Best Michael Dean McLain Podcasts (2025)

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366: The Four Horses-Three Types Of War Brought Upon Earth-Reversed Thunder Part 3 45:57

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1d ago45:57

45:57

In this third episode about "Reversed Thunder", Eugene Peterson's work on Revelation, we meet the four famous horses: War, Famine, Pestilence, and the White Horse of Christ, Fathful, True and Righteous. These horses are not equal, nor are they on the same side. Three are evil, one is good. I'll leave it to you to figure out which is which.…

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365: Transforming Unreasonable Love: Reversed Thunder Part 2 42:35

9d ago42:35

42:35

I begin by doing a poor job reporting what I've read this week of Reversed Thunder by Eugene Peterson and then move on to some christological thoughts on the Love of Jesus which leads to transformation and salvation.By Michael Dean McLain

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364: Reversed Thunder Part 1 41:59

16d ago41:59

41:59

Here, I give my report after having finished Dostoevsky's Notes From Underground and also report on the first fifth of Peterson's Reversed Thunder, a work on Revelation.By Michael Dean McLain

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363: A Reasonable Rendering of Revelation 42:00

23d ago42:00

42:00

I do NOT have a comprehensive understanding of John's Revelation. Perhaps it's time to change that. The title of this episode is my hope for the future.By Michael Dean McLain

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362: Diddy Or Didn't He? 41:38

30d ago41:38

41:38

Starting with the fiasco knows as the Sean "Diddy" Combs trial, I explore food and the experience of community building that it has, as modeled by Jesus and the Lord's supper.By Michael Dean McLain

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361: Consider The Lilies 39:39

1M ago39:39

39:39

"Even a broken clock is right twice a day". Ever heard that? Ever doubt yourself? Do you ever wonder when things go right that it just might be blind luck and not because you did anything right? Me, too.By Michael Dean McLain

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360: In Defence Of Marriage 39:25

1M ago39:25

39:25

Reflecting on the recent wedding of my daughter, in this episode I share my opinions on why I believe the institution of marriage is worth-while, especially in such a highly mobile world.By Michael Dean McLain

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359: Stamped With The Image 42:25

2M ago42:25

42:25

In this episode, I have a bit of an epiphany. I made a connection that I had not previously made. Not sure if it will hold up to scrutiny, but I'll put it out there none the less.By Michael Dean McLain

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358: RIP Francis, A Man Of Mercy 35:05

2M ago35:05

35:05

Pope Francis has passed. As far as I'm concerned, he was a man who desired to be like Jesus and did a pretty good job, considering all the trappings of his office. He will be sorely missed by millions and is not easily replaced.By Michael Dean McLain

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357: More Atonement Theology 39:35

2M ago39:35

39:35

Going off of a FB meme, I explore atonement theology once again, going deeper and farther than ever before.By Michael Dean McLain

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356:Introducing our community 43:52

2M ago43:52

43:52

By request (thanks, Stephen), I introduce the fine peopole we have been gathering with and mentoring to. I try to hide specific names to protect privacy, tho I hope I don't reveal too much.By Michael Dean McLain

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355: Explain Yourself! 42:59

3M ago42:59

42:59

After a brief review of The Chosen Season 4 episodes 1-3, I give a quick overview of Mark chapters 1-4, bringing up something that disappoints me about the parables of Jesus.By Michael Dean McLain

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354: Is This A Coup? 40:47

3M ago40:47

40:47

Current actions by POTUS have me and others wondering is out way of government is going through a transformation. What has Christians behind this President and what does that mean?By Michael Dean McLain

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353: Remembering March 11 42:52

4M ago42:52

42:52

March 11 this year came and went, like it has the past 14 years, with many memories of that fateful day 14 years ago when Japan was hit with a massive earthquake and subsequent tsunami as well as thousands of aftershocks. The day many lives were changed forever.By Michael Dean McLain

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352: Unforgivable Sin?! Pardon me!? 42:04

4M ago42:04

42:04

There are sayings of Jesus that are mysterious, and this is one of them.By Michael Dean McLain

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351: Atonement Theory Query 40:15

4M ago40:15

40:15

What do YOU think happened on the cross? What atonement theory do you ascribe to? Did you know that many over millennia have thought differently than we do today?By Michael Dean McLain

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350: National Narcissism 39:15

4M ago39:15

39:15

I had a breakthrough thought today: America First policy is narcissism on a national scale...JD Vance needs to clean up his theology. He couldn't be more wrong about Christian love.By Michael Dean McLain

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349: Acquired Taste: Opera, Rap, And The Bible 39:34

