Think Deeper

Cracker Barrel's disastrous rebrand has been a hot topic online. But when ew peel back why it has been such a disaster, we can find important lessons for the church on building culture, having an identity, chasing approval, and more. We discuss: 00:00 - Intro and Cracker Barrel's Rebrand 06:12 - Identity, Culture, and the Church 17:30 - All things to all men? 24:35 - Courting the world's approval...

We respond to listener questions on a broad variety of topics! 00:00 - Intro and a fun question to start 06:10 - What happened to Joseph? 11:00 - Demons, Nephilim, and the Flood 17:20 - What does it mean to grieve the Holy Spirit? 22:45 - Jesus's childhood and the age of accountability 30:32 - Questioning a Deuteronomic Law about sexual sin 38:45 - How do you deal with church disappointment? 47:51...

A recent controversy broke out over the premise that it is a failure for Christian fathers to give their daughters in marriage to non-Christians. We discuss: 00:00 - How the controversy began 08:28 - Personal experience isn't an excuse 17:42 - Who all is responsible? 31:43 - What about God's results as a Father? 37:50 - Intermarrying as evangelism 39:45 - Scriptural principles 50:03 - Failure and...

Christians agree all sin is wrong... but some seem to get a pass. Whether because they're so commonplace, they're hard to confront, or for some other reason, it can be easy for these 7 sins to stick around. CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Intro comments 06:46 - Worship concerns 27:57 - Hurtful words 38:25 - What we watch 46:45 - Hanging onto hurts 53:00 - Authority issues 59:17 - Think Fast: Pedro Pascal's "Anx...

Jack, Joe, and Will discuss the controversy surrounding actor Pedro Pascal and his interactions with his female co-stars, and what the situation says about mental health, "Me Too," and other hot-button issues Catch the full episode Monday, 8/4! For more, go to focuspress.org

Just about every week of the year there's a Christian conference or lectureship going on somewhere. As this style of event has steadily grown, it seems necessary to stop to ask a few questions about what the intended effects are, if they're being met, and if any negative side effects are presenting themselves. We discuss: 00:00 - Introduction and disclaimers 04:10 - The great blessings 15:33 - The...

A CEO gets caught with the wrong woman at a concert... and next thing you know, they're the main characters of the internet. Why was this such a viral moment, and what can we learn from it? We discuss on this week's Think Fast! With Will Harrub, Jack Wilkie, and Joe Wilkie Visit us at focuspress.org for more

Controversy is brewing in Waco, TX as Chip and Joanna Gaines' new show features a homosexual "family." We discuss 00:00 - The issue, the backlash, and the response 12:13 - The problem with normalizing sinful behavior 23:08 - How to associate with a world that rejects God 26:40- The pitfalls of Christian celebrity 37:34 - The false Gospel of niceness and how to "love the sinner" 46:55 - The importa...

We discuss some alarming statistics about young people's failure to reach milestones like marriage, childbearing, home ownership, and more, along with how it got this way and what the church can do about it. Chapters: 00:00 - Intro and research 07:09 - Discussing the causes 15:17 - Feminism's influence 27:03 - Economic factors 30:27 - Priorities for young men 41:30 - Re-centering marriage 51:34 -...

Grok, the AI chatbot found on Elon Musk's X, went off script recently, calling itself "MechaHitler, questioning the holocaust, and more. We discuss the lessons to be taken for Christians and their usage of AI Catch the full episode of Think Deeper on Monday, 7/14! With Will Harrub, Jack Wilkie, and Joe Wilkie focuspress.org

We revisit one of our oldest takes with a look at the place of reverence in Vacation Bible School, but also in. worship and other church activities. With Will Harrub, Jack Wilkie, and Joe Wilkie Join us for the Deep End! focuspress.org/plus And, visit out sponsor at cobbpublishing.com 

We continue our examination of critiques from former church of Christ members, including a lengthy look at the Command, Example, Necessary Inference method of application that drives most church teaching. 00:00 - Intro 04:30 - The thief on the cross 06:55 - Attendance requirements 13:03 - Are women oppressed in the church? 19:00 - CENI and the Silence of Scripture, the two big principles 25:17 - T...

