Church Theology

Although a passage of scripture's message doesn't change and is located in the author's intent, its application will be manifold, not only as we tease out its various implications, but also as it comes to bear on different contexts, settings, times, and peoples.

Across history, Christians have worshiped God in their homes as families on a daily basis. What is family worship, what does it look like, and what are some practical instructions for how we might go about implementing it in our own homes? In today's episode, we talk to Donald Whitney, a professor of Biblical spirituality, about the practice of family worship.

So now that we understand the overarching storyline of scripture centered in Christ, how do we go about interpreting specific texts in light of it? In this episode, we conclude the C.H.R.I.S.T. acronym, a device to help us discern faithful connections to Christ.

So now that we understand the overarching storyline of scripture centered in Christ, how do we go about interpreting specific texts in light of it? In this episode, we continue unpacking the C.H.R.I.S.T. acronym, an easy-to-remember methodology for thinking about the ways various passages relate to Christ.

So now that we understand the overarching storyline of scripture centered in Christ, how do we go about interpreting specific texts in light of it? In this episode, we will introduce the C.H.R.I.S.T. acronym as an easy-to-remember methodology for thinking about the ways various passages relate to Christ.

How do God's dealings in the Old Testament relate to Christ and the message of the New Testament? How does the whole Bible fit together? How are we to think about themes like kingdom, temple, land, etc.; and how do they help us better understand the scriptures as centered in Jesus? These are all questions that Biblical theology seeks to answer. In this episode, I sit down with Oren Martin, one of...

If we are to read each portion of scripture in view of the broader story of scripture, then what is that bigger story? What is the overarching storyline of the Bible? In this episode we cover the next three epochs of that overarching story: Jesus' arrival, the church and her mission, and Christ's second coming.

If we are to read each portion of scripture in view of the broader story of scripture, then what is that bigger story? What is the overarching storyline of the Bible? In this episode, we cover the next three epochs of that overarching story: the initial form of the kingdom in Israel, the exile, and the prophets’ messages of warning and hope.

If we are to read each portion of scripture in view of the broader story of scripture, then what is that bigger story? What is the overarching storyline of the Bible? In this episode, we cover the first few epochs of that overarching story: creation, fall, and the covenants.

We contend that a proper reading of any passage of scripture will necessarily include interpreting it in light of the whole of scripture as centered in the Christ-event. But what is the basis for this position? And what are the errors involved in failing to read all of scripture in view of Christ on the one hand, or, on the other hand, spiritualizing the text and bypassing its original meaning as...

Mike turned to drugs and alcohol at around eleven or twelve years of age. Later in life, he would end up homeless, pursuing a life on the streets. But one day, God miraculously opened his eyes to the good news about Jesus. And he's never been the same. He's now a member of his church where he faithfully serves as a deacon.

Bring up race and people tense up and dig their heals in. Why is this? Why is talking about race is so difficult, and no less in the church? In this episode, Isaac Adams sits down with Kirk to talk about talking: how can we have better conversations about race? Or even more fundamentally, why do we need to have better conversations about race? Based on Adam's recent book,  Talking about Race:...

Out of all the parts of the Bible, many find the Old Testament prophetic literature to be among some of the most difficult to read and understand. The prophets can feel incredibly distant, addressing unfamiliar historical situations. Their writings can feel bizarre, using imagery that's hard to understand, or even unruly—"Can someone provide me a roadmap to these books?" And yet Eric Tully argues...

Have you ever been reading in the Old Testament and wondered, what does this have to do with the larger story? Or maybe it's never even occurred to you that the Old Testament even has a larger story! Well, in this episode, Kirk sits down with a premier Old Testament scholar, Stephen Dempster, author of the stellar book, Dominion and Dynasty , to talk specifically about the theology and storyline o...

What does it mean and look like faithfully to preach the Bible itself rather than  use  the Bible as a launchpad for our own message? In this episode, Kirk sits down with seasoned pastor Mike Bullmore to talk about what's called "expository preaching" and why it's so important.

CrossWay Milwaukee has a church-to-church partnership through World Orphans with Lafto Kale Heywet Church in the Lafto region of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. CrossWay's financial support goes towards Lafto's ministry caring for vulnerable families, specifically with widows and orphans. This partnership helps provide food, education, medical care, and economic opportunities as well as open doors for the...

Have you ever read a passage from the Bible and wondered, what was the point of all that? Maybe you pick up some themes and ideas here or there from a passage, but you're unsure how it all fits together. Or maybe you've never thought to consider how a passage all fits together. In this episode, Kirk and Dan get back into their series on how to read the Bible, asking, after we've made all of our in...

Do you ever feel like the constant bombardment of technology and social media is making us dumber, or maybe even more foolish? Or does truth feel ever more elusive to you in an age of increasing options, viral conspiracy theories, and personally curated newsfeeds? How are we to navigate this post-truth world? Brett McCracken joins Kirk for a conversation about his most recent book,  The Wisdo...

Kirk was able to connect over Zoom with one of CrossWay Milwaukee's missionaries, Nelson Salviano. The Salvianos are located in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. In 2004 Nelson Salviano started a pastoral training program called ESCALE. Through ESCALE Nelson travels throughout Brazil and to remote areas leading seminars that help train existing pastors in their ability to understand and preach God’s Word.&n...

Over the last couple of years, churches have been hit with COVID restrictions, tensions over race, political disagreements, church abuse scandals, and more. This wave has resulted in many a Christian asking, "Is church worth it?" Or as more and more churches adopt things like "online campuses," many are tempted to treat staying home as a permanent, on-par option with the physical gathering. But ho...

In this episode, I continue my conversation with Brent E. Parker and Richard Lucas, editors of the forthcoming book, Covenantal and Dispensational Theologies: Four Views on the Continuity of Scripture (IVP, February 2022) . In this session, we talk about what different commitments or perspectives ultimately underlie the various views, why all of this matters, how it comes to bear in our theol...

How should we interpret the promises made to the people of Israel in the OT — are they being fulfilled in the church? Does God have a distinct plan for the nation of Israel separate from the church? How do Christians relate to the Mosaic Law? What does infant baptism have to do with our understanding of the Biblical Covenants? In short, these are all questions asking, How should we put our Bible’s...

Kirk sits down for an interview with Pastor Jay Y. Kim, author of Analog Church: Why We Need Real People, Places, and Things in the Digital Age . They discuss how the digital age, despite its many advantages and opportunities, also negatively deforms us, and why "analog church" (i.e., real people, places, and things) is needed now as much as ever before.

In today’s episode, Dan and I talk about skeletons and bridges. Well, kind of. We discuss one of the most important aspects of reading our Bibles well: understanding how a particular passage is organized in order to communicate its overall message.

Kirk and Dan talk about melodic line. Here we're talking about the overall message of a book that ties the whole and all its parts together. In this episode we talk about what the melodic line is, showing some examples from scripture. And then we talk about how can you go about discerning the melodic line, and what benefits does this yields to your reading of scripture.