Faith & Clarity - Biblical Perspectives and Biblical Wisdom on News & Cultural Issues

NOTE: This episode was recorded the day before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Dr. Mark Turman discusses protecting the sanctity of life with Holly and Aaron Snell, the executive directors of Hope Women's Center in McKinney, Texas. They are joined by Lisa Freeman, the executive director of Thrive, a crisis pregnancy center in the Dallas area. Specifically, they talk about: The calling to be pro-life to serve the voiceless. What it's like today to help those in an unplanned pregnancy How will the Supreme Court's decision affect people and ministry locally How to be pro-life where you are

We're taking a short summer break. We'll be back in a couple of weeks with a "summer favorites" series. These will be episodes about Dr. Jim Denison and Dr. Mark Turman's favorite things, including movies, life Bible verses, and more. 

Aaron Pierce and Dr. Mark Turman discuss Steiger International’s ministry to the “global youth culture,” how our audience can help in Ukraine, how Christians have heroically served in Ukraine, and how we can evangelize in the modern world.     Show notes: Aaron begins by relating how Steiger International was founded about forty years ago in Amsterdam and how music became a part of the movement (1:24). They turn to talk about the situation in Ukraine and how Steiger International has seen the Lord work through courageous missionaries (6:50). They move into discussing the refugee crisis this war has created and more stories of ministry by Ukrainian Christians (18:57). Pierce talks about the need for gospel-centered humanitarian help (27:09). They turn to consider how the church has lost credibility in our modern context and how we can reach young people (30:18). Pierce explains how their ministry works on the city level in small groups to build relationships and bring people to Jesus (41:37). Although they originally focused on Europe, they’ve turned to building teams in America as well. Pierce ends by telling the true story of an American volunteer and how God uses unexpected people (45:14).    Resources and further reading:   Steiger Ukraine Relief fund  Jesus in the Secular World training "Spiritual Conversations For The Non-religious" tool How to help Ukraine   About the hosts    Jim Denison, Ph.D., is an author, speaker, and the CEO of Denison Ministries, which is transforming 6.8 million lives through meaningful digital content.    Dr. Mark Turman is the executive director of Denison Forum. He received his DMin from Truett at Baylor and previously served as lead pastor of Crosspoint Church.    About the guest    Aaron Pierce oversees Steiger International’s strategic direction, while teaching at its training events, developing new church and ministry partnerships, continuing to participate in evangelistic outreaches and tours around the world, and much more. Aaron preaches regularly at churches, conferences, and events around the world. Aaron was a member of the evangelistic rock band No Longer Music from 2005 to 2011, preaching the Gospel all over Europe, South America, and the Middle East.

Carmen LaBerge, Dr. Jim Denison, and Dr. Mark Turman discuss the tragic shooting in Uvalde, how to respond to grief, how the church can help prevent shootings, and the recent SBC scandal.    Show notes: Carmen LaBerge, Dr. Jim Denison, and Dr. Mark Turman begin by talking about the tragedy of the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas (2:20). They then turn to discuss how churches can step up to be proactive and redemptive to prevent shootings like these through care and love of the isolated (9:00). Carmen talks about bearing grief and how to respond to tragedies (15:34). They reflect on how important prayer is in these circumstances and how pastors can respond to these issues (23:04). They discuss how we can be cultural missionaries as opposed to cultural warriors and spiritual warfare (31:48). LaBerge considers how we can respond to the SBC scandal, her affiliation with the SBC, and how we can move forward (39:28). They end by discussing the ministry that Carmen does through her radio show, which is linked below.    Resources and further reading:   “Mornings with Carmen LaBerge” My Faith Radio   “Mornings with Carmen LaBerge” Podcast  Speak the Truth: How to Bring God Back into Every Conversation - Carmen LaBerge   About the hosts    Jim Denison, Ph.D., is an author, speaker, and the CEO of Denison Ministries, which is transforming 6.8 million lives through meaningful digital content.  Dr. Mark Turman is the executive director of Denison Forum. He received his DMin from Truett at Baylor and previously served as lead pastor of Crosspoint Church.  About the guest    Carmen LaBerge is a writer, speaker, and Christian talk radio host. Carmen is a graduate of the University of Florida and earned an M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary. She lives outside of Nashville, TN with her husband Jim and family.   Currently, she is the host of Mornings with Carmen LaBerge heard live Monday-Friday, 7-9 a.m. nationwide on The Faith Radio Network, streaming at MyFaithRadio.com and via the Faith Radio app. Carmen’s passion is helping people reconnect the eternal with the everyday by equipping Christians to engage the culture in ways that honor Jesus. She has written for ChristianityToday.com, the Christian Post, and other outlets.

