Thinking Christian: Clear Theology for a Confusing World

Dr. James Spencer welcomes Eun Strawser—author of You Were Never Meant to Lead Alone and co-vocational lead pastor of Ma Ke Ali o—to rethink church leadership through the lens of Ephesians 4–5. Instead of celebrity or solitary leaders, Nkei makes the case for polycentric/shared leadership that distributes authority, equips the saints, and embodies mutual submission. We unpack how different kinds of authority (positional, spiritual, relational) operate in churches, and why power must be examined (not ignored). We also touch on co-vocational models, local-context leadership (Hawai‘i), accountability frameworks, and why the true metric of health is a discipled people who imitate Jesus for the good of their neighbors. Buy the book: You Were Never Meant to Lead Alone at ivpress.com (use code IVPPOD20 for a 20% discount) 🔗 Learn more about Useful to God: www.usefultogod.com 📢 Stay Connected & Keep Growing! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to Thinking Christian so you never miss an insightful conversation! For more resources to help you grow in faith and deepen your walk with Christ, visit Useful to God—where you'll find books, courses, podcasts, and more to equip you for faithful Christian living. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

James and Nate unpack a recent Gallup poll on Americans’ views of capitalism—down from 60% (2021) to 54% (2025)favorable—and why that headline can mislead. Beneath it: strong support for free enterprise and small business, persistent dislike of big business, and sharp differences across age, gender, and party. Rather than picking teams (“capitalism vs. socialism”), they ask the more Christian question: where are we placing our hope? Drawing on 1 Samuel, the exile, and Daniel, they argue systems are provisional, reform is often wise, but obedience to Christ is the constant—“fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” The church’s political and economic posture should flow downstream from discipleship, not the other way around. Subscribe to our YouTube channel 🔗 Download a free resource "Making Everyday Decisions So That God Gets the Glory" from Useful to God: www.usefultogod.com To read James's article on this topic, check out his author page on Christianity.com. 📢 Stay Connected & Keep Growing! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to Thinking Christian so you never miss an insightful conversation! For more resources to help you grow in faith and deepen your walk with Christ, visit Useful to God—where you'll find books, courses, podcasts, and more to equip you for faithful Christian living. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Dr. James Spencer welcomes Ryan Skoog—author of Lead with Prayer and president of Venture—for a wide-ranging conversation on prayer, discipleship, and the explosive growth of the global church. Ryan shares powerful stories from persecuted and unreached regions where God’s kingdom is breaking out through church-planting movements, miraculous healings, and courageous local believers. Together, James and Ryan explore why persecution forges unity, how oral cultures disciple through obedience and memorization, and what Western Christians can learn from the prayer lives of global leaders. Ryan also unpacks insights from interviewing over 100 leaders worldwide, showing how prayer is not an afterthought but the engine of fruitful leadership. Learn how friendship with Jesus, crafting a day with God, and investing in prayer can transform your life and ministry. For Lead with Prayer resources visit https://www.leadwithprayer.com.  Purchase Lead with Prayer on amazon.com. Subscribe to Our YouTube Channel! 🔗 Learn more about Useful to God: www.usefultogod.com 📢 Stay Connected & Keep Growing! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to Thinking Christian so you never miss an insightful conversation! For more resources to help you grow in faith and deepen your walk with Christ, visit Useful to God—where you'll find books, courses, podcasts, and more to equip you for faithful Christian living. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Dr. James Spencer sits down with Will Acuff—author of No Elevator to Everest: Shift from Survive to Thrive through Spirit-Led Self-Awareness and cofounder of Corner to Corner (Nashville)—to explore how Christians can move from frantic survival to joyful, Spirit-led living. We talk practical rhythms (breathwork, journaling, contemplative prayer), why emotions are God-given “sensors,” and Will’s delete / delegate / do differently framework for designing your day. Will shares how Corner to Corner helps neighbors in historically low-income communities start and grow businesses because ownership ends poverty—with real stories of everyday entrepreneurs changing their families’ futures. We also press into discipleship that unites knowledge of God and knowledge of self, so our lives tune to the Spirit—and become life-giving to others. To find out more about Corner to Corner visit: https://cornertocorner.org/team/will-acuff/ To purchase No Elevator to Everest, visit amazon.com. Subscribe to Our YouTube Channel! 🔗 Learn more about Useful to God: www.usefultogod.com 📢 Stay Connected & Keep Growing! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to Thinking Christian so you never miss an insightful conversation! For more resources to help you grow in faith and deepen your walk with Christ, visit Useful to God—where you'll find books, courses, podcasts, and more to equip you for faithful Christian living. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In this episode of the Thinking Christian Podcast, Dr. James Spencer is joined by Nate Giarratano reflect on recent political commentary surrounding the Israel–Gaza conflict. Instead of offering hot takes on a complex war, they examine how soundbites and slogans from public figures—like those from Marjorie Taylor Greene and Randy Fine—can distort, oversimplify, or inflame rather than inform. The conversation emphasizes why Christians must resist being swept along by unsupported claims and polarized rhetoric. With humility, James and Nate point to a posture rooted in justice, compassion, and truth-seeking, reminding listeners that every conflict involves people made in the image of God. This episode challenges believers to ask deeper questions: How do we discern what’s right when information is incomplete? How can we lament both the tragedy of war and the misuse of words that fail to honor the gravity of human suffering? Join us for a calm, theological exploration of why careful thinking and Christ-centered discernment matter more than ever in an age of political performance and digital noise. Subscribe to Our YouTube Channel! 🔗 Learn more about Useful to God: www.usefultogod.com 📢 Stay Connected & Keep Growing! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to Thinking Christian so you never miss an insightful conversation! For more resources to help you grow in faith and deepen your walk with Christ, visit Useful to God—where you'll find books, courses, podcasts, and more to equip you for faithful Christian living. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In a culture obsessed with self-optimization and curated spirituality, Joshua S. Porter offers a counterintuitive call: come and die. In this episode, James Spencer sits down with the punk-rocker-turned-pastor to discuss Porter’s new book, How to Die: Chaos, Morality, and the Scandal of Christian Discipleship. Together, they unpack what it means to reject a domesticated God, embrace an untamable Savior, and walk a path shaped not by personal branding but by the cross. Drawing from Flannery O’Connor, Bonhoeffer, monastic writings, and gritty pastoral experience, this conversation invites listeners into a disruptive, deeply human, and refreshingly orthodox vision of Christian faithfulness. Whether you’re deconstructing, reconstructing, or just trying to figure out what dying to self actually looks like, this is a must-listen. To purchase How to Die visit amazon.com. Subscribe to Our YouTube Channel! 🔗 Learn more about Useful to God: www.usefultogod.com 📢 Stay Connected & Keep Growing! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to Thinking Christian so you never miss an insightful conversation! For more resources to help you grow in faith and deepen your walk with Christ, visit Useful to God—where you'll find books, courses, podcasts, and more to equip you for faithful Christian living. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In this episode of Thinking Christian, Dr. James Spencer hosts Jeremy Stalnecker of the March or Die podcast. They discuss Jeremy's ministry to veterans, the challenges facing those coming back from combat, and leadership.  To find out more about Jeremy, visit www.jeremystalnecker.com Subscribe to Our YouTube Channel! 🔗 Learn more about Useful to God: www.usefultogod.com 📢 Stay Connected & Keep Growing! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to Thinking Christian so you never miss an insightful conversation! For more resources to help you grow in faith and deepen your walk with Christ, visit Useful to God—where you'll find books, courses, podcasts, and more to equip you for faithful Christian living.     Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

