August marked three years of the Resident Strangers podcast! To kick things off, Steve, Rich, and Sarah take a little time to reminisce about how the podcast started, what they’ve learned along the way, and even how Sarah fumbled through the first few recordings after having quite a bit of dental work done. 😂

From there, we go back to one of the reasons this podcast exists in the first place: theology. What is it, and why should Christians care about it?

Theology is the study of God and the things of God. Rich makes the bold claim that everyone is a theologian. The real question is, how good of a theologian are you? If we claim to follow God, we should want to know Him more throughout our entire lives.

The conversation explores the difference between knowing the Bible as a resource and knowing the Bible as a way to know God Himself. Steve reminds us that Jesus continually brought people back to who He was and humanity’s need for salvation, and that’s at the heart of theology.

Rich also breaks down several approaches to theology, including systematic, biblical, historical, philosophical, and practical theology. Along the way, the crew talks about why understanding God’s character matters, how our assumptions about God can get us into trouble, and why Scripture is about so much more than finding a quick devotional thought.

Our theology shapes how we live, how we see God, and how we bear His image in the world. We hope this conversation leaves you more passionate about knowing the Bible, not simply to know about God, but to know God Himself.

Other episodes relating to this topic (audio only):

Episode 10, Theology Triage

Episode 50, The problem with Systematic Theology

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Questions or comments? Email residentstrangers@dscchurch.com

If you’ve enjoyed today’s episode, we’d be so grateful if you’d subscribe and leave a review as it really helps us reach more people with this message. We’d also love it if you’d share the podcast with your friends, on social media, or anywhere you connect with others. Join us again next Tuesday as we continue the discussion on how to think like a Christian in this foreign world.

What if your family was designed to be one of the primary places where your children learn what it looks like to follow Jesus?

This week, we continue our conversation on family by looking at the biblical role of parents as the first and primary disciplers of their children. Steve takes us to Deuteronomy 6 and explores how God intended faith to be woven into the everyday rhythms of family life, not simply something reserved for Sundays.

We talk about the idea that faith is often caught more than it is taught, why discipleship of children shouldn't be outsourced to the church, and what it looks like to intentionally make the things of God part of your family’s everyday life. We also talk about the important role the church family plays in shaping our kids through relationships with other families, mentors, and disciplers.

Steve even shares personally about the people within the church who played that role in his own children’s lives.

This episode is full of practical wisdom and plenty to think about as you consider how your family is growing together in faith. Grab your coffee, take some notes, and join the conversation!

Our Faith Legacy resource

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Questions or comments? Email residentstrangers@dscchurch.com

If you’ve enjoyed today’s episode, we’d be so grateful if you’d subscribe and leave a review as it really helps us reach more people with this message. We’d also love it if you’d share the podcast with your friends, on social media, or anywhere you connect with others. Join us again next Tuesday as we continue the discussion on how to think like a Christian in this foreign world.

What is God’s design for family? And is there a purpose behind it?

Steve starts by making one thing clear: marriage and family are not human constructs; they are God’s intentional design. Genesis 1 gives us the overarching picture of creation, telling us that God created humanity, male and female, in His image. Then Genesis 2 zooms in, showing that men and women were created with distinct purposes and designed to work together.

Scripture is clear that marriage is one of the most significant relationships we have, and from marriage comes family. Sarah points out that the pain we experience from broken family systems may actually point us back to the fact that marriage and family are God-given. There is something deeply woven into what it means to be human that finds fulfillment within the context of family.

So, what does that mean for the roles of husbands and wives? There’s plenty of discussion around this, but Steve reminds us that God doesn’t give us ultra-specific instructions for how men and women should divide up every day-to-day responsibility. Instead, much of it comes down to a husband and wife seeking the Lord together, walking in unity, and living as one. The conversation continues next week, so make plans to join us again next Tuesday!

Watch Resident Strangers on YouTube 🎥

Sign up for the Resident Strangers email list

Questions or comments? Email residentstrangers@dscchurch.com

If you’ve enjoyed today’s episode, we’d be so grateful if you’d subscribe and leave a review as it really helps us reach more people with this message. We’d also love it if you’d share the podcast with your friends, on social media, or anywhere you connect with others. Join us again next Tuesday as we continue the discussion on how to think like a Christian in this foreign world.