ReGeneration Podcast

On this episode, Jay and Isaac chat with Patrick Schreiner. Patrick is currently an associate professor at Western Seminary; and in the fall of 2020, he will transition to a new role at Midwestern Seminary, as associate professor of New Testament & Biblical theology. He's also the author of several books. On this episode, we chat about his latest book, The Ascension of Christ. Most Christians are quite familiar with the Resurrection, as details of the story are prevalent in so many of the songs we sing and the well-known Bible stories we hear. But what happens after that? Why didn't Jesus stay? Where did he go? Why did he say it was actually a good thing for him to leave us? Neglecting the Ascension robs us of an immense richness and depth of Christian hope. But when we consider the Ascension with greater thought, we find a renewed hope for the entire world, that in the midst of chaos and despair, the Ascension reminds us of who rules and reigns as the one true King of the world.

On this episode, Jay and Isaac chat with Skye Jethani. Skye is a speaker, consultant, minister, and the author of several books, including Immeasurable and What's Wrong With Religion?. He also serves as the co-host of the popular Holy Post Podcast. In Skye's most recent book, What If Jesus Was Serious?, Skye guides us through The Sermon on the Mount, to reveal how this collection of well-known teachings from Jesus is also one of the most ignored when it comes to the way so many Christians actually live their lives. What if the reason Christianity has lost its influence in culture at large isn't because we take Jesus too seriously but rather, because we don't take him seriously enough? What if, as Skye suggest, "society is hungry for precisely the kind of integrity, gentleness, kindness, and love Jesus reveals in His Sermon on the Mount?"

On this episode, Jay and Isaac chat with Tod Bolsinger. Tod serves as vice president and chief of leadership formation at Fuller Seminary. Previous to his role at Fuller, he served as senior pastor of San Clemente Presbyterian Church from 1997 to 2014. He is the author of several books and on this episode, we discuss his two most recent books, Canoeing the Mountains and Leadership for a Time of Pandemic. Navigating the COVID-19 pandemic and its fallout has been a totally unexpected challenge for church leaders; one so many of us were ill-prepared for. How do we lead in times of such great unknown and uncertainty? How do we take a next-step when the path before is us uncharted and unpaved? How can we continue to lead courageously into the future when the past is what's most familiar and comfortable? This conversation provides us some insight and pragmatic changes we can make in our approach and posture, as we continue to serve and guide our church communities in these difficult times.

On this episode, Jay and Isaac chat with Brett McCracken. Brett is a senior editor for The Gospel Coalition and the author of Hipster Christianity, Gray Matters, and Uncomfortable. His next book, The Wisdom Pyramid, will be released in Feb 2021 and explores an all-important question for our day: How can Christians find wisdom in our over-saturated information age? At a time when we are bombarded with an overwhelming swath of data, how do we know who and what to believe? In this conversation, we go through Brett's wisdom pyramid, level by level. This is an incredibly helpful tool for creating a Christ-centered worldview through which followers of Jesus can thoughtfully engage any and all the information coming our way at increasing speed.

On this episode, Jay chats with Jared C. Wilson, author of the new book The Gospel According to Satan. Some lies are repeated so often they seem like common sense. This is why lies about God are so dangerous. In this conversation, we discuss common lies like, "God just wants me to be happy," "You need to live your truth," and "Just let go and let God." Isaac and Jay also catch up on the strange time we're in, how they're doing in the midst of sheltering-in-place, and ways they're serving and leading their church communities.

On this episode, Isaac chats with Jay about his new book Analog Church, which explores the challenges and opportunities churches face in the digital age. In recent decades, as the digital world has taken over society at nearly every level, the church has increasingly followed suit—but what sort of effect is this having on discipleship, worship, community, and the way we understand the Bible? And in the specific moment we're in now, in the midst of COVID-19 and the fact that churches have been forced into digital spaces, how are we to navigate what it means to be an analog church? Does it still matter that we strive to gather as the people of God, in real time, real space, and real ways?

On this episode, Jay and Isaac chat with Jarrett Stevens. Jarrett is a pastor, speaker, and author of several books, including The Deity Formerly Known As God and 4 Small Words. He and his wife Jeanne live in downtown Chicago, where they lead Soul City Church. On this episode, we chat with Jarrett about his latest book, Praying Through: Overcoming The Obstacles That Keep Us From God. Praying often seems like a futile endeavor. Most of the time, God seems silent and distant. But Jarrett suggests that, whether you know it or not, you're already better at prayer than you think. And even more importantly, God is closer, more attentive, and involved than you can imagine. We discuss these ideas, along with pragmatic steps we can take to praying through the obstacles that stand in our way.