Dr. Jim Denison and Dr. Mark Turman discuss the tragic findings of an investigation into the Southern Baptist Convention’s handling of sexual abuse, where they failed and mistreated the victims, and how the convention will move forward.  Show notes: Dr. Jim Denison and Dr. Mark Turman begin by giving a heartfelt apology to all the victims of sexual abuse, expressing their grief alongside them. They walk through the broader narrative of this report, where it started, and what the report broadly found (7:16). They discuss why this case is unique because of the way the Southern Baptist Convention works (13:10). They talk about the dilemma the SBC executive team faced, and why they failed to address cases and in some cases, were even guilty of further abuse and stonewalling hurting victims (17:32). They talk about what the board could have done differently (24:18). Then, Dr. Denison gives practical, pastoral application and why we need the Holy Spirit (34:32). They consider what will happen to the future of the SBC, and how this will bring about good change (39:21). They end by considering how Christians should be personally holding each other accountable and practical application (45:35).  Resources and further reading: “This Is the Southern Baptist Apocalypse” - Dr. Russell Moore “‘This is the Southern Baptist Apocalypse’” - Dr. Jim Denison Guidepost’s task force update and full report “SBC Executive Committee repents, vows to listen to survivors, release hidden list of alleged abusers” - Diana Chandler for Baptist Press About the hosts  Jim Denison, Ph.D., is an author, speaker, and the CEO of Denison Ministries, which is transforming 6.8 million lives through meaningful digital content.  Dr. Mark Turman is the executive director of Denison Forum. He received his DMin from Truett at Baylor and previously served as lead pastor of Crosspoint Church.

Dr. Albert Reyes and Dr. Mark Turman discuss how the gospel and meeting physical needs are two sides of the same coin of advancing God’s kingdom, how Buckner lives this out from “womb to tomb,” the importance of family, and how to get involved.    Show notes: Dr. Albert Reyes and Dr. Mark Turman discuss the unfortunate conflict between two supposed teams: Christians who help people with physical needs and Christians who help with spiritual needs (3:22). Actually, Jesus did both in an integrated way, they are two sides of the same coin (7:16). They talk about the importance of healing, peace, and justice, along with the importance of words (12:13). They discuss the history of Buckner International and the life of Robert Cooke Buckner, the baptist minister who lived out this idea in his life and founded the ministry as an orphanage (19:12). Dr. Reyes then talks about their senior living ministry, and why it's so important in our culture (28:40). Their ministry spans from “womb to tomb,” helping children through fostering, adopting, and orphanages (34:49). Then, they talk about the importance of family and how their ministry supports all kinds of families (38:42). Millennial Christians have learned the importance of adoption, it’s a beautiful return to the roots of Christianity (49:56). They end by talking about how our audience can get involved, and their slow, deliberate process of taking families through the decision to foster and adopt (50:52).   Resources and further reading:   Buckner International  Hope Now - Albert Reyes   About the hosts    Jim Denison, Ph.D., is an author, speaker, and the CEO of Denison Ministries, which is transforming 6.8 million lives through meaningful digital content.  Dr. Mark Turman is the executive director of Denison Forum. He received his DMin from Truett at Baylor and previously served as lead pastor of Crosspoint Church.    About the guest    Dr. Albert L. Reyes is the sixth President and CEO of Buckner International. He previously served as president of Buckner Children and Family Services. Prior to his tenure at Buckner, Albert was president of Baptist University of the Américas in San Antonio. He also has served as pastor of three churches and as a manager for Sprint’s National Customer Service Call Center. Albert and his wife, Belinda, have three children. They are members of Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas.

