Podcast appearances and mentions of jesus creed

Matthew Bates joins us today to work out salvation. What is it? What have we got wrong? In our contemporary moment, we find ourselves wrestling with a profound misunderstanding of the gospel - a narrative that has been truncated, individualized, and stripped of its royal, communal essence. The gospel is not merely a personal transaction about individual salvation, but a comprehensive royal announcement about Jesus the Christ. For too long, both Protestant and Catholic traditions have inadvertently narrowed the expansive biblical vision of salvation. We've reduced faith to mental assent or ritualistic practice, when in reality, faith is fundamentally about allegiance - a comprehensive, embodied loyalty to King Jesus that transforms not just individuals, but entire communities and, ultimately, all of creation. Matthew seeks to recover a more holistic understanding. We are saved not just from something, but for something: the full restoration of our image-bearing capacity, the renewal of God's glory in and through us. This isn't about personal spiritual escapism, but about participating in a cosmic restoration project. In our conversation today, we'll explore how reimagining salvation as allegiance can bridge denominational divides, challenge our narcissistic cultural assumptions, and invite us into a more profound understanding of discipleship. We're not just talking about theological abstractions, but about a transformative way of being in the world. Prepare to have your understanding of the gospel radically expanded. Matthew W. Bates is Professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary. His books have won top honors from Christianity Today, Outreach Magazine, Jesus Creed, and Englewood Review. When he isn't hiking, baseballing, or chasing his seven children, he co-hosts the OnScript podcast. A Protestant by conviction, Bates holds a PhD in theology (New Testament) from the University of Notre Dame. His popular titles include Salvation by Allegiance Alone, Why the Gospel?, The Gospel Precisely, and The Birth of the Trinity. He lives with his family in Quincy, Illinois. Learn more about his books, lectures, or conference-speaking at MatthewWBates.com.Matthew's Book:Beyond the Salvation Wars Matthew's Recommendations:The Affections of Christ JesusRenovation of the HeartThe Great DivorceThe Deeply Formed LifeSubscribe to Our Substack: Shifting CultureConnect with Joshua: jjohnson@allnations.usGo to www.shiftingculturepodcast.com to interact and donate. Every donation helps to produce more podcasts for you to enjoy.Follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads, Email jjohnson@allnations.us, so we can get your creative project off the ground! Faith That Challenges. Conversations that Matter. Laughs included. Subscribe Now!Breaking down faith, culture & big questions - a mix of humor with real spiritual growth. Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show

In this episode of 'The Biggest Table,' host Andrew Camp explores various aspects of Christian faith and community with Dr. Scot McKnight. The discussion emphasizes maintaining curiosity, humility, and ensuring Jesus remains the focal point in church activities and teachings. Key themes include addressing deconstruction in modern Christianity, the importance of communal gatherings around a table akin to early Christian traditions, and the transformative nature of interactive church settings. The symbolism of Jesus as the 'bread of life' is examined both in spiritual and social contexts, advocating for equitable practices and support within the church. The conversations underscore fostering community, imagination, and fellowship, reflecting on personal experiences and the symbolic power of shared meals in embodying God's love.Scot McKnight (born 1953) is an American New Testament scholar, historian of early Christianity, theologian, and author who has written widely on the historical Jesus, early Christianity and Christian living. He is the author of more than 90 books, including Jesus Creed, The Blue Parakeet, Kingdom Conspiracy, A Fellowship of Differents, A Church Called Tov, and Pivot (the last two of which he coauthored with his daughter Laura). His newest book is Invisible Jesus (coauthored with Tommy Preson Phillips), which explores the prophetic voice of deconstructors.McKnight is an ordained Anglican deacon and canon theologian for the Diocese of Churches for the Sake of Others with anabaptist leanings, and has also written frequently on issues in modern anabaptism.This episode of the Biggest Table is brought to you in part by Wild Goose Coffee. Since 2008, Wild Goose has sought to build better communities through coffee. For our listeners, Wild Goose is offering a special promotion of 20% off a one time order using the code TABLE at checkout. To learn more and to order coffee, please visit wildgoosecoffee.com. 

In this conversation, Scot McKnight explores the deconstruction movement happening in the church today. Scot argues that this deconstruction is a prophetic work of the Spirit, calling the church back to a more faithful following of Jesus. Scot shares his own personal journey of shedding aspects of his fundamentalist upbringing to find a more Jesus-centered faith. He unpacks how the "I Am" statements of Jesus in the Gospel of John are key for deconstructors who are seeking to rediscover the true center of Christianity. We also discuss the surprising research showing that the majority of those going through deconstruction are not abandoning their faith, but rather searching for a church that better reflects the teachings and person of Jesus. Scot offers wisdom on navigating disagreements and maintaining unity amidst this transformative movement. If you or someone you know is wrestling with doubts and disillusionment with the institutional church, this conversation offers hope and guidance for finding your way back to the heart of the gospel. Scot McKnight (PhD, University of Nottingham) is a world-renowned speaker, writer, professor, and equipper of the Church. He is a recognized authority on the historical Jesus, early Christianity, and the New Testament. His books have been translated into Chinese, Korean, Russian, and Portuguese. He is the author of The Jesus Creed, The Blue Parakeet, The King Jesus Gospel, Revelation for the Rest of Us, numerous commentaries, and is now writing a sixteen-volume series of reflections called The Everyday Bible Study.Scot and Tommy's Book:Invisible JesusJoin Our Patreon for Early Access and More: PatreonConnect with Joshua: jjohnson@allnations.usGo to www.shiftingculturepodcast.com to interact and donate. Every donation helps to produce more podcasts for you to enjoy.Follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Threads at www.facebook.com/shiftingculturepodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/shiftingculturepodcast/https://twitter.com/shiftingcultur2https://www.threads.net/@shiftingculturepodcasthttps://www.youtube.com/@shiftingculturepodcastConsider Giving to the podcast and to the ministry that my wife and I do around the world. Just click on the support the show link belowFriar TimeThrough meaningful interviews and heartfelt conversations, Friar Time, hosted by Fr....Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show

Pray is a series about the three most important prayers in the Bible. Today, Pastor Ants is exploring the Jesus Creed in Mark 12:28-31. Love God and Love People.

Guest Bios Show Transcript https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBdqZj2_gHA Can a church that's had a history of being toxic transform its culture and become truly healthy? Or, are churches like this doomed to repeat their history, despite efforts to change? This edition of The Roys Report features a talk from our recent Restore Conference by Laura Barringer. Laura and her father, theologian Scot McKnight, co-authored two best-selling books on identifying toxic church cultures and reforming them. Their first book, A Church Called Tov, identifies how many church cultures are failing in their mission to glorify God and be truly “tov”—the Hebrew word for good—and instead are harming people. Laura and Scot's second book, titled Pivot, deals with transformation. Can church structures, policies, and even relationships that were once oppressive turn into something tov, or good? This was the topic of Laura's talk at Restore in which she shared details and compelling stories of churches who have successfully made this change. Doing so is not easy, Laura says, but it's worth it. With more and more churches and ministries being exposed as abusive or corrupt, this topic is extremely relevant. Sometimes, after a bad leader is removed, churches want to change but don't know how. This talk helps chart the way. Guests Laura Barringer Laura Barringer is coauthor of A Church Called Tov as well as Pivot: The Priorities, Practices and Powers That Can Transform Your Church Into a Tov Culture. She previously co-authored the children's version of The Jesus Creed and wrote a teacher's guide to accompany the book. A graduate of Wheaton College, Laura resides in the suburbs of Chicago with her husband Mark and their three beagles.  Show Transcript Coming soon Read more

In this week's episode, I interview three pastors from S. Georgia: David Donnan, Scott Stanfill, and Jack Varnell. They were and remain my original Deep Dive Spirituality group. We began working together in August 2019. Together we've navigated Covid-19, a hurricane, moving to new churches as well as the regular demands/challenges of being a pastor in the 21st century. In this raw and honest conversation, they reflect on how Deep Dive Spirituality coaching has helped them grow. To learn more about my coaching: www.brianrussellphd.com or www.deepdivespirituality.com Books Recommended by David, Jack and Scott Jack C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity https://amzn.to/4ci7F5Z Philip Yancey, The Jesus I Never Knew https://amzn.to/49kXE5H McKnight, Jesus Creed https://amzn.to/43quKj8 Scott: James Stewart, A Man in Christ https://amzn.to/3PoMaqF E. Stanley Jones, In Christ https://amzn.to/3TE4GOf David Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life https://amzn.to/4ahmqVc David Watson, Scripture and the Life of God https://amzn.to/3TE4Oxd Brian Russell's Books: Astonished by the Word: Reading Scripture for Deep Transformation https://amzn.to/3OKecg8 Centering Prayer: Sitting Quietly in God's Presence Can Change Your Life https://amzn.to/2S0AcIZ (re)Aligning with God: Reading Scripture for Church and World (Cascade): https://amzn.to/3PU5RqE Invitation: A Bible Study to Begin With (Seedbed) https://my.seedbed.com/product/oneboo... Connecting with Brian: Website: www.brianrussellphd.com Twitter: @briandrussell Instagram: @yourprofessorforlife Interested in coaching or inviting Brian to speak or teach for your community of faith or group? Email: deepdivespirituality@gmail.com Links to Amazon are Affiliate links. If you purchase items through these links, Amazon returns a small percentage of the sale to Brian Russell. This supports the podcast and does not increase the price of the items you may choose to buy. Thank you for your support.

Pastor Morgan Stephens

If you're feeling frustrated and helpless in your efforts to promote cultural and linguistic accuracy in the church, despite taking actions like advocating for diverse representation and using inclusive language, then you are not alone!Words matter, especially in translations of the Bible. Join us as we dive into the world of New Testament translations with Scott McKnight and uncover the importance of accurate translations and the impact they can have. But when it comes to women in ministry and the use of certain words, will the translation choices make or break their place in the church? Find out in this thought-provoking discussion.In this episode, you will be able to:Recognize the value of cultural understanding and meticulous translation in the proper interpretation of the Bible.Delve into the intricate dynamics of power within the church and their varied consequences.Learn how to address spiritual abuse effectively and foster a support system for survivors.Embrace the core principles of good leadership and the altruistic use of power in ministry.Highlight the vital insights shared by women scholars and survivors for a more inclusive faith community.My special guest is Dr. Scot McKnightMeet Dr. Scot McKnight, a renowned New Testament professor at Northern Seminary in Illinois and a prolific author with a passion for diving deep into the cultural context of biblical texts. As a guest on Lori Adams-Brown's podcast, Scot brings his expertise in Bible translation and interpretation, having written over 90 books, including widely-read titles like "A Church Called Tov" and "The Blue Parakeet." A dedicated advocate for abuse survivors and a favorite professor among his students, Dr. McKnight's insights are sure to enrich your understanding of the Bible."I believe in the power of a more literal translation."- Dr. Scot McKnightThe resources mentioned in this episode are:Check out Dr. Scott McKnight's new translation of the New Testament, The Second Testament.Subscribe to Dr. McKnight's newsletterConsider taking Greek classes with Dr. McKnight.Purchase Dr. McKnight's books, including A Church Called Tov, The King Jesus Gospel, and The Blue Parakeet.Follow Dr. McKnight's blog, The Jesus Creed.Follow him on Twitter: @scotmcknightRead Dr. McKnight's contributions as general editor of the Dictionary of Paul and His Letters.Explore the Everyday Bible series, including the First Testament by John Golden Gay and The Kingdom New Testament by Tom Wright.The Way of JesusGood leadership in the church involves recognizing, using, and sharing power in ways that are faithful to the teachings of Jesus. Followers of Jesus should strive to cultivate humility, compassion, and an attitude of serving others, often forgoing one's power to benefit those who are more vulnerable. Dr. Scot McKnight, during the podcast interview, mentioned several examples of power abuse in the church, contrasting them with the biblical teachings of Jesus. He specifically cited Romans 16 and Philippians 2:1-11, which emphasize the concept of Kenosis – the act of laying down one's power to serve others. McKnight believes that understanding this concept and applying it in the context of leadership and church relationships is essential to embodying the way of Jesus and countering the negative aspects of power dynamics in churches."Words deeply matter, and those words can wound and they can hurt for a long time." - Dr. Scot McKnightWomen in MinistryAn accurate translation plays a crucial role in recognizing and valuing the contributions of women in the early church. Being mindful of the words used to describe women's roles is crucial as language can shape our understanding and reinforce stereotypes or power dynamics within the church. By translating words and phrases accurately, women's contributions to the early church can be acknowledged and celebrated more fairly. During the conversation, Dr. McKnight emphasized the importance of using accurate translation to highlight women's roles in the church, such as translating the word Phoebe to mean "deacon" rather than "servant." He also mentioned the prevalence of false narratives and power dynamics in church culture that can negatively affect how people perceive women's roles in ministry. By ensuring accurate translations, he believes we can better acknowledge, value, and empower women working in the church.Keeping Names AuthenticOne of the essential aspects of ensuring cultural authenticity in a Bible translation is the use of names as close as possible to what they would have sounded in the original language. This offers a sense of novelty and unfamiliarity for readers, prompting reflection on the context and culture surrounding the text. By preserving the original names, readers can gain deeper insights into the characters and their significance in the narrative. Dr. McKnight uses transliteration in his translation, meaning that names in the Bible are rendered more authentically, closer to their original language. For instance, Yakobos is used instead of the English equivalent, James. Dr. McKnight argued during the podcast that using such authentic names invites readers to reconsider the context and culture of the Bible's characters, creating a more engaging and meaningful reading experience."We need to be careful with the words we use for translations, because if we don't get it right, it can hurt people." - Dr. Scot McKnightTimestamped summary of this episode:00:00:02 - Introduction,Dr. Scott McKnight is an advocate in the survivor community and a professor at Northern Seminary in Illinois. He has written over 90 books and blogs at The Jesus Creed. He talks about his new translation of the New Testament, the Second Testament, which he made more literal to help people understand the ancient context of the text.00:06:01 - Reason for New Translation,McKnight believes that the capacity to translate Greek into English has reached near perfection, but people miss things when they try to make it a natural English equivalent. He wants to show people the differences between the original Greek sentence and the English sentence.00:11:37 - Distinctives of the Second Testament,McKnight was inspired to translate the New Testament after reading John Golden Gay's translation of the Old Testament. One of the distinctives is the transliteration of names, which may be confusing but creates an authentic ancient context. McKnight's translation sometimes sounds clunky because it is formally equivalent, but that helps readers slow down and think.00:14:57 - Keeping Names Authentic,The Second Testament transliterates names to help readers understand the ancient context. This makes the text feel foreign and distant, which is appropriate, as it helps readers dig deeper into cultural exegesis. McKnight believes that being familiar with the text can be a hindrance to truly understanding it.00:15:47 - Familiarity with the Text,Familiarity with the text can sometimes00:16:13 - The Impact of Names on Reading,Dr. Scot McKnight discusses the impact of names on reading and how different names can lead readers to think differently and understand a text in a new way. He suggests that using the original Greek text can take readers into the first-century Christian world and help them understand the text in a new light.00:18:10 - Women in Ministry,Dr. Scot McKnight discusses the controversy around women pastors, using the example of the lack of pastors in the Bible. He suggests that titles such as Piscopos, Diaconos, and Presbutaros were used instead. He also refers to Romans 16, which mentions several women involved in church ministry, including an apostle and a deacon.00:22:54 - Multiculturalism in the Early Church,Dr. Scot McKnight discusses the multicultural and multiracial nature of the early church, with a mix of slaves and free people, men and women, and Jews and Gentiles. He draws attention to the several women mentioned in Romans 16, performing ministries that today would be called pastoring.00:27:39 - The Importance of Language,Dr. Scot McKnight emphasizes the importance of language and translation, pointing out that the wrong translation can hurt people. He uses the example of King James' Bible, which made choices to keep its subjects subdued. He also discusses the power dynamics in evangelical churches and how they favor men and certain behaviors that have become manly.00:33:10 - The Four Types of Power,Dr. Scot McKnight discusses the four types of power: power over, power to influence, power with, and power for. He explains how power over is the most corrupted form of power and how it is prevalent in the business world, sports, and even the church. He also highlights the importance of using power for the good of others and sharing power with others.00:35:25 - The Power With,Dr. McKnight delves deeper into the concept of power with and how it involves the willingness to share power with someone else to achieve a mutually beneficial outcome. He cites his experience of co-authoring a book with a young man and how they worked together to create a cohesive product.00:36:53 - Power For,Dr. McKnight discusses the last type of power, power for, which involves using one's power for the good of another person. He cites Jesus Christ as an example of this type of power, as He came not to be served but to serve and give His life for others.00:40:00 - Dealing with Spiritual Abuse,Dr. McKnight advises people who are experiencing spiritual abuse or know someone who is to first become healthy enough to handle the blowback that comes with going public. He also stresses the importance of having a support system and following the proper protocols or guidelines for reporting abuse. Lastly, he emphasizes the need for patience and resilience as it may take a long time to see change.00:50:50 - Abusing Power in Churches,Dr. Scott McKnight discusses how some pastors and church leaders abuse their power, particularly with vulnerable members such as children. He encourages readers to follow his work in understanding power dynamics and using power for good, especially with survivors of abuse.00:52:00 - The Way of Jesus,Dr. Scott McKnight emphasizes the way of Jesus in using power for good and elevating others. He references the Kenosis passage in Philippians 2 and encourages listeners to learn how to understand and wield their power for the benefit of others.00:53:38 - Call to Action,Lori Adams-Brown issues a call to action for listeners to use their power for good, particularly with survivors of abuse. She encourages finding a survivor and listening to their story while respecting their autonomy and using power to elevate their voice and support them.00:54:48 - TovLori Adams-Brown references Dr. Scott McKnight and Laura Behringer's book, A Church Called TOV, and highlights the importance of using power in tov, or goodness, particularly with survivors of abuse. She encourages listeners to find ways to support survivors and let them lead the way in how they want to share their stories and move forward.00:56:03 - Conclusion,Lori Adams-Brown thanks listeners for their work in making a difference and encourages them to read Dr. Scot McKnight's book, Second Testament. She also hints at future episodes with Dr. Scot McKnight and his new book with Laura Barringer as a follow up to A Church Called TOV.Appreciate the role of cultural context and precise translation in interpreting the Bible effectively.Comprehend the various power dynamics at play within the church and their implications.Recognize signs of spiritual abuse, ensuring adequate support for survivors.Grasp the crucial need for responsible leadership and the ethical use of power.Discover the valuable contributions of female scholars and survivors in the ministry.Realize the importance of context and accurate translation in unlocking the true meaning of biblical passages.Uncover diversities in church power dynamics and their impacts on members.Identify the nature of spiritual abuse and the ways to help survivors heal.Understand the significance of virtuous leadership and the fair exercise of power for communal benefit.Shed light on the often-overlooked perspectives of women scholars and abuse survivors in ministry.https://www.aworldofdifferencepodcast.comhttps://www.patreon.com/aworldofdifferencehttps://www.instagram.com/aworldof.difference/https://www.facebook.com/A-World-of-Difference-613933132591673/https://www.twitter.com/@awodpodhttps://www.youtube.com/@aworldofdifferencehttps://www.linkedin.com/company/aworldofdifference/

