Faith & Clarity - Biblical Perspectives and Biblical Wisdom on News & Cultural Issues

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What If Jesus Was Serious about Heaven? With Skye Jethani Dec 11, 2023

Show notes

“Jesus is not calling people to align themselves with heaven. He calls people to align themselves to him.”

Skye Jethani is an award-winning author, former pastor, and speaker. He is also the cohost of the popular Holy Post podcast.

In this episode of The Denison Forum Podcast, Jethani discusses his latest book, What If Jesus Was Serious about Heaven?. The conversation contrasts Christians’ traditionally held views of heaven with what the Bible actually says about heaven.

Jethani discusses the idea of viewing heaven as a restoration mission rather than a rescue mission. This perspective shifts the narrative from an afterlife escapism to a present-life commitment toward living in union with Jesus.

Host Dr. Mark Turman and Jethani also reflect on Jesus' teachings about the earthly application of his “kingdom come” and how that should influence our lives today as Christians.

Topics

(01:48): Skye Jethani’s journey to faith

(05:24): What did Skye’s father think about his choice to go to seminary?

(07:25): The story behind the uniqueness of Skye’s name

(08:24): How did you come to meet and later work with Phil Vischer on The Holy Post?

(11:12): Why did you start a series of books titled What If Jesus Was Serious About . . . ?” And why did you decide to write on heaven in your most recent book?

(14:39): An accessible but challenging devotional with deep theology

(18:43): A heaven-centered faith vs. a Christ-centered faith

(24:06): What does Jethani mean by “thin places”?

(28:05): Why we pray “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”

(30:24): Is Jesus coming on a rescue mission or a restoration mission?

(36:20): Scriptural fallacies that well-meaning Christians believe because of tradition

(40:21): What did Peter mean when he wrote that “the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved”?

(43:54): Oneness with Christ

(47:39): Why does a right understanding of heaven matter to us today?

Resources

About Skye Jethani

Skye Jethani (MDiv, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is an award-winning author, former pastor, and speaker. He is cohost of the popular Holy Post podcast, with over 600,000 downloads per month. Jethani has written numerous books, including the What If Jesus Was Serious? series, and served for more than a decade in numerous editorial and executive roles at Christianity Today. He also writes a daily devotional called With God Daily. He and his wife live in Wheaton, Illinois, with their three children.

About Dr. Mark Turman

Dr. Mark Turman is the Executive Director of Denison Forum and Vice President of Denison Ministries. Among his many duties, Turman is most notably the host of The Denison Forum Podcast. He is also the chief strategist for DF Pastors, which equips pastors and church leaders to understand and transform today’s culture.

About Denison Forum

Denison Forum exists to thoughtfully engage the issues of the day from a biblical perspective through The Daily Article email newsletter and podcast, The Denison Forum Podcast, as well as many books and additional resources.

The War in Israel: What You Need to Know about This Crisis of Global Significance Nov 30, 2023

Show notes

“The goal is to equip Christians to pray powerfully and use their influence effectively for the cause of peace in the Middle East.”

Denison Forum recently released a free ebook entitled The War in Israel: What You Need to Know about This Crisis of Global Significance. In this episode of The Denison Forum Podcast, Dr. Jim Denison shares what led him to write this book, why the current war in Israel differs from the many that have preceded it throughout history, and how this war could be a catalyst for spiritual awakening, both in the Middle East and in one’s own heart.

Topics

(00:12): How did Dr. Denison’s passion for the people and place of Israel begin?

(06:01): Why did Dr. Denison write his book The War in Israel?

(08:27): How do you define Israel? (race, region, religion)

(12:33): Does Israel’s geographic location matter in its war today?

(15:51): Why is Israel “the home of hope”?

(18:22): Is Israeli solidarity built around race, religion, or both?

(19:43): Are the Jewish people the most oppressed people group across history?

(23:14): Are the Jews still “God’s chosen people”?

(26:57): Do the Jewish people need Jesus?

(29:56): A brief account of Israel’s recent history

(36:38): Have any Arab nations disavowed Hamas as a terrorist group?

(39:25): Are Hamas’s claims and Israel’s claims morally equivalent?

(43:32): Why is the current war in Israel different from its previous conflicts?

(49:37): How can we best pray for those affected by the Israel–Hamas war?

