Podcasts about this cultural moment

Today, we're talking all about the recently-released Confession of Evangelical Conviction:-        What the confession is and what it says-        Why we signed it and got involved promoting it-        How the American church got to the point where a confession of very basic political theology like this is necessary-        And after that conversation, we talk the many layers of Christian nationalism involved in the debacle at Trump's recent trip to Arlington National CemeteryMentioned on the episode:-        The Confession of Evangelical Conviction, and the associated resources-        The video we produced to promote the confessionCredits-            Follow KTF Press on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. Subscribe to get our bonus episodes and other benefits at KTFPress.com.-        Follow host Jonathan Walton on Facebook Instagram, and Threads.-        Follow host Sy Hoekstra on Mastodon.-        Our theme song is “Citizens” by Jon Guerra – listen to the whole song on Spotify.-        Our podcast art is by Robyn Burgess – follow her and see her other work on Instagram.-        Editing by Multitude Productions-        Transcripts by Joyce Ambale and Sy Hoekstra.-        Production by Sy Hoekstra and our incredible subscribersTranscriptIntroduction[An acoustic guitar softly plays six notes in a major scale, the first three ascending and the last three descending, with a keyboard pad playing the tonic in the background. Both fade out as Jonathan Walton says “This is a KTF Press podcast.”]Sy Hoekstra: When we first started doing this work and we published our anthology, we went on a couple of podcasts about it. A common thing that people asked of us at the time was, where do you think the White American church, where do you think the like 81 percent of the church, the White evangelical church that voted for Trump is going? And the first time I said it, I sort of surprised myself and I was like, look, it's being cut off the vine for not bearing good fruit and thrown in the fire. There's been a long time coming of a divorce, like a complete split between White evangelicals in America and followers of Jesus.[The song “Citizens” by Jon Guerra fades in. Lyrics: “I need to know there is justice/ That it will roll in abundance/ And that you're building a city/ Where we arrive as immigrants/ And you call us citizens/ And you welcome us as children home.” The song fades out.]Sy Hoekstra: Welcome to Shake the Dust, seeking Jesus, confronting injustice. I'm Sy Hoekstra.Jonathan Walton: And I'm Jonathan Walton.Sy Hoekstra: We have a great show for you today. We're doing something a little bit different. We are talking about a bit of a movement, a little, a confession that we have signed onto that we're a part of that we're producing some media around that you may have seen by the time this episode comes out. And it's a confession of sort of evangelical faithfulness to Jesus in a political context. And it is probably a little bit off the beaten path of kind of some of the political commentary that we normally engage in. And we wanted to talk to you about why we think it is a good and strategic thing for us to do during this season, give you some of our thinking behind how we kind of strategize politically and think about ourselves as part of a larger theological and political movement.So I think this will be a really good conversation. We're also gonna get into our Which Tab Is Still Open and talk to you about Christian nationalism and whiteness through the lens of Donald Trump doing absurd things at Arlington National Cemetery [laughs].Jonathan Walton: Yes.Sy Hoekstra: But we will get into all of that in a moment. Before we do, Jonathan Walton.Jonathan Walton: Hey, remember, if you like what you hear and read from us at KTF Press and would like for it to continue beyond the election season, I need you to do two things. Go to KTFPress.com and become a paid subscriber. Now, you could also tell other people to do that as well if you've already done that. We've got a ways to go if we're going to have enough people to sustain the work, but we think it's valuable, and I hope you do too. So go to KTFPress.com, sign up, and that gets you all of the bonus episodes of this show, access to our monthly Zoom calls with the two of us and more. So again, KTFPress.com. Become a paid subscriber.What is the Evangelical Confession of Conviction, and Why Is KTF Involved?Sy Hoekstra: All right, Jonathan, let's get started in our conversation. We've signed onto this document called The Confession of Evangelical Conviction. We've produced some media around it. First of all, what is it and what does it say?Some Basic Political Theology That We Need to Restate at This Cultural Moment with UnityJonathan Walton: [laughs] Well, I think the question of what it is, it's words [Sy laughs]. Like there's these things that we put together, it's words. And I think the reason that it's powerful is because of when and how it's said. And so these are basic confessions that every Christian should believe, but it seems like the reason that we're doing it right now and that I've signed onto is because there are seasons when the discipleship and formation of the church needs to be plain and centered. And so being able to say, “I give allegiance to Christ alone,” and then have that be reverberated across denominations, across movements of quote- unquote, Christians around the country that are usually so disparate, they usually don't communicate, they usually disagree with each other in very public ways, to say, “Hey, hey, hey.”We need people to understand who don't follow Jesus, that when Gandhi said, “I like Christ, I don't like Christians,” that's part of the problem. We are part of that problem. Where we don't articulate what we know, what we believe, what we know to be true. I think this is an articulation of that, speaking particularly to a cultural and political and social moment that needs the clarity that Jesus can bring.Sy Hoekstra: Yeah. So this is just to get into the weeds of it. It's a confession signed by I would say, the sort of extreme ends, at least to the people that we know about right now, I don't know who's gonna sign it in future, but center-right to more progressive left. And the basic confessions, like the seven statements of the confession are, “We give our allegiance to Jesus Christ alone. We will lead with love, not fear. We submit to the truth of Scripture. We believe the Gospel heals every worldly division. We are committed to the prophetic mission of the Church. We value every person as created in God's image.” And “We recognize godly leaders by their character.” So this is very basic theology [laughs] like you said. And you got a little bit at why it matters to put this out there, why we are involved. I agree with you. I think it's more about the context and it's also about who is saying it more than it is about the content.Because, and by the way, we should say we are giving you our reasons for signing this and why we think it's important. This is not… like there's a group of people that were involved in writing it, so there's lots of people involved who we don't know precisely why they signed [laughs] or precisely why the people who wrote it decided it was necessary. We're talking to you about our opinions. So to me, if you have something that says we pledge our allegiance to Christ alone, that's a rebuke of Christian nationalism to me.We judge godly leaders by their character, that's a rebuke of people who argue that Trump is a godly leader or a leader who has been appointed by God in some way or another. So those are important things to say. And it's with people across a pretty big spectrum of, as I said, the political range. Would Jonathan and I go a lot further than this if we said what we thought is important for political discipleship? Yes, we would, and you know that, because you've heard our other episodes. Or if you haven't, go listen to our other episodes [laughs]. We would go a lot further than that, yes. But we think, I think it's good to work with a broad range of people during a political campaign.Reaching a Broad Audience and Pushing the American Church to ChangeSy Hoekstra: Like I think when you're talking about discipleship at a moment when tensions are extremely high around theology and politics, it is good to do these kinds of things where you are trying to scale your efforts.Where you're trying to reach as many people as possible in the hopes that you will change some minds, both so that they will more faithfully follow Jesus, and in this specific context, so they won't vote for Donald Trump. That's one of my personal reasons for being involved in this [laughs]. And that's how you do campaigns in general. That's how campaigns operate. You try and call as many people as you can. You try and put commercials out there as widely as you can toward your targeted audience, whatever. Not in the hopes that the vast majority of the people who see it are going to suddenly be like, “Oh my goodness, I agree with everything you say,” but in the hopes that you'll reach enough of the people whose minds you can change to make a difference in their decision when it comes to November.You will reach them and you will start to be one of the people who affects their choices, is what I'm trying to say. So I don't know, that's kind of the strategy of it from my point of view. It is a similar way of thinking to me from the anthology. When we published the anthology four years ago, it was different because we were letting people say their own beliefs. And it was people from all over the spectrum kind of saying why they weren't voting for Trump in whatever way they saw fit [laughs], on whatever topic they saw fit. That was our approach. But this is the way some other people are going to do it, and we're gonna be happy to work with them in that way.Jonathan Walton: I think for me, I see the political strategy of it. I see the strategery that's happening, to use a word from SNL. My hope is that…Sy Hoekstra: From SNL 25 years ago [laughs].Jonathan Walton: Yeah. My hope… [laughs]. It was such a great sketch. “Strategery,” it was so good. “I'm the decider” [Sy laughs]. So I think one of the things that stands out to me, particularly in reviewing it more and assign it and then come on board, is, I hope that this is a Belhar Confession type moment for the United States and followers of Jesus. Particularly, because when we look at the Dutch Reformed Church, the Dutch Reformed Church was the theological backbone and framework for apartheid in South Africa. They gave the covering for those things to happen. It gave theological and moral legitimacy to a movement that was oppressive, violent, exploitative, and un-Christian at every level. Because there are Christian leaders who are willing to say, “You know what? This is really good. This is actually right. This is good and just, and God intended this.” And we have the exact same type of nonsense happening in the United States.There are quote- unquote, prophets and apostles and preachers and teachers and publishing houses and Amazon independent book publishers rolling out materials that say, “America first.” America is the kingdom of God. America is the kingdom of heaven. America is this baptized land on the earth, as opposed to being a land that is rooted in land theft, genocide, violence, patriarchy, greed and exploitation. Which it is that. It's actually not the kingdom of God at all. And so I hope that this creates a groundswell that goes beyond November 5th and beyond January 20th. And could this be a pivot point of orientation for people who followed Jesus to say, “You know what? Actually Jesus didn't say any of that.” If all of these people, right, left, middle, above, otherwise are saying this, maybe I should consider. “Oh, Randall Balmer said that, and Mercy Aiken” [Sy laughs]? “Shane was there too? Alright. Shane is on the same page as Curtis Chang and Sandra Van Opstal? Alright, let me jump in and get on this.” That's what I hope happens, is that it becomes impossible to avoid the question of allegiance to Jesus, or allegiance to the United States. Just like in South Africa the question was, are you pledging allegiance to apartheid or are you gonna follow Jesus?Sy Hoekstra: I totally agree with that. And I would say that it is 100 percent in line with the sort of premise of this podcast, which is helping people shake the dust and walk away [laughs] from the places where the word of God is not accepted as Jesus put it. And you let your peace return to you and you move along on your way.Jonathan Walton: Yes.How Did We Get to the Point Where This Confession Is Necessary?Sy Hoekstra: So let's actually talk about that thing that you were just saying. The thing where all these people from these different walks of life are coming together to make this specific statement at this time. How did we get here, aside from the obvious thing that Donald Trump is very good at uniting people who oppose him [laughter]. How did we get to this point in the church in America?Jonathan Walton: I think we need to narrow the scope a little bit.Sy Hoekstra: Okay.Jonathan Walton: Of how we got to this point, I think I would start at Acts 2 [laughter]. But, and then the church and then the alliance with the empire to escape persecution. Constantinople like Nicea, I mean…Sy Hoekstra: Let's focus on America.Jonathan Walton: Yeah, let's focus on the United States.Sy Hoekstra: [laughs] Zoom in a little bit.The Moral Majority Took Us Very Far down a Path Away from JesusJonathan Walton: I think that one of the pivot points in the United States is 2008 in the ascendance of Barack Obama. With Barack Obama, you have what was roiling and starting with Al Gore, but like can Christians vote for Democrats and still be Christians? Because with the ascendance of the moral majority, with what Randall Balmer talks about this coalescing around abortion as a position, and then the policies laid out by Jerry Falwell. And there was a conference in 1979 in Houston. Lots of organizations came out of that gathering. And so when those types of things occur, I think we are living in the wake of that wave, but that wave wasn't really challenged until 2008 when many, many, many, many people said, “Oh, I wanna vote for Barack Obama.”And so with the ascendance of Obama, then the question particularly