If you're feeling frustrated and helpless in your efforts to promote cultural and linguistic accuracy in the church, despite taking actions like advocating for diverse representation and using inclusive language, then you are not alone!Words matter, especially in translations of the Bible. Join us as we dive into the world of New Testament translations with Scott McKnight and uncover the importance of accurate translations and the impact they can have. But when it comes to women in ministry and the use of certain words, will the translation choices make or break their place in the church? Find out in this thought-provoking discussion.In this episode, you will be able to:Recognize the value of cultural understanding and meticulous translation in the proper interpretation of the Bible.Delve into the intricate dynamics of power within the church and their varied consequences.Learn how to address spiritual abuse effectively and foster a support system for survivors.Embrace the core principles of good leadership and the altruistic use of power in ministry.Highlight the vital insights shared by women scholars and survivors for a more inclusive faith community.My special guest is Dr. Scot McKnightMeet Dr. Scot McKnight, a renowned New Testament professor at Northern Seminary in Illinois and a prolific author with a passion for diving deep into the cultural context of biblical texts. As a guest on Lori Adams-Brown's podcast, Scot brings his expertise in Bible translation and interpretation, having written over 90 books, including widely-read titles like "A Church Called Tov" and "The Blue Parakeet." A dedicated advocate for abuse survivors and a favorite professor among his students, Dr. McKnight's insights are sure to enrich your understanding of the Bible."I believe in the power of a more literal translation."- Dr. Scot McKnightThe resources mentioned in this episode are:Check out Dr. Scott McKnight's new translation of the New Testament, The Second Testament.Subscribe to Dr. McKnight's newsletterConsider taking Greek classes with Dr. McKnight.Purchase Dr. McKnight's books, including A Church Called Tov, The King Jesus Gospel, and The Blue Parakeet.Follow Dr. McKnight's blog, The Jesus Creed.Follow him on Twitter: @scotmcknightRead Dr. McKnight's contributions as general editor of the Dictionary of Paul and His Letters.Explore the Everyday Bible series, including the First Testament by John Golden Gay and The Kingdom New Testament by Tom Wright.The Way of JesusGood leadership in the church involves recognizing, using, and sharing power in ways that are faithful to the teachings of Jesus. Followers of Jesus should strive to cultivate humility, compassion, and an attitude of serving others, often forgoing one's power to benefit those who are more vulnerable. Dr. Scot McKnight, during the podcast interview, mentioned several examples of power abuse in the church, contrasting them with the biblical teachings of Jesus. He specifically cited Romans 16 and Philippians 2:1-11, which emphasize the concept of Kenosis – the act of laying down one's power to serve others. McKnight believes that understanding this concept and applying it in the context of leadership and church relationships is essential to embodying the way of Jesus and countering the negative aspects of power dynamics in churches."Words deeply matter, and those words can wound and they can hurt for a long time." - Dr. Scot McKnightWomen in MinistryAn accurate translation plays a crucial role in recognizing and valuing the contributions of women in the early church. Being mindful of the words used to describe women's roles is crucial as language can shape our understanding and reinforce stereotypes or power dynamics within the church. By translating words and phrases accurately, women's contributions to the early church can be acknowledged and celebrated more fairly. During the conversation, Dr. McKnight emphasized the importance of using accurate translation to highlight women's roles in the church, such as translating the word Phoebe to mean "deacon" rather than "servant." He also mentioned the prevalence of false narratives and power dynamics in church culture that can negatively affect how people perceive women's roles in ministry. By ensuring accurate translations, he believes we can better acknowledge, value, and empower women working in the church.Keeping Names AuthenticOne of the essential aspects of ensuring cultural authenticity in a Bible translation is the use of names as close as possible to what they would have sounded in the original language. This offers a sense of novelty and unfamiliarity for readers, prompting reflection on the context and culture surrounding the text. By preserving the original names, readers can gain deeper insights into the characters and their significance in the narrative. Dr. McKnight uses transliteration in his translation, meaning that names in the Bible are rendered more authentically, closer to their original language. For instance, Yakobos is used instead of the English equivalent, James. Dr. McKnight argued during the podcast that using such authentic names invites readers to reconsider the context and culture of the Bible's characters, creating a more engaging and meaningful reading experience."We need to be careful with the words we use for translations, because if we don't get it right, it can hurt people." - Dr. Scot McKnightTimestamped summary of this episode:00:00:02 - Introduction,Dr. Scott McKnight is an advocate in the survivor community and a professor at Northern Seminary in Illinois. He has written over 90 books and blogs at The Jesus Creed. He talks about his new translation of the New Testament, the Second Testament, which he made more literal to help people understand the ancient context of the text.00:06:01 - Reason for New Translation,McKnight believes that the capacity to translate Greek into English has reached near perfection, but people miss things when they try to make it a natural English equivalent. He wants to show people the differences between the original Greek sentence and the English sentence.00:11:37 - Distinctives of the Second Testament,McKnight was inspired to translate the New Testament after reading John Golden Gay's translation of the Old Testament. One of the distinctives is the transliteration of names, which may be confusing but creates an authentic ancient context. McKnight's translation sometimes sounds clunky because it is formally equivalent, but that helps readers slow down and think.00:14:57 - Keeping Names Authentic,The Second Testament transliterates names to help readers understand the ancient context. This makes the text feel foreign and distant, which is appropriate, as it helps readers dig deeper into cultural exegesis. McKnight believes that being familiar with the text can be a hindrance to truly understanding it.00:15:47 - Familiarity with the Text,Familiarity with the text can sometimes00:16:13 - The Impact of Names on Reading,Dr. Scot McKnight discusses the impact of names on reading and how different names can lead readers to think differently and understand a text in a new way. He suggests that using the original Greek text can take readers into the first-century Christian world and help them understand the text in a new light.00:18:10 - Women in Ministry,Dr. Scot McKnight discusses the controversy around women pastors, using the example of the lack of pastors in the Bible. He suggests that titles such as Piscopos, Diaconos, and Presbutaros were used instead. He also refers to Romans 16, which mentions several women involved in church ministry, including an apostle and a deacon.00:22:54 - Multiculturalism in the Early Church,Dr. Scot McKnight discusses the multicultural and multiracial nature of the early church, with a mix of slaves and free people, men and women, and Jews and Gentiles. He draws attention to the several women mentioned in Romans 16, performing ministries that today would be called pastoring.00:27:39 - The Importance of Language,Dr. Scot McKnight emphasizes the importance of language and translation, pointing out that the wrong translation can hurt people. He uses the example of King James' Bible, which made choices to keep its subjects subdued. He also discusses the power dynamics in evangelical churches and how they favor men and certain behaviors that have become manly.00:33:10 - The Four Types of Power,Dr. Scot McKnight discusses the four types of power: power over, power to influence, power with, and power for. He explains how power over is the most corrupted form of power and how it is prevalent in the business world, sports, and even the church. He also highlights the importance of using power for the good of others and sharing power with others.00:35:25 - The Power With,Dr. McKnight delves deeper into the concept of power with and how it involves the willingness to share power with someone else to achieve a mutually beneficial outcome. He cites his experience of co-authoring a book with a young man and how they worked together to create a cohesive product.00:36:53 - Power For,Dr. McKnight discusses the last type of power, power for, which involves using one's power for the good of another person. He cites Jesus Christ as an example of this type of power, as He came not to be served but to serve and give His life for others.00:40:00 - Dealing with Spiritual Abuse,Dr. McKnight advises people who are experiencing spiritual abuse or know someone who is to first become healthy enough to handle the blowback that comes with going public. He also stresses the importance of having a support system and following the proper protocols or guidelines for reporting abuse. Lastly, he emphasizes the need for patience and resilience as it may take a long time to see change.00:50:50 - Abusing Power in Churches,Dr. Scott McKnight discusses how some pastors and church leaders abuse their power, particularly with vulnerable members such as children. He encourages readers to follow his work in understanding power dynamics and using power for good, especially with survivors of abuse.00:52:00 - The Way of Jesus,Dr. Scott McKnight emphasizes the way of Jesus in using power for good and elevating others. He references the Kenosis passage in Philippians 2 and encourages listeners to learn how to understand and wield their power for the benefit of others.00:53:38 - Call to Action,Lori Adams-Brown issues a call to action for listeners to use their power for good, particularly with survivors of abuse. She encourages finding a survivor and listening to their story while respecting their autonomy and using power to elevate their voice and support them.00:54:48 - TovLori Adams-Brown references Dr. Scott McKnight and Laura Behringer's book, A Church Called TOV, and highlights the importance of using power in tov, or goodness, particularly with survivors of abuse. She encourages listeners to find ways to support survivors and let them lead the way in how they want to share their stories and move forward.00:56:03 - Conclusion,Lori Adams-Brown thanks listeners for their work in making a difference and encourages them to read Dr. Scot McKnight's book, Second Testament. She also hints at future episodes with Dr. Scot McKnight and his new book with Laura Barringer as a follow up to A Church Called TOV.Appreciate the role of cultural context and precise translation in interpreting the Bible effectively.Comprehend the various power dynamics at play within the church and their implications.Recognize signs of spiritual abuse, ensuring adequate support for survivors.Grasp the crucial need for responsible leadership and the ethical use of power.Discover the valuable contributions of female scholars and survivors in the ministry.Realize the importance of context and accurate translation in unlocking the true meaning of biblical passages.Uncover diversities in church power dynamics and their impacts on members.Identify the nature of spiritual abuse and the ways to help survivors heal.Understand the significance of virtuous leadership and the fair exercise of power for communal benefit.Shed light on the often-overlooked perspectives of women scholars and abuse survivors in ministry.https://www.aworldofdifferencepodcast.comhttps://www.patreon.com/aworldofdifferencehttps://www.instagram.com/aworldof.difference/https://www.facebook.com/A-World-of-Difference-613933132591673/https://www.twitter.com/@awodpodhttps://www.youtube.com/@aworldofdifferencehttps://www.linkedin.com/company/aworldofdifference/

In this episode, Scot McKnight talks about one of his new books – Pivot. This book is a follow up to A Church Called Tov which really hit a nerve when it debuted. In that book they wrote about toxic church culture and contrast it to tov culture, or goodness culture. Pivot is the book of implementation. What are the steps to get to a tov church? What are the things that we need to implement? We talk about Holy Spirit, Christlikeness, models, long patience, giving ownership over to the church body, and more. It's a great conversation. So, join us as we discover the pivotal priorities, practices, and powers that we can live into, so we can transform into a tov culture. Scot McKnight is professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary and a recognized authority on the New Testament, early Christianity, and the historical Jesus. He is the author of more than ninety books, including the award-winning The Jesus Creed as well as A Church Called Tov, The King Jesus Gospel, A Fellowship of Differents, The Blue Parakeet, and Kingdom Conspiracy. He maintains an active Substack newsletter at https://scotmcknight.substack.com. He and his wife, Kristen, live in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, where they enjoy long walks, gardening, and cooking. Scot's Book:PivotConnect with Joshua: jjohnson@allnations.usGo to www.shiftingculturepodcast.com to interact and donate. Every donation helps to produce more podcasts for you to enjoy.Follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Threads at www.facebook.com/shiftingculturepodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/shiftingculturepodcast/https://twitter.com/shiftingcultur2https://www.threads.net/@shiftingculturepodcastConsider Giving to the podcast and to the ministry that my wife and I do around the world. Just click on the support the show link below.Support the show

