REVERENT AND REBELLIOUS

Today we're talking about the next wave in the Christian ecosystem - the Restoration Movement. While Baptists are Baptist-ing and Lutherans are Lutheran-ing, two groups of people in two different regions notice something alarming. The Church is drifting, they say! They care more about their creeds and confessions than they do about Scripture! These two highly evangelistic - back-to-the-Bible m...

Today we look at the next wave of development in the Christian landscape as people read their Bibles for themselves - become more and more curious - and diverse strains of theology emerge. It begins with the Anabaptists, who are certain about their ideas of baptism. So certain - they're willing to die for it - and sometimes kill for it! They are truly revolutionary, and are seen by the rest of...

We continue our series on Christian denominations. In the last 2 episodes, we saw the rise of Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation - then the three movements that arose out of it - Lutherans, Anglicans, and our friends the Reformed Tradition. Now we see new strains of theology arise as Christians begin to wrestle with controversial doctrines - new revelation - and diverse understandings of...

In today's episode, we explore the Christian landscape as more and more people, churches, and countries move away from Catholicism and into the great unknown! Many follow Martin Luther, but as theological thinking begins to broaden, many pastors, thinkers, and scholars in regions beyond Germany - Switzerland - France - Belgium and others - start to expand and build upon the radical principles...

Today we are talking about the greatest shakeup in the Christian Church since Paul took a tumble off his horse on the way to Damascus! We're talking about the Protestant Reformation and some of the denominations that arose out of that incredible series of events. We're going to meet a few of our early heroes who got the ball rolling - and THE hero - the OG himself - Martin Luther! We take...

There is ONE worldwide Christian Church - right? Our Bible says it - ONE Lord - ONE faith - ONE baptism - ONE God and Father of all! Jesus prayed for us - that they may be ONE! There should be ONE unified belief system that all Christians everywhere agree on - and live by - right? Not so much. There are certain core beliefs that Christians everywhere adhere to - but from there it gets crazy! Every...

Today we tackle the big question head-on. Did Jesus - a legit historical person who lived in the 1st century - who was all the way dead - really physically rise from the dead? Is it all just myth - legend - conjecture - or did it actually happen? Because if it did - if Jesus really appeared to hundreds of people alive - it confronts us with some real-life issues we have to wrestle with - and recon...

EASTER - it's all about Sunday, right? You get up early - go to the Sunrise service - have a light breakfast - then go to the Easter Celebration service where you sing Up From the Grave He Arose - and then gather with friends and family to enjoy the Easter ham. That's it, right? Not so fast! In today's episode, we discover that for early Christians - and many others throughout the worl...

Welcome to Ep. #26 of REVERENT and REBELLIOUS! This week we kick off a miniseries focused on Easter. Throughout the series we'll get into the uncertainties, skepticism, and criticisms of the greatest event in human history - the physical resurrection of Jesus - but today we wanted to start with something light. A little more fun. Today we ask the question - where did all these secular myths, f...

This is a hot topic! And - a delicate one. Other than spirituality and human-family connection, no other force on earth defines us and drives us more than sexuality. It is an integral facet of our core being, and these days there is an absolute firestorm around the issue of human sexuality. There are now many different expressions of sexuality - different identities and orientations - it's eno...

WARNING! This episode contains thoughtful and carefully researched Biblical content! It may challenge your worldview and shake your traditions - maybe even upset your apple cart! What do we do with the WOMEN in the CHURCH? The strong - capable - gifted - spiritually seasoned - called by God Christian WOMEN? Can they be teachers - elders - leaders - preachers - even (gasp!) PASTORS? Or are they rel...

Gambling is a sin! Right? That's what we've always heard. It's taking risks - being wreckless - wasting God's money! Not so fast! It turns out - just as in all the instances and ways Jesus taught about money - the most dangerous and volatile substance you carry around with you every day - it's not a money issue - it's a HEART issue. What is your fixation - preoccupation - w...

