Life and Books and Everything

In this episode of Life and Books and Everything, Kevin reads his article from The Gospel Coalition and pleads with pastors not to cancel Christmas services this year.

Happy Thanksgiving from Life and Books and Everything! In this episode, Kevin reads from his recent article in WORLD Opinions about the history of an American holiday and the opportunity it presents to Christians to display their thankfulness. 

If you love long words like antidisestablishmentarianism and are looking for a deep dive into history, then this episode is for you. Jonathan is a professor at Samford University who specializes in the founding era of American history. He joins Kevin to talk about the 50 years process by which the American states ended their church establishments. Find out how it happened, why it happened, and why it did not happen (hint: it wasn’t because secularism was winning out over Christianity). Timestamps: 0:00 Intro and Sponsor 1:09 Guest: Jonathan Den Hartog 4:56 Religion and Disestablishment in the American States 13:49 Secularism or Religious Liberty? 39:39 Presbyterian Perspectives 44:58 Freed from Worldly Cares 49:04 Liberal Religion in Massachusetts 54:11 "Doing History"  Books: Disestablishment and Religious Dissent: Church-State Relations in the New American States  Come, Lord Jesus: Meditations on the Second Coming of Christ  

In this fun, punchy, and (hopefully) edifying conversation, Kevin interviews his good friend, Mark Dever, about his conversion, his ministry on Capitol Hill, whether you have to be an extrovert to evangelize, and why Kevin likes G.K. Chesterton and Mark doesn’t. Timestamps: Intro, Guest, and Sponsor [0:00-4:21] Does Membership Make Churches Unfriendly? [4:22-8:58] Dever's Youth and Conversion [8:59-15:13] Practicals for Evangelism [15:14-19:14] Dever's Later Education [19:15-25:42] Ministry in DC [25:43-36:16] Dever's Influences [36:17-40:22] Strengths and Weaknesses [40:23-44:10] Presbyterians and Baptists [44:11-48:14] Evangelicalism [48:15-55:12]

Was America founded on purely Christian principles and ideals? Or, were the founding fathers simply trying to prevent corruption and preserve the sanctity of consciousness? In this article for WORLD opinions, Kevin discusses three observable pillars that make up the famous and crucial founding principles of America’s heritage.

The three amigos enter into a meandering conversation about Christian Nationalism and try to discern the level of the world’s hostility to the church in this cultural moment. They also make some political predictions and (most importantly) encourage Christian leaders that, whatever the winds blowing against us, the fundamental realities of ministry have not changed. Timestamps: Intro and Sponsor [0:00-1:30] Sports Banter [1:31-2:51] Election Predictions [2:52-10:35] Christian Nationalism [10:36-33:12] How Bad Are Things? [33:13-1:05:23] Book Recommendations [1:05:24-1:13:44] Books and Everything: ESV Expositor's Commentary https://www.crossway.org/articles/introducing-the-esv-expository-commentary-series/ Ask Pastor John https://www.desiringgod.org/ask-pastor-john Psalms Two Volume Set: Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary (EBTC) https://a.co/d/d8zYc8m ESV Expository Commentary: Psalms–Song of Solomon Volume 5 https://www.crossway.org/books/esv-expository-commentary-premiumhc-5/ Liberty and Freedom: A Visual History of America's Founding Ideas (America: a cultural history, Volume III) https://a.co/d/eWuCXan Biblical Critical Theory: How the Bible's Unfolding Story Makes Sense of Modern Life and Culture https://a.co/d/aX6nKPZ The Case Against the Sexual Revolution https://a.co/d/8f8LjBF The War on the West https://a.co/d/8DA8NKv Albion's Seed (text only) illustrated edition edition by D. H. Fischer https://a.co/d/3ZAT9Qv The Origins of American Religious Nationalism (Religion in America) https://a.co/d/cUmSZVq The Myth of American Inequality: How Government Biases Policy Debate https://a.co/d/5U3SoF9

Reformation Day may be behind us, but a huge responsibility lies before us. The faith of the Reformation must be kept alive because the ideas Luther combatted are just as much present in our own day. In this episode of Life and Books and Everything, Kevin reads from the article he wrote for WORLD Opinions on the modern world and its new forms of works righteousness.

Christians don’t just disagree on political principles or on a number of political conclusions. Christians disagree on how Christianity and politics relate to each other in the first place. In this episode of Life and Books and Everything, Kevin reads his recent article in WORLD opinions, "Does Christianity Transcend All Our Political Disagreements?"

Have you ever wanted to sit down with an older godly pastor and just ask him about life for an hour? Well, that’s what Kevin tries to do with Sinclair in this wide-ranging conversation that talks about Scotland, America, books, preaching, Shetland ponies, Groundskeeper Willie, and the Queen.Timestamps:Intro and Sponsor [0:00-1:43]Talking about Yourself [1:44-2:47]A Scottish Perspective on the US [2:48-11:22]Where Did Scotland Lose its Christian Heritage? [11:23-21:39]Ministry in Scotland [21:40-36:42]Ferguson and Murray [36:43-43:04]Dead Mentors [43:05-44:09]Aspiring to the Academy [44:10-49:54]Sinclair's Greatest Impacts [49:55-52:39]Writing: A Love-Hate Relationship [52:40-55:00]Are Scots Dour and Cantankerous? [55:01-59:16]Preaching for the Queen [59:17-1:06:42]A Dog's Breakfast [1:06:43-1:08:05]Links:Theology for Ministryhttps://www.wtsbooks.com/products/theology-for-ministry-how-doctrine-affects-pastoral-life-and-practice-9781629956558?variant=41604258365640The Epistle to the Romanshttps://www.wtsbooks.com/products/epistle-to-the-romans-9781955859035?variant=41473237811400The Whole Christ: Legalism, Antinomianism, and Gospel Assurance―Why the Marrow Controversy Still Matters https://a.co/d/a3RaCxcThe Holy Spirit (Contours of Christian Theology) https://a.co/d/76VeDQV

Too often Christian leaders lay impossible burdens on their people, insisting that they solve a host of social ills and become experts in a thousand different areas, forgetting to assure them that to get married, raise children in the church, and stay married is a life well lived. In this episode of Life and Books and Everything, Kevin reads from the article he wrote for First Things where he makes the case that the most significant thing happening in the world may very well be a thing that is not happening: Men and women are not having children, and how Christians ought to respond.