among the Black community from evangelical Christians is like, can you be a Christian and vote for Obama? And that was talked about extensively in Tamice's book, Faith Unleavened, which is amazing. And that scene that she describes of the dissonance between the White evangelical church that she was sitting in, and the conversation she was having with her grandma on the phone, who she called Momma.Sy Hoekstra: Where her family was having a party because Obama had been elected and her White church was having a mournful prayer service.Jonathan Walton: Yeah. I think a lament session basically, for the United States being now overtaken by a demonic force. And so I think if we start there and move forward, like if this was a ray coming from a point, then the line actually starts to diverge from there, from the center point. And now we are actually so far apart that it's very, very difficult to justify what's happening. So if we're at our end points right now, we have followers of Jesus legitimizing sexual violence by saying Trump is fine. You have followers of Jesus legitimizing fraud, saying that that's fine. You have followers of Jesus legitimizing insurrection, saying that's fine. We are way, way down the road and very far apart from these basic confessions.And so I think people that are co-opted and indoctrinated by Fox News and the conservative White evangelical and conservative Catholic and conservative… because there's a smattering of Christian movements that have so aligned themselves with political power that it is very apparent even to non-Christians, that this is not Christ-like. And so I think for us, similar to the church in South Africa, to say, “Hey, we need to just make very plain every person is made in the image of God, and you shouldn't enslave, violate and steal from people.”If we could articulate that and do that, and have a movement around that, then I think that is how we got here, is that basic tenets of following Jesus have stayed the same, but forces, institutional, the powers, the principalities, and also people who chose to align themselves with that have taken the ball and run so far down the road that even people who don't follow Jesus and folks who just have basic biblical engagement are seeing that this is just not the way. And so I think followers of Jesus across the spectrum are starting to say, “You know what? This is a moment that we can actually speak into.”The White Evangelical ChurchA Divorce between White Evangelicals and Followers of JesusSy Hoekstra: Yeah, I agree with all that. I think, I mean, look, when we first started doing this work and we published our anthology, we went on a couple of podcasts about it. A common thing that people asked of us at the time was, where do you think the American church, where do you think the like 81 percent of the church, the White evangelical church that voted for Trump is going?” And the first time I said it, I sort of surprised myself, but I was like, “Look, it's being cut off the vine for not bearing good fruit and thrown in the fire.” That's it. There's been a long time coming of a divorce, like a complete split, I think, between White evangelicals in America and followers of Jesus.Jonathan Walton: Right.Sy Hoekstra: White evangelicals have had a whole long history of being involved in, as you said, in the exact same way that the Dutch Reformed Church was involved in apartheid, just being involved in everything. Every [laughs] terrible thing America's ever done, we've been there cheering it on and supporting it in all kinds of ways. And I think a lot of what Trump in particular, and it's sometimes a little bit hard to put my finger on why it was him, but Trump in particular, I think highlighted to a lot of Christians who viewed themselves as kind of like just nice, gentle, center right Christians who were a part of a larger movement where maybe there were some people who were a little bit off the deep end, but overall, these institutions and these people are trying to accomplish good things in the world and follow Jesus faithfully, realized that that wasn't the case.I think there are a lot of people who realized that they actually had opinions about what it meant to follow Jesus that were dramatically different than the average person in their institutions, or the average evangelical Republican.Policy Debates for White Evangelicals Have Been a Cover for Power HungerSy Hoekstra: Peter Wehner, I think would be one of these people, who writes for the New York Times. He was a George W. Bush speech writer. He recently wrote an article saying, “Look, Donald Trump has explicitly said that if you took one of these super restrictive state abortion bans and you passed it in Congress and you put it on my desk, I would veto it. I would not pass a national abortion ban.”Jonathan Walton: Right.Sy Hoekstra: Which for the pro-life movement, that's the end goal. That would be [laughs], that would be the thing they've been fighting for for decades [Jonathan laughs]. And he has said, “I will not sign this.” And do you hear anything about that from Franklin Graham [laughs]?Jonathan Walton: So Al Mohler was on the Run-Up of the New York Times this week, when you listen to this probably like two weeks ago, talking about how, “Hey, Donald Trump just said he's not gonna sign a national abortion ban. What's your position on that?” And his position hasn't changed, because again, it is framed as you all are the radical people, not us. We are the victims, not you. There's a constant revision of reality that they are gonna continue to turn out and communicate that is rooted in fear and a lust for power and control and dominance. And that is toxic as all get-out, and obviously un-Christian.Sy Hoekstra: Yeah, that was the end of my point, was that a thing that people have been arguing for a long time, which is that, this focus on abortion, this focus on prayer in school, or this focus on whatever the evangelical issue of the day is, has in fact been about power from the perspective of the leaders.Jonathan Walton: Right.Sy Hoekstra: Maybe not the rank -in-file people like marching and the March for Life or whatever.Jonathan Walton: Exactly.Sy Hoekstra: But the leaders are after power, and they always have been. That's what, if you go back a couple years to our episode with Mako Nagasawa, the first episode of season two where we talked about abortion. That's what his whole book is about, is the history of abortion policy and how it's almost never been about abortion. It's almost always been about something else like anti-immigrant sentiment or professionalizing the medical profession or whatever. It's always been about some other issue of people trying to establish themselves and gain power over somebody else. That's what I think a lot of people are realizing, and so a lot of people who are, I think more to the right in the group of people who have signed this document that we have are on that journey, like are in the middle of it.Or not in the middle of it, but they've been going on it for a few years and they've been rejected by who they thought were their people for saying things like, “Hey, should we maybe adhere a little more closely to the teachings of Jesus?” [laughs] And now they're saying, okay, they've gotten to a point where they're like, “I need to draw a line in the sand. I need to make something clear here.” And that I think is different. That is genuinely different than eight years ago when everybody was, a lot of people in the middle were just kind of waffling.Jonathan Walton: Yeah. Yeah, right.Sy Hoekstra: Were not really sure what to do yet. And they still viewed the people on the far right who were all in for Trump as possibly a minority on their side, or possibly just something like a phase people were going through. Something that would flare up and then die, and it just didn't turn out that way. I think that's kind of how I view a lot of how we got to the place that we are now.Jonathan Walton: Yeah.Sy Hoekstra: Again, zoomed in on America and not looking at the entirety of church history, which is where you wanted to go [laughter].Jonathan Walton: Yeah. And I mean, and I'll name some of the people that are key to that. So, Kristin Kobes Du Mez, like her book Jesus and John Wayne, Jemar Tisby's book, The Color of Compromise. And we could also throw in some Christianity adjacent, but loved by them books as well. So like all of the quote- unquote, anti-racist books, where people who are trying to leave the race-based, class-based, gender-based environmental hierarchy that White evangelicalism enforces, like I wrote about that in Twelve Lies as an explicit book. But you could say that Ibram X. Kendi's book is trying to get away from that. That White Fragility is trying to get away from that. That all of these books pushing back against [laughs], what now is called like Trad Wife and all these different things, it's trying to push back against these things. They're trying to call people to another reality because the one that some people have found themselves in is deeply unhelpful and not Christian.Sy Hoekstra: Yeah. I feel like that's been like you're refrain of this podcast. “And also, not Christian” [laughs].Jonathan Walton: Not Christian. Right.Sy Hoekstra: And not Jesus.Jonathan Walton: Right.Sy Hoekstra: Do we have any other thoughts on this subject, or do we want to jump into our segment?Jonathan Walton: I just think people should go sign it.Sy Hoekstra: Oh, yeah.Jonathan Walton: And there's a fun bible study there that [laughs] we talked about two weeks ago on the podcast and spread the word about it. I think it's gonna be a good thing.Sy Hoekstra: Yeah, the link to the website, the people who organized it, Jonathan said, “Hey, you can put the Bible study that we talked about in our last episode up, if you want a place for people to go to scripture on these subjects.” And they did.Jonathan Walton: Yeah.Sy Hoekstra: So that's cool. We will have the link to the confession in the show notes, as well as the link to the video that we created, which has a bunch of the signers of the confession reading parts of it, which we would love it if you would all share as widely as possible on your social media, and share the confession as well. We hope that this, as I said, changes somebody's hearts and minds, has some good effect on some people both in their discipleship and in their politics, which is what we're all about.Jonathan Walton: Yeah. Amen. There's actually a worship album that came out too. So along with Phil Vischer's cartoons for kids that can be shown in churches, there's a Return to Love album by a bunch of folks that you all may know like Will Matthews, Crystal Lewis, Ryan Edgar. These are folks that have led worship in great places that the evangelical world has followed for a long time. And so having worship leaders willing to call us out as well is pretty great. Along with Phil Vischer, because these videos will definitely be great for kids.Sy Hoekstra: Is that worship album already out?Jonathan Walton: Yeah, it's out right now [laughs]. You could click on it.Sy Hoekstra: I don't know how they did that that fast. That's incredible [laughs].Jonathan Walton: Hey man, listen. There's a thing called the Holy Spirit.Sy Hoekstra: [laughs].Jonathan Walton: And I think we all know that when Jesus moves, Jesus can do some things.Which Tab Is Still Open?: Trump at ArlingtonJonathan Walton: And so let's get into our segment, Which Tab Is Still Open?, where we dive a little deeper into one of our recommendations from the newsletter. And remember, you can get our newsletter for free by signing up for the mailing list at KTFPress.com. You'll get recommendations on articles, podcasts, and other media from both of us on things that will help you in your political education and discipleship. Plus, you'll get reflections to keep you grounded and hopeful as we engage in this challenging work together. News about KTF and what's going on, and a lot more. So go get that free subscription and a paid one too. Alright. So this is your recommendation, so let's jump into it.Sy Hoekstra: This actually has a lot to do with what we were just talking about.Jonathan Walton: Yes, it does.Sy Hoekstra: This is all about Christian Nationalism [laughter]. And Trump kind of stepping in it when it comes to dealing with his Christian Nationalist followers. So here's the story, and the article that I recommended in the newsletter was actually, it both gave the details of the story, but it was actually for me, an example of kind of the thing that I was critiquing [laughs]. It was an Atlantic article, and basically the facts of what happened are as follows. Trump went to Arlington National Cemetery, which if you don't know, is I just learned the second, not actually the largest, the second largest national cemetery in the country.Jonathan Walton: Oh. Huh.Sy Hoekstra: The largest one's on Long Island, Jonathan, I had no idea.Jonathan Walton: What!Sy Hoekstra: [laughs] Yeah.Jonathan Walton: [laughs] I did not know that.Sy Hoekstra: So the people who are buried in Arlington are soldiers who served in active duty. Some of them died, some of them were retired and passed away later. And then like very high ranking government officials, like Supreme Court justices or presidents or whatever. So Trump went and visited a specific spot that had I think 13 soldiers who died during the evacuation of Afghanistan when there was a suicide bomb attack from the Taliban.Jonathan Walton: Right.Sy Hoekstra: And he did this basically to highlight Biden administration screw ups. You didn't handle this evacuation well. And so because Harris is part of the administration, he's criticizing his opponent. And he went and took some pictures, which is fine, but he then was like specifically taking pictures in this area and like narrating a video talking about Biden screw ups and everything. And an employee of the cemetery pointed out correctly that campaign activities are illegal under federal law [laughs] at Arlington National Cemetery. And they kept going anyways. And they got in a little bit of an argument with her, and then later to the press said that she is mentally ill and was having a mental health crisis in that moment, and that she needed to be fired.And, fortunately the cemeteries said, “No, that's all a lie, and she was correctly telling you that you shouldn't have been doing what you were doing