Best Jonathan McPherson Podcasts (2025)

1
Make It Make Sense: Friends for the Way 30:53

Play Pause

4d ago30:53

30:53

In a world that’s “always on” yet strangely lonely, Proverbs shows us how wise friendships shape who we’re becoming—and why that can’t happen in isolation.By Scott Hetherington

1
Make It Make Sense: The Beginning of Wisdom 37:05

11d ago37:05

37:05

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and discipline. – Proverbs 1:7What does The Fear of the Lord really mean? Pastor Ryan helps us see how awe, not anxiety, is the foundation of wise living.By Ryan Plantz

1
Civil War Talk Radio - October 8, 2025 (James Marten: Biography of the 6th Wisconsin) 1:00:53

12d ago1:00:53

1:00:53

James Marten, The Sixth Wisconsin and the Long Civil War: The Biography of a RegimentBy Gerry Prokopowicz

1
Make It Make Sense: How Proverbs Forms Us 32:00

18d ago32:00

32:00

Kicking off Make It Make Sense, Pastor Ryan walks us into the wiser, older path of Proverbs. Fewer hot takes and more holy formation for real modern life.By Ryan Plantz

1
Civil War Talk Radio - October 1, 2025 (Scott Ellsworth: Midnight on the Potomac) 1:00:26

19d ago1:00:26

1:00:26

Scott Ellsworth, Midnight on the Potomac: The Last Year of the Civil War, the Lincoln Assassination, and the Rebirth of AmericaBy Gerry Prokopowicz

1
Community: The Why 29:38

25d ago29:38

29:38

Although an assailant may overpower one person, two can withstand him. Moreover, a three-stranded cord is not quickly broken. – Ecclesiastes 4:12 (NET)Alison continues our series on community with a message from Ecclesiastes 4 that answers both the questions (a) where road trip Slurpees were stored before cupholders, and (b) why we do community in …

1
Community: What Is Community? 31:27

1M ago31:27

31:27

We are experiencing an epidemic of loneliness in America; a record number of people say they are craving community. Today, a message about what that kind of community actually is, as we open a 3 part series on the what, why, and how of community.By Ryan Plantz

1
Civil War Talk Radio - September 17, 2025 (Jerilyn James Lee: Stories of the USCT) 1:00:01

1M ago1:00:01

1:00:01

Jerilyn James Lee, The Kinship of War: Stories of the United States Colored Troops. Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/182460225500764By Gerry Prokopowicz

1
Community: Why It Matters 32:24

1M ago32:24

32:24

And let us take thought of how to spur one another on to love and good works, not abandoning our own meetings, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and even more so because you see the day drawing near. – Hebrews 10:24-25Why would we spend our time in a church community when it’s so much more comfortable and efficient to w…

1
Civil War Talk Radio - September 10, 2025 (Jonathan White & Lucas Morel: F. Douglass on A. Lincoln) 1:00:26

1M ago1:00:26

1:00:26

Jonathan White and Lucas Morel, Measuring the Man: The Writings of Frederick Douglass on Abraham LincolnBy Gerry Prokopowicz

1
Community: Why are We Doing This? 32:19

2M ago32:19

32:19

Ryan opens a new miniseries about our church community as fall begins in the Pacific Northwest. From John 13, he asks the question you might have held privately if you’ve waded outside the comfort and efficiency of your home to get involved in the messy work of serving other people… why are we doing this?…

1
Civil War Talk Radio - September 3, 2025 (Ryan Quint: Battle of Dranesville) 59:30

2M ago59:30

59:30

Ryan Quint, Dranesville: A Northern Virginia Town in the Crossfire of a Forgotten Battle, December 20, 1861By Gerry Prokopowicz

1
Have I Heard God Wrong? 33:14

2M ago33:14

33:14

As the Israelites wandered in the desert after being led out of Egypt, Moses was struck with a nagging question … have I heard God wrong? Aaron Dimos (Arbor Students) shares about a time in his own life when this question loomed large, and what we can do when start to wonder if God really said what we think He did.…

1
Civil War Talk Radio - August 27, 2025 (A. Wilson Greene: Petersburg Trilogy, vol. 2) 59:29

2M ago59:29

59:29

A. Wilson Greene, A Campaign of Giants: The Battle for Petersburg, Vol. 2: From the Crater’s Aftermath to the Battle of Burgess MillBy Gerry Prokopowicz

1
The Light We Live In: John's Goodbye 31:43

2M ago31:43

31:43

Little children, guard yourselves from idols.– 1 John 5:21 (NET)John concludes his letter with these words, and Ryan concludes our summer series with this message.An admonition to keep oneself from idols probably isn’t how you sign your letters – why did John choose to end this way?By Ryan Plantz

1
The Light We Live In: Prayer 33:36

3M ago33:36

33:36

And this is the confidence that we have before him: that whenever we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.– 1 John 5:14 (NET)Ryan continues our summer series in 1 John with a message from Chapter 5 of the book and its teaching on prayer. What if prayer isn’t about long silences or convincing God to care about what we care about … but abo…

1
The Light We Live In: The River of Life in God 33:50

3M ago33:50

33:50

Have you ever felt as though your relationship with God is harder than it’s supposed to be? Today, as we open the final chapter of 1 John, Ryan draws a parallel between our life with God and a river.By Ryan Plantz

1
The Light We Live In: Abide 30:32

3M ago30:32

30:32

This week, Ryan returns to the pulpit as we continue our journey through 1 John. We’re taking it slow and in fact today Ryan focuses in on just one word:Abide.

