The City of God Podcast

We don’t train students in a narrow idealogical vision but in a big understanding of God and the world he has made. Recently, Mark Cuban made headlines when he encouraged the rising generation of students not to go to school and take classes on finance and computer science but to focus on liberal arts. Don’t go for school for finance, go to school and study the liberal arts. Study history, philosophy, arts, and many more because they train you to look at data and come away with your own take on it. We would say that there is something to Cuban’s point. We think that in recent years the liberal arts have come under fire because of the art history degrees for which students go to a top flight school and graduate with thousands of dollars worth of debt only to work a part-time job. Today is the age of diversity, when we’re all supposed to be promoting diversity. In our increasingly politicized age there is only one viewpoint that is allowed in the public square. If you hold a conservative, evangelical, or republican viewpoint you are almost certainly on the outside. Diversity has never been more praised but has never been in shorter order at the intellectual level. American society is intellectually less welcoming to diversity than it has ever been. We need to be champions of good thinking. We want to train students in intellectual diversity while holding firm to absolute truth. We are not scared to present other viewpoints to students provided we do so with wisdom. In this sense Christians increasingly find themselves as some of the last supporters of true intellectual diversity in this world. The irony is this: we are those who believe that the truth is unified. Whatever degree program we enter there is truth out there and students desperately need it. We don’t train students in a narrow idealogical vision but in a big understanding of God and the world he has made.

We are not made to live life before a social media audience but before God. Privacy is a precious commodity. We are all accustomed today to think that it’s a good thing to give up privacy. There is nothing more precious and valuable than personal privacy; it really is one of the vital things we posses. Young people have been trained to think that they need to authenticate their humanness by sharing all aspects of their life online. We should note that public sharing is not only a good, it comes with an edge. Privacy is a good thing, to lead a quiet life (1 Thess 4:11). When you go to the pages of Scripture you can find some verses that directly contradict the thinking of a modern and postmodern era. In actual fact what makes us human is that we lead a quiet life. We should navigate away from a mindset that things only matter if they are shared online and receive “likes” from others. Events in our lives that are good and God-honoring are good intrinsically. We should think about if it is virtuous, healthy, and pleasurable to lead a quiet life where we do not augment reality. We don’t have to authenticate our humanity by publicly sharing every facet of your life. We do not need to fear privacy, we can enjoy our privacy. We are not made to live life before a social media audience but before God. God knows and sees all that we do and whether anyone else sees what we do and approves of it if we are living for the Lord by the power of Jesus Christ that is all that really matters, that is a privacy well-guarded.

We are not made to live life before a social media audience but before God. Privacy is a precious commodity. We are all accustomed today to think that it’s a good thing to give up privacy. There is nothing more precious and valuable than personal privacy; it really is one of the vital things we posses. Young people have been trained to think that they need to authenticate their humanness by sharing all aspects of their life online. We should note that public sharing is not only a good, it comes with an edge. Privacy is a good thing, to lead a quiet life (1 Thess 4:11). When you go to the pages of Scripture you can find some verses that directly contradict the thinking of a modern and postmodern era. In actual fact what makes us human is that we lead a quiet life. We should navigate away from a mindset that things only matter if they are shared online and receive “likes” from others. Events in our lives that are good and God-honoring are good intrinsically. We should think about if it is virtuous, healthy, and pleasurable to lead a quiet life where we do not augment reality. We don’t have to authenticate our humanity by publicly sharing every facet of your life. We do not need to fear privacy, we can enjoy our privacy. We are not made to live life before a social media audience but before God. God knows and sees all that we do and whether anyone else sees what we do and approves of it if we are living for the Lord by the power of Jesus Christ that is all that really matters, that is a privacy well-guarded.

There is no human mind that can engineer a family better than the divine mind; there is no ability that anyone possesses to rethink the family that is superior to Almighty God. Have you heard about platonic parenting? What is it? It is an arrangement of two or more people who join forces for the sole reason of having and raising a child. Person thy options are limitless. It is clear that we are in a time of tremendous upheaval as it regards parenting. The key idea is this: it doesn’t actually matter who parents a child provided somebody (or somebodies) raise a child. As the Church, we don’t have the pressure to figure out a familial outline. We believe in God’s design for the family; Genesis 2:24 shows us that a man pursues a woman to build a new family with one woman to the glory of God. We actually step into a living worldview that God has already set into motion; Christians believe that we are participants in this grand drama of doxology where we glorify God. There is no human mind that can engineer a family better than the divine mind; there is no ability that anyone possesses to rethink the family that is superior to Almighty God. Those who are really going to suffer from these platonic arrangements are going to be children. It doesn’t take a village to raise children. It takes a father and mother who are dedicated and know the Lord. It’s not about romance. These singles want a parenting partner, not a life partner by Britany Robinson