4M ago39:34

39:34

I watched the Super Bowl this year and was underwhelmed by the halftime show, not to mention the actual game. I have been challenged since to give Kendrick Lamar another try, to try harder and look deeper into what he was saying. I have flip flopped on my take.By Michael Dean McLain

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348: LOGOS-More Than Words 42:40

5M ago42:40

42:40

John 1 says of the LOGOS, it was in the beginnings, all was created by him, and that the LOGOS was God.Hebrews 1 says that God spoke to our ancestors at various times and ways, but today, speakes to us thorugh His son, the exact representation of God.How then, do we think we can shrink this LOGOS into a mere collection of writings?!…

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347: Spirits Of Mark 1 37:54

5M ago37:54

37:54

After a bit of catching up, I delve into Mark 1: The beginning of Jesus's ministry. Spirits abound in this chapter of all kinds, Holy Spirit, evil spirits, angels, Satan, etc. What's it all about?By Michael Dean McLain

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346: Christianity Without Christ 39:38

5M ago39:38

39:38

Like it or not, DT is president once again. Biden is not. Neither is Harris. Lightening has struck for a second time.What is going on?Well, once you take Christ out of Christianity, anything is possible.By Michael Dean McLain

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345: Reaching For The Unreachable 39:15

5M ago39:15

39:15

In this episode, I talk about a new project I am undertaking, and it involves reaching for and impossible, at least up to now, goal.This is what we humans do. Or so it seems. We spend much time reaching out for the unknown, the never done.Also, I give a pre-introduction to a book by Gegory Boyd, which I have not completed yet, and I try to anticipa…

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344: Faith To Peace 31:58

6M ago31:58

31:58

The fourth week of Advent, and this year I have chosen Peace, which I hope you have! Merry Christmas!By Michael Dean McLain

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343: From Joy To Faith 39:02

6M ago39:02

39:02

I don't usually choose to represent "faith" as one of the advent themes, but I will this year. Hope you get something out of it. Merry Christmas!By Michael Dean McLain

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342: Hope Into Joy 41:53

7M ago41:53

41:53

Week 2 of Advent, Joy. Joy springs from fulfilled hope, and when that hope is well placed, the hope is all the greater! Merry Christmas, and happy Advent!By Michael Dean McLain

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341: Hope In Dark Times 41:35

7M ago41:35

41:35

Advent has begun. Merry Christmas! I HOPE it is all you need it to be!*There is a funny mistake here when I'm talking about the three "omni" words. If you find it, let me know!By Michael Dean McLain

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340: Gaslighting Explained 35:31

7M ago35:31

35:31

Gaslighting is a word that is becoming more and more prevalent in our everyday parlance. But do we really know what it means? Do I? I'm not sure, but here is my stab at it.By Michael Dean McLain

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339: Thankful And Sorry 39:44

7M ago39:44

39:44

Here I explore Thanksgiving and the problem it has become to some people given the true history of Europeans in America and their treatment and impact on the indigenous population.By Michael Dean McLain

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338: Do Not Fear! 36:30

8M ago36:30

36:30

Do you ever feel like you know what to do, but are powerless to do it? Me, too. Me, too. Story of my life, and the story of the history of the world.Generally, we know what's right. It's a simple thing, usually. But, there are times when we don't, for many reasons. As for the church, even though we know we shouldn't, we seem powerless to resist the…

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337: Treasures In Heaven 40:37

8M ago40:37

40:37

In this episode, I get a bit confused with my Bible, mistaking the Sermon On The Mount verse, Matthew 6:19-21, for the conversation with the Rich Young Ruler(Luke 18)... Oh well. They both mention "Treasures in Heaven", so I'll call it a win.By Michael Dean McLain

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336: Halloween-Happy Or Helpful? 44:23

8M ago44:23

44:23

Halloween has always been one of my favorite days of the year. For as long as I can remember, I have always looked forward to that night. Something about the dark and mysterious always excited me. It still does in many ways.But, is it healthy? Is it right, good, even? Maybe.By Michael Dean McLain

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335: Benefit Of The Doubt 38:30

8M ago38:30

38:30

When someone you respect does or says something that seems out of character for them, how do you react? Do you lose respect for them or give them the benefit of the doubt?By Michael Dean McLain

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334: Beware The Unaware! 38:13

8M ago38:13

38:13

If you could find something that if widely accepted and adapted would make the world a better place, would you keep it to yourself?Not me.But seriously, though this may not save the world, it would make it more livable and more peaceful.That's not bad, right?By Michael Dean McLain

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333: My Stance On Christian Zionism 39:13

9M ago39:13

39:13

This post might come across as ani-semitic, but I sure hope it doesn't. I am not a Christian Zionist, in other words, I have my doubts that the fate of the world depends largely on what takes place in Palestine and the Israeli State.Not that those events don't effect the rest of the world. I just don't think they are cosmically relevant. I think th…

