TGC Podcast

Michael Horton explains why there is no such thing, in the new covenant, as a “Christian nation” apart from the worldwide body of Christ. “The problem with Christian nationalism is not that some Christians are taking a biblical idea too seriously,” says Horton, professor of systematic theology and apologetics at Westminster Seminary California, “but that they are confusing America with Israel unde...

Irwyn Ince—pastor and author of The Beautiful Community: Unity, Diversity, and the Church at Its Best —explains why beauty compels us to pursue justice. The harmony and goodness of beauty reflect God’s creation as it was meant to be. Redeemed by Christ’s death and resurrection, his followers should pursue justice because it foreshadows the coming perfection of beauty in the new creation. Check out...

Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra—co-author (with Collin Hansen) of the new book Gospelbound: Living with Resolute Hope in an Anxious Age —discusses some of the reasons anxiety is on the rise. She explains how Christians can find peace in two seemingly contradictory ways: by thinking big, and by thinking small. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection...

Pastor and apologist, Sam Allberry, addresses the reasons Christian pastors have become less trustworthy in society, and how they might become trusted again. Pastors need to appreciate why trust has been lost, Allberry says, and they should prioritize compassion, honesty, pointing people to Jesus, and striving to become more like Jesus themselves. The more like Jesus pastors are, the more trustwor...

Justin Giboney—co-founder and president of the AND Campaign—addresses the self-serving lies conservative and progressives tell themselves about issues like justice, identity politics, and critical race theory.  Many of us would prefer to be lied to rather than confronted with a truth that complicates our preferred narrative. Yet if we are going to address the race issue faithfully, Giboney argues,...

At TGC Chicago's 2022 Regional Conference, Colin Smith moderates a panel discussion with Kevin DeYoung, H. B. Charles, and Juan Sánchez on on ways to enhance your prayer life. Kevin DeYoung defines prayer as, “a lifting of conversation in our hearts Godward.” They consider different practical ways to deepen personal prayer—like prayer cards, walking while praying, praying as a family, using devoti...

In his message at TGCW22, Michael Kruger addresses the issue of doubt in Christianity, both in individual spiritual lives and within the larger culture. Kruger critiques two ineffective approaches to doubt: doubting shaming and intellectual superficiality. He argues that doubt should be approached with the compassion of God, and not seen as a virtue or as something to be shamed. Kruger also highli...

In his message from TGC Chicago's 2022 Regional Conference, Colin Smith teaches us how to pray the Lord’s prayer through five specific categories, drawing from Luke 11 when Jesus’s disciples actually requested that Jesus teach them to pray, not how to pray.  Smith highlights five things on which to focus while praying: God’s name should be honored in prayer. We ought to pray that God would raise u...

During a panel discussion led by Collin Hansen at TGCW22, Jackie Hill Perry, Preston Perry, Melissa Kruger, and Michael Kruger discuss what it looks like to have healthy, godly marriages. Both couples emphasize the need for respect, listening, authenticity, and confession. The panel also talks about the importance of focusing on the positive aspects of your spouse and being for your spouse in ever...

“God is so faithful. He says, ‘If you bring me your sin, if you uncover it before me, I will cover it. I will do the very thing that you're trying to do in your own strength and power. I will cover it in the blood of my Son.’” — Juan Sánchez In his message at TGC Chicago's 2022 regional conference, Juan Sánchez uses Nehemiah’s example of prayer to illustrate how we should earnestly seek the Lord....

In her message at TGCW22, Lydia Brownback addresses the topic of contentment and points to where we can find true fulfillment for the things in our life that just don't feel quite right. When there is discontentment in our lives, there are usually two avenues we typically take to deal with it: take it to the Lord or avoid it with busyness or another handy escape. Brownback uses Psalm 73 to teach a...

In his message at TGC Chicago's 2022 Regional Conference, Kevin DeYoung expounds on John 17, teaching us how to pray like Christ through his high priestly prayer. DeYoung summarizes Jesus’s prayer in three sections: Jesus prays for himself to be glorified, his disciples to be sanctified, and his church to be unified. Jesus also prays for the safekeeping of his disciples, knowing they'll sin and fa...

