A Pentecostal and a Baptist walk into a seminary... the punchline? A podcast that bridges academic theology and everyday faith. Meet Josh and Josh, your hosts for a podcast that’s all about connecting the dots between theology and real life. Josh from Missouri has twenty years of pastoral experience, trains church leaders through AssociateLeadership.com, and teaches practical theology at Evangel University. Josh from Oregon is a biblical languages enthusiast who’s on his church’s sermon prep ...
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Jesus frequently refers to himself as the Son of Man. But what does this mean? Is this just an awkward way of referring to himself in the third person? Is he trying to communicate something from Old Testament prophesy that would apply to him? And why does the early church all but abandon this title after the gospels? Come dive into this mysterious …
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In 500 years, what will the legacy of Evangelicalism be? Or better yet, if you had the chance to steer the ship, what would you choose as the legacy of Evangelicalism? In this episode, we consider one author’s answer to that question and mull over the ways that we would like to influence the course of events. What are your thoughts? Follow us on: h…
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Sin is not just what we do or fail to do. From Genesis 4 to multiple passages in Paul’s letters, we learn that sin is something more than these acts of commission or omission. Sin is its own power that longs to have mastery over us. In this episode, we discuss the full weight of this reality including what it means for discipleship and personal gro…
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“As a Christian I am inherently a pluralist. I want all ideas to be at the table. And I don’t want my ideas to be the governing ones.” What do you make of this quote? Agree? Disagree? Want to know what is meant by certain terms? Today we dive headlong into this the idea of being a Christian pluralist. We’d love to know what you think and whether or…
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Is good theology only important for defending against heresy? What should our theological posture be? Should we choose one of antagonism and readiness to confront error anywhere we find it? Is there another way forward that hold fast to truth while also conforming to the life of Jesus and the fruits of the Holy Spirit? Listen in as we wrestle throu…
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Today’s episode is a grab bag of theological questions that may or may not result in wild heretical comments made by one or both of us. Though we attempt to give each question the theological attention it deserves, our audience may very well disagree with our conclusions. After listening in, come join us on social media to let us know how you would…
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E146 – Misquoting Paul – "Be Subject to the Governing Authorities"
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46:42Paul’s comments in Romans 13:1-7 are often used by Christians who support the current political leadership to remind everyone that we must obey our governing authorities. It is much harder to discuss this verse when we disagree with the party in power. But what does this verse say about local government or about policing? How can we understand this…
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E145 – Misquoting Paul – "God Will Not Give You More Than You Can Handle"
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47:091 Corinthians 10:13 is often misquoted and misapplied to imply that “God will not give you more than you can handle.” However, this is not even what the text says, let alone what we think it means. As a matter of fact, in this conversation, we explore the corporate meaning of this text and seek to apply it in ways we had not previously considered. …
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E144 – Misquoting Paul - "Your Body is a Temple"
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47:06Many of us have heard this verse used to advocate everything from why we should exercise to why we should not get tattoos. But is that what this verse is trying to say? What is the best way for us to understand that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit? Come listen in as we wrestle through this text, and then let us know your own thoughts on s…
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E143 – Misquoting Paul - "All Things Work Together for Good"
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46:00Romans 8:28 is one of the most frequently abused verses in the Bible. It is often used to “comfort” someone who is grieving, yet it seems to have the opposite of the intended effect. What is Paul actually driving out when he says all things work together for the good of those how love God? Come join us for this conversation and then meet us on soci…
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E142 - Misquoting Paul - "What I Want To Do - I Do Not Do"
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50:56Paul’s famous passage wrestling with the power of sin has often been understood as a revealing self-description of Paul’s own struggles. Yet, we don’t think that’s what’s really going on here. Listen in as we make our case and then let us know what you think. Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/OnThePhoneWithJosh https://www.instagram.com/onthep…
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E141 – Misquoting Paul - "I can do all things..."
