MARSCAST

This episode features a message from our 2023 Center for Missions and Evangelism Conference, part of a special series leading up to the 2025 CME Conference on October 3–4. Dr. Marcus Mininger challenges us to see Paul’s letter to the Romans not only as a masterpiece of theology but also as a missionary manifesto. Written to prepare the Roman church to become a sending base for Paul’s mission to Spain, Romans calls us to recognize that deep theology and faithful mission are not rivals but partners. As you listen, you’ll be reminded why the health of the church and the spread of the gospel depend on holding both together.Mark your calendar for October 3–4, 2025, and join us at the CME Conference as we continue to equip the church for the task of gospel proclamation. Learn more and register at https://www.midamerica.edu/cme/conference

This episode features a message from our 2022 Center for Missions and Evangelism Conference, where Dr. J. Mark Beach explores what it means to love both “likely” and “unlikely” neighbors. Drawing from John 3 and 4, he contrasts those who seem most like us (the “likely neighbors”) with those on the margins (the “unlikely neighbors”). Through the example of Jesus, who ministers to both with gentleness and compassion, we are reminded that the church today is called to embody the same heart of the Shepherd: one that welcomes, embraces, and seeks out all who are lost.To register for our 2025 CME Conference, visit https://www.midamerica.edu/cme/conference

In this episode of MARSCAST, Dr. Andrew Compton joins Jared Luttjeboer to explore the deep ache of homesickness. We tend to think of homesickness as a fleeting emotion, but our hosts go deeper. For Christians, could it be something more, perhaps a deep spiritual longing? Building on earlier conversations about the biblical story of home, they consider what it means to live faithfully in the tension of the “already and not yet.” Together, they reflect on how homesickness can shape us, challenge us, and ultimately draw us closer to Christ, who Himself knew what it meant to be without a home. With pastoral wisdom and practical insights, this conversation encourages us to see our longings not as weakness, but as reminders of the true home God has prepared for us. How have you dealt with homesickness?

In this second installment of our series on a biblical theology of home, Dr. Andrew Compton joins Jared Luttjeboer to trace how the prophets and the New Testament deepen and fulfill the story of God’s dwelling with His people. From Ezekiel’s visions to Christ as the true temple, Scripture unfolds a beautiful story of how God Himself makes His home with us in Christ, and by His Spirit builds us together into His dwelling place. This conversation also reflects on the “already and not yet” of our life in Christ, and points us toward the ultimate homecoming promised in the new creation.

In this opening episode of a three-part series, Dr. Andrew Compton joins Director of Marketing, Jared Luttjeboer, to explore the deep biblical theme of home. From Eden to exile, from the Tabernacle to the temple, Scripture tells a sweeping story of God’s dwelling with His people, a story that speaks directly to our own longings for belonging and stability. In a world often marked by uncertainty and upheaval, this conversation will invite you to reflect on how God’s presence shapes what it truly means to be at home.

What do you really know about the reformer of Geneva? In this conclusion to our series on the reformers, Dr. Alan Strange returns to explore the remarkable legacy of John Calvin. In this episode, we learn how Calvin’s reluctant return to Geneva after three years in Strasbourg shaped not only his theology but the very foundations of Reformed Christianity. Dr. Strange unveils Calvin’s greatest contribution to the church - his understanding of the Holy Spirit’s work - and explains why B.B. Warfield called him “the theologian of the Holy Spirit.” From his struggles with opposition in Geneva to his influence on everything from our understanding of the eucharist to the formation of Western civilization, this episode reveals how one man’s theological insights continue to endure today.

What drives a brilliant 27-year-old humanist scholar to abandon his promising legal career and pen one of history's most influential theological works? Join Dr. Alan Strange as he unravels the early life of John Calvin and explores the unexpected twists that led from French nobility's secretarial service to revolutionary religious thought.We'll learn how a father's excommunication, a sudden conversion, and a chance encounter in Geneva shaped the man whose theology would "exalt God and abase man" like no other system before it. From his humanist education alongside future Jesuits to his reluctant partnership with the fiery reformer Guillaume Farel, this episode reveals the human story behind the formidable intellect.Dr. Strange also addresses the question: Why does Calvinism provoke such strong reactions? His answer might surprise you. Plus, learn about the political intrigue of the Placard Affair that forced Calvin's dramatic flight from France, setting the stage for his world-changing work in Geneva.

What happens when three brilliant minds clash over the meaning of Christianity's most sacred meal? In this episode, Dr. Strange and host Jared Luttjeboer examine one of the Reformation's most heated theological debates: the Lord's Supper. From Rome's doctrine of transubstantiation to Luther's mysterious "in, with, and under," from Zwingli's memorial view to Calvin's real spiritual presence—discover how these competing interpretations shaped Protestant thought on the sacrament. As you listen, you’ll hear Dr. Strange comment on the surprising agreements hidden beneath fierce disagreements, learn why Luther accused Zwingli of rationalism while Zwingli fired back with charges of mysticism, and explore Calvin's ingenious solution that sought to honor both Christ's ascension and His real presence. We'll be taking the month of July off, but join us again in August as we return with more of Dr. Strange and church history!

In this episode, we explore the life and legacy of Huldrych Zwingli—a Renaissance-trained scholar who transformed worship, challenged papal authority, and sparked a movement that would shape Protestant Christianity for centuries to come.Dr. Alan Strange guides us through Zwingli's journey from peasant origins to becoming the people's priest in Zurich, where his bold biblical preaching ignited sweeping reforms. We'll uncover how this musical prodigy turned iconoclast approached Scripture differently than his German contemporary, Martin Luther, and why their famous meeting at Marburg in 1529 ended in disappointment despite remarkable theological agreement.From the first Zurich disputations to the development of what would become the regulative principle of worship, this episode reveals how one man's commitment to "Scripture alone" created ripples that continue to influence churches today.

Was Martin Luther right to compare the Roman Catholic Church to the legalistic Judaism of the Pharisees? In this episode of MARSCAST, Dr. Alan Strange and Jared Luttjeboer examine whether Luther's assessment was fair—or even accurate.From the theological foundations of the Old Testament to the modern "New Perspective on Paul" movement, this conversation uncovers the complex relationship between law and grace that shaped both first-century Judaism and medieval Christianity. Dr. Strange reveals how Luther's understanding of justification by faith alone emerged from his study of Romans, Galatians, and Hebrews, and explains why this doctrine became, as Calvin puts it, the "main hinge upon which true religion turns."But Luther's story isn't without its shadows. We'll also learn how the reformer's initial openness toward Jewish conversion shifted dramatically after 1525, and why understanding this history matters for Christians today.