This week, Jonathan and James chat with Ken Golden. Ken’s a writer and contributor for reformation21.org, pastor of Sovereign Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Illinois, and the author of Presbytopia and Entering God’s Rest. Today, Ken is joining us to talk about his most recent book, Eating and Drinking with God, which is an introduction to the Lord’s Supper.  Ken explores the supper as a means of grace, describes the blessings attached to it, and explains how the supper relates to the body, soul, and mind of man. Is the Lord’s Supper only a remembrance, or is there more to it? What does the supper mean in different Christian traditions? Join us for a truly enriching conversation!  We’d enjoy putting Ken’s book in the hands of a few of our listeners, so register for the opportunity to win a free copy of Eating and Drinking With God. The copies are offered compliments of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals.

Faithfulness of Christ or Faith in Christ? Jonathan and James are joined by good friend and former colleague Kevin McFadden, associate professor of New Testament at Cairn University. He is on the podcast to talk about his new book, Faith in the Son of God: The Place of Christ-Oriented Faith within Pauline Theology, an academic defense of justification by faith that carries significant implications for the lay Christian. The book is a broad study of faith in Christ in Paul’s theology, set in the context of the pistis Christou debate. Pistis Christou is a phrase that appears eight times in the Pauline letters. Because the phrase is ambiguous in the original Greek a debate has arisen among scholars as to the meaning. Why is there a debate about this term? How did it come about? What is really at stake here? Listen as Kevin makes a strong theological argument for the position the texts overwhelmingly point to.    We have a few copies of Faith in the Son of God. Register for the opportunity to win a free one. They are a generous gift from our friends at Crossway.

Jonathan and James go guestless, discussing one-on-one the answer to Westminster Shorter Catechism Question 38 concerning the benefits believers will enjoy from Christ at the resurrection. Though we are already thoroughly blessed by our relationship with Christ, there are three distinct benefits that will be ours only when we are raised incorruptible. What is it about the bodily resurrection of believers that will “reverse the curse,” both physically and spiritually? In what ways will we be “perfectly blessed?” Don’t miss this encouraging conversation!   Show Notes Westminster Shorter Catechism Question 38

Evangelism Around the World Jonathan and James have the privilege of speaking with Anthony Curto, professor of Missions and Apologetics at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Anthony also has extensive experience serving as a pastor, church planter, and missionary worldwide, all of which qualifies him as the ideal guest for today’s conversation.  Dr. Curto discusses his experience building a ministry “from the ground up”–quite literally laying down the bricks of a theological college's foundation before developing the curriculum, forming pastors, then helping them to plant churches. If that doesn’t sound challenging enough, imagine needing to learn the local cultural background, vocabulary, and beliefs before being able to teach the philosophy of theology to the locals! He brings a lot of valuable insight based on his experience to today’s show. Show Notes ICRC - International Conference of Reformed Churches We are pleased to be giving away a few copies of John Piper’s Let the Nations Be Glad! Register for the opportunity to win one! The books are a generous gift from our friends at Baker Academic.

Confessional Subscription and the Minister’s Integrity  Today’s topic couldn’t be timelier. Jonathan and James are joined by David Strain, senior minister at First Presbyterian Church in Jackson, MI, to talk about David’s recent address at the Gospel Reformation Network conference on the topic of confessional subscription and why it matters. Are the confessional standards merely constitutional documents? What are some of the challenges and temptations reformed Christians--pastors in particular—face that could cause them to soften or even completely disregard their confessions? What about such pastors’ ministerial vows? Dr. Strain explains what “good faith subscription” means…follows up with what should be the acceptable exceptions for a ministerial candidate…then, closes by explaining why Christians in general should embrace confessionalism.

