Impact 360 Institute

Does God care about social justice? Join us this week as we discuss this important topic with our friend Thaddeus Williams, author of Confronting Injustice without Compromising Truth.Learn more at impact360.org.

Is progressive Christianity "another gospel"? What do we mean when we say "progressive Christianity", and how is different than historic Christianity? What is deconstruction? Is it the same thing as doubt? How do we think deeply about the true gospel and deal with doubt well?Recently you might have seen terms like "progressive Christianity" or "deconstruction", especially online. But is progressive Christianity synonymous with the historical, biblical Christian faith, or is it something else entirely?Today on the podcast Jonathan sits down with our good friend Alisa Childers, author of the new book Another Gospel?: A Lifelong Christian Seeks Truth in Response to Progressive Christianity. Join us as we answer all of these questions about progressive Christianity, hear more about Alisa's story, discuss how to doubt and question the Bible well, how to respond to the progressive Christian movement in a manner that's gracious and persuasive and more. Alisa Childers is a wife, a mom, an author, a blogger, a speaker, and a worship leader. She was a member of the award-winning CCM recording group ZOEgirl.  Alisa is a sought after speaker at apologetics conferences and is the author of the new book Another Gospel?: A Lifelong Christian Seeks Truth in Response to Progressive Christianity. You read Alisa's blog and listen to her podcast online at  alisachilders.com and subscribe to her channel on  YouTube.You can also see some of Alisa's teaching on our free resource for leading the next generation on Gen Z Lab. Learn more at impact360.org.

Why do questions of identity drive so much of the cultural conversation today? The sense of self has always been a driving force in culture, but it seems that our modern culture is absolutely obsessed with issues of identity. How did we get to this point? Why is it that identity and the sense of self have gained so much traction, especially in the next generation when it comes to sex and gender. In this episode of the Impact 360 Institute Podcast, Jonathan sits down with Dr. Carl Trueman, author of the new book The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution. Join us as we talk with Dr. Trueman about how our culture has arrived at this point, the role of cultural imagination and the sexual revolution, why it's important for us to understand and engage with our cultural moment, and how to have courage in a post-Christian culture. Dr. Carl R. Trueman (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is professor of biblical and religious studies at Grove City College. He is an esteemed church historian and previously served as the William E. Simon Fellow in Religion and Public Life at Princeton University. Trueman has authored or edited more than a dozen books, including The Creedal Imperative; Luther on the Christian Life; and Histories and Fallacies. Trueman is a member of The Orthodox Presbyterian Church.

What does the latest research tell us about how Gen Z is doing as a generation? How is their emotional life? What is their relationship with technology? What do they think about faith and what it looks like to practice it? Over the past several years, we've gotten to work with our friends at Barna researching Gen Z and learning about how to help them think about God and live out their faith with confidence. In this episode of the podcast, Jonathan shares 4 surprising insights from our brand new report Gen Z Vol. 2: Caring for Young Souls and Cultivating Resilience. Listen in as we talk about these new things that we've learned about Gen Z including mental health, Gen Z's relationships to screens and technology, how social media affects them, and more. For more on Gen Z, pick up the new Gen Z Vol. 2 and register for our FREE online resource Gen Z Lab. The first episode of Season 3 is out now with our friend Sean McDowell! For more life-changing experiences from Impact 360 Institute, visit impact360.org.

How do we become more like Jesus in the New Year? As Christ-followers, we are called to be conformed to the image of Jesus, so what are some practical ways that we can do that? In our first podcast of 2021, Jonathan helps us think biblically about our "New Year's Resolutions" by using the VIM Pattern from Dallas Willard's Renovation of the Heart. Let's start this year by expanding our vision for life with God, and arranging our lives around what it would take to make that kind of life happen. We'd also love for you to start your year with us learning more about the next generation! We are thrilled to announce the launch of Gen Z Vol. 2: Caring for Young Souls and Cultivating Resilience. On January 27th, we'll have a virtual launch experience where we'll talk about the new book and share some of our findings. You don't want to miss it! You can register for the event at whoisgenz.com. You can find out more about all of our experiences for students at impact360.org.

How can Christians teach and talk about sexual purity in a way that's relevant today? What does the Bible say about love and sex? What does it say about marriage and singleness? The world has a lot to say about love, sex, and relationships. The love that the world tells us to pursue is all about self and about following your heart’s desires. But what is the Christian worldview on love? This week on the podcast Jonathan sits down with our friend Sean McDowell to talk about his new book Chasing Love: Sex, Love, and Relationships in a Confused Culture. Join us as we talk about God's design for sex, why we desire to be loved, what Jesus says about singleness, recovering from sexual brokenness, what sexual purity looks like in 2020, and tons more! Sean McDowell is a gifted communicator with a passion for equipping the church, and in particular young people, to make the case for the Christian faith. He connects with audiences in a tangible way through humor and stories while imparting hard evidence and logical support for viewing all areas of life through a biblical worldview. Sean is an associate professor in the Christian Apologetics program at Biola University. You can pre-order Sean's new book Chasing Love here and find his many other works here. You can also connect with Sean and read his blog at seanmcdowell.org. For more information about Impact 360 Institute, visit impact360.org.

