Mortification of Spin

Welcome back to the Preaching Conference as we rejoin the panel discussion where the team and Reverend Kent Hughes tackle meaningful questions submitted by pastors and seminary students attending the event. The banter is contagious and some of the questions outrageous… yet helpful. Tune in to hear how this quartet of theological know-how takes on questions like: "How can I get in the pulpit when I...

Take a gander with Carl, Aimee, and Todd as they browse today's Christian Best-Sellers list. Discerning worthwhile reads from sentimental fluff, they look for theological substance but the pickin's are slim. With the casual aside, this is a courageous conversation to address a serious question: Why do so many Christian women read garbage? And if the allure of weak theology is so great, should past...

Grab a seat in Rust Auditorium at Westminster Theological Seminary where the MoS crew talk with Dr. Kent Hughes at the annual preaching conference. Dr. Hughes has a long track-record of faithfulness behind the pulpit and the pen. He answers on a topic he knows much about: preaching. You'll hear anything from how to preach through pain to how to cultivate humility amidst success. Hughes' answers wi...

Jonathan & David of the Old Testament… were they homosexual or was it just a bromance? Not a new question to a culture tending to attribute sexuality to deep, rewarding relationships… but why is that so? The Gang addresses the need to reinstate friendships to a non-sexual category and what implications this could have on how we think about relationships in the Church. It's a conversation on intima...

This week, the Gang loiters outside a mega-church conference, enticed by the big-band jams vibrating through the concrete to their high-tops. They've decided to forego the meeting this time because they've gotten "swept away" in conversation about the experience they could be having in there. They raise important questions about the content of today's evangelical Christian praise music: What is it...

How high should standards be for a pastor and his ministry? Do we rate his success in congregation size, fame, or by how white his teeth are? Standards can be unrealistic and unbiblical when a new pastor comes on the scene, and comparisons can foster a culture of critique and criticism. Bad pastors are a reality. However, the church has a common crisis at hand: are we firing, disrespecting, even "...

Join us at The Dripping Blade Pub, where Paul Levy sips a Welsh cider awaiting the MoS Crew. Levy is the minister of International Presbyterian Church in West London, and he is also Carl Trueman's only friend. Once at the bar, they discuss Francis Schaeffer, L’Abri, and how “a God of love could allow the Welsh.” Levy gets right down to it: he discusses the denominational differences and obstacles...

We live in a culture of "no regrets"… but shouldn't we have some? Even one? The Spinners certainly do and are willing to air out their scarlet letters for a little confession of Spin. Truth is, we've all made mistakes, but could the ones most recently made on the evangelical stage have been prevented? What does today's Church lack that it would embrace false teachers and follow misguided doctrine...

What do zip lines, blonde hair, and free-range chickens have in common with pastoral ministry? Is Carl going to be next year's super-star pastor after his latest tome, Your Worst Life Now? Pastors have a high and difficult calling in their ministry, and whether you pastor 8 or 8,000, congregants have expectations and you have biblical duties. So how do you discern which to prioritize and what boun...

Addressing the resignation of high-profile pastor Mark Driscoll, the team discusses a relevant question: Can a pastor be restored to ministry? They offer biblical options to a dismal scenario churches face all too often. As usual, they don't hold back from exposing the underlying issues at hand and the ultimate hope amidst them. What if a pastor seemingly values his reputation over protecting the...

Aimee's outnumbered in the city that never sleeps… and it keeps getting balder! But wait, it seems Carl and Todd aren't the only balding stars of this show. Come along as they hit the streets with pastor and author Tim Keller to discuss his new book, Center Church: Doing Balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry in Your City. How are Christians to engage their cultural surroundings and make a true, lasti...

What do humanism and creedless Christianity have in common? And what's the need for a creed anyway? The gang throw out their two cents and discuss an article about Bart Campolo, who recently renounced his Christian faith and declared himself an agnostic humanist. Serious blind spots and weaknesses in luke-warm, doctrine-lite theology are exposed on this week's episode, where we find that ethics wi...

Dr. David VanDrunen, professor of systematic theology and Christian ethics at Westminster Seminary Calfornia, is outside Georgetown Tobacco where Carl, Aimee, and Todd are wondering what all the fuss is about with two kingdoms theology. The way Christians relate to the culture is an increasingly relevant topic during today's tumultuous political milieu, and the smoke is rising! Aside from how we v...