Guest Bios Show Transcript How can you transform a toxic church culture into a healthy one? And what's the best way to initiate change? In this podcast, theologian Scot McKnight and his daughter, Laura Barringer, join me to discuss their latest book, Pivot, a sequel to their earlier best-selling book, A Church Called Tov. While their first book explained the characteristics of a “tov,” or good, culture, Pivot tackles the next challenge—transforming ingrained toxic cultures into tov ones. As Scot and Laura discuss, transformation can be a grueling and painful process. And their research shows transformation takes an average of seven years! But it is possible. And cultures led by narcissist leaders that create consumers can transform into ones led by servant-leaders that make disciples.  In their characteristic relatable and warm style, Scot and Laura explain the practical steps required to do that. Specifically, they discuss the priorities, practices, and powers necessary to pivot, or transform, toxic cultures. And they give real-life examples of churches that have undergone this transformation and lived to tell about it! Scot and Laura draw from their own experiences in churches, conversations with leaders seeing transformation happen, and a deep well of research to provide actionable insights for churches and ministries. Guests Scot McKnight Scot McKnight is a professor of New Testament and has been teaching for more than four decades. His specialty is in the fields of Gospels and Jesus studies, but his passions are in the intersection of New Testament in its context as it speaks to the church today. Along with his daughter, Laura Barringer, they have published A Church Called Tov and a follow-up book, Pivot, which discusses what churches can do to help transform themselves from toxic cultures into tov (goodness) cultures. Laura Barringer Laura Barringer is coauthor of A Church Called Tov as well as Pivot: The Priorities, Practices and Powers That Can Transform Your Church Into a Tov Culture. She previously co-authored the children's version of The Jesus Creed and wrote a teacher's guide to accompany the book. A graduate of Wheaton College, Laura resides in the suburbs of Chicago with her husband Mark and their three beagles.  Show Transcript SPEAKERS SCOT McKNIGHT, LAURA BARRINGER, JULIE ROYS JULIE ROYS  00:00 So how can you transform a toxic church culture into a healthy one? And what's the best way to initiate change? Welcome to The Roys Report, a podcast dedicated to reporting the truth and restoring the church. I'm Julie Roys. And joining me today are theologian Scot McKnight and his daughter, Laura Barringer. They're the authors of the bestselling book A Church Called TOV. TOV is the Hebrew word for good or goodness. And the book explained how to create a church culture that's truly good–one that resists abuse promotes healing and spiritual growth. But what if your church or Christian workplace already has an ingrained toxic culture? Well, that's what Scot and Laura's new book PIVOT is all about. It explains the priorities, practices and powers that can help you pivot or transform your toxic culture into a TOV culture. But it's not easy and it's not for the faint of heart, but it is God honoring and it is possible. So I'm very excited to delve into this topic was gotten Laura But first, I'd like to thank the sponsors of this podcast, Judson University, and Marquardt of Barrington. If you're looking for a top ranked Christian University, providing a caring community and an excellent college experience. Judson University is for you. Judson is located on 90 acres just 40 miles west of Chicago in Elgin, Illinois. The school offers more than 60 majors, great leadership opportunities and strong financial aid. Plus you can take classes online as well as in person. Judson University is shaping lives that shape the world. For more information, just go to JudsonU.edu. Also, if you're looking for a quality new or used car, I highly recommend my friends at Marquardt of Barrington. Marquardt is a Buick GMC dealership where you can expect honesty, integrity and transparency. That's because the owners there, Dan and Kurt Marquardt, are men of integrity. To check them out. Just go to BUYACAR123.com.  Well again, joining me is New Testament scholar Scot McKnight, who has authored more than 50 books. He's currently professor of New Testament at Northern Baptist Theological Seminary in Lisle, Illinois. And he's an ordained Anglican and maintains a blog with Christianity today called Jesus Creed. So Scott, welcome. It's a pleasure to have you join me. SCOT McKNIGHT  02:25 Thanks, Julie. Good to be with you again. JULIE ROYS  02:27 Yeah, second time. So I always like when I have a repeat guest. It means it must have gone okay the first time. SCOT McKNIGHT  02:33 I used to be with you sometimes on the radio, in the old days. JULIE ROYS  02:37 On Moody. Yeah. Yes, old days. Well, thank you so much for joining us. This is going to be fun. I love the book. And Laura, thank you also for joining me again, Scot's daughter Laura Barringer, who's co authored Scott's last two books, A Church Called TOV and PIVOT. Laura also is a children's ministry curriculum writer for Grow Kids. And her day job is teaching kindergarteners in suburban Chicago and Laura, I know you've had a full day teaching them today. So thank you so much for for joining us and for being willing to come on. LAURA BARRINGER  03:09 Yeah, thank you for having me again. It's nice to be with you guys. JULIE ROYS  03:13 And you were just with us at RESTORE, and did a phenomenal job. And we've been rolling out the videos on that and yours will be rolling out in the next few weeks. But that was just delightful to have you. So thank you for joining us at that. LAURA BARRINGER  03:27 I had a great time. It was such an honor to speak at the event and meet so many of the people that I've interacted with online over the last few times. I was just blown away by how special. I was anticipating it. But I was blown away by how special that was to see actual faces. And I came away just realizing this is so much more. It's not just a conference. It's so much more than that. SCOT McKNIGHT  03:51 That's what we experienced the year before. LAURA BARRINGER  03:53 Yeah. SCOT McKNIGHT  03:54 Same thing like these are the people. LAURA BARRINGER  03:56 Yeah. SCOT McKNIGHT  03:56 These are the people. Yeah, that's good. JULIE ROYS  03:58 Yeah, I think you called it a restorative community. LAURA BARRINGER  03:58 That's what it is. JULIE ROYS  04:00 I love that. I was like, yes, that's exactly what RESTORE is. And Scot, you joined us last year for the RESTORE conference. And your video is up on our YouTube site as well. And I believe it was on How To Be TOV, Not Toxic. So a lot of that stuff that we're talking about today, although today, we're talking more about your second book, which is kind of making that pivot when you realize you already are toxic, right? And you've got this culture ingrained that's not so good. And Laura, I loved in the book where you said, at one point you're like, I teach kindergarteners and now I'm doing all these interviews on how to make a church culture TOV and how to make it good and you're like, how did I get here? And then a pastor said to you, “you know what you nurture little people all day you children all day long, and that skill, even though it's often not valued by pastors is probably more appropriate than a lot of them realize.” And I just I love that. And I'm sure you're finding that as you're speaking to people. LAURA BARRINGER  05:05 Yeah, that was very meaningful interview that was Jared McKenna. He has a podcast that he had invited me on. And for whatever reason, my dad wasn't there. I don't know, usually, they want my dad, and then I tag along. And so initially, those interviews could feel really uncomfortable, because every now and then I would stop and think, do these people, you know, they'd asked me about, like, the church abuse crisis. And I'd think, “do these people not realize that I was making kindergarten ready for school confetti earlier today?” How have I landed in this spot? But that was a very encouraging conversation for me when Jared said, you know, you have some of the qualities as a teacher that we want to see in our pastors. And I stopped, I thought, I suppose that's what we do all day long as teachers we nurture and encourage and shepherd. So yeah, that meant a lot to me, as you read in the book, JULIE ROYS  06:05 And Scott, you teach at a seminary, but a lot of seminaries aren't teaching about this kind of stuff. Like you're you learn a lot of Bible knowledge. But as far as how to create cultures and how to nurture goodness within churches? I mean, are we teaching this in enough seminaries? Or are we maybe a little heavy on the head knowledge and not enough on the cultivating of the heart? SCOT McKNIGHT  06:30 The answer to that is no. There are really no seminaries that are focused on spiritual formation or character development, LAURA BARRINGER  06:41 Really? SCOT McKNIGHT  06:42 None. The curriculum for all the courses is Bible theology, church history, and skill development. And skill development is what is measured, as a general rule for what constitutes a good pastor. In other words, they can preach they can lead, you know, we talked about leadership, I don't, but the evangelical world does. And we read books and from the business world, and we read, what is it, Jack Welch? We read all these people. And these are the people that are formational, for people's perception of what is success, and what constitutes a pastor. One of the curricular changes that took place in seminaries about 15 years ago, 10 years ago, was to bring spiritual formation into every class, rather than located in one class, a class on spiritual formation. And so we do it that way. But Julie, I think character formation for church leaders, is caught more than taught, it's embodied more than it's instructed. And it requires time with someone who has that kind of character. So if you can be an assistant, in a church with Mr. Rogers, for five years, you'll never be the same. If you are in a church with, we won't name any names don't need to in this context, for five years, you will be harmed in character formation. JULIE ROYS  08:12 And that's what's so sad is that so much of my reporting is on churches where that's happening, where you have pastors who can preach the Bible, and can teach it–sometimes with really good doctrine–and yet, the life does not match the teaching. And so that is so much of the problem. So I'm so glad that you that both of you have done these two books, which go hand in hand, and I loved your first book, A Church Called TOV, and I love this book PIVOT, because it's, it really is sort of the sequel, and I think helps an awful lot. And we've been using this phrase church culture. Scott, let me just start there. What is a church culture? Because this is something we often don't think about yet we often swim in it, and we're shaped by it. But what is it exactly? And how is it formed? SCOT McKNIGHT  09:00 A culture is a living agent that conforms people, whether they understand it, or not, unconsciously, unintentionally, to become people who fit in that culture. Now, that's the impact understanding, but culture is a living agent. That is the result of people decisions, policies, over time, that result in a given set of assumptions that are mostly invisible, that shape what's going on in a given institution, or church, whatever, without even being aware of it. That's the culture. JULIE ROYS  09:44 And so often what we see I know when I report on a church or a leader, and in several circumstances that's led to the leader being removed, and then they bring in a new leader, and you think, oh, everything's different now. SCOT McKNIGHT  09:58 Yeah. JULIE ROYS  09:59 But it's really not. Right? Because  Nothing. You've got a culture that's ingrained, you have people that have been formed by this culture. And they don't know any different than how to run a toxic church, because that's how they've been discipled. That's the culture that they're familiar with. So you use this metaphor in your book of a peach tree, to help us understand culture. So Laura, let me throw that to you. What is this peach tree metaphor? And how does it apply to helping us understand the church? SCOT McKNIGHT  10:01 Nothing, LAURA BARRINGER  10:30 So the peach tree metaphor, it's, it is a cute, if you will metaphor, but it actually is research based and we based it on the research of Edgar Schein, he's one of the, to my knowledge, most important researchers on organizational culture. And also to our knowledge, we were not able to find research or books on church culture or Christian organization culture. So we took what we learned from him and adapted it and made our model a peach tree, mostly because I have a peach tree in my backyard. Mark, and I planted it when we moved in our home about 10 years ago. And it ended up being perfect for this metaphor, because it's very unhealthy. We've never even eaten one peach off the tree. So like, Oh, that's perfect, because it was a very small because I called her tree. But at any rate, so we talked about peaches as the visible elements of your culture. And it's what people see and experience when they walk in the door. So they might feel like, Oh, those graders were friendly, or who's singing on stage or, when the Anglican tradition, they pass the peace, that's part of the culture. And when they leave, they can probably explain what they felt, what they saw. So what we have learned, and again, this is research based, is that what is underneath the soil is what feeds the living elements of the tree. And most of that is like what my dad was saying that you can't see it, you don't even know it's there. And like our peach tree in our backyard, the fact that it's not growing peaches is not the problem. The problem is that is probably the soil or that we're not caring for the tree, we're supposed to add nutrients every year–we never do. So that's how we develop the model is that the soil and what's underneath the soil, what goes into the roots is what feeds the culture of your organization. And so you really need to look at, we learned, is “what's feeding the soil?” If the tree is being fed by the fruits of the Spirit are by spiritual formation practices, the culture is likely healthy and thriving. If it's being fed by ambition, or power abuse, then the culture is going to be toxic. And so you might get some healthy, like looking peaches, but underneath that's very sick. SCOT McKNIGHT  13:04 This is a good question. And Laura's got a good answer there. But I was in a conversation the other day was a seminary professor who talked about the last three presidents of that institution. And the seminary professor said they were all narcissists. And I said, I think we have to look at why narcissists rose to the top in that organization. There's a culture that gives rise to “that's the kind of person that seems to fit the job description.” Why is that the case? JULIE ROYS  13:39 And that is an important point to make. Because I think so often we do point at the narcissist, and oh, this horrible person that was there and did such horrible things. And we don't look at what's our responsibility for putting that person in and for following that person for not noticing the characteristics that we should have. And you've named some of the toxins that go into these soils of these toxic churches. You give, and I love this because you don't hear the stories very often. And I'd love to report on a lot more of them. I wish there were a lot to report on. But it's of a church that discovers that it's toxic, and goes through this transformation process. And one of them that you talked about is is Oak Hills church in Folsom, California. Explain why Oak Hills felt like it had to transform and then how it began to do so. LAURA BARRINGER  14:33 Yeah, this is one of my favorite parts of our work on PIVOT, I think. I had never heard of Oak Hills. Just one day a book arrived on my doorstep, sent by Scot McKnight. And he said you need to read about this, and then write about it as a case study for PIVOT. It's such a beautiful story, but essentially, the pastors Mike Lueken and Ken Carlson founded a church in California called Oak Hills. And they had come out here to Willow Creek to learn as much as they could about doing church. And they don't criticize Willow at all. They said, in fact, everything that we tried worked. Their attendance exploded, they became a mega church. But they started to feel I would describe it just like an unease like in their soul. And they felt like the exact quote is so striking. It says, “the way that we were doing church was actually working against the invitation of Christ to experience his transformation.” And they had been reading Eugene Peterson, and Dallas Willard and more. And they felt like our attractional model is working against transformation. And so they took the whole church through a very tumultuous process. Their attendance declined, like it was cut in half or more. But they ended up transforming their church from an attractional model to a spiritual formation model. They said the people in the church had become consumers. So like, they would sit there and want a really good show. And then the next week, they would come back and they wanted an even better show. And they said, it felt like we were feeding a monster, and they were drained. They were worn out. And they just felt that stirring in the spirit that they had to transform it. JULIE ROYS  16:28 Yeah, somebody asked me once, whether I thought a mega church could ever be healthy. And my answer was, perhaps, but it just seems to me that all the pressures are in the wrong direction. And it's awful hard to withstand the pressures that keep pushing you in that direction. And I'm curious, Scot, have you ever seen a mega church that, really, you're seeing a real emphasis on spiritual formation? And it seems really healthy? SCOT McKNIGHT  16:59 This is a really interesting question because it feeds into what we researched in this book. And Edgar Schein, I've seen a lot of them, because I've only been there for a day or two. Okay, so this is what they are masters of, is the weekend service is extremely impressive and they have talented, charismatic, winsome, affable people that welcome you at the airport, take you to nice hotels, feed you nice meals, provide a green room in the back with all the amenities that you need, and a wonderful platform where they stand up and even clap for you. Great music. So here's the point, I do believe there are mega churches that are healthy. But the only way to know this is to have someone investigate them, not for the purpose of exposing anything, but for the sole purpose of finding out what's really going on. And it would take three to six months of someone who's skilled at knowing how to find a culture. This is what Edgar Schein does, he'll go to places like let's just say IBM, and work there for nine months. And it takes that long to find what is actually in the soil feeding the place. So there's no megachurch pastor, or leaders, or any church is going to tell you that what's driving them is ambition, and competition. They want to win the battle of the best church in the neighborhood or in the city or in the state or in the United States. They will never say that, but that is one of the drivers. And it takes a long time to figure out that that's what's actually at work when fundamental decisions are made in the church. So I would say I've never had the opportunity to actually examine a mega church at that level. I do know, a mega church model that the theory is that it's small groups that meet on Sunday. That's the kind of mega church model has the capacity to be working at character formation. But I can't say that I looked at the people I've met there have been very impressive, but that's what a famous pastor in Canada that was his model as well. JULIE ROYS  19:26 Bruxy Cavey. SCOT McKNIGHT  19:27 Yeah, that's a lot of problems. JULIE ROYS  19:29 Yeah. And he comes from Brethren In Christ Anabaptist background which is my background. I grew up in that so at that was very sad for me to see that happen. SCOT McKNIGHT  19:39 Well, I endorsed a lot of his books so not that long before this story. Yeah, I've known Bruxy a long time. Sad story. JULIE ROYS  19:47 Yeah, it is and Brethren in Christ churches from my at least from my growing up, I haven't been in one for many years because we don't really have them in the Midwest, but I felt like they were phenomenal at character formation, spiritual formation. You talk about three pivotal priorities–and one you've touched on–but I want to do a little bit of a deep dive because we're talking about emphasis on character, not ability. I mean, that seems like one of those like, Duh, this is basic, right? I mean, we should be all about character. But why is it that this is such a misplaced priority? Like we really are not looking at character in our churches, and we find, pastor after pastor after pastor falling into scandal and into disrepute, because of character flaws? Why is this? SCOT McKNIGHT  20:39 I think, let's say the pastor on the platform is a different beast altogether than ordinary people in the church. But those aren't the same things. The character issues, you're expecting people to hire a pastor to be able to perform on that platform every Sunday, and put butts in the seats and bills in the plate, and baptisms in the pool. And buildings on the campus. That's what they hire him for. But I would say there's a couple things. Number one is our church is, let's say, measurement devices, or success measurements are not shaped by that at all. A second thing is, it's extremely difficult to measure spiritual growth in a true character formation. And I think I said two, but I got a third one. And it takes a lot of pastors. A lot. You can't have one pastor working with the transformation of 50 people. They can't do that. They don't have that kind of time. That's why the small group model has the capacity. If you don't have pinheads running the small group. If you have people who are Mr. Rogers, like who get to work with people in that small group. We just have a lot of things distorted in the wrong direction. And they start in the wrong location. JULIE ROYS  22:06 And this is the challenge, isn't it? Like you said in the book, if you're going to transform from a toxic culture to a TOV one, what you've seen is that it takes minimum seven years, probably three years before you see this change start to happen. And often the church will shrink. In Oak Hills, they lost what 1000 people? LAURA BARRINGER  22:28 Yeah. JULIE ROYS  22:28 Yeah. And I said this at the beginning of the RESTORE conference, to the pastors who were there, because we talked about, you know, a lot of church hurt at these conferences. And I did hear from one pastor who came and this was at the previous year, and he said, “Yeah, it was really, really powerful conference, but I kind of got the feeling as a pastor that maybe we're the bad guys.” And so I wanted to make sure this one to say, “No, we love you. We're so glad you're here. And the fact that you as a pastor, invested in coming to hear from wounded souls, about the way that they've been hurting the Church says something about you and your character and why you're here. And you're exactly the kind of pastors that we need in our churches.” Yet. I think if I were doing a conference on how you can grow your church overnight, I wouldn't have enough seats, if I had a proven method of making your church double overnight. But what you're talking about here is, here's a path to making your church maybe smaller, maybe less successful in the world's eyes, and trying to get people to buy into this model. But in the end, there's greater fulfillment isn't there in knowing that you're actually producing people who are furthering the kingdom of God? Because you're actually modeling Christ to people. It's a powerful thing. But how do you get people to buy into that? SCOT McKNIGHT  23:48 Well, when you were talking, I'm sitting here thinking of Dietrich Bonhoeffer with his renegade subversive hideout seminaries in northern Germany and Prussia, and the impact of Dallas Willard on someone like James Smith, where it was over time, with one person working with another person. And that's a different calling. And it's not like that's what we hire people in churches to do. You know, the last Barna book I read by David Kinnaman, was on pastors. And I think the number was 12% of pastors enjoy discipleship. LAURA BARRINGER  24:34 That low? SCOT McKNIGHT  24:35 Yeah, it may be lower than that, but I think it was in the book, Pastor Paul. But that is not what they see themselves doing. They see themselves preaching and leading and administrating and organizing. And some of them writing books, and traveling around speaking at conferences. That's what they see themselves doing. But if you work in Navigators or you work in Campus Crusade or InterVarsity on a campus and colleges, which are some of the most effective TOV institutions in the world. They are all about working with young college students and helping them deal with the fact that they got drunk last night, and we got to find out what's going on. And they disciple people. And it takes a lot of time. And in four years, those students, a lot of them want to come back and do the same to other college students. That's the multiplication principle of Navigators. And Navigators is all about one on one, JULIE ROYS  25:37 And what virtues should we be looking for? And should we be cultivating? LAURA BARRINGER  25:42 Theologian. SCOT McKNIGHT  25:43 (laughter) There's a couple of ways to look at this. And I think we need to take the major virtue passages in the Bible. So look at the 10 commandments. Alright, look at the book of Psalms, pick a couple of prophets and say, What are they trying to inculcate in people? And how they should live? Then look at the Sermon on the Mount. Look at Paul's list of the fruit of the Spirit. Look at what Paul says about love in First Corinthians 13. Look at First John's teachings. Avoid Jude because he's too hot, a little angry all the time. So and just realize that there are different ways to package this over time to frame what virtues we want to talk about. Now, there's ways of summarizing, let's say, we want to be followers of Jesus. That's a summary statement. Or we want to be characterized by love. Or if you're in the Puritan movement, you want to be characterized by godliness. And that means you read the Puritans, and you subscribe to Banner of Truth  Trust, and all this, and these become your heroes. Jonathan Edwards is the guy. But all these terms are summary statements that need to be unfolded. And so the virtues, the character that forms these virtues, so that they become sort of instincts can be framed in different ways. But all those passages can help us shape the kinds of virtues we're looking for. JULIE ROYS  27:23 So we have character is one of our priorities. Another one is TOV power. And I have to say, when you hear that word power, and you've experienced abuse of power, just that word power, can be scary. So how can we tell if power is being harnessed and used in a good way, as opposed to a toxic way? LAURA BARRINGER  27:49 Yeah, this is a big one for us. After A Church Called TOV was published, we received letter after letter after letter, we wrote a lot about sexual abuse, we heard mostly from victims of power abuse, we would get these letters every week, my dad would get some I would get some. And it was story after story of people who had been wounded, mostly by pastors who had misused their power. And the people had tried to stand up for themselves or those who found the courage to maybe try to talk to elders. It was like they didn't get very far because people didn't believe them, or it was done behind closed doors. So people say, Well, I haven't seen him do that. That's not how he is. That's not my experience. And that was so painful, because it discounts the reality of what another person endured. So this was a really big one for us when we went to write PIVOT. All of us have power, right? Like, I have power, I'm a teacher, so I have the power to influence those under me and how people use their power is a measure of their character of who they are as a person. SCOT McKNIGHT  29:09 People have power. And anybody who exercises a decision, who is a leader, has a right to make those decisions. And people underneath them, I guess, have a right to bellyache about them as well. I mean, that's part of the complaint culture that workplaces develop. But to me, one of the signs of power desire is when someone who is your leader makes a decision that you don't like how do you respond? Do you manipulate? Do you gossip? Do you attack? Do you get other people in your corner so that you can eventually destroy that person's reputation and character? That's a very important element of power, in institutions, is a complaint culture that forms. All narcissists have no self awareness of the power that they have, and what they are doing to people around them. They have lack of self awareness. So they think what they're doing is right all the time. And when they're criticized, they DARVO. “That's not what I was doing.” Well, yes, you did. That's the impact you made on it. So they lacked that awareness.  