Seminary Dropout

As I say in the intro, I'll be handing over hosting duties for the month of December to Grace Sandra . She did a great job with this episode and I can't wait to share the others with you.  Marcelle Dionne Ward was born in St. Louis, MO. He graduated from Millikin University with a B.F.A. in Graphic Design in 1999. He also has an M.B.A. from Webster University. Though exceptionally gifted in the vi...

Back in 2013 I had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing Grace Sandra. In the interview we talk about the concept of privilege and racial reconciliation in light of the Gospel. Look to hear more from Grace on Seminary Dropout soon! Mentioned on the podcast: Grace’s Blog: gracesandra.com Books: More Than Equals: Racial Healing for the Sake of the Gospel Being White: Finding Our Place in a Multie...

Sarah Bessey is the author of Jesus Feminist, an award-winning blogger at SarahBessey.com , and a passionate advocate for global women’s issues. She partners with the Help One Now ministry in Haiti and lives in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada, with her husband, Brian, and their three  four children.   In Out of Sorts, Sarah Bessey—award-winning blogger and author of Jesus Feminist, which was...

I was honored to talk to Shane Claiborne in 2013. We talked about the book he had just co-written with previous SD guest Tony Campolo , Red Letter Revolution. Discussed in the interview: What if Jesus meant the stuff he said? Christians aren’t known for the fruits of the spirit. Bad theology gets people killed. Beginning with a posture of humility. Our obsession with safety. Selling what we have a...

You probably know Jefferson Bethke from his internet-exploding Youtube video 'Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus'. You probably don't know that Jefferson was born in Tacoma, WA, played baseball in college, and co-owns a company called Claro Candles that gives profits to different areas of injustice around the world. He's also an author.  It's Not What You Think: Why Christianity Is About So Much...

Jeremy Jernigan serves as the Executive Pastor of Creative Arts and Student Ministry at Central Christian Church  in Arizona. He’s a second-generation preacher with a passion for discovering and communicating truth. Jeremy has been married to Michelle for about a decade now and they have four kids named Gavin, Madsen, Adelyn, and a little foster child he can only refer to as “A” (for legal purpose...

My guess today is Max Lucado. More than 120 million readers have found inspiration and encouragement in the writings of Max.   He lives with his wife, Denalyn, in San Antonio, where he serves the people of Oak Hills Church. Glory Days: Living Your Promised Land Life Now The wilderness. Maybe you know it well. The Israelites sure did. After all, they spent forty years wandering the desert. Victorie...

Jo Saxton is a director of  3DM  , a movement/organization  helping church leaders make discipleship and mission the heartbeat of the local church. Jo was also  leader within  The Order of Mission (TOM)  , a global community of missional leaders. Jo also writes, her books include  More Than Enchanting: Breaking Through Barriers to Influence Your World , and  Real God, Real Life: Finding a Spiritua...

Dr. Jackie Roese grew up in upstate New York in a non-christian family. She received her Doctorate in Preaching from Gordon Conwell Seminary in 2010. She has written fifteen Bible studies and is willing to push us to MORE. Jackie translates the Bible with direct application to our everyday lives. Jackie's newest book is  Lime Green: Reshaping Our View of Women in the Church . Each of us, in our ow...

Efrem Smith is an internationally recognized leader who uses motivational speaking and preaching to equip people for a life of transformation. He also consults on issues of multi-ethnicity, leadership, and community development for churches, educational institutions, and other organizations. Efrem has held positions with church and Para church organizations as well as community foundations. He has...

Yesterday I got to sit down with Jon Foreman before his show outside of Austin, TX. You might know Jon from his solo work but you definitely know him as the lead singer of Switchfoot.    Some things discussed on the show... ...Jon's current project - 24 songs, 24 producers, 24 shows in 24 hours. ...the role of those 24 producers. ...writing the songs for The Wonderlands over a 10 year period. ...w...

Jen Hatmaker is a mom to five children, a pastor’s wife, sought-after speaker, best-selling author and star of the popular series My Big Family Renovation on HGTV.    She is best known for her books 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess and Interrupted: When Jesus Wrecks Your Comfortable Christianity. Her new book is “For the Love: Fighting for Grace in a World of Impossible Standards” Best-sel...

