So We Speak

The opening scenes of Genesis evoke numerous questions, but maybe the most important is: what will you do with your guilt and shame? In a recent sermon , Cole preached on the fig leaves in Genesis 3. Cole and Terry discuss this passage and others in the opening pages of the Bible. 

How will Tim Keller be remembered? In previous episodes, Cole and Terry have discussed Keller's series of articles, " The Decline and Renewal of the American Church. " Here, they reflect on the dynamics of renewal in the church and talk about the impact Tim Keller had on their lives and on the church. 

"John Owen was the greatest - and certainly the most formidable - of English Protestant theologians.” So begins Crawford Gribben's book, An Introduction to John Owen, the best introduction to one of the most influential and enduring Christian theologians. But there's more to Owen than his theology. He was a man of the church, served as Vice Chancellor of Oxford, and lived through one of the most t...

In this final episode on the book of Revelation, Terry and Cole discuss the following questions: 1. What does it mean that we will be judged by our deeds and how does this square with salvation by faith? 2. Will there be rewards in heaven?  3. What is your view on Revelation?    Watch the whole Apocalypse series at Crossings Community Church . 

What makes a great worship set? How does God use the planning, preparation, all the different pieces, and promptings in the moment to meet his people in worship? This week Mars Coleman joins the podcast to talk about leading worship, writing songs, and life as a Christian artist.  Follow Mars on his website and on Spotify . 

If we're saved by grace through faith, how were people saved before Jesus's death and resurrection? In this episode, Cole and Terry talk about salvation in the Old Testament, specifically salvation through faith when faith has not yet become sight. 

In this episode, Terry and Cole discuss these questions: 1. How do different views of the end times affect engagement with culture? 2. Does anyone deserve eternal punishment? Is that just?

In this episode, Terry and Cole discuss the following questions:  1. How does the vision of the end times in Islam fit with the picture in Revelation? 2. When Satan is released at the end of the thousand-year reign, who is he deceiving and who is he stirring up to rebellion? 3. In the post-millennial view, who binds Satan?  4. Is the rapture in the Bible? Where does it come from?  Follow the Apoca...

In the third part of this conversation on Stephen Meyer's book Return of the God Hypothesis, Cole and Ben discuss the rebuttals to Meyer's arguments and the future of the faith and science conversation. 

In this episode, Terry and Cole discuss the following questions: Could AI be the anti-Christ? Will there be a literal battle of Armageddon?  Follow the Apocalypse Wednesday night series at Crossings Community Church . 

In this episode, Cole and Terry discuss the following questions: 1. If you get the mark of the beast in order to feed your family will you lose your salvation?  2. How can you know that your name is written in the book of life?    Follow the Apocalypse series on Revelation at Crossings Community Church . 

In the second part of this conversation on Stephen Meyer's book Return of the God Hypothesis, Cole and Ben discuss the central argument of the book: the scientific consensus surrounding the origin of the universe, the design of the universe, and the design of life is best explained by a theistic worldview. 

Questions included in this episode: Why do some manuscripts say the mark of the beast is 616? Can Christians be deceived into getting the mark of the beast? Does the progressive Christianity movement resemble the false prophet? Will Christians fight in the battle of Armageddon?  Follow the Wednesday night Apocalypse series at Crossings Community Church . 

On Thursday of Holy Week, Jesus ate the Passover meal with his disciples in what we now call the "Last Supper." Then he washed the disciples' feet and they went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. But Maundy Thursday gets its name from something else that happened that Thursday. Jesus gave his disciples a "new commandment," or in Latin, a "new mandate" to love one another. This command of love ha...

How confident can we be that Jesus really rose from the dead? Holy Week builds up to Easter, the most important day of the Christian calendar. Jesus rose from the dead. Many have argued that we cannot know if Jesus really rose from the dead. In this episode, Cole and Terry discuss the resurrection and the confidence we can have this Holy Week. 

Do you have to believe everything the Bible says to be a Christian? Should we try to prove the Bible to new converts? Andy Stanley and others have argued that we should unhitch from the Bible and tether our faith to the resurrection. In this episode, Cole and Terry discuss the merits and flaws in this line of reasoning. 

The "unjust manager" is the most difficult of Jesus's parables. Is Jesus telling us to imitate shrewd and dishonest people? What does he mean that children of this world are wiser than the children of the light? Cole and Terry unpack this parable and draw a few lessons for today. 

What ever happened to the new atheists? In the last decade, more scientists are embracing theism not in spite of science, but because of it. In his new book Return of the God Hypothesis, Stephen Meyer discusses the history of science and faith and the strongest scientific arguments for theism. In the first of three episodes, Dr. Ben Williams joins the podcast to discuss the book and the history of...

In this episode, Terry answers the following questions: 1. Is the altar and incense of Exodus 30 the same, at least symbolically, as the altar and incense of Revelation 8:3? 2. In Revelation 7:13 the 144,000  and multitude in white robes - Are these the same people as in Revelation 6:9, the souls under the altar? 3. What is the abomination that causes desolation in Daniel 9:27? You can watch the R...

In this episode, Cole and Terry answer these questions: 1. What is the significance of the 1/3 numbers in the trumpets? 2. Who is the mighty angel in chapter 10, and what is the significance of his feet being on the water and the land? 3. At the end of chapter 10, John is given a little scroll and commanded to prophesy again. Does the book start over here? Follow the lessons each week at Crossings...

In this episode, Cole and Terry answer these questions: 1. What is the scroll that the lamb opens? 2. Can Christians today have the gift of prophecy like John? 3. In Rev. 6:9, it mentions the "souls under the altar." Doesn't this, along with the thief on the cross, imply that we go straight to heaven when we die rather than soul sleep? 4. Do we know the identity of the 144,000? How would the Jews...

Esther is the only book in the Bible that never mentions God, but as you read the story, you'll see God moving on every page. The story is messy, real, and above all, a testament to God's faithful provision for his people. For these reasons, Esther is one of the most applicable and relevant books in the whole Bible. 

Questions in this episode: How could Jesus leave his church, his bride, here on earth while he pours out his wrath? Is 2 Thess. 2 a rebuttal to pre-tribulation rapture? What about people who have near-death experiences and come back to talk about it? How do we know John actually had these visions? Were there witnesses? Are they explainable through his familiarity with the visions of Ezekiel and Is...

What does God say about our bodies? Are we eternal souls who happen to have bodies? In this episode, Cole is joined by Dr. Lainey Greer to discuss what the Bible says about our bodies and how we have been called to steward them. They cover body image, resurrection, fitness, health, and several other topics related to a theology of the body. If you'd like to read more of Dr. Greer's work, visit her...

Questions in this episode: In Rev. 2:11, the letter to Smyrna, what is the second death? In Rev. 2:20, the letter to Thyatira, what does it mean to eat food sacrificed to idols? In Rev. 3:5, the letter to Sardis, what does it mean to have your name blotted out of the book of life? Can you lose your salvation?    Follow the lessons each week at Crossings Community Church , then tune in for the ques...