Those Who Serve The Lord

What is the "good life" to you? Is it the American Dream? Is it the kids getting a good education and job? What about the family? Taking a vacation someplace exotic on spring break? Where did we get these ideas on the good life from? Are they biblical? Karen Swallow Prior has some pretty good ideas!Travis and Karen discuss her forthcoming book, The Evangelical Imagination: How Stories, Images, and Metaphors Created a Culture in Crisis (Brazos 2023). They discuss how we developed this idea of what the good life is and what it is supposed to be and how some have ordered their lives to get it. They also discuss Flannery O'Connor, eighteenth and nineteenth-century literature, modern evangelicalism, her departure from the Southern Baptist Convention, and her desire for the church in North America going forward. Karen Swallow Prior, Ph. D., is a reader, writer, and professor. In addition to her newest book, she is the author of On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life through Great Books (Brazos 2018); Jane Eyre: A Guide to Reading and Reflecting (B&H 2021), The Scarlet Letter: A Guide to Reading and Reflecting (Read and Reflect with the Classics) (B&H 2022), Frankenstein: A Guide to Reading and Reflecting (B&H 2021), Sense and Sensibility: A Guide to Reading and Reflecting (B&H 2020), Tess of the d'Urbervilles: A Guide to Reading and Reflecting (B&H 2022), Fierce Convictions: The Extraordinary Life of Hannah More—Poet, Reformer, Abolitionist (Thomas Nelson, 2014); and Booked: Literature in the Soul of Me (T. S. Poetry Press, 2012). She is co-editor of Cultural Engagement: A Crash Course in Contemporary Issues (Zondervan 2019) and has contributed to numerous other books. She has a monthly column for Religion News Service. Her writing has appeared at Christianity Today, New York Times, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, First Things, Vox, Think Christian, The Gospel Coalition, and various other places. She hosted the podcast Jane and Jesus. Karen gives frequent lectures and talks on her work. Among the places she has spoken are Wheaton College, University of Minnesota, Indiana Wesleyan University, Northwestern University, Grace College, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, The Gospel Coalition Conference, Redeemer University College, Toronto Baptist Seminary, United Theological Seminary, Festival of Faith and Writing, Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma’s Women’s Conference, Roanoke Regional Writers Conference, The Row House Forum, Q Boston, the Glen Workshop, and the Humane Society of the United States.She completed her Ph.D. at the State University of New York at Buffalo and her undergraduate studies at Daemen College in Amherst, New York. Her academic focus is British literature, with a specialty in the eighteenth century, a period she loves for its emphasis on philosophy, ethics, aesthetics, and community, as well as its efforts at correcting the universal human impulse to gravitate toward extremes. Her scholarly work has appeared in 1650-1850: Ideas, Aesthetics, and Inquiries in the Early Modern Era; The Shandean; The Scriblerian and various literary encyclopedias.She is a contributing editor for Comment (an online magazine we love), a founding member of The Pelican Project, a Senior Fellow at the Trinity Forum, a Senior Fellow at the International Alliance for Christian Education, a former Senior Fellow at the L. Russ Bush Center for Faith and Culture and is a former member of the Faith Advisory Council of the Humane Society of the United States. She and her husband live on a 100-year old homestead in central Virginia with dogs, chickens, and lots of books.Check out our other conversations on the imagination and how evangelicalism has developed and how it has shaped our imagination and how we live. #114 J.D. Payne: Rediscovering The Apostolic Imagination#154 David Bebbington The Dominance of Evangelicalism, Pt. 1#155 David Bebbington The Dominance of Evangelicalism, Pt. 2#158 Mark Noll | What's An Evangelical? | It's Complicated, Pt. 1#159 Mark Noll | What's An Evangelical? | It's Complicated, Pt. 2#171 | Malcolm Guite: Transfigure Your Imagination, Pt. 1#172 | Malcolm Guite: Transfigure Your Imagination, Pt. 2Check out the NLT.Sign up for the Apollos Watered newsletter.Help water-thirsty souls by partnering with Apollos Watered!