Resources

Download The War in Israel ebook for free

Read the ebook in online chapters

Our collection of resource on the war in Israel

Mike Fanning Israel tours

Dreams and Visions: Is Jesus Awakening the Muslim World? By Tom Doyle

Episode transcript (PDF)

About Dr. Jim Denison

Jim Denison, PhD, is a cultural theologian and the founder and CEO of Denison Ministries. He speaks biblically into significant cultural issues at Denison Forum. He is the chief author of The Daily Article and has written more than 30 books, including The Coming Tsunami, the Biblical Insight to Tough Questions series, and The Fifth Great Awakening.

About Dr. Mark Turman

About Denison Forum

How to talk to your kids about gender identity Nov 27, 2023

Show notes

Dr. Mark Yarhouse offers practical tools for discussing gender identity with “compassion, civility, and conviction.”

Dr. Yarhouse is a professor and the director of the Sexual & Gender Identity Institute at Wheaton College. He is also the author of multiple books, including his most recent, Talking to Kids about Gender Identity: A Roadmap for Christian Compassion, Civility, and Conviction.

In this episode of The Denison Forum Podcast, Dr. Yarhouse helps parents understand gender identity issues that their kids and teenagers may be facing and how to talk about these issues with them in a practical and helpful manner.

Topics

(02:10): Who is Dr. Mark Yarhouse?

(04:53): Why is gender identity suddenly a popular cultural topic? What gender-identity-related terms should people know (e.g., transgenderism, nonbinary, gender dysphoria)? How prevalent is transgenderism today?

(10:19): What does it mean to be a “cultural ambassador of compassion, civility, and conviction”?

(17:51): Can we say with confidence what causes transgenderism?

(21:05): How to reduce fear-based parenting

(26:25): How can the Bible help us today with gender-identity issues?

(30:21): Why should people understand the differences between issues like transgenderism and homosexuality?

(34:23): What role does “social contagion” play in increased gender-identity issues among children and teenagers?

(38:37): Defining social (e.g., pronoun usage), hormonal, and surgical transitioning

(43:19): Would you use preferred pronouns with a child or teenager?

(45:22): What’s your advice for the parent or church leader who wants to welcome a person wrestling with gender-identity issues?

(48:48): Is there a framework for talking to your kids in age-appropriate ways about sexuality, including gender identity?

(53:26): Where can people follow Dr. Yarhouse’s work?

Resources

Transcript (PDF)

Talking to Kids about Gender Identity: A Roadmap for Christian Compassion, Civility, and Conviction, Dr. Mark Yarhouse

The Sexual and Gender Identity Institute at Wheaton College

@MarkYarhouse on X (formerly Twitter)

How and When to Tell Your Kids about Sex: A Lifelong Approach to Shaping Your Child’s Sexual Character, Stan and Brenna Jones

Start Talking to Your Kids about Sex: A Practical Guide for Catholics, Julia Sadusky

What does the Bible say about transgenderism?, Denison Forum

Is cross-dressing a sin?, Denison Forum

The “transgender craze” seducing teenage girls and doing “Irreversible Damage”, Mark Legg

Related Denison Forum Podcast episodes

Transgender ideology and what it means to be a woman: A conversation with Dr. Katie McCoy

“Does the Bible Support Same-Sex Marriage?” A conversation with Preston Sprinkle

Sex, singleness, LGBTQ+, and marriage idolatry: A conversation with Lou Phillips

Ask Jim: Gay “Side-B” Christians, the spectrum of abortion positions, and church discipline

What is biblical manhood? And, “The Toxic War on Masculinity”: A conversation with Nancy Pearcey

About Dr. Mark Yarhouse

Dr. Mark Yarhouse is the Dr. Arthur P. and Mrs. Jean May Rech Professor of Psychology at Wheaton College, where he also directs the Sexual & Gender Identity Institute. An award- winning teacher, psychologist, and researcher, Dr. Yarhouse has authored numerous books and articles, including the featured white paper on sexual identity for the Gospel Coalition's Christ on Campus Initiative. He lives in Winfield, Illinois.

About Dr. Mark Turman

About Denison Forum

The essential Christian practice of creation care discipleship with Steven Bouma-Prediger Nov 20, 2023

Show notes

“The Bible begins and ends with rivers and trees.”

Steven Bouma-Prediger, PhD, is an author and professor at the intersection of theology and ecology. In this episode of The Denison Forum Podcast, he discusses the concept of “earthkeeping” as a Christian practice, ecological issues like climate change, and the importance of Christianity in driving change—including whether “just one person” can truly change the world.

Topics

(02:14): How Dr. Bouma-Prediger got involved in combining ecology and theology

(10:42): Defining earthkeeping

(20:48): What do you say to people who question if the climate is in crisis?

