Anabaptist Perspectives

We are tempted to divide life and exempt parts from Christ’s rule. Chester Weaver decry’s these various dualisms as deadly threats to Christian life. Unless profession and behavior come together, unless work and worship unite, unless our Christianity affects our money, wholeness and integrity are threatened.  This is the 185th episode of Anabaptist Perspectives, a podcast, blog, and YouTube channel that examines various aspects of conservative Anabaptist life and thought. Sign-up for our monthly email newsletter which contains new and featured content!Join us on Patreon or become a website partner to enjoy bonus content!Visit our YouTube channel or connect on Facebook.Read essays from our blog or listen to them on our podcast, Essays for King JesusSubscribe on your podcast provider of choiceSupport us or learn more at anabaptistperspectives.org.The views expressed by our guests are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Anabaptist Perspectives or Wellspring Mennonite Church.

How can Christians see risks and even failure as beneficial? Kyle Stoltzfus encourages us to embrace paths where we don't know the outcome and leave growth and increase up to God. We should remember that, “There is a God. I'm not him. Thank God for that." This is the 184th episode of Anabaptist Perspectives, a podcast, blog, and YouTube channel that examines various aspects of conservative Anabaptist life and thought. Sign-up for our monthly email newsletter which contains new and featured content!Join us on Patreon or become a website partner to enjoy bonus content!Visit our YouTube channel or connect on Facebook.Read essays from our blog or listen to them on our podcast, Essays for King JesusSubscribe on your podcast provider of choiceSupport us or learn more at anabaptistperspectives.org.The views expressed by our guests are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Anabaptist Perspectives or Wellspring Mennonite Church.

Salvation is not a ticket to heaven, but the life of God planted in human hearts. The Holy Spirit brings us into God’s life and enables us to do His work in the world. Chester Weaver explains this through various paired ideas. “Truth walks on two legs.”This is the 183rd episode of Anabaptist Perspectives, a podcast, blog, and YouTube channel that examines various aspects of conservative Anabaptist life and thought. Sign-up for our monthly email newsletter which contains new and featured content!Join us on Patreon or become a website partner to enjoy bonus content!Visit our YouTube channel or connect on Facebook.Read essays from our blog or listen to them on our podcast, Essays for King JesusSubscribe on your podcast provider of choiceSupport us or learn more at anabaptistperspectives.org.The views expressed by our guests are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Anabaptist Perspectives or Wellspring Mennonite Church.

Anabaptists, like most of American society, are much more conscious of abuse than we were a few decades ago. There have been improvements in how we respond. There have also been changes in our response that are not necessarily for the better. Roseanne Bauman describes the way individuals and churches tended to respond in the past and comments on how responses in our communities have shifted.  Becoming a Church That Cares Well for the Abused: https://www.churchcares.com/  Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment: https://www.netgrace.org/  Anabaptist Awareness Symposium on Sexual Abuse: https://www.anabaptistawareness.org/  From Forgiven to Forgiving: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1949737179/   The Cost of Discipleship: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0684815001/    This is the 182nd episode of Anabaptist Perspectives, a podcast, blog, and YouTube channel that examines various aspects of conservative Anabaptist life and thought. Sign-up for our monthly email newsletter which contains new and featured content!Join us on Patreon or become a website partner to enjoy bonus content!Visit our YouTube channel or connect on Facebook.Read essays from our blog or listen to them on our podcast, Essays for King JesusSubscribe on your podcast provider of choiceSupport us or learn more at anabaptistperspectives.org.The views expressed by our guests are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Anabaptist Perspectives or Wellspring Mennonite Church.

Someone discloses abuse. How do I respond? Roseanne Bauman urges us to honor their courage in speaking, to listen well and talk little, and to connect them to someone who has appropriate experience to walk with them. This is the first in a series of two episodes where Jaran Miller interviews Roseanne about responding to sexual abuse. Becoming a Church That Cares Well for the AbusedGodly Response to Abuse in the Christian EnvironmentAnabaptist Awareness Symposium on Sexual AbuseThis is the 181st episode of Anabaptist Perspectives, a podcast, blog, and YouTube channel that examines various aspects of conservative Anabaptist life and thought. Sign-up for our monthly email newsletter which contains new and featured content!Join us on Patreon or become a website partner to enjoy bonus content!Visit our YouTube channel or connect on Facebook.Read essays from our blog or listen to them on our podcast, Essays for King JesusSubscribe on your podcast provider of choiceSupport us or learn more at anabaptistperspectives.org.The views expressed by our guests are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Anabaptist Perspectives or Wellspring Mennonite Church.

