Daniel Darling: Recent Episodes
Dan Darling
Today, we have Rhyne Putman on The Way Home Podcast! Dr. Rhyne R. Putman is associate vice president of academic affairs at Williams Baptist University and professor of theology at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Today on The Way Home Podcast, Dan and Rhyne discuss the importance of maintaining the virgin birth in our belief system, understanding the doctrine to the best of our ability and Dr. Putman’s new book Conceived by the Holy Spirit: The Virgin Birth in Scripture and Theology. If you want to better appreciate the importance of the immaculate conception of our Lord, the implications it has for Christian theology and life, or simply want to know more about Rhyne Putman’s work, then this episode is for you!
Show Notes
Rhyne Putman: Dr. Rhyne R. Putman is Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs and Director of Worldview Formation at Williams Baptist University and professor of theology at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He has a PhD, from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. His specialties include Systematic Theology, Philosophy of Religion, and Philosophical Hermeneutics.
Instagram: @rhyneputman
Twitter/X: @rhyneputman
Guest’s Books: When Doctrine Divides the People of God: An Evangelical Approach to Theological Diversity(2020), The Method of Christian Theology: A Basic Introduction(2021), Conceived by the Holy Spirit: The Virgin Birth in Scripture and Theology(2024),
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Today, we have David Platt on The Way Home Podcast! David Platt is the Founder of Radical, an organization that promotes missions and discipleship at home and abroad. Today on The Way Home Podcast, Dan and David discuss the importance of reaching the unreached, while maintaining the gospel back home for our neighbors and the nations coming to our backyard, and the importance for every Christian to embrace their Great Commission calling. If you want to know how to understand our Christ-given call to missions, to better understand where the need for the gospel is worldwide, or simply want to know more about David Platt’s work, then this episode is for you!
Show Notes
David Platt: David Platt served for four years at the president of the International Mission Board. He currently serves as a Lead Pastor for McLean Bible Church. He is also the Founder and Chairman of Radical, an organization that helps people follow Jesus and make him known in their neighborhood and all nations. David received his B.A. from the University of Georgia and M.Div., Th.M., and Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area with his wife and children.
Instagram: @plattdavid_
Guest’s Twitter/X: @plattdavid
Guest’s Books: Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream (2010), What Did Jesus Really Mean When He Said Follow Me? (2013), A Compassionate Call to Counter Culture in a World of Sexual Immorality (Counter Culture Booklets) (2015) , Something Needs to Change: An Urgent Call to Make Your Life Count(2021), Don’t Hold Back: Leaving Behind the American Gospel to Follow Jesus Fully (2023)
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Today, we have Chris Crawford on The Way Home Podcast! Chris Crawford is a policy strategist at Protect Democracy. Today on The Way Home Podcast, Dan and Chris discuss the institutional heritage of America, the importance of free and fair elections for religious freedom and Christian values, and how to defend and promote democracy moving forward. If you want to know the unique history of and how to support our God-given institutions, regain confidence in our electoral process, how to support our democracy at the community level, or simply want to know more about Chris Crawford’s work, then this episode is for you!
Show Notes
Chris Crawford: Chris Crawford is a policy strategist at Protect Democracy. His work is focused on ensuring free and fair elections and the peaceful transfer of power, including staffing the National Task Force on Election Crises and managing the Faith in Elections Playbook. Chris worked on Protect Democracy’s team that successfully advocated for reforms to the Electoral Count Act. Chris began his career at Susan B. Anthony List (Now Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America), the nation’s largest pro-life political organization. He has a bachelor’s degree in political science from The George Washington U.
Guest’s Twitter/X: @crawfordstuff
Guest’s Work: As Featured in Protect Democracy.org
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Today, we have Lucy S. R. Austen on The Way Home Podcast! Lucy Austen is the author of a new biography Elisabeth Elliot: A Life (2023). If you want to learn more about the inspiring yet deeply human Elisabeth Elliot, the task to find sources on the woman of faith behind the legend, and more on Lucy Austen’s work, then this episode is for you!
Show Notes
Lucy S. R. Austen: Lucy S. R. Austen(BA, University of Washington) is a writer, editor, and teacher who has spent over a decade studying source materials on Elisabeth Elliot. She has served on the editorial staff of the Spring Hill Review, contributed to various publications, and developed two high school English textbooks on prominent Christian authors. S. R. Austen lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband and children.
Guest’s Social Media:
Twitter/X: @LucySRAusten
Facebook: Lucy S. R. Austen
Guest’s Book: Elisabeth Elliot: A Life (2023)
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Today, we have Timmothy S. Goeglein on The Way Home Podcast! Tim served as the deputy director of the White House Office of Public Liaison and currently serves as the vice president of external relations at Focus on the Family and serves as a senior fellow at The King’s College. Today on The Way Home Podcast, we discuss American History and its preservation, how to engage in patriotism and citizenship Christianly, and Goeglein’s new book Toward a More Perfect Union: The Moral and Cultural Case for Teaching the Great American Story. If you want to learn more about how to navigate and preserve America’s history Christianly or simply learn more about Tim Goeglein’s work, then this episode is for you!
Show Notes
Tim Goegelin:
Tim Goeglein is Vice President of External and Government Relations for Focus on the Family, a Christian ministry and nonprofit organization, in addition to serving as senior fellow at The King’s College. Formerly, he served as a special assistant to President George W. Bush and as a deputy director of the White House Office of Public Liaison. He was the President’s principal outreach contact for conservative and faith-based groups. Moreover, Goeglein advanced Bush’s brand of “compassionate conservatism” by helping to establish the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. Tim’s extensive resumé includes serving as a senior fellow at The Heritage Foundation and as a communications director for U.S. Senator Dan Coats of Indiana and Gary Bauer at the Campaign for Working Families. Tim has authored a memoir, The Man in the Middle: Faith and Politics in the George W. Bush Era. He and his wife, Jenny, have two sons.
Guest’s Books: The Man in the Middle: An Inside Account of Faith and Politics in the George W. Bush Era(2011), American Restoration: How Faith, Family, and Personal Sacrifice Can Heal Our Nation(2019), Toward a More Perfect Union: The Moral and Cultural Case for Teaching the Great American Story(2023)
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Today, we have Dr. John F. Kilner on The Way Home Podcast! John Kilner is the recently retired Franklin Forman Chair of Ethics in Deerfield, Illinois. He is the author, contributor, and editor to over 20 books and has contributed to and written in many mainstream publications. Today on The Way Home Podcast, Dan and John discuss Christianity’s relationship to Bioethics through the lens of the image of God and innate human dignity. If you want to learn more about, or simply learn more about Dr. Kilner’s work, then this episode is for you!
Show Notes
John Kilner: Is the former Franklin Forman Chair of Ethics, Professor of Bioethics and Contemporary Culture, and the Director of Bioethics Degree Programs at Trinity International University in Deerfield, Illinois. From the 1994 founding of The Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity until 2005, Dr. Kilner served as the Center’s President and CEO. He presently serves as an Emeritus Fellow in the Academy of Fellows of The Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity. A frequent speaker and seminar leader, he most commonly addresses issues related to resource allocation, age-based and other forms of rationing, treatment termination, physician-assisted suicide, euthanasia, human cloning, assisted reproduction, genetic intervention, stem cell research, ethical methodology, cultural values, and social change.
Guest’s Social Media:
Twitter/X: @johnkilner
Facebook: John Kilner
Guest’s Books: Why the Church Needs Bioethics: A Guide to Wise Engagement with Life’s Challenges(2011), Dignity and Destiny: Humanity in the Image of God(2015), Why People Matter: A Christian Engagement with Rival Views of Human Significance (2017).