and et cetera.”Jonathan Walton: Right.Sy Hoekstra: But there were a number of people, and I don't know if this is a majority or anything like that, but there were actually some Trump supporters who viewed this as a violation, like something that Trump really shouldn't have done. He was being disrespectful to the dead, the troops who were there, by doing partisan stuff at the National cemetery. It was not necessarily about the things that he was saying, but just by conducting yourself in a way that you're not supposed to conduct yourself at a national cemetery.Sy's Experience with Arlington and it's Strong Christian NationalismSo here's my in for this. I have a very long history of military [laughs] service in my family. Somebody in my family went on Ancestry.com one time, and I have a direct ancestor who was a drummer boy in the Continental Army with George Washington [laughs].Jonathan Walton: Oh, wow.Sy Hoekstra: And somebody who enlisted in the Union Army during the Civil War. And my great-grandfather was in World War II in Korea, grandfather was in Vietnam. And my grandfather who was in Vietnam, he died when I was about 10. My grandmother remarried a very highly decorated army colonel also from Vietnam, who he passed away and we had a funeral for him at Arlington. And Arlington does like 20, 30 funerals a day. So if you're a rank-in-file soldier, it's like a very, it's an in and out thing [laughs]. But because of either his rank or his awards or both [laughs], it was an event, Jonathan. It was like, we had the bigger, more beautiful chapel, and then we had a procession, because I can't see, I can't tell you how many it was, but at the very least, dozens of soldiers with a commanding officer taking his casket from the church to the burial site, there was a 21-gun salute. There was the presentation of the flag with the shell cases from the 21-gun salute to my grandmother. It was a big thing.Jonathan Walton: Yeah.Sy Hoekstra: And if you've been to Arlington, you know that one of the key messages there is that the people who served America and the army served the kingdom of God, served Jesus. That is what they did. They served, and they may have died serving heaven [laughs] effectively. And so what that means is this is one of the holiest sites for Christian nationalism. This is one of the places where you go to be reassured with some of the highest level, like some of the world's greatest pomp and circumstance. The world's most convincing showing of pageantry and religious activity that the United States Army and the people who died serving it are also serving God, which is, you can't get more Christian nationalist than that.Jonathan Walton: Yeah.Sy Hoekstra: Which is also why we have talked about Christian nationalism, actually far more common than people think it is [laughs]. It is absolutely normal in how we talk about the military. So what I think happened here with Trump is that because what I believe about Trump is that he's a conman to the core. He is pure... he's like self-interest incarnate [laughs]. He is out to promote Donald Trump and nothing more, and nobody more than that.Jonathan Walton: Right.Sy Hoekstra: I think he forgot that his self-interest can actually diverge from Christian nationalism [laughs]. I think that he forgot that he can step on his people's toes in a way that he doesn't want to. And he's basically going to look out for where those things diverge in future in order to not have this happen again. Because he's just there doing what he does, which is promoting himself anytime, anywhere at all costs. And he forgot that one of the things that he harnesses, which is Christian nationalism, is not actually something that he believes in, and so he can misfire [laughs]. The irony to me is that I want to gain enough power to do anything and not be held accountable for it to better myself in my own position, is a pretty good summary of how kind of the operating principle of the US military in our foreign policy has been for so long.So it's actually, it's like [laughs], it's two entities, a former president and the US military kind of clashing in their basically excuse making for their own unaccountability and their own sin. Which is how I view the Christian nationalism of a place like Arlington. What I just said Jonathan, is [laughs] blasphemy to a [laughs] lot of the people that I probably, to some people that I know personally. So I will just acknowledge that. But that is what I believe, and I think is true to the Bible. So hopefully you can at least give me that credit [Jonathan laughs]. Jonathan, boy, did I just talk for a long time. I'm sorry. I actually had in the outline that I wanted to ask you first what your thoughts were before I went on my rant, and I just couldn't help myself. So, [laughs].Jonathan Walton: Well, Sy, I mean…Sy Hoekstra: Jonathan, what are your thoughts?Jonathan Walton: I think one, I just appreciated the explanation of the closeness, why it's still open for you. Because I think when I was writing Twelve Lies, I wrote about the military, and I wanted to say, “Oh, they're only going to these types of communities to get people.” That would've been my hypothesis or was my hypothesis, but the research proved different.Sy Hoekstra: And when you say that, you specifically mean exploiting like poor Black and Brown neighborhoods?Jonathan Walton: Yes.Sy Hoekstra: You're saying like, “We'll get you into college, we'll give you benefits, et cetera, if you come fight and die for us.”Jonathan Walton: Exactly. And so…Sy Hoekstra: Potentially die for us.Jonathan Walton: Right, there's this exchange that's gonna happen for your body. Whether alive or dead, there will be benefits and resources for you or your loved ones. And so I went in with that lens, but what my research showed me was that the majority of people who serve in the military are family. Their parents were in it, their grandparents were in it, their cousin was in it. It's actually like only about two percent of the United States population is affiliated with the military. We're recruiting from the same groups of people. And this would also be true for law enforcement. People who were in it essentially raise their children and bless and send them into it as well as most often. It's not actually about income.The income, if I remember correctly, was between 50 to 70 thousand dollars a year in a household, which in a rural area is at the time, 10 years ago, felt like a living wage. And so that reality was also something that's interesting for me. So when Trump came out against Mark Milley, when Mark Milley challenged him to say, “Hey, you will not use me, quote- unquote, the military, as a prop in your racism, standing in front of St. John's church holding that Bible up,” which was literally the distorted cover of our book, our anthology, because these things were happening. When he insulted John McCain, that was a moment where the military and I think those who are beholden to Christian nationalism tried to speak up. Tried to say, “Hey, we won't do this.” But then the ball continued down the road.I don't know what the fallout of the Arlington stuff will be, but I do know based on Up First the NPR podcast this morning in the morning that we're recording September the seventh, they said the military and the employees actually let this go. But the reason they brought it back up was because Trump got on Truth Social , used platform and stature to say, “This did not happen. There was no altercation. This person had a mental health episode.” And when you go into that, that's where I think the, “We will not be disrespected” thing kind of came up. Like what do you mean? No, we're gonna talk about this and we're gonna name that. You will not desecrate this holy site. Holy in holy site of Christian nationalism, as you were saying.So I hope that there are more people that are offended, because I think that if we allow ourselves to be offended, to be bothered, to be uncomfortable, then maybe there will be some movement. Because I think you're absolutely right. He is, you said self-interest incarnate. I think that is a great quote [laughs].Trump Cheapened the Spiritual Cost People Pay to Be in the MilitaryJonathan Walton: What's painful to me, so I too have, my father was in Vietnam. My brother was in the Navy, my uncle was in the Army. My other uncles were in Vietnam. And Brodnax, the town where I'm from, has many gravestones from Vietnam and Korea. And so what is fascinating to me is the level of belief that you have to have to commit acts of atrocity or commit acts of violence. Like Shane Claiborne would say, we were not made to kill people, you have to be taught to do that.And I am in no way condemning a soldier or a person who's in military service, who's listening. That's not what I'm saying. I'm observing, it costs us something to do these things. And I think the thing that Trump did was cheapen the cost that many, many, many thousands of people have paid for something that they thought was a collective interest blessed by God when Trump said, “No, you are a pawn in my game. And I will use you for my benefit.” Now you again, you will have people that say that's what's happening anyway. Trump is just doing in like what everybody else does behind closed doors. But I think that tension that he articulates or brings up for us, I hope it's allowed to rise to the surface, and then we can have a conversation about the cost.Like the silent war in the military right now is that even soldiers who have not seen active duty are committing suicide. I hope it brings to the surface the, like my dad, Agent Orange ruined some of his life. They're still figuring out what the effects of that were. You have people who are saying they support troops in one hand, but then voting against resources and benefits for them in the other hand, when the legislation comes up. Lauren Boebert did that yesterday. I hope that the perceived belovedness of our veterans and military versus the reality of how they're exploited and taken advantage of and dismissed and cast aside, we would actually acknowledge that and then do real work to ensure that they don't end up on the street.They don't end up stuck on painkillers. They do get the medical resources they need. They do get the mental health support that they need. Their families do get the resources that they need on and off-base and not just a discount at the PX. If that could be the conversation because of this, then I'd be very glad.Sy Hoekstra: Yeah. Just one more thing you said there. You said lots of people use the military as pawns and it's true. Or like props for their campaigns. It is just another one of those things about Trump where he will just do what everybody else did, but he'll turn it up to 11 [laughs].Jonathan Walton: Yeah, no, yeah. It's true.Sy Hoekstra: Everybody else, every politician, if they have a military background, if their family does, if they can visit a military site or whatever, they do it all the time. And even if their love for the military or for America is real, it is also true that they use them for their campaigns [laughs]. Use them to prop up. That has been… since we elected George Washington, the general of the Continental Army, has been true [laughter]. Right?Jonathan Walton: Right.Sy Hoekstra: So Trump is just the one who says, “Whatever your rules of decorum are, I'm going to break them.” And in most cases, that is actually his appeal. “Yes. I break rules of decorum and there's no consequences. And that's because these elitist can't tell me what to do and we need to take back power.Jonathan Walton: Oh Lord have mercy, Jesus [laughs].Sy Hoekstra: You need someone like me who can just break through all this nonsense.” You know what I mean?Jonathan Walton: Right. Yeah.Sy Hoekstra: That's usually his appeal. And in this case, it just happened to be that he crossed the wrong line for some people. I'm sure there's a lot of people who probably don't care [laughs].Jonathan Walton: Right. It may not wrangle a lot of people, but I hope it wrangles the right people.Sy Hoekstra: Yeah.Jonathan Walton: And him stretching out this poop that he stepped on and not wiping it off his foot and continue his campaign, I hope that roils people. He is a disrespectful person.Sy Hoekstra: Yeah.Jonathan Walton: And for Christians, literally James chapter four, it's that God opposes the proud. We are called to be humble people, and so I pray for Trump. I pray for his family. Not that he would win an election and all those things, but literally that they would come to know Jesus. Literally that they would know the freedom in him. Literally, that they would be able to experience the freedom that money cannot purchase and privilege cannot provide for you. And so I say all these things in hopes that everyone who is watching what happens is disquieted because we should not be comfortable with what's happening. Especially as followers of Jesus [laughs].Sy Hoekstra: Yeah. Amen to that Jonathan. Amen.Jonathan Walton: Yeah.Sy Hoekstra: I think we'll wrap it up there. Just as a reminder, as we finish, please again, go to KTFPress.com, get that newsletter and sign up as a paid subscriber to support everything that we do. We're centering and elevating marginalized voices. We're helping people seek Jesus in their discipleship and in their politics. We really do need some more support than we have right now if we're gonna make this sustainable kind of past this election season. So please do come and sign up as a paid subscriber at KTFPress.com. Our theme song is “Citizens” by Jon Guerra. Our podcast Art is by Robyn Burgess, transcripts by Joyce Ambale, editing by Multitude Productions. I am the producer along with our lovely paid subscribers. Thank you so much for joining us, and we will see you in two weeks.[The song “Citizens” by Jon Guerra fades in. Lyrics: “I need to know there is justice/ That it will roll in abundance/ And that you're building a city/ Where we arrive as immigrants/ And you call us citizens/ And you welcome us as children home.” The song fades out.]Jonathan Walton: Give me one second. One moment. I'm gonna get the name right so that you don't have to go edit this later [Sy laughs]. … So yes, we… Robert Mohler. The—Richard Mohler. Al Mohler. That's his name [Sy laughs]. Al Mohler [laughs]. It says R dot Albert Mohler. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.ktfpress.com/subscribe

