The GoodLion Podcast

Prof Gerry Breshears is back for his record breaking 3rd time on the show! In this episode we dive into the debate swirling around PSA (Penal Substitutionary Atonement) and ask Gerry all the hard questions!In this episode we cover: What exactly is PSA, and why do so many Christians disagree about it? Can you defend PSA Biblically?  What exactly happened on the Cross? What was the Trinity doing? Are the classic song lyrics correct? Did the Father turn his face away from Jesus on the Cross? Was Jesus forsaken on the Cross? Bonus: Which atonement theory does Gerry prefer? And: How can our understanding of the atonement impact our preaching to young people / postmoderns / deconstructionists?Note from Aaron: The idea for this episode has been sitting in my brain for almost 7 years... back when I read a post from my friend and pastor Evan Wickham about his convo with Gerry about the atonement. The insights blew my mind then, and I hope they blow your mind now! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goodlionpod.substack.com

Most people struggle with change. When we go through major change in a short period of time, it can easily overwhelm us. Learning to navigate change well is crucial to follow Jesus well in a constantly changing world. In this episode, Aaron and Brian sit down with Sarah Yardley, Mission and Ministry Lead at Creation Fest UK and author of MORE > Change: Navigating Change With An Unchanging God. Sarah’s life story has included a lot of change. She’s served in multiple churches in southern California before sensing God calling her to move to Cornwall, England. That move came with massive change and taught her more about walking with God through change. In this conversation, Aaron and Brian ask some practical questions about how to deal with change, get honest about they ways they’ve struggled with change, and look to find a stability in Jesus in a world that constantly throws change our way. We hope this episode gives you tools and thought processes that help you center on Jesus even when everything around you is changing. We’re so glad you could join us for this conversation. You're listening to the GoodLion Podcast! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goodlionpod.substack.com

In a culture where every issue requires us to take sides, finding unity is incredibly difficult. This has shown up in the church as Christians are dividing over covid, politics, and much more.In this episode, Aaron and Brian are joined by Scott Sauls, Senior Pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee and author of “A Gentle Answer: Our Secret Weapon in an Age of Us Against Them.” Aaron and Brian ask Scott about the difficulties of pastoring in a divided culture and how the church can find and promote unity that is based on Jesus.We hope this episode helps you see our current culture with greater clarity and gives you practical steps for promoting unity in your local community. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goodlionpod.substack.com

The last 18 months seemed to tear everything apart. The normal structures of our lives, our work, and our relationships seems to have fallen completely apart.For many of us, this has created a sense of loss. The things we trusted in let us down and now we don’t fully know where to turn. We’re not sure what we can or should trust in anymore.For others, this has led to a strong desire to rebuild. Rather than wallow in the sadness of loss, we want to simply put our heads down and remake the world we feel we’ve lost.In this episode, Justin Thomas, Pastor at Calvary: The Hill, lays out a different option. Rather than just trying to rebuild what we had, we need to let the chaos of the last 18 months teach us important lessons. Were we approaching church and faith and discipleship the way we should have? Are we sure our old structures were the right structures? What if God is giving us an opportunity to rebuild so we can do better this time?Aaron and Brian talk with Justin about all this and much more as they try to think through what a church would need to look like to be 2020-proof, able to withstand the division and hostility our cultural moment thrives on.We’re so glad you could join us for this conversation.You're listening to the GoodLion Podcast! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goodlionpod.substack.com

