Faith Refresh (Real FM): Recent Episodes
The Real FM Podcast Network
It’s become trendy to deconstruct your faith, but where do turn after you’ve torn things down to the foundation? Justin is a former pastor and current chaplain, while Ansen is a former radio host and... current radio host. Together, they explore the idea of refreshing our faith by going back and taking another look at the Bible passages, beliefs, and church practices that we've all heard a million times.
Being "non-judgemental" is a modern societal virtue. We recite phrases like, "Don't judge others," or "Don't judge a book by its cover." But what about when our sense of justice has been violated by someone else? Suddenly judgement seems appropriate. In this episode, Ansen and Chaplain Justin explore this tension as it relates to God's judgement. Why would a loving God condemn people to eternal punishment? Why would a just God forgive people who have greviously sinned?
The story of Noah's Ark raises several important questions. Is this story even historically plausible? Why do modern Christians treat it like a cutesy children's tale? Why would a loving God want to enact judgement on and destroy his creation? And perhaps most critically of all... why would we want to worship a God like that? Ansen and Justin take a fresh look at one of the most well-known stories in the Old Testament.
How should a Christian worldview shape our understanding of work and vocation? Ansen and Chaplain Justin discuss the tension between work being both a good creation of God, while also affected by sin and brokenness. Ultimately, God's ongoing redemption and restoration means work is a form of worship, both here on earth and on into eternity.
Ansen and Justin build off their previous discussion about the book of Daniel, pointing out that the New Testament calls Christ followers "exiles," comparing them to the Israelites in Babylon. So what does this status as exiles mean? Justin makes the case that a better understanding of what it means to be an exile can help us both look to the future with hope and live in the present with purpose.
There's some iconic Bible stories in the Book of Daniel. Maybe you've heard the one about the lion's den or the fiery furnace? But there's also some pretty obscure passages in this book about dreams, visions, disembodied hands, and even a king going mad and eating grass. Chaplain Justin and Ansen discuss how both the simple Sunday School stories and the confusing prophecies work together to drive home a larger point about the nature of God's kingdom.
Continuing the conversation from the past two episodes on Mark 9 and angelic beings, Justin and Ansen turn their attention to the broader topic of spiritual warfare. What battle is being fought, exactly? Who are the combatants, where are the battle lines, and what are they fighting over? And as Christians, what does it really mean to put on the armor of God?
In our last episode, Ansen and Justin discussed a story from the gospel of Mark involving demon possession. Some of the supernatural encounters with angels and demons described in Scripture can be... eyebrow raising. So what does the Bible actually say about angelic beings, and how do its descriptions differ from the way these beings are described in popular culture and art?
On this episode, Ansen and Chaplain Justin take a fresh look at the story in Mark 9:14-29, which contains one of the more famous verses in the Bible: a distraught dad crying out, "I believe; help my unbelief!" But... what does that mean, exactly? And what else can we learn from the context surrounding this story to make sense of everything that happens?
Words like meditation, mindfulness, or contemplation are sometimes viewed with skepticism within certain Christian communities. And yet, Scripture is filled with examples of people encouraging and engaging in these practices ("meditate on God's law day and night!"). So Ansen and Justin take a fresh look... what is Christian meditation or contemplative spirituality, and how might it benefit our relationship with God?
After discussing Doubting Thomas in the previous episode, Ansen and Chaplain Justin are ready to take on the subject of Thomas' doubt directly... the resurrection of Jesus. This central tenet of Christian belief is also one of the most miraculous and therefore hardest to believe, so what evidence is there to prove that the resurrection of Jesus was an actual, historical event?
Ansen and Chaplain Justin discuss the "Patron Saint" of the Faith Refresh podcast... "Doubting Thomas." How would you feel if you were given a nickname based on a single instance of questioning? Ansen and Justin make the case that Thomas, and even the concept of doubt itself, have gotten a bad rap. After all, Jesus himself responds to Thomas with compassion rather than condemnation.
When was the last time you had a serious conversation about a controversial topic that didn't end in a fight? Our cultural discourse has backslidden into toxicity, particularly online. Ansen and Justin discuss what the Bible can teach us about how to speak to one another with the right combination of conviction, gentleness, and respect.