On this episode, Jay and Dan chat with John Mark Comer. John Mark is the Pastor for Teaching and Vision at Bridgetown Church in Portland, Oregon. He is also the author of several books including Loveology, Garden City, and God Has A Name. In this conversation, we discuss his latest book, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry. So much of the root cause beneath the anger and anxiety of our cultural moment is in the hurried lives we live. But in order to pursue a life compatible with the way of Jesus, we must learn to eliminate the needless busyness of much of our everyday lives and replace it with a deep abiding in Christ, in each and every moment.

On this episode, Jay and Isaac chat with Mark Sayers. Mark is the senior leader of Red Church in Melbourne, Australia and co-host of the podcast This Cultural Moment. He is also the author of several books, including Disappearing Church and Strange Days. On this episode, we discuss Mark’s latest book Reappearing Church. The current cultural climate poses never-before-seen challenges for followers of Jesus. The church-at-large, at least in the West, seems to be losing influence and effectiveness. And yet, Mark has a surprisingly hopeful view of what lies ahead. In this conversation, we delve into the specifics of why Mark believes we’re on the brink of a major renewal and what each and every one of us can do to take part in what God might be up to today.

On this episode, Jay and Isaac chat with Mike Winger. Mike is a pastor and also the featured teacher of BibleThinker online ministry. He is best known for his popular Youtube channel, which has more than 80,000 subscribers. His videos, which delve into various theological topics, have been viewed hundreds of thousands of times. On this episode, we discuss The Apostolic Network (what some call the New Apostolic Reformation), a movement of churches around the world that emphasizes prophecy and physical healings as primary means of experiencing God. We dive into a specific conversation about Bethel Church, one of the leading churches in this movement, and how their extremely popular music is impacting theology in so many of our churches today.

On this episode, Jay, Isaac, Liz, and Chris chat about the ever so popular idea that, “Christianity is a relationship, not a religion.” But why is it that we so often pit “relationship” and “religion” against each other? Are they always and forever diametrically opposed? Or is it possible that there is goodness, beauty, and even a necessity within both ideas, that our faith is a relationship with God but also a religion, in the best sense of the word?

On this special episode of the podcast, we’re sharing with you a part of an event we hosted in March 2019, featuring Andy Crouch. Andy is an author, speaker, and musician, who currently serves as the partner for theology and culture at Praxis, an organization that works as a creative engine for redemptive entrepreneurship. In this teaching, Andy applies some of the principles of his most recent book, The Techwise Family, to the local church. He addresses questions like, “How do we make and build disciples without accepting the promise of ease and instant gratification that technology offers? What should the church consider as we fast have adopted technology, online streaming and video venues?”

On this episode, Jay, Isaac, Liz, and Chris chat about how the marketplace mentality of business in America might be influencing the local church. We explore some of the subtle and not-so-subtle ways so many of us begin to create differentiations and distinctives between our individual local churches in order to gain “market share.” What are some potentially healthier, more effective ways to continue inviting new people into our church communities, while not being driven by a toxic level of competitive spirit against other churches who are on the same kingdom mission?

On this episode, Jay and Dan chat with Kara Powell. Kara is the executive director of the Fuller Youth Institute and associate professor of youth and family ministry at Fuller Seminary. She is the author of several books on faith, church, and younger generations. Her latest book, Growing With, is packed with insights and practical helps for helping young people grow in their faith, staying rooted in Christ while also spreading their wings. On this episode of the podcast, we discuss three specific ways that parents, pastors, mentors, and youth leaders can effectively come alongside young people and journey with them along the path of faith.

On this episode, Jay and Isaac chat with David Bennett. David is the author of the book “A War of Loves: The Unexpected Story of a Gay Activist Discovering Jesus.” He is a fellow at the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics and holds a postgraduate degree in theology from Oxford, as well as a master’s degree in theology from the University of St.Andrews. On this episode we chat with David about his remarkable story of discovering Jesus and his experiences as an atheist gay activist. His surprising journey led him to a life committed to following Jesus as a celibate Christian. We delve in a biblical theology of human sexuality as well as the present and future hope available to all of us.