(24:45): The biggest challenge to creation care discipleship

(31:20): An invitation to curiosity

(39:38): On listening to a wide variety of voices in Christian thought

(43:07): What gives Dr. Bouma-Prediger hope for creation care issues?

Resources

Transcript (PDF)

Creation Care Discipleship: Why Earthkeeping Is an Essential Christian Practice by Steven Bouma-Prediger, PhD

Evangelical Environmental Network

About Steven Bouma-Prediger, PhD

Steven Bouma-Prediger (PhD, University of Chicago) is the Leonard and Marjorie Maas Professor of Reformed Theology at Hope College in Holland, Michigan. He also oversees the Environmental Studies minor and cochairs the Campus Sustainability Advisory Committee. In addition, Bouma-Prediger has taught theology and ethics at Western Theological Seminary and is a board member of the Au Sable Institute of Environmental Studies. He is author or coauthor of 6 books, including Earthkeeping and Character: Exploring a Christian Ecological Virtue Ethic and For the Beauty of the Earth: A Christian Vision for Creation Care.

His most recently released book is Creation Care Discipleship: Why Earthkeeping Is an Essential Christian Practice.

About Dr. Mark Turman

About Denison Forum

What college students should know about the war in Israel Nov 14, 2023

Show notes

Is Israel an oppressive occupier?

Among the many surprising incidents surrounding the war in Israel, the size and vitriol of many American college students decrying Israel’s ground invasion of Gaza is among the most surprising. What’s spurring their protests? And how can parents and families discuss the war in Israel with their college students with truth and in love so that serious discussions can happen without fracturing relationships?

Topics

(00:34): The latest news from Israel and the ground offensive in Gaza

(05:29): Iran’s role in the Israel war

(07:26): How Israel and Hamas are responding to global pressure

(11:06): Why Israel’s government has Arab representation

(18:00): Why Critical Theory calls Israel an “oppressor”

(21:59): Has Critical Theory replaced “majority rule with minority rights”?

(24:49): Why are many college students protesting the Israel war?

(26:59): Blending anti-Zionism with antisemitism

(29:34): Why does Palestine keep rejecting a two-state solution?

(34:15): Why do so many believe Israel is an “occupying colonizer”?

(40:12): How to navigate conversations about the war in Israel with family and friends

Resources

Transcript (PDF)

Is Israel committing genocide?

Hamas and Radical Islam: What Christians need to know

Antisemitism on American college campuses

Podcast: How to talk to your kids about the Israel crisis

When Critical Theory collides with conflict in the Middle East

Why do so many people hate the Jews?

Book: Respectfully, I Disagree

Further Denison Ministry resources on the war in Israel

About Dr. Jim Denison

About Dr. Mark Turman

About Denison Forum

Why is Jesus called Immanuel? Janet Denison discusses her new Advent devotional Nov 13, 2023

Show notes

“They shall call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us)” —Matthew 1:23

Janet Denison is the author of numerous Advent devtionals, including this year’s most recent release, The Gift of Immanuel. As a long-time Bible study teacher, Janet offers accessible insight into God’s word at Foundations with Janet.

In this episode of The Denison Forum Podcast, she discusses her newest Advent devotional, how to ensure Christmas remains a holy celebration and not just a holiday season, why Jesus had so many names, and why Isaiah predicted that the savior would be called Immanuel but Joseph named him Jesus.

Topics

(02:58): The Janet Denison story (briefly)

(05:35): Settling in to a new place

(06:48): How Janet Denison became a Bible study teacher

(11:43): What’s your favorite part of the Bible?

(12:50): What is Advent?

(14:47): Why is this year’s Advent devotional called The Gift of Immanuel?

(19:59): Why are Christmas devotionals popular?

(24:20): On writing this year’s Advent devotional

(28:36): How to have a quiet time

(34:57): What is Wisdom Matters?

Resources

Transcript (PDF)

The Gift of Immanuel

Wisdom Matters

Foundations with Janet

About Janet Denison

Janet Denison has been writing and teaching Bible study for almost forty years and speaks with a voice that has experienced the truth of God’s word. She often says the reason she gets out of bed each day is to help others understand and apply the truth of God’s word to their daily lives. Teaching the Bible is her great privilege, and her goal is to help people live a life that God is able to bless. She is the primary author of the Bible studies at Foundations with Janet.

About Dr. Mark Turman

About Denison Forum

How does the Bible apply to today’s politics? With Kaitlyn Schiess Nov 06, 2023

Show notes

“We are a Bible-haunted nation.”

Kaitlyn Schiess is the author of The Ballot and the Bible: How Scripture Has Been Used and Abused in American Politics and Where We Go from Here. She joined The Denison Forum Podcast to discuss her latest book, which Publisher’s Weekly called “a nuanced look at America's legacy of scriptural language.”