Travis & Chris Coursey continue our conversation from Part 1, but this time, in Part 2, we go deeper into joy and how we cultivate it. What do we do when our joy switch gets turned off? What are some practical things that we can do to step back into joy? Listen in and find out! Chris Coursey is an ordained minister, pastoral counselor, published author, and international speaker. He is also the curriculum designer and leader of THRIVE training which uses creative, interactive exercises to train leaders in the 19 relational skills that result in positive character change. Chris has authored/co-authored several books including The 4 Habits of Joy-Filled Marriages, Relational Skills in the Bible, The 4 Habits of Joy-Filled People, Transforming Fellowship, The 4 Habits of Raising Joy-Filled Kids, 30 Days of Joy for Busy Married Couples, and The Joy Switch, the book in our discussion today.Learn more about THRIVEtoday.If you are interested in neurotheology be sure to check out these episodes, as we delve into the topic of neurotheology and how it works in leadership, how we engage our enemies, those we love, and how it affects our walk with Jesus. Check out Part 1: #179 Chris Coursey, Pt 1.-The Joy Switch#107 Jim Wilder, Pt. 1-God on the Brain (intro to neurotheology) #108 Jim Wilder, Pt. 2-God on the Brain (intro to neurotheology)#109 Michel Hendricks, Pt. 1-Relational Reformation#110 Michel Hendricks, Pt. 2-Relational Reformation#120 Marcus Warner, Our Walk, Wounds, & Warfare, Pt. 1#121 Marcus Warner, Our Walk, Wounds, & Warfare, Pt. 2#140 Jim Wilder, Pt. 1-Enemy Mode#141 Jim Wilder, Pt. 2-Enemy Mode#142 Marcus Warner, RARE Leadership, Pt. 1#143 Marcus Warner, RARE Leadership, Pt. 2Check out the NLT.Sign up for the Apollos Watered newsletter.Help water-thirsty souls by partnering with Apollos Watered!

How is it that some people can know everything about the Bible and know zero about relationships? How do we actually engage with people when they annoy us? How do we tune out of relationships? What has joy got to do with all of this? And moreover, what does any of this have to do with the mission of God? Chris Coursey has an idea!Chris Coursey is an ordained minister, pastoral counselor, published author, and international speaker. He is also the curriculum designer and leader of THRIVE training which uses creative, interactive exercises to train leaders in the 19 relational skills that result in positive character change. Chris has authored/co-authored several books including The 4 Habits of Joy-Filled Marriages, Relational Skills in the Bible, The 4 Habits of Joy-Filled People, Transforming Fellowship, The 4 Habits of Raising Joy-Filled Kids, 30 Days of Joy for Busy Married Couples, and The Joy Switch, the book in our discussion today.Learn more about THRIVEtoday.If you are interested in neurotheology be sure to check out these episodes, as we delve into the topic of neurotheology and how it works in leadership, how we engage our enemies, those we love, and how it affects our walk with Jesus.#107 Jim Wilder, Pt. 1-God on the Brain (intro to neurotheology) #108 Jim Wilder, Pt. 2-God on the Brain (intro to neurotheology)#109 Michel Hendricks, Pt. 1-Relational Reformation#110 Michel Hendricks, Pt. 2-Relational Reformation#120 Marcus Warner, Our Walk, Wounds, & Warfare, Pt. 1#121 Marcus Warner, Our Walk, Wounds, & Warfare, Pt. 2#140 Jim Wilder, Pt. 1-Enemy Mode#141 Jim Wilder, Pt. 2-Enemy Mode#142 Marcus Warner, RARE Leadership, Pt. 1#143 Marcus Warner, RARE Leadership, Pt. 2Check out the NLT.Sign up for the Apollos Watered newsletter.Help water-thirsty souls by partnering with Apollos Watered!

In this episode, Travis and Daniel discuss the concept of magnetic points and how they bridge the gap to the Gospel. They delve into the methods of missiologists and the importance of learning from them. Exploring belief systems like Islam and Hinduism, they highlight the significance of relationships and understanding. The speakers also emphasize the need to present Christ as a person and embrace a missional mindset. Finally, they discuss rethinking the gospel and embracing mission in light of God's greatness.