Vital Churches Wendell McBurney is our special guest. He’s been dean of research at Indiana University and has done a lot of writing in academic circles. Dr. McBurney has also been a valuable member of the RPCNA—the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America for many decades. Today’s topic is his recent book related to his work as a churchman.  Vital Churches: Elder Responsibility for Their Pastors and Congregational Planning is the fruit of years of observing the reason why people in the Church do the things they do. The book examines “means” vs. “ends,” and the welfare of pastors. Should pastors be considered “professionals”? Wendell makes a case for it, explains why planning is so crucial for the health of a congregation and its pastor, and addresses some of the obstacles a congregation might encounter. How do we pass along an understanding of pastoral work to the next generation? Whatever your perspective may be, this conversation will help you become a more integral part of Christ’s Church.   We are pleased to be giving away copies of Vital Churches. Register for the opportunity to win a free one. You can also visit ReformedResources.org to purchase a copy of this great title.

R.C. Sproul, A Life  Reformation Bible College President Stephen Nichols joins Jonathan and James. Their old friend stops by to discuss the biography he’s written about pastor, teacher, and theologian R.C. Sproul. Nichols talks about his working and personal relationship with Sproul, and the wonderful experience it was to finally compile his memories and “napkin notes” into this lively book. Who was R.C. Sproul? Nichols points out some of the doctrines that were dear to Sproul’s heart, and a few of the most important stands he took through the years. Hear about R.C.’s fascinating life, including the wide range of relationships he enjoyed with everyday believers, famous golf players, even rock stars!  We’re pleased to give away copies of this great title, R.C. Sproul, A Life. Register for the opportunity to win one! The books are a generous gift from our friends at Crossway.

Why Should You Be Acquainted with John Owen? Jonathan and James are pleased to be talking with Crawford Gribben today. He’s the professor of Early Modern British History at Queen’s University in Belfast. Gribben has written An Introduction to John Owen: A Christian Vision for Every Stage of Life, and today he shares with us why it is worth getting to know Owen.  In his book, Gribben strives to reclaim John Owen for the ordinary Christian. For many, Owen is perceived as a non-relatable, high-level Puritan intellectual concerned about the minutia of theology. Gribben is committed to revealing the pastoral side of Owen and his manner of preaching and teaching…how he dealt with the ordinary daily affairs of his congregants…and the struggles in his own personal life, including the loss of his first wife and all his ten children. What was Owen’s distinctive contribution, and how can we apply it to our lives today?  Register for the opportunity to win a free copy of An Introduction to John Owen. The books are a generous gift from our friends at Crossway. Show Notes ·  Survival and Resistance in Evangelical America: Christian Reconstruction in the Pacific Northwest by Crawford Gribben

“I Have Learned to be Content…”  The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals sponsors the Quakertown Women’s Conference in Quakertown, Pennsylvania. This year’s conference will be livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube May 14th and 15th, and the theme is “Contentment in Christ.” Among some very special speakers is Megan Hill. She’s a pastor’s wife, mom of four, editor and writer of numerous articles and some very helpful books including A Place to Belong and her latest, Partners in the Gospel.  Discontentment is a real heart issue and no one is immune to it. Why does it seem that the more we have, the more we desire? Can we affirm that discontentment is at the heart of every other sin? Megan has a few suggestions of practices and meditations to orient our desires and to help us cultivate thankfulness and contentment.  Resources Partners in the Gospel by Megan Hill The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment by Jeremiah Burroughs The Secret of Contentment by William Barclay The Envy of Eve by Melissa Kruger

PCRT and Praying to the Triune God   The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals is renowned for its long-standing yearly conference: PCRT, the Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology. Once again, the event has been compelled to move online due to COVID restrictions. This year’s PCRT theme is Delighting in Our Triune God, the conference will be live-streamed April 28th to May 5th.   Jonathan Cruse is one of the conference speakers. He’s the pastor of Community Presbyterian Church in Kalamazoo, MI, and author of numerous articles and several very helpful books. Reverend Cruse will address the topic “Praying to the Triune God” at PCRT, and today we’ll enjoy a preview of that talk. Later this month, use the links below to access the conference livestream free of charge.    Show Notes    ·  Delighting in Our Triune God Conference Information   ·  Free Live Streaming on Facebook and Youtube  ·  What Happens When We Worship by Jonathan Cruse ·  The Christian’s True Identity by Jonathan Cruse