Think Deeper

4 years ago we listed what we considered to be the biggest threats facing the churches of Christ in 2022. With so much happening since then, we thought it would be a good time to revisit our lists and update them for 2026. CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Intro and the need to get serious 08:27 - Are we impacting the culture? 24:40 - Uniting the highly divided generations 37:08 - Plugged-in leadership 47:47 - Th...

We discuss perhaps the one facet of Sunday church life we have yet to cover: the Bible class. CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Intro 04:04 - The history of Sunday School 10:03 - The pros and cons of age-segregated classes 18:21 - When do youths need to graduate? Can women teach a baptized boy? 26:16 - How can we maximize the usefulness of kids' classes? 33:38 - What is the best format for adult Bible classes? 43...

Old friends Titus Anderson and Daniel Mayfield join Jack for a discussion on 6 different interpretive approaches you can use when studying your Bible! CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Intro, and reading vs. studying 05:41 - The Bible as storybook 13:48 - The Bible as "true myth" 20:16 - "Love letter" vs. Rule book 42:46 - Zooming in (exegesis) vs. zooming out (typology) 55:40 - Practical tips for using these app...

We begin 2026 with a look at an issue that is rapidly becoming one of the most important of the decade. Across religious, political, and generational lines, views on Israel and the Jewish faith and people are wildly misaligned. We discuss the lay of the land, what is out of bounds, and how to entertain these difficult conversations. CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Intro and statistics 05:44 - Kanye, October 7,...

We discuss the allegations of mass fraud perpetrated by Somalians running government-funded day cares in Minnesota and other states. Tune in Monday for the full episode of Think Deeper: Israel, Judaism, and "Jewish Influence" With Will Harrub, Jack Wilkie, and Joe Wilkie Visit us at focuspress.org and jackwilkie.co

We recap the year that was and count down our top 10 storylines, touching on topics such as Charlie Kirk, Israel, the new pope, youth culture (6-7!), sports betting, and more. With Will Harrub, Jack Wilkie, and Joe Wilkie Join us at focuspress.org/plus to catch the exclusive Deep End episode each week. Check out our sponsors at cobbpublishing.com And, join our mailing lists at focuspress.org and j...

We discuss the hot controversy regarding whether parents should tell their kids about Santa Claus. CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Intro, and why we're doing an episode on the topic 05:30 - History of St. Nicholas and Santa Claus 08:52 - Is it a lie? 27:32 - Taking it too far: making Santa God, and manipulating behavior 37:40 - Taking it too far: parents overdoing it 49:16 - Romans 14 and disagreeing charitably...

"We don't go to church, we ARE the church." Well, kind of. On this episode, the crew discusses whether the church is the people who go there, the institution, or something in between. CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Introducing the question 06:58 - Is the church just the people? 11:32 - "It's not an organization, it's an organism" - true or false? 16:25 - The church requires purpose 31:25 - The community church...

It's suddenly a hot debate as to whether it's wrong for parents to tell their kids Santa Claus is real. In this Think Fast, we give our takes and discuss why it's a controversy when it seemingly wasn't before. Tune in on Monday for the full episode, 'What is the Church?' With Will Harrub, Jack Wilkie, and Joe Wilkie focuspress.org jackwilkie.co

Joe and Will interview Jack about his new book, You Are Saved: The Christian's Assurance. CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Intro and announcing Jack's book 05:05 - Why write a book on assurance of salvation? 13:00 - The problem of legalism 20:24 - How lacking assurance keeps us from spiritual maturity 26:10 - Why focusing on doctrinal differences keeps us insecure 35:32 - The problem of overreacting to "faith al...

It's our 200th episode! We got together for a wide-ranging discussion across the spectrum of personal, spiritual, work, and more. Topics include: - Best marriage improvement books - Most impactful books - Christians and Harry Potter - Where the feminist movement stands today - Avoiding hypocrisy in leadership - The proper place of sports, movies, and other hobbies - Finding time for silence - The...

Are we doing enough to protect our children from abuse in the church? What about preventing and handling harassment among adults? On this week's Think Deeper, we discuss the alarming statistics surrounding sexual abuse and the crucial steps we must take to safeguard our congregations. CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Introductory thoughts and the reason for this episode 08:27 - Statistics and the scope of the pr...

