God‘s Story Podcast

Who was the Apostle Paul? How can we best understand the shape of his thought? Brent talks with Thomas Schreiner about the second edition of his IVP book ‘Paul, Apostle of God’s Glory in Christ’. Thomas is associate dean and James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament interpretation at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kentucky.  His books include commentaries on Romans and Galat...

‘We are meant to experience joy in our work.  But many of us struggle to find a sense of purpose or fulfillment in what we do’. Brent talks with Shundrawn Thomas the author of a new IVP book ‘Discover Joy in Work: Transforming Your Occupation into Your Vocation’. Shundrawn is president of a trillion dollar global investment management business and is a management group member of a leading financia...

What’s the role of nature in Chapter 1 of the Song? Brent talks with Dr. Alastair Roberts of the Theopolis Institute in the States.  (0:25) How the Song begins; (1:45) Desire; (6:00) Wine and oil in verses 2-4; (7:20) The chorus; (8:45) Who is the woman? (10:20) Solomon’s response in v 8; (11:00) v 9; (12:20) v 11; (12:45) Scent in verses 12-14; (15:00) Nature; (17:40) v 15-17; (18:15) The king an...

What is the Song of Solomon actually about? Brent talks with Dr. Alastair Roberts of the Theopolis Institute in the States.  (0:30) What is ‘The Song of Songs’? (3:05) How the book fits in with Israel’s covenant life; (5:10) Interpretation; (8:25) Allegory; (10:00) Garden imagery; (12:00) A drama; (14:15) Love; (16:00) Solomon as king and lover. The king in the Song; (20:10) Wisdom in the Song; (2...

Brent is joined again by Joshua Farris to discuss a recent article he’s written for ‘North American Anglican’ called ‘Holy Orders and the Archetype of Christ and His Bride’. Joshua is an ordained priest with the Diocese of Kagera and ACMI and a Canon Theologian on Missio Mosaic.  He’s the founder and director of Soul Science Ministries and Spiritually Driven Leadership.  (0:45) What are holy order...

How do we find genuine connection in a social media world? Brent talks with Tom Bennardo, a four decade veteran of ministry and spiritual formation.  He’s the author of a new book from Baker Books called ‘Open-Hearted People, Soul-Connected Church: How Courageous Authenticity Can Transform Your Relationships, Your Community, and Your Life’. Tom’s experience spans church planting, lead pastoral min...

In 2014 aerial photography revealed a submerged structure beneath the water of Lake Iznik, near the ancient city of Nicaea.  Was it the location of the First Council of Nicaea? Brent talks with Mark Fairchild one of the archaeologists who discovered the Basilica.  He’s the author of a book on the subject from IVP called ‘The Underwater Basilica of Nicaea’.  Now he has a forthcoming article on the...

How do we encounter the hope of Jesus in the book of Revelation? Brent talks with Shane Wood about his new IVP book ‘Thinning the Veil: Encountering Jesus in the Book of Revelation’. Shane Is professor of New Testament and Its Origins at Ozark Christian College.  In addition to speaking at churches and conferences worldwide, Shane produces a variety of audio, video, and written resources available...

‘The religious right taught America to misread the Bible.  Christians have misused Scripture to consolidate power, stoke fears, and defend against enemies.  But people who have been hurt by the attacks of Christian nationalism can help us rediscover God’s vision for faith in public life’. Brent talks with Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove about his new IVP book ‘Revolution of Values: Reclaiming Public Fai...

What is the purpose and meaning of classical education? ‘Imagine a world where education isn’t just about information transfer but about shaping the soul, where students are nurtured to become virtuous, morally self-regulating citizens’. Brent talks with Louis Markos about his new IVP book ‘Passing the Torch: An Apology for Classical Christian Education’. Louis is professor and scholar in residenc...

For whom did Jesus die? Brent talks with Joshua Farris about limited atonement and a recent debate on the subject he and Dan Chappa had with James White and Jeremiah Nortier. Joshua is an ordained priest with the Diocese of Kagera and ACMI and a Canon Theologian on Missio Mosaic.  He’s the director and founder of Soul Science Ministries and Spiritually Driven Leadership.   (1:00) The debate – For...

Who was Dante and what is ‘The Divine Comedy’? In the first part of a mini-series Brent talks to Jennifer Holberg about Dante’s great medieval work.  Who is Beatrice and why is the opening like film noir? Jennifer is professor and chair of the English Department at Calvin University in the States and co-director of the Calvin Center for Faith and Writing.  She’s also the author of the book ‘Nouris...

