The GoodLion Podcast

Is it possible for a sin to be so bad that Jesus himself can never forgive you? This is a question that’s haunted many Christians, especially in light of the scriptural passage on the “blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.” What does all of this mean? Today on the GoodLion podcast, we explore the answer. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bo...

In a cultural moment that is growing hostile towards the Church, it's becoming easier than ever for Christians to slip into mission drift.  “Without careful attention, faith-based organizations will inevitably drift from their founding mission. It’s that simple. It will happen.” - Peter Greer Out of defensiveness and self preservation, it can become easy for us to turn our mission field into a bat...

Many Christians now sense the world has shifted. While culture was once positive towards Christianity, we now see a world that has shifted from openness, to indifference, and now hostility. A negative world. Which begs the question... how do we respond to this idea of the negative world? How do we adapt? How do we avoid negative responses that hold us back from our mission, and focus on the kind o...

Abortion is a hot button topic that is often debated by both Christians and non Christians. Ryan Lynn (Founder of the Speak Life Collective) is here to challenge us on how we can think through this divisive topic as followers of Christ. In this discussion, Aaron and Brian dialogue with Ryan about the value of an unborn life, how to respond to those who hold pro-choice views, what it means to be pr...

Throughout our lives many of us have heard older generations harken back to a time when Christians were accepted, praised, and embraced by the culture. Everyone went to Church on sundays. People seemed to hold a Christian worldview and morality, and it was rare to find someone who didn’t believe in Heaven or Hell. A world that was positive towards Christians. Some people my age remember a more neu...

Defensive violence, wounded Healers, and how radical enemy-love changes the world! So often as Christians we feel we must defend Jesus and lash out at those who are against Him. Too often we take the path of Peter and chop off the ear of someone who needs healing from Christ. In this episode, Aaron walks us through what he's learned about the Way of Jesus, and how though Peter's actions came from...

The GoodLion Podcast is back for season 8! Brian and Aaron sit down for a heart to heart about a recent big change in their lives: becoming fathers!  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goodlionpod.substack.com

With war raging between Russia and Ukraine, we wanted to take a moment and connect with a pastor in the thick of it. Friend of the show and CGN pastor Benjamin Morrison is currently doing ministry in the midst of a war zone... and he has a ton of perspective to offer us.  We cover things like:  What is God doing in Ukraine? How is the Church operating?  How can we pray for the mental health of the...

Aaron talks with Nick Cady all about the problem of Christian hypocrisy, how it is harming the church, and how it shatters the witness of the Christian Church. Nick speaks from the heart and shares about a book he wrote called "The God I Won't Believe In: Facing Nine Common Barriers To Embracing Christianity" , specifically from a chapter entitled "I can't believe in a God who creates hateful and...

Fear is the enemy of love. The idols of safety and security can push us to live the Christian life from a posture of fear. If we are to advance the Kingdom of God, we must realize that we are called to a radical way of love that is courageous and bold.   In  the final episode of our class on "Advancing the Kingdom", Aaron Salvato reminds us of the call on Christians to live a life of courageous lo...

In an age where tech dominates our lives, we spend so much time on social media. Christians need to face the facts. Whether we like it or not, social media is a big part of the public square of the day, and for the Christian called to represent Jesus and to help point others to Him, in many situations, social media can either make or break our Christian witness. In this episode, Aaron discusses le...

This world is not our home. It was never intended to be. We are pilgrims here on earth and we should live as such. The problem that has arisen is that many Christians have become escapists instead of pilgrims. They see the world as a hostile place, so they run and hide from it. No matter what our eschatology is, we must focus not on escapism, but on simple acts of obedience, which are the building...

In the New Testament, Christians are called to be in the world but not of the world. In other words, we are called to live in society and interact with others while maintaining our distinctiveness. When we turn away from those who are broken or make choices that are contrary to God's word, we have made the grave mistake of ceasing being a light in dark places.  Too many have a separatist mindset....

