So We Speak

Before he was known to the world as C. S. Lewis, “Jacks” as his friends and family called him, struggled through his early years. After his mother’s passing and the trenches of the Great War, Lewis was a fledgling scholar trying to make his way in the world. But he was also searching for Joy. This opening episode traces Lewis’s life from the paradise of Little Lea to the trenches on the Western Front and back to Oxford again.

On Thursday of Holy Week, Jesus ate the Passover meal with his disciples in what we now call the "Last Supper." Then he washed the disciples' feet, and they went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. But Maundy Thursday gets its name from something else that happened that Thursday. Jesus gave his disciples a "new commandment," or in Latin, a "new mandate" to love one another. This command of love has been celebrated in the church for centuries. In this message, Terry Feix gives a message on Maundy Thursday and explains the way the whole Bible comes together in Jesus's final meal. Watch Terry teach live today at Crossings Community Church.

One of the great conversations in the Bible is between Jesus and Pontius Pilate in John 18-19. Pilate is shrouded in mystery, and we know very little of his life outside of the Bible. Cole and Terry discuss Pilate's life, the role he plays in Jesus's death, and what we can learn as we anticipate Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

The Easter season is full of great music, and one way to focus on Christ's death and resurrection during Holy Week is to read, sing, and meditate on great hymns from Christian history. Dr. Kim Arnold has picked out 5 hymns for Holy Week this year that guide our hearts to the cross and the empty tomb. To read about these hymns, see her article, "Hymns for Lent." "O Sacred Head Now Wounded" - Paul Gerhardt "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" - Isaac Watts "O Love Divine, What Hast Thou Done?" - Charles Wesley "In Christ Alone" - Keith Getty and Stuart Townsend "Christ the Lord Is Risen Today" - Charles Wesley

It is impossible to understand the world of the New Testament without Greek culture, philosophy, and history. But the Greeks play a role in the Old Testament, too, and between the Testaments. In this episode, Cole and Terry look at the Greeks and the ways God used this region and these people to work his plan in the world.

Cyrus the Great may own the title for the greatest conqueror before Alexander. He and his famous successors Darius and Xerxes conquered the known world and extended their empire all the way to Greece. The Persian Empire did not treat the Israelites like the Assyrians and Babylonians; they returned them to the promised land, let them rule themselves, and allowed them to rebuild the temple. In this episode, discover the roles the Persians played in biblical history and learn from their legacy as the last empire of the East before the rise of Rome.

One empire stands above them all in the Bible: Babylon. From the opening pages of Genesis to the end of Revelation, Babylon stands in for every city and kingdom that would raise itself against God. But how did it become that symbol? Cole and Terry discuss the origins of Babylon, the high point under Nebuchadnezzar, the final destruction of the city, and the reputation that lives on to this day.

The Assyrian Empire was the first world empire. Founded in the small town of Ashur on the Tigris, the Assyrian kingdom would eventually engulf much of the known world until it vanished nearly overnight. The kings of Assyria play leading roles in the Bible and the northern kingdom of Israel falls to Sennacherib in 722 BC. In this episode, Terry and Cole discuss the empire and what the Bible has to say about the Assyrians.

What opportunities does the post-Christian world hold for Christians? Glen Scrivener's book The Air We Breathe sorts through the Christian values that pervade our post-Christian world and discusses opportunities for Christians to reconnect people to the person of Jesus Christ.

Tom Holland's book Dominion has sparked a wave of books, articles, and interviews about the Christian foundations of the West. Though fewer people might call themselves Christians, their worldviews are still saturated with Christianity. In this episode, Cole and Terry discuss the Christian foundations of the West and the glimpses of that worldview still shining through today.

1776 was a formative year for the West, in fact, Andrew Wilson argues in his new book Remaking the World that it is an origin point for so much of the world as we experience it today. In this episode, Cole and Terry discuss the book and the making of the post-Christian world we live in in the West.

How can a good God allow evil? Or, since God created everything, is he responsible for evil? In this final episode on common objections to Christianity, Cole and Terry discuss responses to the problem of evil.

Here are our best books for 2023: Terry's Top 5 Dynasty - Tom Holland Finding Calcutta - Mary Poplin Scalia - James Rosen The Matter with Things - Iain McGilchrist Leadership Not by the Book - David Green and Bill High Cole's Top 5 Timothy Keller - Collin Hansen Remaking the World - Andrew Wilson Dominion - Tom Holland The Pastor of Kilsyth - Islay Burns The Fellowship - Philip and Carol Zeleski

Christmas is unique among the holidays for so many reasons, above all the music. Christmas music fills the season and our hearts as we prepare to celebrate the Savior. In this episode, Dr. Kim Arnold talks about hymns, Christmas music, and compiling the songs for the new So We Speak advent booklet. Get the new Advent booklet here.

