Every Square Inch Podcast

In part two of this this two-part “Pastoral Reflections” series, Robert shares some thoughts for church members about the best ways to communicate with and encourage their pastor.

In this two-part series, Robert shares some reflections about his past 16 years of pastoral ministry. In part 1, he shares some of the biggest mistakes he made as a pastor and how pastors can avoid them.

Robert shares his thoughts about how Christians can engage with the Halloween holiday in a God-honoring and Biblical way.

In the final follow-up episode from this year's Good of the Bluegrass Conference theme, “Sacred Eros,” Robert addresses two questions that weren't able to be answered during the conference: what does Sacred Eros say about contraception, and what does it say about my singleness?

Secular feminism and purity culture teach very different perspectives about the uniqueness and value of the female body, but what does the Bible say? In this episode, Robert looks to scripture to find the principles that should shape the way women (and men) treat their bodies.

Roe v. Wade has been overturned—now what? In this week's episode, Robert examines the next steps for the pro-life movement in the pursuit of mercy and justice for the vulnerable in our community.

How did our cultural norms change so quickly on LGBTQ+ issues? As a follow-up to the previous episode about erotic love, Robert looks closer at the issue of sexual identity, and finds that the shifts we've seen in the past 15 years are rooted in cultural movements which are centuries old.

In this episode, Robert shares an extended summary of the talks he gave at this year's Good of the Bluegrass Conference. The theme of that conference (which is also the title of this episode) was designed to show us what the Bible has to say about erotic love, and how God designed it to be a reflection of his perfect redemption story.

In preparation for his talks about human sexuality at the upcoming Good of the Bluegrass Conference, where he will seek to bring the Christian sexual ethic back inside our culture's “plausibility structure,” Robert uses this episode to first show the flaws of today's prevailing sexual ethic, with the hope that skeptics will be willing to hear what the Bible has to say.Sign up for the conference at gbcon.org.

Most Christians know the Bible's command to “honor your father and mother” but what exactly does that look like when your parents are mentally unhealthy or even physically abusive? This week's episode focusses on the difficult topic of how parents should repent and how children can respond.

With a Supreme Court case about abortion rights making headlines, Robert makes a case for the pro-life viewpoint without using the Bible.

The pandemic forced us all to worship God from home on Sunday mornings, but for most of us that season is now in the past. In this week's episode, Robert points to several reasons why those of us who are “back to normal” Monday through Saturday should also make Sunday worship part of that normal too.

After a trip to Great Britain, Robert addresses a common concern he hears about seeing the future of America in the present of Britain. Robert agrees that American churches could one day become museums and pubs (as in Britain), but not for the reasons you might think.

How do you share your faith in a post-modern culture that's radically different than the culture in which you came to faith? In this week's episode, Robert gives his thoughts on how to reach the next generation in a Biblical way.“In Defense of Good Works” Sermon Audio (link)“Evangelism in a Secular Age” Topical Teaching Series (link)

Is there any part of our culture that isn't divided these days? In this week's episode, Robert argues that the arena of sports fandom is one of the few places left in our society where animosity is set aside for a few hours to cheer on a common cause. And yet, it is still a flawed replacement for the glory, community, and identity found in the Kingdom of God.

This week Robert expands on last week's podcast by examining the impact of our “loves” upon our tribalism and, just as important, how we treat the opposing tribe.

After taking an extended break away from what's trending on social media and our fast-paced modern news cycles, Robert is back from his sabbatical with a refreshed perspective of what he believes is happening to our culture.

In Robert’s final episode before heading off on a four-month sabbatical, he makes the case for why your pastor, because of his unique position and calling, needs a sabbatical too.

After debunking the myths of singleness in part 1, in this episode Robert unpacks what the Bible says about the “gift” of singleness and the implications this mindset can have upon your life.

Our culture has many flawed messages about what it means to be single, including our Christian sub-culture. But what does Jesus have to say about it? In part 1 of a series on singleness, Robert dispels several myths that our world and the church have told single people.

