Reasonable Theology Podcast

There is no shortage of new books to read, but we all have favorites that we have read multiple times.One of the books that I’ve reread the most is Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders.While you may expect that this book would be focused solely on those interested in learning or sharpening leadership skills for their work or ministry roles, this book contains incredible insight that will benefit every Christian. In fact, the full title of the book captures this perfectly: Spiritual Leadership: Principles of Excellence for Every Believer.To encourage you to check out this book for yourself, I'd like to share 14 of my favorite quotes from this work. You can find each of the quotes as well as links to pick up a copy of the book at ReasonableTheology.org/LeadershipSupport the showGET THE NEWSLETTEREach edition of the Reasonable Theology newsletter contains my latest article or podcast episode PLUS:A Theological Word or Phrase Explained Quickly and ClearlyA Painting Depicting a Scene from Scripture or Church HistoryAudio of a Hymn or other Musical Selection to EnjoyA Recommended Book or Resource to Expand Your LibrarySUBSCRIBE HERE

God is not disinterested in how we worship Him. The Regulative Principle of Worship seeks to help the church worship God His way, not ours.On this episode we examine the biblical basis of the Regulative Principle of Worship and explore how it informs the way in which worship should be conducted in the church. We also compare it to alternative principles, such as the Inventive Principle and the Normative Principle, and discuss the challenges associated with each of these views. ► For more on this topic, visit https://ReasonableTheology,org/Worship► Let's Connect: Facebook: https://facebook.com/ReasonableTheologyTwitter: https://twitter.com/TheologyTweetsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/reasonabletheologySupport the showGET THE NEWSLETTEREach edition of the Reasonable Theology newsletter contains my latest article or podcast episode PLUS:A Theological Word or Phrase Explained Quickly and ClearlyA Painting Depicting a Scene from Scripture or Church HistoryAudio of a Hymn or other Musical Selection to EnjoyA Recommended Book or Resource to Expand Your LibrarySUBSCRIBE HERE

When you think of challenges that Christians face in reaching the culture with the Gospel, you typically think of issues such as atheism, agnosticism, or perhaps living in a place that predominantly adheres to a different religion, such as Islam.On this episode of the podcast our guest Kyle Beshears argues that apathy is the great challenge that we have to face in our culture, as people are increasingly apathetic towards spiritual things. Kyle is the author of Apatheism: How We Share When They Don't Care, and in this conversation we will talk about the four conditions that lead to a culture to become 'apatheistic' and how we can seek to overcome those hurdles when sharing the Gospel with those around us.Check out the Show Notes at ReasonableTheology.org/68Get a free trial of Logos at ReasonableTheology.org/Logos Support the showGET THE NEWSLETTEREach edition of the Reasonable Theology newsletter contains my latest article or podcast episode PLUS:A Theological Word or Phrase Explained Quickly and ClearlyA Painting Depicting a Scene from Scripture or Church HistoryAudio of a Hymn or other Musical Selection to EnjoyA Recommended Book or Resource to Expand Your LibrarySUBSCRIBE HERE

God the Son taking on flesh did not come as a Plan B after man’s failure to uphold the religious system they were entrusted with. Even a cursory reading of the Old Testament reveals that redemptive history was always steadily marching towards the appearance of God’s Messiah who would bring salvation to His people.This took place precisely when God intended for it to. In Galatians we read that “when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”What we see here in the first chapter of Luke’s Gospel is the revelation that this long-awaited moment, the fulness of time, had come – that He who made man would become man in a matter of months.                          The Messiah was soon to arrive.With anticipation built up over the centuries for Immanuel to come and ‘ransom captive Israel,’ we see His entrance would not come as a conquering king, but instead an angelic messenger is sent from God to an obscure young woman in an obscure town in Galilee.In this sermon on Luke 1:26-33 we will consider the messenger, secondly we will look to Mary and her response, and finally we will look at how Gabriel describes the coming Messiah.Get a free trial of Logos at ReasonableTheology.org/Logos Support the showGET THE NEWSLETTEREach edition of the Reasonable Theology newsletter contains my latest article or podcast episode PLUS:A Theological Word or Phrase Explained Quickly and ClearlyA Painting Depicting a Scene from Scripture or Church HistoryAudio of a Hymn or other Musical Selection to EnjoyA Recommended Book or Resource to Expand Your LibrarySUBSCRIBE HERE

