Think Deeper

How we dress for worship has been a hot topic on social media recently. We discuss the controversial meme that started it all and give our takes on the matter of church clothes from a number of angles, including: - Is it only a matter of where a person's heart is? - James 2 and preferential treatment - Why do we dress differently on Wednesday night? - What the Old Testament teaches us - Should we...

We discuss what the church may look like in 10 years and what needs to change. Topics include: - Why the status quo can't be maintained - The single biggest issue we're facing - How we've failed at training leaders - The place of doctrine in the coming years - How the family and the home are key to a better future and more! With Will Harrub, Jack Wilkie, and Joe Wilkie Join us on Focus+ at focuspr...

We celebrate our 100th episode with a "Get to know your hosts" series of questions. Topics cover a wide range, including: - Bible questions - Church matters - Personal goals - Food, sports, and culture takes - The past and future of the podcast, and more! With Will Harrub, Jack Wilkie, and Joe Wilkie

We continue our 2-part series on sexuality with a look at how proper masculinity and femininity aid the married couple's sexual relationship, and how misplaced gender roles hurt it. We also share advice for the unmarried, young marrieds, and beyond. With Will Harrub, Jack Wilkie, and Joe Wilkie

Sex used to be a taboo topic in both the church and the culture. But when the culture started talking about it in all the wrong ways, we didn't rise to meet the challenge. We discuss:   - The two ditches the culture has created for us, and how we fall into both - What the Bible has to say on the matter, particularly in the Song of Solomon - Answering the specific questions that rarely get discusse...

Paganism has seen rapid growth in recent years, with people giving up Christianity and even atheism to worship "gods" like Thor, Odin, and Zeus. TikTok is especially driving this trend among young people. We may be a few years away from these religions posing a major opposition to the church. So, what do Christians need to know about them? We discuss this and more, including: - What do modern paga...

Many operate with the belief that Israel remains God's chosen people. This drives both their current politics and their expectations for how the world will end. In fact, dispensational premillennialism may be the foremost view of the end times in evangelicalism today. This week we examine that belief. Topics include: - The history of these beliefs, and why you should be wary of your study Bible -...

Everybody who's ever lived wants to know what happens after we die. Though the Bible does not lay out a full description of how things will be, it does give us a number of glimpses. This week's episode examines those and explores a number of questions about the afterlife, including: - What is the difference between Hell and Hades, and what is Sheol? - Do we go to heaven when we die, or a place of...

We look at popular memes and shareable quips from social media and examine their Biblical accuracy, including:   - "God gives his toughest battles to his strongest soldiers" - "You don't have a soul, you are a soul. You have a body." - Heaven gained another angel." and more   Plus, a discussion on maintaining reverence in our humor, and on the Christian's use of social media.

We live in a culture obsessed with self-love and self-care. In this week's episode, we discuss: are these practices selfish, or should Christians engage in them? Topics include: - How modern innovations have created mental health problems - If Jesus practiced self-care - Where "Jesus, Others, Yourself" often goes wrong - Does "Love your neighbor as yourself" require us to develop self-love? - How...

We conclude our brief series on money with a look at the claim that Jesus was a socialist.   Topics include: - Did the early church practice socialism in Acts 2 and Acts 4? - Is it true that socialism is "a good idea on paper?" - Shouldn't the Christian advocate for everyone to have healthcare, shelter, etc.?   Don't forget to check out the books going up for pre-order at focuspress.org/shop

Money is one of the most misunderstood topics of the Christian life.  This week we try to cut through the confusion on a number of topics, including: - Is it wrong to desire to make good money? - Where is the balance between preparing like the Proverbs vs. the vice of building bigger barns (Luke 12)? - Gambling - Is Dave Ramsey right? - Do we need to tithe? - What should churches do with their exc...