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52:41We use this verse ALL the time. It’s on t-shirts, Bible covers, knick-knacks, and even tattooed in ink. But what does it really mean? Is this a personal motivator for accomplishing great things? Or is Paul up to something else when he says that “I can do all things through him who strengthens me”? Listen in on this conversation and then join us on …
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E140 – Bible Translations [Special Guest Jon Clemence]
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50:10Can I trust my Bible? With so many translations out there, how can I know which one is the “best”? And how can I figure out which one is “right” when they don’t say the same thing? These questions and more prompt us to dive into the world of Bible translations – what is involved in making them and how we can make better sense of their differences. …
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E139 – Why the HECK Should We Read Our Bibles?
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43:15We’ve all been told we should read our Bibles, but why exactly? If we come right down to it, are we satisfied with our own answers? What does our track record tell us about our belief in our own answers? Let’s dive into this topic and see if we can find an answer that will actually satisfy us. And after you hear our answer, let us know your thought…
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E138 – “Disciples Make Disciples” – Really?
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52:19What is the role of discipleship? Is it just to make other disciples? If not, what role does discipleship and evangelism play in the life of a disciple? Join us as we discuss these ideas and try to bring some clarity out of many terms that often get lumped together. Then come join the conversation to let us know what you’re thinking! Follow us on: …
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What are we aiming for as we grow in faith? Are we aiming for more certainty or more ambiguity? Are we aiming for better theology or a better relationship? And how do these questions relate to the idea of deconstruction? In this episode we want to start a conversation about what to do when our old answers no longer satisfy us. Tune into this conver…
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As we grow in Christ, we inevitably pass through various stages of growth. But sometimes it’s easy to get stuck in a stage and fail to progress. What are the various stages of faith, and how do we continue to press into them? What role does our community play in navigating these stages? Come join us for this raw and revealing discussion and then le…
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There is a difference between confessional theology and practical theology – what we believe vs how we live day by day. In this episode, we take some time to soak in the character of God. Rather than try to take in new information, we sit with the information we already have and try to work it into the deeper recesses of our soul. Follow us on: htt…
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E134 – Why Transformation Fails (And How to Fix It)
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54:43The new year is a time to look back and to look ahead. As we reflect on what is going well and what we’d like to change, there is no more helpful conversation that to determine how really to accomplish our goals. Today we take a look at some of our own goals and the challenges that beset them. We also discuss practical ways to face down the things …
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This Christmas Eve, we take a moment to just read the Christmas stories from Matthew and Luke in order to take an opportunity to reflect on what God is saying to us this Christmas.By Josh from Oregon and Josh from Missouri
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This year, we scientifically, definitively, and conclusively determine what our Christmas song really is. It may have been hidden beneath layers of middle-aged grumpiness, but this year we dive deep within ourselves and the depths of the internet to determine once and for all the Christmas song that lays deep within us. Come enjoy a little Christma…
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E131 – (ad)VENT – A Lighthearted Gripe Session
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46:10Today we channel our middle-aged crankiness and vent about a few holiday gripes. Nothing serious here. This is just plain ol’ catharsis at the holidays. Listen in on our conversation and then share some of your own holiday gripes on social media. Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/OnThePhoneWithJosh https://www.instagram.com/onthephonewithjosh/…
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The season of Advent has so many pressures and obligations that we thought we’d lighten up the mood this year with some fan fiction. We take some well-known and well-loved movies, smash them together, and riff on what a movie like that would be like. Come shed some stress and have a little fun with us this Christmas season! Follow us on: https://ww…
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Happy Thanksgiving everyone! This year, we chose to take a light-hearted approach to the season. If you need to just unwind and enjoy a little fun this year, tune on in. The title says it all. Not much to take seriously on today’s episode! Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/OnThePhoneWithJosh https://www.instagram.com/onthephonewithjosh/ https:…