In light of Black History Month, and in response to feedback about the “Racism in America” series (episodes 31-33), Robert shares some additional thoughts about the history of racism in the church, Critical Race Theory, and more.LINKS:“Lost Legacy” by Dr. Sean Lucas (YouTube Video)

In response to this week’s unprecedented events on Capitol Hill, Robert offers an invitation to look in the mirror, and not across the aisle.

This week we are re-posting Robert’s Christmas podcast from 2019, as he looks at the understandably ridiculous claim of the virgin birth of Jesus and how this miracle of Christmas gives us greater hope and joy than any other news this world can offer.

In this week’s episode, Robert expands upon a few tweets he posted about masculinity, how our culture’s view of manhood has been formed by the lack of good examples in the church, and what the Bible says about true manhood and womanhood.

This week’s episode is a brief word from Robert reminding us about the importance of thanksgiving in all seasons, but especially this year.EPISODE LINKS:Liturgy for Thanksgiving Meal

If you’ve been hurt by family or friends whose fundamental Christianity placed a burden on you that was too heavy to bear, this episode is for you. Robert does a deep dive into the movie “Frozen,” the ways people react to fundamentalism, and a better way forward through Jesus himself.

As the senior pastor of a church which submitted itself to an independent investigation of sexual abuse, and which is currently submitting to another investigation, Robert has recorded this episode as a resource to others who find themselves in a similar situation and are looking for Biblical guidance. This episode looks at two main questions: why is the church uniquely susceptible to sexual abuse, and what can be done to protect against sexual abuse?LINKS:Executive Summary of Independent Investigation Conducted by GRACE for Tates Creek Presbyterian Church (June 2019)Announcement of Investigation into Allegations Against Chris Rice (October 2020)

In Part 2 of this two-part series, Robert unpacks what it truly means for America to be a “Christian Nation” by looking at the founders’ beliefs, the intentions behind the way they designed our nation, and how to deal with the failures of our country in a way that honors our founding principles.

In this two-part series, Robert answers the question “Is America A Christian Nation?” two ways: absolutely not, and absolutely yes. In Part 1, he takes a closer look at the history of American exceptionalism and its ties to Christianity, both at America’s founding and also to this day.View our "One Step" applications to the Racism in America series on our church website: tcpca.org/onestep

In the final episode of our series on racism in America, Robert looks specifically at how our Protestant, Presbyterian tradition has handled the issues of slavery and racism in our country’s history, before ending the series with theological and practical applications for our church.LINKS:Overture 43 from the 44th PCA General Assembly, condemning corporate, historical racism in our denomination.“Heal Us, Emmanuel: A Call for Racial Reconciliation, Representation, and Unity in the Church” edited by Doug Serven (link to Amazon)“For a Continuing Church: The Roots of the Presbyterian Church in America” by Sean Michael Lucas (link to Amazon)“Mississippi Praying” by Carolyn Renée Dupont (link to Amazon)

In episode two of our "Racism in America" series, Robert now speaks to Christians who have a harder time accepting proof that racism is still a problem in today's society, and challenges us to examine our history through a more critical lens.Read more about the displacement of black communities in Lexington.

In the first episode of a three-part series on the historical cultural moment emerging from the killing of George Floyd, Robert speaks to those who are passionate for racial justice. While affirming their zeal to fight racism, he cautions that they may be unknowingly embracing a destructive ideology that harms the very world they are seeking to heal. In his analysis, he takes a look at the history and meaning behind many terms that have entered our mainstream discourse which are crucial to understand.

In the final episode of our de-conversion series, Robert finishes by looking at a common “non-starter” for non-Christians: the seemingly archaic and unreasonable sexual ethic of the Bible. What does Jesus have to say about our sexuality, and why does our western culture refuse to accept it?

In Part 4 of our de-conversion series, Robert asks us to think about justice and judgment, and answers a common question from non-Christians about why a loving God would send people to hell.

Part 2 of this series engaged Rhett's struggle with the truth of Christianity. In Part 3, Robert turns to Link's story and his struggle with the beauty of Christianity, arguing that Jesus is not just true, Jesus is beautiful.

