Podcasts about Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

*This Episode was originally published on 08/05/2019. This week, I welcome Greg Gilbert to the podcast to discuss the Christian’s Assurance. The post The Pastor and the Christian's Assurance appeared first on Preaching and Preachers Institute.

Byron Johnson and Thomas Kidd take a contrarian stance against "dominant media and scholarly narratives regarding religion" in their new book, The Death of Religion?, published by B&H Academic. "We present conclusive data to show that religious people are thriving and that practicing religious people are thriving most of all. We further show that at almost every turn, commonly used polling and survey data is misleading, confused, or grossly incomplete," they write. "We also demonstrate that typical surveys of American congregational life undercount the number of American churches by as much as 40 percent. The uncounted churches are disproportionately evangelical or Pentecostal, and often minister to immigrants and people of color." I talk to the authors about their contrarian stance in this episode of the Influence Podcast. I'm George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host. Byron Johnson is founding director of the Institute for Studies of Religion and distinguished professor of the social sciences at Baylor University. Thomas Kidd is research professor of church history at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and senior research scholar at the Institute for Studies of Religion.   Sponsor Ad This episode of the Influence podcast is brought to you by Gospel Publishing House, distributors of The Assemblies of God: Our Story by Daniel D. Isgrigg. Explore the inspiring history of the Assemblies of God from a handful of ministers to a worldwide fellowship of more than 85 million believers. Discover the legacy, mission, and Spirit-filled story that continues to impact the world today. For more information about The Assemblies of God: Our Story visit GospelPublishingHouse.com.   Show Notes 00:00 — Introduction and Sponsor Ad 01:58 —  What are the dominant — and negative — media and scholarly narratives about religion? 02:44 — But isn't it true that there's been a notable dropoff in religious affiliation? 06:10 —  Worries about the impending death of Christianity in America predate the nation's Founding and can be discerned in every era of American history. Tell us a little about that. 10:39 — Tell us about the correlation between the decline of Mainline Protestantism and the rise of the nones. And how accurate a picture do statistical data give us, anyway? 20:48 — What is human flourishing, and what do data show about the connection between religion and flourishing? 24:01 — It's one thing to talk about flourishing when your life is going well , but data seems to indicate that religion contributes to flourishing even in prison. Tell us a little about that. 27:25 — What's your counternarrative to the declinist narratives? What do the data show us about what is actually happening? 32:17 — What are you reading right now that's interesting, helpful, and/or personally challenging? 35:12— Conclusion

*This Episode was originally published on 02/23/2023. Today, Dr. Jared Bumpers joins me back in the studio as cohost as we discuss one of my books, Succeeding in Seminary. The post The Pastor and Theological Education appeared first on Preaching and Preachers Institute.

In this week's episode, Dr. P. Chase Sears and Dr. Jonathon D. Woodyard join Dr. Jared Bumpers to discuss The Simplicity of Preaching. Dr. Sears is Senior Pastor of Tulip Grove The post The Simplicity of Preaching appeared first on Preaching and Preachers Institute.

Today's Guests: Jim Wexell - 32nd season covering the Pittsburgh Steelers and author of many books/articles Thomas Kidd - Yeats Chair of Baptist Studies at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and authorSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today's Guests: Jim Wexell - 32nd season covering the Pittsburgh Steelers and author of many books/articles Thomas Kidd - Yeats Chair of Baptist Studies at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and authorSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Four Senses of Scripture: Patrick Schreiner on Recovering the Church's Ancient Way of Reading the BibleFor nearly 1,700 years, Christians read the Bible through four interwoven lenses — the literal, the allegorical, the moral, and the eschatological — a framework known as the quadriga. Then modern hermeneutics largely set it aside in favor of the grammatical-historical method alone. In this episode, Chad sits down with Dr. Patrick Schreiner of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary to ask what the church lost in that trade, and whether it can be recovered.Patrick and Chad work through his new book, The Four Senses of Scripture: Learning from Ancient Ways of Reading the Bible. Schreiner is careful to say the modern method isn't wrong — it's incomplete. They walk through each of the four senses: the literal (grammatical-historical), the allegorical (Christological), the tropological (moral), and the anagogical (eschatological), and discuss how the early church read the Old Testament through Christ, why the fourfold approach preserved the radical unity of Scripture, and how holding the senses in conversation with one another might enrich preaching and Bible reading today. The conversation takes up the standard objections to allegory as well — and how a "medieval mind" can serve modern readers without abandoning the gains of critical scholarship.Dr. Patrick Schreiner (PhD, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is associate professor of New Testament and biblical theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City. He is the author of numerous books, including Matthew, Disciple and Scribe, The Transfiguration of Christ, and The Ascension of Christ. The Four Senses of Scripture (Baker Academic) includes a foreword by Jonathan T. Pennington.Links:

