Ron Johnson Discipleship Podcast

On Reformation Sunday, November 6, 1932, Dietrich Bonhoffer stood in the pulpit of the leading church in all of Germany and delivered a prophetic call for the church to return to Jesus, her first love. The fiery church of Luther was gone. In its place was a Christianity void of Christ! Bonhoeffer called it "cheap grace." If the Church did not arise as the true Church of Jesus Christ, but...

In his book, Letter to the American Church, Eric Metaxes asks, "How is it that so many in the American Church of our time have shrunk back from public engagement, and quietly assented to the decidedly unbiblical—and decidedly un-American and unconstitutional—view that the truth of God is not applicable beyond the churches?" We discuss the reason for the Church's retreat from relevance in...

The pandemic exposed a great deal of ambiguity concerning the role of the Church. Many pastors and their congregations were confused over where to find their marching orders. Do we blindly comply with the directives of unelected "health experts?" Are we called to follow the orders of the State? The parallels between the German church during the rise of Hitler and the passive and impotent...

Patriotism has fallen on hard times in America. Perhaps it's because we are more divided than ever over what it means to love our country. One side of the ideological camp focuses on all of the great things America has done throughout history. The other side seems to only focus on her faults. However, to truly love America, we must somehow see both sides simultaneously. We do not fail to see the s...

The concept of American exceptionalism is controversial largely because it is tragically misunderstood.  Is America exceptional? If so, what is so special about America? What sets us apart from all of the nations of the world? Why is this understanding so critical if we hope to steward and sustain the republic we have been given?

How important is the character of our leaders if we hope to keep the fragile republic of ordered freedoms entrusted to us? Many today conveniently compartmentalize a leader's character from his/her competencies. One's ability to "get the job done" is really all that matters. Who cares about a leader's personal indiscretions! Our Founders saw things differently. Characterless leaders unde...

Heroes are vitally important to the health of any nation. When Saul and Jonathan were killed in battle, David composed a funeral song and commanded that it be taught to the people of Israel. He wanted future generations to know of the heroic sacrifices of these men. Why? Because heroes inspire us. Heroic examples call forth from us a powerful desire to be good and great and heroic ourselves. They...

What united a loosely connected group of individual colonies into a single people with a common identity as Americans? The answer: George Whitefield and the First Great Awakening. After three decades of anointed, tireless preaching, a remarkable 80% of the population of the American colonies experienced Whitefield's ministry at least once. The impact was profound. His preaching served as a great s...

Americans are freedom loving people! Our founding Fathers did a magnificent job securing our liberty by winning the Revolution. They secured and ordered those liberties by giving us a Constitution. The real issue before us now is how do we sustain the precious freedoms we have inherited? We discuss a powerful idea called "The Golden Triangle of Freedom." It's the secret sauce of sustaina...

Today we begin our discussion of Eric Metaxas' best-selling book, _If You Can Keep It: The Forgotten Promise of American Liberty. _In 1776 a nation was formed in a way that was absolutely unique in human history. It was something entirely new: the nation as an idea. It was nothing more and nothing less than this singular idea that held America and Americans together, and the idea in which they bel...

Some have suggested that America is in her twilight. The sun is setting, and darkness is quickly encroaching. Are we doomed to a future of moral debauchery and depravity? What we are witnessing is the fruit of a godless, materialistic worldview which reduces people to biochemical machines. We are simply the products of our chemistry and environment. Life is ultimately meaningless. Power is the goa...

When Christians share the good news of the gospel with others, especially those from different cultures, we are often accused of being ethnocentric or imperialistic. Our modern culture chides us for thinking one culture might be doing things better than another culture. Who are we to impose our values on others! Cultures should be judged by their own standards. Our biblical exclusivism, thinking t...

While we prepare to celebrate another national birthday, it's important to understand the cause for American strength and stability. Thankfully, America is not a democracy, because democracies don't last long. Our founders opted for a constitutional republic which required both the people and their rulers be constrained by the rule of law. And it was God's law, immutable and transcendent, which fo...

