The Crossway Podcast

Dennis Johnson discusses Hebrews 6:4–6, one of the New Testament's most famous—and debated—warning passages, a section of Scripture that many people think teaches that Christians can lose their salvation. He explains why he doesn't think that's what the author of Hebrews was saying, how to respond when people who once claimed to be Christians walk away from God, and whether or not we can be certain about our own salvation.

Lindsey Carlson explores what it looks like for parents to intentionally disciple their teens. She offers advice on helping young people use social media wisely, shares how she and her husband have sought to cultivate a culture of honesty and vulnerability in their home, and highlights the one thing she wishes someone would have told her about parenting teenagers.

Dane Ortlund discusses the life and legacy of Jonathan Edwards, the 18th century preacher most famous for his sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." He reflects on his ministry as a pastor, how the beauty of God fit into Edwards's approach to the Christian life, and what we can learn from him almost 300 year later.

John Piper discusses God's sovereignty, pastoral burnout, and the sin of racism. He reflects on how it is that God can be absolutely sovereign and yet humans be morally accountable, explains how he sought to protect himself from moral failure and burnout as a pastor, and recounts his own struggle with racism and prejudice as a young man.

Greg Forster discusses whether or not the first Christians were socialists, reflecting on how believers should think about our global economy, the right way to respond to increasing income inequality in the US, and why Christians should be the most generous people on earth.

Peter Williams answers a crucial question: can we really trust the New Testament Gospels? He discusses what it means the Bible is inspired, why we can have confidence that our modern English Bibles are consistent with the original manuscripts, and how we should approach apparent contradictions in the New Testament.

Iain Duguid discusses Satan and demons, explaining what the Bible really teaches us about the devil, how to avoid overestimating or underestimating his impact on the world and even on our day-to-day lives, and why our culture seems fascinated by demons when it comes to horror movies and Halloween.

John MacArthur digs into what it takes to persevere as a pastor. He explains why it seems like pastoral failure and burnout are more common than ever, why pastors should avoid ‘Yes Men’ at all costs, how a car accident helped confirm his call to ministry, and what he’s learned from over 5 decades of ministry at a single church.

Scott Klusendorf discusses abortion and the current state of the pro-life movement. He highlights the biggest mistakes pro-life people tend to make when discussing abortion, explains why be believes pictures of aborted children are important to see, and responds to some of the most common pro-choice arguments and slogans.

Alasdair Groves explains the importance of emotions, and what the Bible teaches about them. He highlights how our emotions relate to our reason, ways we tend to over- or under-emphasize emotions, the role modern medications should play in managing our emotional life, and why negative emotions aren’t always a bad thing.

Justin Taylor reflects on the immense importance of church history, highlighting why it’s important to make time for it alongside our study of the Bible, responding to the criticism that many modern Reformed folks have a shallow understanding of the past, and offering advice for thinking about the sins and blindspots of our theological heroes.

Thabiti Anyabwile reflects on the value and benefits of local church membership, showing what the Bible really teaches about the idea of formal membership, sharing his heart for those who feel like they've been hurt by the institutional church, and explaining how to work through areas of doctrinal, practical, and political disagreement with other people in the church.

Mark Vroegop shares his family’s story of loss and grief when confronted with the death of his unborn daughter, recounting how God used that experience to introduce him to the biblical concept of lament—an honest yet faith-filled way of relating to our pain illustrated throughout Scripture.

Justin Buzzard offers advice for husbands eager to love and serve their wives on a daily basis. He highlights why men should prioritize their marriages in tangible ways, offering practical advice for creating an annual “Date-Your-Wife Plan” that goes beyond the occasional dinner and a movie.

Kathryn Butler shares from her experiences working as a trauma surgeon in an ICU, correcting common misconceptions about CPR, ventilators, and other forms of intensive care medicine and offering biblical wisdom for walking alongside loved ones at the end of life.

In this episode, John Piper reflects on key verses that have had a big impact on his life—verses that helped him trust God in the midst of a cancer diagnosis, understand Paul’s message in the book of Romans, and grasp the connection between our joy and God’s glory. John Piper is the author of Why I Love the Apostle Paul: 30 Reasons. Read the full transcript. If you enjoyed this episode be sure to leave us a review, which helps us spread the word about the show!

In this interview, Tim Keesee shares from his own experiences talking with Christians around the globe, reflecting on his work as a missions journalist, the reality of persecution, and the best way to approach a short-term mission trip. Tim Keesee is the author of A Company of Heroes: Portraits from the Gospel's Global Advance. Read the full transcript. If you enjoyed this episode be sure to leave us a review, which helps us spread the word about the show!

In this interview, Kevin DeYoung unpacks Calvinism, explaining the famous 5 points summarized in the TULIP acrostic, the problem with cage-stage Calvinists, and the one question he’d ask Armninians to consider. Kevin DeYoung is the author of Grace Defined and Defended: What a 400-Year-Old Confession Teaches Us about Sin, Salvation, and the Sovereignty of God. Read the full transcript. If you enjoyed this episode be sure to leave us a review, which helps us spread the word about the show!

