
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In this episode, I introduce a concept known as "propositional space," a mental warehouse of sorts where we can gather and sort through beliefs and behaviors that are different from the ones we currently hold. This is essential to proper growth, and helps us avoid too-quick acceptance or instant rejection of ideas that are foreign, frightening, or repelling to our current beliefs. I hope this episode will be of good use to you!
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In this episode (that was originally supposed to be a half-length episode but kept me up till after 230AM working on it a lot more than I thought I would because it's such a cool topic to research), I talk about the possible origins of the word "Easter" and quickly touch on how bunnies and eggs might have become associated with this special day. In the end, I'm trying to show both sides of the equation and help us to approach this topic more humbly and honestly. It's definitely my most rapid-fire episode, because there was a LOT to cover. I hope this benefits you as a resource!
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In this episode, we (in very brief fashion) tackle some of the ins and outs of the Wednesday/Thursday view of the Crucifixion of Jesus versus the traditional Friday view. We're not looking to find out who's right or wrong in this issue; rather, we're just looking to be more sympathetic to the other side and see if we can't come to a balanced point of view, regardless of our final conclusions on the matter.
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In this episode, we talk about how to have a reasonable and productive conversation with almost anyone, including someone who seems unreasonably biased or heavily imbalanced in their views. Whether it's politics or flat-earthism or theological issues or any number of conspiracy theories, we all need to learn to come to the table with respect and an open mind. So regardless of what the other person's approach might be, I bring some tips on how to have a productive conversation with almost anyone.
For what it's worth, here's my main points:
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Remember that all of us are biased, and that our job isn't to straighten anyone out -- it's to get to the truth. Even if that means they're right.
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Set boundaries and insist on polite discourse - no interrupting, equal time, no anger, no red herrings, no appeals to a mysterious “they."
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Ask for evidence or citations when applicable, but don’t be annoying about it.
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Challenge only in a friendly way.
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Make sure you’re being understood, too — ask questions like, “does that make sense?” or “does that follow okay?”
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Don’t end in ambiguity — tally up points of significance and impact.
If we commit to doing these things, we're sure to have a more productive, beneficial and intellectually honest conversation with anyone, as long as they're willing to "play by the rules." I hope this helps!
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In this episode, I finish our 3-part introductory miniseries on bias by helping us battle it with some practical tips. In short, they are as follows:
Take a humble stance / Be calm / Listen to understand, not to respond or score points / Be intellectually honest / Read dissenting opinion / Meditate and wrestle / Pursue timelessness / Obtain counsel, but not from an echo chamber
I hope that this helps you as it has helped me. If we are careful to follow these guidelines (all of which can be found in the Book of Proverbs), we will be much more likely to uncover the truth rather than simply confirm what we already were determined to think anyways.
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In today's episode, I talk about the dangers of bias. It's not neutral, and it's not innocent. It is dangerous! I list four reasons why it is so harmful (in an ABCD format): It is Available, it is Blinding, it is Contagious, and it is Destructive. We spent the majority of our time in that list talking about the different ways in which bias is so destructive. I hope you'll give it a listen!
In this episode (like the last one), I quoted Brett McCracken again from his recent book "The Wisdom Pyramid." Pick it up; it's awesome. He also wrote some other good books. Check 'em out!
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In this half-length addendum, I discuss chronological bias. In short, it's where we discard a belief or behavior simply because it comes from a time, place, or person that is either too old or too young for us to take it seriously or find it credible. I hope this little mini-episode helps us root out just one more kind of bias that could be lurking around in the recesses of our minds.
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In today's episode, I talk about what bias is. There's plenty of forms of bias out there, and being aware of how bias can creep in is essential to challenging it and overcoming it the best we can in our thought process. For what it's worth, I mention the following biases in today's episode (thought there are plenty more -- just search for them online and you'll find plenty):
Confirmation Bias, Availability Heuristic, Dunning-Kruger Effect, Actor-Observer Bias, Halo Effect, Anchoring Bias, and False Consensus Bias.
Bias affects all of us in different ways, and to different degrees, but to be sure, we've all got some somewhere. Today's episode is dedicated to simply exploring some various appearances of bias so that we can address it properly.
In this episode, I quote Brett McCracken from his recent book "The Wisdom Pyramid." Pick it up; it's awesome. He also wrote some other good books. Check 'em out!
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Bringing you "Balance in Ten Minutes or Less" is my commitment to you all each week. Today, I introduce myself and share with you a few details of my ministerial life. I hope to engage with the issues in our culture from a balanced, refreshing point of view that's fair to both sides of every issue, even the most polarizing ones. Thanks for tuning in, and please subscribe if you'd like to keep up with my weekly releases.
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