There are common and erroneous assumptions about what happens when one turns to Christ: a) Life immediately gets happier. b) Life gets easier. c) All of one's questions and doubts are erased. In this honest conversation Mark and I talk through different angles about what faith and doubt each are. Why do new (or even seasoned) believers get sidelined and De-convert? Why is it problematic to put all your hopes and dreams in a church, pastor, or spouse? What happened to Mark's mother when she turned to Christ? How did that re-direct her focus and energy? There are many assumptions made about both faith and doubt, so we want to be open and honest together on these lines. Oh, and, how is it that doubt can actually be a good thing? Come think and laugh with us!

Secularists in America express great fear about Christians who bring their faith into the public square, "they want us to live under a theocracy!" But it is an illegitimate fear. It was Christians, first and foremost, in America who learned to push back against the idolatry of the State and it is Christians who, stemming from a committed moral compass, don't want the state to work immorality (not even for doctrinal ends). My friend Mark and I talk through the ins and outs of theocracy, values, beliefs, morals, and doctrines as we consider how to foster a Christian presence—a seasoning of the nation—into play.

Progressive churches no longer even care about Scriptural authority. Conservatives, when they say things like, "we no longer need to adhere to the Old Testament," are equally dismissing the Bible's authority. So, why, why does that authority matter? In this conversational cast o' the pod Mark and I work through various layers concerning the authority of Scripture. What's the difference between inerrancy and infallibility? What takes place between the Old and New Testaments that shows remarkable unity? How is it possible to render the Bible's impact null and void? How can we know the Bible is not propaganda? Come think and laugh with the two of us!

Redemption is a stock in trade Christian word. But what does redemption really mean? Mark and I talk through various biblical categories, examples, misunderstandings, and bad caricatures of redemption. On the latter, many church folk think that Christian salvation is death to the self and so, across two thousand years, all manner of bad doctrine has been spun out. Still more, the way the Bible presents it, redemption is a dynamic that wants to move into all of life. Too frequently American Christians stop at "getting saved." But redemption goes much deeper, moves beyond a one-time confession, and is actually the goal for the entire cosmos. Come laugh and think with us!

On Friday the 13th I had to get a pacemaker! In this episode I describe what led up to that, what the entire experience was like, how I was treated by the medical community, and share specifics about my spiritual state during the entire event. Because it was a life-threatening incident I also share what things stood out to me during the process. Let me share with you how good King Jesus was to me throughout the ordeal.