In this episode we're joined by Dr. Patrick Schreiner, who is Professor of New Testament and Biblical Theology, Gene and Jo Downing Endowed Chair of Biblical Studies, and Director of the Residency Ph.D. Program at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, MO. And he's the author of the book we're discussing in this episode, The Four Senses of Scripture: Learning from Ancient Ways of Reading the Bible (Baker Academic). Over the course of our chat we discuss what the four senses are, what the literal sense compares to the spiritual senses, and what is deficient about the ways that we typically teach exegesis and hermeneutics in theological education. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: the Rev. Dr. Nathaniel Adishian, Dr. John Anthony Dunne, and Rev. Daniel Parham. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week’s episode, Dr. Robert Smith Jr. and I discuss captivating preaching. Robert Smith Jr. serves as Distinguished Professor of Divinity at Beeson Divinity School. Before assuming this role, Smith The post Captivating Preaching appeared first on Preaching and Preachers Institute.

Check out Big Gears for Little Ears here. For additional materials connected to biblical theology, visit handstotheplow.org. Especially check out the section in our Developing Leaders curriculum connected to the New Testament Letters. Also, check out our Preacher's Guide to the Book of Colossians or to the Book of 1 Peter.

In this episode, Matt Boswell talks about what repentance truly looks like. Matt Boswell is a pastor at the Trails Church in North Texas. He also serves as professor of worship ministries at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is also the author of 'Create in Me a Clean Heart: Experiencing God's Abundant Mercy in Psalm 51' from Crossway. ❖ Listen to “The Value of Singing in Church Whether You Like the Music or Not" with Matt Boswell:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to leave us a review, which helps us spread the word about the show.

*This Episode was originally published on 06/10/2019. Jamie Dunlop serves as an associate pastor at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC, overseeing administration and adult education as well as several The post The Pastor and Church Budgeting appeared first on Preaching and Preachers Institute.

*This Episode was originally published on 06/03/2019. This week, we highlight a previous episode where I interviewed Dr. Jared C. Wilson about his book, The Gospel-Driven Church. Today, Dr. Jared C. The post The Pastor and the Gospel-Driven​ Church appeared first on Preaching and Preachers Institute.

*This Episode was originally published on 03/29/2026. A seasoned pastor, church planter, and theological educator, Wes planted and led Christ Memorial Church for nearly three decades and has spent years The post Ministry in New England appeared first on Preaching and Preachers Institute.

What is the best evidence for God's existence and what are the toughest challenges against it? In this episode, Sean and Scott are joined by Christian apologist Dr. Adam Lloyd Johnson, who debates atheist Dan Barker in the new book Debating God's Existence. They discuss the fascinating story about how the debate and book came about, what Adam learned through his interactions with atheists, and how Christians can best make the case for God today.dam Lloyd Johnson is the founder and president of Convincing Proof Ministries and a former campus missionary with Ratio Christi at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. He has also taught classes for Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and has spent time living and teaching at Rhineland Theological Seminary in Wölmersen, Germany. Adam received his PhD in Theological Studies with an emphasis in Philosophy of Religion from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2020.==========Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith and Culture is a podcast from Talbot School of Theology at Biola University, which offers degrees both online and on campus in Southern California.   Find all episodes of Think Biblically at: https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically.   To submit comments, ask questions, or make suggestions on issues you'd like us to cover or guests you'd like us to have on the podcast, email us at thinkbiblically@biola.edu.  