One of the most common objections to Christianity is called the problem of evil. Why does God allow evil? Why do bad things happen to good people? How can we explain the existence of a good and all-powerful God with evil in the world? In this episode and the next, Cole and Terry discuss the problem of evil and ways Christians have responded to this difficult objection.

How can we trust the Bible with all the contradictions? So the objection goes. In this episode, Cole and Terry break this objection down into three pieces; textual errors, factual contradictions, and factual errors. They discuss different approaches to reading the Bible and work through some specific objections.

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Are faith and science compatible? One objection many people have to Christianity is that they feel torn between faith and science. In this episode, Cole and Terry discuss this objection and ways science relies on a Christian worldview and reasons Christians should be optimistic about science.

How can there be only one truth? In this new series, Cole and Terry discuss the claims of Christianity against some of the most common objections to Christianity. Starting with the question of exclusivity, they look at the nature of truth, different religions, and how it's possible to claim that Christianity it true amid all the other options.

Identity politics, critical theory, and deconstruction dominate our world right now. How can Christians sort out what is good and true? In this discussion, Cole and Terry give an overview of Voddie Baucham's book Faultlines.

As Israel responds to the brutal attacks of October 7, questions are arising about the future, the relationship between the U.S. and Israel, and support for the Palestinians. In this episode, Cole and Terry answer five common questions about Israel: What is the distinction between geographic Israel and historic Israel? Why does the US have such a strong interest in or allegiance to Israel? Why are people supporting Palestinians? Should the US / Christians provide aid to Gaza? Should the US and Israel bypass the proxies and start dealing with Iran?

Over the weekend, Israel came under attack by Palestinian terrorists. What's happening now? Who are the major players? What's going to happen in the future? Cole and Terry discuss the central issues in the attacks on Israel, the path forward, and how to pray for Israel. For more history and background, check out Terry's series, "The Making of Modern Israel."

Jesus was fully God and fully man, a great moral teacher, and rose from the dead. But was he a genius? In Peter Williams' new book The Surprising Genius of Jesus, he argues that Jesus's cleverness, insight, and depth are unrivaled in the history of the world. Focused on the parable of the two sons in Luke 15, Williams teases out the deep connections to the Old Testament and concludes that only Jesus could have told such a brilliant story.

If there's one book that influenced the men of the great awakening, it was Henry Scougal's The Life of God in the Soul of Man. This short book made a major impact in the years following. What does it truly mean to be a Christian and what are the signs of life with God? Cole and Terry discuss the book and what we can learn from it today in this episode.

Is there more to sin than bad behavior? If we follow our behavior down into our emotions, drives, and desires, we discover that sin is far deeper than the external manifestations. The root issue is idolatry in our hearts. In this episode, Cole and Terry discuss David Powlison's article, "Idols of the Heart and Vanity Fair," and the implications for dealing with sin in our lives and giving spiritual direction to others.

What is preaching? What makes a great sermon? In this last episode on influential books, Cole and Terry discuss John Piper's Expository Exultation, Tim Keller's Preaching, and Abraham Kuruvilla's A Manual for Preaching to model going from the text to the sermon and how to make the sermon stick.

Jonathan Edwards is famous for his sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," but there is so much more to this great American preacher and theologian. Many argue that Edwards is the greatest mind America has ever produced, others view him primarily as a defender of the Great Awakening. In this episode, Cole, Terry, and Cliff wrap up the Awakening series with a discussion of Edwards's ministry and legacy.

Edwin Friedman's book Failure of Nerve is a hidden gem for personal and organizational leadership. In this episode, Cole and Terry discuss the key ideas and the ways Friedman's work compares and contrasts with Christian wisdom for leaders.

Maybe one person bears the responsibility more than any other for the preaching of the Great Awakening: George Whitefield. In England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and America, Whitefield tirelessly preached the Gospel with incredible spiritual power. As Cole, Terry and Cliff discuss his life and legacy, you'll see the powerful implications for the church today.

Charles Taylor's massive book A Secular Age has been highly influential in understanding the cultural world we live in today. You may not wade through the whole thing, but you'll want to grasp a few key terms and ideas he presents. In this episode, Cole and Terry discuss secularism, the porous and buffered self, and the immanent frame. Also mentioned in this episode: "Cracks in the Secular" - James K. A. Smith, Comment

In the middle of the 18th Century, America went through a time of spiritual revival known as the Great Awakening. This movement of God has affected the country ever since. What was so special about that time? What really happened? In this episode, Cole and Terry are joined by Dr. Cliff Sanders, the founder and president of the School of Wesleyan Studies to talk about John Wesley's role in the Great Awakening.

