Food Trucks in Babylon

What do we do when our faith begins to feel stale? Daniel K. Eng, PhD, sits down with Todd to talk about what it looks like to grow spiritually at different stages of the Christian life. He explains that while many churches understand how to meet the needs of new believers, they often struggle to help mature believers continue in sanctification. He lays forth some biblical principles for how pastors and church leaders can help facilitate "spiritual growth 201."Daniel is Assistant Professor of New Testament Language and Literature at Western Seminary. He lives in Portland with his wife and three daughters. 

Todd and Andrew sit down for a conversation with Chuck Conniry, Western Seminary's 12th president. Chuck talks about coming to faith, the impact of theological education on his own ministry as a pastor, and his passion for seeing seminaries advance the mission of the local church.Conniry is Western's 12th president and has worked in theological education for three decades. Before that, he spent 15 years in full-time pastoral ministry. He holds a PhD from Fuller Theological Seminary and is a preaching team member at Creekside Bible Church in Wilsonville, Ore.  

Taylor Turkington joins the podcast to talk about how Habakkuk helps us prayerfully respond to the brokenness of this world with lament and hope. What does real faith in the middle of chaos, wrongdoing, and suffering really look like?  Taylor is the director of BibleEquipping, a Bible teacher and a Western grad.

Todd and Andrew sit down with Jeremiah Peck, PhD, Assistant Professor of Counseling at Western Seminary, to talk about pastoral burnout. What is pastoral burnout? Why does it seem to be on the rise in the church? Why is it so difficult to prevent and what can the church do about it? Jeremiah discusses his research on this topic and provides his perspective as both a counselor and a pastor. In addition to teaching counseling at Western, Jeremiah is the lead pastor at Lexington Bible Fellowship in Kelso, WA.

Ryan and Todd sit down with pastor and author Champ Thornton to talk about how families can follow Jesus together, especially during the Christmas season. Champ recently wrote the book Wonders of His Love, an advent devotional for families based on Isaiah’s prophecies. He is the author of several children’s books and is the associate pastor at Ogletown Baptist Church in Newark, Delaware.Mentioned resources:Wonders of His Love: Finding Jesus in Isaiah

J.T. English, pastor of Storyline Fellowship and author of 'Deep Discipleship,' explores the need for holistic discipleship in the church. He critiques superficial approaches, stressing the importance of deeper biblical education and community support. The discussion tackles redefining discipleship through self-denial, the challenges faced by bivocational pastors, and fostering unity through core theological truths. J.T. emphasizes the role of pastor-theologians in building community, nurturing spiritual growth, and engaging laypeople in meaningful dialogue.

What do we do when we encounter parts of the Bible that make us uncomfortable? Is the God of the Bible truly anti-women, anti-science, pro-violence and pro-slavery? Is the “Good Book” really good? Todd and Ryan sit down with Dan Kimball, author of “How (Not) to Read the Bible,” to discuss why the way we read and interpret our Bibles is so important in a post-Christian age. Dan is a pastor at Vintage Faith Church in Santa Cruz Calif., a faculty member at Western Seminary, and the director of the Regeneration Project.Resources:How (Not) to Read the Bible, Dan Kimball

Todd and Ryan sit down with pastor Michael Lawrence to talk about how pastors should respond to mental illness in the church. Michael shares from his own personal experience as a parent whose child was diagnosed with a serious mental illness a number of years ago. He talks about how the gospel relates to mental health, the dangers of seeing mental health as only a physical or spiritual issue, and what the church can do to help those struggling with mental illness. Michael has served as the lead pastor at Hinson Baptist Church in Portland for 11 years.

Todd and Ryan sit down with hip-hop artist Shai Linne to discuss how the gospel can accomplish racial reconciliation. Shai is the author of The New Reformation: Finding Hope in the Fight for Ethnic Unity. In addition to releasing numerous Christian hip-hop albums, Shai cofounded Risen Christ Fellowship, an inner-city church in his hometown of Philadelphia. Mentioned resources:The New Reformation

Timothy Paul Jones and Garrick Bailey from Three Chords and the Truth Podcast team up with Ryan and Todd to answer questions about apologetics and the impassibility of God. They also discuss questions as to how ethics should shape 21st century apologetics, what instrument Herman Bavinck would have played if he’d joined his fellow Dutchmen Eddie and Alex Van Halen in a band, and how Pearl Jam can help your prayer life.