So it needs to be revealed by people being able to have a safe place to be able to express what they've experienced from a person. I've been in institutions where presidents were removed. I'm at one right now. And the former president, there were too many people who were released, and then stories were released about that person. And The Roys Report reported about it. JULIE ROYS  30:53 Yes we did. SCOT McKNIGHT  30:54 Not very good news for our seminary. But those were symptoms, signs that something's going on. And it was not a safe place for people to be able to register their complaints. And it didn't seem to be achieving anything, I think power is going to happen. People get to do this, who are leaders. They have power. So they exercise their power, and not everybody's going to agree with it, and people get to interpret it. And they can be dead wrong, and be very convincing, even though they're wrong. But at the same time, there has to be some sort of device mechanism, TOV tool, that gives people some indications of how that person is using power. And I think it's possible to reveal some of this stuff. But I think it's impossible to change a narcissist. JULIE ROYS  31:52 So you have to have somebody in positions of leadership, who obviously have the character and wants to use their power in a right way. And one of the things that that you do in this book, which I think is really helpful, is you not only have questions at the end of each chapter, but you do have assessment tools, where you can begin to assess some of these things to say, Okay, this is a toxic culture, this is a TOV culture, this is a good way of using power. And maybe not so good way of using power. It's a beautiful thing, when you see somebody in power, use that power to protect others to draw out someone who's quiet, who wouldn't normally speak, to be able to notice the weak and the vulnerable and to use the power to protect and to help. SCOT McKNIGHT  32:39 I think people who use power well, are not recognized as using power. Because something happens and you go, Oh, that was really nice. And you didn't realize that that leader decided to elevate somebody in a way that empowered them. So when they're empowering others, you usually don't recognize that they're using power. It's when they violate the power. A good umpire in a baseball game is unrecognized. And when you're talking about the umpires, it's because they screwed up. They messed up stuff. You notice it. “That was terrible!” And I think that's the same way with leaders. If you don't recognize their leadership, and things are functioning pretty well, you probably got a pretty good leader. JULIE ROYS  33:33 That's good. Yeah, I would say the number one problem of most of the bad leaders that I report on, obviously, the character issues there and everything, but the way it often comes out is in hypocrisy. They're just not living, what they say they believe. And you make a big point of one of the priorities is you got to model. You got to be the example of what you want your culture to be. And I love this, one of the people that you talk about modeling this goodness is, as you said, Mr. Rogers. Explain how Mr. Rogers is modeling exactly what he's teaching. LAURA BARRINGER  34:14 Well, when we went to write A Church Called TOV, I kept sending my dad examples like, what about this pastor or this one? And he kept saying, no, no, no. And he said, We need somebody that's dead. (laguhter) Because–that's exactly what he said–they have to be dead. Because there's too many scandals that erupt. And sure enough, we have a story in A Church Called TOV, that when it went to the next printing, we had to remove because the pastor, allegations etc. So we use Mr. Rogers as our example. Mr. Rogers, from everything we have read about him, the man that you saw on TV was the man that everybody knew. He was patient. He was gentle. He was just as kind in person as he was on the television screen. He would get distracted by children, he would tell Oprah, I'll come on your show, but you can't have children in the audience because I will be distracted, I will be I know that I will be, all of my attention will go to them the vulnerable. That's what my heart and soul is, is for. And so when you said hypocrisy, that's the opposite of Mr. Rogers, there are some beautiful stories that we recited in the book about him that he is as good a man as he appeared to be. JULIE ROYS  35:35 Hmm. And there was one in the book, I thought was so touching about a man whose wife . . . was the wife, the employee, I believe, or was LAURA BARRINGER  35:44 The wife was the employee. JULIE ROYS  35:46 Yeah. So the wife was the employee, and she died. It sounds like young, got cancer and, and Mr. Rogers would show up and visit, you know, visited on a regular basis. And the day she died, he he knocked on the door and said, I just had a sense that, that you needed me today, or you needed to be visited today. And here, she was dying. And he came in and cried with him, you know, as his wife was dying and prayed with him. And the husband said, he never talked about it. Nobody ever heard that story about Mr. Rogers. LAURA BARRINGER  36:21 He didn't get up and talk about the ways that he volunteered or helped people. I also love the story about the reporter who maybe this is in A Church Called TOV. No. I remember I don't remember no. He said, “Do you know, who is the most important person in the world to me right now?” And the reporter was like, Who who is the most important person? Mr. Rogers said, “You, I'm talking to you, you have my full attention. You're the most important person in the world to me right now.” And the reporter was, like, stunned that a celebrity would spend that much time and give him that much attention for I think he said an hour which was unheard of with celebrities, interviews. JULIE ROYS  37:05 Well, and as a reporter, you're just happy when somebody wants to talk to you because most of the people I talk to, they don't want to talk to me. SCOT McKNIGHT  37:13 But Julie, you know the issues of the people that that we want to find out more about, that have become celebrities that Katelyn Beaty has written about. They're there. And you just think they're just amazing because of the platform persona, that they've presented in their pastoral sermons. You just go, “I want to be like that person.” Okay, so the tendency is to make those the examples. And all you see about them is the presentation on the platform. And that's why I said to Laura, we can't take living examples now. I mean, yes, I understood what she was doing. And she had some wonderful stories, and they they truly are probably good people. But because I'm older, you know, I think when when I wrote when we wrote TOV I was probably 65. JULIE ROYS  38:10 A whippersnapper. SCOT McKNIGHT  38:11 Yeah, I was young compared to the day.  here were people that we wanted, you know, that I could easily say they were fantastic people that in the last five years, I would say, Well, maybe that's not so true. So it was important for me I finally said, Laura, we got to find dead people whose whose stories are unimpeachable. But I have found stories of people that I have exalted in my years as a professor. I've written I've used their names. And I discovered later that they were horrific people. And nobody knew. Nobody was talking. Because even in those days, you didn't talk about things like that. We, I mean, when Kennedy was a president, we didn't talk about what was going on in the White House, behind closed doors. Now we know these things. So that's why we went with dead people. But but nobody questions Mr. Rogers. And so we used him in both books. LAURA BARRINGER  39:09 I remember that–my dad's texts, “Nope, only dead people.” JULIE ROYS  39:13 Problem is even dead people, Ravi Zacharias that didn't come out, you know, until after he was dead. But I mean, obviously, a little better if they've had a little bit of time, between their life and some study of the kind of person they were, SCOT McKNIGHT  39:30 I would also say that nobody's perfect. Not many people are like Mr. Rogers. So people with warts and all is not the worst thing. David is hardly a beautiful character in all the pages of the Bible. The apostle Paul can lash out at people. I don't know about Peter. Mary seems to be a good person, other than the fact that she's trying to tell Jesus what to do and how to be a messiah. So we just we can't expect perfection but we expect a certain level of maturity that we can count on. And we may find out that Pastor got really mad one day and said something he shouldn't have, but he admitted it. JULIE ROYS  40:11 That's a big one to me is Do you hear the pastor admitting wrong, asking for forgiveness, because that needs to be a regular practice. Let's talk about some of these practices of transforming cultures. And you talk about there being a transformational agent. Normally, when you see these kinds of transformations happening, and as well, a transformational coalition. SCOT McKNIGHT  40:35 Julie, let's just say you realize your church has got some stuff in the soil that needs to be healed. Alright. And you go through a process of discovery. And you come up with five things that we need to work on in the next five years. All right, I think that's a pretty normal process. I don't believe that the pastor should be in charge of all this. Now, in most churches, I believe the pastor will be in charge of this because the pastor is in charge of everything. But I think it should be handed off to a transformation agent, who is independent, and can get more honest responses from people than the pastor can, unless the transformation agent is just a flying monkey, as the as the words are used, or a mole for the pastor. If it's a person of character, they're going to be trusted, and the pastor is going to have to listen to the results. But I think it's good to have a transformation agent whose responsibility it is to organize administrate, to evaluate, and to pass the information on so that it can be implemented in a really good way to the leadership of the church. But it can't just be one person or two people. And it's not based on it's not a bunch of sermons, LAURA BARRINGER  41:52 I don't want to skip over something really important that we learned from Edgar Schein, again, the major researcher on this topic of transforming culture, is he said, You can't transform anything until your problem is clearly defined and crystal clear. That's what led us to write the TOV tool so that it can help groups or whomever is taking it churches, groups, teams, clearly identify areas of strength, and then areas where growth is important. And Edgar Schein said, that's like the most important step of all is listening. And that might take a lot of conversation and a lot of authenticity and hearing maybe things about yourself, you don't want to hear. But that's like one of the most important steps is identifying, “we are not putting people above the reputation of our institution.” Or, “it seems like we're really good at truth telling, but we're not offering a lot of justice to the wounded.” So every organization is different. But those conversations where you unearth, what are the strengths, and where do we need to grow in these areas of like that we created the TOV tool out of our circle of TOV from the first book. It just cannot be skipped over. And then that can be used by the transformation agent and the coalition to have some data and listening as they move forward or attempt to move forward. SCOT McKNIGHT  43:28 And I would add to the coalition is you can't transform a culture because you're a persuasive speaker, with a couple of friends in your church that are all doing this. It takes a culture's ownership to get there. So our theory is okay, we got a transformation agent and a couple people, they studied the Bible, I won't get into all that, then it grows to a group of five. And then it grows to a group of 10. And then it splits into a couple more groups that grow to a group of 30 or 40. And you're starting to build a critical mass of people who are committed to this idea and working it out. But they're contributing to the idea. So it's not like I got a great idea. Now we're gonna go implement it. It is, I have an idea. Let's work on this together. And before long once you get 50 to 75 people involved in it, there's ownership but the idea has now grown into something that is healthier, stronger, deeper, wider. It starts to get ownership, if you have a fairly sizable church, before you go to the church. JULIE ROYS  44:36 And I think what's to me exciting about listening about some churches that did this. And even hearing you talk about it, this is a very organic thing that happens as people are discussing this and something starts to grow. I mean, basically, this culture begins to reform as people are reforming. Right? And they're beginning to model it, and they're beginning to change, and so then you begin to see this transformation happen. And then hopefully you're moving into a different culture. Right? And the congregation becomes a different kind of culture.  And those who quite frankly, don't buy into it, leave. I mean, I remember the power of that when we did youth ministry, like we just said, from the beginning, we don't do entertainment, the world does that better than us. But if you want to come and worship and pray, like, we're really going to be a part of that, and studying the Bible, and the ones that weren't interested in that would just fall off. And then we would gather a group of people who really wanted to do that, and it became our culture. But it takes that kind of time. But you talk about then the last part of your book about the powers and the congregational culture powers, I thought it was really interesting, especially Laura, when you were talking about kind of the practices that led to a culture at Willow Creek when you were there. And then you contrasted that with these practices that led to a culture at this Quaker church that was completely different. Talk about that, because I thought, it's such a great example and a contrast, because we often don't think about what we're doing when we're doing it, and how this is creating a culture. But I think, as I was reading it, it made me think about things that I'm doing, and what kind of culture does that create? So yeah, talk about that. LAURA BARRINGER  46:29 So I didn't really realize what the culture of Willow Creek was, until I left Willow Creek. And being out of it allowed me to see and I'm not criticizing it, I'm just saying like, factually, there are a lot of people that attend, they put people up on stage, that walk through the campus with bodyguards. And there's sort of a feel of like haves have nots, or the whole service leads up to what the speaker is going to say. And you know, weeks ahead of time, who's going to be speaking and like Mark, and I'd be the first to tell you, like, we got into a terrible rut at Willow, we were like, Oh, we don't really like that speaker. So we're not going to go this week, you know, our neighbors would be like, come for a bike ride. Okay, we'll do that instead, like, we were just consumers of a show. So we left Willow Creek and experienced the Anglican tradition, which is very different. But then what I wrote about in the book, I tried to get into less Twitter fights or whatever X fights? JULIE ROYS  47:37 It's weird. It's just weird. LAURA BARRINGER  47:39 I know. One day, I just wandered into this, like delightful conversation with a Quaker pastor. And I remember his name, because we have a family friend of the same name, Scott Wagner, and he posted pictures, and I don't know anything about the Quakers other than what I've read, you know, just a little bit. So I'm not I don't know where they stand theologically at all. But his pictures were so startling to me. They were getting ready for a meeting. And the chairs were set up in a circle. And it was just in this like, small room with wooden floors. And after coming out of the Willow Creek tradition was like, well, where's the speaker gonna stand? But that wasn't what the goal was at all. It was like a meeting where everybody was seen as equals. And I don't know, it seems like is that how the early church was? That's how I picture people in my head, like, sitting in a circle together. Not like all of us staring at a person on stage. JULIE ROYS  48:44 I have to say, being in a house church now and experiencing meeting in homes, and we haven't had a sermon. You know, in the past 18 months since I've been going to our house church. There's no sermon. We're opening the Bible. And there's a facilitator and we dig in together, and we study the Bible together. And I just love it. I mean, I come away every Sunday, it's like, wow, that was rich, that was really good. And I've gone to a church too where we were in the round, in fact, is one of your colleagues there, Dave Fitch, his church that we attended, where we would have the chairs all in a circle, I love that, I think in the Anglican tradition, instead of the sermon being the highlight, really, the table is. Eucharist. That's the highlight, and that communicates a value. So I think looking at what are we doing in the service, and I have wondered about this. And to me, the fact that we make a man on stage preaching, which is very heavy head knowledge. And I'm not saying that's wrong, but I'm, I often wonder if that's sort of a post enlightenment way of thinking that the pinnacle of the service is the sermon? SCOT McKNIGHT  49:56 It happened at the reformation that turned the sermon into a major, the major focus. The early church didn't have sermons. LAURA BARRINGER  50:04 They had letters, right? They would hear, read letters? JULIE ROYS  50:07 And at that one sermon where, what is it Eutychus?  Fell out the window and died. You know, SCOT McKNIGHT  50:12 Paul was talking, he was talking. But I mean, it was a it was a house church, you're talking about a normal sized living room with maybe an atrium with some water in the middle. And people around it talking and someone instructors instruction. There'd be the reading of a letter. There'd be the exposition of a psalm or something. And eventually, they would read scriptures and then preach about or teach about it. But it was a fellowship, where there was instruction, there was prayer, there was worship, there was caring for one another. And that's where the church got started. Jesus didn't preach sermons in the houses, he told stories, parables, it's where the parables came from. JULIE ROYS  50:59 Well, obviously, there's a lot of things that we can do to sort of jumpstart transformation. We've talked about some of those. But I love that you kind of land this book with where the power really comes from. And it's from the Holy Spirit, and it's from God's grace. So talk about the importance of relying on the Spirit, and grace, so that we're not manufacturing something but we're actually being led by God. SCOT McKNIGHT  51:31 When we were writing this book, I told Laura, probably 10 times, every chapter could be the first chapter. They were all interlocking. LAURA BARRINGER  51:39 We had trouble ordering the chapters. SCOT McKNIGHT  51:42 And theologically, I wanted to begin with that theological ending, but I know that just sounds like I'm a seminary professor. And we've got to get people interested in the topic first. So the neuralgics is what it's called sometimes. So yeah, I think the example of Christ, the significance of the Holy Spirit being open to the Spirit, the power of God's grace, which is operative, in the example of Christ, and in the power of the Spirit, all those things are what ultimately is responsible for transformation of an individual person, and of a community, a church. If we think it's just mechanics, and structure, and system and program, it's gonna go dry. But when it is the dynamic of the Spirit of God, leading us, prompting us, directing us, making us change, making us think of new things, we're in the right place. LAURA BARRINGER  52:39 That's what I love about the story of Oak Hills is that they say we felt this sense of dis equilibrium in our soul. And they surrendered to what they felt the Spirit was telling them and leading them. And they followed. And I think they would say, the transformation was worth it. Rather than having consumers, they were discipling people to grow in Christ. And they were like, we just steadily pushed against the culture, and taught people how to live like Jesus. That was it. JULIE ROYS  53:12 And I believe that Jesus said, his last words were not to go and make big churches or converts. But yeah, to make disciples, that is, what the church should be doing. And so I just really appreciate what you guys have put together here in this book, and that you're really moving people, I think, towards something beautiful and something good. Any last thoughts or final encouragement for those who might be thinking of embarking on this journey of trying to transform or are in the midst of it. And I mean, as I said, at the beginning, it's not for the faint of heart, it's not going to be easy. It could be a seven year or even longer process, any encouragement for them right now. SCOT McKNIGHT  54:00 I would say go with it. There's going to be many times when you'd like to return back to where you started and say, we'll just go back to where it was working. Roll with it. Because it's going to be different for every group. But it's worth it to pursue this direction, to see what God can do in your church and in your institution, over time, as you begin to focus on, let's say, the power of God's grace to transform us into being people who are like Jesus Christ. JULIE ROYS  54:34 And that's pretty exciting. LAURA BARRINGER  54:36 Amen. JULIE ROYS  54:37 Well, again, thank you so much. I really appreciate both of you and appreciate the ministry that you're having and the impact that you're having. This has been extremely helpful. So thank you. SCOT McKNIGHT  54:48 Thank you, Julie. LAURA BARRINGER  54:49 Thank you for having us. SCOT McKNIGHT  54:51 Thanks, Laura. LAURA BARRINGER  54:52 Thanks, Dad. JULIE ROYS  54:54 Scot and Laura, thank you so much for the gift of this book—and the gift of your time today. This has been so helpful . . . And if you'd like a copy of Scot & Laura's new book, Pivot, we would be happy to send you one for a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report. Again, we don't have any large donors or advertising. We simply have you—the people who care about exposing toxic churches and leaders, and then encouraging them to transform into TOV ones. So, if you'd like to support our work and get the book Pivot, just go to JulieRoys.com/donate. Also, I want to let you know that next week, I'll be releasing another talk from Restore by Carson Weitnauer on Disillusionment and Hope. This is an extremely vulnerable and moving talk where Carson tells his profound disillusionment when he discovered the truth about Ravi Zacharias. At the time, Carson was a director at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries—and Ravi had been his hero. This is such a painfully honest, yet hopeful, talk—and one you won't want to miss. So, be watching for that. We'll release the talk as both an audio podcast and a video at my YouTube channel. Also, just a quick reminder to subscribe to The Roys Report on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. That way, you won't miss any of these episodes! And while you're at it, I'd really appreciate it if you'd help us spread the word about the podcast by leaving a review. And then, please share the podcast on social media so more people can hear about this great content. Again, thanks for joining me today! Hope you were blessed and encouraged!   Read more

