Life and Books and Everything

In this bonus episode, Kevin talks with the brilliant artist, Don Clark, Kevin’s co-collaborator on The Biggest Story and on (their new book) The Biggest Story Bible Storybook. In this fascinating conversation, Don talks about the joys and challenges of working on such a massive project and how he goes about the artistic process.

The historic liturgy of the Christian church did not originate in evangelicalism, or in the Reformation, or in Europe. It grew out of Old Testament (and then New Testament) assumptions about what it meant for God’s people to gather and renew the covenant.

The band gets back together to talk about lessons learned from the two biggest events of the past two years: Covid and the war in Ukraine. Without pretending to be experts in infectious diseases or in international affairs, the three amigos explore what we can learn about humility, evil, tradeoffs, and prayer. The episode concludes with an update on what everyone has been reading over the past couple months. Timestamps: Intro and Sponsor [0:00-3:13] Lessons After (?) the Pandemic [3:14-22:58] Lessons (So Far?) From Ukraine [22:59-36:28) Lessons (Right Now) From Books We're Reading [36:27-47:51]

In an age where digital immediacy can be confused for personal intimacy, we often forget that public communication will not have all the features of private communication.

As much as it shows admirable humility or apologetic concern, we must not act or teach as if every sin is the same in God’s eyes.

We think of shame as destructive, manipulative, and toxic. And it can be all those things. But shame can also be a powerful and healthy part of our moral formation. In this fascinating conversation, Kevin talks to Te-Li Lau, a professor at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, about his recent book Defending Shame: It’s Formative Power in Paul’s Letters. Together, Kevin and Te-Li explore the pervasiveness of our therapeutic assumptions, the central theme of shame throughout the Bible, and good and bad ways to think about shame in our own lives. Timestamps: Introduction and Sponsor [0:00-1:28]Guest Intro: Te Li Lau [1:29-8:44]Positive Shame? [8:45-11:43]Defining Shame [11:44-17:28]East vs. West [17:29-25:36]Shame vs. Guilt [25:37-35:26]Is God a Bully to Use Shame? [35:27-40:48]The Solution for Shame [40:49-47:50]Paul's Use of Shame [47:51-55:43]Reintegrative Shame Theory [55:44-1:00:22]Modern Objections to Shame [1:00:23-1:05:39]

Please note: Unfortunately the audio on this episode cuts in and out from time to time. Kevin is joined by the distinguished historian, Dr. Wilfred McClay as the two of them talk about the task of the historian in being a “recording angel” of the past. After discussing McClay’s perceptive article “The Surprising Persistence of Guilt” (2017), they turn to McClay’s recent book on American History, A Land of Hope (Encounter, 2019). McClay talks about his conversion to Christianity early in his academic career and how that has shaped his work as a historian in mingling celebration and criticism. Finally, McClay asks for prayer as he serves on America’s official 250th anniversary committee making preparations for 2026. Timestamps: Introduction and Sponsor [0:00-2:33] Personal Histories [2:34-9:09] The Strange Persistence of Guilt [9:10-15:14] Land of Hope [15:15-21:27] Generosity toward the Past [21:28-31:33] Celebration and Criticism [31:34-43:00] 250th Birthday of the USA [43:01-51:28]

In this episode, Kevin is joined once again by Justin and Collin as they discuss all that is going right in the church. While there are many problems we can—and at times should—point out, there are also many signs of blessing, reform, and faithfulness in the church today. Kevin, Justin, and Collin make a special point to encourage pastors. Turning to books, they discuss two recent books Kevin has read—one book about global politics shifting from left/right to insider/outsider divisions, and the other book about family and civilization. Join the three amigos as they talk on this episode of LBE about many topics from the ridiculous to the sublime. Timestamps: Introduction and Sponsor [0:00-1:19] Life Updates and Sports Banter [1:20-10:27] What's Right with the Church? [10:28-28:16] Encouragement for Pastors [28:17-41:40] Political Shifts: Left-Right to Inside-Outside [41:41-59:48] Family Matters [59:49-1:17:24]

Andrew Walker, a professor of ethics and managing editor for World Opinions, dives into the fascinating realms of natural law and theology. He discusses the biblical roots of natural law and its relevance in contemporary debates. Despite some Protestant apprehensions, Walker explains its critical role in shaping moral arguments. The conversation also touches on religious liberty and offers insights into current issues like gender identity, grounding these discussions in the principles of natural law. Walker concludes with book recommendations for further exploration.

Dr. Joel Beeke is the president of Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, a pastor of the Heritage Reformed Congregation in Grand Rapids, and editorial director of Reformation Heritage Books. In this conversation, Dr. Beeke, Kevin, and Justin dive into the theological and historical world of the Puritans, providing reading suggestions for both beginners and experts. They also talk about improving your preaching through expository and experiential content. Life and Books and Everything is sponsored by Crossway. For 30% off books and Bibles at Crossway, sign up for a free Crossway+ account at crossway.org/LBE. Timestamps: Gift Ideas [0:00 – 2:00] Accomplishing Much [2:00 – 8:57] Family Foundation [8:57 – 11:30] Denominations & Hyper-Calvinism [11:30 – 16:58] Experiential Preaching [16:58 – 34:21] The Weary, Wayward, Lazy, & Lost [34:21 – 37:21] Puritans [37:21 – 57:24] Book Recommendations [57:24 – 1:04:30] Books and Everything: Gift Ideas: Good News of Great Joy: 25 Devotional Readings for Advent, by John Piper Be Thou My Vision: A Liturgy for Daily Worship, by Jonathan Gibson ESV Concise Study Bible New Morning Mercies: A Daily Gospel Devotional, by Paul David Tripp George Whitefield: God's Anointed Servant in the Great Revival of the Eighteenth Century, by Arnold Dallimore Spurgeon, by Arnold Dallimore Lectures to My Students, by Charles Spurgeon Preaching & Preachers, by Martyn Lloyd-Jones Pastoral Theology, by Thomas Murphy The European Reformations, by Carter Lindberg Worldly Saints: The Puritans As They Really Were, by Leland Ryken