This is the sixth episode in a series of episodes dedicated to a young woman named Lizzy. Today's special guest, Robby Lashua, is a speaker with Stand to Reason. Robby is here to discuss Lizzy's questions about the Bible and how to approach it. Lizzy was unable to make it to this recording. She's a college student from Chelan, Washington. Lizzy grew up in a loving Christian home but has a lot of questions about God, identity, and purpose. She is a very curious person and is someone who often takes things literally. She admits she struggles with anxiety and wonders why God pursues her when it's hard for her to trust Him. She says she's sensed Him trying to get her attention but is not sure about having experienced His love. Lizzy and Janell have known each other for seven years.  We hope you enjoy this week's episode!   About Robby Lashua: Robby Lashua is the newest Apologist at Stand to Reason. Formerly, Robby was the Pastor of Apologetics at Desert Springs Community Church in Goodyear, AZ, an Associate Professor at Mission Bible Institute, and host of Christ, Culture & Coffee, a weekly apologetics podcast. Having earned his Bachelor's Degree from Arizona Christian University, a Master's of Divinity from Phoenix Seminary, and a Master's Degree in Christian Apologetics from Biola University, Robby has a passion for equipping the church with good reasons to believe in classical Christianity. Most importantly, Robby has been married to his wonderful wife, Kelly, for over 13 years. Together they are raising four amazing kids to love and serve Jesus.   -- -- -- -- --   Links: Stand For Reason Living by the Book by Howard Hendricks Abortion: Big Questions and This Cultural Moment with Robby Lashua Who Can Separate Us From God's Love? with Robby Lashua REPLAY: Who Can Separate Us From God's Love? with Robby Lashua FSR YouTube Page FSR Patron  