This episode of Every Square Inch features an interview with Wayne & Sandra Marlowe, two members of our church who recently received some life-altering news: Sandra has been diagnosed with ALS. They have courageously agreed to discuss their story, from the first symptoms until now, and share about their struggles, sorrows, and ultimately, their unshakable joy in Christ.

Part 1 of this series looked at de-conversion stories in general; in Part 2, Robert looks specifically at Rhett’s story, the pursuit of truth, and the “truest truth” that is found in the person of Jesus.

From a Christian perspective, nothing is more relevant today than whether or not there is an ancient, empty grave. Following the acronym of R.I.S.E.N., Robert summarizes his years of study to outline his historical defense of the truth of the resurrection.

This week we interview Andy Longwe, a pastor in Cumbernauld, Scotland, who recently experienced two weeks of COVID-19 symptoms. Andy shares what it was like to endure these symptoms, how the United Kingdom is handling this crisis, and the ways that he has been drawn closer to Jesus through this experience.

On this week's episode we welcome Chris Lee (Financial Advisor and Senior Vice President of The Kessinger-Lee Financial Group) to help us better understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic upon our economy, why so many people are losing wealth and employment, and how to respond to crisis and uncertainty in a fiscally responsible way.

On this week's episode we welcome Dr. Charles Kennedy, MD, an infectious disease expert and one of eleven physicians who make up the Lexington Infectious Disease Consultants, to help us better understand what COVID-19 is, what the future of social distancing and treatment looks like, and the hope we can find in God's plan in the midst of an epidemic.

On March 11, in response to Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear’s request that all churches should cancel worship, Tates Creek Presbyterian Church released a statement saying that it never cancels its weekly worship service. The next day, its service was canceled. What happened in those 24 hours? On this week’s podcast, Robert shares what happened behind the scenes that changed the minds of the church leadership, and challenges us all to “embrace the inconveniences” of loving our neighbor.

When popular comedians Rhett & Link announced they no longer had faith in Christ, the news sent ripples across Christian circles who have been following their work for decades. Before diving deep into their de-conversion story, Robert first looks at their story through the lens of Charles Taylor’s observations about our “secular age” and how unsurprising (and not uncommon) stories like their’s are in a post-modern world.

After Jennifer Lopez and Shakira’s halftime show during the Super Bowl, a debate was sparked about cultural norms and morality within a world that’s trying to figure out what strong femininity looks like. On this week’s podcast, Robert endeavors to fairly present both sides of the argument, and then point us to a greater truth about God’s creation and our sanctification.

Western imperialism used to conquer and colonize other worlds; now it’s other worldviews. In this week’s episode, Robert discusses the militancy of Western progressive culture toward other cultures, particularly in the area of sexual ethics, and then offers the Kingdom of God as a culture able to affirm and critique every culture.

In the wake of the death of Kobe Bryant and eight others in a tragic helicopter crash, this week’s podcast spends a few minutes looking at the topic of death in order to share “glorious news” with our death-avoidant culture.

President Trump’s presence at the March for Life may have ramped up the publicity of the movement, but on this week’s podcast, Robert shares why the president may have done more harm than good, and offers a productive way forward for pro-life advocates.

As the Kentucky State Legislature weighs the decision to make homosexual conversion therapy illegal state-wide, Robert takes a closer look at Senate Bill 85 and the positive & negative impact it could have on our communities.

After sharing a brief review of “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” (no spoilers), Robert looks at the understandably ridiculous claim of the virgin birth of Jesus and how this miracle of Christmas gives us greater hope and joy than any other news this world can offer.

One of the most common questions asked about Christianity relates to the nature of evil: “If God exists, then why is there suffering in our world?” This week’s episode flips that question on its head in order to expand our understanding of the existence of evil, and shows how Christmas gives us hope in the midst of pain.

With socialist ideals gaining popularity in America, Robert returns from a trip to Belarus with observations on a culture formed by those very ideals. But his critique is not just reserved for the communism of Eastern Europe, but the consumerism of America as well.