In all of the insanity, confusion, and cultural upheaval of the early 2020s, there's been a growing resurgence of the term “social justice” that has taken the world by storm, especially in the wake of George Floyd's death.However, like many issues today, Christians are divided on the term social justice.To some, it represents a Biblical form of restorative justice that reflects our responsibility to honor, love, and serve all humans as made in the image of God, and to Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.To others, it represents a flawed and broken political idealogy that has been corrupted by secular humanists beyond repair. For this reason, these Christian leaders are urging their followers to completely reject the usage of the phrase "social justice."To discuss this divide and how we can think critically about it as followers of The Way, Aaron has invited a guy he really looks up to: Dave Lomas, lead pastor of reality San Francisco.Dave recently taught a sermon at Evan Wickham’s church all about what it means to "do social justice" as a follower of Christ. In the message it was noted that "while there are many ways the world does social justice that Christians should NOT be about", Dave made the case that there is a way to do it that is both biblical and Christ honoring. Dave believes that while the term can be employed, it must be properly contextualized within the framework of the Christian faith, not the lens of culture.Voddie Baucham disagrees, and is a vocal critic of this position who raises some valid concerns. Dave and Aaron take some time to examine the arguments of Voddie and see what wisdom can be found, and where differences of philosophy of ministry can be found as well.I'm so glad you could join us for this conversation.You're listening to the GoodLion Podcast! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goodlionpod.substack.com

Deconstruction is a growing trend in religious and philosophical circles. While many Christians have begun to address deconstruction, we don’t often engage with deconstructionist ideas directly.In this episode, Aaron and Brian are joined by Dominic Done, author of When Faith Fails: Finding God In the Shadow of Doubt and founder of a ministry to skeptics and doubters called Pursuing Faith. Aaron, Brian, and Dominic respond directly to deconstructionists memes to answer questions coming directly from people wrestling with deconstruction.Throughout this conversation, Aaron, Brian, and Dominic seek to find the valuable elements of deconstruction without it leading to abandoning the fundamentals of Christianity. We hope this episode encourages you to think critically and respond lovingly to deconstructionist concepts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goodlionpod.substack.com

As Aaron and Brian get ready to go on an official break, they reflect on the importance of rest, the pitfalls of workaholism in ministry, and the call of Jesus to ruthlessly eliminate hurry from our lives and embrace a lifestyle of resting in Christ as we live and serve with Him. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goodlionpod.substack.com

In today's world, many of us are afraid of confrontation. Confrontation is uncomfortable. None of us like to be in a disagreement with someone, especially if we believe we need to tell them that they're wrong about something.We are currently living in an age of postmodern thought, causing us to question the very foundation of truth. But confrontation is an essential part of helping someone see Jesus.Jesus was the one that came to us and not only showed us our sin and our wrongness but also welcomed us into a relationship with Him despite our wrongness. Whatever your cultural background or political identification, Jesus has something to confront in your way of thinking to draw you out of your own worldly thought patterns and into the truth.In today's episode, we're going to talk about confrontation and how we can disagree with people in a helpful way that shows them the Way of Jesus in the age of postmodernism. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goodlionpod.substack.com

In this episode, Aaron and Brian explore the way that postmodern thinking is currently effecting young people.As two former youth pastors, we have a huge heart for young people. They aren’t just the future of the church, they are the present. If you’re a young person between the middle school and college age listening to this, we appreciate you, and we are glad you are here.One of the biggest problems we’ve been seeing about postmodern philosophy is it’s assault on the concept of objective truth. The assertion that everyone can have their own truth, no matter what it is, as long as it doesn’t harm anyone. But that’s the problem. Lies do harm people. If you’re handed a glass of poison and told it’s water, that is a lie that will hurt you.As people who believe in both the concept of God-given morality and the problem of sin, we understand that it’s important to discuss how the concept of truth is deteriorating in our postmodern society.Today on the show we are going to watch some clips from a video from 2017 where a guy is on college campuses trying to see how far young people have slipped into postmodern thinking. Then we are going to talk about what it means for the church.We hope this conversation challenges you in your thinking and helps you consider other points of view. As always we are open to any feedback, wherever that be encouragement or pushback. You can email us at goodlionnetwork@gmail.com or send a dm on Instagram to @goodlionpodcastThanks for listening everyone. Enjoy the show. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goodlionpod.substack.com

We've got a special treat for you guys: Aaron has asked his old friend Mike Winger to come on and chat about the power and potential of doing ministry work online. Mike started out as a youth and assistant pastor at a local church, before God started leading him to a new mission field: the internet. Mike runs the theology and apologetics youtube ministry, Bible Thinker. For anyone looking to find ways to reach people for the Kingdom online, we know this episode will help encourage you as you work towards that goal! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goodlionpod.substack.com