Hark the Herald Angels Sing is one of the best-known and best-loved Christmas songs and has been for well over 260 years. But you might not recognize the original lyrics. It began with:Hark how all the welkin rings, Glory to the King of KingsWhat on earth is a welkin? And how did this hymn change over time?Here’s the story behind the original hymn, the change in its lyrics, and how it came to be the familiar song we know today.See more hymn stories at https://reasonabletheology.org/hymn-storiesSupport the showGET THE NEWSLETTEREach edition of the Reasonable Theology newsletter contains my latest article or podcast episode PLUS:A Theological Word or Phrase Explained Quickly and ClearlyA Painting Depicting a Scene from Scripture or Church HistoryAudio of a Hymn or other Musical Selection to EnjoyA Recommended Book or Resource to Expand Your LibrarySUBSCRIBE HERE

In Matthew 8:23-27 we read the dramatic account of Jesus calming the storm on the Sea of Galilee.Unfortunately, the primary message of this passage is often minimized or missed altogether.The ultimate lesson here is not about Jesus calming the storms in your life, nor do we find a promise here that Jesus will get you safely to every destination you set for yourself.The calming of the storm on the Sea of Galilee is first and foremost about being confronted with the nature of Jesus Christ: truly man yet truly God.Unless we rightly understand this we cannot rightly apply this passage to our lives.The following is a sermon I preached on this passage, and I trust that you'll find even greater encouragement here when rightly seeing the focus on Jesus Christ rather than ourselves.Get a free trial of Logos at ReasonableTheology.org/Logos Support the showGET THE NEWSLETTEREach edition of the Reasonable Theology newsletter contains my latest article or podcast episode PLUS:A Theological Word or Phrase Explained Quickly and ClearlyA Painting Depicting a Scene from Scripture or Church HistoryAudio of a Hymn or other Musical Selection to EnjoyA Recommended Book or Resource to Expand Your LibrarySUBSCRIBE HERE

A firm grasp of church history provides believers with encouragement to press on in the midst of difficulties, gives us warnings to avoid the mistakes of the past, and provides us with a better understanding of the men, women, and events that God has used to further His kingdom.But where should a person begin in their study of the history of the church? Which events and eras are especially important, and who are some of the people that every Christian should be familiar with?On this episode of the podcast we are joined once again by Troy Frasier, co-host of the Revived Thoughts podcast, which brings you some of history’s greatest sermons along with fascinating backstories about the life and times of the men who preached them.In this conversation we will discuss why studying church history is important for every believer, which eras are especially interesting, key events that you should know about, and the best ways to further educate yourself about the history of Christianity.We mention a lot of people and a lot of resources on this episode, so be sure to visit https://ReasonableTheology.org/Troy for the show notes and links to additional resources to dive deeper into church history.Get a free trial of Logos at ReasonableTheology.org/Logos Support the showGET THE NEWSLETTEREach edition of the Reasonable Theology newsletter contains my latest article or podcast episode PLUS:A Theological Word or Phrase Explained Quickly and ClearlyA Painting Depicting a Scene from Scripture or Church HistoryAudio of a Hymn or other Musical Selection to EnjoyA Recommended Book or Resource to Expand Your LibrarySUBSCRIBE HERE

