Just about every week of the year there's a Christian conference or lectureship going on somewhere.

As this style of event has steadily grown, it seems necessary to stop to ask a few questions about what the intended effects are, if they're being met, and if any negative side effects are presenting themselves. We discuss:

00:00 - Introduction and disclaimers
04:10 - The great blessings
15:33 - The cross-examination
28:16 - The keynote speaker vs. the local preacher
32:45 - Don't discount local fellowship and worship
42:06 - Is more preaching our biggest need?
51:53 - Think Fast: Why the Coldplay Couple went so viral

With Will Harrub, Jack Wilkie, and Joe Wilkie

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A CEO gets caught with the wrong woman at a concert... and next thing you know, they're the main characters of the internet. Why was this such a viral moment, and what can we learn from it?
We discuss on this week's Think Fast!

With Will Harrub, Jack Wilkie, and Joe Wilkie
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Controversy is brewing in Waco, TX as Chip and Joanna Gaines' new show features a homosexual "family." We discuss

00:00 - The issue, the backlash, and the response
12:13 - The problem with normalizing sinful behavior
23:08 - How to associate with a world that rejects God
26:40- The pitfalls of Christian celebrity
37:34 - The false Gospel of niceness and how to "love the sinner"
46:55 - The importance of reestablishing Christian confidence

With Will Harrub and Jack Wilkie
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We discuss some alarming statistics about young people's failure to reach milestones like marriage, childbearing, home ownership, and more, along with how it got this way and what the church can do about it.

Chapters:

00:00 - Intro and research
07:09 - Discussing the causes
15:17 - Feminism's influence
27:03 - Economic factors
30:27 - Priorities for young men
41:30 - Re-centering marriage
51:34 - Think Fast: AI Goes Rogue

With Will Harrub, Jack Wilkie, and Joe Wilkie

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Grok, the AI chatbot found on Elon Musk's X, went off script recently, calling itself "MechaHitler, questioning the holocaust, and more.

We discuss the lessons to be taken for Christians and their usage of AI

Catch the full episode of Think Deeper on Monday, 7/14!

With Will Harrub, Jack Wilkie, and Joe Wilkie

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We revisit one of our oldest takes with a look at the place of reverence in Vacation Bible School, but also in. worship and other church activities.

With Will Harrub, Jack Wilkie, and Joe Wilkie

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We continue our examination of critiques from former church of Christ members, including a lengthy look at the Command, Example, Necessary Inference method of application that drives most church teaching.

00:00 - Intro
04:30 - The thief on the cross
06:55 - Attendance requirements
13:03 - Are women oppressed in the church?
19:00 - CENI and the Silence of Scripture, the two big principles
25:17 - The need for balance28:18 - Alternatives to CENI
31:20 - Do we mirror the early church?
40:00 - How much does opinion and personal interpretation factor in to our doctrines?
49:00 - Are we inconsistent in applying CENI?

With Will Harrub, Jack Wilkie, and Joe Wilkie

Referenced: Thats Jesus Channel, Reddit r/excoc
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We dive in to online critiques of the churches of Christ from former members and weigh which arguments have some validity and which ones are way off.

Chapters
00:00 - Intro and disclaimers
04:07 - An "Indoctrination" problem?
10:18 - Reasons people leave the church
19:42 - Are Christians judgmental?
26:20 - Arguing over Easter
30:35 - "We only follow the Bible"
34:38 - Conservative purity spiraling
39:19 - Pushed out by politics
46:05 - No debates allowed
48:40 - The pull of a capella worship
51:47 - Think Fast: Supreme Court Upholds Ban on Trans Treatment for Minors

With Will Harrub, Jack Wilkie, and Joe Wilkie

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Visit us at focuspress.org and join us for the Deep End by signing up at focuspress.org/plus