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Today, we have Dr. David S. Dockery on The Way Home Podcast! David S. Dockery is the 10th President of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He also serves as Distinguished Professor of Theology, Executive Editor of the Southwestern Journal of Theology, and Director of the Dockery Center for Global Evangelical Theology. He is regarded as one of the most recognized leaders and senior statesmen in the world of Christian higher education. Today on The Way Home Podcast, Dan and David discuss the history and future of Christian Education, and how Christians are poised to shape the future of higher education. We also discuss David’s new book, Special Revelation and Scripture (Theology for the People of God)(2024), and his long history as a preeminent scholar of the doctrine of inerrancy. If you want to learn more about Christians in higher education, or simply learn more about President Dockery’s work, then this episode is for you!
Show Notes
David S. Dockery: Prior to his service at Southwestern, Dockery served as the 15th President of Union University for nearly two decades during which time the enrollment more than doubled, the net assets of the institution more than tripled, the budget quadrupled, and Union vaulted to a place of national leadership in Christian higher education. Union experienced 16 straight years of enrollment increases while seeing the number of donors to the institution nearly triple. Much of this took place in response to the strategic implementation of four distinctive and far-reaching institutional plans, which included the major development and renovation of the campus while surpassing the goal of a $100 million comprehensive campaign.
Dockery also helped to guide Union’s response and recovery in 2008 to an EF-4 tornado, one of the largest natural disasters ever to hit an American university campus. Following his years of service as President and University Professor of Christian Thought and Tradition, Dockery was named President Emeritus. He also served for more than five years as the 15th President of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School before the institution named him honorary Chancellor and Professor of Christianity and Culture. He previously served as the Chief Academic Officer at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he also held a tenured faculty position in theology and New Testament. He has also served as a visiting or affiliate faculty member at a number of institutions.
Dockery has served as President of the Evangelical Theological Society and as Board Chair for the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. In addition, he has served as Chair of the Consortium for Global Education and the Christian College Consortium. He is the only person to ever serve in this combination of leadership positions. Dockery currently serves as President of the International Alliance for Christian Education.
Guest’s Content: Christian Higher Education: Faith, Teaching, and Learning in the Evangelical Tradition(2018), Christian Worldview Handbook(2019), What Does It Mean to Be a Thoughtful Christian? (Questions for Restless Minds)(2022), Special Revelation and Scripture (Theology for the People of God)(2024)
As you move toward the cross this Lenten season, check out my book The Characters of Easter.
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Today, we have David Bahnsen on The Way Home Podcast! Bahnsen is the Founder, Managing Partner, and CIO of The Bahnsen Group. He is also a contributor to Forbes and a scholar with the Acton Institute. Today on The Way Home Podcast, Dan and David discuss the Christian’s role in business and the secular sphere, and how the Kingdom of God extends beyond the pew and pulpit. We also discuss David’s new book, Full-Time: Work and the Meaning of Life.. If you want to learn more about Christian economic activity, or simply learn more about David Bahnsen’s work, then this episode is for you!
Show Notes
David L. Bahnsen: Is the Founder, Managing Partner, and CIO of The Bahnsen Group. Prior to launching The Bahnsen Group, he spent eight years as a Managing Director at Morgan Stanley and six years as a Vice President at UBS. He is consistently named one of the top financial advisors in America by Barron’s, Forbes, and the Financial Times.
He is a frequent guest on CNBC, Bloomberg, Fox News, and Fox Business, and is a regular contributor to National Review. He hosts the popular weekly podcast, Capital Record, dedicated to a defense of free enterprise and capital markets. He is a regular lecturer for the Acton Institute and the Center for Cultural Leadership. David is a founding Trustee for Pacifica Christian High School of Orange County and serves on the Board of Directors for the Acton Institute. David’s true passions include anything related to USC football, the financial markets, politics, and Chinese food. His ultimate passions are his wife of 22+ years, Joleen, their children, Mitchell, Sadie, and Graham, and the life they’ve created together on both coasts.
Guest’s Content: Podcasts, Crisis of Responsibility: Our Cultural Addiction to Blame and How You Can Cure It (2019), There’s No Free Lunch: 250 Economic Truths(2021), Mis-Inflation: The Truth about Inflation, Pricing, and the Creation of Wealth(2022), Full-Time: Work and the Meaning of Life(2024)
Facebook: David Bhansen
Instagram: @davidlbhansen
Twitter/X: @DavidBhansen
As you move toward the cross this Lenten season, check out my book The Characters of Easter.
The post The Way Home Podcast: David Bhansen On the Christian Role in Secular Life appeared first on Daniel Darling.
Today, we have Malcolm Yarnell on The Way Home Podcast! Dr. Yarnell is the research professor of theology in the School of Theology at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has an M. Div. from Southwestern, a Th. M. from Duke University, and a Doctorate from Oxford. Today on The Way Home Podcast, Dan and Dr. Yarnell discuss the importance of education and training in ministry and the Christian life, as well as Dr. Yarnell’s new book, the first volume of a systematic theology titled God .If you want to learn more about how to educate Christians in their history and theology, or simply learn more about Dr. Yarnell’s work, then this episode is for you!
Show Notes
Malcolm B. Yarnell III: Dr. Yarnell serves as research professor of theology in the School of Theology at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Prior to his service as research professor, Dr. Yarnell served as vice president for Academic Affairs and academic dean at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and associate dean of the School of Theology at SWBTS. Dr. Yarnell has given invited lectures at Aberdeen University, Elstal Theologisches Seminary in Berlin, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Oklahoma Baptist University, Oxford University, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is a member of several academic societies including, American Academy of Religion, the Evangelical Theological Society, the Ecclesiastical Historical Society, and the Sixteenth Century Society. Dr. Yarnell is married to Karen and they have five children.
Guest’s Content: The Fourth Strand of the Reformation: The Covenant Ecclesiology of Anabaptists, English Separatists and Early General Baptists (2018), Who Is the Holy Spirit?: Biblical Insights into His Divine Person (2019), God (Volume 1) (2024)
Twitter/X: @MusingsOnChrist
As you move toward the cross this Lenten season, check out my book The Characters of Easter.
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Today, we have Michael Graham on The Way Home Podcast! Michael is the program director for the Gospel Coallition’s Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics and a writer and producer for their As In Heaven podcast. Today on the Way Home Podcast, we discuss a book co-authored by Michael and Jim Davis, The Great Dechurching: Who’s Leaving, Why Are They Going, and What Will It Take to Bring Them Back? If you want to learn more about current trends in American church attendance, what to do about it, or just wish to learn more about Michael’s work, then this episode is for you!
Show Notes
Michael Ghram: Michael Ghram is the program director for the Gospel Coallition’s Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics and a writer and producer for their As In Heaven podcast. He has a Masters of Divinity from Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Fl. He and his wife, Sara, attend Orlando Grace Church with their two kids.
Guest’s Content: As in Heaven Podcast, The Great Dechurching: Who’s Leaving, Why Are They Going, and What Will It Take to Bring Them Back? (2023),
Instagram: mikegwrites
Twitter/X: @msgwrites
As you move toward the cross this Lenten season, check out my book The Characters of Easter.
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Today, we have Mark Tooley on The Way Home Podcast! Mark Tooley is president of the Institute on Religion and Democracy and editor of IRD’s foreign policy and national security journal, Providence: A Journal of Christianity & American Foreign Policy. He worked eight years for the CIA and is a graduate of Georgetown University. Today on the Way Home Podcast we discuss Christian Realism, recent geopolitical events, and the United/Global Methodist Split.If you want to learn more about Mark Tooley’s work, then this episode is for you!
Show Notes
Mark Tooley: Mark Tooley is president of the Institute on Religion and Democracy and editor of IRD’s foreign policy and national security journal, Providence: A Journal of Christianity & American Foreign Policy. He worked eight years for the Central Intelligence Agency and is a graduate of Georgetown University. In 1994 he joined IRD to found its United Methodist project (UMAction) and became IRD President in 2009.
Mark’s Content: The Next Methodism: Theological, Social, and Missional Foundations for Global Methodism(2022), Just War and Christian Traditions (2022), Social Conservatism for the Common Good: A Protestant Engagement with Robert P. George (2023)
Facebook: Mark Tooley
Twitter/X: @markdtooley
As you move toward the cross this Lenten season, check out my book The Characters of Easter.