Why should the devil have all the good music? Is it true? In today's episode, we examine the delicate, sometimes fragile - even acrimonious relationship between secular culture and all things divine. We've read it - to be friends with the world is to be enemies of God. But - we're also supposed to be IN the world - just not OF the world. Where is the line? How separate should we be? An...

This is a slightly different episode. Today we are talking about basic human instinct - the lust of the eyes - the desire of the flesh. We all experience it. It's baked into our human nature! We notice beauty. We are attracted to people we find sexually attractive! When taken to the extreme, it can lead to abuse - exploitation - objectification - and worse! As people of faith, we agree that de...

It's everywhere these days! They call it body art - personal adornment - a creative expression! My uncle used to say it's ugly - only for sailors and gang members. Leviticus says "Do not cut your body for the dead - nor make any tattoo marks on yourselves." What are we supposed to think about ink - or hoops - studs - belly button rings? And what about cosmetic surgery - body modi...

Watch your mouth! Did you ever hear that? We Christians have some rigid standards when it comes to the way we talk and the words we use - or are forbidden to use! Where did that come from? The 10 Commandments of course! Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain! But is that what it really means? What about the S word - F word - or any other questionable word that might come flying out of yo...

You've probably heard about YOGA - and TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION. They're everywhere! Every gym has a yoga studio, or at least a class or two. Those who practice them - or teach them - claim to experience a multitude of health benefits - stress relief - anxiety relief - mental clarity - enhanced creativity. On today's episode, we ask the question. Are YOGA and TM compatible with Christ...

In this episode, we continue our series on TABOOS - dos and don'ts of the Christian world. Some say they're a bunch of rules and regulations meant to keep people in line - others say they're helpful guardrails to keep us from harming ourselves - and help us walk in closer fellowship with God. Which is it? That's what we're wrestling with in this series. Today we're talking...

What better way to start a new year than with some old-fashioned dos and don'ts? Over the centuries the Christian Church has come up with lots of well-intentioned regulations - most of which were designed to set us apart from the world - to help us live righteous - dare I say holy lives! However - many of them did not age well. Questions have been raised. Many have come to see Christianity as...

In today's episode, we look back at 2023 - the highlights - and the lowlights - and ask ourselves: if 2023 had a personality - what would that personality be? The answers are telling - and hilarious! Then we turn our gaze to the future - bold predictions and hot takes on 2024! Finally - we unveil the truth and meaning behind the most important event on the church calendar that almost nobody ce...

There has been much debate, discussion, and disagreement about the exact date of Jesus' birth. Was it really December 25th? Spoiler alert - NO! In this episode - with the help of some compelling recent research and discovery - we track through history - and the heavens - to state with what we believe is pinpoint accuracy - the year and day Christ came into this world! Prepare to have your sens...

So much of our understanding of the events surrounding the birth of Jesus has been formed by tradition - or assumption - or by popular culture. Today we take a deep dive into the classic birth narrative from Scripture - Matthew and Luke - and examine all the details with a critical eye. Was Jesus born in a stable? Were the cattle really "lowing"? What's with all the angels? And just...

In today's conversation, we dig into all things SANTA! Where did this jolly old elf come from, and how has he captured the hearts and attention of the entire planet? Did you know - Father Christmas has a decidedly Christian origin - dating back to the 3rd century? How did this crazy combination of history and legend spread across the world and become such a part of the fabric of our Christmas...

Boy - over the past few years, Christmas has taken a bashing! It's just a re-tooled version of Saturnalia - Sol Invictus! The Christmas tree is a pagan symbol - Winter Solstice - blah blah! Today we kick off a 4-week series on Christmas. What are its origins? Why December 25? How did Santa get tied up in all of this? Is the Silent Night - Holy Night - picture-perfect Nativity scene genuine? Jo...

Today the R&R boys tackle a huge phenomenon - near-death and out-of-body experiences ! This is huge - because literally hundreds of thousands of these are reported every year - in spaces and places all around the globe! Books have been written - movies have been made - all about people who have died and somehow been resuscitated. They have some amazing and sometimes terrifying experiences - an...