How do we deal with fame and celebrity? To what extent are we trapped by our past? Brent talks with Hannah Long about another film noir – 1950’s ‘Sunset Boulevard’ directed by Billy Wilder and starring Gloria Swanson, William Holden and Erich von Stroheim. Hannah is a passionate cinephile.  She writes cultural commentary and film criticism for a number of publications including ‘The Despatch’, ‘An...

‘What if recovery doesn’t have to last a life time? What if freedom from addiction could happen in an instant’? Brent talks with Noelle Borgia about her new book from Bridge Logos called ‘Silence the Lion: Wage War on Addiction and Win’. Noelle is a Wayne State University graduate holding a Bachelor of Arts with double majors in Italian Language and Literature and International Studies as well as...

What are some of the problems with translations of the Bible? Was Jonah’s whale really a whale? Brent is joined by Tom Hobson, the author of a new book from Wipf and Stock called ‘Fun with Biblical Words: More than Sixty Greek and Hebrew words to Revolutionize Your Study of God’s Word’. Tom is retired from more than 40 years as a Presbyterian minister, four years as professor of biblical studies a...

What are the similarities and differences between Christianity and Islam? How do the two faiths view God? In the second part of this discussion, Brent talks with Wafik Wahba about his new IVP book ‘Global Christianity and Islam: Exploring History, Politics, and Beliefs’. Wafik is professor of Global Christianity at Tyndale University in Toronto, Canada.  He has taught and lectured on global Christ...

‘There are times when the isolation and demands of ministry can wear down even the strongest person’. Brent talks with Bishop Geoffrey Dudley Snr about his new IVP book ‘Leading Through Storms: Successfully Navigating Ministry While Maintaining Your Mental Health’. Bishop Geoffrey is the founding and senior pastor of New Life in Christ Church, one of the fastest growing churches in the Metro East...

Sometimes work hurts. Brent talks with Meryl Herr about her new IVP book ‘When Work Hurts: Building Resilience When You’re Beat Up or Burnt Out’’. Meryl is the owner of The Goodworks Group LLC, a consulting firm specializing in educational program planning and evaluation.  She previously served as director of research and resources at Fuller Seminary’s Max De Pree Center for Leadership, where she...

What is gender complementarity and why should we be concerned about it? Brent talks with Joshua Farris about his article in ‘The North American Anglican’ called ‘Rediscovering the Theological and Liturgical Weight of Gender Complementarity in Anglicanism’. Joshua is an ordained priest with the Diocese of Kagera and ACMI and a Canon Theologian on Missio Mosaic.  He’s the director and founder of Sou...

Brent talks with Haril Kazindra one of the founders and CEO’s (with his wife, Andrea) of Musana, a community development ministry in Uganda.  For the past 16 years Haril has been at the forefront of fostering sustainable business solutions within Ugandan communities.  In his capacity as co-CEO, Haril wears many hats, casting the vision of the Musana model to local communities.    (0:45) Musana; (3...

What’s the significance of the Feast of Tabernacles in this chapter? Brent talks with Dr. Alastair Roberts of the Theopolis Institute in the States.  (2:15) Jesus’ Olivet Discourse; (4:10) Ezekiel 8-11; (5:50) Exodus imagery; (8:35) The living water – Ezekiel and Revelation; (10:20) The plague and Exodus imagery; (11:00) Jesus’ rule and the later verses; (12:10) The wealth of the nations; (13:35)...

Does chapter 13 of Zechariah open with a Pentecost? Brent talks with Dr. Alastair Roberts of the Theopolis Institute in the States.  (1:40) Pentecost? (2:20) The fountain; (4:05) Exodus themes; (6:30) False prophecy; (9:45) v 7 used in the Gospel of Matthew; (11:00) The Shepherd the Davidic branch; (14:15) Isaiah 53; (15:30) Atonement in Zechariah. Links mentioned in this episode: alastairadversar...

Preaching must connect with its hearers.  As congregations battle with increasing doubt preaching appealing solely to rationality doesn’t resonate in the same way as it once did. Brent talks with Mark Glanville about his new IVP book ‘Preaching in a New Key: Crafting Expository Sermons in Post-Christian Communities’. Mark is Director of the Centre for Missional Leaders at the University of British...

Why not build a wall of answered prayer? Brent talks with Richard Gamble, the founder of the Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer, which will be the largest Christian landmark in Britain.  The structure will contain one million bricks and – thanks to augmented reality – people will be able to access an answered prayer through every brick!     (0:20) Where did the idea come from? (1:20) Richard’s backgr...

What can Christians learn from analytic idealism? Brent talks with Bernardo Kastrup and Joshua Farris. Bernardo is a philosopher and computer scientist best known for his work in the field of consciousness studies particularly his development of analytic idealism.  He’s written several books and papers arguing against physicalism and proposing that consciousness is the fundamental aspect of realit...