*This episode was originally published on 9/9/2025. In this week's episode, Dr. Jared Bumpers is joined by Dr. Tom Schreiner discussing “New Creation Millennialism.” Dr. Schreiner is an Associate Dean The post New Creation Millennialism appeared first on Preaching and Preachers Institute.

*This Episode was originally published on 04/06/2026. In this conversation, Dr. Vanhoozer sits down with Dr. Allen to discuss his upbringing and theological development. Kevin J. Vanhoozer is presently Research Professor of The post Special Q&A with Kevin Vanhoozer appeared first on Preaching and Preachers Institute.

The mailbag is full! In this installment of our regular listener-submitted feature, Jared Wilson and Ronni Kurtz dig into the private reserves of messages in order to tackle questions and topics like siblings serving on an elder team, theological triage in speaking engagements, what new members should ask about the church they're joining, finding your preaching voice, and differences of views among elders. As always, if you'd like to submit a question or topic for the Mailbag, you can email us at mailbag@ftc.co

*This episode was originally published on 9/22/2025. In this week's episode, Dr. Jared Bumpers is joined by Dr. Don Whitney to discuss “The Spirituality of Martyn Lloyd-Jones.” Dr. Whitney is The post The Spirituality of Martyn Lloyd-Jones appeared first on Preaching and Preachers Institute.

In the latest installment of our occasional Grab Bag feature, Jared Wilson and Ronni Kurtz ask each other surprise questions. We'd tell you what they are, but we want you to be surprised too.

*This Episode was originally published on 02/01/2026. In this episode of Preaching and Preachers, Dr. Jason K. Allen is joined by Dan Darling to discuss preaching in a polarized age, pastoral faithfulness in The post Christian Patriotism appeared first on Preaching and Preachers Institute.

It's a new installment of the FTC Film Club, and we have found a film the boys are especially fired up to discuss. After a bit of banter about the new Steven Spielberg film Disclosure Day, Jared Wilson and Ronni Kurtz launch into a spirited discussion of the 2012 film adaptation of the musical Les Miserables. And Jared offers a theory on Russell Crowe's singing voice that he hopes will make you reconsider any criticism you have of this incredible movie.

*This Episode was originally published on 04/13/26. In this week's episode, Peter Gurry joins Jared Bumpers to discuss “Preaching the New Testament.” Dr. Gurry is an associate professor of New The post Preaching the New Testament appeared first on Preaching and Preachers Institute.

Was the Bible really behind the Declaration of Independence? Historian Dr. Thomas Kidd, Research Professor of Church History and the John and Sharon Yeats Endowed Chair of Baptist Studies at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, joins Unscrolled. Tune in to explore how the Bible may have quietly shaped the American Revolution, not through open declarations of faith, but through language, allusion, and assumptions baked into everyday life.  Guest bio:  Dr. Thomas Kidd, Research Professor of Church History at Midwestern Baptist Theological, author, speaker  Show Notes:  mbts.edu/profile/thomas-s-kidd Books Authored by Dr. Thomas Kidd museumoftheBible.org/america-250  Stay up to date with Museum of the Bible on social media:  Instagram: @museumofBible  X: @museumofBible  Facebook: museumofBible  LinkedIn: museumofBible  YouTube: @museumoftheBible 

Having trouble making sense of the Bible? Don't know how or where to start? Bible study can sometimes feel overwhelming, but Jared Wilson and Ronni Kurtz are here to help. On this episode, they share a little bit about their personal disciplines in Scripture reading before offering some practical steps to read the Bible in a way that's more spiritually fruitful.

*This Episode was originally published on 01/19/2026. In this week's episode, Dr. Robert Smith Jr. and I discuss “Preaching through Personal Pain.” Robert Smith Jr. serves as Distinguished Professor of The post Preaching Through Personal Pain appeared first on Preaching and Preachers Institute.

Jared Wilson has a new book releasing this month -- Pastoral Mentoring for the Care of Souls -- about the training and formation of pastors in the local church context. The guys discuss the important roles of both seminary and the church, and they outline the centrality of congregational life in the raising up of the next generation of church leaders. Preorder Pastoral Mentoring for the Care of Souls at 40% off today by visiting https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/9781540905956_pastoral-mentoring

*This Episode was originally published on 2/16/2026. In this episode, Dr. Jared Bumpers gives a recent talk from a Midwestern Institute for Preaching and Preachers Workshop. Jared Bumpers is the The post Pastoral Ministry and Preaching appeared first on Preaching and Preachers Institute.

