Do Theology: A Podcast

If you've not heard, I've started a podcast with my friend Kenn Chipchase. We just released the second episode of our conversations, which functions as Episode 01, since the first one served as an introduction.

The State of the Conservative Christian Union

Listen to this article:

Let's be open and honest, here. Evangelicalism is a complex world. It's a sub-culture of what has been called "Christendom," and it has diverse definitions. Furthermore, there are sub-sub-cultures that exist within Evangelicalism and, as they are studied, the more confusing everything seems to get.

One of the sub-sub-cultures of Evangelicalism is conservative Christianity and, today, the conservative Christian network can be difficult for people to navigate, especially as denominations become less important to the average Christian. This article exists to give an overview of that flavor of Christianity, providing an up-to-date analysis of what exactly is going on. It's a bit sad that things are so political in the church, yet we do well to be aware.

Diversity! But Not Like That

Diversity, Sans Truth

Our world is really fired up about diversity these days. In America, we've moved well beyond the skin pigment acts and orders of the 1960s and the homosexuality hush of the 1990s. We've entered into a strange pseudo-reality that tells us the world is ending next week unless we take money from well-to-do white people and give it to ultra-minority transsexuals who will save the planet. "How will they save the planet exactly?" you may ask. They'll deliver us through the government savior, who will take us to work, murder our children, and actively prevent bovine flatulence. Or something like that.

Meal Plans and Common Counsel

Healthy Living

A physically healthy lifestyle is often characterized by three elementary components: a balanced diet, sufficient water intake, and basic exercise. It's been proven throughout countless generations that if a person has these three factors at play in his life, he will remain in good physical shape outside of an act of God. Interestingly, these simple practices are often overlooked as many people look to the latest fads and novel concepts to achieve good health. Celebrity diet plans and trendy Instagram meals tend to stir up more excitement than what we already know: bad foods are bad, water is good, and if you don't move, you'll grow outward.

Does God Look Like Us?

Answering audience questions at our debate at Payson Bible Church on November 8, 2019.

Last November, I had the privilege to engage in a debate with a Latter-day Saint (Mormon), named Kwaku El. His YouTube channel is a popular resource here in Utah Valley for young members of his church. Our debate topic was, "Is the Triune God a mere idea?"

The LDS Church teaches that God the Father is a man of flesh and bones who once lived a life like us, sinned, died, and was subsequently exalted to godhood. They believe that Jesus, God's son, is his literal offspring and we are all his literal brothers and sisters as offspring of God. They believe that the Holy Ghost cannot be in many places at once, but is limited just as physical humans are. For more information about Mormonism, you can check out the great resources over at CARM.

If you'd like to hear the full debate between me and Kwaku, you can watch it via high-quality video on YouTube or listen to it in podcast form.

My Favorite Albums from the 2010s

The following albums are my personal favorites from the past decade. Objective measurements were not used in the making of this list!

Also, these are listed chronologically -- not in any other way. Enjoy!

Here's the Spotify playlist of all of the albums below!

2019: A Christian Music Review

"Next to the Word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world."

Martin Luther

It's Not Enough: Dustin Kensrue's Turning Away

By Dmileson - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49962067

Background

Mars Hill Church in Seattle was once a surprisingly powerful influence in the Pacific Northwest. In the fall of 2014, the whole thing came tumbling down as the founder and senior pastor of the church, Mark Driscoll, was forced to publicly step down amid controversial financial dealings and interpersonal sin issues. You can read my thoughts about Driscoll and that whole ordeal in one of my blog posts from that time (now over five years ago -- wow!).

Our Adoption: Love Is Not Efficient

"One of my many epiphanies was that love is not efficient. And I was very efficient."

This past summer our church read through the book A Praying Life by Paul Miller. We wanted to get better at being a church that prays and we chose that particular book because it was highly recommended by many trustworthy sources.

In the book, Miller is very transparent and presents his life in a most authentic way. He allows readers to learn from his own mistakes and sins. By the time we were finished with the book, we felt like we knew him.

How Do We Abide?

Jesus said, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me." (John 15:1-4, ESV)