There is no human mind that can engineer a family better than the divine mind; there is no ability that anyone possesses to rethink the family that is superior to Almighty God. Have you heard about platonic parenting? What is it? It is an arrangement of two or more people who join forces for the sole reason of having and raising a child. Person thy options are limitless. It is clear that we are in a time of tremendous upheaval as it regards parenting. The key idea is this: it doesn’t actually matter who parents a child provided somebody (or somebodies) raise a child. As the Church, we don’t have the pressure to figure out a familial outline. We believe in God’s design for the family; Genesis 2:24 shows us that a man pursues a woman to build a new family with one woman to the glory of God. We actually step into a living worldview that God has already set into motion; Christians believe that we are participants in this grand drama of doxology where we glorify God. There is no human mind that can engineer a family better than the divine mind; there is no ability that anyone possesses to rethink the family that is superior to Almighty God. Those who are really going to suffer from these platonic arrangements are going to be children. It doesn’t take a village to raise children. It takes a father and mother who are dedicated and know the Lord. It’s not about romance. These singles want a parenting partner, not a life partner by Britany Robinson

“It’s easy to denounce the system but it’s harder to recognize that you’re a part of it.” A poll released by Harvard found that 51% of young adults do not support capitalism. Here’s a serious question for anti-capitalist millenials to think through: Do they have iPhones? Do they like craft coffee? Do they wear New Balance shoes? It is one thing to say that you’re anti-capitalist but it’s another thing to live an anti-capitalist life. If you hold to a binary understanding of gender that is tagged in the public square as right-wing. In a similar fashion, to simply recognize that market exchange happens is to be tagged as right-wing. The free market is not idealogical, though many millennials don’t understand that. When it comes to giving up your iPhone or giving up the foodie delights, which are driven by market exchange, that can be a bridge too far for some. It’s easy to denounce the system but it’s harder to recognize that you’re a part of it. The Kids are All Red by Emma Roller

“It’s easy to denounce the system but it’s harder to recognize that you’re a part of it.” A poll released by Harvard found that 51% of young adults do not support capitalism. Here’s a serious question for anti-capitalist millenials to think through: Do they have iPhones? Do they like craft coffee? Do they wear New Balance shoes? It is one thing to say that you’re anti-capitalist but it’s another thing to live an anti-capitalist life. If you hold to a binary understanding of gender that is tagged in the public square as right-wing. In a similar fashion, to simply recognize that market exchange happens is to be tagged as right-wing. The free market is not idealogical, though many millennials don’t understand that. When it comes to giving up your iPhone or giving up the foodie delights, which are driven by market exchange, that can be a bridge too far for some. It’s easy to denounce the system but it’s harder to recognize that you’re a part of it. The Kids are All Red by Emma Roller

“Biblical motherhood involves work that is challenging but is always seen and highly esteemed by God.” When mother reads aloud the world is changed, at least a little at a time. There is much beauty in on-the-ground motherhood. Motherhood can be seen as a drag by not allowing them to use their gifts. But it is a remarkable thing when a mother gives herself to train her children. For many years, moms have the opportunity, the joyful delight of  investing in their children and doing the little things. In some ways, these are the good things of life. We need to note that the Christian faith teaches us that much of our lives is spent in anonymous work. Our lives won’t look like a spiritual highlight reel. So much of our life will look plain, simple, and tough. Raising children, for stay at home mothers, will be tough. Motherhood isn’t an easy calling; it is a far more difficult calling then many of the other vocations that are celebrated in our society. We need a recovery of biblical motherhood. We need to free women to see that it is a beautiful for a woman to invest her gifts, talents, and abilities in raising children. There is ordinary glory to be harvested for God. People need to hear that their daily work matters. Biblical motherhood involves work that is challenging but is always seen and highly esteemed by God. When Mother Reads Aloud by Kim Shay

