Find out more about CH Ministries here Click here to get a 25% discount on the Dwell Bible App. Today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology is the second episode of our sizzling summer series called If God is Perfectly Good Then Why Did ______ Happen? The refreshing spiritual topic we’ve been swimming in is theodicy – a multi-syllabic theological term that means the vindication of our Redeemer’s absolute goodness and providence in view of the existence of physical and moral evil. And in this episode of our series, we’re going to focus on the freedom that accompanies trusting more fully in God’s immutable – unchanging – compassion. I don’t know about you, but true freedom didn’t come quickly or easily for me. Even though I put my faith in Jesus as my Savior when I was a little girl, it took me a very long time to trust Him as my Liberator. Even as an adult with a seminary education, I spent years bound by chains of shame. I deeply resonated with what Pastor Steve Brown wrote in his book: A Scandalous Freedom, “The similarity between real freedom and the freedom experienced by many Christians is the difference between the taxidermist and the veterinarian; while you do get your dog back, one collects dust while the other jumps, slobbers and barks.” Our sincere hope and fervent prayer is that God uses this conversation to help at least one precious saint finally shake loose from the formaldehyde of religiosity, shame, or paralyzing guilt. Alli is in the middle of her move and will be back with bells on soon, but Kyle Hebert – whose contagious joy captivated so many of you last week – has graciously agreed to guest host again. So please grab a cup of iced coffee and your Bible, unless you’re frantically clinging to a giant, inflatable couch-looking thingie while some sadistic boat-driver slings you mercilessly across a lake, of course, and come hang out on the porch with us.  Follow Us On Instagram! @BackPorchTheologyPodcast @LisaDHarper @AllisonAllen @Jim.Howard.Co  SAVE 20% by using code Lisa20 at ElevatedFaith.com Save on Dwell here Learn More about Upward Sports here

Find out more about CH Ministries here Click here to get a 25% discount on the Dwell Bible App. Today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology is the first episode of our sizzling summer series called If God Is Perfectly Good Then Why Did ______ Happen? We’re going to dive deeply into the biblical truism of theodicy – which is the vindication of our Redeemer’s absolute goodness and providence in view of the existence of physical and moral evil. The term theodicy was coined by a brainiac German dude named Gottfried Leibniz almost 300 years ago when he combined two Greek words theos – which refers to God – and dee-kay – which is the name of the Greek goddess of justice and therefore represents a sense of moral order. So the etymological scaffolding of theodicy is the framework through which we justify our Heavenly Father’s divine mercy in a human milieu that includes horrific immorality and cruelty. And since Alli - my five-foot-twelve spiritual wing-woman – is in the middle of moving to a new house, we’ve recruited some really spectacular guest hosts to ride shotgun because hers are big shoes to fill! And today’s guest host – my friend Chaplain Kyle Herbert – is uniquely equipped to testify how to hang onto hope during an especially long and dark night of the soul because he did 31 years of hard time – 22 of those at Angola, the infamous maximum-security prison in Louisiana. My spiritual brother Kyle’s joyful story of restoration - of learning to lean fully into God’s absolute goodness despite being incarcerated for over three decades - will leave you gob-smacked by divine grace. If your heart isn’t rejoicing by the end of this episode, you need to get an EKG, baby! So please grab a cup of iced coffee and your Bible – unless you’re picking a banjo at a summer bluegrass festival, of course – and come hang out on the porch with us!  Follow Us On Instagram! @BackPorchTheologyPodcast @LisaDHarper @AllisonAllen @Jim.Howard.Co  SAVE 20% by using code Lisa20 at ElevatedFaith.com Save on Dwell here Learn More about Upward Sports here

Find out more about CH Ministries here Click here to get a 25% discount on the Dwell Bible App. Today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology is sort of like a great big, super friendly food-fight because Dr. Howard let Ally and I hurl any question we have about biblical conundrums and controversies at him without any advanced notice! If you’re new to this motley crew of a podcast – where we’re serious about our faith but not so much about ourselves – Dr. Howard is one of my professors and spiritual mentors in the doctoral program at Denver Seminary where I have the distinction of being one of their oldest and slowest-to-finish-my-thesis students. Furthermore, Doc H has five earned degrees, including a PhD from Dallas Theological Seminary, so he’s a brilliant academic who’s well versed in both Old and New Testaments, but he’s also a pastor and he loves to put exegetical cookies on the lower shelf so that everyone can enjoy them. The bottom line is: while today’s episode includes a few multi-syllabic theological terms, it’s more about leaning further into the unconditional love of Jesus than it is about accumulating cognitive information about God. So please grab a cup of coffee and your Bible - unless you’re pitting avocados for homemade guac, of course – and come hang out on the porch with us!  Follow Us On Instagram! @BackPorchTheologyPodcast @LisaDHarper @AllisonAllen @Jim.Howard.Co  SAVE 20% by using code Lisa20 at ElevatedFaith.com Save on Dwell here Learn More about Upward Sports here