Heather Uhl // "Jesus Creed" // 10-25-2023

This week, theologian Scot McKnight walks Heather through what we may be misunderstanding about the Book of Revelation. McKnight, a professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary, tackles popular misconceptions about the mysterious final book of the Bible that both fascinates and frightens its readers. Drawing from his latest book, Revelation for the Rest of Us (written with Cody Matchett), McKnight shares what John means in his use of the images of dragons, lambs, and beasts; and how the symbolism of Revelation, which was so powerful in those ancient days of Rome, still speaks profoundly to the present day—though not necessarily in the way most of us think. This conversation between two energetic communicators will have your rapt attention from beginning to end. In fact, this interview is so rich and packed with insight on how to be a better interpreter of Scripture that you will probably want to listen to it on repeat. McKnight challenges us to view Revelation not just as a novel assortment of visions and prophecies, but as a guide for radical discipleship and nonconformity to the world. But there is good news, says Dr. McKnight: Despite facing beasts, in the end, the Lamb wins! In this episode Heather also shares what you, the Viral Jesus community, shared with her online. Testimonies are part of how we share our experiences and faith. They encourage others by sharing real-life examples of how we have experienced God. Thank you for sharing your testimonies with us. Guest Bio Scot McKnight (PhD, University of Nottingham) is a world-renowned speaker, writer, professor, and equipper of the church. He currently serves as professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary in suburban Chicago. He is a recognized authority on the historical Jesus, early Christianity, and the New Testament. His books have been translated into Chinese, Korean, Russian, and Portuguese. He is the author of The Jesus Creed, The Blue Parakeet, The King Jesus Gospel, Revelation for the Rest of Us, numerous commentaries, and is now writing a sixteen-volume series of reflections called The Everyday Bible Study. Host Bio Heather Thompson Day is an associate professor of communication at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan. She is the author of eight books, including I'll See You Tomorrow and It's Not Your Turn. Reach out to Heather on X, the app formerly known as Twitter, at @HeatherTDay and on Instagram @heatherthompsonday. Additional Links Get Heather's weekly inspirational email delivered to your inbox every Friday night at 7 PM EDT. Sign up now at: www.heatherthompsonday.com/links. Viral Jesus is a production of Christianity Today Host and creator: Heather Thompson Day Executive Producer: Ed Gilbreath Producer: Loren Joseph Mix Engineer: Alex Carter Director of CT Podcasts: Mike Cosper Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Levi Walker // "Jesus Creed" // 10-18-2023

Brit Vargas // "Jesus Creed" // 10-11-2023

Rev. Canon Dr. Scot McKnight is the author or editor of around 80 books. Perhaps his most well-known book, The Jesus Creed, has become a favourite for many thousands of readers since its release around 20 years ago. Scot is a recognized authority on the New Testament, early Christianity, and the historical Jesus. His most recent book, written with Cody Matchett, is titled Revelation for the Rest of Us: A Prophetic Call to Follow Jesus as a Dissident Disciple It seeks to untangle the many interpretations of the final book of the Bible which has caused frustration and fear for many people over hundreds of years. Weblinks Scot McKnight ‘s Newsletter Revelation for the Rest of Us

Jake Walker // "Jesus Creed" // 10-4-2023

After the release of their groundbreaking book, A Church Called Tov, which recorded the stories of abuse and toxic church cultures at some of the most prominent churches in the United States, New Testament scholar and blogger for Christianity Today Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer heard from a flood of people who had experienced similar instances of abuse. After all they've seen and heard, they still believe it's possible for church cultures to be transformed from toxic to tov—from oppressive to good.   In Pivot, Scot and Laura help churches to implement practices,establish priorities, and cultivate the Kingdom Gospel-centered qualities that form goodness cultures. Readers will find answers to the four most common questions people have about culture transformation: How can I transform the culture in my church or organization to make it tov?  I believe my workplace has unhealthy values. How do I initiate change? How do I unleash a culture of goodness in my ministry?  I'm not in a position of church leadership. What are some red flags that indicate a toxic culture, and what can I do if I see them? Pivot also includes the following practical features:  The “Tov tool,” a survey to help you discern your organization's culture and to promote spiritual conversations  A “getting to work” section at the end of each chapter with questions and next steps for application Transformation is never easy. But for the sake of the next generation, we must do it.   Scot McKnight (PhD, University of Nottingham) is a world-renowned speaker, writer, professor, and equipper of the Church. He is a recognized authority on the historical Jesus, early Christianity, and the New Testament. His books have been translated into Chinese, Korean, Russian, and Portuguese. He is the author of The Jesus Creed, The Blue Parakeet, The King Jesus Gospel, Revelation for the Rest of Us, numerous commentaries, and is now writing a sixteen-volume series of reflections called The Everyday Bible Study.