How do you connect with people in the world who don't know Jesus and don't want to hear about Jesus? Daniel Strange gives us some magnetic points that provide us with the means by which people can and will want to know more about Jesus. Daniel Strange is director of Crosslands Forum and the vice president of The Southgate Fellowship. He is one of the inaugural fellows of The Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics and is the author of Their Rock Is Not Like Our Rock: A Theology of Religions (Zondervan, 2015), Plugged In (The Good Book Company, 2019), and Making Faith Magnetic (The Good Book Company, 2021) (the book we are talking about today!) He is a contributing editor for Themelios and an elder of Hope Community Church, Gateshead, U.K., which is part of the Fellowship of Evangelical Churches (FIEC).It's a fantastic, fun, and faith-filled conversation that can help you build a bridge with unbelievers so that they too can know Jesus. This is a must-listen!Check out the NLT.Sign up for the Apollos Watered newsletter.Help water-thirsty souls by partnering with Apollos Watered!

What do freedom, kindness, progress, and equality have in common? We have them because of Christianity. Most don't realize that the very benefits that they have in our modern culture come directly as a result of the Christian faith-so says Glen Scrivener. It's those connection points that create a bridge that can help our unbelieving friends to cross to full faith in Jesus Christ. Glen Scrivener is an ordained Church of England minister and evangelist who preaches Christ through writing, speaking, and online media. He directs the evangelistic ministry Speak Life. Originally from Australia, Glen now lives with his wife, Emma, and two children in England, and they belong to All Souls Eastbourne. He is the author of several books, including The Air We Breathe: How We All Came to Believe in Freedom, Kindness, Progress, and Equality (The Good Book Company, 2022) and 3-2-1: The Story of God, the World, and You (10Publishing, 2014).This episode is going to be an encouragement and help equip you to share Jesus with your unbelieving friends. Glen is a clear, and energetic communicator who loves Jesus and longs to share Him with others. Check out some of Glen's articles.Check out the NLT.Sign up for the Apollos Watered newsletter.Help water-thirsty souls by partnering with Apollos Watered!

Is theology a one-time thing? Or is it something that we do? How do we "do" theology? Part of following Jesus, and desiring to see His kingdom expand in the hearts and minds of men and women all over the world, means learning how to follow Christ and show Christ's love in various cultural contexts. It starts with the Word of God, the Bible, and when we learn the Word of God, we learn how to teach the Word of God and how to apply it as we encounter various cultural forces. This is why we need to study those who have gone before us and learn from those from around the world--so that we might learn from one another and so that together we can fulfill the mission God has for us as seek to show who Jesus is to the world around us. Today, we welcome Dr. Gene Green to the show. Gene is an emeritus professor of New Testament at Wheaton College, who has written extensively on various issues of theology and missiology. He is the author of several books: The Scalpel and the Cross: A Theology of Surgery (Ordinary Theology)Jesus without Borders: Christology in the Majority World (Majority World Theology (MWT))The Spirit over the Earth: Pneumatology in the Majority World (Majority World Theology (MWT))The Trinity among the Nations: The Doctrine of God in the Majority World (Majority World Theology (MWT))The New Testament in Antiquity: A Survey of the New Testament within Its Cultural ContextJude and 2 Peter (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament)Global Theology in Evangelical Perspective: Exploring the Contextual Nature of Theology and MissionTravis and Gene talk about the necessity of looking to Christians around the world and why we need to learn from them. It is by dialoguing with them, that our vision of God grows, and we are able to see our own culture through new eyes, and perhaps find a way forward, following many of our brothers and sisters who have had to follow Jesus in the face of great hostility. It's an insightful conversation sure to help you grow in. your knowledge of God, and your awareness of Christian believers from around the world (and perhaps around the corner), who can help us follow Jesus more faithfully today. Learn more about Gene. Check out the NLT.Sign up for the Apollos Watered newsletter.Help water-thirsty souls by partnering with Apollos Watered!