Schiess talks about how we can read, interpret, and apply Scripture with integrity to the working of our democracy. She also speaks to how we can rightly bridge these worlds and discover what God is saying to us through his word, the Holy Spirit, and our communities of faith. In an intriguing phrase, she calls America “a Bible-haunted nation,” and she speaks to why she labeled our country that way.

Ultimately, you’ll be led to ask: “How should I see myself, my opportunities, my problems, and my politics through the lens of Scripture and God's eternal and good purposes?”

Topics

(02:20): “I think the rest of my life is studying this stuff.”

(06:16): How Schiess became involved with the Holy Post Podcast

(08:49): Why Schiess wrote The Ballot and the Bible

(13:37): The benefits of political fatigue

(18:28): “We are a Bible-haunted nation.”

(22:55): An overview of the history in The Ballot and the Bible

(27:54): Why should Christians “understand the times” and the Bible?

(33:50): Who should read The Ballot and the Bible?

(38:04): How we misapply “Render unto Caesar” today

(43:08): How Jeremiah 29 profoundly affects our political outlook today

(49:40): Culture warriors vs. cultural missionaries

(52:00) Schiess’s hope for The Ballot and the Bible

Resources

About Kaitlyn Schiess

Kaitlyn Schiess (ThM, Dallas Theological Seminary) is a writer, speaker, and theologian. She is the author of The Liturgy of Politics: Spiritual Formation for the Sake of Our Neighbor and is a regular cohost on the Holy Post podcast with Skye Jethani and Phil Vischer. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, Christianity Today, Christ and Pop Culture, Relevant, and Sojourners. Schiess is currently a doctoral student in political theology at Duke Divinity School. She lives in Durham, North Carolina.

About Dr. Mark Turman

About Denison Forum

Is the war in Israel a sign of the end times? Nov 01, 2023

Show notes

Jesus said, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars.”

So when terrorists strike, missiles are fired, and ground wars begin in the Middle East, it’s easy to question whether the end times are coming.

To add to our anxiety, the words surrounding how Christians discuss the end times are daunting: Eschatology. Premillennialism. Postmillennialism. Dispensationalism. Replacement theology. What do they mean? Do they all have the same importance? Should we care about them today?

In this episode of The Denison Forum Podcast, Dr. Jim Denison and his son Dr. Ryan Denison join Dr. Mark Turman for an insightful discussion on end-times thinking as it relates to the ongoing conflict in Israel and Gaza.

In the end—whenever the end truly may come—let’s remember how Jesus completed his statement on the rumors of wars: “See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place” (Matthew 24:6).

Topics

(01:24): One month into the war, what’s going on in Israel?
(06:24): What is eschatology? And why does it matter in the Middle East right now?
(09:10): Why do many American Christians hold to a dispensational view of the end times?
(16:07): Is having a right eschatology a primary doctrine of Christianity?
(22:55): Is Israel our key indictor of the end times coming?
(26:24): Are Israelites still God’s people?
(31:03): Are Christians too focused on predicting the end times?
(34:53): Why the end times matter for you right now
(40:40): Closing prayer

Resources

About Dr. Jim Denison

About Dr. Ryan Denison

Ryan Denison, PhD, is the Senior Editor for Theology at Denison Forum. Ryan writes The Daily Article every Friday and contributes writing and research to many of the ministry’s productions. He holds a PhD in church history from BH Carroll Theological Institute after having earned his MDiv at Truett Seminary. He’s authored The Path to Purpose, What Are My Spiritual Gifts?, How to Bless God by Blessing Others, 7 Deadly Sins, and has contributed writing or research to every Denison Forum book.

About Dr. Mark Turman

About Denison Forum

American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church: A conversation with Andrew L. Whitehead Oct 30, 2023

Show notes

The dangers of Christian nationalism

Andrew L. Whitehead’s accessible book American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church raises difficult but necessary questions about the influence of Christian nationalism in America.

What is Christian nationalism? Why is it dangerous for our faith, our churches, and our country? How can Christians see through Christian nationalism as a false god that twists the good news of Jesus away from his call to “love your neighbor as yourself”?

Many Christians have influence, power, and opportunity, but many of us also need to learn more holy ways to utilize power. We need to be wise and wary of the devil's call to fear and the culture's call to violence. God's call is for us to steward our salt and light well personally and in community so that all, and not just some, can flourish.

