King & Culture

We were privileged to have Dr. Wayne Grudem kickoff our CONTEND class this year. He shared the opening lecture he'd ordinarily give for his Systematic Theology classes he taught at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and Phoenix Seminary. 

Seth and Luke discuss the nature of culture, political idolatry, revival, when we need (and don't need) to be balanced, and what being a Christian in the public square could look like in the next season. Other Relevant Episodes: Ep 108 Culture Warring Ep 94 Life in a Negative World Ep 91 Trust Not in Princes Ep 86 Patriotism w/ Dan Darling Ep 80 Psychedelics and Jesus w/ Ashley Lande Ep 74 Christi...

In this bonus episode, Luke is interviewed by his wife, Molly. They talk about his experiences in baseball, childhood acting, movies, music, advice for young dads, the journey to becoming a pastor, planting a church, and more. This conversation was recorded with a live audience at the Summer Scoop at Ironwood Church.

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Seth and Luke discuss the nature of the unseen realm, angels, and the demonic. How do they interact with us in our daily lives? Could these extraterrestrial beings be understood to be aliens?

Seth and Luke discuss the nature and need for "doing theology" in addition to doing Bible Study. Why do we care about creeds? Why do we need summary statements for our beliefs? CONTEND

Luke and Seth dicsuss the origins, uses, and purposes of what's been called "the seven deadly sins." Are there only seven deadly sins? Isn't all sin deadly? Why these seven? What is the difference between vices and sins, virtues and holiness? Glittering Vices Vices Tree image download

Luke and Seth discuss the joy and delight of children, why some are prone to view them as interuptions and burdens, and what must happen in our hearts if we are to rightly view children as gifts and blessings.

In this bonus episode, Luke interviews his wife, Molly. They talk about swimming, sports, growing up, her faith story, going back to work, being a pastor's wife, and more. This conversation was recorded with a live audience at the Summer Scoop at Ironwood Church.

Luke and Seth discuss The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. What is a Christian? Where do we agree with the LDS Church and where do we disagree? How significant and meaningful are the differences? A Tale of Two Stories Three Questions to Ask Your Mormon Friends Ten Most Important Things to Say to a Mormon

Seth and guest Dr. John Meade discuss the history of the Bible, why Roman Catholics have extra books in their bibles, and issues related to how the New Testament authors quote the Old Testament in ways that, on the surface, seem like a problem.  _________ Buy Scribes & Scripture Book - https://a.co/d/e6XqpB1 Visit Scribes & Scripture Website -  https://textandcanon.org

Seth and guest Dr. Peter Gurry discuss New Testament manuscripts, textual variants, scribal errors, and challenges Christians may face in holding to the belief that the Scriptures are without error in the original writings. Can you say your ESV Bible is God's Word? Do the writers of the gospels contradict each other? How should we think about the section in Scripture that are bracketed off in our...

Luke and Seth discuss how demonic powers typically operate, the nature of "culture" and "war," and different approaches Christians take to establishing and contending for norms at various levels. Should Christians engage in "culture war"? If so, how?

Luke, Seth, and guest Brad Edwards discuss The Reason for Church, Brad's new book, and various reasons why it's harder than ever to convince people that the local church is a good thing, sometimes even harder to convince them that Jesus is God or that he's risen from the dead. Why does local church matter? Why does belonging to the body of Christ matter? How does digital technology make local chur...

Seth and Luke discuss the good side and bad side of comparing yourself to others, letting the tenth commandment serve as a guide. What is envy? How do we fight it? When is being motivated by the success of other's productive or destructive?

Luke and Seth discuss the wisdom literature and how to apply it to various seasons of life. Wisdom, or skill, is seasonal and contextual. How do we apply the Song of Songs? What dangers are there if we apply the book of Ecclesiastes too quickly? Can we run before we walk when it comes to wisdom?

Luke, Seth, and guest Kyle Worley discuss the doctrine of our Union with Christ. Kyle's new book focuses on how you and I are invited to live at home with God in Christ Jesus. Union with Christ is one of the most unbelievable and overlooked realities of Christian salvation. Home With God

Seth and Luke discuss the Roman Catholic Church, looking at places where there is agreement and disagreement with Evangelical Protestantism. Issues like Scripture, tradition, Mary, sacraments, eucharist, the Pope, and justification all factor into how we make sense of the points of overlap and departure. Referenced books: Was the Reformation A Mistake , What It Means to Be Protestant

Seth and Luke tackle more of the questions that were submitted during Ask Anything. They tackle these questions: • What is the church's structure for leadership and accountability from a leadership perspective with the pastors and elders? And how does the church approach addressing unrepentant sin within the leadership and/or within the body? • We hear from men from preaching on Sundays. Where are...

Luke, Seth, and guest Patrick Miller dicuss different ways Christians can respond to being outsiders and exiles in the midst of our complex cultural realities. Patrick gives us six practical ways that Christians can seek the welfare of the dark world into which we've been sent all while maintaining a joyful rather than fussy disposition. https://joyfuloutsiders.com

Seth and Luke take a few minutes to reflect on the origins of the podcast as they reflect on 100 episodes. Then they talk through Ironwood Church's conviction about "Christ & Culture," which forms much of the approach to the King & Culture podcast. Read the conviction statement here: https://www.ironwoodchurch.org/doctrine Finally, they discuss the future of the podcast, how they approach...

Luke and Seth talk about the sermon series that will occupy much of 2025 — the book of Hebrews. Luke shares about the process for deciding what to preach and arranging the preaching calendar, and then they discuss the key themes, authorship, favorite passages, and other hopes for Ironwood as we explore this remarkable book. For more resources on Hebrews, visit the article on the Ironwood website:...

Luke, Seth, and guest Trevin Wax discuss various strategies and approaches to connecting with God in a meaningful and reugular way in prayer. They explore the merits of strcuture and routine while considering the issues tha arise if we simply view time with God as self-improvement project or a life-hack. Gospel Coalition: Trevin Wax 30 Days Series books

Seth and Luke explore the tensions of Advent. While so much of the Christmas season seems happy and bright, it's also filled with loss and disappointment.  They also explore how the early church approached the Advent season in comparison to how most of us think of it. Whether you're in a season of joy or sorrow, this episode will help you lean into Jesus as you wait for His return.

Seth and Luke consider plagues that infect all of our lives: entitlement and cynicism. Though we have so much, we are often so unhappy — grumbling and complaining about all that doesn't go the way we want. Even Christians are susceptible to this dynamic. How can we pursue a different way that allows us to shine in a dark world? By pursuing a life and practices of gratitude and thanksgiving. Seth s...