THINQ Media Podcast

This week we talked with Nik and Ruth Ripken, an ordinary couple with an extraordinary story. After the death of their son, they journeyed into the depths of the persecuted church around the world asking the question - Is Jesus Worth It? The film based off their true story of faith and persecution, "The Insanity of God," releases Tuesday, August 30th. Find out more and buy tickets at insanityofgodmovie.com.

In a culture where religious pluralism has become widely accepted, there is a tendency to back away from evangelism—after all, it’s kind of aggressive and could be seen as intolerant. How do we communicate our faith in a way that resonates and does not offend—especially for those who might have built-in anti-Christian attitudes? Jon Tyson, founding pastor of Trinity Grace Church in New York City, offers insights into what it means to do evangelism in an urban, pluralistic, often hostile context. He says it takes recognizing a long-term view—that evangelism isn't the work of a moment and it cannot be about counting "how many" were saved today or this month or this year.

Since the Enlightenment, Europe has observed the slow divorce of the church from the university. The same phenomenon has taken place in the United States, which we witness today in the religious ambivalence of schools like Harvard, Princeton, and Yale, all originally founded as Christian institutions. What does it look like to be an educated Christian in an age in which the intellectual elite have written off faith as bad scholarship? Paul Lim talks from experience and gives insight into faithfulness amongst academia's elite. 

From plays like the Sound of Music and movies like Sister Act, we have seen a wide array of interpretations of a nun's typical lifestyle. Sister Joan of Arc from the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia, will explain how their convent located in Nashville creates a monastic framework for a daily life that stimulates growth of the interior life and directs minds to the things of God. Her story will grant the Q audience insight on a schedule filled with prayer and work, silence and students, laughter and quiet acts of community kindness. 

Often Christians complain about being misrepresented by mainstream media, but could that change with intentional efforts? Michael Cromartie, Vice President of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, has created opportunities for members of the national media to meet with evangelical leaders in hopes of getting the stories right. Filling a gap between faith, politics, and journalism, Michael promotes mutual understanding around the toughest, and many times misunderstood, issues of our time. 

Christians face an unprecedented landscape at the intersection of faith and public life. Over 46% of our neighbors believe religion and people of faith are part of the problem in our communities, not the solution. As a growing list of contentious issues present themselves on the cultural front—such as racism, gender, euthanasia, sexuality, religious freedom and more—the Church finds itself on the margins of the mainstream conversation perplexed about how to engage. Public opinion suggests our views and beliefs are irrelevant and extreme, so how should Christians respond? David Kinnaman will equip you to confidently engage the most difficult conversations in the days ahead with courage, conviction and compassion. 

Fashion matters. It influences the imagination and drives the way people uniquely represent themselves. The evolution of the women’s swimsuit is one place where there has been a visible shift away from modesty. In the current world of swimwear, small is often beautiful and less is considered more desirable. But designer and actress Jessica Rey asks, “Who says it has to be itsy bitsy?” Rey argues that within the construct of modesty, there is a freedom—that modesty isn't about covering up what's bad, but about revealing dignity. 

With a Cinderella story of drug-dealer-turned-Jesus-lover, Lecrae is the only artist to ever debut an album that simultaneously topped the Billboard 200 and Gospel charts. For any musician, such an accomplishment is simply an Anomaly, the very title of the album that got him there. Lecrae inspires us all to see the magic inside a personal story put to poetry and a poem put to song.

The world is facing the worst refugee crisis since WWII. Over 11 million Syrians have been displaced, and while some try to seek safe harbor in Europe, the vast majority will never leave the region. In the face of human depravity and under an enormous threat of violence, some are leading the way. How is the Church responding? What are the ways we can continue to help and ensure Christian love is experienced even in the worst of conditions?

As adopted children of God, how can we reflect that relationship to the world we serve? Action must be taken to provide care for children in the foster system who’ve never experienced the love of a family to call their own. Adopt Colorado Kids executive, Julie Mavis, shares the results being achieved as communities respond to foster, adopt, and care for kids. She and her husband, Brian, are transforming foster care in Colorado and providing a vision on how every state can offer a turnaround story to children who need it.