1
The Light We Live In: Perfect Love 26:59

3M ago26:59

26:59

There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear.– 1 John 4:18 (NET)This week, Alison teaches from 1 John 4, featuring a conch, and a sea slug, and the long, spiraling journey to perfect love.By Alison Acone

1
The Light We Live In: Remain in the Son 38:23

4M ago38:23

38:23

As for you, what you have heard from the beginning must remain in you. If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father.– 1 John 2:24 (NET)This week, Scott Hetherington teaches from 1 John 2, and its strange warnings about “last hours” and “antichrists” followed by an admonition to “remain in th…

1
The Light We Live In: The Love That Remakes Us 36:50

4M ago36:50

36:50

For this is the gospel message that you have heard from the beginning: that we should love one another.– 1 John 3:11 (NET)This week, Garrett Shelp explores 1 John 3:11–24, where John highlights a love that’s deeper than being nice—a love that began our journey, meets us in the dark, and finds us wherever we are.…

1
Civil War Talk Radio - November 18, 2005 (Live from Gettysburg, with David Long) 40:06

4M ago40:06

40:06

Listen to an audio snapshot of Gettysburg as the town prepares to commemorate the anniversary of Lincoln's Address, with host Gerry Prokopowicz and guest David Long, author of The Jewel of Liberty: Abraham Lincoln's Re-election and the End of Slavery.By Gerry Prokopowicz

1
Civil War Talk Radio - September 23, 2005 (Thomas Desjardin: One, Two, Many Gettysburgs) 56:10

4M ago56:10

56:10

In These Honored Dead: How the Story of Gettysburg Shaped American Memory, historian Thomaas Desjardin describes how the postwar efforts of John Bachelder, Dan Sickles, and others helped to create the modern view of what happened at the battle.By Gerry Prokopowicz

1
Civil War Talk Radio - September 9, 2005 (Chris Fonvielle, Jr.: The Last Port) 36:57

4M ago36:57

36:57

Professor Christopher Fonvielle of UNC- Wilmington, author of The Wilmington Campaign: Last Rays of Departing Hope, analyzes the important and fascinating events that marked the war in North Carolina in 1864-65.

1
Civil War Talk Radio - March 4, 2005 (Catherine Clinton: Civil War the Next Generation) 51:23

4M ago51:23

51:23

Prof. Catherine Clinton, biographer of Mary Lincoln, Harriet Tubman, and others, discusses her work.By Gerry Prokopowicz

1
The Light We Live In: What God is Growing In You 35:46

4M ago35:46

35:46

This week, John turns a corner and names something profound—not just what we’ve left behind or who we are, but what’s being formed within us: a new identity, a new source, a new life.By Ryan Plantz

1
The Light We Live In: You Are Not What You Want 39:10

4M ago39:10

39:10

As we move through this letter we get three windows into what John wants us to see about the world, ourselves, and the hope that can reshape us.By Ryan Plantz

1
Civil War Talk Radio - June 11, 2025 (Michael Hardy: Feeding Lee's Army) 1:01:25

4M ago1:01:25

1:01:25

Michael C. Hardy, Feeding Lee's Army of Northern Virginia

1
The Light We Live In: God is Light and We Are Honest 42:44

5M ago42:44

42:44

Ryan continues our summer series on life with God, shared together. This week, 1 John takes us a little deeper, moving from John’s personal experience of Jesus to address the questions that naturally arise when we hear words like experience, encounter, shared life, and fellowship.By Ryan Plantz

1
Civil War Talk Radio - June 4, 2025 1:00:31

5M ago1:00:31

1:00:31

Editor KT Shively and essay contributor Peter C. Luebke discuss The Second Manassas Campaign, edited by Kathryn J. Shively and Caroline E. Janney.