Ansen and Chaplain Justin follow up on their previous discussion about Genesis 1 with a deeper dive into the often adversarial relationship between religion and science. Our hosts wade through church history, Biblical interpretation, the scientific method, philosophy, personal experience, and more on a quest to discover what it might look like for religion and science to be allies in our search for truth.
The creation account in Genesis 1 is perhaps the most well-known story in the Bible, and yet even Christians can't agree on what it means. Ansen and Chaplain Justin discuss how applying a literary framework can help us see that the narrative isn't really focused on the mechanics of creation, but rather on exploring the nature of the Creator.
If Christians are "saved by faith," it's probably pretty important for us to understand what exactly faith is! Ansen and Chaplain Justin dissect the broadly used but often vaguely defined term through the framework of Biblical Theology. What is faith and where does it come from? And perhaps even more critically, what do we do when our faith seems defective or inadequate?
Reading the Bible can be confusing, and no genre of Biblical literature is more confusing to our modern eyes and ears than "apocalyptic" books like Daniel or Revelation. Ansen and Chaplain Justin break down what Apocalyptic Literature is, why it was written with so much figurative language and bizarre imagery, and how we as modern Christians can begin to make sense of it.
After getting a bit sidetracked with John the Baptist in the previous episode, Ansen and Chaplain Justin take some extra time to re-examine this compelling Bible character. Was this guy the ancient equivalent of a crazy street-corner preacher, or was there some method to the camel hair-wearing, locust-eating madness?
There's a lot of confusion and insecurity around the mechanics of baptism. Should we be baptized as kids or adults? By sprinkling or dunking? Does baptism save us, or is it just an optional rite of passage? Ansen and Chaplain Justin try to get to the heart of the issue, and find that perhaps more important than the "how" and "when" of baptism is the "why" and "who."
Scripture tells us to be holy as God is holy. But what does holiness mean? Is the Bible saying we must be good, righteous-acting people to earn God's favor? But if so, how do we live up to God's perfect standard? Justin and Ansen return to discuss both what holiness means and how we can attain it.
After the resurrection, Jesus appears to his disciples on a beach and questions Peter about his love for Him. What was Jesus trying to do with this line of questioning? Was he just being passive-aggressive? Ansen and Justin discuss a beautiful truth that becomes apparent upon closer inspection of this story... that our passion and love for Jesus doesn't matter nearly as much as His passion and love for us.
What is confession, and why is it such an important part of practicing the Christian faith? Ansen and Chaplain Justin discuss how confession is so much more than just admitting all the bad stuff you've done. It's "agreeing with God" and telling the whole truth... not just about our character, but about God's... including has faithfulness to forgive and cleanse.
During the season of Lent, Christians around the world spend a few weeks in solemn observance of their own sinfulness and mortality. Sounds like a good time, right? But have you ever heard someone make the case that the Christian doctrine of sin is actually part of the good news of the gospel? Chaplain Justin and Ansen discuss what sin nature means for our lives and futures, and try to answer the question, "Is it really ok not to be ok?"
What do we do with the rather curious story of an oppressed slave-woman named Hagar and her "not the chosen one" son, Ishmael that we find in the book of Genesis? What do we do with Biblical "heroes" like Abraham and Sarah whose actions seem anything but "heroic?" And what can this strange story teach us about God's desires for the oppressed and marginalized nations and people groups of the world?
Across all types and denominations of churches, worship services have at least one thing in common: singing. If you grew up in Christian culture, you've probably never questioned this practice. If you didn't, the idea of corporate worship might be... odd, at the least. Where does this practice originate, and why is it so important? Chaplain Justin and Ansen take a second look at the Christian practice of praise & worship.
The phrase "social justice" has become a flashpoint for controversy and conflict in American politics and culture. But while social justice has been given new meaning in modern times, the idea of helping and serving "the least of these" is far from new. What would a social justice look like with the gospel of Jesus as its foundation? And is there any potential for unity in the midst of such a fractious debate?
The woman at the well, as she's known, often gets a bad rap. To some, it's the story of an adulterous woman living in unrepentant sin who is confronted by Jesus. Is this just another example of the Bible marginalizing women? Justin and Ansen take another look at this well-known passage, and find a woman who, far from being condemned, is chosen by the Messiah himself to play a remarkable role in God's rescue plan.
