Formed

What is a pastoral response to the conflict in Israel and Palestine? Barry, Sissy, and Isaac discuss the recent events that have unfolded in Israel. What is the reason for the recent escalation? Why is Israel important, in particular to the Christian church? What is a pastoral response to the situation? What is our role as western Christians? -Start here: http://www.irvingbible.org/new Want to fol...

Is baptism necessary for salvation? Barry, Sissy, and Isaac dive into the topic of baptism and all the questions around it. Why are there multiple methods of baptism? When did we first see baptism in the Bible? Why do we celebrate baptisms in the church? What are the personal baptism stories of Barry, Sissy, and Isaac? The crew wraps up the episode by debating the Texas State Fair.  -Start here: h...

How do you balance knowledge, faith, and deconstruction? Barry, Sissy, and Isaac continue their conversation around deconstruction and what it really means to deconstruct. What are some passages in the Bible that relate to deconstruction? Did anyone in the Bible deconstruct? Why is it healthy to revisit what you believe? What advice would you give to anyone deconstructing? *This is part two of the...

What exactly does it mean to "deconstruct" your faith? Barry, Sissy, and Isaac discuss one of the more talked about subjects of evangelicalism of the past five years—deconstruction. In the first of a two-part episode, the crew tries to define what deconstruction means and some of the common thoughts around it. Does deconstruct mean abandoning your faith? What causes it? Can you fail at it? Can it...

When tragedy hits, where do you go with your faith? Barry, Sissy, and Isaac discuss the day of September 11, 2001 and our relationship with the Lord on days of tragedy. Sissy shares personal stories of being in downtown New York City during the attacks and the aftermath to follow. Why did church attendance skyrocket the Sunday after 9/11? What are we searching for in those moments? When the next d...

God worked. Jesus worked. We work. But why? Barry, Sissy, and Isaac discuss the topic work and why having a theology of work is important for each of us. How do we guard our jobs from becoming our idol? How does the creation story apply to us working today? Will we work in heaven? The crew wraps up the episode by sharing the worst jobs. And spoiler, Barry was a math teacher. Want to know more abou...

What does the church and culture get wrong about singleness? Barry, Sissy, and Isaac discuss the topic of singleness and how the church/cutlure views people who are single. Does committing to be single mean committing to be lonely? How does someone know if they are called to be single? What does Jesus say about being single? What if you are single but don't want to be single? The crew wraps up the...

Becoming the best leader starts with becoming the best version of yourself. Barry, Sissy, and Isaac dive into the topic of the rule of life and the impact of arranging our days with a purpose. What is the relationship between vision, implementation, and means? Why is it easy to overlook ourselves when leading others? Can you be a good leader and ignore yourself? What are the rhythms and habits tha...

"Whatever you continue to worry about is the clearest indication of what you have yet to surrender to God" - Dallas Willard Barry, Sissy, and Isaac dive into the topic of worry and how it can control our lives. What is the difference between worry, fear, and anxiety? What is the relationship between worry and our faith? Is the solution to worry…surrender? What are some practical steps to eliminate...

What are the signs that you need to take a break? Barry is back! Barry, Sissy, and Isaac discuss Barry's three month, pastoral sabbitcal and how God refined him in the break. They then talk about warning signs for when we all need breaks, the dos & don'ts during time away, entering back into the real world, and what breaks looked like for Jesus. The crew wraps up the episode by getting Barry's tak...

Is there really that big of a difference between being a believer in the North vs. the South? Sissy and Isaac ride as a duo this week as they talk about how Christianity looks in the Northeast parts of the United States vs. the South. What does hospitality look like? Does evangelism changed based off region? Which states are the most unchurched states in the country? Growing up with your faith as...

What is 1 Timothy 2 really saying about the role of women? Sissy and Isaac are joined by Dr. Sandra Glahn, professor of Media Arts and Worship at Dallas Theological Seminary, to talk about her upcoming book, Nobody's Mother: Artemis of the Ephesians in Antiquity and the New Testament. Glahn shares her personal experience with this passage and finding her purpose as a woman. What does a greek godde...