Topics

How to be faithfully American in modern America (01:59)
What is Christian nationalism? (06:52)
How does Christian nationalism differ from patriotism? (09:46)
What does a US flag in a sanctuary represent? (12:54)
The three idols of Christian nationalism: power, fear, and violence (19:03)
The pervasive nature of nationalism (28:22)
Defining white Christian nationalism (32:08)
It’s not about rewriting history but expanding it (38:17)
How does fear work against us in standing up to nationalism? (44:15)
A clearer understanding of religious liberty (47:57)
Concerning racism and immigration (52:57)
Who were you writing for? (56:37)

Resources

About Andrew L. Whitehead

Andrew L. Whitehead (PhD, Baylor University) is associate professor of sociology at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, where he codirects the Association of Religion Data Archives in the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture. He is the author of American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church and the coauthor of Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States, which won the 2021 Distinguished Book Award from the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion. Whitehead has written for the Washington Post, NBC News, Time, and Religion News Service and speaks frequently about Christian nationalism.

About Dr. Mark Turman

About Denison Forum

“The hands and feet of Jesus”: John-Travis Smith discusses the disaster relief efforts of Texas Baptist Men in Israel Oct 25, 2023

Show notes

Texas Baptist Men offers direct ways for you to help those in need.

Denison Forum seeks to help people think biblically and act redemptively as culture-changing Christians. In the midst of the war in Israel, we seek to inform believers with resources on how to think biblically about this current crisis. We are also calling on Christians to act redemptively by praying fervently, giving sacrificially, and going eagerly as the Holy Spirit directs. Texas Baptist Men is one of the most effective ministries through which believers can be that redemptive servant in this crisis.

Topics

Defining the BGCT, Texas Baptists, and Texas Baptist Men
How is Texas Baptist Men involved in disaster relief?
TBM’s worldwide disaster relief
How is TBM assisting in Israel?
Are TBM chaplains involved in Israel?
How are both Israelis and Palestinians being cared for?
What is it like in Israel and Gaza right now?
How can we pray for the work of Texas Baptist Men?
How can people partner with Texas Baptist Men?
A prayer for the work of TBM and peace around the world

Resources

About John-Travis Smith

John-Travis Smith is the Associate Executive Director/CFO for Texas Baptist Men (TBM).

He grew up in Royal Ambassadors, where he earned the Legion of Honor Award and has served Texas Baptist Men in a variety of capacities, including as vice president for finance and a member of the TBM Forever Foundation board.

He also was pastor to young adults at First Baptist Church in Bryan since June 2013. Previously, he served 11 years at First Baptist Church in Hempstead, first as youth minister, later as associate pastor and eventually as interim pastor.

Smith manages overall financial operations for TBM, oversees the office staff and updates policies and procedures in areas ranging from accounting to human resources.

Smith earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree in finance from Texas A&M University and his Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Kayla, have four children.

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Faith & Clarity – Biblical Perspectives and Biblical Wisdom on News & Cultural Issues

“Jesus is not calling people to align themselves with heaven. He calls people to align themselves to him.”

Topics

Resources

About Skye Jethani

About Dr. Mark Turman

About Denison Forum

“The goal is to equip Christians to pray powerfully and use their influence effectively for the cause of peace in the Middle East.”

Topics

Resources

About Dr. Jim Denison

About Dr. Mark Turman

About Denison Forum

Dr. Mark Yarhouse offers practical tools for discussing gender identity with “compassion, civility, and conviction.”

Topics

Resources

Related Denison Forum Podcast episodes

About Dr. Mark Yarhouse

About Dr. Mark Turman

About Denison Forum

“The Bible begins and ends with rivers and trees.”

Topics

Resources

About Steven Bouma-Prediger, PhD

About Dr. Mark Turman

About Denison Forum

Is Israel an oppressive occupier?

Topics

Resources

About Dr. Jim Denison

About Dr. Mark Turman

About Denison Forum

“They shall call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us)” —Matthew 1:23

Topics

Resources

About Janet Denison

About Dr. Mark Turman

About Denison Forum

“We are a Bible-haunted nation.”

Topics

Resources

About Kaitlyn Schiess

About Dr. Mark Turman

About Denison Forum

Jesus said, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars.”

Topics

Resources

About Dr. Jim Denison

About Dr. Ryan Denison

About Dr. Mark Turman

About Denison Forum

The dangers of Christian nationalism

Topics

Resources

About Andrew L. Whitehead

About Dr. Mark Turman

About Denison Forum

Texas Baptist Men offers direct ways for you to help those in need.

Topics

Resources

About John-Travis Smith

About Dr. Mark Turman

About Denison Forum

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