At TGCW22, Irwyn Ince explores the characteristics of love described in 1 Corinthians 13 and explains how to abide in that kind of love. Ince discusses the importance of love in relationships, specifically within the body of Christ, emphasizing the transformative power of God's love, which changes self-centered individuals into self-sacrificial lovers of God and neighbor. He proposes that love is...

In his message at TGC Chicago's 2022 Regional Conference, H. B. Charles explains what happens in David’s heart during his prayer of confession in Psalm 51. Through this psalm, we learn that confession and repentance can lead us to joy as we follow David’s example. First, David prays, “Forgive me,” which is essential to moving forward in our relationship with God once we’ve sinned against him. He p...

In this TGCW22 session, Rebecca McLaughlin teaches on how the apostle Peter offers hope to those feeling hopeless in today's world, by reminding us of our living hope—Jesus Christ. McLaughlin explains that hope in Christ always runs to Jesus, breeds holiness, requires ransom, and springs eternal. She emphasizes the importance of setting our hope fully on the grace that will come at the revelation...

In his message at TGC19, Trip Lee teaches on the importance of having faith in God during difficult times of suffering. Lee uses two stories from Matthew 8 that display the healing power of Jesus—the healing of the man with leprosy and the healing of the centurion’s servant—to show what true faith looks like. Lee says that by studying the Word and remembering God's faithfulness, we nourish and str...

“Setting our eyes on the object of our faith is the only way we will endure.” — Trillia Newbell At TGCW22, Trillia Newbell emphasizes the importance of abiding faith in the life of a Christian. Faith is the foundation of the Christian life, and it is through faith that we can walk with Christ and obey him. Newbell distinguishes between saving faith (saved by grace through faith) and enduring faith...

In this TGC17 breakout session, Kevin DeYoung discusses the significance of accurate Bible interpretation, addressing the issue of pervasive interpretive pluralism within Christianity. DeYoung emphasizes the sufficiency and clarity of Scripture as well as the importance of interpreting Scripture alongside the creeds, confessions, and traditions of the church. DeYoung also highlights the need for u...

As Christians consider how to heal racial wounds and pursue racial justice, one debated question is how reconciliation and justice are related. Must justice be served first, before talk of reconciliation can even be taken seriously? Or is reconciliation the groundwork that makes the collective pursuit of justice possible? Should evangelicals stop talking about the need for “racial reconciliation”...

The pace of change in the digital age is staggering. Every year sees the emergence of new platforms, apps, and technologies that each bring possibilities, problems, and power to reshape culture. What should the church’s posture be toward new technologies? Should churches be early adopters, seeking to leverage new technologies missionally and ecclesially, rather than being a few steps behind? Or sh...

Few Christians would deny that “creation care” is a good thing or that stewardship of God's creation is a biblical mandate. But many Christians differ on the public policy implications of environmental stewardship. Is creation care something Christians should only practice in their private sphere of activities (e.g., recycling, not littering, and so on), or is it an issue requiring larger politica...

The issue of immigration is perennially divisive in American politics and also among American Christians (whose opinions about immigration are often more informed by politics than by the Bible). What are the best biblical arguments for strong borders and enforcement of immigration law on one side, or for more open borders on the other? For Christians, how does our faith inform the relationship bet...

Christian parents are right to give significant thought to where and how they educate their children. For many, the decision involves not only faith convictions but also financial realities and other factors. Why, or why not, should Christian parents have their children attend public schools? And if not, what are the best arguments for investing in a nonpublic education option (Christian private,...

In 2005, Al Mohler wrote an article about the call to Christian maturity through triaging theological issues. As with prioritizing particular injuries and illnesses in a hospital, there's great need for ranking theological issues in order of importance within the church. At TGC21, Matt Smethurst moderates a panel with Al Mohler, Gavin Ortlund, and Afshin Ziafat as they discuss how to separate prim...

“There’s no greater source of inspiration than an abiding friendship with Jesus.” –– Davy Flowers At TGCW21, Sarah Walton, Caroline Cobb, Hunter Beless, Davy Flowers, Ruth Chou Simons, and Jen Wilkin discuss what it looks like to be a creative in this age of technology. The panel discusses questions like, “How do we not seek our own glory on social media? How do we balance home life with ministry...