Why are some nations so poor and others so rich? Do cultural beliefs and values condemn whole cultures to poverty? Does inner wealth produce material wealth? What type of worldview is necessary to inspire engineers and entrepreneurs to create labor saving devices to serve the poor and needy? What is the Protestant work ethic and how did it lead to unparalleled prosperity in the West? Today we expl...

Compassionate care for the sick, the weak and the elderly has become a hallmark of America. Why is this the case? Other worldviews show little concern for the weak and infirmed. Medical knowledge alone does not create a caring, compassionate culture. It was the Bible that revealed God as “the Father of mercies and God of all comfort.” Jesus became the Messiah for the sick, the sorrowing and the su...

Four decades after the failed French Revolution, Alexis de Tocqueville, a French magistrate, came to the United States seeking explanations for the success of American democracy. He published his findings in his two-volume classic,  Democracy in America . You might be shocked with his conclusion. He said the chief cause of our "extraordinary prosperity" and "growing power" is due to "the superiori...

Corruption is a cancer to any healthy society. It not only destroys a nation's economy, but it also destroys a people's soul. Empirical data shows that countries most influenced by the Bible are the least corrupt. Why is this true? And is there any hope for America as the headlines reveal a nation steeped in corruption, sexual perversion and a host of other social maladies? We discuss the parallel...

In our American culture it is fashionable to pit religion and science as mortal enemies. You can have faith or reason but you can't have both, or so we are told. But this scenario could not be farther from the actual truth. Science did not emerge in a vacuum. There must be faith in the possibility of science. Science grew in the rich soil of a biblical worldview. Scientific investigation depends u...

In this episode I am joined by Seth Gruber. Seth is the CEO and Founder of the White Rose Resistance, and host of the popular podcast "Unaborted." A nationally known human rights activist and sought after speaker, Seth is fighting for a world where every person has the right to be born.  Notes from Seth Gruber's keynote: click here Find out more at https://ron-johnson-discipleship-podca.pinecast.c...

Americans enjoy approximately 6000 different choices in the area of higher education. Globally there are over 25,000 colleges and universities. Education is something open to all and encouraged by all. So how did we reach this place? If you roll back the clock several centuries, you find a completely different landscape. There was a time when global illiteracy was the norm and education was reserv...

The ideas and language of the Bible have radically shaped western civilization. This is why a knowledge of the Scriptures is absolutely essential to understand both English literature and the ideas that have shaped American culture. So why is this the case? What makes the Bible so unique when compared to the writings of other cultures and historical periods? The Bible's impact on literature made i...

Why is it that for many Americans the word "nationalism" has become a word of derision? What's wrong with having a love for one's country? In today's podcast we'll discuss the biblical origins of the concept of nation-states and the value of biblical nationalism. Nations are actually the invention of a sovereign God and serve as a vital barrier to global totalitarianism. The Bible, translated into...

The Bible is the best-selling book of all time. Most Americans own a copy or two. But did you know the Bible we enjoy today is covered in the blood and sacrifice of many reformers who were willing to die for the Truth it proclaims? Why would kings and popes execute anyone who attempted to translate the Bible into the language of the people? Why would men like Wycliffe, Tyndale, Luther and Calvin s...

Heroes. We all have them. But what determines the heroes of a given culture? In short, what is deemed heroic is based upon what a culture values. Prior to the life of Jesus, heroes were people who had the power to conquer and dominate others. Men like Alexander the Great and Augustus Caesar come to mind. However, the cross of Christ changed everything. Jesus replaced brutality with love, and pride...

Why did the West begin using our minds to do what most cultures do with their muscles?umanizing technology came from biblical theology. It's the f  In ther words, why can you still see women in certain parts of the world hauling water on their heads? As we discuss today, h ruit of a biblical worldview. Only a society with a theological climate that values human dignity begins using technology as a...