The Learning Laborers

Join us for a deep dive into the intriguing world of biblical friendship with our guest, James North. In this episode, James shares his journey from pastoral ministry to becoming a Bible teacher at a Christian school. We explore the nature of friendship in the ancient world and how Jesus' declaration of friendship redefined social norms. James also unpacks Paul's use of familial and friendly langu...

Denver and Taylor chat with Dr. Nadya Williams, a classicist and author with a PhD from Princeton. It is an enlightening discussion on cultural Christianity in the early church. They dive into Nadya's books, Cultural Christians in the Early Church and her latest Mothers, Children, and the Body Politic , exploring how early Christians navigated societal influences and how this can serve as a lesson...

In this episode of the Learning Laborers podcast, Denver and Taylor explore the intersection of biblical scholarship and ministry with Matt Trexler, a campus minister at UCLA working with the Reformed University Fellowship (RUF). Matt shares his journey into college ministry, offering insights into his research on the Sermon on the Mount and its impact on college students. They also discuss the cu...

Join Denver and Taylor in a heartfelt and insightful conversation with Andy McQuitty, founder and CEO of Kaleo Collective . They delve into the origins and mission of Kaleo Collective, a network providing support and community for pastors through Zoom cohorts. Andy shares compelling stories from his own 30+ years of pastoral experience and offers wisdom on handling the unique pressures faced by ch...

Season 3 kicks off with Denver and Taylor discussing the topic on ministry transitions. Taylor shares about his own ministry transition, where he is leaving the church he grew up in and served on staff for the past decade. Together, Denver and Taylor reflect and creatively interact with the story of Abraham's journey in Genesis 12 to spark conversation about how to faithfully leave a place in...

In this season two finale, Denver and Taylor reflect on the last 14 episodes and also share about the topics they are currently researching. Denver is studying the Transfiguration of Jesus and its impact on Peter, James, and John. What was the significance of this bizarre experience? And why did Moses and Elijah show up for it? Taylor has been spurred on by our conversation with Spencer Owen to di...

Continuing our conversation with Spencer Owen, Denver and Taylor discuss the atonement and the implications our theories of atonement have on how we view God, salvation, and our own discipleship to Jesus. Spencer provides several resources if you are interested in hearing more. A Journey through the World of Leviticus by Mark Scarlata Welcoming Gifts by Father Jeremy Davis The Day the Revolution B...

What is the significance of Jesus' death? What exactly happens on the cross? These and other questions related to Jesus' death and the idea of "atonement" are tackled in this episode. Denver and Taylor have a conversation with Spencer Owen, and the focus is on a close reading of Isaiah 53. We seek to understand how Jesus' death is conceptualized and given significance by the...

What does trinitarian theology have to do with prayer? How can we inspire our communities of faith to engage in movements of prayer? What does it look like to pray the Scriptures? In this episode, Denver and Taylor have a delightful chat with the passionate Sam McVay. Sam is keen to explore trinitarian theology - not just on a theoretical level, but also as it relates to the nitty-gritty, everyday...

Should our eschatology make us fearful or hopeful? Is there any Scriptural evidence for some kind of coming Rapture event? How should we approach the difficult and complex topic of Last Things? In this episode, Taylor and Denver sit down with Dr. Matthew Halstead to talk about his new book, ⁠The End of the World as You Know It: What the Bible Really Says about the End Times (And Why It's Good...

What is the Apocrypha? Why is it included in some Bibles and not in others? Is it safe for an evangelical Protestant to read these “hidden” books?! Denver and Taylor sit down with Matthew McBirth to discuss these questions and others related to the study of Second Temple Jewish literature. Matthew is a Professor of Bible and Ministry at  Ozark Christian College  in Joplin, Missouri. In this episod...

Has our traditional, familiar version of the Christmas story distanced us from the Bible's version? Were Mary and Joseph really turned away from inhospitable innkeepers? Did they trek to Bethlehem in the middle of the night? Was Jesus born in a stable? Taylor and Denver dive into Luke 2 as to provide a fresh reading of a familiar (perhaps too familiar) story. Here is a link to an image of a fi...

