Advertise on podcast: Theology Meets Reality

We are beginning a new series in which we discuss common phrases and sayings in culture and in the church and putting them to the test of Scripture. We will also discuss them in relation to the church and parenting, getting back to our roots of discussing Scripture, culture, church, and parenting! In this episode, we consider the phrase "The ends don't justify the means." We talk through some Old Testament and New Testament examples, consider our responsibilites as parents, and even have a flashback to the days of Napster. We hope you enjoy and learn and laugh with us! From this episode: http://www.plough.com/en/topics/faith/witness/integrity-and-the-future-of-the-church

Why are there so many English Bible translations? Are they all reliable? What about the differences between them? Is there one that is better than the others? We will be answering these questions and more in this final episode on the topic of Bible reliability. We discuss specific examples of translation differences and discuss why there are there and when it matters and when it doesn't. We believe this episode will be encouraging and helpful. If you agree, please share with your friends! Mentioned in this episode: God's Bestseller: William Tyndale, Thomas More, and the Writing of the English Bible - A Story of Martyrdom and Betrayal by Brian Moynahan

In this episode we talk about how the books of the Bible came together to become the Bible that we have today. The canon is the collection of the 66 books of the Bible and the way that God inspired and preserved Scripture over the years is an amazing story. You'll hear about how the Old Testament came together, how the New Testament was established and when it was officially finalized. We also discuss some books that did not make it into the canon including the apocrypha and other books. Thanks for listening to our podcast and sharing it with others! www.theologymeetsreality.com

Welcome! In this new series of episodes Lisa is teaching us about the origins of the Bible and whether we can be confident that the Bibles we read are really the word of God written long ago. This was a favorite area of study for Lisa at DTS and it is a really interesting, encouraging, and informative listen. In today's episode we dig in to the original text of the Old and New Testaments and how they connect to the Bible that we have now. We bet you'll be surprised in a good way! Mentioned in this episode: Lily: The Girl Who Could See by Sally Oxley, Miriam Rockness, and Tim Ladwig Many Beautiful Things movie (2015) Thanks for listening and for sharing! www.theologymeetsreality.com

In this final episode on suffering, we dig into the questions that naturally arise when we are suffering. Why is this happening? How can God allow it? How can we endure it? We speak candidly and share lots of great resources to help answer these questions. Maybe the question that we are really asking in suffering is "Who? Who is God in the midst of the world's trials?" We also talk about our role in the suffering of others and how to comfort them without being able to answer their questions or fix their pain. "Slugs can't hug" Resources mentioned in this episode: A Path Through Suffering by Elisabeth Elliot Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis This Beautiful Truth by Sarah Clarkson A Long Obedience in the Same Direction by Eugene Peterson Trusting God by Jeff Bridges Also a book we didn't mention but highly recommend is Prayer in the Night by Tish Harrison Warren

In this episode we are talking about pain and illness. We have covered emotional suffering in previous podcasts, but physical suffering is all around us and can be very severe and difficult to endure ourselves and to see in the world around us. What light does the Bible shed on this? Is our thinking in line with Scripture? Is there a purpose in suffering or is it simply to be avoided? How well does the Church care for the sick? We always conclude with some hope for those suffering because there is always hope in Christ! Thanks for listening! Mentioned in this episode: A Long Obedience in the Same Direction by Eugene Peterson www.theologymeetsreality.com

"All grief is homesickness." In this episode we discuss why one-third of the Psalter consists of lament and we talk about two types of grief that Jesus experienced that caused Him to weep. We take a look at how culture and the church set expectations for grief and wonder whether corporate grief might be an opportunitiy for the church to minister in the local community. Mentioned in this episode: https://religionnews.com/2019/02/20/grief-hides-in-the-church-bathroom/ (https://religionnews.com/2019/02/20/grief-hides-in-the-church-bathroom/) https://christiancitizen.us/public-lament-and-grief-shepherding-neglected-roles-of-the-church-in-these-times/ (https://christiancitizen.us/public-lament-and-grief-shepherding-neglected-roles-of-the-church-in-these-times/) Sr. Theresa Aletheia Noble https://pursuedbytruth.com/ GriefShare - griefshare.org Shadowlands Grief Recovery We pray you are blessed and comforted through God's words today! Thanks for listening and sharing! www.theologymeetsreality.com

In Part 2 on anxiety we get into the practical ideas for dealing with fear and worry and giving our kids the tools to be able to deal with fear and uncertainty. We dig into Scripture and hear the compassion that God has for us in response to our anxiety and help for those of us suffering. This episode in particular should be soothing to the soul of the anxious person! www.theologymeetsreality.com Referenced in this episode Hero Tales by Dave and Neta Jackson Winning the Worry Battle by Barb Roose Joshua Bible Study by Barb Roose Scripture Lullabies Hidden in My Heart

We have so much to say about anxiety and fear that we broke it into two episodes. In this episode we talk about our experiences with anxiety, how culture breeds fear and how the culture and the church respond. We also get into some hopeful truth from Scripture to help us see God's truth about dealing with fear and anxiety. We hope this episode is helpful for you and if so please share it! theologymeetsreality.com Referenced in this episode: https://theconversation.com/why-we-are-hard-wired-to-worry-and-what-we-can-do-to-calm-down-127674 https://getpocket.com/explore/item/surprising-ways-to-beat-anxiety-and-become-mentally-strong-according-to-science Breaking Bread with the Dead by Alan Jacobs Praying with the Saints podcast

If you've felt lonely in the past year, you're, well, not alone! Our culture was struggling with high levels of loneliness even before the pandemic and now it is even worse. How are we to deal with this lack of connection? The Bible has a lot to say on the topic of loneliness and in this episode we dive in to the wisdom found in Scripture and it's really comforting and encouraging. Season 2 is all about Hope in Suffering and we pray that these episodes will be really practical and uplifting for you if you're currently suffering or that you'll listen so that you can pass on the encouragement to someone else who needs it! www.theologymeetsreality.com Mentioned in this episode: https://www.medicinenet.com/what_does_loneliness_do_to_a_person/article.htm (https://www.medicinenet.com/what_does_loneliness_do_to_a_person/article.htm) https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2020/08/covid-19-is-evaporating-casual-connections-and-why-thats-bad/ (https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2020/08/covid-19-is-evaporating-casual-connections-and-why-thats-bad/) The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence - it's free online! If you enjoy these podcasts please give us a review or share them with others! Thanks for listening!

Our identity as Christians extends beyond ourselves since we are a part of the Body of Christ, the Church. In this episode we talk about our role in the church and how our identity fits in. We talk through some cultural hangups about the church including whether or not we need to be committed to a local church. We also give a few practical suggestions for how to increase your commitment to the larger Church. This concludes our season on identity! Check back next time for a whole new topic! https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2020/february-web-only/black-theologians-authors-scholars-list-african-americans.html (https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2020/february-web-only/black-theologians-authors-scholars-list-african-americans.html) www.theologymeetsreality.com

What we do and what we accomplish can be a huge part of our identity. Is this Biblical? In this episode we look at how culture can encourage us to define ourselves but what we have done, but God defines us by who He is. Digging into scripture in this episode will be encouraging to those who are happy with their accomplishments and those that aren't! Lisa talks about her struggle with the comparison trap and Greg talks openly about his times without a job. We also tackle how we might encourage our children to work hard and use their gifts without defining themselves by their awards and accomplishments. www.theologymeetsreality.com