What did James MacDonald, Mark Driscoll, and Bill Hybels have in common? They were all guilty of spiritual abuse. We have all heard of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, just to name a few, but spiritual abuse? Spiritual abuse is the most incipient of abuses, but it happens all the time. What exactly is spiritual abuse? What are the signs? How do we differentiate spiritual abuse from true godliness and leadership? Michael J. Kruger has some words of wisdom to help guide us into this very difficult, painful, and confusing subject. Dr. Michael J. Kruger serves as the President and Samuel C. Patterson Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at the Charlotte campus of Reformed Theological Seminary.Get his book: Bully Pulpit: Confronting the Problem of Spiritual Abuse in the Church (Zondervan, 2022), which won the 2022 “Book of the Year” award from The Gospel Coalition for the ministry category. Or check out some of his other books: Surviving Religion 101: Letters to a Christian Student on Keeping the Faith in College (Crossway, 2021), was awarded 2021 “Book of the Year” by the Southwestern Baptist Journal of Theology for the category of Worldview/Apologetics, and Christianity at the Crossroads: How the Second Century Shaped the Future of the Church (SPCK, 2017; IVP Academic, 2018) was awarded 2018 “Book of the Year” by The Gospel Coalition in the category of history and biography.Other publications include The Gospel of the Savior (Brill, 2005), The Heresy of Orthodoxy (Crossway, 2010, with Andreas Köstenberger), Canon Revisited (Crossway, 2012), and The Question of Canon (IVP Academic, 2013). He is also the editor of and contributor to A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the New Testament (Crossway, 2016) and co-editor of The Early Text of the New Testament (Oxford, 2012) and Gospel Fragments (Oxford, 2009).Sign up for the Apollos Watered newsletter.Help water-thirsty souls by partnering with Apollos Watered!

Can you have Jesus without the church? The answer is an unequivocal and resounding, "No." Travis welcomes Bishop Claude Alexander to the show as they discuss how we are becoming the church, how we have to allow room to process, not give up on the church but press on, and seek to be unified because that is one of the greatest signs to the world that Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. It's a fun conversation between two men who deeply love Jesus' church and want to see it not only survive but thrive. Bishop Claude Richard Alexander, Jr. has pastored The Park Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, since 1990. Originally a congregation of 600 members, The Park is now home to more than 9,000 members.Bishop Alexander earned a bachelor’s degree from Morehouse College, a Master of Divinity from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and a Doctorate of Ministry from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He began pastoring his first church in 1987 and was ordained a bishop in 2008. Bishop Alexander has gained increasing presence in the media, reaching a potential audience of more than 2 million viewers each week through his live-streamed sermons.Bishop Alexander is ranked among the 75 most influential persons in Charlotte by Charlotte Magazine. He is co-chair of the Community Building Initiative, a nonprofit organization that works to achieve racial and ethnic inclusion and equity in the Charlotte Mecklenburg community. He has served on the boards of several organizations over the years, and currently serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, the Executive Board of the Joint College of Bishops and the Board of Directors of Christianity Today. He was also recently elected president of Hampton University Ministers’ Conference.Bishop Alexander and his wife, Kimberly, have been married since 1993. They have two school-aged daughters — Camryn and Carsyn.Check out Bishop Alexander's website.Sign up for the Apollos Watered newsletter.Help water-thirsty souls by partnering with Apollos Watered! Takeaways: The church is a dynamic community that encompasses both immense joy and profound pain, reflecting the complexities of human experience. True understanding of God is often revealed through communal experiences rather than in isolation, emphasizing the importance of fellowship. In the journey of faith, we must acknowledge our imperfections and strive towards being the church that God calls us to become. Revival is not merely about achieving perfection but about recognizing and embracing Jesus' work in our messy realities as we grow together. Discipleship begins with baptism, which symbolizes our commitment to God and marks the transition from self-led lives to lives led by Him. The essence of the church lies in our collective commitments to each other and to God, which serve as a testament to the world about His faithfulness.

Imagination awakens knowledge and stirs the soul to seek God. We need to learn how to tap into this very powerful gift and tool that God has given us and learn how to use it for His glory. In this second conversation, Travis talks with Malcolm Guite about the imagination and how God desires to use it. Malcolm is an English poet, songwriter, Anglican priest, and recently retired professor from Cambridge. He is truly one of a kind-cross John Donne, Jerry Garcia, and put him on the back of a Harley while dressed like Bilbo Baggins and you have your man. In fact, his poem Refugee was requested by King Charles to be read at the Christmas Royal Carol Service.Malcolm joins Apollos Watered to talk about how Jesus baptizes our imagination the moment we come to Him, helping us to cultivate an artistic, moral, and prophetic imagination in a world that desperately needs leaders to move beyond the status quo. It's insightful, informative, and fun :-)Check out the first part of our conversation: #171 | Malcolm Guite: Transfigure Your Imagination, Pt. 1Get his books.Check out his very entertaining YouTube channel.Sign up for the Apollos Watered newsletter.Help water-thirsty souls by partnering with Apollos Watered!