We discuss the "Nice Guy" issue plaguing modern masculinity and why it subverts everything God intended for men to be. Topics include: - Why "Nice Guys" are unsuited to lead their home and make everyone miserable - The reason "bad boys" like Andrew Tate are popular - "Nice Guys" in positions of political power - "Nice Guys" vs. True masculinity in the Bible - How "Nice Guys" in church leadership s...

We conclude our brief series on evangelical trends with a look at: - The "Radical" discipleship of Francis Chan and David Platt - What to take from the Duggars and Bill Gothard's representations of patriarchy and homeschooling - What happened when Josh Harris kissed dating goodbye and what became of all those "True Love Waits" promise rings  

We start a two part series on evangelical trends of the last 50 years, this week focusing on the rise of megachurch/seeker sensitive churches, plus the "Emerging Church" of the early 2000s. Topics include: - Where "Relationship over Religion" came from and why it's wrong - How the biggest churches of the 80s and 90s set us up for the decline we're seeing today - What ever happened to the "Emerging...

This week we discuss the church's long and storied "Cancel Culture," when Christians cut off relationships and silence brethren over minor doctrinal disputes. We cover: - The wicked incentives of measuring our doctrinal purity by others - Why we should be careful with terms like "false teacher" and "false doctrine" - How "Do not judge lest you be judged" comes into play - When to draw the line, an...

We take on a subscriber suggestion to reexamine the ways we do worship and see how they could be more effective. Topics include: - How can we bring more passion to our song service without making it a performance? - Can the Lord's Supper be made more communal? - Are there "5 acts of worship?" - Is the invitation Biblical? Join us on Focus+ where you'll get access to the video episodes of Think Dee...

Aliens and UFOs have long been a fringe interest in our society - that is, until very recently. With government officials claiming encounters with UFOs and maybe even aliens themselves, suddenly the issue is being taken much more seriously. What are Christians to make of this? Do aliens exist? And if so, what would that mean for the Christian faith? Is it all one big hoax, created to distract us f...

This week we share our Top 5 Favorite Bible books and debate each others' lists. We finish with a discussion of what might be the Top 5 Most Important or Impactful books in the Bible. We'd love to read what's on your lists! Leave a comment on Focus+, our FB page, or the YouTube video.

This week we look at alleged Bible contradictions, including some tough questions like: - Did God tempt Abraham, contradicting James 1:13? - Moses talked with God face to face, why does John 1:18 say no one has seen God? - Was God dishonest in dealing with Ahab and the prophet Micaiah? We answer these and more!   Don't forget to check out our 25% off summer sale at focuspress.org/shop

One of the biggest attacks on the Christian faith today is aimed at the Bible's reliability. The culture insists we should see the Word as nothing more than a flawed collection of folk tales. We discuss why you can have full confidence in your Bible, along with: - Scientific proofs - Prophetic and historic accuracy - Plus, a discussion on how to properly use apologetics, as sword or shield

We've lost all understanding of what it means to be a kid, an adult, and an elderly person. Kids are rushed into adulthood by being confronted with serious issues and being allowed to make all kinds of decisions for themselves. Adults want to get to their 20s and stay there as long as possible. And nobody wants to be old. But God has given us blessings and responsibilities in each of these phases...

We talk about the status quo of church membership, a "choose your own adventure" approach. If people want to be highly active and involved, they can be. And if they want to barely take part, we encourage them to do more and hope they step up... but we know most never will.  Was it supposed to be this way? If not, what can we do about it?

We examine the role of the preacher, including questions like: - How do we strike the balance between the over-powered pastor role and the "employee of the church" views so prevalent today? - Are there qualifications for preachers? - Was the work of the preacher a short-term, first-century role that should no longer be practiced? - Do preachers have any authority?

With today being Juneteenth, the most recently-minted federal holiday, we discuss racial division in the church and society. Topics include: - What unity would take - What racism is, and what it isn't - When colorblindness helps, and when it doesn't - Whether natural affinities and affections should be avoided