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It’s become trendy to deconstruct your faith, but where do turn after you’ve torn things down to the foundation? Justin is a former pastor and current chaplain and mental health counselor, while Ansen is a former radio host and... current radio host. Together, they explore the idea of refreshing our faith by going back and taking another look at the Bible passages, beliefs, and church practices that we've all heard a million times.
What do we do with the rather curious story of an oppressed slave-woman named Hagar and her "not the chosen one" son, Ishmael that we find in the book of Genesis? What do we do with Biblical "heroes" like Abraham and Sarah whose actions seem anything but "heroic?" And what can this strange story teach us about God's desires for the oppressed and marginalized nations and people groups of the world?
Across all types and denominations of churches, worship services have at least one thing in common: singing. If you grew up in Christian culture, you've probably never questioned this practice. If you didn't, the idea of corporate worship might be... odd, at the least. Where does this practice originate, and why is it so important? Chaplain Justin and Ansen take a second look at the Christian practice of praise & worship.
The phrase "social justice" has become a flashpoint for controversy and conflict in American politics and culture. But while social justice has been given new meaning in modern times, the idea of helping and serving "the least of these" is far from new. What would a social justice look like with the gospel of Jesus as its foundation? And is there any potential for unity in the midst of such a fractious debate?
The woman at the well, as she's known, often gets a bad rap. To some, it's the story of an adulterous woman living in unrepentant sin who is confronted by Jesus. Is this just another example of the Bible marginalizing women? Justin and Ansen take another look at this well-known passage, and find a woman who, far from being condemned, is chosen by the Messiah himself to play a remarkable role in God's rescue plan.
Few subjects are as contentious as money. So let's talk about it! Is giving ten percent of our income a requirement? Will God financially bless us if we tithe? What about the wolves in churches who take advantage of others for financial gain? Chaplain Justin and Ansen trace the story of offerings, tithes, and generosity through the Bible to determine what application it might have for us today.
We've talked about verses, stories, and characters from the Bible, but what about the book itself? There's a lot of theological claims about scripture: some say it's inspired, revelatory, prophetic, authoritative, or even inerrant. Are these claims valid? What implications do they have for our lives? And should we really trust everything we read from a book written by a bunch of ancient dead guys?
We're headed back to the Old Testament to revisit the story of Samson. If the last time you learned about Samson was in Sunday School, you might be surprised at how dark and disturbing this story really is. Is this messed up guy really one of the "heroes" of the Bible? Or are we completely misunderstanding the story that the Book of Judges is trying to tell?
Ever walked into church and immediately wondered if you belonged? Even something as simple as clothing can make us feel like we don't fit a certain context or culture. Maybe we're not dressed up enough, or too dressed up, or we just don't feel comfortable for some reason we can't quite put our finger on. In this episode, Ansen and Chaplain Justin discuss how we adorn ourselves... in terms of both clothing and character.
What will heaven be like? It's one of the biggest existential questions facing humanity. Is it an alternate dimension hidden among the clouds, where we'll wear white robes and golden halos and sing worship songs for all of eternity? What about the babies with wings and other traditional images we see of the afterlife? We discuss what the Bible actually says about heaven... and what it doesn't.
In this story, one of Jesus' most well-known parables, we find a simple tale that tells a simple truth: God wants us to be kind to others. Well... yes and no. God does want us to love Him and our neighbor as ourselves, but it turns out there are many more layers to Luke's telling of Jesus' telling of the Parable of the Good Samaritan.
It's called the "Great Commission" — Christ's final command on earth. While it's clear that sharing our faith is important, that doesn't make it easy... particularly in a culture that seems hostile to most any form of proselytization. How do we reconcile these marching orders with the moral code of our culture? Is there a gracious way to evangelize or make disciples in today's world?
What can we learn from Biblical characters? We've already discussed Old Testament figures like Abraham and David, but what do we do with the more... shady... stuff from their stories? Furthermore, how should all of that inform the way we think about hypocritical Christians in the modern day? Is all this mess proof that Christianity is a big farce? Or does it say something else about who we are and what God is doing...
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