In the Shadow of the Cross

It's been called the word of God, inerrant, infallible, inspired, and holy. But what exactly is the Bible? Is it all of these things? In this episode, Jim, Michael, and Loren discuss this wonderful and often greatly misunderstood book.

What's the deal with Christians' bent toward embracing the law? We know it's toxic and yet so many continue to implement it in their lives and communities. Jim, Michael, and Loren discuss this and also touch on the events transpiring at Asbury University.

What about God's justice? If God is love does that mean God is not just? Or do we balance God's love with God's wrath? Doesn't justice involve vengeance and wrath?

For centuries, believers have seen contradictions between the wrathful God of the Old Testament and the peaceful Son of the New Testament. Should we embrace a two-faced god? Should we throw out the Old Testament? Is there a way to approach the Old Testament that is true to the Father Jesus showed us?

The Bible is filled with ancient texts from a different culture and written in other languages. Many of us don't have years to invest in learning ancient Greek and Hebrew. Is there a way that "the average Jane/Joe" can approach the texts without advanced academic training? This is what Jim, Michael, and Loren discuss in this episode.

Jim, Michael, and Loren continue their look at the Gospel. How should the Gospel influence our approach to the scriptures? Did the writers have the exact same perspective on everything or were there different lenses through which the writers perceived things?

Is the Gospel good news? If so, what's the good news? Is the Gospel a message about escaping hell? Is it about saying a prayer and getting our ticket to heaven? What is the Gospel? This is what Jim, Michael, and Loren discuss this week.

Jim, Michael, and Loren have a fun conversation about movies and TV shows that hit on strong Gospel themes.

What is sin? For so many Christians sin boils down to behavior management. It's a list of dos and don'ts. That sure sounds an awful lot like the law, doesn't it? What did Jesus set us free from? Was the Father demanding payment for sin? Jim, Michael, and Loren examine these issues in this episode.

Jim, Michael, and Loren examine leadership in the church. Do we need it? What does it look like? What is the difference between toxic leadership and healthy leadership?

What is the purpose of the church? What does the church look like and how does she function? In this episode, Jim Durkin, Michael Hardin, and Loren Rosser look at the church and shake up many of our widely held beliefs about her.

Jim, Michael, and Loren continue their discussion of the cross. If our Heavenly Father is not sacrificial, then what about the Bible verses that seem to point to Jesus being His sacrifice? Could it be we've been reading into those verses our own sacrificial views of God? In this podcast, we look at some of those verses and can hear the voice of Inigo Montoya from The Princess Bride saying, "I do n...

Many views of the cross are problematic because the Father isn't exactly the most endearing person in the story. Is the Father sacrificial? Did the Son have to die to appease the Father's need for blood to be shed in order to appease His wrath? In this episode Michael, Jim, and Loren discuss a more beautiful view of the Trinity revealed through the cross.

What's the deal with deconstruction? Is it a bad thing? A good thing? Should we embrace it? Or should we run away? In this episode our hosts Jim Durkin, Michael Hardin, and Loren Rosser discuss deconstruction.