We dive in to online critiques of the churches of Christ from former members and weigh which arguments have some validity and which ones are way off. Chapters 00:00 - Intro and disclaimers 04:07 - An "Indoctrination" problem? 10:18 - Reasons people leave the church 19:42 - Are Christians judgmental? 26:20 - Arguing over Easter 30:35 - "We only follow the Bible" 34:38 - Conservative purity spiralin...

The Supreme Court has upheld Tennessee's ban on transgender treatment for minors in United States v. Skrmetti. We discuss what this means and what it teaches us about Christians, politics, evangelism, and more. Subscribe to catch the full episode on Monday, June 23!

This week we discuss stereotypical "problem members" in the church and how not to be one of them. Our top 10 list: 00:00 - Introduction 03:02 - The Pot Luck Specialist 05:23 - The Co-Teacher 08:01 - The Nine-Fifteener and the Ten-Fifty-Sevener 11:47 - The No-Show 16:36 - The Critic 22:46 - The Absentee Voter 29:08 - The Taker 34:08 - The Emotional Landmine 36:57 - The CryBully 44:00 - The Bully 47...

Decorated American gymnast Simone Biles had strong thoughts on those who oppose male participation in female sports... until she had a sudden change of heart. We discuss what happened and what lessons can be taken from the episode.

Vince Boling joins the show to tell stories from his time working on set alongside some of Hollywood's biggest names, and how the darkness he saw led him back to the Lord. Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction and Vince's backstory 11:20 - Noticing something was "off" 16:18 - The behind the scenes overlap of Hollywood and the porn industry 18:36 - Is Satan's influence direct or indirect? 33:05 - Does Vin...

Many have noticed that Pride Month seems to lack the energy it once had. Are corporations changing their tune? Is this an effect of a change in government? Is this a trend, or a momentary pause? We discuss these on this week's Think Fast. For the full episode, tune in Monday, June 9 for a special interview with a guest who has seen Hollywood's inner workings and has plenty of stories to tell.

At the judgment, every human will meet their fate of reward or punishment. But once we've been sorted into one of those categories, will there be extra reward or extra punishment based on our deeds? Can we add "jewels to our crown" as some say? 00:00 - Intro and what we believe 07:10 - Scriptures on levels of reward 25:42 - Scriptures on degrees of punishment 37:30 - What form would greater reward...

With Phil Robertson's passing, we discuss the impact made by his business and the Duck Dynasty television craze, along with what good and bad Christian entertainment looks like. Catch the full episode of Think Deeper on Monday, 5/29 as we discuss the idea of levels of reward and punishment in heaven and hell

God wired men and women differently, with different strengths, skills, and tendencies. Unfortunately, Satan knows this and can turn our tendencies into temptations. We discuss: - The most-discussed sin for men and for women - How a sin like pride manifests differently for the two - How social media amplifies bad tendencies - The power struggle set forth by Adam and Eve and more! With Will Harrub,...

With reports that podcasting megastar Joe Rogan has begun to regularly attend worship services, we react to what this says about the culture, the blessings and challenges of celebrity conversions, and what the churches of Christ can learn from this.

We examine common quips and phrases you'll hear in the churches of Christ, including "Steps of Salvation," "the Brotherhood," "Separate and Apart from the Lord's Supper," and more! SECTIONS: 00:00 - Intro 5:30 - "Ready Recollection," "Separate & Apart," and Other Cliches 18:20 - Bible Things in Bible Ways, the Pattern, and Silence 38:00 - The Steps of Salvation 46:45 - "Church of Christ" and "...

In this week's Think Fast we look at President Trump's negotiations in the Middle East and the rumors that the US and the Israeli government are not on the same page. Many Evangelicals believe God has commanded the US and all other nations to support Israel... but is that true? From the Think Deeper Podcast episode, Guide, Guard, and Direct Us: Church of Christ Lingo available Monday, May 19

We live in possibly the most generationally divided time ever. Thanks to mass media and the rapid growth of technology, we have 4 generations with as little in common as any. We discuss: How the Post-WWII world has changed things so drastically for all of us The strengths and weaknesses of each generation Statistical insights that help us understand each other What it's going to take to bring the...