Radically Christian

In today's Bible study, Wes and Travis discuss the flesh and the Spirit. The apostle Paul taught that there is sin dwelling in the "flesh" of every person. Because of the sin in our flesh, even when we want to do what is right, we lack "the ability to carry it out" (Romans 7:18). Every human being is trapped in a cycle of sin and death. The post What the Bible Says About the Flesh and the Spirit a...

This discussion on persecution is part two of a two-part series. If you haven’t already done so, you may want to listen to the first episode in this series: “Is Political Privilege Harmful to Christianity?“ Last week we began considering the question, “Why is Christianity growing in some countries but declining in others?” In that […] The post Does Christianity Grow in Times of Persecution (Part 2...

oday's Bible study. According to an article by Nilya Saiya, the answer is "political privilege." Saiya argues that it is not governmental persecution, but rather governmental support that is one of the biggest threats to the growth of Christianity in a country. Saiya reports, "As governmental support for Christianity increases, the number of Christians declines significantly." The post Is Politica...

Many congregations preface Communion with short Communion talks. This Communion talk typically consists of a Scripture reading and a few thoughts to help the church prepare emotionally and mentally for sharing the bread and the cup. Today's Bible study will hopefully be an encouragement to those who lead in this capacity. The post How to Give Better Communion Talks appeared first on Radically Chri...

What is the best marriage advice in the Bible? It may not be what you think. Hollee and Wes McAdams discuss why much of the marriage advice given today in books, seminars, and by well-meaning individuals often does not get to the heart of the issue. The post The Best Marriage Advice in the Bible appeared first on Radically Christian . This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this wit...

Forgiven people forgive people. In today's Bible Study, Wes McAdams discusses forgiveness with Billy McGuiggan. For followers of Jesus, it is important that we both experience and extend forgiveness. Unfortunately, many of us tend to struggle with both of these aspects of forgiveness. The post Forgiven People Forgive People appeared first on Radically Christian . This is a public episode. If you w...

Today's Bible Study considers the question, what is an evangelist? This question comes from Jeff, who asks, "Over the past year or two, I’ve thought a lot about the role of the evangelist and what exactly Paul means to “do the work of the evangelist” (2 Tim 4:5). It’s interesting that the word form εὐαγγελιστής is only used 3x in the NT, yet we build a lot of our congregational ministry in the chu...

Every follower of Jesus should hold himself or herself to a higher standard than they hold anyone else. Today's Bible study was prompted by one of Travis' favorite quotes from "The Chosen" television series. In Season Two, Episode 1, Jesus says, “I ask a lot of those who follow me, but I ask little of those who do not.” The post Holding Ourselves to a Higher Standard appeared first on Radically Ch...

What is karma? What does the Bible say about karma? Should Christians believe in karma? These are some of the questions Wes McAdams and Travis Pauley discuss in today’s Bible study. This episode was prompted by a listener named Jonathan. Buddhism and Hinduism teach karma in connection with reincarnation. These religions believe your current life […] The post What Does the Bible Say About Karma? ap...

What if someone is baptized for the wrong reason? What does the Bible say about the validity of a baptism that was for the wrong reason? Christians have debated these types of questions for centuries. People worry whether they knew enough, believed the right things, or did everything in the right way for their baptism […] The post Baptized for the Wrong Reason appeared first on Radically Christian...

Wes McAdams interviews Michael Whitworth about his new book, The Son's Supremacy: A Guide to Hebrews. If you are interested in an encouraging and in-depth study of Hebrews, "The Son's Supremacy" is an excellent help. Whitworth is an incredibly talented, knowledgable, and engaging author. His book will help many better understand the book of Hebrews. The post A Bible Study Guide to Hebrews appeared...

1 John 3:20 says, "...whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart"? What does John mean by this? That is the question Wes McAdams and Travis Pauley discuss in today's Bible study. The post When Our Heart Condemns Us (1 John 3:20) appeared first on Radically Christian . This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episod...