Friend, there is something we've gotta talk about. Perhaps you know the term, maybe this will be your first exposure to it. Today, I'm chatting with my friend about Progressive Christianity. What is it? Is it dangerous? How can we be on the lookout for it? You all know my entire ministry and business is based on helping women know and believe the TRUTH because the TRUTH sets us free. Well, Progressives really question all truth and redefine it, and therefore, your true freedom and power and even eternity are at risk. So I can not keep silent. Let's start this conversation so that you can be aware and discerning. Podcasts to Learn More about What Progressive Christianity is and the Dangers of It Relatable: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/relatable-with-allie-beth-stuckey/id1359249098 The Alisa Childers Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-alisa-childers-podcast/id1260262855 This Cultural Moment: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-cultural-moment/id1342868490 Rebekah's Website: www.rebekah-anne.com Invite Rebekah to speak: https://calendly.com/rebekahanneperkins/rebekah-s-zoom-meeting-room Join the Abundant Life Lab: https://www.rebekahanneperkins.com/Abundant-Life-Lab-Christian-Life-Coaching Book a Christian Life Coaching Discovery Call: https://calendly.com/rebekahanneperkins/coaching-consultation

Greg talks to Jeff Myers of Summit Ministries, author of Truth Changes Everything: How People of Faith Can Transform the World in Times of Crisis, about the shifting definition of truth in the culture, how truth can be known, the difference truth has made in the world, and more.   Topics: Interview: Jeff Myers, author of Truth Changes Everything: How People of Faith Can Transform the World in Times of Crisis (00:00) Mentioned on the Show:  Dr. Jeff Myers Truth Changes Everything: How People of Faith Can Transform the World in Times of Crisis by Dr. Jeff Myers Summit Ministries How the Irish Saved Civilization: The Untold Story of Ireland's Heroic Role From the Fall of Rome to the Rise of Medieval Europe by Thomas Cahill The Soul of Science by Nancy Pearcey and Charles Thaxton Street Smarts: Using Questions to Answer Christianity's Toughest Challenges by Greg Koukl Related Links: The True Story of Christian Missionaries by Amy Hall (on how truth changed entire cultures) Values Fight Poverty by Amy Hall A Daily Prayer for This Cultural Moment by Amy Hall (about valuing truth)

Robby, Tim, Jon, and Amy discuss the mistakes we can make as apologists and give advice for how we can stay balanced in our study, treat people with dignity, exhibit the kind of character that reflects Christ when interacting with others, improve our skills, and more.   Topics: Commentary: Advice for apologists (00:00) Related Links: For the Student Who Wants to Be a Christian Apologist by Amy Hall How Should We Interact with the Uncivil? by Amy Hall Eight Lessons on Being an A-Paul-ogist by Tim Barnett Proverbs for Apologists by Amy Hall You Want to Be a Good Apologist? by Amy Hall Apologetics Aren't Enough to Connect You with a Person by Amy Hall Do You Convey a Sense of the Reality, Centrality, and Desirability of Jesus with Your Apologetics? by Amy Hall A Daily Prayer for This Cultural Moment by Amy Hall

A new MP3 sermon from Truths That Transform is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: This Cultural Moment Subtitle: Spiritual State of the Nation Speaker: Dr. D. James Kennedy Broadcaster: Truths That Transform Event: TV Broadcast Date: 1/15/2023 Length: 28 min.

A new MP3 sermon from Truths That Transform is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: This Cultural Moment Subtitle: Spiritual State of the Nation Speaker: Dr. D. James Kennedy Broadcaster: Truths That Transform Event: TV Broadcast Date: 1/15/2023 Length: 28 min.

In this special episode of Breakpoint This Week, John talks with theologian and professor Carl Trueman about the challenges that affect us in this cultural moment. They discuss how technological advances have placed a “burden of self-creation” on us, influencing transgenderism, transhumanism, and artificial intelligence but also the loss of meaning and cultural institutions like the family.

Today we are wrapping up the “This Cultural Moment” series with a sister straight talk with Krista and Alex. We discuss why it is so hard to honor people with different ideas, how Ephesians 6 holds a secret to living well in this period of time, what grid we can use to filter our decisions, and what it looks like to lean into hope. Join us for this honest conversation, and let's “get our joy back” as we lean in to this moment of time in which we get to live.   Arthur Brooks in Conversation with Simon Sinek – a podcast episode about honoring people and differing with their ideas 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people. --Ephesians 6:10-16 The Chart we referenced from Authentic Church by Vaughn Roberts Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him. Our Sponsor: Simply Be Box Their goal at Simply Be Box, through the subscription box & community, is to help teen + tween girls grow in their relationship with Jesus, know & love how they are uniquely created and encourage them to live out their faith & be a light in this world. Simply Be Box has provided a discount code for our The Open Door Sisterhood Podcast listeners!  Use Code ODSSummer10 to receive $10 Off Your Subscription Purchase.  Head over to their website SimplyBeBox.com and Subscribe Today! You can also follow them on Instagram @SimplyBeBox.  