The post The Way Home Podcast: Mark Tooley on Christian Realism appeared first on Daniel Darling.
Today, we have Jonathan Leeman on The Way Home Podcast! Jonathan is the Editorial Director at 9Marks, he is also an author and pastor. Today on the Way Home Podcast we discuss authority, trusting authority, how to be a godly authority, a Biblical understanding of what it means to submit to authority, and Jonathan’s new book Authority: How Godly Rule Protects the Vulnerable, Strengthens Communities, and Promotes Human Flourishing. If you want to learn more about Authority and Jonathan Leeman’s work, then this episode is for you!
Show Notes
Jonathan Leeman: Jonathan has an undergraduate and graduate degree in political science and an M. Div. and Ph. D. in Theology. He is the editorial director for 9Marks, editing the 9Marks series of books and the 9Marks Journal, he is also the co-host of Pastors Talk. Jonathan lives with his wife and four daughters in a suburb of Washington, DC, and serves as an elder at Cheverly Baptist Church. He teaches adjunctively at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and the Reformed Theological Seminary.
Jonathan’s Content: Pastors Talk Podcast, How the Nations Rage: Rethinking Faith and Politics in a Divided Age (2018), Rediscover Church: Why the Body of Christ Is Essential (2021), Authority: How Godly Rule Protects the Vulnerable, Strengthens Communities, and Promotes Human Flourishing (2023)
Twitter/X: @JonathanLeeman
As you move toward the cross this Lenten season, check out my book The Characters of Easter.
The post The Way Home Podcast: Jonathan Leeman on Understanding Authority appeared first on Daniel Darling.
Today, we have Dr. Andrew Walker return to The Way Home Podcast! Andrew is the Associate Dean of the School of Theology and Associate Professor of Christian Ethics and Public Theology. Today on the Way Home Podcast we discuss political theology, natural law theory, the Christian Nationalist scare, and Dr. Walker’s new book Faithful Reason: Natural Law Ethics for God’s Glory and Our Good. If you want to learn more about Natural Law Theory and how this reflects Christian Ethics, or more about Andrew Walker’s work, then this episode is for you!
Show Notes
Andrew Walker: Dr. Walker serves as Associate Dean in the School of Theology and Associate Professor of Christian Ethics and Public Theology. He is also the Director of the Carl F. H. Henry Institute for Evangelical Engagement. He is a fellow in Christian Political Thought at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and serves as the Managing Editor of WORLD Opinions. He is lives with his wife and three children in Louisville, Kentucky.
Andrew’s books: Marriage Is: How Marriage Transforms Society and Cultivates Human Flourishing(2015), Liberty for All: Defending Everyone’s Religious Freedom in a Pluralistic Age(2021), God and the Transgender Debate: What Does the Bible Actually Say about Gender Identity?(2022), Social Conservatism for the Common Good: A Protestant Engagement with Robert P. George(2023), Faithful Reason: Natural Law Ethics for God’s Glory and Our Good(2024)
Twitter/X: @andrewtwalk
As you move toward the cross this Lenten season, check out my book The Characters of Easter.
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Today, we have Drew Dyck return to The Way Home Podcast! Drew is a speaker, author, and acquisitions editor at Moody Publishers. We discuss believer’s burnout, faithfulness on the small scale, and Drew’s new book Just Show Up: How Small Acts of Faithfulness Change Everything (A Guide for Exhausted Christians).If you want to know more about how to pursue faithfulness in day-to-day life, recover from burnout, or Drew’s work, then this episode is for you!
Show Notes
Drew Dyck: Drew is an acquisitions editor at Moody Publishers and a contributing editor at CTPastors.com, a Christianity Today publication for church leaders. He is the author of Your Future Self Will Thank You: Secrets to Self-Control from the Bible and Brain Science (2019), Yawning at Tigers: You Can’t Tame God, So Stop Trying (2014), and Generation Ex-Christian: Why Young Adults Are Leaving the Church…and how to Bring Them Back (2010) His work has appeared in numerous publications, including USA Today, CNN.com, The Huffington Post, Christianity Today, Books & Culture, and Relevant Magazine. He grew up in Alberta, Canada in a pastor’s family; now he lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife, Grace, and their two children.
Drew’s books: Generation Ex-Christian: Why Young Adults Are Leaving the Church…and how to Bring Them Back (2010), Yawning at Tigers: You Can’t Tame God, So Stop Trying (2014), Your Future Self Will Thank You: Secrets to Self-Control from the Bible and Brain Science (2019), Just Show Up: How Small Acts of Faithfulness Change Everything (A Guide for Exhausted Christians) (2023)
Facebook: Drew Dyck
Twitter/X: @drewdyck
Instagram: @drewndyck
As you move toward the cross this Lenten season, check out my book The Characters of Easter.
The post Drew Dyck on the Importance of Showing Up appeared first on Daniel Darling.
Today, we have Alexandra Hudson joining us on The Way Home podcast. Alexandra is a writer, popular speaker, and the founder of Civic Renaissance. We discuss her new book, The Soul of Civility: Timeless Principles to Heal Society and Ourselves, the distinctions between civility and niceness, how we as Christians are to navigate modern politics, and how we are to aid in cultivating civility in modern society. If you want to know more about how to produce civility in your home and community or want to learn more about Alexandra’s work, then this episode is for you!
Show Notes
Alexandra Hudson’s Biography: Alexandra Hudson is a writer, popular speaker, and the founder of Civic Renaissance, a publication and intellectual community dedicated to beauty, goodness and truth. She was named the 2020 Novak Journalism Fellow, and contributes to Fox News, CBS News, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, TIME Magazine, POLITICO Magazine, and Newsweek. She earned a master’s degree in public policy at the London School of Economics as a Rotary Scholar, and is an adjunct professor at the Indiana University Lilly School of Philanthropy. She is also the creator of a series for The Teaching Company called Storytelling and The Human Condition. Her first book, The Soul of Civility: Timeless Principles to Heal Society and Ourselves, is forthcoming from St. Martin’s press this October. She lives in Indianapolis, IN with her husband and children.
Guest’s Content: The Soul of Civility: Timeless Principles to Heal Society and Ourselves(2023), Newsletter, Storytelling and The Human Condition(2023)
Facebook: Alexandra Hudson
Twitter/X: @LexiOHudson
Instagram: @alexandrahudson
If you like what we’re doing here on the podcast, with my books, and at The Land Center, I want to ask you to think about donating to The Land Center through Southwestern Theological Seminary. I also want to thank everyone for your general support in everything that we’re doing.
Donate to the Land Center: https://join.swbts.edu/register/givelandcenter
Check out my new book on Christian unity! Agents of Grace is now available!
Click here to sign up for my new writing cohort with Chad Poe.
The post The Way Home Podcast: Alexandra Hudson on Living as Christians in Modern Democracy appeared first on Daniel Darling.
Today, we have Mark Dance joining us on The Way Home podcast. Mark Dance is the Director of Pastoral Wellness for Guidestone Financial Resources (SBC). He was a lead pastor and planter for 27 years before becoming an associate vice president at Lifeway, the director of pastoral development for Oklahoma Baptists, and the co-founder/leader of the Care4Pastors Network. Today, we discuss his new book Start to Finish: The Pastor’s Guide to Leading a Resilient Life and Ministry and how to maintain wellness over long-term ministry. If you want to know more about how to thrive in pastoral or vocational ministry or want to learn more about Mark’s work, then this episode is for you!
Show Notes
Mark Dance Biography: Mark Dance has served as a lead pastor/planter for 27 years before launching LifeWay Pastors, the Care4Pastors Network, and Oklahoma’s Ministry Pipeline. He currently serves as the Director of Pastoral Wellness for Guidestone Financial Resources. Dance speaks at conferences and seminaries, and regularly contributes to books, blogs, and magazines. Dr. Dance earned degrees from Howard Payne University (BBA), Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (M.Div.), and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (D.Min). Mark and Janet have two grown children and live in Dallas. They enjoy backpacking and leading ministry marriage conferences together across North America.
