The Crossway Podcast

In today's episode, Heather Nelson—a writer, a counselor, and a mom—talks about what it looks like to pursue shame-free parenting so that we might have joy-filled homes. Heather is the author of Unashamed: Healing Our Brokenness and Finding Freedom from Shame. 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! Sign up for our mailing list here.

This month, we’re celebrating the 20th anniversary of the English Standard Version—first published by Crossway in 2001. To help mark this milestone, this month we're releasing a number of fascinating interviews focused on the ESV and Bible translation. Today's episode is a conversation with Justin Taylor—Crossway’s Book Publisher and project manager for the ESV Study Bible when it was being created—on how he first got connected to Crossway, what his day to day work on the project looked like in the early 2000s, and how the ESV Study Bible set a new standard for study Bibles when it was first released in 2008. To learn more about the English Standard Version, we invite you to visit ESV.org/translation. If you enjoyed this episode be sure to leave us a review, which helps us spread the word about the show!

In today's episode, J. D. Crowley and Andy Naselli discuss the conscience, whether we should always obey our conscience, what to do when our conscience disagrees with another Christian’s, and how the conscience relates to objective right and wrong. J.D. and Andy are the co-authors of Conscience: What It Is, How to Train It, and Loving Those Who Differ. 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!

This month, we’re celebrating the 20th anniversary of the English Standard Version—first published by Crossway in 2001. To help mark this milestone, this month we’re releasing a number of fascinating interviews focused on the ESV and Bible translation. Today's episode is a conversation with ESV Translation Oversight Committee member Dr. Paul House, where Paul answers questions listeners submitted about the ESV—questions related to how translators work, the translation philosophy of the ESV, tricky passages, and more. To learn more about the English Standard Version, we invite you to visit ESV.org/translation. If you enjoyed this episode be sure to leave us a review, which helps us spread the word about the show!

In our interview today, Cheryl Marshall and Caroline Newheiser, two counselors with years of experience, discuss how to have hard conversations with others that put the focus on what God has said, not their own opinions. Cheryl and Caroline are the authors of When Words Matter Most: Speaking Truth with Grace to Those You Love. 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 'The Expulsive Power of a New Affection' Thomas Chalmers inspires his readers to remove the tangles of sin through the expulsive power of a new affection—desiring God. As a result of the fall, human feelings of love are often misplaced on the creation rather than the Creator. This work of the faith reorients our affections toward him. We hope you enjoy this full audiobook of a timeless classic, right here on The Crossway Podcast.

A couple months ago, we asked listeners to submit their questions for pastor Ray Ortlund related to the difficult topic of porn and pastoral ministry. Many of you sent in questions for Ray from around the world—questions about how pastors can cultivate churches where honesty and repentance thrive; how to counsel men (and their wives) when their use of porn comes to light; and advice for the pastor who is currently struggling with porn himself. Ray is the author of The Death of Porn: Men of Integrity Building a World of Nobility. If you enjoyed this episode be sure to leave us a review, which helps us spread the word about the show!

In this episode, Dane Ortlund discusses why we, as children of God, can remain hopeful—even when our journey toward Christlikeness is painfully slow, and encourages us to wake up every morning confident in God’s love and grace. Dane Ortlund is the author of Deeper: Real Change for Real Sinners. 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 special preview episode of Ray Ortlund's new book, The Death of Porn: Men of Integrity Building a World of Nobility, Ortlund assures readers that God loves them the most tenderly in their moments of deepest shame through Scripture and personal stories structured around a series of letters as from a father to his son, with the goal of giving hope to men who have been misled by porn into devaluing themselves and others. This special episode includes the introduction and first chapter.

In this episode, Ray Ortlund talks about how the truth that we are royalty—created in God’s image for a great and noble purpose—has the power to free us from the dehumanizing lies of the porn industry. Ray Ortlund is the author of The Death of Porn: Men of Integrity Building a World of Nobility. 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 episode, Tom Schreiner discusses whether or not Jesus taught a form of pacifism, and how we should square Jesus’s command to love our enemies with the way that God’s people were commanded to conquer (and even devote to destruction) their enemies in the Old Testament. Tom Schreiner is a contributor to the ESV Expository Commentary: Hebrews–Revelation. 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!