How do we live a Christian faith in today's cultural context? What is required of us? What should be concerned about? If anything? How do we talk to our kids about changing cultural norms? And what doe the Bible say about all of this uncertainty we are feeling? We are starting a new series on the podcast this week we are calling This Cultural Moment to talk about these very questions. In fact this series is something you all have requested. We start with an incredibly encouraging and thoughtful conversation with Dr. Jerry Sittser. Dr. Sittser recently retired as a professor from Whitworth University and his newest book, Resilient Faith: How the Early Christian "Third Way" Changed the World gives us some historical reference for where we are today. We are not the first Christians to feel disoriented or overwhelmed by our cultural environment and we can be refined as we walk through spaces that are pushing us past (maybe way past) our comfort zones. From questions to ask ourselves as we're parenting to spiritual practices we can employ Jerry offers practical and hopeful responses for today's Christians. He also gives us hope that living a life of faith often involves a "third way" that is unfamiliar, yet intriguing, to those living near us. We can have a resilient faith as we do the internal work God asks of us to grow into mature followers of Jesus living in today's world. Things mentioned on the show Whitworth University The Atlantic An article in the Atlantic, Why the Past Ten Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid An article in the Atlantic, Why American Teens Are So Sad Robert Putnam, Bowling Alone, The Upswing Jesus and John Wayne by Kristen Dumez Jerry's new book Resilient Faith: How the Early Christian "Third Way" Changed the World The New Catechismal, contact Jerry for more Notable quotes “Politics is a really bad religion. We all need to be political, and involved to some degree, but we can't expect from politics what we can only expect from God. When we turn politics into God we're in serious trouble. ” “Jesus is not only the way to life, through his death and resurrection, Jesus is also the way of life. Both are equally true and important.” "Small is beautiful if it's faithful to God." Our sponsor for this series Simply Be Box Are you looking for a gift for the teen or tween girl in your life that she will LOVE & you can TRUST? Simply Be Box is the perfect gift for her! Simply Be Box is a faith-based subscription box for teen & tween girls filled with fun, positive, on-trend items, and encouragement to Simply Be who God created her to be. What's Inside a Simply Be Box: Each box is focused around one of what they call the “Be Attitudes”. (Be You, Be Strong, Be Kind, Be a Friend…) These are reminders of who God created each girl to be and how He wants her to live. Each box has both a seasonal & inspirational theme and includes something to… · Read – Faith-based devotional, book, or bible study · Do – Craft, game, puzzle, or activity · Wear – Clothing, jewelry, or accessory · Eat – Healthy snack or sweet treat · Display – Candle, cross, sticker, sign, or magnet · Use – Health & beauty product, accessory, or gadget Boxes ship Quarterly - Fall Box in September, Winter Box in December, Spring Box in March, Summer Box in June 2 Ways to Subscribe… 1. Annual Subscription – Pre-pay for 4 boxes & save! [Total of $250 for 4 Boxes, includes shipping. Auto renews annually until paused or cancelled] 2. Seasonal Subscription – Auto renews each quarter until paused or cancelled [$67.50 per season, includes shipping] Their goal at Simply Be Box, through the subscription box & community, is to help teen + tween girls grow in their relationship with Jesus, know & love how they are uniquely created and encourage them to live out their faith & be a light in this world. Simply Be Box has provided a discount code for our The Open Door Sisterhood Podcast listeners! Use Code ODSSummer10 to receive $10 Off Your Subscription Purchase. Head over to their website SimplyBeBox.com and Subscribe Today! You can also follow them on Instagram @SimplyBeBox.

Navigating Our Culture Upstream | Upstream Life PodcastIn this episode of the Upstream Life Podcast, we sit down to discuss the current culture we live in, how it impacts us as followers of Jesus, and how we navigate it all upstream. We hope you find this episode insightful, and encouraging as you listen! Upstream Life: https://upstreamlife.org/Upstream International: https://upstreamint.org/Support the show (http://upstreamint.org/)

Hi family,We're shaking things up on Future Faith today— I'm hosting an interview with Melbourne's Mark Sayers, author of a half-dozen books and partner-in-crime with John Mark Comer on the This Cultural Moment podcast.Grab a coffee or tea and find an hour to listen to where culture and the church are likely headed. (You can also watch the video version below.)If you'd like to win a free copy of Mark's newest book, click enter here.Since this is such an important conversation, please consider forwarding this email to the leaders in your life.And if you're new to Future Faith, welcome! Subscriptions are free:Watch on Youtube: Get full access to Future Faith at jaredbrock.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of the Catalyst Podcast, Brad Lomenick sits down with leading thinker on the intersection of faith and sexuality Preston Sprinkle for a conversation about how the Church must address the culture in the areas of sexuality, gender, and the LGBTQ+ community. Listen in as Preston empathizes with church leaders who feel lost in these conversations while pointing out that silence is not an option, encouraging us to take advantage of the available resources to equip us and, most importantly, reminding us that we're talking about people whom God loves. Keep up with Preston Sprinkle: Instagram: @preston.sprinkle Twitter: @PrestonSprinkle Website: https://www.prestonsprinkle.com Tim Keller article about social media, identity, and the church: https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/how-to-achieve-sustainable-remote-work?utm_source=nl&utm_brand=tny&utm_mailing=TNY_Daily_071021&utm_campaign=aud-dev&utm_medium=email&bxid=5d4845a0b43a6142584554e2&cndid=25331603&hasha=52a89afede54af0fa3e955b374d70f20&hashb=55891829a376679f930b68eb8da59314cf57333c&hashc=899b87f38774f8d6957329131adb9b1c0f9b5b665c307b4c25c45ebff9ab2311&esrc=bounceX&utm_content=B&utm_term=TNY_Daily The Controversial Jesus series from Jon Tyson: https://www.church.nyc/sexual-formation This Cultural Moment podcast: https://thisculturalmoment.com

Andy and TJ are joined by their first repeat guest, Sam Tunnell. They discuss a secular basis for morality, Sam Harris's "The Moral Landscape," and other topics.Other resources:Andy's main argument is based around Sam Harris' "The Moral Landscape." You can also watch Sam Harris's TED Talk on The Moral Landscape.Sam mentioned Rebecca McLaughlin's "Confronting Christianity" as having powerful arguments from the Christian perspective.Andy mentioned a couple of YouTube channels that he likes,  Steven Woodford's "Rationality Rules" and Alex O'Connor's "CosmicSkeptic". Sam mentioned the podcast "This Cultural Moment" as another good resource for Christians interested in the topic of morality and culture in general.

Picking up where we left off last week, Bryce and Brad continue to explore the way a gospel identity differs from both the modern and traditional approaches to identity formation. In Part 1 we talked about what a gospel identity is, and began exploring what makes it unique. In this episode we continue with 2 more reasons it's unique, and then talk about how a gospel identity grows. Episode Bibliography: Carl Trueman, The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self Philip Rieff, Sacred Order/Social Order Volume One: My Life Among the Deathworks Mark Sayers and John Mark Comer, “This Cultural Moment” podcast Tim Keller, “Gospel Identity” Conference

As we ask the question "How do we receive, rather than achieve, our identity?" in this season, we're digging into the roots of identity formation. What does it mean to be a self? Where do we source our security and significance? Modern people instinctively look within themselves to answer these questions...but is this the only way to do it? Is it the best way? Episode Bibliography: Carl Trueman, The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self Philip Rieff, Sacred Order/Social Order Volume One: My Life Among the Deathworks Mark Sayers and John Mark Comer, “This Cultural Moment” podcast Tim Keller, “Gospel Identity” Conference

In this episode of the podcast my friend Gabe Kasper joins us as we dive into what it means to bless the evildoer, how we are called to love our enemies and the danger of creating enemies to look like heroes. And on the In or Out Gabe and I will lay out for you our stream crushes as we talk YouTube and beloved podcasts, other than BoldSpeak, of course. In or Out Mentions Podcasts // Hard Core History by Dan Carlin: https://www.dancarlin.com/ This Cultural Moment: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-cultural-moment/id1342868490 Sleeping At Last Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sleeping-at-last-podcast/id1270570754 YouTube // Punk Rock MBA: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjewxGh1Gx5i5Uzxn0v-TPw OKSamurai: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCksFMvX6ym2dM5GkUkTT93g