“Biblical motherhood involves work that is challenging but is always seen and highly esteemed by God.” When mother reads aloud the world is changed, at least a little at a time. There is much beauty in on-the-ground motherhood. Motherhood can be seen as a drag by not allowing them to use their gifts. But it is a remarkable thing when a mother gives herself to train her children. For many years, moms have the opportunity, the joyful delight of  investing in their children and doing the little things. In some ways, these are the good things of life. We need to note that the Christian faith teaches us that much of our lives is spent in anonymous work. Our lives won’t look like a spiritual highlight reel. So much of our life will look plain, simple, and tough. Raising children, for stay at home mothers, will be tough. Motherhood isn’t an easy calling; it is a far more difficult calling then many of the other vocations that are celebrated in our society. We need a recovery of biblical motherhood. We need to free women to see that it is a beautiful for a woman to invest her gifts, talents, and abilities in raising children. There is ordinary glory to be harvested for God. People need to hear that their daily work matters. Biblical motherhood involves work that is challenging but is always seen and highly esteemed by God. When Mother Reads Aloud by Kim Shay

“Our desire is to strengthen the next generation, to love our own children, and to do what we can to help our neighbor. “ Recently America found itself in a debate: how much can we as a society invest in charter schools and charter education? We had this conversation because of now confirmed Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. While the church does not need to say that there is one biblical position as it regards schools. We do need to recognize that all of us have a stake in the education conversation. We should want the next generation to be well-educated. We can say that we want the next generation to be well-taught and well-trained. Charter schools are not a partisan issue; all peoples can support charter schools. This isn’t about trying to destroy public schools. We do not need to have public schools as our target. We can note that it is very tempting in our age that we don’t have to have centralized planning for our lives to click. We have to be careful as believers that Caesar is our world savior; we want to avoid thinking that Caesar can save us. Christians have to be those who invest in training the next generation. We cannot say that we are going to hand education over to others. We first train our own children and then we want the children of our neighbors’ children to do well. There is not only one right way as it regards education. Our desire is to strengthen the next generation, to love our own children, and to do what we can to help our neighbor. The DeVos Apocalypse by Daniel Henninger

“Our desire is to strengthen the next generation, to love our own children, and to do what we can to help our neighbor. “ Recently America found itself in a debate: how much can we as a society invest in charter schools and charter education? We had this conversation because of now confirmed Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. While the church does not need to say that there is one biblical position as it regards schools. We do need to recognize that all of us have a stake in the education conversation. We should want the next generation to be well-educated. We can say that we want the next generation to be well-taught and well-trained. Charter schools are not a partisan issue; all peoples can support charter schools. This isn’t about trying to destroy public schools. We do not need to have public schools as our target. We can note that it is very tempting in our age that we don’t have to have centralized planning for our lives to click. We have to be careful as believers that Caesar is our world savior; we want to avoid thinking that Caesar can save us. Christians have to be those who invest in training the next generation. We cannot say that we are going to hand education over to others. We first train our own children and then we want the children of our neighbors’ children to do well. There is not only one right way as it regards education. Our desire is to strengthen the next generation, to love our own children, and to do what we can to help our neighbor. The DeVos Apocalypse by Daniel Henninger

“We are rebels but not of our own making for our own cause.” Essentially, Lady GaGa’s Tiffany ad is a celebration of uniqueness and individuality, values that are highly thought of in 2017. Our culture is somewhat obsessed with being a rebel, with going against the status quo. Our culture is also obsessed with being recognized. Human identity is largely organized in cultural terms in being an individual. There is a worldview that has been identified called expressive individualism. This worldview states that we are most human when we truly express ourselves according to our innate desire. The Christian worldview gives us the opportunity to be a creator, to make things, to undertake a vocation. It allows us to stand out and apart from the world. We recognize, as believers, we stand out, not in rebellion, but as God’s chosen people who rebel against the sinful world order. We rebel against sin. Even as we recognize that Christianity can make you stand out in society, we stand out as virtue as wanting to fit in and submit to God. Its not really okay to be a rebel in Western culture. You cannot rebel against progressivism, liberal thought, and received leading thinking. It is okay to launch a protest against the Catholic church but it isn’t good to rebel against cultural gatekeepers who control our culture. It isn’t okay to go against what CNN, the New York Times, and cultural elites say. It is only okay to be a rebel in one direction. We naturally want to stand out but we do not have the courage to stand for what is truly virtuous. The Christian is the person who will stand against the world no matter what it will cost them. We are rebels but not of our own making for our own cause. We are a rebel against sin and satan and hell.