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What is Jesus’ worst parable? If you had to name one, would it be the same as the one we discuss today? Tune in to find out what we believe to be Jesus’ worst parable and what it means for us today. Then come share your thoughts and reactions on social media! Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/OnThePhoneWithJosh https://www.instagram.com/onthep…
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All will agree that Baptism has a central place in the life of a believer. But what does Baptism actually imply? Can you do it more than once? What about being baptized as an infant and then as an adult? What about taking a once in a lifetime trip to the holy land and being baptized again in the Jordan River? Is that ok? We invite you to let this e…
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E126 – Our Call to Witness (Revelation Part 6)
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47:08Witness is more than just sharing the propositional truths of our faith. Witness is a way of life lived in community in a kingdom in which Jesus the Lamb is King. In this concluding episode of our Revelation series, we talk about this crucial topic because of its centrality in the book. Join us as we take a closer look at witness as worship in comm…
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E125 – Pop Dispensationalism and Revelation (Revelation Part 5)
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44:32The rapture, the millennial reign, and the importance of Israel are all central concepts to a dispensational reading of Revelation. Yet, our series on Revelation hasn’t mentioned any of them. In this episode we talk about the popularization of dispensationalism and its affects on us as we try to study the book of Revelation today. Follow us on: htt…
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E124 - What Does Revelation Teach Us About God? (Revelation Part 4)
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49:03It took until episode 4 in this series for us to ask the most fundamental of all questions! In every other book of the Bible, we ask ourselves what the book teaches us about God. Why do we not ask the same question when it comes to the book of Revelation? With Richard Bauckham as our wise guide, we dive into some of the specifics of what the book o…
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E123 – Worship and Imagination (Revelation Part 3)
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49:16Imagination is seldom used as a tool for engaging God or the Bible. Yet, it has a significant role to play in both our worship and in our reading of the Bible. Eugene Peterson embodies this reality in all of his writing – perhaps none more so than in his book on Revelation. Come join us as we use Peterson as a jumping off point to discuss Revelatio…
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E122 - Symbolism, Structure, and Revelation's Use of the Old Testament (Revelation Part 2)
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53:37Revelation is full of symbolism, which has often led to wild speculation and confident “definitions” of each symbol. How can we make sense of the rich symbolism of this book in a way that is both faithful to the text and helpful to our present lives? Today we’ll look at some of these symbols along with an overview of the book’s structure and Revela…
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E121 - Genre and the Lamb (Revelation Part 1)
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50:09Reading Revelation responsibly requires attention to both genre and the central themes of the book. As we begin this 5-part series on the book of Revelation, we use Michael Gorman’s excellent book Reading Revelation Responsibly to dive into these foundational details. We invite you to both join the conversation and the reading. The book of Revelati…
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From defending Christian values to arguing theology, we Christians sure do a lot of fighting. But what if our ferocity really is fighting like hell would fight? If we were to take our clues from Jesus, how might we fight differently? Come join this crucial conversation as we seek to apprentice ourselves to Jesus in how we respond to those with whom…
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The Bible only gives a glimpse into the answer of what happens after we die. With the few pieces of information we can gather, what kind of sense can we make of it? What are the concepts of Scheol or Hades and how might they inform an intermediate state to which we go before the final judgment? We invite you to wrestle with these issues with us and…
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Raising teenagers to love Jesus is a delicate job. Of course, we want our kids to follow Jesus, but how exactly do we go about that? And how to we measure up to all of the expectations around family devotions, prayer, Bible reading, and other spiritual disciplines? And how to we balance these against the developmental needs of our teens who are slo…
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Is there an opportunity to accept Christ after you die? This is, of course, a highly speculative conversation that happens to touch on a lot of primary doctrines. If you missed last week’s episode, tune into that first and then dive in here. And if you have a topic that you’d like us to discuss on the podcast, send us an email at onthephonewithjosh…