In this episode of Beggar's Bread, we recommend an episode of This Cultural Moment titled, "Progressives as the New Pharisees and the Immorality of the Christian Sex Ethic" https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/progressives-as-new-pharisees-immorality-christian/id1342868490?i=1000403962220 Thank you to Deanna from North Carolina for being our co-listener this episode! Would you like to be a co-listener for a future episode? Email us at beggarsbreadpodcast@gmail.com We hope you enjoyed your time with us; come back next week to hear Luke's interview with his mentors, Karen & Charles, in "Praying with our Bodies" Would you like to support Beggar's Bread? Head on over to our Patreon page, where subscribing will not only help us out, but also grant you exclusive bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/beggarsbread

On this episode of the Confluence Leadership Podcast, Bo Noonan is joined by John Mark Comer. John Mark is the pastor for teaching and vision at Bridgetown Church, and has a Master's degree in Biblical and Theological Studies from Western Seminary. He is the author of several books, co-host of the podcast This Cultural Moment, and lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife and three children.In this episode, John Mark and Bo tackle the tension of certainty and uncertainty. Join us as we look at how the pandemic has magnified this tension, discuss our desire for control, and reflect on this year as a whole.

What opportunities exist for the church as we navigate a time of unprecedented change? In this episode, Bryce and Brad talk with pastor and author Mark Sayers about the secularism of Western culture, and the cracks in the foundation that are being exposed. Mark Sayers in the pastor of Red Church in Melbourne, Australia, the author of several books including Reappearing Church, and the host of the Rebuilders podcast and This Cultural Moment. This is the second in our 2-part conversation with Mark; in part 2 we discuss the opportunities this moment affords followers of Jesus. Subscribe now!

Is it possible to have too much freedom? The Individualistic drive for autonomy has dominated Western culture for decades; what happens when a global pandemic disrupts that drive? In this episode, Bryce and Brad talk with pastor and author Mark Sayers about the secularism of Western culture, and the cracks in the foundation that are being exposed. Mark Sayers in the pastor of Red Church in Melbourne, Australia, the author of several books including Reappearing Church, and the host of the Rebuilders podcast and This Cultural Moment. This is the first of a 2-part conversation with Mark--we focus here on diagnosing the moment we're living through; in part 2 we'll discuss the opportunities this moment affords followers of Jesus. Subscribe now so you don't miss it!

In this episode, Brian and Aaron discuss the reality of "Cultural Pharisees". At one time, Conservative Christians were seen as the strict moralists of the day, but currently, we see some of the same legalism on the left (a concept we shamelessly stole from Mark Sayers). We discuss the need for Christians to be people of peace in the midst of rapidly changing cultural landscapes and culture wars. We also explore the necessity for Christians who hold non-affirming theology (regarding LGBT issues) to do so with love, grace, and compassion, and discuss some hopeful stories about how to do just that. Also... we take a strange turn into how to talk to white supremacists about Jesus!? All this and more on this episode of the GoodLion Podcast. Show Links: Check out the full episode of "This Cultural Moment" that we referenced, a great convo between John Mark Comer and Mark Sayers entitled Progressives as The New Pharisees and The Immorality of The Christian Sex Ethic

Jay Cook and Grayson Furlough discuss the S1E5 of the podcast This Cultural Moment. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/meristem/message

John Mark Comer lives, works, and writes in the urban core of Portland, Oregon, with his wife, Tammy, and their three children, Jude, Moses, and Sunday. He is the pastor for teaching and vision at Bridgetown Church. A church built around the very simple idea of practicing the way of Jesus, together, in Portland. As for education, John Mark holds a master’s degree in biblical and theological studies from Western Seminary and is the author of Garden City, Loveology, God Has a Name and The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry. You are welcome to follow more of John Mark’s teachings via the Bridgetown Church podcast or This Cultural Moment, a podcast he co-hosts with his friend Mark Sayers on following Jesus in the post Christian world.   www.ccln.ca/season2/episode10

Mark Sayers is a renowned author, pastor and speaker -- and I was so excited to get an interview with him for a bonus episode this week. His books, specifically "Disappearing Church" and "Reappearing Church," completely blew my mind with their incredible insight and analysis on the Western Christian church, post-Christian culture and what the history of the Church reveals about how God is moving RIGHT NOW. Mark's work came blasting into crazy relevancy with COVID-19 because he writes so beautifully about how God works in tragedy, crisis, transition and change -- all things we are experiencing worldwide right now. This episode is relevant to COVID, but also important for anyone who cares about faith, the future of the Church and wants some good news about what God's doing in the West, despite what the headlines or doomsday statistics may say. His books inspired my recent Wall Street Journal op/ed and his work has influenced the aim I'm taking in my next book. I was honored to get this interview with Mark (who is in Australia) so we were on different days while recording and please stay till the end because his answers get really good in the last few moments. Learn more about Mark here! This Cultural Moment podcast

Mark is the senior leader of Red Church in Melbourne, Australia. He is passionate about spiritual renewal and the future of the church. Mark is the author of a number of books and cohosts the This Cultural Moment podcast with John Mark Comer. Mark lives in Melbourne with his wife, Trudi, his daughter, Grace, and twin boys, Hudson and Billy. http://www.ccln.ca/season2/episode5

To *whom* it may concern: Do not expect any sort of intellectual stimulation here. None. Whatsoever. Nada. If you want that this week or today or whatever obscure measurement of time it is, go listen to the Bible Project or This Cultural Moment or like, Cat & Cloud. Not Audibility Cabin Fever (patent pending). Thank you for everything. This isn't the end by any means, just feeling grateful :) Now shut up and listen and be grateful for us. Sincerely, Bored out of our gourds.

It turns out that rock bottom isn’t the worst place to be. When you have nowhere else to turn, you realize we need renewal.Mark Sayers has not written another book on the challenges that face the church in the West, though few would be better suited to do so. He’s written instead a handbook for not only surviving but even thriving in our secular age. Sayers is the author of Reappearing Church: The Hope for Renewal in the Rise of Our Post-Christian Culture, published by Moody. Sayers has written previous books, including Disappearing Church. And he is the senior leader of Red Church in Melbourne, Australia. Many listeners of Gospelbound may know Mark as the cohost with John Mark Comer of the podcast This Cultural Moment.I appreciate Sayer’s view that we’re just not going to be smart or savvy or rich enough to meet the challenges of our post-Christian culture. So much is working against us in this world.He writes:The whole of contemporary Western culture—from the structure of our malls and cities, to the very fabric of the internet and social media platforms—are ideologies that shape us toward a vision not rooted in the eternal, but in the unlimited freedom and pleasure of the individual. But Sayers doesn’t just see challenges. He also sees opportunities. We talk about both in this episode of Gospelbound. This episode of Gospelbound is brought to you by Southeastern Seminary. In a disenchanted world looking to themselves for answers, Southeastern’s three-year Doctor of Ministry in Faith and Culture plants graduates at the intersection of theology, culture, and church to bring the world a better story—the gospel. Learn more at sebts.edu.

All the extra links are here: www.forthehope.org/blog/a-coronavirus-personality-test

Part 2 of This Cultural Moment recorded Live in Melbourne, Australia.

Part 1 of This Cultural Moment recorded live in Melbourne, Australia. 

On this week's show, we take a few moments to slow down and contemplate life with John Mark Comer, the author of  About John Mark Comer: John Mark Comer lives, works, and writes in the urban core of Portland, Oregon, with his wife, Tammy, and their three children, Jude, Moses, and Sunday. He is the pastor for teaching and vision at Bridgetown Church. A church built around the very simple idea of practicing the way of Jesus, together, in Portland. You are welcome to follow more of John Mark’s teachings via the Bridgetown Church podcast or This Cultural Moment, a podcast he co-hosts with his friend Mark Sayers on following Jesus in the post-Christian world. You can also pursue more of his work at . About The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: Dallas Willard once called hurry “the great enemy of spiritual life in our day.”  Followers of Jesus are not immune to culture’s pain. Many of us live with a low-grade fatigue and chronic anxiety that rarely, if ever, goes away. We careen through our days at breakneck speed and wonder where God is in the fray. The reality is, most of us are just too busy to live an emotionally healthy and spirituality vibrant life. Hurry is incompatible with the way of Jesus. The love, joy, and peace that form the nucleus of Jesus’ kingdom are all impossible in a life of speed. We must, as Willard went on to say, “Ruthlessly eliminate hurry.” For More Information: Website:   Social:  |  | r  Check out  and find all of our book and movie suggestions at  For Lisa's speaking schedule visit . Send your feedback to  or connect with Lisa on social media @LisaHendey.