Martin Luther - a man of mystery and many talents. Aside from writing lists, he was quite the letter writer, too, and with Reformation season around the corner, the Gang's discussion of Luther's woeing and woes is timely. Listen in as they share of his influence on their own lives and suggest which of Luther's works you should add to your shelf. If you have enjoyed this week's Bully Pulpit you mig...

Pull up a chair, light some candles, and prepare to be authentic and vulnerable. We have a spot at the table for you and Carl, Todd, and Aimee are here to teach us about discipleship. Join the “movement” today to hear about the ordinary means of grace, the importance of the church vs. the parachurch, and what to do about church discipline. Grab your utensils and let’s dig in.  The Alliance of Conf...

This week, the gang flips through the pages of Daniel Block's book, For the Glory of God: Recovering a Biblical Theology of Worship. The team concurs: Block's ideas on today's fundamental elements of worship, such as singing and prayer, are thought-provoking and worth a read. The gang discusses what true worship is - does Old Testament ritual practice have a place in worship or are we just spinnin...

This week the gang's in deep water discussing the holy sacrament of baptism - How should we treat it? Who should administer it? Why does it even matter? They reveal key exegetical defenses, share helpful resources for those on the fence, and tell what convinced them to hang up their own credobaptist views for paedobaptist ones. Come on down to the river... the water’s fine!  If you have benefited...

Join a provocative conversation with Rachel Miller, News Editor for The Aquila Report and blogger, as she enlightens us about the patriarchy movement, its driving forces, and its many dangers that have gone under the radar in reformed circles. It's all talk about headship, gender roles, and the Duggars. Listen to the team tackle sinister elements of the movement and how to approach it from a pasto...

Gallantly riding in from the White Horse Inn, our guest, Michael Horton -- author and fellow podcaster -- shares his thoughts on reformed theology and how he came upon it garbed in silk and laden with puka shells. Join the usual Spin Team as they discuss some of the nuts and bolts of the reformed faith, ponder how to "get the Gospel right" and discover Dr. James Boice's fascinating role in Horton'...

Dating? Courtship? What do those words mean? Do they even matter in today's hook-up culture? What is the best option? Always ready to ruffle some feathers, the gang takes this subject head-on and, in usual Spin fashion, doesn't pull any punches. Their discussion centers around the Duggar family's world of courting rules and regulations. Though Aimee & Todd are the only hosts with daughters, Carl t...

This just in: "Polite Society" has banished Carl, Aimee, and Todd to live on Leper Island! While exploring the island they found another outcast,  one who was marooned long ago - Phil Johnson. Phil, of the self-proclaimed Pyromaniacs, chats with the gang about starting fires with Frank "The Turk" and "Dispy" Dan Phillips, Charles Spurgeon's prolific preaching, the cult of celebrity pastors, and pr...

Today our Reformed trifecta considers hopping on the ol' evangelical bandwagon. The gang highlights some understated dangers of churches whose leadership present an alluring faux intimacy and show lack of integrity. They also give loyalty to said leaders and their man-made standards over loyalty to God's standards. With the continued kerfuffle surrounding some well-known pastors, the gang raises a...

Everyone's favorite Welsh theologian returns, and Pelagius has nothing on Derek Thomas! Drop in to hear the Spinners talk with Derek about a whole slew of topics. Principally, they ask him about sin in the lives of pastors. Is it truly "authentic" to be vaguely vulnerable from the pulpit? How do pastor's keep themselves accountable? Hear some of Derek's wisdom on these concerns, and experience the...

This installment of Mortification of Spin: Bully Pulpit sees the crew discussing a pervasive cultural sensation - The Fifty Shades of Grey book series. Since the release of the movie's first trailer, the Internet is abuzz with talk of the series; some of the hype is even streaming from Christians. The hosts cut to the chase: this is not harmless entertainment, it is pornography, and its effects al...

Crisis! Todd's past comes back to bite him. This Promise Keepers-sweatshirt-wearing hooligan and the rest of the gang discuss a continually important pastoral subject: leadership. Much of what passes for "leadership training" in the evangelical church is profoundly unhelpful. It has more in common with secular leadership theory than it has with anything found in Scripture. This becomes especially...