On The Phone With Josh

Are there angels or spirits that are responsible for cities, towns, and regions? When John is commanded, “To the angel of the church of Ephesus write…” what does that mean? Does it mean a real angel? Are there other passages of scripture that can inform our thinking? Join us as we dive into the weirder side of theology and then let us know what you think!   Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/O...

Boring. Unspiritual. Unimportant. Drudgery. These may be words that many of us would associate with church administration. But what if we thought differently about the less glamorous parts of running a church? What if godly character, wisdom, and prayerfulness were just as needed in these areas as anywhere else in ministry? Join us on this episode to discuss the intersection of spiritual formation...

Should we use the divine name? Josh from Oregon makes a case that we should consider doing so. Of course, we want to be sure not to use God’s name in vain. But what did God mean by that in the first place? Come join the conversation and then let us know what you think!   Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/OnThePhoneWithJosh https://www.instagram.com/onthephonewithjosh/ https://www.threads.net/...

Listening is harder than it seems. Join us this week as Josh from Missouri talks through some of the keys to listening that he has learned and developed as a professional mental health coach. We believe this conversation will be both challenging and rewarding. But let us know what you think!   Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/OnThePhoneWithJosh https://www.instagram.com/onthephonewithjosh/ h...

Psalm 19 begins with famous lines about the heavens declaring the splendor of the Lord. But the Psalm goes on to talk about much, much more. In fact, the Psalm can be seen in three parts: praise for creation, praise for God’s law, and a searching prayer of petition. How do these things fit together? Join us as we dive headlong into the richness of this psalm.   Follow us on: https://www.facebook.c...

Following up on last week’s discussion about acquiring the character necessary to qualify biblically as a pastor or elder, we search the bookshelves for tried and true experts to guide our way. We discuss many different authors that have wise counsel on how to grow in Christ. In addition, we’ve noted each of the books below for you to reference. And we invite you to join in this conversation and h...

Paul makes it clear that Elders are held to a particularly high standard. But if we have identified a potential elder, how can we help them to achieve this high standard. And how can we recognize whether or not someone actually meets these qualifications? It’s a high bar that all to often goes unmet in our churches – sometimes with disastrous consequences. So how do we get this right? Come join th...

The Psalms are written from a variety of perspectives and human experiences. The great Psalm 23 can be taken at face value about the goodness of God. But what about the Psalms that talk about God’s abandonment or his fierce anger?  Are those also true of God? If not, how can we have a consistent way of judging what is true and what isn’t? And better yet, how do we go about praying the Psalms since...

The book of Judges is a collection of dark stories from Israel’s past. Yet what are we to make of the book as a whole? What is it trying to teach us about sin, salvation, and our need for a King? Does this book have any relevance for us today? Come join the conversation and let us know what you think!   Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/OnThePhoneWithJosh https://www.instagram.com/onthephonew...

What do we do when “try harder” doesn’t work? When we want to make real change in our lives and live more fully devoted to Christ, what do we do when we just keep falling short? And what role does the Holy Spirit play in this process? Come join the conversation and let us know what you think!   Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/OnThePhoneWithJosh https://www.instagram.com/onthephonewithjosh/...

This week, we each took some time away in nature to pray, reflect, and decompress. But it wasn’t always smooth sailing. Today we reflet on the experience. What resonates with your experience? How might you plan your next prayerful retreat?   Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/OnThePhoneWithJosh https://www.instagram.com/onthephonewithjosh/ https://www.threads.net/@onthephonewithjosh

The beginning of wisdom is….to get wisdom? What is happening in this chapter of Proverbs? And how would we go about preaching it? Join us as we wrestle through this text and its implications. After listening in, click on the sermon link below to see how much of this made the final cut. And then come share your thoughts with us on social media. We’d love to hear from you!   Follow us on: https://ww...

It is rare to find a good listener. Many of us want to learn to be good listeners for others, but if we’re honest, we may not always succeed. Today we dive into Adam McHugh’s amazing book that encourages a full-life vision of becoming a good listener. Come join the conversation and let us know what you think!   Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/OnThePhoneWithJosh https://www.instagram.com/ont...

Theological integration is the hard work of learning how to live in light of new insights into how one ought to think or how one ought to live. However, this integration requires more than our typical discipleship programs tend to offer. What would it look like for us to practice theological integration within the church? Come join us for this conversation and then share your thoughts with us.   F...

Richard Lovelace introduced the topic of disenculturation in his book Dynamics of Spiritual Life. This has us thinking about the ways that our culture has formed us and the ways that the posture of being counter-cultural may not be as helpful as it sounds. Come dive in with us as we explore this idea of disenculturation and then let us know what you think.   Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/...

Jesus frequently refers to himself as the Son of Man. But what does this mean? Is this just an awkward way of referring to himself in the third person? Is he trying to communicate something from Old Testament prophesy that would apply to him? And why does the early church all but abandon this title after the gospels? Come dive into this mysterious term with us and let us know what you think!   Fol...

In 500 years, what will the legacy of Evangelicalism be? Or better yet, if you had the chance to steer the ship, what would you choose as the legacy of Evangelicalism? In this episode, we consider one author’s answer to that question and mull over the ways that we would like to influence the course of events. What are your thoughts?   Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/OnThePhoneWithJosh https...

Sin is not just what we do or fail to do. From Genesis 4 to multiple passages in Paul’s letters, we learn that sin is something more than these acts of commission or omission. Sin is its own power that longs to have mastery over us. In this episode, we discuss the full weight of this reality including what it means for discipleship and personal growth.   Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/OnTh...

“As a Christian I am inherently a pluralist. I want all ideas to be at the table. And I don’t want my ideas to be the governing ones.” What do you make of this quote? Agree? Disagree? Want to know what is meant by certain terms? Today we dive headlong into this the idea of being a Christian pluralist. We’d love to know what you think and whether or not you’d identify yourself that way.   Follow us...

Is good theology only important for defending against heresy? What should our theological posture be? Should we choose one of antagonism and readiness to confront error anywhere we find it? Is there another way forward that hold fast to truth while also conforming to the life of Jesus and the fruits of the Holy Spirit? Listen in as we wrestle through these ideas and more. And then come share your...

Today’s episode is a grab bag of theological questions that may or may not result in wild heretical comments made by one or both of us. Though we attempt to give each question the theological attention it deserves, our audience may very well disagree with our conclusions. After listening in, come join us on social media to let us know how you would answer these burning theological questions.   Fol...

Paul’s comments in Romans 13:1-7 are often used by Christians who support the current political leadership to remind everyone that we must obey our governing authorities. It is much harder to discuss this verse when we disagree with the party in power. But what does this verse say about local government or about policing? How can we understand this verse within the broader biblical context? Come j...

1 Corinthians 10:13 is often misquoted and misapplied to imply that “God will not give you more than you can handle.” However, this is not even what the text says, let alone what we think it means. As a matter of fact, in this conversation, we explore the corporate meaning of this text and seek to apply it in ways we had not previously considered. Come join us for this conversation and let us know...

Many of us have heard this verse used to advocate everything from why we should exercise to why we should not get tattoos. But is that what this verse is trying to say? What is the best way for us to understand that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit? Come listen in as we wrestle through this text, and then let us know your own thoughts on social media.   Follow us on: https://www.facebook....

Romans 8:28 is one of the most frequently abused verses in the Bible. It is often used to “comfort” someone who is grieving, yet it seems to have the opposite of the intended effect. What is Paul actually driving out when he says all things work together for the good of those how love God? Come join us for this conversation and then meet us on social media to share your thoughts.   Follow us on: h...