All Things New

Much has been said and written about the decline of Christianity in America, including on this podcast. But is something changing? A new Pew Research Center study shows that the decline of Christianity has tapered off over the past few years. In this episode, we dig into the statistics and analyze the opportunities they present for Christians to be on mission. (0:00) Introductions (1:05) The Data...

On January 10th of this year, book lovers lined up to purchase the newest release in the Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarros. These books are part of a genre known as romantic fantasy, or "romantasy" - and its popularity is exploding. But how should Christian women relate to romantasy literature? Recently, a church member reached out to us with some unease about how nonchalantly her Christian friend...

How can we make sense of right-leaning politics in the wake of the 2024 election? Is a second Trump presidency the result of populism? Nationalism? Techno-oligarchy? Something else? Recently, Jake Meador identified four distinct "tribes" on the political right that share some common aims but differ widely in their approaches. Whatever your personal politics, you're going to be living with these tr...

Over the past decade, leaving the church has been a trend - and the leavers have been mostly left-leaning. But Jake Meador identifies a more recent trend of "right-wing exvangelicals." Whereas the left-wing exvangelicals liked Jesus but weren't sure about the church, right-wing exvangelicals want to keep civic religion but aren't as interested in the way of Jesus. In this episode, we talk about th...

Artificial Intelligence is generating a lot of interest these days. President Trump even issued an executive order to "sustain and enhance America’s global AI dominance." So how should Christians think about AI? Can a machine even be "intelligent?" How does Christian theology help us go beyond the hype to engage the substance of the debate? In this episode, we draw on the wisdom of Thomas Aquinas...

In a recent article for The Atlantic, Derek Thompson writes about the surge in Americans eating alone, shopping alone, and generally doing life alone. In this episode, we discuss his analysis of the problem, talk about the wisdom the church can offer, and explore how the Christian tradition promotes both community and solitude. Article (requires subscription): https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/...

There's a bit of a "vibe shift" underway in American culture, and Silicon Valley is one place where it's evident. Recently, a listener passed along an article about the renewed interest in Christianity among tech and venture-capital elites. In this episode, we explore how the spiritual hunger in Silicon Valley relates to a larger cultural trend, and the opportunities it provides for Christians to...

God reveals his grace to us through both law and gospel. In this episode from 2016, we talk about how the law and the gospel fit together.

Daniel in the lion's den. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace. The handwriting on the wall. These beloved stories are found in the book of Daniel. But Daniel also contains some strange prophecies, some troubling dreams, and some confusing apocalyptic imagery. In this episode, we discuss how this fascinating book of the Bible captures the sweep of the whole biblical story. We explo...

In recent decades, liberalism—the political philosophy that undergirds Western democracy—has come under increasing scrutiny. Though it purports to emphasize freedom, independence, and self-determination, it has created a crisis of meaning and an erosion of norms. In this episode, we analyze a new "post-liberal manifesto" that points out the problems with liberalism, imagines what might take its pl...

World War II has become the dominant story of the 20th century. Just think about all the films it's inspired: Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, Dunkirk, Inglorious Basterds, Oppenheimer, and hundreds more. But a recent article from Dr. Alec Ryrie poses the question: what happens to Western culture when we pivot from a positive moral exemplar (Jesus) to a negative one (Hitler)? In this episode...

As a new year approaches, we look back on the year that's ending. We discuss some of the newsworthy & notable events of 2024, some of the things that brought us a deeper sense of worship, and some things we’re excited about as we anticipate 2025. Have a great holiday season, and we'll see you next year!

In this episode, Bob interviews James Martin, Lead Pastor of Bradfield & Rougham Baptist Church in Suffolk, England. They discuss James’ story, the joys and struggles of pastoring in rural England, and his hope for gospel renewal in the UK and Europe.

“And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart” (Genesis 6:5-6). When we see this kind of language in the Bible, how should we interpret it? In this episode, we discuss the function of anthropomorphic language in Scripture. We consider how it helps us to understand God, but also how it can lead to error if we minimize the Creator-creature distinction.

The book of Genesis tells us how everything came into being. But other creation narratives existed in the Ancient Near East. Does that mean each culture's creation story is just a relativistic myth? In this episode, we compare the Genesis account with the Epic of Gilgamesh, revealing the surprising uniqueness of the biblical story.

Thanks for listening over the past 10 years! On this episode, we welcome back Mike and Bethany to reflect on some of our favorite moments, remember our favorite guests, and express our gratitude for the ways God has graced us through the Wednesday Conversation. (Thanks also to half a dozen different listeners who provided commemorative snacks to mark this milestone!)

In the freshest episode of the podcast ever recorded, Bob, Dusty, and Chris turn on the mics at 5:30am to offer their real-time responses to the 2024 election.

“When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness…The days of Adam after he fathered Seth were 800 years” (Genesis 5:3–4). When we come across these massive human lifespans in the book of Genesis, how are we to make sense of them? In this episode, we discuss the literary function of numbers, the symbolic significance of numbers in the Ancient Near East, and the importance of at...

“The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them” (Genesis 6:4). Texts like Genesis 6 raise profound questions and don’t always offer easy explanations. In this episode, we discuss the perplexing topic of the Nephilim. Exploring some of the intertextual connections in Scripture, we survey the hist...

"Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made" (Genesis 3:1). Why does this talking serpent suddenly appear in the Genesis narrative? Drawing inspiration from Michael Heiser’s book The Unseen Realm, we dig into how ancient readers understood the concept of spiritual beings, how those beings are described in later passages of Scripture, and how these...

"I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh... Everything that is on the earth shall die," God says in Genesis 6:17. So was Noah's flood a global deluge that covered the entire earth? Or was it a regional event? By even asking this question, are we playing fast and loose with the text? In this episode we take up some of the questions surrounding the flood narrative in Genes...

The veracity and historicity of Genesis is taken for granted by the New Testament authors and by Jesus himself. Yet many modern Christians feel the tension of holding a high view of Genesis while also weighing the claims of modern science. In this episode, we respond to a listener's question about how to properly read Genesis, taking into account the claims of geology, archaeology, and genetic sci...

After creating the heavens and the earth, God rests. The principle of Sabbath becomes a major theme throughout the rest of Scripture. Aaron Mattox joins us to discuss how this theme of Sabbath-rest is emphasized and developed within the biblical storyline, and what it means for us today.

Dusty’s back, everyone! Also Chris returned from his trip to Nepal. In this episode, Chris shares some highlights from his trip, including some updates on the growth and health of the church in Kathmandu.

Genesis is an intriguing book, and a complicated one. It forms the prelude to the entire biblical narrative. In this episode, Aaron Mattox joins us to discuss some of the particulars of Genesis 1, and how we can grow as good and faithful Bible readers.