Here's a fun one! Jared Wilson and Ronni Kurtz discuss what books they'd want with them if they were castaways on a deserted island. Ronni mainly wants to know how many he can bring. Jared wants to not overthink the question. The guys share books and authors and genres that would make their exile from civilization more enjoyable, survivable, and spiritual.

Check out Big Gears for Little Ears here. For additional materials connected to biblical theology visit jasonderouchie.com or handstotheplow.org.

*This Episode was originally published on 01/12/2026. This week, Dr. Juan Sánchez joins me on Preaching and Preachers as we discuss his most recent book, which he co-authored with his wife, Jeanine, The post Faithful Parenting appeared first on Preaching and Preachers Institute.

Our forthcoming volume, Spurgeon's Pastoral Wisdom, has been compiled and edited by Geoff Chang. Composed of contributions from Spurgeon to the Sword and Trowel magazine on the topic of the church and ministry, it will encourage, inform, and challenge readers to love and serve Christ's church better.  We sit down with Geoff to discuss Spurgeon as a pastor, some of his convictions about the church and ministry, and what readers can expect to find in this new volume.    Geoff Chang is the Curator of the Spurgeon Library at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Kansas City, Missouri, where he is also an Assistant Professor of Historical Theology.    Some of Geoff's books (written, compiled, or edited):  Spurgeon the Pastor: Recovering a Biblical and Theological Vision for Ministry US Bookseller: https://www.wtsbooks.com/products/spurgeon-the-pastor-recovering-a-biblical-and-theological-vision-for-ministry-9781087747842?srsltid=AfmBOoo9J5OUv6iKNYdNQ05SK8nKra4Z_VcVFY6P_qp7hsBWwwfxcstd  UK Bookseller: https://www.keithjones.co.uk/spurgeon-the-pastor-9781087747842/?cat=0    The Army of God: Spurgeon's Vision for the Church US Bookseller: https://www.wtsbooks.com/products/army-of-god-spurgeons-vision-for-the-church-9781527108738  UK Bookseller: https://tabernaclebookshop.org/products/the-army-of-god?srsltid=AfmBOopOIuxDsNhJ2_gu4gm5jsXF14P3F8LBsd_xNcbJgkjktDsXPxLh    Charles Spurgeon, Christ Our All: Poems for the Christian Pilgrim, compiled by Geoff Chang.  US Bookseller: https://www.wtsbooks.com/products/christ-our-all-poems-for-the-christian-pilgrim-9781087772745?srsltid=AfmBOopoSbXzGU1EY2ntwroC3ZScvaXgG79V1nzZ4-NVZuHjMLXQRMNA  UK Bookseller: https://icmbooks.co.uk/product/37235/Christ-Our-All-Poems-for-the-Christian-Pilgrim    Explore the work of the Banner of Truth: www.banneroftruth.org Subscribe to the Magazine (print/digital/both): www.banneroftruth.org/magazine Leave us your feedback or a testimony: www.speakpipe.com/magazinepodcast

In this latest installment of the FTC Mailbag, Jared Wilson and Ronni Kurtz discuss listener-submitted questions and topics, including: family worship, elder pathways, ministry calling, loving a dying church, and sermon scheduling. As always, you can submit a question or topic for the mailbag at any time by emailing mailbag@ftc.co

*This Episode was originally published on 9/15/2025. In this week's episode, Dr. Jared Bumpers is joined by Dr. Geoff Chang as they discuss “The Spirituality of Charles Spurgeon.” Dr. Chang The post The Spirituality of Charles Spurgeon appeared first on Preaching and Preachers Institute.

In this episode of the FTC Podcast, Jared Wilson and Ronni Kurtz discuss the prayer in the church. Why do some of us find it so difficult? What do we make of awkward or even absent prayer in our gatherings? Why does public church prayer sometimes feel so weird?