Guest’s Content: Start to Finish: The Pastor’s Guide to Leading a Resilient Life and Ministry(2023), Blog, Sermons,
Facebook: Mark D Dance
Twitter/X: @markdance
Instagram: @markdance
If you like what we’re doing here on the podcast, with my books, and at The Land Center, I want to ask you to think about donating to The Land Center through Southwestern Theological Seminary. I also want to thank everyone for your general support in everything that we’re doing.
Donate to the Land Center: https://join.swbts.edu/register/givelandcenter
Check out my new book on Christian unity! Agents of Grace is now available!
Click here to sign up for my new writing cohort with Chad Poe.
The post The Way Home Podcast: Mark Dance on Pastoral and Vocational Ministry appeared first on Daniel Darling.
Today, we have two returning guests on The Way Home Podcast. Jen Wilkin is a well-known bible teacher and speaker. She is the Executive Director of Family and Next Gen Ministries and Resources at The Village Church in the DFW area. J.T. English is the Lead Pastor at Storyline Church in the Denver area. He is also an author and an excellent pastor-scholar. Today, we discuss the history of Christian theology as well as the new book they have written together, You Are a Theologian. If you’d like to learn more about what the Church has believed about the Christian life across history, as well as J.T. and Jen’s work, then this episode is for you!
Show Notes
Jen Wilkin Biography: Jen Wilkin is an author and Bible teacher from Dallas, Texas. She has organized and led studies for women in home, church, and parachurch contexts. She is the author of several books and bible studies including In His Image: 10 Ways God Calls Us to Reflect His Character, and Better: A Study of Hebrews among many more. An advocate for Bible literacy, her passion is to see others become articulate and committed followers of Christ, with a clear understanding of why they believe what they believe, grounded in the Word of God.
J.T. English Biography: In April of 2020, JT English became the Lead Pastor at Storyline Church. Previously, he served as the pastor and founder of The Village Church Institute. He is the author of Deep Discipleship: How the Local Church Can Make Whole Disciples, and You are a Theologian: An Invitation to Know and Love God Well, co-authored with Jen Wilkin. He is also a co-founder of Training the Church and a co-host of the Knowing Faith Podcast. He received his ThM in Historical Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary and PhD in Systematic Theology from Southern Seminary. He is married to Macy English, and they have two children.
Jen’s Content: You are a Theologian: An Invitation to Know and Love God Well(2023), Ten Words to Live By: Delighting in and Doing What God Commands(2021), Women of the Word: How to Study the Bible with Both Our Hearts and Our Minds (Second Edition)(2019), None Like Him: 10 Ways God Is Different from Us (and Why That’s a Good Thing)(2016), Abide – Bible Study Book with Video Access: A Study of 1, 2, and 3 John(2023), God of Deliverance – Bible Study Book: A Study of Exodus 1-18(2021), God of Freedom – Bible Study Book with Video Access: A Study of Exodus 19–40(2022), Better – Bible Study Book: A Study of Hebrews(2020), Podcast, Website
J.T.’s Content: Deep Discipleship: How the Local Church Can Make Whole Disciples(2020), You are a Theologian: An Invitation to Know and Love God Well(2023), Podcast
Jen’s Socials:
Facebook: Jen Wilkin
X: @jenniferwilkin
Instagram: @jenwilkin
J.T.’s Socials:
Facebook: JT English
Twitter: @jt_english
Instagram: @jtenglish
If you like what we’re doing here on the podcast, with my books, and at The Land Center, I want to ask you to think about donating to The Land Center through Southwestern Theological Seminary. I also want to thank everyone for your general support in everything that we’re doing.
Donate to the Land Center: https://join.swbts.edu/register/givelandcenter
Check out my new book on Christian unity! Agents of Grace is now available!
Click here to sign up for my new writing cohort with Chad Poe.
The post The Way Home Podcast: Jen Wilkin and J.T. English On What it Historically Means to be a Christian appeared first on Daniel Darling.
Today, we have Justin Brierley joining us on The Way Home podcast. Justin Brierley is a freelance writer, speaker, and broadcaster known for creating dialogues between Christians and non-Christians. Today, we discuss the origins and current decline of the New Atheist movement, as well as Justin’s new book, The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God. If […]
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Today, we have Sissy Goff joining us on The Way Home podcast. Sissy Goff is the director of child and adolescent counseling at Daystar Counseling Ministries in Nashville, Tennessee. Today, we discuss her new book The Worry-Free Parent: Living in Confidence So Your Kids Can Too. If you have questions about what it looks like […]
The post The Way Home Podcast: Sissy Goff on Raising Kids Through Stress and Anxiety appeared first on Daniel Darling.
Today, we have Karen Ellis rejoining us on The Way Home podcast. Director of the Center for the Study of the Bible & Ethnicity at Reformed Theological Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia. Karen is an expert in Christian religious persecution and an all-around delightful person! Today, we discuss her work advocating for missions, the historic role […]
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Today, we have Natalie Runion joining us on The Way Home podcast. Natalie is the Pastor of Women and Creative Pastor of Family Ministry at New Life Church. Today, we discuss her new book Raised to Stay: Persevering in Ministry When You Have a Million Reasons to Walk Away. If you have questions about what […]
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Today, we have Jen Oshman joining us on The Way Home podcast. Jen is an author, missionary, blogger, and host of the All Things podcast. Today, we discuss the Church, how to be welcoming to others, and her new book Welcome: Loving Your Church by Making Space for Everyone. If you have questions about what it […]
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Today, we have Chad Poe joining us on The Way Home podcast. Chad Poe is a pastor at Grace Bible Church, as well as the founder of the Throughline Cohort, helping individuals with their teaching and preaching. Today, we discuss speaking, writing, and pastoring, as well as his new book Esther: The Time is Now. If […]
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Today, we have Mason King joining us on The Way Home podcast. Mason King is a gifted speaker, a leader, and a pastor at The Village Church. Today, we discuss his new book A Short Guide To Spiritual Disciplines. If you have questions about what it looks like to be intentional about our spiritual lives and to follow Jesus, or would like to learn more about Mason’s work, then this episode is just for you!
Show Notes
Mason King Biography: Mason serves as a pastor at The Village Church in Flower Mound, Texas and serves as the Executive Director of The Village Church Intitute , Leadership Development, and Groups. Mason currently holds a D.Min. in Executive Leadership from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and is completing a Ph.D. In Church History from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Mason loves discipleship, reading, writing, teaching, and preaching about the goodness of God! Mason and his wife Carly have three kids and enjoy serving wherever they can at church!
Guest’s Content: Sermons, Articles, A Short Guide to Spiritual Disciplines: How to Become a Healthy Christian (2023), Blog
Facebook: Mason King
Twitter: @masonking
Instagram: @masonking
If you like what we’re doing here on the podcast, with my books, and at The Land Center, I want to ask you to think about donating to The Land Center through Southwestern Theological Seminary. I also want to thank everyone for your general support in everything that we’re doing.
Donate to the Land Center: https://join.swbts.edu/register/givelandcenter
Check out my new book on Christian unity! Agents of Grace is now available!
Click here to sign up for my new writing cohort with Chad Poe.
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Today, we have Cole Claybourn joining us on The Way Home podcast. Cole Claybourn is the education reporter for U.S. News & World Report and primarily focuses on higher education. He is on staff at Sports Spectrum where he is a contributor, writer, and producer of the networks podcast. Today, we discuss several things like the state of higher eduction, sports, and his personal experience with a disastrous tornado that ripped through his town of Bowling Green, Kentucky on December 11th, 2021. If you have questions about the state of higher education or would like to learn more about Cole’s work, then this episode is just for you!