This week we present to you an old episode from season 2! We are hoping it will bless some of you listeners who may have missed it the first time it aired. Aaron & Brian get the amazing Dr. Gerry Breshears on the show to discuss all our burning questions about Salvation. What does it mean to be saved? Can you lose your salvation? How do you know someone is saved? All this and more on today’s G...

How does a Kingdom advance normally? Through the sword. Violence, war, and bloodshed. Jesus' Kingdom is much different. The Kingdom of Heaven does not advance through the sword, but rather through something much more powerful: preaching and the Gospel. It advances in this way: by converting one soul after another. In the Gospels, Jesus never employs violence to achieve his ends. His life and minis...

There is a dangerous tendency today to make the Kingdom of Heaven about what we need, or want. It is not about us. The Kingdom is about Him. He should be in the center of everything we do as His followers. Self-interest is the great enemy of godliness. It's a sin we commit every day, in all kinds of ways. This is why we have to be so careful about it. We take this mentality to our approach regardi...

Welcome to the GoodLion theology class, a brand new segment on the show where we bring you rich theological lessons and thoughtful discussions with our students! In part one of our 6 part mini series on "Advancing the Kingdom of God", Aaron Salvato teaches a lesson on defining what the Kingdom of Heaven actually is. If we are going to understand HOW to advance God's Kingdom, we need to actually gr...

Sexuality is one of the main ways people identify themselves today. Our modern moment asks people to freely express who they are by unchaining themselves from traditional concepts of sexuality. This has led many Christians to revert to hardline stances about what a person must be, and particularly, what a person must avoid, in order to be accepted by God. What if there was a different way to look...

Aaron and Brian take some time to answer a great question from a friend: "Why do I feel closer than ever to Jesus one day, and then other days I feel so distant I hardly remember I'm a Christian?" We believe this is a real, raw, and valid question that gets to the heart of what so many Christ-followers face: the roller coaster of faith. We would be the first to admit, we have experienced this stru...

Aaron and Brian chat with their friend Michael Bowles (Pastor, former youth pastor, and current student at Western Seminary) about the challenges of wrestling through the supernatural. The guys talk about their own experiences with things like God speaking, signs from God, healings, and even exorcisms of demons... while acknowledging that in a lot of our western Church culture the supernatural can...

Prof Gerry Breshears is back for his record breaking 3rd time on the show! In this episode we dive into the debate swirling around PSA (Penal Substitutionary Atonement) and ask Gerry all the hard questions! In this episode we cover: What exactly is PSA, and why do so many Christians disagree about it? Can you defend PSA Biblically?  What exactly happened on the Cross? What was the Trinity doing? A...

Most people struggle with change. When we go through major change in a short period of time, it can easily overwhelm us. Learning to navigate change well is crucial to follow Jesus well in a constantly changing world. In this episode, Aaron and Brian sit down with Sarah Yardley, Mission and Ministry Lead at Creation Fest UK and author of MORE > Change: Navigating Change With An Unchanging God....

In a culture where every issue requires us to take sides, finding unity is incredibly difficult. This has shown up in the church as Christians are dividing over covid, politics, and much more. In this episode, Aaron and Brian are joined by Scott Sauls, Senior Pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee and author of “A Gentle Answer: Our Secret Weapon in an Age of Us Against Them....

The last 18 months seemed to tear everything apart. The normal structures of our lives, our work, and our relationships seems to have fallen completely apart. For many of us, this has created a sense of loss. The things we trusted in let us down and now we don’t fully know where to turn. We’re not sure what we can or should trust in anymore. For others, this has led to a strong desire to rebuild....

In all of the insanity, confusion, and cultural upheaval of the early 2020s, there's been a growing resurgence of the term “social justice” that has taken the world by storm, especially in the wake of George Floyd's death. However, like many issues today, Christians are divided on the term social justice. To some, it represents a Biblical form of restorative justice that reflects our responsibilit...