Crossway is pleased to announce the launch of our newest podcast: In the Lord I Take Refuge with Dane Ortlund. Join Dane—a pastor and best-selling author—Monday through Friday each week on a journey through all 150 psalms in the Bible. Subscribe today: Apple Podcasts Spotify RSS You can see a full listing of all of our podcasts at crossway.org/podcasts.

In this episode, Bobby Jamieson talks about his own path to church leadership, what role seminary played, and as well as what advice he'd give to those aspiring to be pastors. Bobby Jamieson is the author of The Path to Being a Pastor: A Guide for the Aspiring. 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 episode, Glenna Marshall talks about the life-changing practice of Scripture memory, the oft-given advice to give ourselves grace, and the importance of being transparent with other Christians when perseverance in the Christian life isn't easy. Glenna Marshall is the author of Everyday Faithfulness: The Beauty of Ordinary Perseverance in a Demanding 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 episode, Jonathan Leeman discusses the vital importance of in-person church fellowship, how we can and should prioritize involvement with the people of God in a local church—especially after a year like 2020—and shares some encouragement for pastors on the heels of a taxing season. Jonathan Leeman is the co-author of Rediscover Church: Why the Body of Christ Is Essential. 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 episode, Craig Troxel talks about the difference between a Christian and secular understanding of the heart, the heart's spiritual functions and how we can think about them in terms of our minds, desires, and will. Craig Troxel is the author of With All Your Heart: Orienting Your Mind, Desires, and Will toward 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 special preview episode of Sam Allberry's new book, 'What God Has to Say about Our Bodies: How the Gospel Is Good News for Our Physical Selves', Sam explains that all of us are fearfully and wonderfully made, and should regard our physicality as a gift. He offers biblical guidance for living, including understanding gender, sexuality, and identity; dealing with aging, illness, and death; and considering the physical future hope that we have in Christ. This hour-long episode includes the introduction and first two chapters.

In this episode, Sam Allberry talks about the eternal significance of our physical bodies, how it relates to our identity, and why our bodies matter here and now, especially in relation to the brokenness that we all feel because of sin. Sam Allberry is the author of What God Has to Say about Our Bodies: How the Gospel Is Good News for Our Physical Selves. 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 episode, Dane Ortlund discusses how the psalms uniquely invite us into prayer and devotion, how they reflect the greatness of God, and how He cares for His people. Dane Ortlund is the author of In the Lord I Take Refuge: 150 Daily Devotions through the Psalms. 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 episode, Tim Cooper discusses the importance of Richard Baxter, a Puritan responsible for many key (if not misunderstood or difficult to read) treatise on church doctrine and the role of ministry. Cooper dives into Baxter's controversial views on faith, justification, and sanctification, his faithfulness in ministry, and what modern pastors can learn from his example. Tim Cooper is the author of a new adaptation of Richard Baxter's The Reformed Pastor: Updated and Abridged 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 episode, Sinclair Ferguson discusses the relevance of church history and divisive theological positions as we dig into a largely forgotten 18th-century Scottish debate about God’s grace and our works, explaining the roots of legalism and antinomianism, and why all of this matters for modern-day believers. Sinclair Ferguson is the author of The Whole Christ: Legalism, Antinomianism, and Gospel Assurance—Why the Marrow Controversy Still Matters 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 episode, Dave Harvey, president of The Great Commission Collective church planting ministry, talks about his own path to ministry, what he did (and didn't) learn in seminary, and how to discern whether or not you're really called to the pastorate. Dave Harvey is the author of Am I Called? 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 today's episode, Isaac Adams discusses the nature of evangelism and why we so often feel intimidated, unequipped or unsure of how to even speak about the Gospel to others in our lives. Isaac provides encouragement and insight on how to organically balance relationship with outreach, and how we might be misunderstanding what we're actually called to do in evangelism.

In today's episode, Marcus Johnson—assistant professor of theology at Moody Bible Institute, and the author of One with Christ: An Evangelical Theology of Salvation - discusses the doctrine of our union with Christ, drawing special attention to this beautiful doctrine well-attested in church history but often misunderstood today.