Lisa Harper is a storyteller and theological scholar―a gifted communicator whose writing and speaking connect the dots between the Bible era and modern life. The author of nine books, and a Masters of Theological Studies with honors from Covenant Seminary, she is now a sought-after Bible teacher.   In Believing Jesus, Bible teacher and author Lisa Harper retraces the steps of the apostles in the b...

John Mark McMillan is something of an anomaly. From the very beginning of his career, nearly a decade ago, his music has defied easy categorization. A singer-songwriter as interested in musical exploration as lyrical exploration, McMillan carved his own path from the outset—with an ear for melody with a poet’s eye for metaphor—no topic was off-limits: death and love; isolation and exultation; rest...

My guest today is Jennie Allen, Jennie’s passion is to inspire a new generation of women to encounter the invisible God. She loves words and believes God uses them to heal souls and to reveal Himself to people. Jennie has published several studies and trade books, engaging women's minds and hearts toward Christ. She has a masters in Biblical Studies and lives with her husband Zac, and 4 children i...

“Boz” Tchividjian is a former child abuse chief prosecutor and is the founder and executive director of GRACE (Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment). Boz is also an Associate Professor of Law at Liberty University School of Law, and is a published author who speaks and writes extensively on issues related to abuse within the faith community. Boz is the 3rd-eldest grandchild of the...

You know who Rob Bell is. I mean come on. He's the former pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church. He's an author, podcaster, and surfer. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Rob last week when he was in town for his Everything is Spiritual tour. The audio is a little different in this episode since I'm talking to Rob on location as opposed to my home studio, but it still turned out great. Enjoy! My p...

A storyteller at heart, Michele Cushatt inspires audiences with the warmth of her transparency and presence. Her unique style makes you feel like you just spent an afternoon with a good friend, sparking tears one moment and laughter the next. Having experienced both the best and worst of life, she’s unafraid to disclose her imperfect spaces, so that you know you're not alone in yours. affiliate li...

Carolyn Custis James. Carolyn is a national and international conference speaker for churches, colleges, seminaries and other Christian organizations. Her writings bring a fresh perspective to the study of God's Word and communicate a powerfully relevant message for women and men  today. affiliate link Malestrom builds on and expands previous books by Carolyn Custis James to explore the idea of ma...

Michael Hidalgo is the pastor of Denver Community Church. With the ONE Campaign and Malaria No More, Michael has addressed thousands nationally. He is the author of  Unlost: Being Found by the One We Are Looking For  and writes regularly for Relevant Magazine. His new book is "Changing Faith: Questions, Doubts and Choices About an Unchanging God".0 affiliate link Some things discussed on the show....

Matt Jones blogs on a general range of topics including theology, literature, sexuality, cultural observation, and social justice at  matthewfranklinjones.com.  He is also a contributor at  SpiritualFriendship.org . In the interview Matt talks about his own journey of being a gay celibate Christian, and how the church can love people in the LBGTQ community better. Some books that Matt mentions are...

Jim Brownson is the James and Jean Cook Professor of New Testament at Western Theological Seminary. He’s the author of a number of books, including most recently Bible, Gender, Sexuality: Reframing the Church’s Debate on Same-Sex Relationships.   affiliate link In Bible, Gender, Sexuality James Brownson argues that Christians should reconsider whether or not the biblical strictures against same-se...

Glenn Packiam is your average pastor, band member, song writer, author.  He's the lead pastor of  new life DOWNTOWN , a congregation of  New Life Church  in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he also serves on the Executive Team and the Eldership. He is the author of  Discover the Mystery of Faith ,   LUCKY: How the Kingdom Comes to Unlikely People ,  Secondhand Jesus ,  and  Butterfly in Brazil. G...

Have you heard of N.T. Wright? You know, one of the leading New Testament scholars in the world. Yeah, that N.T. Wright. The former Bishop of Durham in the Church of England. He now serves as the Chair of New Testament and Early Christianity at the School of Divinity at the University of St. Andrews. For twenty years he taught New Testament studies at Cambridge, McGill and Oxford Universities. As...

Rachel Held Evans is a tremendously successful blogger and author. Many believers have found a refuge in her writings. You can follow her on her blog at  rachelheldevans.com  and on twitter at  @rachelheldevans . affiliate link Rachel's new book is Searching for Sunday. SfS is about Rachel's own journey from a simple faith too one with more complexity and subtleties. Many believers, especially of...