Dr. Scot McKnight is a world-renowned speaker, writer, professor and equipper of the Church. He is a recognized authority on the historical Jesus, early Christianity, and the New Testament. He blogs at a Christianity Today site called Jesus Creed, and more recently on his own sub stack newsletter (Scot's Newsletter). He writes prolifically there, offering book reviews, social commentary, and solid scholarship on all kinds of topics relevant to the Church today. Scot is a recognized authority on the New Testament, and has two books out just this year — Revelation for the Rest of Us, and The Second Gospel. That's a lot of productivity for one guy! We sat down to talk to him about both of these solid books. 

Scot McKnight, PhD, Cody Matchett, and Dr. Mark Truman discuss the flaws of dispensationalism, Revelation's message for discipleship, the Christian life as a peaceful political dissident, how to read Revelation generally, and what this means for Christian worship today.    Show notes:    New Testament scholars Scot McKnight, PhD, and Cody Matchett explain their background with the book of Revelation and why they wrote Revelation for the Rest of Us (2:41). Dr. McKnight explains dispensationalism, its history and ideas, why it fails, and why their reading of Revelation leads to hope rather than paranoia (10:04). They explain what it means to be a dissident disciple, the importance of politics in Revelation, and John's constant allusions to Rome (24:52). They talk about why this more biblical interpretation makes Revelation apply so fervently to modern Christians. They consider the drama in Revelation's colorful language and how to interpret John's vision (30:01). They discuss why John was exiled to Patmos and how Christianity was deemed threatening to the political order (38:19). Revelation compares and contrasts the woman of Babylon and the woman of Jerusalem, revealing to modern churches how to worship more powerfully (47:31).    NOTE: We've launched our summer campaign. As a 100-percent donor-supported ministry nonprofit, we rely on believers like you to give toward our calling “to equip the saints for the work of ministry” (Eph. 4:12). If our work has encouraged or inspired you, please give today.   Resources and further reading:   “Revelation for Too Many: An excerpt from Revelation for the Rest of Us”  Revelation for the Rest of Us: A Prophetic Call to Follow Jesus as a Dissident Disciple, Dr. Scot McKnight, Cody Matchett Pivot: The Priorities, Practices, and Powers That Can Transform Your Church into a Tov Culture, Dr. Scot McKnight, Laura Barringer Reading Revelation Responsibly, Dr. Michael J. Gorman The Rise and Fall of Dispensationalism, Dr. Daniel G. Hummel   About the host    Mark Turman, DMin, is the executive director of Denison Forum. He received his DMin from Truett at Baylor and previously served as lead pastor of Crosspoint Church.    About the guests    Scot McKnight (PhD, University of Nottingham) is a world-renowned speaker, writer, professor, and equipper of the Church. He is a recognized authority on the historical Jesus, early Christianity, and the New Testament. His books have been translated into Chinese, Korean, Russian, and Portuguese. He is the author of The Jesus Creed, The Blue Parakeet, The King Jesus Gospel, Revelation for the Rest of Us, numerous commentaries, and is now writing a sixteen-volume series of reflections called The Everyday Bible Study.   Cody Matchett is the Scholar in Residence at First Assembly Church in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Cody holds a bachelor's degree in biblical Studies (Briercrest College) and a Master of Arts in New Testament (Northern Seminary). He is pursuing his PhD at Ridley College, Melbourne. He lives in Calgary with his wife Brianna and his daughter Aleitheia Theodora.  

Discover the unexpected twist in Dr. Scot McKnight's journey toward creating a more literal Bible translation that will leave you questioning everything you thought you knew about the New Testament. Are you ready to slow down, think, and immerse yourself in the first-century Christian world?Words matter, especially in translations of the Bible. Join us as we dive into the world of New Testament translations with Scot McKnight and uncover the importance of accurate translations and the impact they can have. When it comes to women in ministry, though, and the use of certain words, will the translation choices make or break their place in the church? Find out in this thought-provoking discussion.In this episode, you will be able to:Recognize the value of cultural understanding and meticulous translation in the proper interpretation of the Bible.Delve into the intricate dynamics of power within the church and their varied consequences.Learn how to address spiritual abuse effectively and foster a support system for survivors.Embrace the core principles of good leadership and the altruistic use of power in ministry.Highlight the vital insights shared by women scholars and survivors for a more inclusive faith community.My special guest is Dr. Scot McKnightMeet Dr. Scot McKnight, a renowned New Testament professor at Northern Seminary in Illinois and a prolific author with a passion for diving deep into the cultural context of biblical texts. As a guest on Lori Adams-Brown's podcast, Scot brings his expertise in Bible translation and interpretation, having written over 90 books, including widely-read titles like "A Church Called Tove" and "The Blue Parakeet." A dedicated advocate for abuse survivors and a favorite professor among his students, Dr. McKnight's insights are sure to enrich your understanding of the Bible."I believe in the power of a more literal translation."- Dr. Scot McKnightThe resources mentioned in this episode are:Pre-order Dr. Scott McKnight's new translation of the New Testament, The Second Testament. Use AWORLD23 to get 30% off plus free shipping at @ivpress.com on The Second Testament through June 7.Subscribe to Dr. McKnight's Substack newsletter, the Jesus Creed.Consider taking Greek classes with Dr. McKnight at Northern Seminary.Purchase Dr. McKnight's books, including A Church Called Tov, The King Jesus Gospel, and The Blue Parakeet.Follow Dr. McKnight's blog, the Jesus Creed.Read Dr. McKnight's contributions as general editor of the Dictionary of Paul and His Letters.Explore the Everyday Bible series, including the First Testament by John Golden Gay and The Kingdom New Testament by Tom Wright.The Way of JesusGood leadership in the church involves recognizing, using, and sharing power in ways that are faithful to the teachings of Jesus. Followers of Jesus should strive to cultivate humility, compassion, and an attitude of serving others, often forgoing one's power to benefit those who are more vulnerable. Dr. Scot McKnight, during the podcast interview, mentioned several examples of power abuse in the church, contrasting them with the biblical teachings of Jesus. He specifically cited Romans 16 and Philippians 2:1-11, which emphasize the concept of Kenosis – the act of laying down one's power to serve others. McKnight believes that understanding this concept and applying it in the context of leadership and church relationships is essential to embodying the way of Jesus and countering the negative aspects of power dynamics in churches."Words deeply matter, and those words can wound and they can hurt for a long...

Discover the unexpected twist in Dr. Scot McKnight's journey toward creating a more literal Bible translation that will leave you questioning everything you thought you knew about the New Testament. Are you ready to slow down, think, and immerse yourself in the first-century Christian world?Words matter, especially in translations of the Bible. Join us as we dive into the world of New Testament translations with Scot McKnight and uncover the importance of accurate translations and the impact they can have. When it comes to women in ministry, though, and the use of certain words, will the translation choices make or break their place in the church? Find out in this thought-provoking discussion.In this episode, you will be able to:Recognize the value of cultural understanding and meticulous translation in the proper interpretation of the Bible.Delve into the intricate dynamics of power within the church and their varied consequences.Learn how to address spiritual abuse effectively and foster a support system for survivors.Embrace the core principles of good leadership and the altruistic use of power in ministry.Highlight the vital insights shared by women scholars and survivors for a more inclusive faith community.My special guest is Dr. Scot McKnightMeet Dr. Scot McKnight, a renowned New Testament professor at Northern Seminary in Illinois and a prolific author with a passion for diving deep into the cultural context of biblical texts. As a guest on Lori Adams-Brown's podcast, Scot brings his expertise in Bible translation and interpretation, having written over 90 books, including widely-read titles like "A Church Called Tove" and "The Blue Parakeet." A dedicated advocate for abuse survivors and a favorite professor among his students, Dr. McKnight's insights are sure to enrich your understanding of the Bible."I believe in the power of a more literal translation."- Dr. Scot McKnightThe resources mentioned in this episode are:Pre-order Dr. Scott McKnight's new translation of the New Testament, The Second Testament. Use AWORLD23 to get 30% off plus free shipping at @ivpress.com on The Second Testament through June 7.Subscribe to Dr. McKnight's Substack newsletter, the Jesus Creed.Consider taking Greek classes with Dr. McKnight at Northern Seminary.Purchase Dr. McKnight's books, including A Church Called Tov, The King Jesus Gospel, and The Blue Parakeet.Follow Dr. McKnight's blog, the Jesus Creed.Read Dr. McKnight's contributions as general editor of the Dictionary of Paul and His Letters.Explore the Everyday Bible series, including the First Testament by John Golden Gay and The Kingdom New Testament by Tom Wright.The Way of JesusGood leadership in the church involves recognizing, using, and sharing power in ways that are faithful to the teachings of Jesus. Followers of Jesus should strive to cultivate humility, compassion, and an attitude of serving others, often forgoing one's power to benefit those who are more vulnerable. Dr. Scot McKnight, during the podcast interview, mentioned several examples of power abuse in the church, contrasting them with the biblical teachings of Jesus. He specifically cited Romans 16 and Philippians 2:1-11, which emphasize the concept of Kenosis – the act of laying down one's power to serve others. McKnight believes that understanding this concept and applying it in the context of leadership and church relationships is essential to embodying the way of Jesus and countering the negative aspects of power dynamics in churches."Words deeply matter, and those words can wound and they can hurt for a long...

Scot McKnight is the Julius R. Mantey Chair of New Testament at Northern Seminary. He's the author of numerous books including Jesus Creed, Blue Parakeet, King Jesus Gospel and A Church Called Tov, which he co-authored with his daughter Laura Barringer.  Today we're talking about a new New Testament translation that Scot has completed that will be released on June 6. In our interview, Scot calls it a "crunchy and clunky translation" as a way of describing some of how he approached this work. It's a translation that will cause you to experience some of the New Testament in fresh ways because of the choices he makes.  Check out The Second Testament Find Scot at Scot's Newsletter Substack Twitter  

In this episode Dr. Scot McKnight gives a vision for the book of Revelation. He talks about how we, as followers of Jesus, can live faithfully as witnesses to the Lamb in the shadow of Babylon (or the Empire). He talks about being dissident disciples, how black spirituals are an example of the songs in Revelation, how the Gospel sees and utilizes power, and more.Scot McKnight is Professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary in Lisle, Illinois. He is the author of more than eighty books, including the award-winning The Jesus Creed as well as The King Jesus Gospel, A Fellowship of Differents, One.Life, The Blue Parakeet, and Kingdom Conspiracy. He maintains an active blog at www.christianitytoday.com/scot-mcknight. He and his wife, Kristen, live in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, where they enjoy long walks, gardening, and cooking.Scot's Book:Revelation for the Rest of UsScot's Substack:Scot's NewsletterScot's Recommendation:The Woman of the Pharisees by Francois MauriacConnect with Joshua: jjohnson@allnations.usGo to www.shiftingculturepodcast.com to interact and donate. Every donation helps to produce more podcasts for you to enjoy.Follow on Facebook or Instagram at www.facebook.com/shiftingculturepodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/shiftingculturepodcast/Consider Giving to the podcast and to the ministry that my wife and I do around the world. Just click on the support the show link below.Support the show

In this episode, Eric Bryant interviews Dr. Scot McKnight, New Testament Professor at Northern Seminary and author of Jesus Creed, The Blue Parakeet: Rethinking How You Read the Bible, and Revelation for the Rest of Us. From his website: "He is a recognized authority on the historical Jesus, early Christianity, and the New Testament. His blog, Jesus Creed, is a leading Christian blog." In a time when people are wondering: "if the end is near," Scot and I discuss the way Revelation was intended to be read. Our goal with The Post-Christian Podcast is to reframe, simplify, and focus on our mission to make disciples in a post Christian culture. We discuss reaching new people and raising up leaders while removing the barriers of churchianity. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/eric-bryant1/support

Scripture Reference: Matthew 22:34-40

Show Notes:A New Chapter in Millennial Church Attendance: “Patterns of attendance among younger generations can be especially important—and perplexing—for pastors to understand, in their own church and at large. Barna Group has studied the intersection of faith and culture for nearly four decades, with an emphasis on generational trends. This article explores recent data to help church leaders ground themselves in the present reality of church attendance across generations—especially Millennials—in 2022.”The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated Americaby Richard Rothstein: “Richard Rothstein argues with exacting precision and fascinating insight how segregation in America—the incessant kind that continues to dog our major cities and has contributed to so much recent social strife—is the byproduct of explicit government policies at the local, state, and federal levels.”The Technological Society by Jacques Ellul: “Ellul offers a penetrating analysis of our technological civilization, showing how technology—which began innocuously enough as a servant of humankind—threatens to overthrow humanity itself in its ongoing creation of an environment that meets its own ends.”Nancy French's entertainment suggestion tweet thread: “In the French house, David and I love to watch series. Frequently, people ask what good shows we've watched, so I thought I'd start a list (and I'll keep adding to it) of some of the binge-worthy TV we've enjoyed.”Fasting: The Ancient Practices by Scot McKnight: “Christianity has traditionally been at odds with the human body. At times in the history of the church, Christians have viewed the body and physical desires as the enemy. Now, Scot McKnight, best-selling author of The Jesus Creed , reconnects the spiritual and the physical in the ancient discipline of fasting.”