Dr. Jim Denison and Dr. Mark Turman answer four audience questions: does the “1619 project” reflect badly on the New York Times, is God male or genderless, when does life begin, and how do you love people in public sin without compromising your witness?     Show notes:   Dr. Jim Denison responds to your questions on a wide range of topics. In this episode, he begins by addressing the controversial “1619 project.” The journalistic project looks at history and claims that American history truly began when the first African slaves arrived in 1619. Dr. Denison explains why this is faulty reasoning and discusses journalistic standards and the New York Times (1:28). They digress into discussing political biases in reporting. They then move on to discuss whether God is a “male,” whether God has a gender, and the use of metaphor in the Bible (15:10). Third, they go in-depth into Dr. Denisons’ position on when life begins. They consider IVF and think through the consequences of differing views (26:15). Finally, they answer a question about doing ministry alongside people in public sin. They consider Jesus’ heart, which is to become friends with sinners (like we all are), and how to not be naive or compromise our witness, especially with friends in the LGTBQ community (51:24).      Resources and further reading:   “What does the Bible say about abortion?” - Jim Denison “What does the Bible say about homosexuality?” - Jim Denison “What does the Bible say about racism?” - Jim Denison “How to seek the truth when it comes to fake news” - Steve Yount   About the hosts    Jim Denison, Ph.D., is an author, speaker, and the CEO of Denison Ministries, which is transforming 6.8 million lives through meaningful digital content.    Dr. Mark Turman is the executive director of Denison Forum. He received his DMin from Truett at Baylor and previously served as lead pastor of Crosspoint Church.

Tommy Woodard and Eddie James (the Skit Guys) join Dr. Jim Denison and Dr. Mark Turman to discuss why humor is so important to faith, why we should pursue excellence in the arts, and their new film: Family Camp.    Show notes:    Tommy Woodard and Eddie James begin by sharing their testimonies with Dr. Jim Denison and Dr. Mark Turman; how God called them to comedy, how church media picked up in the ‘90s, and what they do in their ministry (0:49). They discuss how Christian media doesn’t need to be bad, why laughter is important to the Christian faith, and how Jesus used humor (6:41). They dive into how God can use humor to redeem hurt (15:31). Woodard and James then go through the backstory of their first full-length movie: “Family Camp,” and how God was involved throughout the process (20:02). They talk about why they wanted to make an excellent, faith-based, family-friendly movie that defies expectations (26:16). Dr. Denison then discusses the history of why the arts have become less important to many modern Christians, and why we should change that (31:25). In fact, God used “secular” media to reach Dr. Turman and James before they became Christians (39:26). They also discuss the idea of a “faith-based comedy” and the preconceptions of Christian movies (43:30). In closing, they consider how this movie will uniquely speak to our culture and give a hopeful picture of family (48:00).   P.S. We highly encourage our audience to go see Family Camp on its opening weekend, in theaters on May 13th. You can buy individual tickets or take a group. You can visit their website: https://familycampmovie.com/   Resources and further reading: Get tickets to see Family Camp, in theaters on May 13th Review of Family Camp – Blake Atwood The Skit Guys website “How a little-known Reformation-era painter calls us to excellence today” (Lucas Cranach) – Dr. Ryan Denison  Review of The Chosen– Mark Legg Review of Art and Faith by Makoto Fujimura – Mark Legg Review of Everything Everywhere All at Once, and why Christians need to rethink art – Mark Legg     About the hosts    Jim Denison, Ph.D., is an author, speaker, and the CEO of Denison Ministries, which is transforming 6.8 million lives through meaningful digital content.    Dr. Mark Turman is the executive director of Denison Forum. He received his DMin from Truett at Baylor and previously served as lead pastor of Crosspoint Church.    About the guests    Tommy Woodard and Eddie James are the “Skit Guys,” and have traveled the world performing for families at events, churches, and conferences. Their SkitGuys.com website has grown into a treasured media resource for families, pastors, and churches. Their numerous short films, skits, and scripts are used to reach families all over the world. On YouTube alone, their channel has collectively reached over 33 million views. 

