Freely Given

We are talking about books that have shaped our faith, and we come back to again, and again, and again. Time to load up your summer reading plan, because we have some good ones. Katie is going first in this episode to share her book stack of faith-shaping books. From the catechism, to books on vocation, and theology of the cross, you're in for some rich discussions.   Support the ministry of 1517

We are answering some more listener questions this week, and both questions we answer today revolve around discontent with the church. The first question is: do I have to go to a "real" church, or can I get together with just my family, or just a small group of my friends? What if I want to stay with online church? Gretchen and Katie talk about meeting together, the importance of diversity, and ho...

In this episode we are answering a question sent into us, about when it's ok to say "no" to being pulled into serving in a ministry. We talk about how we don't always "feel like" being involved, and also manipulation, and the "savior complex" we slip into so easily. We talk about the need rest, training in the next generation, and how our theology impacts how we approach some of the more practical...

In this extra special episode, we get to sit down and talk with Dr. Scott Keith, executive director of 1517, and author of "Being Dad: Father of a Picture of God's Grace." This was a great conversation about the purpose of the law in parenting, and the purpose of the gospel when it comes to raising kids. We talked about the newer term of grace-based parenting, how having no law means that everythi...

After talking about Bible studies, and various ministries, and even our rural churches, Gretchen and Katie get down to the root question underlying all of those episodes: what are we here for? What is the purpose of the church? What message are we to be teaching to the world and to those around us? It may seem obvious: we are here to proclaim that Christ has been crucified for the forgiveness of s...

Oftentimes when we are serving in ministry, we brainstorm  outreach and growth. But what does growth look like when you live in a rural setting? What does growth look like when things remain small? This conversation goes deeper than just location of ministry, and is an opportunity to step back and consider: what are we, as the church, here for, and what is that supposed to look like? Gretchen's Bo...

What is it mean to be blessed? What does it mean to bless others? In this episode, we talk about the power of words, and the power of the gospel given through words. The term "blessed" can take on many meanings in our culture, but the Bible uses that term to remind us of the works of God. Katie references: Pastoring by Blessing by John Kleinig Gretchen's book comes out in a few days! Order here: "...

We all pray for love. We all desire peace. We all want to have joy. It's that patience that looks suspicious.  We all know the joke about how praying for patience is dangerous, because God answers that prayer with lots of opportunities to develop it. Is that what the Bible says about patience, though?  In this episode Gretchen and Katie go deep as they talk about how hope and patience are linked t...

How does one share the gospel on social media? Is there a way to communicate the love of God in a medium that thrives on uproar and misinformation? In this episode, Gretchen and Katie talk about the lives touched, and the opportunities for speaking truth and making relationships with others online.  This is the ending to the conversation in the last episode: "Loving Your Neighbor Online." Katie's...

As believers, we have the freedom to write off social media completely, or interact with others online. A lot of that decision has to do with vocation (or calling), and loving your neighbor well. In this episode Katie and Gretchen talk about the benefits and limitations of being a Christian who is online, and strategies they consider when, why, and how they interact with others. Here We Still Stan...

Women's Bible studies...men's Bible studies, mixed Bible studies.  While some avoid women's Bible studies because they think that they're too flowery and shallow, others feel more comfortable sharing and speaking up when it's only one gender there. In this episode Katie and Gretchen talk about the pros and cons of each, and why men and women need fellowship within the church, and we also have to p...

Do you feel bad when you're not very joyful? What do you do with grief that lingers? Can anger be righteous? Gretchen and Katie talk about the guilt and shame that often gets put on our emotions, and discusses if how we feel makes us more or less righteous.  We often lie about our emotions so they appear more holy, or we use our emotions as an excuse to sin against our neighbor. The question then...

What does it mean to do everything for the glory of God? Oftentimes we take this verse out of context, and use it to pressure ourselves to be the best at something, or to dedicate our whole lives to something. This gets very difficult when we start talking about vocation, rest, or wrestling through failures. Putting this verse in context, Gretchen and Katie talk about understanding our inheritance...