Today's guest conversation is with Dr. Scot McKnight from Northern Seminary in Chicago. Here is what Northern says about Scot:Dr. Scot McKnight is a world-renowned speaker, writer, professor and equipper of the Church. He is a recognized authority on the historical Jesus, early Christianity, and the New Testament. His blog, Jesus Creed, is a leading Christian blog.Dr. McKnight's most recent books include Reading Romans Backwards and Pastor Paul.A sought after speaker, he has been interviewed on several radio and television programs as well as spoken at numerous local churches, conferences, colleges, and seminaries in the United States and around the world. Scot McKnight is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature and the Society for New Testament Studies.McKnight's books have been translated into Chinese, Korean, Russian, and Portuguese.On this Weekend Edition #35, we talk to Scot about a basic, fundamental understanding of the Christian life, which greatly informs how we understand faith and do ministry. Jonny Craig and I talked with Scot several years, yet this is so timely, and evergreen, for pastors today, and I'm so thankful to be able to share it with you! Support the showFor more great content and conversations for pastors, check out the over 400 episodes of the 200churches Podcast!

This lecture was given on April 8, 2022 at the University of California, Berkeley. For more information on upcoming events, please visit our website at www.thomisticinstitute.org. About the speaker: Matthew J. Thomas is Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology in Berkeley, CA, and an Instructor in Theology at Regent College, Vancouver. He holds a D.Phil in New Testament and Patristics from the University of Oxford, and is the author of Paul's 'Works of the Law' in the Perspective of Second-Century Reception (Mohr Siebeck, 2018; IVP, 2020), which received the Jesus Creed "Book of the Year" award for 2018. Matthew and his wife Leeanne live in the Bay Area with their children Camille, Raphael, Michael and Agnes, who are also aspiring theologians.

“Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” Deuteronomy 6:4-5 NASB 95 “…you

Welcome to the eighth episode of the Power Shift Edition podcast season, another beautiful collaboration between Danielle Strickland and World Vision. We are connecting with people at the intersection of power shifting around the world, including World Vision staff.  In this episode, Danielle interviews Laura Barringer and Scot McKnight. Laura Barringer is an outspoken advocate for the wounded resisters of institutional abuse. Laura is coauthor of A Church Called Tov: Forming a Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing. Laura is a curriculum writer for Grow Kids, a ministry of Stuff You Can Use. She published articles for The Jesus Creed and The Englewood Review of Books, and her writing has been featured in Church Leaders, The Roys Report, and Converge Summit. Laura is a graduate of Wheaton College.Scot McKnight, a New Testament scholar who has written widely on the historical Jesus and Christian spirituality, is a Professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary in Lombard, Illinois. He earned a bachelor's degree from Cornerstone University, a master's from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and a doctorate from the University of Nottingham. He has written more than 80 books, including the popular The Jesus Creed blog, which won an award from Christianity Today in 2004. You can read more from Scot at Substack.For more on all the things Danielle Strickland, go to daniellestrickland.comFor more information on Infinitum Life, go to infinitumlife.comFor more information on the Women Speakers Collective, go to womenspeakerscollective.comFor more information about Brave Global, go to braveglobal.orgCheck out these other collaborations with World Vision:Right Side Up course: Videos & activation guide from Season 1, on beatitudes:  https://www.worldvision.org/church/resources/rsu_curriculum Prayer Postures: https://www.worldvision.org/church/resources/prayerrhythms Soul Care for leaders: https://www.worldvision.org/church/resources/right-side-up-soul-care-with-danielle-strickland Resilient Leadership for Kingdom Come (pastor specific): https://www.worldvision.org/church/resources/resilient-leadership-for-kingdom-come Infinitum Prayer Days: https://infinitumlife.com/prayerday 

Laura Barringer is an outspoken advocate for the wounded resisters of institutional abuse. Laura is co-author of A Church Called Tov: Forming a Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing. Laura is a curriculum writer for Grow Kids, a ministry of Stuff You Can Use. She previously co-authored the children's version of The Jesus Creed and wrote a teacher's guide to accompany the book. She published articles for The Jesus Creed and The Englewood Review of Books, and her writing has been featured in Church Leaders, The Roys Report, and Converge Summit. Laura is a graduate of Wheaton College.

In this episode I speak with Rev. Luke Ijaz about the creed!

Welcome to episode fifty-four of New Creation Conversations. In today's conversation I'm excited to be joined by Rev. Sean Palmer. Sean is the Teaching Pastor at Ecclesia Houston – an innovative and thriving multi-site church in South Texas. Sean has served for over twenty years in ministry and was selected by Christian Standard Magazines one of the best “40 Leaders Under 40.” He's a frequent speaker, teacher, and writer – his work appearing in places like Jesus Creed, Sojourners, The Lookout Magazine, and Missio Alliance. Sean has written or contributed to several books. We talk about his book Unarmed Empire: In Search of Beloved Community (published by Cascade Books). In that book Sean reflects on the kind of community the church is called to be – an alternative community devoid of fear, wherein God's love and acceptance are mediated to all people through the grace of Jesus.Much of our conversation centers around his most recent works related to the Enneagram. Recently, IVP came out with a series of books called “Enneagram Daily Reflections” – a series of books devoted to each of the nine enneagram numbers. Sean wrote the volume, Forty Days on Being a Three. I am also a three on the enneagram – so having journeyed through his book -  I was very excited to talk about the enneagram and the life of a three with Sean.Sean also has a new book – Speaking by the Numbers: Enneagram Wisdom for Teachers, Pastors, and Communicators (which will be released in May from IVP) on how to speak to and communicate in transformative ways to people across the enneagram spectrum. It's a fascinating insight and a rich part of our conversation.I found my conversation with Sean delightful and helpful. If you already know a bit about the enneagram, I know you will love this conversation – no matter what number you are. And if you are new to this whole enneagram thing, I think you will find what Sean has to say as an invitation to explore and understand your motivations, as well as what motivates those around you more deeply. 

This episode is coming to you for such a time as this.  With spiritual abuse, abuse of power, and sexual abuse becoming such common news in our time, we have to admit that there are many churches with cultures and systems that are unhealthy and even harmful.  If you are a pastor, a church leader, a congregant or just want to be a part of making a difference in a way that helps others flourish, listen in closely to the research and the harsh reality of what is happening on our watch. There is hope of how to do better, and how to be a part of creating goodness cultures together.   Our guests today are a father and daughter co-author duo who walked through a painful reality at Willow Creek church in Chicago, and that experience led them to want to help others.  Dr. Scot McKnight is a world-renowned speaker, writer, professor and equipper of the Church. He is a recognized authority on the historical Jesus, early Christianity, and the New Testament. His blog, Jesus Creed, is a leading Christian blog. Dr. McKnight's books include The Jesus Creed, The King Jesus Gospel, The Blue Parakeet, The Real Mary, and Junia is Not Alone.  A sought after speaker, he has been interviewed on several radio and television programs as well as spoken at numerous local churches, conferences, colleges, and seminaries in the United States and around the world. Scot McKnight is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature and the Society for New Testament Studies. McKnight's books have been translated into Chinese, Korean, Russian, and Portuguese. You can find him, along with the other 50.5K followers on twitter at: @scotmcknight Laura Barringer is a teacher of primary-grade students. She is the co-author of Sharing God's Love: The Jesus Creed for Children and wrote a teacher lesson and activity guide to accompany the book. She is also co-author of A Church Called Tov: Forming a Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing. Laura is a graduate of Wheaton College (IL) and currently resides in the Chicago suburbs with her husband, Mark, and three beagles. You can find her on twitter at:  @laurambarringer Buy their book and highlight it as many times as I did, because A Church Called TOV:  Forming a Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing, will likely be, outside of the Bible, the most important book you read this year.  Let's be TOV and create TOV systems and TOV churches together so we can all flourish. The A World of Difference Podcast is brought to you in partnership with Missio Alliance.Stay In Touch: Connect on Facebook and Instagram with thoughts, questions, and feedback. Rate, review and share this podcast with anyone that would love to listen.   Find Us Online: @aworldof.difference on Instagram and A World of Difference on Facebook, on Twitter at @loriadbr & on Clubhouse @loriadbr.https://linktr.ee/aworldofdifference or loriadamsbrown.comInterested in one-on-one or group coaching on how to live a life that makes a difference? Check out: https://www.loriadamsbrown.com/coachingDid you know that podcasts are a great way to grow your personal and business brand voice?Here's the secret, we all want to feel connected to brands we buy from. What better way to humanize a brand than through sharing your story on a podcast.Kitcaster is a podcast booking agency that specializes in developing real human connections through podcast appearances.If you are an expert in your field, have a unique story to share, or an interesting point of view-- it's time to explore the world of podcasting with Kitcaster.You can expect a completely customized concierge service from our staff of communication experts. Kitcaster is your secret weapon in podcasting for business. Your audience is waiting to hear from you.Go to https://kitcaster.com/difference/ to apply for a special offer for friends of this podcast.Mentioned in this episode:Join Difference MakersJoin us in our membership community for exclusive content for only $5/month at https://www.patreon.com/aworldofdifference. We go deeper with each guest, and it makes such a difference.PatreonDo you want to go deeper?Join us in Difference Makers, a community where we watch and discuss exclusive content that truly makes a difference. Give us $5 a month (the price of a latte), and join in on the conversation with our host Lori and others who want to make a difference. We'd love to have you join us!PatreonThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacyPodtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

This episode is coming to you for such a time as this.  With spiritual abuse, abuse of power, and sexual abuse becoming such common news in our time, we have to admit that there are many churches with cultures and systems that are unhealthy and even harmful.  If you are a pastor, a church leader, a congregant or just want to be a part of making a difference in a way that helps others flourish, listen in closely to the research and the harsh reality of what is happening on our watch. There is hope of how to do better, and how to be a part of creating goodness cultures together.   Our guests today are a father and daughter co-author duo who walked through a painful reality at Willow Creek church in Chicago, and that experience led them to want to help others.   Dr. Scot McKnight is a world-renowned speaker, writer, professor and equipper of the Church. He is a recognized authority on the historical Jesus, early Christianity, and the New Testament. His blog, https://www.christianitytoday.com/scot-mcknight/about/about.html (Jesus Creed), is a leading Christian blog. Dr. McKnight's books include https://www.amazon.com/dp/1612615783/?tag=christtoday-20 (The Jesus Creed), https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005IOZUDA/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i2 (The King Jesus Gospel), https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077CXZ2CD/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i1 (The Blue Parakeet,) https://www.amazon.com/Real-Mary-Scot-McKnight-December/dp/B01B98EXKO/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1614661767&sr=1-1 (The Real Mary), and Junia is Not Alone.  A sought after speaker, he has been interviewed on several radio and television programs as well as spoken at numerous local churches, conferences, colleges, and seminaries in the United States and around the world. Scot McKnight is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature and the Society for New Testament Studies. McKnight's books have been translated into Chinese, Korean, Russian, and Portuguese.  You can find him, along with the other 50.5K followers https://twitter.com/scotmcknight (on twitter) at: @scotmcknight  Laura Barringer is a teacher of primary-grade students. She is the co-author of https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1612615813?pf_rd_r=DZW1HYYHWSW3JGZYY2G0&pf_rd_p=5ae2c7f8-e0c6-4f35-9071-dc3240e894a8&pd_rd_r=b5e704d7-9bd1-42ff-82e9-c2f855593e81&pd_rd_w=eqJhv&pd_rd_wg=NgWHs&ref_=pd_gw_unk (Sharing God's Love: The Jesus Creed for Children) and wrote a teacher lesson and activity guide to accompany the book. She is also co-author of A Church Called Tov: Forming a Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing. Laura is a graduate of Wheaton College (IL) and currently resides in the Chicago suburbs with her husband, Mark, and three beagles.  You can find her https://twitter.com/laurambarringer (on twitter) at:  @laurambarringer  Buy their book and highlight it as many times as I did, because https://www.amazon.com/s?k=a+church+called+tov&crid=2JGX5MN2SCBXC&sprefix=a+church+cal%2Caps%2C226&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_12 (A Church Called TOV:  Forming a Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing), will likely be, outside of the Bible, the most important book you read this year.  Let's be TOV and create TOV systems and TOV churches together so we can all flourish.  The A World of Difference Podcast is brought to you in partnership with https://www.missioalliance.org/ (Missio Alliance). Stay In Touch: Connect on Facebook and Instagram with thoughts, questions, and feedback. Rate, review and share this podcast with anyone that would love to listen.   Find Us Online: https://www.instagram.com/aworldof.difference/ (@aworldof.difference) on Instagram and https://www.facebook.com/A-World-of-Difference-613933132591673/ (A World of Difference) on Facebook, on Twitter at https://twitter.com/loriadbr (@loriadbr) & on...

On The Lex Talionis38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'In Latin this is the lex talionis, or the law of retribution.“But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.” – Exodus 21:23-25“Anyone who injures their neighbor is to be injured in the same manner: fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. The one who has inflicted the injury must suffer the same injury.” – Leviticus 24:19–20“Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.” – Deuteronomy 19:21In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck asks Buck “what a is a feud?”“Well”, Buck says, “a feud is this way: A man has a quarrel with another man, and kills him; then that other man's brother kills him; then the other brothers, on both sides, goes for one another; then the cousins chip in—and by and by everybody's killed off, and there ain't no more feud. But it's kind of slow, and takes a long time.”This is the cycle of violence.01. The violence of the First CenturyJesus was born into a world drowning in violence. The years between the OT and NT were not quiet. Rather, they were filled with bloody revolutions and armed conflicts.200 hundred years before Christ was born Israel was under Greek occupation and practicing Judasm was outlawed.Judas “The Maccabee”, led his fellow Israelites to take up their swords and overthrow the unjust regime. Thousands were slaughtered in just a few weeks and the Israelites gained their independence and religious freedom. The Israelites became utterly convinced that the Maccabeans were their messiah and that this was the “Kingdom of God”– the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies.But the Maccabean family would quickly shift from war heroes to violent oppressors. The swords they used to free were quickly turned on their own people.Rather, Jesus desires for his followers to take action that break this cycle of violence, and create opportunities for those who are our enemy to be transformed.02. Breaking the Cycle of Violence with the Third Way.39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil.“Do not resist” is a somewhat misleading translation in that we assume inaction, but nonresistance is not the same as inaction.Fight or Flight; to strike back or to remove ourselves from the situation. But at every turn Jesus rejects this fight-or-flight binary.“A person shaped by the Jesus Creed [love of God and love of neighbor] responds to injustice not with retaliation and vengeance but with grace, compassion, and abundant mercy in such a way that it reverses injustice.” – Scot McKnight.03. Four illustrations for the third way of JesusPhysical ViolenceBut if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.B. Legal Violence40 And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.“So the person suing goes for what is legal (a shirt), but Jesus goes further by urging his followers to relinquish their rights to a robe. This would deprive the person of standard comforts and provision. What Jesus says, at face value, is to strip in front of the person as a means of exhibiting radical distance from social custom. Jesus experienced this too (cf. Matt 27:35).” – Scot McKnightPolitical Violence41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.Financial Violence42 Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.“Our voluntary renunciation of counter violence confirms and proclaims our unconditional allegiance to Jesus as his followers, our freedom, our detachment from our own egos. And it is only in the exclusivity of this adherence that evil can be overcome.”– Bonhoeffer, Discipleship04. Unanswered QuestionsWhat can you do in protection of the innocent?What about non combatant military roles?Is any physicality violence?What about violent forms of entertainment?What about violent sports?What about the violence in the Old Testament?Is any warfare justifiable for the Christian?Should a Christian hold a government to the same value system?WHAT ABOUT HITLER?05. Rethinking ViolenceJesus' announcement from chapter 4– “Repent, for the Kingdom is arriving.” And repent is not simply sorrow over your sinful actions but a process of rethinking.Jesus was fully aware of the violence in the OT. He still called it scripture. He still gave this teaching– he still choose death on a cross.As followers of Jesus we are privileged to have his Spirit speaking to us and acting through us. Trust that. May we foster a listening ear that picks up on the still small voice even as we face violent conflict.“Mugged by Jesus” by Jarrod McKenna

Ep. 42 - Today on Ten Minutes Together we've decided to broadcast a section of a Q&A at a lecture given by Scot McKnight on a topic known as The New Perspective On Paul.  Dr. McKnight is a world-renowned speaker, writer, professor and equipper of the Church. He is a recognized authority on the historical Jesus, early Christianity, and the New Testament. His blog, Jesus Creed, is a leading Christian blog. Dr. McKnight's most recent books include Reading Romans Backwards and Pastor Paul. A sought after speaker, he has been interviewed on several radio and television programs as well as spoken at numerous local churches, conferences, colleges, and seminaries in the United States and around the world. Scot McKnight is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature and the Society for New Testament Studies. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/spiritualthoughts/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/spiritualthoughts/support

Ep. 41 - How do we love? Who do we love? How does Jesus answer these questions? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/spiritualthoughts/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/spiritualthoughts/support

In this episode, Rob and Lance interview Scot McKnight. Dr. Scot McKnight is a world-renowned speaker, writer, professor and equipper of the Church. He is a recognized authority on the historical Jesus, early Christianity, and the New Testament. His blog, Jesus Creed, is a leading Christian blog. Dr. McKnight's most recent books include Reading Romans Backwards and Pastor Paul. A sought after speaker, he has been interviewed on several radio and television programs as well as spoken at numerous local churches, conferences, colleges, and seminaries in the United States and around the world. Scot McKnight is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature and the Society for New Testament Studies.