Our society desperately needs Christian men to recover a right understanding of Biblical masculinity so that they can strengthen our homes, communities, and our society as a whole as God intended.Despite the damaging effects that stem from a failure of men to accept responsibility and to love and lead their families as they are called to, our culture encourages prolonged adolescence, provides few helpful role models, and discourages men from fulfilling their God-given roles.Unfortunately the church has often not done a great job at instilling true biblical masculinity — either failing to give it proper attention or doing little more than creating ‘manly’ social clubs or offering an occasional men’s retreat. There is much more work to do to recover a right understanding of what it means to be a godly man, husband, and father.On this episode we speak with Jeremy Stalnecker about Biblical masculinity. Jeremy is a former Marine Corps infantry officer and is an author, speaker, and the CEO of the Mighty Oaks Foundation, which works with military veterans and others overcoming PTSD.During our conversation we will define Biblical masculinity, examine the ways in which unhealthy views of manhood have negatively impacted our society, and discuss how we can recover a right understanding of godly masculinity and pass it on to the next generation.See the Show Notes at ReasonableTheology.org/ManlinessGet a free trial of Logos at ReasonableTheology.org/Logos Support the showGET THE NEWSLETTEREach edition of the Reasonable Theology newsletter contains my latest article or podcast episode PLUS:A Theological Word or Phrase Explained Quickly and ClearlyA Painting Depicting a Scene from Scripture or Church HistoryAudio of a Hymn or other Musical Selection to EnjoyA Recommended Book or Resource to Expand Your LibrarySUBSCRIBE HERE

There are three questions which every person must find answers to: Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I going?While secularism, naturalism, and relativism all attempt to provide satisfying answers to these questions, there can be no ultimate meaning in life without God. But in today’s culture the idea of the existence of God has largely been rejected.This has resulted in a society that desperately needs to hear the evidence for believing in God and restoring Him to His rightful place in our lives.On this episode, apologist Josh McDowell shares why belief in God is vital for finding meaning in life and provides evidence for His existence based on reason and observation.His latest book, co-authored by Thomas Williams, is called How to Know God Exists: Solid Reasons to Believe in God, Discover Truth, and Find Meaning in Your Life. In it they use reason and common sense to show that only God provides answers to life’s most important questions.During our conversation we’ll discuss the relationship between faith and reason, why secular worldviews fail to give meaning to life, and how the challenges to and criticisms of Christianity have changed over the six decades of his ministry.See the show notes at ReasonableTheology.org/JoshGet a free trial of Logos at ReasonableTheology.org/Logos Support the showGET THE NEWSLETTEREach edition of the Reasonable Theology newsletter contains my latest article or podcast episode PLUS:A Theological Word or Phrase Explained Quickly and ClearlyA Painting Depicting a Scene from Scripture or Church HistoryAudio of a Hymn or other Musical Selection to EnjoyA Recommended Book or Resource to Expand Your LibrarySUBSCRIBE HERE

Did the United States truly have a Christian founding, or were the Founders simply Deists who desired to create a secular nation?This question has been hotly debated for generations, and our society increasingly regards the idea of America's Christian heritage as something to be minimized, rejected, or denied.So what is the truth regarding the faith of the Founders and how it influenced their actions as they fought a revolution and brought forth a new nation?To answer this question we're speaking with historian Mark David Hall. Hall is one of the most distinguished scholars of early American history. He is a professor, a nationally-recognized expert on religious freedom, and the author of several books, including Did America Have a Christian Founding? In this conversation we'll discuss how Christianity shaped our nation, how much impact deism actually had on some of the founders, the true meaning of the separation of church and state, and how we can return to the biblical founding principles that made America a great nation.See the Show Notes at ReasonableTheology.org/FoundersGet a free trial of Logos at ReasonableTheology.org/Logos Support the showGET THE NEWSLETTEREach edition of the Reasonable Theology newsletter contains my latest article or podcast episode PLUS:A Theological Word or Phrase Explained Quickly and ClearlyA Painting Depicting a Scene from Scripture or Church HistoryAudio of a Hymn or other Musical Selection to EnjoyA Recommended Book or Resource to Expand Your LibrarySUBSCRIBE HERE