In this special episode, we’re pleased to share the complete audio recording of this brand-new children’s book, right here on The Crossway Podcast. Narrated by Mike Kellogg, this book will help your family see God’s promise to his people—a promise that will never fail.

In today's interview, Mark Jones talks about how to bring the seemingly contradictory realities about God together in our own minds, namely how should we understand God in his fullness—both near to us as our Father and yet above and beyond us as our Creator. Mark does this by discussing 5 specific attributes of God that we too often neglect in our thinking and theology.

In this episode, Harry Lee Poe discusses the formative years of C.S. Lewis as a prolific writer amidst a private life, including fascinating details about the start of his career, his own personal faith and the relationships that would shape his world and the books that would make his name world-renowned.

In this episode, Stephen Wellum discusses myths and misconceptions about Jesus that obscure his true significance—for history and for our own lives, digging into some of those myths and explore why Jesus is far better—far more glorious—than we could ever imagine.

A few weeks ago, we asked readers to submit their marriage questions for Paul Tripp. Many of you sent questions from around the world, questions about healthy communication, asking forgiveness, offering correction, and reigniting a sense of romance. Paul Tripp is the author of Marriage: 6 Gospel Commitments Every Couple Needs to Make. 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 episode, Matt Smethurst discusses the important role that deacons—model servants—should play in the life of a local church. He walks us through the biblical basis for viewing the diaconate as a formal office; he explains the proper relationship between t deacons and a church’s pastors and elders; and he answers the often asked question, “Can women be deacons?”

In this episode, Paul Tripp discusses how the gospel comes to bear on the day-to-day realities of marriage and why that's more than just a platitude. He reflects on important but sometimes painful lessons he has learned on decades of marriage to his wife, Luella, shares some of the most common marriage questions he's been asked over the years, years of teaching marriage seminars and counseling hundreds of couples, and he offers some practical advice for spouses who are struggling to communicate in a way that honors God and each other.

In this episode, Christopher Ash discusses the story of Job to answer the question "Where is God in the midst of suffering?" With honesty and compassion, he explores the roles Satan, the fall, the cross of Jesus Christ play in human suffering, and how we can find assurance that God will be with us in Christ through every season and every trial.

In this episode, Kathryn Butler discusses her work as a trauma surgeon working in an ICU. She shares what it was like to be inundated with life-and-death situations, day in and day out; how she coped with the stress and eventually began to see God’s grace at work, even in the midst of deep pain and tragedy; and what she saw working in a hospital at the height of the COVID pandemic.

In this episode, Garrett Kell discusses why all Christians are called to be discipled and to disciple others. He reflects on why that might look different for different people in different seasons of life, highlights why discipling must always be a two-way street between the discipler and the disciplee, and discusses how to know when to take a break from a discipling relationship.

In this episode, Greg Gilbert discusses why Christians so often struggle to clearly define a simple yet foundational concept: the gospel. He highlights the temptation we all face to subtly subtract from or add to the gospel in response to various cultural pressures; he explains why he doesn’t like or use the phrase “this or that is a gospel issue”; and he responds to the common critique that evangelicals often have an overly individualistic view of the gospel.

In this episode, Ruth Chou Simons discusses her life as an artist. She digs into what makes her tick, including her passion for creating beautiful pieces of art that reflect the beauty of our Creator, shares her journey from doing watercolor paintings in her kitchen to starting GraceLaced Co. and becoming well-known around the world for her artwork, and she shares what her day to day life looks like as an entrepreneur who also is a wife and a mother to six boys.

In this episode, Michael Kruger discusses what it takes for Christian college students to make it through college with their faith intact. He highlights the top intellectual challenges to biblical Christianity many students will face on a secular campus including unprecedented pressure to abandon the Bible's teaching on gender and sexuality, how Christians can take the heat out of controversial conversations with non-Christians by remaining humble and asking good questions, and he shares why it's so important for parents and churches to focus on worldview formation for young people before they arrive on campus.