Find out more about CH Ministries here Click here to get a 25% discount on the Dwell Bible App. During today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology we’re going to mosey into a subject matter that is most definitely not my strong suit, and that is the theology of rest. Now if you’re like me and haven’t quite figured out that busyness isn’t a spiritual gift, don’t press delete yet because I promise we’re not taking you on a guilt trip today! Instead, we’re going to consider the wonderful and wide continuum of biblical rest, because it’s not a one-size-fits-all concept. And frankly, even if you’re convinced that slowing down isn’t programmed into your personality type, there are lots of ways besides a complete cessation of physical activity for us to enjoy the divine gift of restoration and replenishment. Don’t forget, the first time the word rest appears in biblical narrative is early in Genesis 2 - before original sin crept into the Garden resulting in the fall of creation. That means rest is not an accommodation for human weakness and is instead part of God’s perfect plan for our blessing, protection, perseverance, and enjoyment. If you’ve been defined as a Type-A, an over-achiever, rest-challenged, or an Enneagram 1 or 8, just breathe and unclench, we’re in this together baby and I promise this conversation isn’t going to taste like medicine! So please grab a cup of coffee (and feel free to make that a double espresso!) and your Bible – unless you’re bringing home the bacon and frying it up in a pan, of course – and come hang out on the porch with Alli, Dr. Howard and me.  Follow Us On Instagram! @BackPorchTheologyPodcast @LisaDHarper @AllisonAllen @Jim.Howard.Co  Learn more about Convoy of Hope’s Women’s Empowerment program at Convoy.org/LisaHarper.    SAVE 20% by using code Lisa20 at ElevatedFaith.com Save on Dwell here Learn More about Upward Sports here

Find out more about CH Ministries here Click here to get a 25% discount on the Dwell Bible App. During today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology we’re continuing our trek through the lush theological landscape of Hebrews, that awesome New Testament treatise that highlights the glorious juxtaposition of the supremacy and accessibility of King Jesus! If you listened to last week’s episode, you probably remember that Hebrews was likely preached as a sermon before it was recorded as a book. And the original audience was a group of beleaguered Jewish Christians who were getting pummeled literally and figuratively in their ancient polytheistic culture. Which led them to consider apostacy – which means, they were seriously considering jettisoning the “Jesus” aspect of their belief system and just going back to the “Jehovah” part to try to stem the tide of abuse that was being afflicted on them. Which is why their pastor patiently explains what a massive mistake turning their back on the Messiah would be, how once you’ve experienced the unconditional love of Jesus, nothing – no spiritual leader, religious icon, or church tradition – can satisfy your soul. He uses contrast, and seven specific affirmations describing Jesus’s purpose and personhood, to prove that He is infinitely better than all the rest! Today is jam-packed with practical encouragement y’all, so please grab a cup of coffee, a yummy snack, and that divine love story we call the Bible – unless you’re shelling peas with your mama, of course – and come hang out on the porch with us.  Follow Us On Instagram! @BackPorchTheologyPodcast @LisaDHarper @AllisonAllen @Jim.Howard.Co  Learn more about Convoy of Hope’s Women’s Empowerment program at Convoy.org/LisaHarper.    SAVE 20% by using code Lisa20 at ElevatedFaith.com Save on Dwell here Learn More about Upward Sports here

