TGC Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Why Should Pastors Stay? A Panel on Joyful Endurance Aug 08, 2020

Show notes

The Gospel Coalition hosted a breakout panel titled, “Faithful Endurance: The Joy of Shepherding People for a Lifetime” with H. B. Charles, Dave Harvey, Richard Phillips, Jeff Robinson, and Juan Sanchez at the 2019 National Conference to address the present trend of short stays in pastoral roles within churches.

Knowing that the average length of tenure for an evangelical pastor is slightly less than three years, it is no surprise that instability plagues our churches, which is neither healthy for the congregation nor the pastor. The panel discussed the value of faithful pastors who dedicate their lives to single congregations for decades at a time and the formative process through which faithfulness to a single congregation builds godly character into pastors and their churches.

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Journey with John Flavel Toward Fearlessness Aug 01, 2020

Show notes

"What if every anxiety was an opportunity for you to look at the cross and remember that Jesus' sacrifice covered this circumstance? Do not be afraid."

Laura Powell led a workshop during The Gospel Coalition’s 2018 Women’s Conference titled, “Journey with John Flavel Toward Fearlessness.” Fear is a common emotion that drives each one of us in one way or another on a daily basis.

In her message, Powell defined the types of fear people face and referenced the writings of Puritan preacher John Flavel along the way to bring context and clarity. Powell’s message reminded her listeners—and reminds us today—that the fear of the Lord is good, that sin caused our fears to be fallen, and that our fears are redeemed by the life, death, and resurrection of Christ.

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The Visual Discovery of God Jul 25, 2020

Show notes

During a breakout session at The Gospel Coalition’s 2019 National Conference, Josh Byers and Tim Challies teamed up to deliver a message titled, “How Visual Theology Displays the Truth About God.” There may be no time quite like the present in which the world has been so acutely aware of the importance of visual communication.

The power of images to shape culture, communication, and education is undeniable, including within the church. Yet imagery has been troublesome at times in church history. In order to help people within our churches become good theologians, we must teach sound doctrine in words, but we also need to engage them visually in order to undergird and communicate truth in ways we might not otherwise clearly accomplish.

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Discussing Death: A Pathway to Deeper Hope Jul 18, 2020

Show notes

"Awareness of death weakens our attachments to false hopes."

Matthew McCullough delivered a message during a breakout session at The Gospel Coalition’s 2019 National Conference titled, “Remember Death: The Surprising Path to Living Hope” based on his book by the same name. McCullough focuses on the importance of paying careful attention to death, removing the taboo around the subject, allowing it to deepen our spiritual walk, and encourage us with hope.

In a culture that prioritizes pleasures, certainly death seems a morbid and unexpected topic of conversation. Yet McCullough focuses on two benefits in the lives of Christians, not in simply preparing for death, but in knowingly living with death on the horizon—learning to number our days.

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Jackie Hill Perry on 'Gay Girl, Good God' Jul 11, 2020

Show notes

Jackie Hill Perry delivered a message during a breakout session at The Gospel Coalition’s 2019 National Conference titled “Gay Girl, Good God: The Story of Who I Was and Who God Has Always Been” based on her book by the same name. In it, she addresses same-sex attraction through her own story couched within the larger story of God. She encourages listeners to trust that that the simplicity of the gospel message—even when it seems to bear no fruit—can and does lead people out of sin and into a life that glorifies God. She calls the church to think holistically and frame the work of loving and serving same-sex attracted people in the fullness of the gospel. Simply love those in need of the gospel and help them understand it in its simplest form—Jesus loves you and died for your sins.

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How to Share the Gospel for All to Hear Jul 05, 2020

Show notes

Sam Chan delivered a message during a breakout session at The Gospel Coalition’s 2019 National Conference titled “How to Tell Your Friends About Jesus Without Becoming That Guy.” He taught that many of the things that we believe will help to convince others of the truth of the gospel—sovereignty of God aside—such as facts, evidence, and data, are actually the least powerful factors in doing so. Far more powerful are community and experiences, which means that the most effective methodologies for helping others to hear and understand the gospel include experiences that offer a merging of Christian and non-Christian friends and the opportunity to listen and learn from one another. From these things, fueled by prayer, opportunities for gospel conversations will inevitably arise.

Check out The Pour Over Podcast — politically neutral news for people who want the facts without the spin, and with a brief biblical perspective

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Sexual Sanctification Is Not the Absence of Temptation Jun 27, 2020

Show notes

"Change is not the absence of temptations but the raw spiritual ability to be holy even in the midst of temptations."

Christopher Yuan delivered a message during a breakout session at The Gospel Coalition’s 2019 National Conference titled “Holy Sexuality: Sex, Desire, and Relationships Shaped by God’s Grand Story.” Yuan taught that sexual identity has become an idol within our culture, and sexual freedom has become the religion of the land as a result of our hearts being set in defiance against God’s perfect design. Though sanctification is critical activity for every believer, he taught, the Christian life constitutes far more than the avoidance of sinful behavior. It begins with answering our ontological questions in terms of the Imago Dei and developing a “theological anthropology”—recognizing that our identity is not defined by our sin, but by Christ.

Check out The Pour Over Podcast — politically neutral news for people who want the facts without the spin, and with a brief biblical perspective

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Want to Read Great Literature? Start Here Jun 20, 2020

Show notes

Karen Swallow Prior spoke at The Gospel Coalition’s 2019 National Conference in a breakout session called, “Why, How, and What to Read.” The relationship between God and his people, she posited, has always focused on the centrality of the Word with a specific emphasis on written words. In fact, it may be said that reading is a supernatural gift from God—one that can be accepted, rejected, or lost. It is therefore incumbent upon all believers to cultivate the ability to read the right things, in the right ways, in order to steward the wonderful gift of reading that both enriches our lives and deepens our relationship with the Word who took on flesh and dwelt among us.

Check out The Pour Over Podcast — politically neutral news for people who want the facts without the spin, and with a brief biblical perspective

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Sovereignty in the Midst of Suffering Jun 13, 2020

Show notes

Harold Kim delivered a message in a breakout session titled “Bittersweet Sovereignty in Joseph’s Story and Ours” at The Gospel Coalition’s 2018 West Coast Conference. From Genesis chapters 37 and 50, Kim addressed three repeating themes in the life of Joseph: sins, sovereignty, and salvation. Driven by sinful, generational family dysfunction, Joseph’s life spiraled into chaos, yet God was sovereign over and working through it all. In the same way, we find hope in the promise that God causes all things—even the horrendous, atrocious dysfunction that often befalls us because of our own sin—to work together for our good.

Check out The Pour Over Podcast — politically neutral news for people who want the facts without the spin, and with a brief biblical perspective

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Trip Lee on the Paradox of Being Human Jun 05, 2020

Show notes

Trip Lee led a breakout session at The Gospel Coalition’s 2019 National Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana titled "Incredibly Normal: The Shocking Truth About Who You Really Are." He addressed the identity of believers and what it means to be a Christian on a planet filled with more than seven billion other humans.

The reality is that God made us in his image for his own purposes, knows each of us intimately, and loves us in a way that only he can, making us unique in the world. We are also incredibly normal—unexceptional—when compared to the greatness and glory of God. Therefore, our identity must be rooted in Christ, not in ourselves, lest we fall to either side and either become entitled or feel inferior. Both are distortions and keep us from focusing on who God made us to be.

Check out The Pour Over Podcast — politically neutral news for people who want the facts without the spin, and with a brief biblical perspective

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