Few subjects are as contentious as money. So let's talk about it! Is giving ten percent of our income a requirement? Will God financially bless us if we tithe? What about the wolves in churches who take advantage of others for financial gain? Chaplain Justin and Ansen trace the story of offerings, tithes, and generosity through the Bible to determine what application it might have for us today.
We've talked about verses, stories, and characters from the Bible, but what about the book itself? There's a lot of theological claims about scripture: some say it's inspired, revelatory, prophetic, authoritative, or even inerrant. Are these claims valid? What implications do they have for our lives? And should we really trust everything we read from a book written by a bunch of ancient dead guys?
We're headed back to the Old Testament to revisit the story of Samson. If the last time you learned about Samson was in Sunday School, you might be surprised at how dark and disturbing this story really is. Is this messed up guy really one of the "heroes" of the Bible? Or are we completely misunderstanding the story that the Book of Judges is trying to tell?
Ever walked into church and immediately wondered if you belonged? Even something as simple as clothing can make us feel like we don't fit a certain context or culture. Maybe we're not dressed up enough, or too dressed up, or we just don't feel comfortable for some reason we can't quite put our finger on. In this episode, Ansen and Chaplain Justin discuss how we adorn ourselves... in terms of both clothing and character.
What will heaven be like? It's one of the biggest existential questions facing humanity. Is it an alternate dimension hidden among the clouds, where we'll wear white robes and golden halos and sing worship songs for all of eternity? What about the babies with wings and other traditional images we see of the afterlife? We discuss what the Bible actually says about heaven... and what it doesn't.
In this story, one of Jesus' most well-known parables, we find a simple tale that tells a simple truth: God wants us to be kind to others. Well... yes and no. God does want us to love Him and our neighbor as ourselves, but it turns out there are many more layers to Luke's telling of Jesus' telling of the Parable of the Good Samaritan.
It's called the "Great Commission" — Christ's final command on earth. While it's clear that sharing our faith is important, that doesn't make it easy... particularly in a culture that seems hostile to most any form of proselytization. How do we reconcile these marching orders with the moral code of our culture? Is there a gracious way to evangelize or make disciples in today's world?
What can we learn from Biblical characters? We've already discussed Old Testament figures like Abraham and David, but what do we do with the more... shady... stuff from their stories? Furthermore, how should all of that inform the way we think about hypocritical Christians in the modern day? Is all this mess proof that Christianity is a big farce? Or does it say something else about who we are and what God is doing...
It's one of the most well known stories in the Bible... the classic tale of the young shepherd boy David taking on and defeating the giant Goliath. What should we take away from this story? Is it that if we have faith or cunning or leadership skills like David we too can slay the giants in our lives? Or is there something deeper going on in this Biblical narrative?
Do you raise your hands during worship in church, or do you keep your arms glued to your sides? What about standing, kneeling, dancing, or any other number of physical postures of worship? Navigating through and determining our comfort level with these practices can induce self-consciousness, comparison, peer pressure, and anxiety. So where do these ideas come from, and how can we work towards adopting a healthier view of worship?
It's a Top 5 verse in the Bible: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." You've probably seen it on bumper stickers, coffee mugs, and motivational posters. But we all know it doesn't literally mean that God is guaranteeing us a promotion at work or that we'll dunk a basketball in our next game. So what does it mean? Is there still a promise here worth clinging to?
In this classic Old Testament Story, the God of Abraham makes a seemingly reprehensible demand of His most devoted follower: sacrifice your only son, Isaac. If this story turns your stomach, you're not alone. Why would God ask this of Abraham? Why does He later change His mind? And ultimately... what is God saying to the nation of Israel and to us about the nature of our worship relationship with Him?
In this classic Old Testament Story, the God of Abraham makes a seemingly reprehensible demand of His most devoted follower: sacrifice your only son, Isaac. If this story turns your stomach, you're not alone. Why would God ask this of Abraham? Why does He later change His mind? And ultimately... what is God saying to the nation of Israel and to us about the nature of our worship relationship with Him?