Denver and Taylor interview Lois Tverberg about the Jewishness of Jesus, the importance of understanding Jesus in his Jewish context, and why that matters for how we interact with scripture. If you are interested in learning more, Lois has several books that you can purchase at these links: Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus Reading the Bible with Rabbi Jesus Als...

What is a graphic Hebrew love song doing in our Bibles? Must the Song of Songs be read as an allegory in order to contribute to our spiritual formation? What wisdom does this ancient poem have for Christians today? In this episode, Taylor interviews Denver about the greatest love song ever written. They discuss the song’s history of interpretation as well as its theological significance and releva...

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to pastor missionaries? That's exactly the kind of ministry that Steve Henry engages in every day. Steve has been a pastor, a missionary, a sender of missionaries, and is currently a pastoral coach to missionaries serving overseas. Denver and Taylor ask Steve about this unique ministry calling, as well as the topic of missionary care more generally....

Should we connect passages from Revelation to current events, such as the tragic crisis in Israel-Palestine? How can we cultivate a tov culture within the church? How can pastors stay up-to-date on the state of New Testament scholarship? These and many questions are addressed by Dr. Scot McKnight on this episode of the Learning Laborers. Scot is the Julius R. Mantey Chair of New Testament at North...

Would aliens bear the image of God? Would they need their own divine incarnation? Would God expect Christians to evangelize alien worlds? In part two of their discussion on extra-terrestrial life, Taylor walks Denver through some helpful theological treatments of this topic by Andrew Davison and Michael Heiser. Taylor makes a thorough case for why the topic of aliens can actually lead us to think...

Would the discovery of extra-terrestrial, intelligent life dismantle our Christian faith? Does the Bible have room for the existence of aliens? How should we as Christ followers approach conversations about aliens and UAP's? In this two-part conversation, Taylor walks Denver through the topic of aliens and Christian theology. In part one, Taylor explains why this bizarre topic has gained so mu...

Are there any situations in which Christians are permitted to use violence? How are Jesus followers supposed to think about military service? Join us as we explore this complex but important topic. The episode begins with Taylor asking Denver about his journey to the position of Christian nonviolence. They are then joined by Leland Stephens, a former US marine and church planter. He shares about h...

How do hospitality practices play into God's mission for the Church? What does it mean for Christians to be not just good hosts, but also good guests, to those they are trying to reach? In this episode, Taylor interviews Denver about his recent research into missional hospitality. They look at various examples throughout Scripture which show God's sent ones taking on a posture of needfulne...

Denver and Taylor wrap up the first season. As we take a break for the Summer, be sure to catch up on any episodes that you have missed. See below for how you can enter the book giveaway!* Here is how you can enter the giveaway: Like our page on Facebook Share the Book Giveaway post on our Facebook Bonus entry : share your favorite episode of the season 1 and tag "The Learning Laborers"...

Denver and Taylor interview Matthew Bates about his newest book: Why the Gospel? Matthew has written extensively on the use of "gospel" in the New Testament, arguing that its meaning is centered on the kingship of Jesus. In this most recent work, Dr. Bates explores the why behind the Gospel - Why did God send Jesus to be our king? Why do we need a human and divine king in the first place...

What was going on during the Second Temple Period? And how did that build the social-political context of the first century? Lastly, then, how does this help us read the NT better? In this episode, Denver interviews Taylor about some of his recent research. Taylor is looking at how the first century church navigated their political climate, but in order to evaluate that, we must see the church in...

Taylor and Denver sit down for a chat with pastor and life-long learner Gary Pauley. In the first part of the episode, Gary shares about his academic research into the historical roots of the social gospel and its relationship to kingdom theology. Gary believes understanding these theological movements can help pastors as they navigate the relationship of politics and the church today. In the seco...

Denver and Taylor have a fantastic conversation with Renjy Abraham, the Dean of Scholarship at BibleProject . If you do not know about BibleProject, it is a nonprofit, crowdfunded organization that produces 100% free Bible videos, podcasts, blogs, classes, and educational Bible resources to help make the biblical story accessible to everyone everywhere. From page one to the final word, they believ...