David French, Dr. Jim Denison, and Dr. Mark Turman consider partisan hostility, why Trump divides Christian Americans, the persecution complex of many conservatives, why making abortion illegal won’t solve the problem of abortion, why we need to invest with love in communities, and ultimately how Christians should act in the public square.    Show notes:    Commentator David French joins Dr. Jim Denison and Dr. Mark Turman to discuss the leaked Supreme Court ruling that could overturn Roe v. Wade and why the partisan divide threatens our country.    They discuss the overreactions of conservatives and liberals, how Christians can go beyond hateful political exchanges, and why we should not be cultural warriors (3:12). French points out how good we have it in America and the persecution complex that Christian conservatives often have. He also talks specifically about Donald Trump and how evangelicals have a worrying tendency to defend Trump’s problems (8:36).    They then look to the Civil Rights movement as a model for real cultural change through peaceful means under actual persecution (12:58). French explains why he isn’t worried about the Equality Act under the current Senate (17:14).    They address the “all-or-nothing” trap that politics puts us in and how we subconsciously become lawyers for blue or red instead of the jury or judge (19:10). French points out that God is on the throne, so Christians cannot lose, whether Biden or Trump is president (27:11).    They discuss how making abortion illegal won’t solve the problem of abortion. Rather, it will take a cultural heart change, and there is hopeful news there (31:17). They consider how we need to make change through small institutions and communities, like through Little League, church, and making friends, not through politics.    They also consider how and why fewer and fewer abortions are being done and the current cultural backlash against the sexual revolution (45:47). Lastly, they reflect on Jesus’ teaching to love your enemy with no qualifications and why we need to be Christians in every area of our lives, not just on Sunday (50:16).   Resources and further reading:   The Dispatch - David French  Divided We Fall: America's Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation - David French “What does the Bible say about abortion?” - Jim Denison  Respectfully, I Disagree - Jim Denison “The latest on the Supreme Court leak and “the one and only pro-life argument””- Jim Denison - Jim Denison   About the hosts    Jim Denison, Ph.D., is an author, speaker, and the CEO of Denison Ministries, which is transforming 6.8 million lives through meaningful digital content.    Dr. Mark Turman is the executive director of Denison Forum. He received his DMin from Truett at Baylor and previously served as lead pastor of Crosspoint Church.    About the guest    David French is a senior editor for The Dispatch and was formerly a senior writer for National Review. David is a New York Times bestselling author. He is a graduate of Harvard Law School, the past president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, and a former lecturer at Cornell Law School. He has served as a senior counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice and the Alliance Defending Freedom. David is a former major in the United States Army Reserve. In 2007, he deployed to Iraq, where he was awarded the Bronze Star. He has written for The Atlantic, as well as other notable publications.

Dr. Mark Turman and Dr. Jim Denison discuss the breaking news that suggests the Supreme Court will overturn Roe v. Wade, taking this special episode to consider the implications, as well as the arguments for and against abortion from a biblical perspective.    Show notes: Dr. Mark Turman and Dr. Jim Denison discuss the morally defining issue of our age: abortion. They address the breaking news that a draft of the Supreme Court’s majority opinion shows the judge’s plan to overturn Roe v. Wade in an upcoming decision. They discuss the details of this breaking news (0:23). They talk about the history of abortion becoming legal, how this decision affects America, and where this initial report came from (10:05). They discuss in-depth arguments for pro-life and for pro-choice positions, which are often complex. Dr. Denison considers all of the strongest arguments for abortion and responds to them (13:33). He considers all spectrums of positions, and how some, like Peter Singer, are even advocating for the utilitarian killing of some infants after pregnancy (29:28). They then discuss the Bible’s position, why the Bible doesn’t ever say: “thou shalt not abort a pregnancy,” and what the Bible does say (43:41). Then, Dr. Denison discusses the practical implications of these ideas in the States, about how you may be able to help, how you can pray, and how you can love people who have had abortions, who are thinking about getting one, and what the government’s role should be (48:02).    “This is not a war on women. This is actually as you said earlier, a spiritual war for the abundant life that the flourishing God intends for every human being.” - Dr. Jim Denison   Resources and further reading:   “What does the Bible say about abortion?” - Jim Denison “Leaked draft reveals that the Supreme Court has voted to overturn Roe v. Wade” - Jim Denison “The Supreme Court and Roe v. Wade” - Jim Denison   About the hosts  Dr. Jim Denison is CEO and co-founder of Denison Forum and a cultural scholar. He received his Ph.D. in philosophy and Master’s in Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.     Dr. Mark Turman is the executive director of Denison Forum. He received his DMin from Truett at Baylor and previously served as lead pastor of Crosspoint Church.