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332: If Jesus Is The World's Savior-Part 2 42:21

9M ago42:21

42:21

This episode begins with way more than you need to know about my current diet and exercise regimen, and ends with a follow up to last weeks podcast. Enjoy!By Michael Dean McLain

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331: If Jesus Is The World's Savior, How's He Doing? 38:14

9M ago38:14

38:14

Here, I muddle my way to, I think, a good place in this episode. Here, I rehash some old ideas while perhapas approaching them in a new way.By Michael Dean McLain

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330: Thanks, Stephen! 42:20

9M ago42:20

42:20

In this episode, I go back to when it all started (in some ways...) and the guy who challenged me to enter into the inner life-Stephen Farmer.By Michael Dean McLain

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329: Americult-Trump As Messiah 32:30

10M ago32:30

32:30

There is now a cult of America nationalists in the US, and Trump is their chosen one. No, this is not true of all DJT followers, but it is true for many. But is the adoration of the Evangelical church doing Trump any good, or is it playing right in to his narcissism?By Michael Dean McLain

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328: Christian Nationalism And Christ 41:07

10M ago41:07

41:07

First, sorry for the quality of the audio. I had some mishaps and had to boost the volume and do some cutting using editing software. AND I'm not great yet at recording in my new car which has a lot of bass. I'll work on it. Thanks for your patience.In this episode, I tackle the topic of Christian Nationalism, especially the current US version.…

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327: The One Thing 40:30

11M ago40:30

40:30

There is one thing that can drag me into politics. Just one thing.By Michael Dean McLain

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326: Violence Is The Enemy 40:28

11M ago40:28

40:28

Violence. We worship it in the US. We glorify war. We idolize our troops. We believe at the core of our beings that violence is a legitimate way to solve our and the world's problems. And Trump nearly died from an assassin's bullet-because we have failed to live out Christs example of violence absorption.…

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325: The Opened Seal 37:43

12M ago37:43

37:43

For a while now, authority has been under unprecedented attack; churches are losing members at an alarming rate, children do not respect their elders, police and other officials are under attack. What's going on here? Is there a common thread connecting these and other events together. I'm not sure. But I do have one idea...…

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324: Presidents And Prayers 39:53

12M ago39:53

39:53

Well, here comes another election, and here comes the US voters, ready to once again prove that they have no idea what makes a good leader and have absolutely zero ability to encourage those with the skills to lead a country effectively to pursue political office.Ugh.By Michael Dean McLain

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323: Jesus Illuminates Scripture 40:30

1y ago40:30

40:30

Does your Bible illuminate Christ, or does Christ illuminate your Bible? This distinction is actually pretty huge. I explore this and more in this episode.By Michael Dean McLain

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322: Don't Bother Me With Facts 40:00

1y ago40:00

40:00

A bit of a history of my relationship with the sport of basketball and the Boston Celtics, as well as the current NBA Season and the Celtic's recent crowning as NBA champions for 2004.The Celtics had one of their best seasons and post seasons to date. And yet, sports media outside of Boston refused to believe in the Celtic's record, numbers, and as…

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321: How Art The Mighty Fallen 41:41

1y ago41:41

41:41

Historically, the greater a leaders authority, the harder their fall from grace. Pastors lately are falling like flies. But, are we partly to blame for their demise? Is there something that we do which causes their great falls?By Michael Dean McLain

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320: To Hell With Your Hell! 40:36

1y ago40:36

40:36

What you think of hell just might be the biggest thing wrong with Christianity in the world. If it is inaccurate, it is a big loss for the world. If it's right, then God is not as good as we thought.By Michael Dean McLain

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319: Sports Or Not? 36:43

1y ago36:43

36:43

Is sports, especially competitive sports, compatible with the Christian life, with following Jesus? My thoughts are yes and no. It depends. Yes, sports is a subject mentioned in the Bible, but what does that really mean? So is genocide, slavery, adultery, etc.By Michael Dean McLain

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318: Anxiety Epidemic In Our Kids 38:41

1y ago38:41

38:41

This is a bit of a review of a book by Jonathan Haidt, "The Anxious Generation". Though this is a new topic for me, I feel this is too important and needs to be out there, regardless of my lack of a grasp on the topic. We are raising anxious kids, and we need to figure out why kids today are more anxious than ever, and how to help them.…

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317: One Nation Under God 43:07

1y ago43:07

43:07

In this episode, I explore my relationship with "church", the journey I have been on since birth, and how I have come to know Christ (such as it is). I also explore my relationship with American Christianity, which has been quite a rocky road.By Michael Dean McLain