How long has "cancel culture" been around? Barry, Sissy, and Isaac talk about the rise of cancel culture and what it actually means. Why is it so dangerous? How do we ride the balance of accountability and grace? How do you navigate having a different opinion than someone? What is the difference between cancel culture and biblical separation? The crew wraps up the episode by sharing their most unp...

How should we approach artificial intelligence? Sissy and Isaac are joined by John Dyer, VP of enrollment services and educational technology; assistant professor of theological studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. They talk about why AI seems to be getting more popular, ways the church is using it for the good, the dangers of it, and more. Plus, how can we view technology through the lens of t...

Do angels have free will? Barry, Sissy, and Isaac answer listener submitted questions in a "mailbag" format. They answer questions around what the church looks like in 5-10 years, Christian leaders doing well, multi-ethnic churches, free will, fashion trends, and more. The crew wraps up the episode discussing their favorite class. Want to know more about who we are? -Start here: http://www.irvingb...

With Father's Day coming up, who are some of your favorite fathers in the Bible? Barry, Sissy, and Isaac talk about fathers we can all learn from in the Bible. Who is an underrated  father in the Bible? Who is the most famous father in the Bible? How has the relationship with your father impacted your faith? The crew wraps up the episode by discussing their favorite international places to visit....

Why is it important to grieve properly? Sissy and Isaac are joined by Trey Grant, Lead Pastor of The Well Church in Keller, Texas. They discuss the difficult, but important topic of grief and mourning. What does it mean to "give yourself permission" to grieve? Is there a healthy way to mourn? Are there any practices to help mourn and grieve? How can the church integrate lament into their practices...

How is the Holy Spirit active in present day? Barry, Sissy, and Isaac answering listener submitted questions in a "mailbag" format. They answer questions around the role of the Holy Spirit, the reputation of the American Church, the phrase "God won't give you more than you can handle", gross food, and more. The crew wraps up the episode discussing their first car and what annoys them about other d...

Why has there been an increase in Asian hate over recent years? Sissy and Isaac are joined by Sam Won 원영삼, Director of Ministry Formation at Dallas Theological Seminary to talk Asian American and Pacific Islander Month and the church. What should people know about the AAPI community? What is a distinctive of the Asian American church? How can the church speak to the pains and frustrations of th...

Should Christians use cuss words? Barry, Sissy, and Isaac answering listener submitted questions in a "mailbag" format. They answer questions around cuss words, anxiety, vocational ministry, friendships between men and women, cheerleading, and more. The crew wraps up the episode by giving which three people in history they would pick to take a road trip with. Want to know more about who we are? -S...

With Mother's Day coming up, who are some of your favorite mothers in the Bible? Barry, Sissy, and Isaac talk about mothers we can all learn from in the Bible. Who is an underrated mother in the Bible? Who is one mother everyone should know about in the Bible? What about Mary, the Mother of Jesus? The crew wraps up the episode by discussing their favorite vacation spots in the U.S. Want to know mo...

It has been over three years since March 2020, how has the church changed the most since then? Sissy and Isaac are joined by the Executive Pastor of IBC, Bryan Eck, to talk about changes in the church post-2020 and what other executive pastors are talking about regarding the state of the church as a whole. What about the hybrid church? What is one good way the church has adapted? What has surprise...

Conflict is inevitable, but _________. Barry, Sissy, and Isaac talk about how to navigate conflict and how the Bible can help us navigate it well. What are the 'dos and don'ts' of navigating conflict? How does the understanding of yourself factor into conflict resolution? When have you done it well or not well? The crew wraps up the episode by defining what their ideal sabbath day would look like....

Sabbath day is a day of rest...but is there more to it? Barry, Sissy, and Isaac dive deeper into what Sabbath'ing really means. Where does the idea come from? What does it look like practically? Why is it important to practice Sabbath? Barry also discusses an upcoming extended Sabbath and what he is excited about doing. The crew wraps up the episode by talking...pets. We are praying for a change o...

In a world of podcasts, YouTube, and social media, do we even need to be connected to a church? Barry, Sissy, and Isaac talk about the importance of church and why consuming content isn't enough. How has the church changed over the years? How is the church today similar to the church in Acts? What does church look like in 2023? What is your selling point of church to people who aren't connected to...