Church and Family Life Podcast

The Bible is sufficient for counseling. We are thankful for the Biblical Counseling Movement, which emerged in the late 1960s. It was one of the blessed moves of God where the church turned away from the language and principles of secular psychology to the use of the Word of God to understand human problems. In this podcast, we give thanks for the movement and the good that has come from it. We also examine some of the problems that have emerged.

Here is the Life Story of Scott Aniol. It is a story of an honorable son growing up in an orderly home and a good church. However, when he was fourteen, he realized that he was lost. The Lord changed his heart. His behavior did not change dramatically, but his heart was transformed.

There is a resurgence of singing the Psalms today. But why is Psalm singing so rare in today’s church? Should we be singing imprecatory Psalms? How should churches and families best use the Psalms in their singing? Join us with Scott Aniol to answer these questions and discuss his new book on singing the Psalms, “Musing on God’s Music: Forming Hearts of Praise with the Psalms.” Look for it in 2023. Aniol writes, “C. H. Spurgeon was not wrong when he bemoaned, “It is to be feared that the Psalms are by no means so prized as in earlier ages of the church.”   Here is the link to the recommended resource: https://psalms.seedbed.com/

Join us as we hear how a fourteen-year-old boy raised in a godly home was saved. Joel Beeke says he felt like “the greatest sinner on the face of the earth.” One day, a minister came over to visit and the whole family gathered around. The minister was talking to Joel’s grandfather and said, “for you too, there is a way of escape through Jesus Christ.” Joel told us he heard those words as though they were directed to him and, “that was the moment of my salvation. These words penetrated my soul. And I received it by faith, and the burden rolled off just like Christian in Pilgrims Progress.”

Mala grew up on a small island in Africa’s vast Lake Malawi. Raised an Anglican, he neglected church and made basketball his idol in his college years, desiring a career in the NBA. Yet Mala’s dreams came to a screeching halt when he was stabbed by a gang of thugs and left for dead. No longer able to play ball due to his serious injuries, he grew bitter against God and turned to liquor. Reflecting on his near-death experience, Mala realized that God had spared his life. Jesus’ words in John 3 pierced him. Confronted on his need for a new birth at a Bible study, he gave his life to Christ. Following his conversion, Mala met missionary Frank Maxson who discipled him in the faith and deepened his understanding of Scripture. Sensing a call to full-time ministry, Mala left his telecommunications job, founding Antioch Baptist Church in Blantyre, Malawi, where he has served as pastor since 2008.

What happens when people abandon moral absolutes? John Snyder joins us to discuss his book and Bible study resource on the book of Judges. Judges is a case study of what happens when “Every man did what was right in his own eyes.” The results of radical autonomy are a clear warning to all of us. As Oprah Winfrey said, “Speaking your truth is the most powerful tool” Yes, it is powerful: evil people follow their hearts, and there is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death” (Jer 13:10, Prov 28:26 & Prov 14:12) and, woe to those who are wise in their own eyes (Isa 5:21). You can access John Snyder’s study on Judges by clicking here on the Media Gratiae website.

This podcast is part 2 of our discussion of the Sovereignty of God with Jeffrey Johnson. If God is sovereign, then is he also the author of sin? Jeff writes, “This, my friends, is one of the most difficult questions in theology. If God is willing but unable to prevent evil, He is not omnipotent. If God is able but unwilling to prevent evil, He is not good. If He is willing and able to prevent evil, why is there evil?” These questions are the focus of our discussion. Find information here.

This podcast is part 1 of a discussion on the Sovereignty of God with Jeffrey Johnson. Embracing the doctrine of the sovereignty of God is the most life-giving thing you can do. It helps you understand everything happening in your life and the world around you. Jeffrey Johnson joins us to discuss this critical matter. He has written a book on the Sovereignty of God. We highly recommend that you read it. Find information here.

This podcast is part two of a two-part series on encouraging parents with Joel Beeke. One of the most challenging matters of parenting is discipline. What does the Bible say about discipline? What value is it? What Biblical principles can be applied to this question?

This podcast is part one of a two-part series as an encouragement to parents. The Bible gives parents instructions on how to bring up their children in such a way that draws them together. With Ephesians 6:1-4 as a backdrop, our discussion with Joel Beeke reveals the wisdom of God for doing just that with our children.