Show Notes
Cole Claybourn Biography: Cole Claybourn is the education reporter for U.S. News & World Report and primarily focuses on higher education. He is on staff at Sports Spectrum where he is a contributor, writer, and producer of the networks podcast. He is the host of the In No Hurry podcast and runs his newsletter, The Road Ahead. His work can be found in Relevant Magazine, Outreach Magazine, USA Today, Crosswalk.com, and The Washington Post where he writes on faith and sports. Before serving on staff at U.S. News, Cole spent five years as an educator teaching English. He also worked for Evansville Courier & Press and the Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer, where he reported on regional news and sports. He is a graduate of Western Kentucky University. Him and his wife Emily enjoy sports, reading, traveling, and drinking way too much iced coffee!
Guest’s Content: The Road Ahead, In No Hurry, U.S. News & World Report, Devotionals, Book Reviews, The Gospel Coalition, Sports Spectrum
Twitter: @ColeClaybourn
Instagram: @coleclaybourn
If you like what we’re doing here on the podcast, with my books, and at The Land Center, I want to ask you to think about donating to The Land Center through Southwestern Theological Seminary. I also want to thank everyone for your general support in everything that we’re doing.
Donate to the Land Center: https://join.swbts.edu/register/givelandcenter
Check out my new book on Christian unity! Agents of Grace is now available!
Click here to sign up for my new writing cohort with Chad Poe.
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Today, we have Matthew Bennett joining us on The Way Home podcast. Matthew Bennett is an Assistant Professor of Missions and Theology at Cedarville University in Cedarville OH. Today, we discuss questions like .If you have similar questions or would like to learn more about the current state of global affairs, then this episode is just for you!
Show Notes
Matthew Bennett Biography: Matthew Bennett is Assistant Professor of Missions and Theology at Cedarville University in Cedarville OH. Prior to taking this post, he and his family lived in North Africa and the Middle East for seven years. He earned a PhD in Missiology at SEBTS and also holds an MA in Intercultural Studies and an MDiv in Intercultural Church Planting.
Books: Hope for American Evangelicals (2023) The Qur’an and the Christian (2022), 40 Questions About Islam (2020)
Twitter: @MABennett82
Facebook: Matthew Aaron Bennett
Instagram: @mattbennett82
If you like what we’re doing here on the podcast, with my books, and at The Land Center, I want to ask you to think about donating to The Land Center through Southwestern Theological Seminary. I also want to thank everyone for your general support in everything that we’re doing.
Donate to the Land Center: https://join.swbts.edu/register/givelandcenter
Pre-order my new book on Christian unity! Agents of Grace available May 9th.
Click here to sign up for my new writing cohort with Chad Poe.
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Today, we have Michael Sobolik joining us on The Way Home podcast. Michael Sobolik is a Fellow in Indo-Pacific Studies at the American Foreign Policy Council, he has served on national security teams, and has drafted legislation on China, Russia, India, Taiwan, North Korea, and Cambodia. Today, we discuss questions like “how should Christians think about foreign policy?”—“how should Christian’s think about global conflicts?” and “how should we urge our leaders to act?” If you have similar questions or would like to learn more about the current state of global affairs, then this episode is just for you!
Show Notes
Michael Sobolik Biography: Michael serves as a Fellow in Indo-Pacific Studies for the American Foreign Policy Council. His work covers American and Chinese grand strategy. He is the editor of AFPC’S Indo-Pacific Monitor e-bulletin. He served on Sen. Cruz’s national security team and drafted legislation on several countries during his time in the Senate. He is a prolific writer and routinely contributes to several platforms. He received his undergrad in Political Science and Government at Texas A&M and his Masters’s in International Relations and Affairs at the Bush School of Government and Public Service.
Guest’s Content: Providence Magazine, ERLC, The Dispatch, Newsweek, The Diplomat, National Review
Twitter: @MichaelSobolik
Facebook: Michael Sobolik
Instagram: @msobolik
If you like what we’re doing here on the podcast, with my books, and at The Land Center, I want to ask you to think about donating to The Land Center through Southwestern Theological Seminary. I also want to thank everyone for your general support in everything that we’re doing.
Donate to the Land Center: https://join.swbts.edu/register/givelandcenter
My book Characters of Easter is available as a great study for the upcoming Easter season.
Pre-order my new book on Christian unity! Agents of Grace available May 9th.
Click here to sign up for my new writing cohort with Chad Poe.
Today, we have John Meador joining us on The Way Home podcast. John Meador is the pastor of Cross City Church. He has a new book that is out titled “God’s Not Done With You” where he shows his readers how God provides everything needed to get through life’s setbacks by looking at the greatest comeback stories of the Bible. Today, we discuss the redemptive ways of God and how he turns lives around for his glory.
https://danieldarling.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/The-Way-Home-John-Meador-on-Comeback-Stories.mp3Show Notes
John Meador Biography: John is the Pastor of Cross City Church in the Fort Worth area and has impacted the lives of thousands through various kingdom initiatives. He formerly served as a trustee for the IMB and as a board officer for the SBTC. He is an author and frequently contributes to his blog. He is a husband, a father, and enjoys the opportunities that God has given him to serve his family.
Books: God’s Not Done With You (2023)
Twitter: @JohnMeador
Facebook: John Meador
Instagram: @pastorguy57
If you like what we’re doing here on the podcast, with my books, and at The Land Center, I want to ask you to think about donating to The Land Center through Southwestern Theological Seminary. I also want to thank everyone for your general support in everything that we’re doing.
Donate to the Land Center: https://join.swbts.edu/register/givelandcenter
My book Characters of Easter is available as a great study for the upcoming Easter season.
Pre-order my new book on Christian unity! Agents of Grace available May 9th.
Click here to sign up for my new writing cohort with Chad Poe.
Today, we have Travis Dickinson joining us on The Way Home podcast. Travis Dickinson is the professor of philosophy at Dallas Baptist University. He has a new book that is out titled “Wandering Towards God: Finding Faith amid Doubts and Big Questions” where he helps his readers to see the value of asking questions and the soundness of our faith. Today, we discuss the importance of guiding people to God and the right and wrong kinds of questions to ask when it comes to the faith. If you have any questions or would like to learn more about Christianity, this episode and Travis’s new book is just for you!
Show Notes
Travis Dickinson Biography: Travis is a scholar, professor, and apologist. He is the author of several books. He is also a regular contributor for the Christian Research Journal. Travis received his BA in Education from Alaska Bible College and his MA in Philosophy of Religion and Ethics from the Talbot School of Theology and his MA and PhD in Philosophy from the University of Iowa. Travis is married and has four children. Outside of teaching and church life, Travis spends his time with family or speaking at various events related to apologetics.
Books: Wandering Toward God (2022) Logic and the Way of Jesus (2022) Stand Firm (2018) Everyday Apologetics (2015)
Twitter: @TravDickinson
Facebook: Travis Dickinson
Instagram: @travdickinson
If you like what we’re doing here on the podcast, with my books, and at The Land Center, I want to ask you to think about donating to The Land Center through Southwestern Theological Seminary. I also want to thank everyone for your general support in everything that we’re doing.
Donate to the Land Center: https://join.swbts.edu/register/givelandcenter
My book Characters of Easter is available as a great study for the upcoming Easter season.
Pre-order my new book on Christian unity! Agents of Grace available May 9th.
Click here to sign up for my new writing cohort with Chad Poe.
Today, we have Sam Allberry joining us on The Way Home podcast. Sam Allberry is a pastor, preacher, apologist and the author of a number of books. He has a new edition of his book coming out titled “Is God anti-gay” where he helps his readers think through these issues from a biblical worldview. Today, we discuss biblical sexual ethics, what it looks like for Christians to share these things with family and friends, and how to live a life glorifying to God in the midst of modern sexual revolutions.
Show Notes
Sam Allberry Biography: Sam is a pastor, preacher, and apologist. He is the author of a number of books. He has written for several organizations, including The Gospel Coalition, Desiring God, and Living Out. Sam studied theology at Wycliffe Hall in Oxford and is a Canon Theologian for the Anglican Church in North America, and is a Senior Fellow at OCCA Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics.