"Hellfire and Brimstone" preaching is often thought of as a relic of Sundays gone by... but should it be? Have we overcorrected and begun to under-emphasize hell? We discuss CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Introductory thoughts 05:40 - Biblical terms for afterlife (Hades, Sheol) and punishment (Gehenna, Tartarus) 13:48 - Jesus' words on hell 20:28 - God's nature and punishment 29:40 - Hell in the epistles 35:39...

With the government shut down set to leave federal SNAP benefits for groceries unfunded, we discuss this issue from a Biblical lens and discuss the church's duty in times like these. CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Intro and covering the problem 05:33 - Problems with the program 12:28 - Compassion and its guidelines 17:00 - Biblical principles from Leviticus and 2 Thessalonians 23:30 - Guidelines for churches 3...

In the wake of leading conservative commentator Tucker Carlson's interview with controversial figure Nick Fuentes, a great debate has been waged online about the matter of "platforming." Should we have public dialogue with objectionable people? What are the limits? When it comes to the church, where do we draw the line of those we can speak with even if we disagree, and those whom we must mark and...

In this episodes we examine 5 common challenges in the churches of Christ, and what can be done about them. CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Intro and an overview of the church's reputation 05:00 - What is the proper place of emotion in the church? 15:57 - Do we pray enough? Do we know how? 27:50 - Where are we falling short in our Bible study? 36:42 - Why do so many people fail to feel God's grace? 45:58 - How...

Jack and Joe continue the discussion of having a backbone, with a practical look at what it takes to stand for truth in life's different situations. CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Intro and recap 11:04 - Principles for taking a stand: Have a Biblical moral compass 13:15 - Principles: fear God and not man 18:10 - Principles: love people 22:04 - Principles: prepare to be hated 26:49 - Standing for truth in the c...

As C.S. Lewis wrote, "Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point." Every virtue we have to possess as Christians is only as good as the courage we have to stand behind it. Yet, we live in a time when courage is in short supply. In this episode, we discuss the importance of having a backbone. CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Intro and opening thoughts 06:11 - Hegse...

In a world that shoves sexuality in our face every day, the church must not fail to rise to the challenge. We discuss where the Christian response often goes wrong in the church and the home, and what can be done about it. CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Intro and announcement 01:48 - The church's shortcomings on this topic 14:13 - How to start an accountability program 19:28 - Teaching beyond just abstinence 2...

Marco Arroyo of 'In Between Sundays' joins the show! We discuss: 00:00 - Intro and the church's "YouTuber Mt Rushmore" 02:28 - Getting the CoC to talk to each other 10:36 - How to stay plugged in to the conversations that matter 19:00 - Is the church of Christ an echo chamber? 30:10 - Evangelizing in the digital public square 35:44 - An appeal to get involved 52:03 - Think Fast: Erika Kirk's Act o...

Charlie Kirk's tragic death has sparked a renewed interest in Christianity in many who were previously indifferent. This week, the crew discusses what the church can do to make this stick and not just be a temporary bounce. CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Intro and reason for optimism 04:20 - Should churches preach on current events? 23:45 - A frank look at the churches of Christ 38:00 - Getting outside our bub...

The TD crew discusses the assassination of Charlie Kirk, Kirk's work, and the church's response Chapters: 00:00 - Intro and why this event felt different 09:32 - Rejecting Bothsidesism 18:46 - The courage to point out what's really happening 22:55 - Rejecting Aboveitallism 35:32 - The place of righteous anger 44:50 - Can we stomach difficult realities? 52:00 - What must be done

There are many misused verses in the Bible, and some of the biggest distortions are made from Jesus' own words. We discuss 5 verses from the Gospels that have been twisted to say something they don't say, along with how to discern the proper use for them. Topics: 00:00 - Intro and recapping our previous misused verses episode 09:35 - Throwing stones 19:10 - Who are "The least of these?" 26:15 - Wh...

Today's generation of seekers are not like those of the past. They may not be interested in debates over issues like instrumental worship like people were before. Instead, they want to find something serious, with roots, and able to stand against the evils of our day. With those points of emphasis, is the church of Christ the best option? We discuss: 00:00 - Intro 06:24 - The blessing and wisdom o...

We discuss the big news in the sports and entertainment world and what it means for feminism, the family, cultural influence on people's values, and more Join our email lists at focuspress.org and jackwilkie.com