Is stoicism compatible with Christianity? In what ways does stoic philosophy agree with Christian thought? In what ways does stoic philosophy contradict Christian thought? These are some of the questions Wes McAdams and Travis Pauley discuss on today’s podcast. This discussion was prompted by one of our listeners, Ryan, who has noticed an increasing number […] The post Is Stoicism Compatible with...

What is the “perfect” in 1 Corinthians 13:10? That is the question that Wes and Travis tackle in today’s Bible study. This question was raised by a listner, who wrote, “1 Corinthians 13:10 says, ‘but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.’ I’ve always heard (and my husband still firmly believes) ‘the perfect’ […] The post What is the “Perfect” in 1 Corinthians 13:10? appeared first on...

Today’s question comes from Stephen Scaggs, who writes, “Paul often gives a theology to work. Will we work in the new creation? What does it mean ‘their work follows them’? In connection to the bodily resurrection, what does it mean when Paul says our work is ‘not in vain’? Should we love our work?” In […] The post What the Bible Says About Our Work appeared first on Radically Christian . This is...

Today's Bible Study Podcast is a bit different. Hollee McAdams joins us to ask Wes some questions about his first twenty years in ministry. The post Lessons Learned from 20 Years in Ministry appeared first on Radically Christian . This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.radicallychristian.com

Today's Bible study discussion revolves around the question, "Was Jesus harsh with people?" This question was prompted by listener Randall Dickey. Should we perceive Jesus as a harsh person? Was he harsh, in general? Why did Jesus have moments, like the cleansing of the temple, when he was relatively harsh? Should we imitate Jesus' "harsh" behavior? These are some of the questions we tackle in tod...

Should we obey God out of love or fear? This is what listener Neal Cook would like to know. Neal asked about the contrast between Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, which says: “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will […] The post Should We Obey God Out of Love or Fear? appeared first on Radically Christian . This is a publ...

How do we cope when spiritual leaders fall? Is it possible to keep them from falling? Can we ensure their fall doesn't bring us down with them? Is there a way to prevent such people from becoming leaders in the first place? These are very difficult questions, but they are questions with which the church must wrestle. The post Coping with the Fall of Spiritual Leaders appeared first on Radically Ch...

Wes McAdams and Caleb Cochran discuss a question about sexual immorality, which was submitted by one of our listeners, “The bible references sexual immorality pretty often, but what does that mean exactly? I feel like that’s a vague term and would have a very difficult time explaining it to someone wanting to pursue Christ.” Special […] The post What is Sexual Immorality in the Bible? appeared fir...

Wes McAdams and Steven Cuffle discuss the issue of Christian unity. We all know that Christian unity is important, but why is it important and how can it be achieved? Christians have been arguing and fighting with one another for nearly 2,000 years. So, how can we be unified when we disagree on so many […] The post Can Christians Be Unified When We Disagree? appeared first on Radically Christian ....

Wes McAdams and Steven Cuffle continue their discussion on how the Bible defines justice. In this episode, biblical justice is compared to four other justice theories. How do secular thinkers define justice and how do those definitions compare with the Bible's definition of justice? Is it possible that we, as Christians, have adopted a secular view of justice more than a biblical view? The post Ju...

What does the Bible say about justice and how does the Bible’s definition of justice compare to modern theories about justice? This is the topic Wes McAdams and special guest, Steven Cuffle, will be discussing in this two-part conversation. In this first episode, Wes and Steven discuss the various aspects of justice in both the […] The post Justice (Part One): How the Bible Describes Justice appea...

On this episode of the Radically Christian Bible Study Podcast, Wes McAdams and today's guest, Luke Dockery, discuss a question from a listener about the fake news phenomenon. How should Christians respond to the fake new phenomenon? How can Christians have more discernment about what is true and discretion about what to share? We hope you enjoy this conversation. The post How Should Christians Ha...

Wes McAdams and today's guest, Luke Dockery, discuss the meaning of Jesus' parable of the shrewd, dishonest, or unjust manager from Luke 16:1-13. What does Jesus mean by commending a dishonest or shrewd man? What does Jesus mean when he says, "Make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth" (Luke 16:9)? Is Jesus being ironic or is Jesus teaching us how we should use money? Wes and Luke...