What makes temptation so compelling? In this episode of Thinking Christian's Prepped Series, Dr. James Spencer takes us deep into one of Scripture's most foundational passages—the fall narrative in Genesis 3:1-7. Far from a simple story of disobedience, James reveals the sophisticated dynamics at play: the serpent's calculated ambiguity, the woman's thoughtful but tragic reasoning, and the recurring biblical pattern of "seeing good and taking." Exploring the Hebrew nuances often lost in translation, he shows how the serpent systematically undermines God's sovereignty, wisdom, and benevolence—turning paradise into perceived prison. But James doesn't stop with ancient history. He challenges listeners to recognize these same patterns of doubt and self-determination in their own lives, while pointing to Christ as the one who reverses the tragic cycle of seeing, declaring, and taking through trusting, obeying, and giving. Subscribe to Our YouTube Channel! 🔗 Learn more about Useful to God: www.usefultogod.com 📢 Stay Connected & Keep Growing! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to Thinking Christian so you never miss an insightful conversation! For more resources to help you grow in faith and deepen your walk with Christ, visit Useful to God—where you'll find books, courses, podcasts, and more to equip you for faithful Christian living. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In this episode of Thinking Christian, Dr. James Spencer and Nate dive into the recent Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) vote addressing Christian nationalism. They explore what makes Christian nationalism problematic from a biblical perspective, distinguishing it from both healthy political engagement and American civil religion. With examples ranging from Ten Commandments in classrooms to Doug Wilson’s patriotic theology, they challenge lazy uses of the term "Christian" and advocate for theological precision. The conversation closes with reflections on how believers can engage faithfully in politics without confusing the kingdom of God with the kingdoms of this world. Subscribe to Our YouTube Channel! 🔗 Learn more about Useful to God: www.usefultogod.com 📢 Stay Connected & Keep Growing! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to Thinking Christian so you never miss an insightful conversation! For more resources to help you grow in faith and deepen your walk with Christ, visit Useful to God—where you'll find books, courses, podcasts, and more to equip you for faithful Christian living. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

What does it truly mean to be a "helper"? In this episode of Thinking Christian's Prepped Series, Dr. James Spencer challenges common misconceptions surrounding the Hebrew word ezer, often translated as "helper" in Genesis 2:18. Moving beyond traditional hierarchical interpretations, James explores how ezer is used throughout the Old Testament, revealing its profound connection to strength, support, and indispensable aid—qualities that describe God Himself. He delves into various scholarly views, ultimately presenting a compelling case for ezer as a co-equal, mutual partner in God's mission. This episode will reshape your understanding of the male-female relationship, highlight the dignity and responsibility inherent in the ezer role, and point to the hope of restoration in Christ, even in the face of post-fall brokenness. Subscribe to Our YouTube Channel! 🔗 Learn more about Useful to God: www.usefultogod.com 📢 Stay Connected & Keep Growing! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to Thinking Christian so you never miss an insightful conversation! For more resources to help you grow in faith and deepen your walk with Christ, visit Useful to God—where you'll find books, courses, podcasts, and more to equip you for faithful Christian living. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.