REVERENT AND REBELLIOUS

Today we tackle the big question head-on. Did Jesus - a legit historical person who lived in the 1st century - who was all the way dead - really physically rise from the dead? Is it all just myth - legend - conjecture - or did it actually happen? Because if it did - if Jesus really appeared to hundreds of people alive - it confronts us with some real-life issues we have to wrestle with - and recon...

EASTER - it's all about Sunday, right? You get up early - go to the Sunrise service - have a light breakfast - then go to the Easter Celebration service where you sing Up From the Grave He Arose - and then gather with friends and family to enjoy the Easter ham. That's it, right? Not so fast! In today's episode, we discover that for early Christians - and many others throughout the worl...

Welcome to Ep. #26 of REVERENT and REBELLIOUS! This week we kick off a miniseries focused on Easter. Throughout the series we'll get into the uncertainties, skepticism, and criticisms of the greatest event in human history - the physical resurrection of Jesus - but today we wanted to start with something light. A little more fun. Today we ask the question - where did all these secular myths, f...

This is a hot topic! And - a delicate one. Other than spirituality and human-family connection, no other force on earth defines us and drives us more than sexuality. It is an integral facet of our core being, and these days there is an absolute firestorm around the issue of human sexuality. There are now many different expressions of sexuality - different identities and orientations - it's eno...

WARNING! This episode contains thoughtful and carefully researched Biblical content! It may challenge your worldview and shake your traditions - maybe even upset your apple cart! What do we do with the WOMEN in the CHURCH? The strong - capable - gifted - spiritually seasoned - called by God Christian WOMEN? Can they be teachers - elders - leaders - preachers - even (gasp!) PASTORS? Or are they rel...

Gambling is a sin! Right? That's what we've always heard. It's taking risks - being wreckless - wasting God's money! Not so fast! It turns out - just as in all the instances and ways Jesus taught about money - the most dangerous and volatile substance you carry around with you every day - it's not a money issue - it's a HEART issue. What is your fixation - preoccupation - w...

Why should the devil have all the good music? Is it true? In today's episode, we examine the delicate, sometimes fragile - even acrimonious relationship between secular culture and all things divine. We've read it - to be friends with the world is to be enemies of God. But - we're also supposed to be IN the world - just not OF the world. Where is the line? How separate should we be? An...

This is a slightly different episode. Today we are talking about basic human instinct - the lust of the eyes - the desire of the flesh. We all experience it. It's baked into our human nature! We notice beauty. We are attracted to people we find sexually attractive! When taken to the extreme, it can lead to abuse - exploitation - objectification - and worse! As people of faith, we agree that de...

It's everywhere these days! They call it body art - personal adornment - a creative expression! My uncle used to say it's ugly - only for sailors and gang members. Leviticus says "Do not cut your body for the dead - nor make any tattoo marks on yourselves." What are we supposed to think about ink - or hoops - studs - belly button rings? And what about cosmetic surgery - body modi...

Watch your mouth! Did you ever hear that? We Christians have some rigid standards when it comes to the way we talk and the words we use - or are forbidden to use! Where did that come from? The 10 Commandments of course! Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain! But is that what it really means? What about the S word - F word - or any other questionable word that might come flying out of yo...

You've probably heard about YOGA - and TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION. They're everywhere! Every gym has a yoga studio, or at least a class or two. Those who practice them - or teach them - claim to experience a multitude of health benefits - stress relief - anxiety relief - mental clarity - enhanced creativity. On today's episode, we ask the question. Are YOGA and TM compatible with Christ...

In this episode, we continue our series on TABOOS - dos and don'ts of the Christian world. Some say they're a bunch of rules and regulations meant to keep people in line - others say they're helpful guardrails to keep us from harming ourselves - and help us walk in closer fellowship with God. Which is it? That's what we're wrestling with in this series. Today we're talking...

What better way to start a new year than with some old-fashioned dos and don'ts? Over the centuries the Christian Church has come up with lots of well-intentioned regulations - most of which were designed to set us apart from the world - to help us live righteous - dare I say holy lives! However - many of them did not age well. Questions have been raised. Many have come to see Christianity as...