On this week's show, we take a few moments to slow down and contemplate life with John Mark Comer, the author of The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry.About John Mark Comer:John Mark Comer lives, works, and writes in the urban core of Portland, Oregon, with his wife, Tammy, and their three children, Jude, Moses, and Sunday. He is the pastor for teaching and vision at Bridgetown Church. A church built around the very simple idea of practicing the way of Jesus, together, in Portland. You are welcome to follow more of John Mark’s teachings via the Bridgetown Church podcast or This Cultural Moment, a podcast he co-hosts with his friend Mark Sayers on following Jesus in the post-Christian world. You can also pursue more of his work at www.johnmarkcomer.com.About The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry:Dallas Willard once called hurry “the great enemy of spiritual life in our day.” Followers of Jesus are not immune to culture’s pain. Many of us live with a low-grade fatigue and chronic anxiety that rarely, if ever, goes away. We careen through our days at breakneck speed and wonder where God is in the fray. The reality is, most of us are just too busy to live an emotionally healthy and spirituality vibrant life. Hurry is incompatible with the way of Jesus. The love, joy, and peace that form the nucleus of Jesus’ kingdom are all impossible in a life of speed. We must, as Willard went on to say, “Ruthlessly eliminate hurry.”For More Information:Website:  www.johnmarkcomer.comSocial: www.instagram.com/johnmarkcomer | www.twitter.com/johnmarkcomer |www.facebook.com/johnmarkcomer Check out books by Lisa Hendey at Amazon and find all of our book and movie suggestions at Lisa's Amazon Influencer list. For Lisa's speaking schedule visit www.LisaHendey.com. Send your feedback to lisahendey@gmail.com or connect with Lisa on social media @LisaHendey.

On this episode, Jay and Isaac chat with Mark Sayers. Mark is the senior leader of Red Church in Melbourne, Australia and co-host of the podcast This Cultural Moment. He is also the author of several books, including Disappearing Church and Strange Days. On this episode, we discuss Mark’s latest book Reappearing Church. The current cultural climate poses never-before-seen challenges for followers of Jesus. The church-at-large, at least in the West, seems to be losing influence and effectiveness. And yet, Mark has a surprisingly hopeful view of what lies ahead. In this conversation, we delve into the specifics of why Mark believes we’re on the brink of a major renewal and what each and every one of us can do to take part in what God might be up to today.

In this episode, I am joined by one of my kindest and most brilliant friends Sharon Hodde Miller to talk about why "nice" can be dangerous.  We'll also talk about women in ministry and what it looks like to have someone call out your gifts and strengths.    In this episode we discuss: 1.The differences between kindness, harshness, and niceness 2.How to do a heart check for your motivations 3. How to respond to and love others well   Favorite quotes: 1. It's really important that when you see a gift in somebody, it doesn't matter if it is a gift of teaching or preaching or any gift in them because that is how they discern what God created them to do. 2. If you are merely being nice and someone is not nice to you in return then that flips really quickly. It flips into entitlement, flips into resentment, bitterness, cynicism but kindness understands this isn't to get a response. This isn't about me. This is about loving people radically and unconditionally the way that Jesus loved us. 3. Niceness can appear to be about others but it's ultimately about us where kindness is ultimately about others. Christ models this better than anyone else.   In this episode I answer these questions: 1. I learn so much about the importance of self-talk in Fierce Faith. I loved the whole book and it literally changed my life. There's one thing I still need more help with. I can't seem to break the habit of negative self-talk. Do you have any advice? (49:14) 2. Sometimes I feel like I can hear God very clearly and sometimes I don't feel like I can hear Him at all. I panic when I can't hear from Him and I wonder if its because He's upset with me, is this normal? (53:30) 3. I keep bumping up against struggles in my business. How do I know if its a sign to stop? (57:45)   Links to great things we discussed: 1. Sharon Hodde Miller ,  Instagram 2. Nice https://sheworships.com/nice-book/ 3. Thomas Newman 4. Avengers 5. Alia Joy Glorious Weakness 6. Michelle Obama 7. This Cultural Moment 8. FABFITFUN Use code ALLI to save $10.00 9. Blissdom Conference Hope you loved this episode! Be sure to subscribe in iTunes and slap some stars on a review! :)    xo, Alli   www.alliworthington.com/podcast/sharonhoddemiller  

Pastor Mark and James have a conversation around the message "Voice In The Wilderness" from the message series This Cultural Moment 

This Cultural Moment recorded live at the Wildfires festival in the UK.

Live from Formatio Conference in Auckland, Scottie and Spanky partnered with Central Vineyard, St Augustine's and Worship Central to bring you a live episode and interview with author and speaker John Mark Comer. Listen to JMC's podcast, This Cultural Moment, here: https://itunes.apple.com/nz/podcast/this-cultural-moment/id1342868490?mt=2

For our fifth installment in the “This Cultural Moment” series, we look to the Word of God to learn how […]

For our fifth installment in the "This Cultural Moment" series, we look to the Word of God to learn how the church should think about the practice of abortion.

For our fifth installment in the “This Cultural Moment” series, we look to the Word of God to learn how […]

We had our friend Mark Sayers join us on Sunday, and he taught on the concept of God's temple. The temple was a focal point of the Old Testament, it was where God dwelled among his people. However, what happens when in the New Testament the temple changes from a physical building to God's people? Listen to both services to get a full picture of what the implications are for us.

We had our friend Mark Sayers join us on Sunday, and he taught on the concept of God's temple. The temple was a focal point of the Old Testament, it was where God dwelled among his people. However, what happens when in the New Testament the temple changes from a physical building to God's people? Listen to both services to get a full picture of what the implications are for us.

Emotional health isn't often given the attention it deserves in the church. In this episode, we interview Bethany Allen, one of the pastors at Bridgetown Church in Portland, OR, about the ways she and that church have made emotional health one of the priorities of their church and how it's benefited them. This was a really fun episode to record, and we hope you're able to get a lot from it. RECOMMENDATION STATION In no particular order: Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, Emotionally Healthy Leader, Emotionally Healthy Church, Emotionally Healthy Leader Podcast This Cultural Moment podcast Fully Alive by Larry Crabb Leading with a Limp by Dan Allender Healing for Damaged Emotions by David Seamands Connecting by Larry Crabb Bridgetown Church's Emotionally Healthy Church Series Waffle House

From Season 1 titled, "What is Post-Christian Culture?" In our fourth episode of This Cultural Moment, we continue our discussion from the previous episodes. Be sure to listen to all the past epsiodes of Season 1.

From Season 1 titled, "What is Post-Christian Culture?" In our third episode of This Cultural Moment, we discuss the idea of relevance vs resilience. How should the people of Jesus remain faithful to the way of Jesus in a changing world?

From Season 1 titled, "What is Post-Christian Culture?" In our second episode of This Cultural Moment, we continue our conversation on how followers of Jesus are meant to engage the secular, progress, post-christian culture in which we live. Be sure to subscribe and listen along each week as we continue this discussion. thisculturalmoment.com

We are excited to introduce This Cultural Moment, a new podcast about following Jesus in the post-christian world. In the very first episode, This Cultural Moment explores the secular, progressive, post-christian world in which we live and asks how followers of Jesus are meant to engage. This Cultural Moment is a collaboration of John Mark Comer of Bridgetown Church in Portland, USA and Mark Sayers of Red Church in Melbourne, Australia. Be sure to subscribe and listen along each week as the discussion continues. thisculturalmoment.com

From Season 1 titled, "What is Post-Christian Culture?" In our very first episode of This Cultural Moment, we explore the secular, progressive, post-christian culture in which we live and ask how followers of Jesus are meant to engage. Be sure to subscribe and listen along each week as we continue this discussion. thisculturalmoment.com