Is it unhealthy to celebrate something that lifts up individuals or that marks a division among believers? How do we view Anabaptist history in relation to other Christian traditions? Long-time Mennonite historian John Roth calls us to “right remembering” of history, the good, the bad, and the mixed. There is much to celebrate in Anabaptism past and present, but we do well to recognize the shadow sides of our strengths as well as what we have received from other traditions. Learn more about Anabaptism at 500 and the Anabaptist Community Bible Project.This is the 180th episode of Anabaptist Perspectives, a podcast, blog, and YouTube channel that examines various aspects of conservative Anabaptist life and thought. Sign-up for our monthly email newsletter which contains new and featured content!Join us on Patreon or become a website partner to enjoy bonus content!Visit our YouTube channel or connect on Facebook.Read essays from our blog or listen to them on our podcast, Essays for King JesusSubscribe on your podcast provider of choiceSupport us or learn more at anabaptistperspectives.org.The views expressed by our guests are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Anabaptist Perspectives or Wellspring Mennonite Church.

The gospel is about all that God created us to be. Not just managing sin, but living life with God and ruling creation with Him. Without downplaying the barrier of our sin that is overcome in Jesus’ death and resurrection, Kyle Stoltzfus urges us to see the large, rich picture that God has in mind for our living “in Christ.”  In light of that, our practical struggle against sinful actions, becomes a fight for our true selves which are found in Christ. The phrase "gospel of sin management" and the analogy of the barcode come from Dallas Willard’s book, The Divine Conspiracy.This is the 179th episode of Anabaptist Perspectives, a podcast, blog, and YouTube channel that examines various aspects of conservative Anabaptist life and thought. Sign-up for our monthly email newsletter which contains new and featured content!Join us on Patreon or become a website partner to enjoy bonus content!Visit our YouTube channel or connect on Facebook.Read essays from our blog or listen to them on our podcast, Essays for King JesusSubscribe on your podcast provider of choiceSupport us or learn more at anabaptistperspectives.org.The views expressed by our guests are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Anabaptist Perspectives or Wellspring Mennonite Church.

“We don’t get to choose what story we are living in, but we can choose what character we will be.” New Testament scholar Paul Lamicela helps us see ourselves in the story of Lot’s family in Sodom and the story of David and Goliath. (Hint, we are not primarily David or Goliath in that story!) Also discussed is how Jesus saw Himself in the story of Israel in the wilderness.  If you enjoyed this episode, check out Paul’s stimulating overview of Galatians.Redeemed from the Present Evil Age —YouTube —PodcastSee Paul’s website for more information on his course “Understanding the Biblical Storyline,” as well as his course on Galatians.  This is the 178th episode of Anabaptist Perspectives, a podcast, blog, and YouTube channel that examines various aspects of conservative Anabaptist life and thought. Sign-up for our monthly email newsletter which contains new and featured content!Join us on Patreon or become a website partner to enjoy bonus content!Visit our YouTube channel or connect on Facebook.Read essays from our blog or listen to them on our podcast, Essays for King JesusSubscribe on your podcast provider of choiceSupport us or learn more at anabaptistperspectives.org.The views expressed by our guests are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Anabaptist Perspectives or Wellspring Mennonite Church.

Twain’s biting satire exposes the temptation to think God is on “our side” of a war. Sadly, Mark Twain himself was not a believer, but his insight into Christian hypocrisy and the perversions that come with tying religion to nationalist or imperial causes is well worth listening to. Let’s follow the Lord of peace and flee all attempts to enlist God in human war-mongering. The War Prayer is in the public domain and the text can be found online. https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_War_Prayer  This is the 177th episode of Anabaptist Perspectives, a podcast, blog, and YouTube channel that examines various aspects of conservative Anabaptist life and thought. Sign-up for our monthly email newsletter which contains new and featured content!Join us on Patreon or become a website partner to enjoy bonus content!Visit our YouTube channel or connect on Facebook.Read essays from our blog or listen to them on our podcast, Essays for King JesusSubscribe on your podcast provider of choiceSupport us or learn more at anabaptistperspectives.org.The views expressed by our guests are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Anabaptist Perspectives or Wellspring Mennonite Church.

 “There is nothing, nothing harder to do in my life than church.” Dean Taylor responds to audience comments on deep disappointment with Anabaptism and on difficulties in understanding the bible due to textual complications and lack of historical context. We will often be surprised at the results if we are willing to be humbly and honestly up front with our church leaders. Dean also argues for the trustworthiness of what is known as the “Majority Text” or “Byzantine Text” of the New Testament. These comments came in response to the inaugural episode of Anabaptist Perspectives. https://anabaptistperspectives.org/episodes/the-essence-of-anabaptism  In a previous episode Dean responded to questions about Baptism, Communion, and taking the Bible straightforwardly. https://anabaptistperspectives.org/episodes/without-a-complicated-interpretation  This is the 176th episode of Anabaptist Perspectives, a podcast, blog, and YouTube channel that examines various aspects of conservative Anabaptist life and thought. Sign-up for our monthly email newsletter which contains new and featured content!Join us on Patreon or become a website partner to enjoy bonus content!Visit our YouTube channel or connect on Facebook.Read essays from our blog or listen to them on our podcast, Essays for King JesusSubscribe on your podcast provider of choiceSupport us or learn more at anabaptistperspectives.org.The views expressed by our guests are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Anabaptist Perspectives or Wellspring Mennonite Church.