Books: Is God Anti-Gay? (2023), What God Has to Say about Our Bodies (2021), Why does God care who I sleep with? (2020)
Twitter: @SamAllberry
Facebook: Sam Allberry
Instagram: @samallberry
If you like what we’re doing here on the podcast, with my books, and at The Land Center, I want to ask you to think about donating to The Land Center through Southwestern Theological Seminary. I also want to thank everyone for your general support in everything that we’re doing.
Donate to the Land Center: https://join.swbts.edu/register/givelandcenter
My book Characters of Easter is available as a great study for the upcoming Easter season.
Click here to sign up for my new writing cohort with Chad Poe.
What lines should Christians draw when it comes to their allegiances? How do we understand primary, secondary, and tertiary issues?
I wrote about this at length in my forthcoming book, Agents of Grace which drops May 9th but I wanted to present this here because the way we cooperate with each other is increasingly a topic of conversation among Christians.
First, I think we should be aware of a concept called “theological triage.” It’s a newish term, coined by Dr. Albert Mohler, that describes a not-new idea:
Today’s Christian faces the daunting task of strategizing which Christian doctrines and theological issues are to be given highest priority in terms of our contemporary context. This applies both to the public defense of Christianity in face of the secular challenge and the internal responsibility of dealing with doctrinal disagreements. Neither is an easy task, but theological seriousness and maturity demand that we consider doctrinal issues in terms of their relative importance. God’s truth is to be defended at every point and in every detail, but responsible Christians must determine which issues deserve first-rank attention in a time of theological crisis.
In simple terms, this is the discipline of prioritizing which Christian doctrines are of primary concern and which ones are important, but secondary, and even further, which ones are conventional but tertiary. The Christian church has done this work throughout the ages. Puritan Richard Baxter, for instance, urged folks to dwell on “the essentials” of Christianity:
I like to hear a man dwell much on the same essentials of Christianity . . .it is the essentials and common truths, as I have often said, that we daily live upon as our bread and drink[1].
John Stott said something similar:
we need a greater measure of discernment, so that we may distinguish between evangelical essentials which cannot be compromised and those adiaphora (matters indifferent) on which, being of secondary important, is not necessary for us to follow[1].”
The first order of business is to recognize that there are doctrines worth fighting for. I know sometimes Christians in this age can get queasy about theological conflict, but the New Testament urges us to contend for these things because this theology is how we properly know and understand and approach God.
Listen to what the Apostle Paul tells his young protégé Timothy, who was a young pastor of the church of Ephesus, “Fight the good fight of the faith, “Paul urges Timothy, “Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses (1 Timothy 6:12).” In his last letter, before he was to be executed by Rome for the crime of preaching the gospel, Paul declares that he had “fought the good fight of faith (2 Timothy 4:7-8).” Jude tells us to “earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 3-4).”
So do we know which issues are worth going to the mat for and which issues are worth holding, but about which good Christians may disagree? Again, Dr. Mohler:
First-level theological issues would include those doctrines most central and essential to the Christian faith. Included among these most crucial doctrines would be doctrines such as the Trinity, the full deity and humanity of Jesus Christ, justification by faith, and the authority of Scripture.
These are doctrines that the Christian church has affirmed and believed for 2,000 years, articulated mainly by the major creeds and councils of the church. I would also argue that anything that is central to the storyline of Scripture falls into this category, including contentious contemporary issues such as the Bible’s clear teaching on sexuality and gender.
These are issues about which the church cannot budge, issues that are part of the Apostolic witness, and issues that we have no authority to revise or reverse. To abandon these is to abandon Christian orthodoxy.
Then there are secondary issues, such as baptism, the role of women in leadership, and other such issues. Faithful Christians can disagree on these issues and still see each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. However, these are issues around which denominations and church networks often coalesce, so within those spaces, they are primary issues. My denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention, makes the mode of baptism and complementarianism a first-order issue. To be Southern Baptist, you have to adhere to these things, among other distinctives, such as our views on the role of the church and the state. Presbyterians are committed paedobaptists. They disagree with us and thus organize as a different denomination. This is right and good and healthy. I admire few people as much as I admire Tim Keller, but he couldn’t be a member of my SBC church and I couldn’t be a member of his PCA church. That’s healthy. Denominations have a duty to enforce their distinctives and churches have a duty to fellowship with folks who share their distinctives.
Then there are tertiary issues, third-order issues, about which some folks even within the same denomination might disagree, such as soteriology, sign gifts, eschatology, and other such matters. You might even put in here differences in approaches to cultural engagement or how to educate children. We might have deep convictions on these things—I certainly do—but we love and respect and fellowship with folks who come down in a different place.
Now these aren’t always straight lines. Some denominations and fellowships have tertiary issues that are distinctives around which they organize. I don’t think a Calvinist would be at home among Methodists, nor would an Arminian fit in the PCA. This is also healthy.
One thing to consider before we talk about what partnerships look like: I don’t view these divisions, on secondary and tertiary issues, to be unhealthy. I think we learn from the emphases of other traditions. You’ll have to get my book to read more about this, but I think evangelicalism is healthiest when it is made up of denominations catechizing their people in their traditions, yet being open-handed toward the Great Tradition.
Read more here
Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash
Today, we have Coleman M. Ford joining us on The Way Home podcast. Coleman Ford is the assistant professor of Humanities at Texas Baptist College. He has a new book coming out titled “Formed in His Image” where he thoughtfully guides his readers into the depths of spiritual formation. Today, we discuss the definition of terms typically associated with spiritual formation, why we should care, and how we’re formed as Christians.
Show Notes
Coleman Ford Biography: Coleman has authored several books. He is the assistant professor of Humanities at Texas Baptist College and the assistant professor of Christian Formation and the director of professional doctoral studies at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He completed his Ph.D. in Church History at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society.
Books: Formed in His Image (2023), A Bond between Souls: Friendship in the Letters of Augustine (2022)
Twitter: @colemanford
Facebook: Coleman Ford
Instagram: @colemanford
If you like what we’re doing here on the podcast, with my books, and at The Land Center, I want to ask you to think about donating to The Land Center through Southwestern Theological Seminary. I also want to thank everyone for your general support in everything that we’re doing.
Donate to the Land Center: https://join.swbts.edu/register/givelandcenter
My book Characters of Easter is available as a great study for the upcoming Easter season.
Click here to sign up for my new writing cohort with Chad Poe.
In a widely read piece for The New York Times last year, conservative writer Nate Hochman chronicled a new trend: politically active conservatives who nevertheless eschew organized religion. “This campaign is also distinctly different from the culture wars of the late 20th century, and it reflects a broad shift in conservatism’s priorities and worldview. The conservative political project is no longer specifically Christian.”
But followers of Jesus, while still involved in the conservative political project, should still be specifically Christian. While we may be co-belligerents with those who might agree with us on certain issues but don’t share our gospel commitments, we must be cautious to let the secularism of some become a catechizing influence.
There is a temptation, in our voting, our speaking to issues, our work for the common good, to see these necessary political arguments and debates as ultimate while growing bored with the rhythms and rituals of local church life. Posting an opinion, crafting public policy, or protesting seem more exhilarating than listening to a sermon or making a meal for a shut-in or volunteering at Vacation Bible School. The big national issues debated online sometimes seem more important or urgent.
These issues matter, but there can be no question where we believe the locus of God’s activity exists. It’s not the courtroom, the capital, or the classroom that Jesus promised would endure through the ages, but the church, whom he has purchased with his own blood.
It is in our humble weekly gatherings—in cathedrals and caves, storefronts and under steeples—where the Spirit chooses to most fully dwell and God chooses to act. It is the witness of the church, where ordinary sinners are regenerated through the power of the gospel, that most impacts the world.
John Stott once wrote:
The Christian life is not just our own private affair. If we have been born again into God’s family, not only has he become our Father but every other Christian believer in the world, whatever his nation or denomination, has become our brother or sister in Christ. But it is no good supposing that membership of the universal Church of Christ is enough; we must belong to some local branch of it. Every Christian’s place is in a local church, sharing in its worship, its fellowship, and its witness.