“We are rebels but not of our own making for our own cause.” Essentially, Lady GaGa’s Tiffany ad is a celebration of uniqueness and individuality, values that are highly thought of in 2017. Our culture is somewhat obsessed with being a rebel, with going against the status quo. Our culture is also obsessed with being recognized. Human identity is largely organized in cultural terms in being an individual. There is a worldview that has been identified called expressive individualism. This worldview states that we are most human when we truly express ourselves according to our innate desire. The Christian worldview gives us the opportunity to be a creator, to make things, to undertake a vocation. It allows us to stand out and apart from the world. We recognize, as believers, we stand out, not in rebellion, but as God’s chosen people who rebel against the sinful world order. We rebel against sin. Even as we recognize that Christianity can make you stand out in society, we stand out as virtue as wanting to fit in and submit to God. Its not really okay to be a rebel in Western culture. You cannot rebel against progressivism, liberal thought, and received leading thinking. It is okay to launch a protest against the Catholic church but it isn’t good to rebel against cultural gatekeepers who control our culture. It isn’t okay to go against what CNN, the New York Times, and cultural elites say. It is only okay to be a rebel in one direction. We naturally want to stand out but we do not have the courage to stand for what is truly virtuous. The Christian is the person who will stand against the world no matter what it will cost them. We are rebels but not of our own making for our own cause. We are a rebel against sin and satan and hell.

“Boys are created by God, we need not fear having them.” Our culture doesn’t have any sense of what it means to be a man; a full-orbed emotional life, in and of itself, does not get you to Christian manhood. Christians cannot abandon boys; Christians cannot leave boys to languish. We also cannot tell boys “be vulnerable, it’s okay to cry.” There is a call to young men to be strong in the grace that is in Jesus Christ (1 Cor 16:13). Boys know little today except that they are not supposed to get in the way of girls. We never want to see the Scriptures as pitting the sexes against one another. In fact, the bible is what brings the sexes together. On the issue of manhood, the Church preaches a true and better manhood than any form of the culture. We do not excuse boys for everything they do; we don’t say that everything they want to do is good. Boys, just like girls, are made in the image of God and boys, just like girls, are fallen because of the Fall. In the gospel of Jesus Christ, men and women are not diminished but we are brought to the fullest intentions of God through the cross work and the resurrection of the Son of God. This means that young men are to be called to a high standard. Young men are called to be leaders in the home and church, Christ-like husbands (Eph 5), elders and deacons in the church (1 Tim 3), providers (Titus 2; 1 Tim 5), protectors (Eph 5). There is so much we could say about manhood. Parents need not fear having a son. They will find themselves with certain challenges while raising boys. Boys are created by God, we need not fear having them. The Word of God gives us a means by which, by God’s grace, take our boys and grow them into men, not simply adults, but who serve the Lord and who, by his power, act like men. The Fear of Having a Son by Andrew Reiner

“Boys are created by God, we need not fear having them.” Our culture doesn’t have any sense of what it means to be a man; a full-orbed emotional life, in and of itself, does not get you to Christian manhood. Christians cannot abandon boys; Christians cannot leave boys to languish. We also cannot tell boys “be vulnerable, it’s okay to cry.” There is a call to young men to be strong in the grace that is in Jesus Christ (1 Cor 16:13). Boys know little today except that they are not supposed to get in the way of girls. We never want to see the Scriptures as pitting the sexes against one another. In fact, the bible is what brings the sexes together. On the issue of manhood, the Church preaches a true and better manhood than any form of the culture. We do not excuse boys for everything they do; we don’t say that everything they want to do is good. Boys, just like girls, are made in the image of God and boys, just like girls, are fallen because of the Fall. In the gospel of Jesus Christ, men and women are not diminished but we are brought to the fullest intentions of God through the cross work and the resurrection of the Son of God. This means that young men are to be called to a high standard. Young men are called to be leaders in the home and church, Christ-like husbands (Eph 5), elders and deacons in the church (1 Tim 3), providers (Titus 2; 1 Tim 5), protectors (Eph 5). There is so much we could say about manhood. Parents need not fear having a son. They will find themselves with certain challenges while raising boys. Boys are created by God, we need not fear having them. The Word of God gives us a means by which, by God’s grace, take our boys and grow them into men, not simply adults, but who serve the Lord and who, by his power, act like men. The Fear of Having a Son by Andrew Reiner