1
The Light We Live In: From Encouter to Shared Life 35:18

5M ago35:18

35:18

We’re kicking off a brand new summer series: The Light We Live In. Over the coming months, we’ll journey slowly and reflectively through the letter of 1 John, allowing its ancient pastoral wisdom to not only inform us, but to form us. In this opening message, Pastor Ryan invites us to return to the heart of our faith — life with God, shared togethe…

1
Civil War Talk Radio - May 28, 2025 1:03:26

5M ago1:03:26

1:03:26

Matthew Locke (co-author with Cliff Roberts), Holding Charleston by the Bridle: Castle Pinckney and the Civil War

1
Work that Matters: Panel Discussion 46:32

5M ago46:32

46:32

As we close out the Work That Matters series, this episode takes a different approach. Pastor Ryan hosts a panel of everyday people sharing honest, personal stories about how faith shapes their experience of work. It’s not expert advice—it’s real-life wisdom from real-life journeys.By Ryan Plantz

1
Civil War Talk Radio - May 21, 2025 1:02:27

5M ago1:02:27

1:02:27

James Robbins Jewell and Eugene S. Van Sickle, eds., Waging War for Freedom with the 54th Massachusetts: The Civil War Memoir of John W. M. Appleton

1
Work that Matters: Work That Lasts 31:59

5M ago31:59

31:59

What if our everyday tasks are part of something eternal? In this message, Ryan explores how the overlooked and ordinary work we do might be exactly what God values most.By Ryan Plantz

1
Work that Matters: The Work of Care 43:42

5M ago43:42

43:42

This Mother’s Day, Ryan reflects on the often-overlooked work of caring for others—quiet, selfless acts that the world may miss but God celebrates.By Ryan Plantz

1
Work that Matters: How Work Hurts 45:45

6M ago45:45

45:45

Join Ryan as he continues our Work That Matters series, exploring when work gets frustrating and looking at Genesis 3.By Ryan Plantz

1
Civil War Talk Radio - April 30, 2025 1:01:22

6M ago1:01:22

1:01:22

Michael deGruccio, The Strange and Tragic Wounds of George Cole's America: A Tale of Manhood, Sex, and Ambition in the Civil War Era

1
Civil War Talk Radio - April 23, 2025 1:00:49

6M ago1:00:49

1:00:49

Carol E. Harrison and Thomas J. Brown, Zouave Theaters: Transnational Military Fashion and Performance

1
Work that Matters: In the Beginning 36:35

6M ago36:35

36:35

New series! Ryan opens Work that Matters with a message from Genesis 1-2 on the origin of work and what it means for us as God’s image-bearers.By Ryan Plantz

1
The Life and Way of Jesus: Easter Sunday 31:34

6M ago31:34

31:34

Celebrate Easter at Arbor! This week, the story of the expectation-defying Jesus that we started almost two years ago reaches its conclusion with Jesus’ triumphant resurrection from the dead, and the hope, invitation, and challenge it brings to us today.By Ryan Plantz

1
Civil War Talk Radio - April 16, 2025 1:03:28

6M ago1:03:28

1:03:28

Lesley Gordon, Dread Danger: Cowardice and Combat in the American Civil War

1
The Life and Way of Jesus: A Memorial For Jesus 30:12

6M ago30:12

30:12

In the space between the crucifixion on Good Friday and the resurrection on Easter Sunday, Alison reflects on how—even in this in-between moment—there were those who honored Jesus with a memorial as they prepared His body for the tomb.By Alison Acone

1
Civil War Talk Radio - April 9, 2025 1:01:21

6M ago1:01:21

1:01:21

Stuart W. Sanders, Anatomy of a Duel: Secession, Civil War, and the Evolution of Kentucky Violence

1
The Life and Way of Jesus: The Crucifixion 35:14

7M ago35:14

35:14

It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. The inscription of the charge against him read, “The king of the Jews."– Mark 15:25-26This week, guest speaker Garrett Shelp brings us towards the end of our time in Mark with a deep reading of Mark’s account of Jesus’ final hours.By Garrett Shelp

1
Civil War Talk Radio - April 2, 2025 1:01:43

7M ago1:01:43

1:01:43

Michael Vorenberg, Lincoln’s Peace: The Struggle to End the American Civil War

1
The Life and Way of Jesus: Kingdoms in Conflict 35:07

7M ago35:07

35:07

Pilate asked Him, ‘Are You the King of the Jews?’ He answered him, ‘You say so.’ – Mark 15:2As we near the end of our study in the book of Mark, the text reveals a showdown between two opposing kingdoms. As Jesus stands trial before Pilate, we see the kind of kingdom He represents.By Ryan Plantz

1
Civil War Talk Radio - March 26, 2025 1:01:17

7M ago1:01:17

1:01:17

Frank J. Cirillo, The Abolitionist Civil War: Immediatists and the Struggle to Transform the Union

1
The Life and Way of Jesus: Surrender or Resist 35:08

7M ago35:08

35:08

Ryan takes us into the final stretch of Mark’s Gospel, where we witness how the disciples respond to the stress and chaos of Jesus’ final days in Mark 12:32-72.By Ryan Plantz

1
Civil War Talk Radio - March 19, 2025 1:03:34

7M ago1:03:34

1:03:34

Yael Sternhell, War on Record: The Archive and the Afterlife of the Civil War