Lydia Brownback highlights the false messages directed at Christian women today, reflecting on the increase of anxiety and depression among believers, the importance of discernment when it comes to the Christian leaders we follow, and the danger of a hyper-examined life.

In this interview, Tony Reinke reflects on how to do a digital detox, why we should be careful with our social media habits, and what the massive success of the new Avengers film can teach us about our media saturated world. Tony Reinke is the author of Competing Spectacles: Treasuring Christ in the Media Age. Read the full transcript. If you enjoyed this episode be sure to leave us a review, which helps us spread the word about the show!

In this interview, Rosaria Butterfield recounts her own encounter with radically ordinary hospitality as an unbelieving lesbian—sharing how God used such hospitality to break down her preconceived ideas about Christians and get her reading the Bible for herself. She highlights the importance of engaging the LGBTQ community with boldness and love, encouraging us to pursue flesh and blood friendships with those who don’t yet know Christ. Rosaria Butterfield is the author of The Gospel Comes with a House Key: Practicing Radically Ordinary Hospitality in Our Post-Christian World. Read the full transcript. If you enjoyed this episode be sure to leave us a review, which helps us spread the word about the show!

In this interview, Abigail Dodds takes a fresh look at what the Bible actually says about womanhood, discussing some of the differences and similarities between men and women, reflecting on the use of the term "complementarianism," and encouraging us to show kindness and grace toward others when discussing these issues. Abigail Dodds is the author of (A)Typical Woman: Free, Whole, and Called in Christ. Read the full transcript. If you enjoyed this episode be sure to leave us a review, which helps us spread the word about the show!

In this interview, Sam Allberry shares from his own experiences as a single person, explains what the Bible really teaches about singleness, and explains the important roles unmarried Christians can (and should) play in the life of the local church. Sam Allberry is the author of 7 Myths about Singleness. Read the full transcript. If you enjoyed this episode be sure to leave us a review, which helps us spread the word about the show!

In this interview, Rebecca McLaughlin highlights the failure of the ”secularization hypothesis“—the idea that religion would eventually disappear with more education and technology—arguing that believers have much to be hopeful about when it comes to the spread of Christianity around the world. She also responds to two common charges often levied against conservative Christianity: that it’s anti-science and that it’s homophobic. Rebecca McLaughlin is the author of Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World's Largest Religion. Read the full transcript. If you enjoyed this episode be sure to leave us a review, which helps us spread the word about the show!

In this interview, Bryan Chapell helps us understand how to the approach the Old Testament—a section of the Bible that can often feel confusing and intimidating—and encourages us to read it with an eye toward the overarching narrative tying it all together: God’s gracious redemption of sinners culminating in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Bryan Chapell is the general editor of the ESV Gospel Transformation Study Bible. Read the full transcript. If you enjoyed this episode be sure to leave us a review, which helps us spread the word about the show!

In this interview, Paul Tripp reflects on his own parenting journey, the most common questions he gets asked about parenting, and how he came to view raising children as one of the most significant things a person can do in life.Paul Tripp is the author of Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family. Read the full transcript. If you enjoyed this episode be sure to leave us a review, which helps us spread the word about the show!

In this interview, Russell Moore shares about his own family’s adoption journey—and how it impacted his view of the gospel. He reflects on the way God changed his heart with regard to adoption, helping him come to see it as important for all Christians—even those who never end up adopting a child themselves. Russell Moore is the author of Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families and Churches. Learn more about the book and then enter to win a free copy (drawing ends 4/7/19)! Read the full transcript. If you enjoyed this episode be sure to leave us a review, which helps us spread the word about the show!

In this interview, we talk with Jen Wilkin about the importance Bible study for our lives as Christians, even if that study looks different in the various seasons of life. Jen discusses some of the things God has taught her over the last two decades as a Bible study leader and shares about her work writing Bible studies aimed at helping God’s people better understand what the Bible actually teaches and how to appropriately apply it to our lives today. Jen Wilkin is the author of Women of the Word: How to Study the Bible with Both Our Hearts and Our Minds. Read the full transcript. If you enjoyed this episode be sure to leave us a review, which helps us spread the word about the show!

Welcome to The Crossway Podcast, a show where we sit down with authors each week for thoughtful interviews about the Bible, theology, church history, and the Christian life. Each week, we’ll be exploring an important topic as we talk with Bible teachers, theologians, pastors, and Christian thinkers. Some of our upcoming guests include: Jen Wilkin on how to study the Bible Russell Moore on the priority of adoption for Christian familiesTony Reinke on dealing with distraction in the digital age Paul Tripp on parenting in light of the gospelBryan Chapell on seeing Christ in the Old Testament In this short preview, you’ll hear a little more about the show as well as a clip from one our first episodes: an interview with David Murray about the all-too-common problem of burnout. Thanks for listening! crossway.org/podcast