What do you do when you doubt? What happens when people or churches who have lead you to faith have betrayed you? What is deconstruction anyway?  In this episode, Gretchen and Katie talk about this buzz word "deconstruction" and the various definitions it has. They also talk about how our faith is constantly being "detangled" from ideals in this world, whether it be politics, faith in people or sy...

The heaviness of being lonely and weary has fallen on the church collectively in the last year. But for many people, this isn't anything new. Many go through seasons, or even huge chunks of their lives living on the outskirts, and told to try harder. Katie and Gretchen talk about bad church basement coffee, the strength that comes from being together, and ponder where we go from here. Pre-order Gr...

Gretchen and Katie talk through what can sometimes feel like opposing needs: studying the Bible deeply, and fellowshipping with one another. Endless prayer requests, generational gaps within the group, MLMs being sold within the group, and fallen expectations are all discussed in this packed episode. The big overarching question we must ask: what is the goal of meeting together, and are we communi...

Gretchen and Katie continue talking through leading or being a part of Bible studies. First, they talk about making it a safe place to disagree. While some studies have the dynamic of no one talking, for fear of saying something wrong, it's a good goal to cultivate an environment where people can sort through questions and say something wrong, and be able to process through what the Bible teaches....

Whether you lead Bible studies, attend Bible studies, or are thinking about joining a Bible study, you will find something helpful in this episode.  Katie and Gretchen talk about the awkward thing we are all afraid of: theological arguments, and offending people. Are they avoidable?  They also talk about the comfort and freedom in the fact that the Holy Spirit is the one directing people's hearts....

In this episode, Gretchen and Katie talk about how we learn, and what to do when people in a Bible study are all in different places of Biblical knowledge.  Gretchen explains how she approaches teaching a group with the classical method, where three stages of learning get repeated over and over as our brains make new connections. These three stages are called the "trivium" and the stages are: gram...

One of the last questions given to Gretchen and Katie was about Bible study recommendations. This was a perfect transition episode into our next series as we go deep into the topic of Bible studies. Are you leading Bible studies? Are you in a Bible study? Do you trepidation or nervousness when studying the Bible? With rising excitement of this topic, the girls talk about Bible study practices, and...

In this episode as Gretchen and Katie pause to answer a few questions from listeners. Much of the episode is talking about what books they have been reading from theological topics to fiction, and even theology within fiction. But they also answer the question whether or not they have ever changed a theological position, and questions about rural life. Resources Mentioned: Gentle and Lowly Grace U...

Should we set goals like reading our Bible in a year, or working on our sanctification? It's that time of year when we all think about new year, new us, new goals.  Rather than throwing any sort of goal planning out the window, in any part of our life, Gretchen and Katie talk about putting goals in their proper place, and not looking to them to justify or sanctify us. They talk a bit about their g...

In this 2nd episode in the 2-part discussion on marriage, Katie and Gretchen discuss forgiveness in marriage. Where does it come from? What does it mean? What doesn't it mean? While both comforting and painful, forgiveness in marriage comes from outside of us, for us. They also talk a bit about divorce, both seeking to prevent divorce, and putting divorce in its proper place. Divorce does not shak...

In this episode, we bring on Katie's husband, Dallas, and Gretchen's husband, Knut, as we start talk about marriage and how poor theology can lead to unhealthy expectations. First each couple talks a bit about how they met, and their early expectations of marriage. They talk a bit about the difference between a husband being the head of the home and the husband being the priest of the home, and wh...

Gretchen and Katie wrap up their conversation on parenting, otherwise known as "calling a thing what it is." They talk about confession and absolution in the home and standing back when we try to take over the Holy Spirit's role. When our kids face failures, they will either give up, or beat themselves into self-righteous Pharisees, and it's important to teach them how to deal with failure. They t...