Find out more about CH Ministries here Click here to get a 25% discount on the Dwell Bible App. During today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology we’re going to hike into the beautiful New Testament landscape of Hebrews, a book that was probably originally preached as a sermon to a group of battle-weary believers who were seriously considering throwing in the proverbial towel because their faith journey was much more difficult than they had anticipated. As a result, their pastor – and the anonymous author of Hebrews - gathered them together for a much-needed come-to-Jesus meeting to remind them that once you’ve tasted intimacy with Him, nothing else will satisfy our hungry hearts. He enthuses that while King Jesus is the perfectly transcendent Son of God, He is also miraculously accessible. In other words, while our Savior is of the exact same divine substance as God the Father, He chose to be imminent. He chose to condescend from Glory and become an empathetic High Priest that people could reach out and touch instead of some faraway, ethereal entity. If your tail’s been dragging a bit lately because of difficulty at work, or dissension at home, or just plain old garden variety disappointment and dissatisfaction with the season of life you find yourself in, we believe today’s conversation will put some practical hope back in your tank. So please grab a cup of coffee and your Bible – unless you’re massaging your temples after gulping a Slurpee and getting a brain freeze, of course – and come hang out on the porch with Alli, Dr. Howard, and me.  Follow Us On Instagram! @BackPorchTheologyPodcast @LisaDHarper @AllisonAllen @Jim.Howard.Co  Learn more about Convoy of Hope’s Women’s Empowerment program at Convoy.org/LisaHarper  SAVE 20% by using code Lisa20 at ElevatedFaith.com Save on Dwell here Learn More about Upward Sports here

Find out more about CH Ministries here Click here to get a 25% discount on the Dwell Bible App. Today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology is a bona-fide bonus episode because we’ve kicked our normal conversational parameters to the curb and are having a rollicking, revelatory good time with a really special guest today – best-selling author, renowned New Testament scholar, seminary professor, and one of our favorite theologians here on Back Porch Theology, Dr. Scot McKnight. Alli and I have had the privilege of getting to know Dr. McKnight because he’s been one of the keynotes at The Kerygma Summit the past two years so when asked him to be our tour guide as we explore the complex caboose of Holy Writ, the book of Revelation, he graciously agreed. Because of its dramatic imagery of dragons, sea creatures, beasts, and divine heroes blazing through the sky on horseback, this biblical prophecy has fascinated readers since John wrote it under the inspiration of Holy Spirit almost 2,000 years ago. However, because of its apocalyptic tone, it’s also been used to strike fear in the heart of hearers and send dutiful Christians scrambling to Costco to stockpile water and canned food as we prepare for impending doom when the world as we know it implodes. Thankfully, Dr. McKnight gives us a more redemptive hermeneutical lens through which to understand and apply the book of Revelation – one that recognizes John’s prophetic symbolism as timeless theology instead of a specific prediction of events that will take place in a future time. Mind you, he might step on your toes a time or two while doing so because his academic exegesis likely won’t match up with every jot and tiddle of your ingrained eschatology, but it’s totally worth the toe pinch because the takeaway is a compelling charge to better reflect the Living Hope of Jesus Christ in the current Babylon of modern culture. So please grab a cup of coffee and open your Bible to the back – unless you’ve got both hands wrapped around a wee pebble high up on a wall and are wondering how in the world you got talked into a rope-climbing course, of course – and come hang out on the porch with us.  Follow Us On Instagram! @BackPorchTheologyPodcast @LisaDHarper @AllisonAllen @Jim.Howard.Co  Learn more about Convoy of Hope’s Women’s Empowerment program at Convoy.org/LisaHarper  SAVE 20% by using code Lisa20 at ElevatedFaith.com Save on Dwell here Learn More about Upward Sports here

Find out more about CH Ministries here Click here to get a 25% discount on the Dwell Bible App. During today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology we’re going to wade deeply into the doctrine of baptism – sorry, I just couldn’t help using a cheesy wet metaphor! Contrary to popular belief, water baptism didn’t originate with John the Baptist - whose name is better translated John the Baptizer because his ministry was so closely associated with ceremonial soaking - but instead can be traced back centuries before John normalized this sacrament for Christ-followers. In the pre-Christian era, water baptism was frequently connected to ritual purification – both in pagan and Jewish culture – and typically represented one entering a new state, a new community, or a new phase of life. And the same is basically true for Christian baptism; it’s the symbolic gate through which we enter into the newness of salvation by identifying with our Savior’s death on the cross and subsequent resurrection. Now, before we press play on this particular episode, I do want to acknowledge that there are more doctrinal nuances when it comes to water baptism than there are carbs to avoid on a Keto diet. Sincere Christians disagree about the amount of water necessary for baptism, what phase in a believer’s life baptism is legitimate, and whether one sprinkling, dunking, or sloshing is sufficient. However, the purpose of our podcast isn’t to ferret out the single, best understanding of baptism through some kind of dogmatic, spiritual Darwinism; instead, our hope is to encourage believers from across the beautiful breadth of Christendom to marinate in the miracle of what it really means to be raised from the sorrow and surety of death that is the consequence of sin into the glorious, divine gift of forgiveness, freedom, and fresh life we have because of Jesus Christ! So please grab a cup of coffee and your Bible – unless you’ve got both hands on the bad bunny who’s been shoplifting tomatoes from your summer garden – and come hang out on the porch with Alli, Dr. Howard and me.  Follow Us On Instagram! @BackPorchTheologyPodcast @LisaDHarper @AllisonAllen @Jim.Howard.Co  Learn more about Convoy of Hope’s Women’s Empowerment program at Convoy.org/LisaHarper  SAVE 20% by using code Lisa20 at ElevatedFaith.com Save on Dwell here Learn More about Upward Sports here

