Mortification of Spin

The church has a silent killer, much like when carbon monoxide creeps into your house and you don’t even know it. Why are people coming to your church? Do they want to hear the Bible preached or do they want something more superficial? Is the purpose of the church to meet your individual felt needs? The church is called to provide an ordinary means of grace - those things which it ought to be emphasizing and prioritizing in her ministry. Listen as Carl, Todd, and Aimee discuss those things we should not compromise on, including what kind of car Todd is convinced he needs.We have a several copies of "The courage to be protestant" by David Wells published by Eerdmans Publishing Company, that we are giving away. Be sure to enter for your chance to win.

Which is more beautiful?: Bach or Beyonce? Symmetry or asymmetry? Bald or Blonde? Carl or Todd? By natural design, beauty appeals to us and we seek it out daily whether it's music, art, fashion, or romance. Under sin's curse, we attune our minds to wrong perspectives and standards and make more of what God counts as less. The battle with beauty is something everyone has to fight. So how does the Christian combat against Hollywood's norms and not cheapen the inner adornment of our character without going to the opposite extreme? Today we count the costs of our cultural obsession with beauty, pointing out shameful ways we prize the pretty and cast all the Todd & Carl's to the curb.We have a several copies of "Far Above Rubies: The Life of Bethan Lloyd-Jones" by Lynette Clark published by Christian Focus, that we are giving away. Be sure to enter for your chance to win.

While Carl soaked in Italian rays, he treaded the town in his English footgear (black socks and open-toed sandals, to be exact), pondering the differences Protestants have with the Pope and his posse. Over the years, we've hosted numerous guests from the Roman Catholic persuasion on the show so it's no surprise folks have been wondering: on which doctrines do we agree, and on which must we disagree? You may be surprised!We have a several copies of "Roman Catholic Theology & Practice" by Gregg Allison published by Crossway, that we are giving away. Be sure to enter for your chance to win.

Do children belong in Sunday morning worship? Is it worth the potential tantrums in the pew? We have Jason Helopolous on the line to help us answer this parental conundrum. Jason is Associate Pastor at University Reformed Church in East Lansing Michigan. He's also an author, husband and father. As that last role, Jason can sympathize with parents of young children. So when are children "old enough" to join worship? What about the theology behind "children's church”, and the misconception that children take away from worship? Fortunately, we have two children here today to give us their perspective on being in service … thanks for joining us, Carl & Todd!We have a several copies of Jason's book "Let the Children Worship" published by Christian Focus, that we are giving away. Be sure to enter for your chance to win.

Should Evangelicals "celebrate" Martin Luther? With this year marking the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, Luther is on the brain! His life and legacy should be an inspiration to us all - a man God significantly used in the birth of the Protestant Church. But, should we make a big fuss over him every year? Before you buy into the pub-crawl and raise a pint of malty, Martin Luther-y beverage, take a listen to what Carl, Aimee and Todd have to say about this stubborn monk.We have a several copeis of Carl's book "Histories and Fallacies: Problems Faced in the Writing of History" publsihed by Crossway that we are giving away. Be sure to enter for your chance to win.

With us today is Fran Maier, "the most interesting man in the world" … according to Carl Trueman. And here we thought Carl assumed that title (per his own nomination!). Fran, once a screenwriter for Warner Brothers, not only has an impressive resume but a unique perspective on American culture having been submerged in LA's superficiality. This conservative Catholic has never looked back and now serves as the executive personal assistant to the Archbishop of Philadelphia, Charles Chaput. Tune in to hear his informed critique and spin on our culture, technology, and the likes … that's alllll folks!The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals would like to off you a CD message entitled "Engaging the Culture".

Scripture sheds much light on the topic of forgiveness. But what if someone doesn't seek our forgiveness or is unrepentant? Certainly we have all, at some point or another, asked that question and likely wrestled with the answer. But perhaps there's other questions we might also ask: Should we not imitate the Lord's own forgiveness towards us? Are we compelled to forgive others who offend our name? Does God withhold his forgiveness until we repent? If God did not spare his only Son, can we not spare our own self-righteous pride and clothe ourselves in humility and grace? It's tricky answering these questions perfectly as fallible people but Aimee & Todd tackle them with care.The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals would like to give you a free MP3 download of a message entitled "Repentance and Forgiveness of Sin" by Rebecca Pippert.

John Henry Crosby is a man wearing many hats: he is the President and Founder of the Hildebrand Project; he's a translator, critic, and writer. So who is Hildebrand? He was a stalwart who's voice and writings were compelled by exposing the evil he saw in Hitler and his Nazis regime. Described as a public traitor, Hildebrand was one of the first to raise red flags about the Third Reich and God sustained him in the midst of grave adversity. So why should Protestants read and learn from Hildebrand, a Catholic? No better man to answer that question than John Henry...We have a limited number of the book "My Battle Against Hitler" that we are giving away. Be sure to enter for your chance to win.

The Psalms offer the Christian a unique plethora of language and capture a wide array of human emotion unlike any other book in the Bible. For the distressed and despairing, Psalms help us find words we otherwise counted as lost - what a gift to our weary souls! Please join Carl, Aimee & Todd as they discuss their own experiences wading through the Psalms seeking (and finding!) solace and strength through them.

Child abuse - it's heinous, it's a crime, it's a shame, and it's a sin. Unfortunately, it's quite pervasive in the Church which is often a soft target. Why is that, and what can we do to guard our flock more preventatively instead of reactively? We certainly need to educate our children and train our nursery workers, but how do we impart discernment while not making them critical of everyone. We all have roles of protecting our children, but even some actions of "justice" can further enable the abuse. This is by no means an exhaustive conversation answering all these questions in depth but a discussion that should put any Church worker on high alert.You can puchase all the messages from the event "Sex, Sin, and Salvation: God's Grace in a Fallen World".