In today's episode, we look back at 2023 - the highlights - and the lowlights - and ask ourselves: if 2023 had a personality - what would that personality be? The answers are telling - and hilarious! Then we turn our gaze to the future - bold predictions and hot takes on 2024! Finally - we unveil the truth and meaning behind the most important event on the church calendar that almost nobody ce...

There has been much debate, discussion, and disagreement about the exact date of Jesus' birth. Was it really December 25th? Spoiler alert - NO! In this episode - with the help of some compelling recent research and discovery - we track through history - and the heavens - to state with what we believe is pinpoint accuracy - the year and day Christ came into this world! Prepare to have your sens...

So much of our understanding of the events surrounding the birth of Jesus has been formed by tradition - or assumption - or by popular culture. Today we take a deep dive into the classic birth narrative from Scripture - Matthew and Luke - and examine all the details with a critical eye. Was Jesus born in a stable? Were the cattle really "lowing"? What's with all the angels? And just...

In today's conversation, we dig into all things SANTA! Where did this jolly old elf come from, and how has he captured the hearts and attention of the entire planet? Did you know - Father Christmas has a decidedly Christian origin - dating back to the 3rd century? How did this crazy combination of history and legend spread across the world and become such a part of the fabric of our Christmas...

Boy - over the past few years, Christmas has taken a bashing! It's just a re-tooled version of Saturnalia - Sol Invictus! The Christmas tree is a pagan symbol - Winter Solstice - blah blah! Today we kick off a 4-week series on Christmas. What are its origins? Why December 25? How did Santa get tied up in all of this? Is the Silent Night - Holy Night - picture-perfect Nativity scene genuine? Jo...

Today the R&R boys tackle a huge phenomenon - near-death and out-of-body experiences ! This is huge - because literally hundreds of thousands of these are reported every year - in spaces and places all around the globe! Books have been written - movies have been made - all about people who have died and somehow been resuscitated. They have some amazing and sometimes terrifying experiences - an...

Today we finish our mini-series on ALIENS. Do they exist? Are they real? If they are - how does that impact our faith - theology - our understanding of God and creation? Here in pt. 2, we get down to the nitty-gritty. Have people really interacted with beings from another planet - solar system - or even another dimension? Are UFO sightings legit? Is the government hiding evidence of these creature...

Today we begin a mini-series on all things extraterrestrial. Do ALIENS exist? Is there really life out there in the universe somewhere? New evidence suggests it is entirely possible! If so - how might that impact our faith? Is the Bible compromised? Do aliens have souls? Should we share the Gospel with them? Does Jesus have to go and die for them too? Join us as we explore the full realm of existe...

Today we wrap up our Halloween series with the mother of all scariness - the WITCH - and WITCHCRAFT! Where did we get this concept of a spell-casting - potion-brewing old woman? Why does she fly around on a broom - and what's with the pointy hat? the Bible has a LOT to say about this subject - and we get into all of it! We also get into history - legend - and the top 12 witches of cultural fol...

Today we go all the way down the rabbit hole! We're talking about a bunch of different mythical creatures to find out where they come from, and what they're really all about! We often see these beings portrayed as cute - fun - loveable - even a little magical. Spoiler alert - they're NOT! They come from Norse mythology - Celtic lore - even Arabic legend - and they are fierce - grotesqu...

We continue our Halloween series with a double-barreled episode - WEREWOLVES and ZOMBIES! What are they - where did they come from - what do they do? And what's this fascination with a zombie apocalypse? You might think - surely the Bible has nothing to say about all this. You'd be wrong! Join us as we howl at the moon and walk with the dead!

Today in our Halloween series - we ask several important and provocative questions. What is a ghost? Are ghosts real? What - if anything - does the Bible say about specters - the netherworld - spiritists - mediums - sorcerors? The answer might surprise - even shock you a little! Join us on our journey as we hunt down the truth about ghosts and bust some myths along the way!