Find out more about CH Ministries here Click here to get a 25% discount on the Dwell Bible App. During today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology we’re going to explore a beautiful oasis called En Gedi, which was the geographical inspiration behind some of the most beloved Psalms that were written by David. Effectively making this spot, that slingshot-wielding hero’s Yoko Ono! En Gedi - which means “Spring of the Young Goat” - is one of only two freshwater springs along the western shore of the Dead Sea, so it’s vital for Israel’s agricultural industry. God allotted this fertile region to the tribe of Judah when the Israelites finally got to the Promised Land after the Exodus and four decades of wandering in the wilderness. But En Gedi really rises to prominence in Old Testament narrative in First Samuel when it becomes one of the main places of refuge for David when he had to flee the jealous madness of King Saul, who was intent on taking him out. Consequently, En Gedi became a safe place for David to pen some really lovely tunes praising God for His provision and protection. John Calvin described the Psalms as “an anatomy of all parts of the soul” because that ancient hymnal in the middle of our Bibles records both the rapture and the rupture of God’s people. And I love the breadth of the Psalms because I think it behooves us to be reminded regularly that we don’t have to curate our emotions on God’s behalf but can instead bring everything to our Creator Redeemer – including the excruciatingly painful, hard, humiliating, and completely unfiltered stuff of life – and trust that it all matters to Him because we matter to Him. Today’s podcast is going to give us a safe place to peel off our emotional Spanx and exhale, so please grab a cup of decaf coffee and your Bible - unless you’re picking banana peels out of your composter, of course – and come hang out on the porch with us.  Follow Us On Instagram! @BackPorchTheologyPodcast @LisaDHarper @AllisonAllen @Jim.Howard.Co  Learn more about Convoy of Hope’s Women’s Empowerment program at Convoy.org/LisaHarper Save on Dwell here Learn More about Upward Sports here

Find out more about CH Ministries here Click here to get a 25% discount on the Dwell Bible App. During today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology we’re going to peruse a parable about 10 Bridesmaids that Jesus taught on the Mount of Olives – that beautiful hill overlooking Jerusalem - during a series of messages called The Olivet Discourse, which He preached just prior to the first Easter. And while this symbolic tale is set in the context of a wedding party, it’s more of a warning than a warm and fuzzy love story so it’s important to note that our Savior was only talking to His disciples when He shared this sober, eschatological story. This conversation takes place in an intimate family meeting Jesus has with the Twelve less than a week before His crucifixion and resurrection. Only a few days before Peter, James, and John will mirror the exact same unprepared posture depicted by the bevy of sleeping beauties when they fall asleep in the Garden of Gethsemane, even after Jesus implored them to stay awake for His sake. Remember, our Redeemer didn’t just save us from, He saved us for. For sharing the Living Hope of the Gospel to the image-bearers we have the privilege of rubbing shoulders with because one day those precious people who don’t yet have a real relationship with Jesus will run out of days to run into His outstretched arms. Today’s podcast is about being both compassionate and ready for our divine Bridegroom’s return, so please grab a ginormous cup of coffee and your Bible – unless you’re cutting up potatoes for a crawfish boil, of course – and come hang out on the porch with us!  Follow Us On Instagram! @BackPorchTheologyPodcast @LisaDHarper @AllisonAllen @Jim.Howard.Co  Learn more about Convoy of Hope’s Women’s Empowerment program at Convoy.org/LisaHarper  Save on Dwell here Learn More about Upward Sports here