Mortification of Spin

How on earth can we trust the books in the Bible to be the only Word of God, or “canon”, to which no man should add or subtract? What exactly is the canon and why is it important? What are its fundamental flaws, (and if there are any), then how can we be confident in it? The canon can be an intimidating topic so naturally we spared no expense in bringing out the big guns: Michael Kruger. Dr. Kruger is President of Reformed Seminary Charlotte, Samuel C. Patterson Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity, and author of numerous books. However, he’s more widely known for being married to Melissa Kruger. Hopefully we will get her on the show soon - but Michael makes for a nice Plan B.The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals has a few copies of The Heresy of Orthodoxy by Michael J. Kruger that we would like to giveaway.

Can mercy and grace find their way into your workout? Well, uniting brain and brawn has never been more feasible thanks to the desperate efforts of another Theologizer. In other news: Carl has a piercing question for Todd: “Is your Frat-Boy-Honeymoon period with the PCA over?” General Assembly recently ruffled some feathers, but thankfully they’d never get rid of Systematic Theology or start ordaining women … right?! … or would they?The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals would like to offer you a free MP3 download entitled "The Vitality of Reformed Systematic Theology" by Richard Gaffin. Discount is applied at checkout.Valerie Hobbs' article, "What’s in a Name? Critical Reflections on the PCA’s Women in Ministry Study Committee" can be found on the Aquila Report.

Preachers preach theology, but what about our theology on preaching? Should sitting under the preached word take priority over other forms of scriptural intake? What about one-on-one discipleship, small-group Bible studies, biblical counseling, and Christian fellowship - do they take the backseat to sunday morning service? For some of us, a sermon is simply informative, but to others it’s one of God’s means to confront and encourage us in our Christian lives. That said, what’s your theology on preaching, truly and functionally?The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals would like to offer you a free MP3 entitled "The Regulative Principle of Preaching" by Steve Lawson. Discount is applied at checkout.

The recent Trinity Debate has raised an eyebrow (or two) in both the Protestant and Roman Catholic churches. If you're not in the know by now, we'll give you the twenty-minute brief today. There's more at stake than the ontology and economy of the Trinity.  This also impacts how we view women as well. The Word's alleged submission to the Father in eternity has been used in this debate to provide justification for the authoritarian headship of men over women ... hmm, something's not right here. There are patriarchal undertones to this debate and Carl, Aimee, & Todd have sniffed them out and express serious concern for how this theology can cause great harm within the Church and within marriages.The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals would like to offer you a free pdf booklet download entitled "How to Be Happy as Family" Discount is applied at checkout.

Today we have Rod Dreher on the show. Rod is a Gumbo-eatin’, Louisiana City-Slickin’ Eastern Orthodox and author. He’s here to explain the Benedict Option, and … we’re still not sure we get it! He talks about moral and civil life, and how Christians ought to live in this crooked world. Rod says preaching of the word and the Benedict Option are the only way forward in sharing our faith with the world around us. Very interesting … please pass the hollandaise!The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals would like to offer you a free MP3 download entitled "Christianity & 'Culture Wars'" by Michael Horton. Discount is applied at checkout.

In Desperate Theology this week is… it's always 2008 somewhere. Fast forward 8 years and we find our public schools are an ever-increasing world of confusion especially in regards to gender. Is the (latest) Sexual Revolution as bad as it looks? The transgender issue is a fundamental redefinition of personhood with huge implications on the malleable minds of our youth. We fight for hormone-free chickens yet parents are berated (or worse!) for refusing hormone therapy for their "transgender" child. What on earth is happening here? We need to know what we believe and thus equip our children with sound theology to stand firm on Christ the solid rock.The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals would like to offer you a free MP3 download entitled "Christian Godliness and Holiness: The Importance of Sexuality to the Next Generation" Discount is applied at checkout.The Global Sexual Revolution by Gabriele Kuby

Most assume sex trafficking starts with a brutal kidnapping - like in a movie. However, it’s often a long process: seduction, coercion, seasoning, and recruiting. VAST (Valley Against Sex Trafficking) works diligently to bring awareness about trafficking while restoring God-given dignity to survivors of this dark market. Heather Evans, co-founder of VAST, is here to share sobering stats, and lessens the appeal and glamour often associated with this social justice movement. Are you part of a middle-class church? Then you worship in one of the most common sources fueling the sex industry due to the common use of pornography - so much to your surprise, this hits quite close to home.The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals has a few copies of Girls Like Us: Fighting for a World Where Girls Are Not for Sale: A Memoir by Rachel Lloyd that we would like to giveaway.Heather Evans serves at VAST where you can find links to additional resources and does counseling at Evans Counseling Services. She also writes - check out her blog.BooksSomebody's Daughter by Julian SherHands that HealGood News About Injustice by Gary A. HaugenWalking Prey by Holly Austin SmithArticlesReflections on Prostitution Sting (PDF)What I have Learned (PDF)The song at the end of today's episode, "Real", was written by John Hufford. John wrote this song in honor of VAST's ministry to victims of the sex trafficking industry. You can visit his website here.

Desperate theology has gone viral in the Church of...! Not to worry, we have more class than to spoil the win but let’s just say Liam Goligher will wish he's Welsh after crowning today's Desperate Theologizer. In other news, the Gang discuss some recent pulpits going political. Is Sunday morning an appropriate place to discern whether Hillary or Trump is the godlier vote? Is it wise for pastors to campaign from the pulpit? Today’s conversation is a charge to all ministers: beware the divisive nature of misusing the pulpit!The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals would like to offer you a free MP3 download entitled "To Each His Own." Discount is applied at checkout.

Our favorite Catholic is with us again: Dr. Frank “Clinton” Beckwith! Once the laughter subsides, we get to some pressing questions about religion in the public sphere: Can you really leave your religion at the door? What is pure religious liberty? What liberties can we live with, which ones can we live without?The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals would like to offer you a free MP3 download entitled The Sovereignty of God and Politics by Dave Chanski. Discount is applied at checkout.

On this week’s Desperate Theology, we crown another lucky lady! In other news, Carl & Todd have a question about preference in preaching: what’s the best rule-of thumb … is it best to preach thematically or systematically? Do you go big-picture, dabble in topics, or lead your congregation through a one-book series? What issues does each approach pose? It’s certainly not rocket science but well worth a conversation … (or are the boys making it more complicated than it needs to be?).The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals has a few copies of "The Power of Gospel Preaching."The winners are:Jonathan S., Warrior, ALPete W., Bellingham, WADerrick B., Fort Oglethorpe, GAJoseph B., Doylestown, PA