This isn’t to say that what we do on Sundays is all that matters. No, our weekly gatherings around the word and prayer and sacrament equips us for our lives in the world. But while our calling is always more than what we do within the four walls of our local church, it is never less. By prioritizing the assembling of ourselves together, we enter the week with a gospel-shaped view of what it is God would have us to do to in our families, our communities, and our country.
In fact, recent research by the group Neighborly Faith affirms this. Young evangelicals who attend church are more likely to lend their time and resources to charity and activism. They report that their pastors and small group leaders are the most important influences in their lives. This is healthy.
For those of us who are more politically engaged, our friendships with ordinary Christians in Sunday school and small groups helps bring needed balance and perspective. Most of our fellow believers are likely not as obsessed with every new controversy and every social media storm. Most are busy working, getting their kids to school, and serving God with the people of God around them. Most are not on Twitter. Tight-knit relationships in our local church provide accountability and discipline, formation and friendship that is essential for our life in the world. If we don’t prioritize local church life, our ethics will be shaped by pundits, politicians, and party. Our ethics will be molded to the prevailing social ethos.
Christians should be eager to engage the culture, to participate in the important debates that shape our country. Christians should write columns, run for office, start non-profits, and other activities that promote the common good. Yet we shouldn’t be naive to believe that we can “change the world” by disobeying God’s command to gather, to worship, to participate in the local assembly of believers (Hebrews 10:25). What our country most needs today is not more punditry, but more healthy, prophetic, evangelistic, spirit-filled local churches. As G.K. Chesterton eloquently said, “We do not want a church that will move with the world. We want a church that will move the world.”
Originally appeared in World Magazine.
Today, we have J. D. Greear joining us on The Way Home podcast. J.D. Greear is the pastor of The Summit Church, in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. He has a new book out titled “Essential Christianity” where he works through the essential truths of the Christian faith. Today, we discuss questions like “what are the things we’re fighting for?” and “what are the things that matter?” to redirect our efforts in fighting for what does matter.
Show Notes
J. D. Greear Biography: Pastor J.D. Greear has authored several books. He also hosts Summit Life, a daily, 30-minute radio broadcast and weekly NRBTV program. Pastor J.D. completed his Ph.D. in Theology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has served as a member of the Board of Directors of Chick-fil-A since January 2022 and recently served as the 62nd president of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Books: Essential Christianity (2023), Just Ask (2021), What Are You Going to Do with Your Life? (2020), Searching for Christmas (2020), Above All (2019), Not God Enough (2018), Gaining by Losing (2015), Gospel (2011), Stop Asking Jesus into Your Heart (2013), and Jesus, Continued… (2014)
Twitter: @jdgreear
Facebook: J. D. Greear
Instagram: @pastorjdgreear
If you like what we’re doing here on the podcast, with my books, and at The Land Center, I want to ask you to think about donating to The Land Center through Southwestern Theological Seminary. I also want to thank everyone for your general support in everything that we’re doing.
Donate to the Land Center: https://join.swbts.edu/register/givelandcenter
My book Characters of Easter is available as a great study for the upcoming Easter season.
Click here to sign up for my new writing cohort with Chad Poe.
Today we have Jason Thacker joining us on The Way Home podcast. Jason Thacker is the author of several books including Following Jesus in the Digital Age and The Age of AI: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity. He is a leading expert in the ethics and theology behind how Christians should view and use technology. Today, we discuss how to steward our lives in a digital age.
Show Notes
Jason Thacker Biography: Jason Thacker serves as chair of research in technology ethics and director of the research institute at The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. He also serves as an adjunct instructor of philosophy, ethics, and worldview at Boyce College in Louisville, KY. He is a graduate of The University of Tennessee in Knoxville, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies. He also holds a Master of Divinity from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he is currently a PhD candidate in ethics, public theology, and philosophy.
Books: Following Jesus in a Digital Age, The Digital Public Square, A Student’s Guide to Social Media, The Age of AI
Twitter: @jasonthacker
Facebook: Jason Thacker
Instagram: @jasonthacker
If you like what we’re doing here on the podcast, with my books, and at The Land Center, I want to ask you to think about donating to The Land Center through Southwestern Theological Seminary. I also want to thank everyone for your general support in everything that we’re doing.
Donate to the Land Center: https://join.swbts.edu/register/givelandcenter
My book Characters of Easter is available as a great study for the upcoming Easter season.
Click here to sign up for my new writing cohort with Chad Poe.
Today we have Collin Hansen joining us on The Way Home podcast. Collin Hansen is an influential Christian leader who just published a new biography about Timothy Keller who founded Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, New York. Today Collin and I discuss the people who impacted Keller’s spiritual and intellectual formation like R.C. Sproul, C.S. Lewis, and Jonathan Edwards.
Show Notes
Collin Hansen Biography: Collin Hansen serves as vice president for content and editor in chief of The Gospel Coalition. He hosts the Gospelbound podcast and has written and contributed to many books. He is a member of Iron City Church in Birmingham, Alabama, and he is an adjunct professor at Beeson Divinity School, where he also co-chairs the advisory board.
Books: Timothy Keller: His Spiritual and Intellectual Formation, Rediscover Church: Why the Body of Christ Is Essential, Gospelbound: Living with Resolute Hope in an Anxious Age, Faithful Endurance: The Joy of Shepherding People for a Lifetime, Our Secular Age: Ten Years of Reading and Applying Charles Taylor
Twitter: @collinhansen
As we enter this new year, and if you like what we’re doing here on the podcast, with my books, and at The Land Center, I want to ask you to think about donating to The Land Center through Southwestern Theological Seminary. I also want to thank everyone for your general support in everything that we’re doing.
Donate to the Land Center: https://join.swbts.edu/register/givelandcenter
My book Characters for Creation is available as a great resource for your Bible study this year.
To sign up for my writing cohort with Chad Poe on January 10th, you can fill out this RSVP form.
Today we have Ronnie Martin joining us on The Way Home podcast. Ronnie Ronnie Martin is a songwriter, recording artist, author, and Lead Pastor of Substance Church (EFCA). His most recent solo albums are From the Womb of the Morning, the Dew of Your Youth Will Be Yours (Velvet Blue Music, 2022), and Bells Merrily: The Christmas Recordings (Velvet Blue Music, 2022). Today we discuss pastoring during the Christmas season, the meaning of Christmas in the midst of turbulent times, and why Christmas makes such a wonderful subject for art and creativity.
As we wrap up this year, and if you like what we’re doing here on the podcast, with my books, and at The Land Center, I want to ask you to think about donating to The Land Center through Southwestern Theological Seminary. I also want to thank everyone for your general support in everything that we’re doing.
My book Characters for Christmas is available for this advent season.
Show Notes
Ronnie Martin Biography: Ronnie completed his M.A. at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and is currently finishing his DMin at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Ronnie is also the Director of Leader Renewal for Harbor Network, where he works alongside church planters and pastors in areas related to pastoral care. Ronnie has given talks and sermons around the country on a wide variety of topics including theology, pastoral ministry, small-town pastoring, worship, music, and Christian living.
Ronnie’s writing has appeared in Lifeway Research, For the Church, The Gospel Coalition, and other places. He is the co-host of two podcasts: The Happy Rant (w/ Ted Kluck & Barnabas Piper) and The Art of Pastoring (w/ Jared C. Wilson).