New Creation Conversations episode 8 (a bonus episode) is with Dr. Scot McKnight - the Julius R. Mantley Chair of New Testament at Northern Seminary. He hold degrees from Cornerstone University, Trinity Evangelical Seminary, and the University of Notingham. Scot is a well-known speaker, writer, professor and authority on the historical Jesus, early Christianity, and the New Testament. In addition to the publication of several significant books, Scot's blog - Jesus Creed - is a leading blog and source for Christian faith.In this conversation, Dr. McKnight and Dr. Daniels discuss several of Scot's books including The King Jesus Gospel, A Community Called Atonement, Kingdom Conspiracy, and his most recent book - co-authored with his daughter Laura - A Church Called Tov: Forming a Goodness Culture that Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing.

This episode is coming to you for such a time as this.  With spiritual abuse, abuse of power, and sexual abuse becoming such common news in our time, we have to admit that there are many churches with cultures and systems that are unhealthy and even harmful.  If you are a pastor, a church leader, a congregant or just want to be a part of making a difference in a way that helps others flourish, listen in closely to the research and the harsh reality of what is happening on our watch. There is hope of how to do better, and how to be a part of creating goodness cultures together.   Our guests today are a father and daughter co-author duo who walked through a painful reality at Willow Creek church in Chicago, and that experience led them to want to help others.   Dr. Scot McKnight is a world-renowned speaker, writer, professor and equipper of the Church. He is a recognized authority on the historical Jesus, early Christianity, and the New Testament. His blog, https://www.christianitytoday.com/scot-mcknight/about/about.html (Jesus Creed), is a leading Christian blog. Dr. McKnight's books include https://www.amazon.com/dp/1612615783/?tag=christtoday-20 (The Jesus Creed), https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005IOZUDA/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i2 (The King Jesus Gospel), https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077CXZ2CD/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i1 (The Blue Parakeet,) https://www.amazon.com/Real-Mary-Scot-McKnight-December/dp/B01B98EXKO/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1614661767&sr=1-1 (The Real Mary), and Junia is Not Alone.  A sought after speaker, he has been interviewed on several radio and television programs as well as spoken at numerous local churches, conferences, colleges, and seminaries in the United States and around the world. Scot McKnight is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature and the Society for New Testament Studies. McKnight's books have been translated into Chinese, Korean, Russian, and Portuguese.  You can find him, along with the other 50.5K followers https://twitter.com/scotmcknight (on twitter) at: @scotmcknight  Laura Barringer is a teacher of primary-grade students. She is the co-author of https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1612615813?pf_rd_r=DZW1HYYHWSW3JGZYY2G0&pf_rd_p=5ae2c7f8-e0c6-4f35-9071-dc3240e894a8&pd_rd_r=b5e704d7-9bd1-42ff-82e9-c2f855593e81&pd_rd_w=eqJhv&pd_rd_wg=NgWHs&ref_=pd_gw_unk (Sharing God's Love: The Jesus Creed for Children) and wrote a teacher lesson and activity guide to accompany the book. She is also co-author of A Church Called Tov: Forming a Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing. Laura is a graduate of Wheaton College (IL) and currently resides in the Chicago suburbs with her husband, Mark, and three beagles.  You can find her https://twitter.com/laurambarringer (on twitter) at:  @laurambarringer  Buy their book and highlight it as many times as I did, because https://amzn.to/3aDAcVM (A Church Called TOV:  Forming a Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing), will likely be, outside of the Bible, the most important book you read this year.  Let's be TOV and create TOV systems and TOV churches together so we can all flourish.  Stay In Touch: Connect on Facebook and Instagram with thoughts, questions, and feedback. Rate, review and share this podcast with anyone that would love to listen.  On Clubhouse @loriadbr. Find Us Online: https://www.instagram.com/aworldof.difference/ (@aworldof.difference) on Instagram and https://www.facebook.com/A-World-of-Difference-613933132591673/ (A World of Difference) on Facebook on Twitter at https://twitter.com/loriadbr (@loriadbr) and at https://linktr.ee/aworldofdifference (https://linktr.ee/aworldofdifference) --- Mentioned in this episode: Coaching Sept 22 Want to get unstuck and make a difference? Go to...

This episode is coming to you for such a time as this.  With spiritual abuse, abuse of power, and sexual abuse becoming such common news in our time, we have to admit that there are many churches with cultures and systems that are unhealthy and even harmful.  If you are a pastor, a church leader, a congregant or just want to be a part of making a difference in a way that helps others flourish, listen in closely to the research and the harsh reality of what is happening on our watch. There is hope of how to do better, and how to be a part of creating goodness cultures together.   Our guests today are a father and daughter co-author duo who walked through a painful reality at Willow Creek church in Chicago, and that experience led them to want to help others.  Dr. Scot McKnight is a world-renowned speaker, writer, professor and equipper of the Church. He is a recognized authority on the historical Jesus, early Christianity, and the New Testament. His blog, Jesus Creed, is a leading Christian blog. Dr. McKnight's books include The Jesus Creed, The King Jesus Gospel, The Blue Parakeet, The Real Mary, and Junia is Not Alone.  A sought after speaker, he has been interviewed on several radio and television programs as well as spoken at numerous local churches, conferences, colleges, and seminaries in the United States and around the world. Scot McKnight is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature and the Society for New Testament Studies. McKnight's books have been translated into Chinese, Korean, Russian, and Portuguese. You can find him, along with the other 50.5K followers on twitter at: @scotmcknight Laura Barringer is a teacher of primary-grade students. She is the co-author of Sharing God's Love: The Jesus Creed for Children and wrote a teacher lesson and activity guide to accompany the book. She is also co-author of A Church Called Tov: Forming a Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing. Laura is a graduate of Wheaton College (IL) and currently resides in the Chicago suburbs with her husband, Mark, and three beagles. You can find her on twitter at:  @laurambarringer Buy their book and highlight it as many times as I did, because A Church Called TOV:  Forming a Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing, will likely be, outside of the Bible, the most important book you read this year.  Let's be TOV and create TOV systems and TOV churches together so we can all flourish. Stay In Touch: Connect on Facebook and Instagram with thoughts, questions, and feedback. Rate, review and share this podcast with anyone that would love to listen.  On Clubhouse @loriadbr. Find Us Online: @aworldof.difference on Instagram and A World of Difference on Facebook on Twitter at @loriadbr and at https://linktr.ee/aworldofdifference---Mentioned in this episode:Do you want to go deeper?Join us in Difference Makers, a community where we watch and discuss exclusive content that truly makes a difference. Give us $5 a month (the price of a latte), and join in on the conversation with our host Lori and others who want to make a difference. We'd love to have you join us!PatreonJoin Difference MakersJoin us in our membership community for exclusive content for only $5/month at https://www.patreon.com/aworldofdifference. We go deeper with each guest, and it makes such a difference.PatreonThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacyPodtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

Support the Show:https://www.patreon.com/preacherboys Purchase a Preacher Boys shirt, mask, sticker, or other merch to rep the show! https://www.teepublic.com/user/preacher-boys-podcast----------------------A Church Called Description: Tragically, in recent years, Christians have gotten used to revelations of abuses of many kinds in our most respected churches―from Willow Creek to Harvest, from Southern Baptist pastors to Sovereign Grace churches. Respected author and theologian Scot McKnight and former Willow Creek member Laura Barringer wrote this book to paint a pathway forward for the church.We need a better way. The sad truth is that churches of all shapes and sizes are susceptible to abuses of power, sexual abuse, and spiritual abuse. Abuses occur most frequently when Christians neglect to create a culture that resists abuse and promotes healing, safety, and spiritual growth.How do we keep these devastating events from repeating themselves? We need a map to get us from where we are today to where we ought to be as the body of Christ. That map is in a mysterious and beautiful little Hebrew word in Scripture that we translate “good,” the word tov.In this book, McKnight and Barringer explore the concept of tov―unpacking its richness and how it can help Christians and churches rise up to fulfill their true calling as imitators of Jesus.----------------------About Scot McKnight:Dr. Scot McKnight is a world-renowned speaker, writer, professor and equipper of the Church. He is a recognized authority on the historical Jesus, early Christianity, and the New Testament. His blog, Jesus Creed, is a leading Christian blog.Dr. McKnight's most recent books include Reading Romans Backwards and Pastor Paul.A sought after speaker, he has been interviewed on several radio and television programs as well as spoken at numerous local churches, conferences, colleges, and seminaries in the United States and around the world. Scot McKnight is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature and the Society for New Testament Studies.McKnight's books have been translated into Chinese, Korean, Russian, and Portuguese.----------------------About Laura Barringer:Laura Barringer is a teacher of primary-grade students. She is the co-author of Sharing God's Love: The Jesus Creed for Children and wrote a teacher lesson and activity guide to accompany the book. She is also co-author of A Church Called Tov: Forming a Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing. Laura is a graduate of Wheaton College (IL) and currently resides in the Chicago suburbs with her husband, Mark, and three beagles.----------------------Books mentioned on the episode:A Church Called Tov: https://amzn.to/2Mz4mAGJesus & John Wayne: https://amzn.to/36KFHjiThe Making of Biblical Womanhood: https://amzn.to/3cZZbVhIcons of Christ: https://amzn.to/36OizAFIn the Closet of the Vatican: https://amzn.to/3pYfZzn----------------------Find more stories regarding the IFB movement by visiting:– preacherboysdoc.com– https://www.facebook.com/preacherboysdoc/– https://twitter.com/preacherboysdoc– https://www.instagram.com/preacherboysdoc/To connect with a community who share the Preacher Boys Podcast mission to expose abuse in the IFB, join the OFFICIAL Preacher Boys Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1403898676438188/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preacher-boys-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

(00:00-08:23): 2 police officers shot during Louisville protests over charges in Breonna Taylor case. One suspect was in custody, and police said the officers' injuries did not appear to be life-threatening. (08:23-28:49): We were joined by Joe Taylor, a church planter with the converge network. His church is Canopy Chicago. He along with Brian and Ian discussed the future of our church in the city, and whether or not revival is coming? (28:49-36:28): Scott Sauls writes “Why We Need Not Fear the Future”. In the end, death will lose its sting. Because Jesus is risen, we, too, will rise with renewed bodies and perfected hearts, minds and motives. (36:28-46:33): DL Mayfield writes “How a Sean Feucht worship service convinced me I am no longer an evangelical” in Religion News Service. PLUS, Milton Quintanilla writes “'This Is Simply Biblical': Thousands of Christians Gather for Revival in Florida” in Christian Headlines. (46:33-54:50): In Scot McKnight’s blog “Jesus Creed”, Kelly Edmiston writes “Jesus Breaks through some Limits”. (54:50-1:02:41): Franklin Graham tweeted “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7” and then posted a video of Billy Graham preaching about faith in God’s existence. (1:02:41-1:11:19): Michael F. Bird writes “God Promises Blessings Not Prosperity” in Patheos. What is certain, because it is scriptural, is that God is generous and he generously blesses his people. It is from that blessing that we in turn feel the tug of the Holy Spirit at our hearts to bless others out of our abundance and to bless God back out of thanksgiving.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(00:00-09:27): Brian and Ian kick off the show with some pretty cool news. They talked about this: “A 13-year-old ‘regular kid’ with a stutter gave a must-watch Democratic convention speech”. They shifted over to how after 4 decades on TBN, Kenneth Copeland is being replaced by Steven Furtick. (09:27-19:03): More Falwell news! Apparently, 50 pastors who graduated from Liberty University demand Falwell be ‘permanently removed’, as reported by The Christian Post. Plus, “To prevent the next Christian scandal, shrink the integrity gap” writes Jeff Mattson in The Christian Post. (19:03-28:05): Tim Keller tweeted “Talking about oppression, justice, etc doesn't make one a Marxist. It makes one a student of the Bible.” and another long thread on defending his stance on giving to the poor and defending the oppressed. (28:05-37:21): Mike Glenn writes “Doing What You Can” in Scot McKnight’s blog ‘Jesus Creed’ on Christianity Today. (37:05-47:05): Brian and Ian discuss “Don’t Underestimate the Power of Gentleness” in The Gospel Coalition by Ian Harber. It is a review of “A Gentle Answer” by Scott Sauls. Take a listen to our interview with Scott from earlier this year here. (47:05-56:20): Diana Butler Bass writes “Making It Up As We Go: The Loss of Ritual and the Challenge of COVID” (56:20-1:05:38): Does abortion trump all other issues? Some Evangelicals and Catholics think so. Brian and Ian discuss this touchy issue and where they stand on this prompt. (1:05:38-1:15:41): GOOD NEWS! Brian and Ian close the show out on a high note with some uplifting stories from The Good News Network.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was truly an honor to have a conversation with Dr. Scot McKnight. We discovered in this world-renowned speaker, writer, and academic a deeply faithful and socially active man of God who is humble, humorous and courageous. McKnight is a recognized authority on the historical Jesus, early Christianity, and New Testament. His blog, Jesus Creed, is a leading Christian blog. He has authored or edited more than seventy-five books. McKnight is the Julius R. Mantey Professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary in Lisle, IL and also an ordained Deacon in the Anglican Church of North America. Jesus Creed: https://www.christianitytoday.com/scot-mcknight/Follow Scot on Twitter: https://twitter.com/scotmcknight