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How do you have a good conversation about a debatable theological idea? What are the guardrails that will help protect the conversation and the wellbeing of those in it? And if the topic is of secondary importance, is it even worth having? Join us as we set the stage for next week’s episode in which we tackle just such an issue. Download our Summer…
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Churches may not be a business with a CEO or a CFO, but they are still an organization that needs structure and policies around which to operate. In this episode we talk about the necessity for good practices in the church and how the protect pastors, staff, and attendees alike. We also take a moment to reflect on our Psalms reading for this week. …
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Psalm 110 might be one of the linchpin chapters of the entire Bible. It reaches back to foundational texts in Genesis, grounds itself in the Davidic monarchy, and culminates in the personhood of Jesus as described by the author of Hebrews. This is a text screaming for a closer look. We invite you to join us! Download our Summer in the Psalms Readin…
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The seven deadly sins aren’t really talked about these days. Instead, morality is often boiled down to love, tolerance, and civility. Yet, when we take a deeper look, things like pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony and sloth are just as relevant as they ever were. What would it mean to take these seriously again? Come join us for this convers…
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The command to praise shows up over 200 times in the Psalms. In practical reality, what does that mean? How do we get better at doing it day by day? Join us for this conversation and every conversation in our summer in the Psalms series. Download our Summer in the Psalms Reading Plan HERE: https://drive.google.com/file/d/11tbpHE0VjE5CSU_C6Brhr708M1…
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YHWH Sabaoth is featured prominently in Psalm 84, but its warrior image doesn’t seem to fit the overall tone of the Psalm. What’s going on here? In this week’s episode, we venture an alternative take on this and other images from Psalm 84. We invite your comments and feedback as we do! What do you make of this wonderful Psalm? Download our Summer i…
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Is a fresh take on the Good Samaritan story possible? What if we were invited to see this story through the eyes of an often overlooked character? How might this parable be speaking to us today? Special thanks to Pastor Chase Replogle of Bent Oak Church for preaching a compelling sermon that we discuss on today’s episode. Download our Summer in the…
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Are the beatitudes meant to be a set of moral imperatives that we should strive for? Or are they somehow a blessing to the “sat upon, spat upon, ratted on”? What does the context of the sermon on the mount teach us about how the beatitudes should be read? Come join the conversation on both the beatitudes and this week’s Psalms reading. Download our…
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In his book Reversed Thunder, Eugene Peterson describes the author of revelation as being a poet, a theologian, and a pastor. In the process he describes what each of these three roles “takes seriously.” For this episode, we want to dive into what it would mean in our lives to take people seriously, to take God seriously, and to take seriously the …
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E107 - Finding and Using Your Spiritual Gifts
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45:19Finding your spiritual gifts is not always as easy as taking a 15 minute survey. In fact, sometimes those very assessments can steer us down the wrong path. So how is one to find their spiritual gift? And once found, how are they to know when and how to use it? Come join the conversation and let us know your experience with finding and using your s…
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E106 – Does The Church = The Kingdom of God?
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49:45At times the Kingdom of God gets conflated with the local church. Are the two actually one in the same? If not, how should we distinguish between the two? And what role does the local church play once we’ve made the distinction? We invite you to join in the conversation and join in reading the Psalms with us all throughout this Summer! Download our…
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The Rich Young Ruler might be one of the most challenging passages for 21st century Western Christians. It brings up so many uncomfortable questions about wealth and to what degree we should identify ourselves with the rich young ruler. In this episode we wrestle with the relationship between wealth and following Jesus. And then we end on a few tho…
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Just like a resting heart rate tells us a lot about our health, what can we learn from our resting stress rate? How can we measure it and make sense of the data? And what benefit might it have to living in the Kingdom of God? Come join us for this conversation and for our thoughts from this week’s Psalms reading. Download our Summer in the Psalms R…
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Psalms 1 and 2 are said to be a general introduction to the Psalms as a whole. But with very different themes in each, how are we to understand these Psalms? How can we hold together these themes? And supposing we get that far, how might it help us read the entire psalter? Welcome to the very first week of the Summer in the Psalms! Download our Sum…
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