*This episode was originally published on 8/25/2025. In this week's episode, Dr. Robert Smith Jr. and H.B. Charles Jr. join me as we discuss “Preaching in the African-American Tradition.” Robert The post Preaching in the African-American Tradition appeared first on Preaching and Preachers Institute.

First, Jared goes off on why Gen-X'ers need to let the *Star Wars* franchise go, and why Millennials probably should too. Then, the guys dive into the latest installment of the FTC Film Club, this time dicussing the recent blockbuster and family-friendly release Project Hail Mary.

*This episode was originally published on 3/15/26. In this episode of Preaching and Preachers, host Dr. Jared Bumpers, Associate Professor of Preaching at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (MBTS), sits down with Dr. John The post Preaching the Old Testament appeared first on Preaching and Preachers Institute.

Inspired by Ronni's refusal to record on a particular topic, Jared Wilson and Ronni Kurtz discuss the things they don't want to discuss. Consider this the Banned Episodes episode. What topics feel "off limits?" What subjects do we feel out of our depth about? What issues do we just want to avoid? And why?

*This Episode was originally published on 3/8/2026. This week, W. Tyler Sykora joins Jared Bumpers to discuss “Preaching and Biblical Backgrounds.” Dr. Sykora is the Chief of Staff in the The post Preaching and Biblical Backgrounds appeared first on Preaching and Preachers Institute.

Today, we are pleased to share an audio essay written and read by Patrick Schreiner entitled "10 Things You Should Know about the Cross." Patrick Schreiner is associate professor of New Testament and biblical theology and endowed chair at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri. He is also the author of 'The Kingdom of God and the Glory of the Cross' from Crossway. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Read the essay here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Complete this survey for a free audiobook by Kevin DeYoung!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to leave us a review, which helps us spread the word about the show!

Guess who's back? No, it's not Slim Shady. It's our dearly beloved former cohost Ross Ferguson. This time back in the guest chair, Ross catches up with Jared Wilson on his most recent ministry season in Canada and how the Lord has been blessing him and his family.

*This episode was originally published on 11/2/25. In this episode, Dr. David Mathis joins me to discuss “The Pastor and Exercise.” David Mathis is executive editor for Desiring God and The post The Pastor and Exercise appeared first on Preaching and Preachers Institute.

Jared Wilson and Ronni Kurtz dive back into that bag of indeterminate color, the FTC Mailbag! Answering your submitted questions and topics, the guys discuss age gaps between staff pastors, baptizing nonverbal churchfolk, how to share concerns with a pastor, what to do if your pastor is having AI write his sermons, and more. You can always send us a question or topic via mailbag@ftc.co

*This Episode was originally published on 11/16/2025. In this week’s episode, I am joined by Dr. Tom Schreiner to discuss “The Justice and Goodness of God.” Dr. Schreiner is an The post The Justice and the Goodness of God appeared first on Preaching and Preachers Institute.

Christians are a singing people! But what songs should we sing? And how should we sing them? In this episode, Jared Wilson and Ronni Kurtz discuss the content and attitudes of Christian worship music.

In the latest installment of our occasional Grab Bag feature, Jared Wilson and Ronni Kurtz ask each other surprise questions. This time Ronni comes with a bonus question, so there's a bit more bang for your buck.

Alright, single dudes. This one's for you. Jared Wilson and Ronni Kurtz offer advice on how to win a godly girl.

From the rise to progressive Christianity that erodes doctrinal fidelity to the "apostasy vibes" embraced by "ex-vangelicals" like they're the latest fashion, ministry in our current season faces some serious challenges in the face of popular deconstruction. Jared Wilson and Ronni Kurtz talk about how pastors and church members can navigate these volatile ideological -- and relational -- waters.

In this episode, Patrick Schreiner walks through the truth, goodness, and beauty of the resurrection. Patrick Schreiner is associate professor of New Testament and biblical theology and endowed chair at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri. He is also the author of 'The Hope of the Resurrection: How Jesus's Defeat of Death Changes Everything' from Crossway. ❖ Listen to “What Really Happened at Pentecost?" with Patrick:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠ | ⁠Spotify⁠ | ⁠YouTube⁠ If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to leave us a review, which helps us spread the word about the show.