In this episode on influential books, Cole and Terry discuss biblical theology through the lens of G. K. Beale's The Temple and the Church's Mission and Michael Morales's Exodus: Old and New.

If you were going to write a letter to the American church, what would you say? Eric Metaxas did just that. Cole and Terry discuss his new book, the interesting questions it raises, and what they might include in a letter of their own.

We get asked a lot - how do you read and remember all these books? In a short Friday episode, Cole and Terry talk about reading, highlighting, and remembering great books. Everyone has to develop a system of their own, but these are some tried and tested methods for getting more out of your reading.

How should Christians engage the culture? In Rules for Reformers, Douglas Wilson lays out a plan for cultural engagement and Christian fidelity. Cole and Terry discuss Wilson's voluminous work, his writing on marriage and family, and his impact on their lives.

This month, we're celebrating 5 years of So We Speak. What started with a small weekly email has become a place where tens of thousands of people stay informed without being conformed. Cole and Terry discuss the beginning of So We Speak, the mission of the ministry, and what they see for the future.

Eugene Peterson is best known for the Message, but he should be better known for his pastoral books. In this episode, Cole and Terry discuss two of Peterson's books, Working the Angles and Under the Unpredictable Plant , and the huge impact he's had on them as pastors.

Did you know that you have to pursue holiness? Jerry Bridges' book The Pursuit of Holiness is one of our impactful books. In it, he summarizes God's requirement that his people be holy and practical ways to work toward putting sin to death and seeing the fruit of the Spirit.

In the kickoff of a new series, Cole and Terry discuss books that have been influential in their thinking and faith. This week, they discuss The Expulsive Power of a New Affection by Thomas Chalmers and Desiring God by John Piper.

In the opening chapters of Genesis, things go from bad to worse. The story of Cain and Abel is about a fued between two brothers, but it's also something much more than that. In this episode, Terry and Cole dive into the other aspects of this familiar story and the powerful application for today. Listen to Cole's sermon, "Fig Leaves: Cain and Abel."

Should every sermon have an altar call? Not exactly, but every sermon should have a strong application rooted in the text. That's what O.S. Hawkins and Matt Queen argue in The Gospel Invitation. They lay out the biblical background and practical tips for extending gospel invitations in preaching.

The opening scenes of Genesis evoke numerous questions, but maybe the most important is: what will you do with your guilt and shame? In a recent sermon, Cole preached on the fig leaves in Genesis 3. Cole and Terry discuss this passage and others in the opening pages of the Bible.

How will Tim Keller be remembered? In previous episodes, Cole and Terry have discussed Keller's series of articles, "The Decline and Renewal of the American Church." Here, they reflect on the dynamics of renewal in the church and talk about the impact Tim Keller had on their lives and on the church.

"John Owen was the greatest - and certainly the most formidable - of English Protestant theologians.” So begins Crawford Gribben's book, An Introduction to John Owen, the best introduction to one of the most influential and enduring Christian theologians. But there's more to Owen than his theology. He was a man of the church, served as Vice Chancellor of Oxford, and lived through one of the most turbulent times in English history. In this episode, Cole talks with Dr. Gribben about Owen's life, impact, and legacy today. Find more of Dr. Crawford Gribben's work at his website Puritan History.

In this final episode on the book of Revelation, Terry and Cole discuss the following questions: 1. What does it mean that we will be judged by our deeds and how does this square with salvation by faith? 2. Will there be rewards in heaven? 3. What is your view on Revelation? Watch the whole Apocalypse series at Crossings Community Church.

What makes a great worship set? How does God use the planning, preparation, all the different pieces, and promptings in the moment to meet his people in worship? This week Mars Coleman joins the podcast to talk about leading worship, writing songs, and life as a Christian artist. Follow Mars on his website and on Spotify.

If we're saved by grace through faith, how were people saved before Jesus's death and resurrection? In this episode, Cole and Terry talk about salvation in the Old Testament, specifically salvation through faith when faith has not yet become sight.

In this episode, Terry and Cole discuss these questions: 1. How do different views of the end times affect engagement with culture? 2. Does anyone deserve eternal punishment? Is that just?

In this episode, Terry and Cole discuss the following questions: 1. How does the vision of the end times in Islam fit with the picture in Revelation? 2. When Satan is released at the end of the thousand-year reign, who is he deceiving and who is he stirring up to rebellion? 3. In the post-millennial view, who binds Satan? 4. Is the rapture in the Bible? Where does it come from? Follow the Apocalypse Wednesday night series at Crossings Community Church.

In the third part of this conversation on Stephen Meyer's book Return of the God Hypothesis, Cole and Ben discuss the rebuttals to Meyer's arguments and the future of the faith and science conversation.