How do you grow in discernment in a culture of confusion, and many times outright deception? There are tons and tons of messages that we are inundated with every single day. Between social media, entertainment, news outlets, and lots more, we're constantly hearing different stories. So how do we as Christians grow in discernment in a culture that is so confused? This week on the podcast, Jonathan gives us some really timely advice on how to do just that. Join us this week as we talk about the importance of defining our terms, renewing our minds with the Scriptures, reading and evaluating messages in context, and more! Learn more at impact360.org

In 2020, COVID-19 has given people an unexpected opportunity to think about what it means to be human and valuable, and how to protect the vulnerable. And yet, people are as divided as ever about the issue of abortion. As Christians, how should we think about and articulate the pro-life conversation in our current cultural moment? Morally speaking, the pro-life issue is simple. The unborn are human, and abortion ends that human life. But abortion is also an issue that touches many others. In our current landscape, abortion touches so many different ideas that it can be difficult and complex to navigate. This week on the podcast, Jonathan sits down with Megan Almon of Life Training Institute to discuss how to articulate and defend the pro-life view in 2020. Join us as we discuss how to avoid an "us vs. them" mentality, the importance of framing things well in conversation, understanding the issue of abortion from a legal and judicial point of view, and how to move forward in a loving way. You can also find our previous conversation with Megan about making the case for life here. Megan Almon has trained tens of thousands of individuals in the U.S. and abroad to articulate and defend the pro-life view since joining Life Training Institute as a speaker in 2009. As a wife, mom, athlete, artist, avid reader, and teacher, she has a unique perspective that endears her to any audience. Megan was part of the 2002 SEC championship women’s gymnastics team at the University of Georgia. She worked as an award-winning journalist until 2008 and was awarded a Master of Arts degree in Christian Apologetics from Biola University in 2011. Megan and her husband, Tripp, who serves as Director of Programs and Semester with Summit Ministries, have been married since 2003 and have two children, Neely and Rogan. Megan enjoys spending time with her family at their home in Manitou Springs, Co., and is still known to practice handstands in her kitchen. She has served as faculty at Summit Ministries and Impact 360 Institute. You can find out more about Megan and LTI at prolifetraining.com. Listen to more episodes and learn about the work of Impact 360 Institute at impact360.org.

Why is it important for the next generation to share their faith? How can faith leaders train Gen Z to evangelize and share the Gospel? How can we help teens see sharing their faith as "normal"? According to our recent study, only about 4% of Gen Z students have a biblical worldview, and more than half of teens (58%) believe that many religions can lead to God, and there is not "one true religion". Because of this, it can sometimes be scary for the next generation to share their faith, which has led to a lack of evangelism within the next generation. Many of us can relate! But Jesus has called us to share our faith and make disciples. How do we train next generation Christians to share their faith with their peers? This week on the podcast Jonathan sits down with Greg Stier, Founder and CEO of Dare 2 Share, a ministry that equips teens to share their faith and builds youth ministries that advance the Gospel. Jonathan and Greg talk about a framework for helping teens to share the Gospel, how to start a conversation about God, why it's so important for us to share the Gospel, how to help Gen Z see evangelism as normal, and more. Greg Stier is the Founder and CEO of Dare 2 Share and Lead THE Cause, and is the author of several books including Gospelize Your Youth Ministry. Through his ministry, Greg has trained over a million teens to share their faith and start Gospel movements. You can find more resources from Greg at Dare2Share.org, including the Life in 6 Words mobile app, free downloadable tools, and the Gospelize podcast.

How do we keep a clear mind with a big picture perspective when circumstances are constantly changing? How do we remain faithful to God in the midst of our current difficult circumstances? This week on the podcast, we're reflecting on the life and lessons of Dr. J.I. Packer, the author of Knowing God and many other Christian classics. Earlier this summer, one of our heroes in the faith, Dr. J.I. Packer went to be with the Lord at the age of 93. Dr. Packer was truly a gift to the Church, and some of his best lessons are found in his excellent work, Knowing God. This week on the podcast we're talking through some lessons from that book about how to keep a kingdom perspective, the difference between optimism and biblical hope, and how we can trust God in the midst of difficult circumstances. When things get hard, we can sometimes lose sight of what's really important. At Impact 360 Institute, we're here to be an ally for you as we grow in knowing God together, even in the midst of uncertainty. For more information about our on-campus experiences and online courses, please visit impact360.org.