Books: The God Who Is with Us: 25-Day Devotional for Advent, The Happy Rant: Wandering To and Fro Through Some Things That Don’t Matter All That Much (and a Few That Really Do), The Best Gift Ever Given: A 25-Day Journey Through Advent from God’s Good Gifts to God’s Great Son, The Bride(zilla) of Christ: What to Do When God’s People Hurt God’s People, Stop Your Complaining: From Grumbling to Gratitude
Music: Bells Merrily on Spotify
Website: ronniemartin.org
Twitter: @ronniejmartin
Facebook: Ronnie Martin
Instagram: @ronniemartin
Donate to the Land Center: https://join.swbts.edu/register/givelandcenter
Today we have Mark Sayers joining us on The Way Home podcast. Mark is the senior leader of Red Church in Melbourne, Australia. In his newest book A Non-Anxious Presence: How a Changing and Complex World Will Create a Remnant of Renewed Christian Leaders, Sayers charts how the church and world entered into our current…
Today we have Alisa Childers joining us on The Way Home podcast. Alisa Childers is a wife, a mom, an author, a blogger, a speaker, and a worship leader. Her newest book called Live Your Truth and Other Lies: Exposing Popular Deceptions That Make Us Anxious, Exhausted, and Self-Obsessed is now. Today we discuss key themes…
Today we have Dr. Bart Barber joining us on The Way Home podcast. Bart Barber is the pastor of the First Baptist Church in Farmersville, TX and serves as the president of the Southern Baptist Convention. Today we discuss pastoring in difficult times, why Bart feels called to this position of leadership in the SBC,…
Today we have Derwin Gray joining us on The Way Home podcast. Derwin Gray is the author of How to Heal Our Racial Divide: What the Bible Says, and the First Christians Knew, about Racial Reconciliation. There’s much conversation about race and tension surrounding it, but Derwin Gray takes an approach that remembers Scriptures and…
Today we have Ronni Kurtz joining us on The Way Home podcast. Ronni Kurtz is the author of Fruitful Theology: How the Life of the Mind Leads to the Life of the Soul. He has a great perspective on how Christians should pursue study of the Word, Christian theology, intellectual pursuits. Today we discuss the separation…
Today we have Mark Talbot joining us on The Way Home podcast. Mark Talbot is the author of a multivolume series on theology of suffering. He has a comprehensive look on suffering in the scriptures and how we should think about it coming from his own experience with suffering. Today we dive into his latest…
Today we have Matthew Soerens joining us on The Way Home podcast. Matthew Soerens serves as the U.S. Director of Church Mobilization for World Relief, which is the humanitarian arm of the National Association of Evangelicals. In that role, he helps evangelical churches to understand the realities of refugees and immigration and to respond in…
Today we have Kelly Kapic joining us on The Way Home podcast. Kelly Kapic is professor of theological studies at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia. He is the award-winning author or editor of more than 15 books. Today we discuss his newest book You’re Only Human where he discusses what it means to be human, made…
Today we have Kristen Waggoner joining us on The Way Home podcast. Kristen Waggoner is general counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom, the largest legal organization that protects religious freedom, free speech, parental rights, and the right to life. Today we discuss the fall of Roe v. Wade with the Dobbs case and religious liberty for all…
Today we have George Yancey joining us on The Way Home podcast. George Yancey is a professor of sociology with an academic interest in race relations and anti-Christian attitudes in the United States. Today we discuss his newest book Beyond Racial Division and important topics like colorblindness, anti-racism, and systemic racism. This episode of The Way Home…
Now that the nearly 50-year struggle to overturn Roe v. Wade and allow states to pass laws that recognize the unborn has proven successful, where does family-based conservatism go from here? The Supreme Court’s decision to reverse Roe comes at a time when the conservative movement was already debating what it believes, as the unsteady…
Today we have Thomas Kidd joining us on The Way Home podcast. Thomas Kidd is an American historian, currently a Distinguished Professor at Baylor University and Distinguished Professor of Church History at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Today we discuss his book Thomas Jefferson: A Biography of Spirit and Flesh, Jefferson’s theology and faith, and the…
Today we have Tony Reinke joining us on The Way Home podcast. Tony Reinke is a senior teacher for Desiring God, host of the Ask Pastor John podcast, and author of God, Technology, and the Christian Life (2002). We discuss how Christians should think about technology, what technology actually is, and how Scripture guides us in our technology…
After about a five month break, we are excited to be back and continuing important conversations with key Christian leaders and figures. Today we have Shannon Bream joining us on The Way Home podcast to introduce this new season. Shannon Bream currently serves as anchor of FOX News Channel’s (FNC) FOX News @ Night with Shannon Bream (weekdays…
Today we have Kenny Luck joining us on The Way Home podcast to cap off 2021. He is the founder and president of Every Man Ministries, a great ministry that encourages men to fulfill their God-given calling. He’s got a new book out called “Failsafe” about living in God’s acceptance. We also talk about the…
Today Kevin Holloran joins me on The Way Home. He works at Unlocking the Bible, the teaching ministry of Collin Smith. They do great work helping people understand the Scriptures. Kevin is a thoughtful theologian, and he has a great book out called “When Prayer is a Struggle.” He talks about why prayer is a…
Today on The Way Home, Randy Newman, senior fellow for apologetics and evangelism as the C.S. Lewis Institute, joins me again on The Way Home. He is a gifted apologist, writer, and speaker. In today’s episode, we talk about his latest book “Mere Evangelism: 10 Insights From C.S. Lewis to Help You Share Your Faith.” He…
Today, Collin Hansen, editor in chief of The Gospel Coalition, joins me again on The Way Home. He’s a prolific writer, author, and podcast host. Collin is a penetrating thinker on church issues and theology and culture. In today’s episode, we talk about his new book “Rediscover Church: Why the Body of Christ Is Essential,” what…
In 1976, the cover of Newsweek declared that, with a presidential election that featured the born-again Jimmy Carter, it was the “Year of the Evangelical.” Forty-five years later, the news media fascination with my spiritual family has not abated. From the heady days of 2004, when once again evangelicals were crowned a defining political force, to this moment when a cottage industry…
Today, spoken word artist and author Blair Linne joins me on The Way Home Podcast. She is a really gifted communicator and Bible teacher. She has a very powerful personal story, and today we talk about her latest book “Finding My Father: How the Gospel Heals the Pain of Fatherlessness” and the problem of fatherlessness.…
Today, Jordan Raynor joins me on The Way Home Podcast, and we talk about his new book “Redeeming Your Time: 7 Biblical Principles for Being Purposeful, Present, and Wildly Productive.” I love Jordan’s work. He has several other books that I’ve found helpful. In this episode, we talk about creativity and work and productivity in a really gospel-centered…
Today I’m joined by John Thompson, Associate Dean of Trevecca Nazarene University’s School of Music in Nashville, Tennessee. He’s a speaker, producer, author, artist, and the founder of the podcast “True Tunes.” He is an expert on all things Contemporary Christian Music (CCM). He was a consultant and was interviewed for the new film “The…
Today it was announced what is next for me and my family. I’ve accepted a position as Director of the Land Center for Cultural Engagement at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. I’ll also be serving as assistant professor of faith and culture at Texas Baptist College. I’ll continue to write for World Magazine as a columnist and contribute to USA Today. It’s…
Today, J.D. Greear joins me again on The Way Home podcast. J.D. is the former president of the Southern Baptist Convention and the senior pastor of The Summit Church in North Carolina. J.D. Greear wrote a new book called “Just Ask: The Joy of Confident, Bold, Patient, Relentless, Shameless, Dependent, Grateful, Powerful, Expectant Prayer.” On this episode, we talk about his new book, leadership, and his prayer life.
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Show Notes
J.D. Greear Biography: J.D. Greear is the pastor of The Summit Church, in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina and the 62nd president of the Southern Baptist Convention. He is also the author of several books and speaks at events and conferences around the world. Under Pastor J.D.’s leadership, the Summit has grown from a plateaued church of 300 to one of over 12,000. Pastor J.D. has led the Summit in a bold vision to plant one thousand new churches by the year 2050.
Book: Just Ask: The Joy of Confident, Bold, Patient, Relentless, Shameless, Dependent, Grateful, Powerful, Expectant Prayer
Website: www.jdgreear.com
Twitter: @jdgreear
Instagram: @pastorjdgreear
Facebook: pastorgreear
This episode is sponsored by Canopy.