Jen Wilkin, JT English, and Kyle Worley are joined by Ian Harber to have a conversation about deconstruction in the Christian faith.

Questions Covered in This Episode:

• Is deconstruction good?
• What is deconstruction?
• What are some common examples?
• What is your personal story of deconstruction?
• How is your faith different from what it was before your deconstruction journey?
• Is there such a thing as healthy and unhealthy doubt?
• How can we be a good companion to those going through a season of deconstruction?
• It seems like many instances of deconstruction are tied in some way to the desire to dismiss or circumvent the clear biblical teaching on sexuality and/or gender - am I off on this? If not, how does that shape our engagement with those deconstructing?
• What would you want to tell someone who is going through a deconstruction journey?

Helpful Definitions:

• Deconstruction: Is a crisis of faith that leads to the questioning of core doctrines and the untangling of cultural ideologies that settles in a faith different from before.

Guest Bio:

Ian Harber is the Director for Communications and Marketing at Mere Orthodoxy, author of Walking Through Deconstruction, and a graduate of the Deep Discipleship Program. With a B.A. in Communication Theory from Dallas Baptist University, he has done marketing for nonprofits, churches, and small businesses for 10 years. Ian lives in Denton, TX with his wife Katie, and two sons, Ezra and Alastair. Follow him on Twitter, Instagram, and Threads.

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

• 1 Corinthians 3:12-15
• “Walking Through Deconstruction” with Ian Harber
• Deep Discipleship Program

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You can now receive your first seminary class for FREE from Midwestern Seminary after completing Lifeway’s Deep Discipleship curriculum, featuring JT, Jen and Kyle. Learn more at mbts.edu/deepdiscipleship.

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Jen Wilkin, JT English, and Kyle Worley are joined by Ronni Kurtz to discuss the impassability of God.

Questions Covered in This Episode:

• Why this is problematic to say (if it is): God has an emotional life.
• Does God feel?
• Is impassability part of historic Christian doctrine?
• What is true and beautiful about this?
• Are passions and emotions the same thing?
• When we say God is simple, what are we saying?
• What if you don’t feel God’s love?
• What do we lose if we lose impassability?
• As an image bearer, am I supposed to try to be impassable?
• Why is the doctrine of accommodation important to this conversation?

Helpful Definitions:

• Impassable: God is not subject to emotions.
• Passion: Undergoing something.
• Diviven Simplicity: God is not composed of parts.
• Anthropomorphism: God describing himself in creaturely-like parts.
• Anthropopathism: God reveals himself in human emotive language.
• Anthropocronism: God describes himself in human-like time.

Guest Bio:

Ronni Kurtz serves as Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Dr. Kurtz holds a PhD in Systematic Theology, a ThM in Pedagogy, and an MDiv from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He also has a BA in Biblical Studies from Southwest Baptist University. Dr. Kurtz is the author of numerous books and academic articles, including but not limited to Fruitful Theology, Proclaiming the Triune God, and Light Unapproachable.

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

• 1 Peter 2, Romans 6:12, 2 Timothy 2:22, 1 John 4:7, Acts 14, Hebrews 4-5, Philippians 2, Exodus 33, 1 Samuel 15, Exodus 20, Job 4, 1 Samuel 15, Deuteronomy 32, Genesis 6
• Deep Discipleship Program

Follow Us:
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Our Sister Podcast:

Tiny Theologians

Support Training the Church and Become a Patron:

patreon.com/trainingthechurch

You can now receive your first seminary class for FREE from Midwestern Seminary after completing Lifeway’s Deep Discipleship curriculum, featuring JT, Jen and Kyle. Learn more at mbts.edu/deepdiscipleship.

To learn more about our sponsors please visit our sponsor page.

Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co.

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Jen Wilkin, JT English, and Kyle Worley discuss what preaching is and its purpose in the church.

Questions Covered in This Episode:

• Does preaching still matter?
• What is preaching?
• How is preaching different from other forms of teaching in the church?
• Should preaching be a part of corporate worship? What are the core concerns/questions/considerations around this?
• Why is preaching not more formative in the lives of church people?
• Does the Spirit have an ordained means by which God is going to normatively move through his church, or are any means the same?
• What is the purpose of liturgy?
• What's the difference between a regulative and a normative principle of worship?
• How does the regulative principle affect the content of preaching?
• Is the sermon the “high point” of a service?
• What is the proper length of a sermon?
• How much of a service should be devoted to singing?
• What would you characterize as bad or ineffective preaching?
• Is preaching a spiritual gift?
• Is it possible to overemphasize the role of preaching?
• What is the role of teaching?

Helpful Definitions:

• Preaching: Declaring the mighty acts of God, who He is, and what we are to do in response to those things from God's word in the gathering of God's people in corporate worship.
• Regulative: The Bible regulates all that one can do in the corporate worship of a body. If it's not clearly seen in scripture or prohibited, then it can or can’t be done.
• The Bible presents a clear pattern of worship, including preaching, baptism, the Lord's supper, and singing, which should be the normative practices of the body of Christ.

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

• Deep Discipleship Program

Follow Us:
Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Website

Our Sister Podcast:

Tiny Theologians

Support Training the Church and Become a Patron:

patreon.com/trainingthechurch

You can now receive your first seminary class for FREE from Midwestern Seminary after completing Lifeway’s Deep Discipleship curriculum, featuring JT, Jen and Kyle. Learn more at mbts.edu/deepdiscipleship.

To learn more about our sponsors please visit our sponsor page.

Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co.

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