In The Biggest Story, Kevin DeYoung—a best-selling author and father of nine—leads kids and parents alike on an exciting journey through the Bible, connecting the dots from the garden of Eden to Christ's death on the cross to the new heaven and new earth. Narrated by the author, this 26-minute audio book—complete with music and sound effects—retells the Bible’s core message, showing children that God's promises are even bigger and better than we think.

In this hour-long special preview episode of Jen Wilkin's new book, 'Ten Words to Live By: Delighting in and Doing What God Commands', Jen presents a fresh biblical look at the Ten Commandments, showing how they come to bear on our lives today as we seek to love God and others, to live in joyful freedom, and to long for that future day when God will be rightly worshiped for eternity. This hour-long episode includes the introduction and first two chapters.

In this episode, Jen Wilkin discusses a well-known yet, according to Jen, often misunderstood and misapplied section of Scripture: the Ten Commandments. She explains why the Ten Commandments are more interesting and more applicable than we might think, what's wrong with the way we often talk about the Law and the dangers of legalism, and what it really means to take the Lord's name in vain.

In this episode, Dave Harvey discusses why plural leadership, a team of elders, is so crucial for the health of a local church. He explains why he thinks the term plurality is often affirmed, but then also often misunderstood and misapplied, highlights the need for transparency, accountability, and group decision-making among a church's elder team, and he explains what he means when he says that the senior pastor should be considered the first among equals.

In this episode, Rebecca McLaughlin discusses what it looks like for parents to prepare their teens for a life in a post-Christian world. She reflects on kids' propensity to ask hard questions and why that's a good thing, highlights some of the key challenges to a Christian worldview facing young people today, and offers advice on how to protect teens from harmful influences while at the same time encouraging them to form their own opinions and convictions.

A couple of weeks ago, we asked readers to submit their questions for Dane Ortlund, and many of you sent in questions from around the world. Questions like how Christ's gentleness fits with his wrath, whether or not we should really say God has emotions and if so, what they're like, and how Jesus, God Incarnate, can really understand what it's like to face temptation like we do.

Listen to a special one-hour preview of 'R. C. Sproul', including the book's introduction and first chapter. Stephen J. Nichols offers an in-depth look at Sproul’s life and ministry, highlighting the profound impact Sproul had on the lives of many during his lifetime and beyond.

Stephen Nichols discusses the fascinating life and ministry of the late R. C. Sproul. He reflects on the first time he met Sproul and talked with him face-to-face, shares more about how R. C. was like in private as a husband, father, and friend, including his passion for hunting and love of practical jokes, and he explains the key theological emphases and controversies that shaped Sproul's public ministry.

Christopher Ash discusses why anger is such a powerful, dangerous emotion for the Christian. He walks through some of the key Bible passages that address the topic of anger, explains how we should think of imperfect, often selfish human anger compared to God's perfectly righteous anger, and offers advice to the person who struggles to control his or her anger on a regular basis.

Conrad Mbewe discusses what American Christians should know about the church in Africa. He dispels common misconceptions related to African Christianity; summarizes the big issues facing local congregations including unbiblical superstitions, widespread poverty, and a lack of theological education; and he highlights what American believers can learn from our African brothers and sisters in Christ.

Sam Crabtree discusses what the Bible really means when it says to be "thankful always and for everything" in passages like Ephesians 5:20. He explains why the topic of gratitude is actually more foundational to the Christian life than you probably think, offers practical advice for cultivating gratitude in the ups and downs of our everyday lives, and highlights how a belief in God's absolute sovereignty over all things connects to having a thankful heart in all things.

Brett McCracken discusses what it looks like to pursue true wisdom in a noisy and confused age. He highlights the dangers of living in a constantly connected, information-saturated world, explains why the local church, good books, and even nature are crucial for our spiritual health, and he makes a critical yet often overlooked distinction between gaining knowledge and pursuing wisdom.

Marshall Segal discusses singleness and dating as a Christian. He shares some of his own story including his struggle with contentment as a single person, how to deal with feelings of guilt and shame related to your past, and advice for discerning whether or not you and your significant other are ready to take that next big step and tie the knot.