The Crossway Podcast

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 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 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, 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.

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.

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.

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.

Jani Ortlund discusses the joys and challenges of being a pastor's wife. She reflects on what it's been like to be married to a pastor and immersed in full-time ministry for nearly five decades, shares advice related to how a ministry wife should respond to criticism of her husband, and offers encouragement for the woman struggling with unrealistic expectations and a lack of close friendships within the church.

Michael Reeves discusses what the Bible is actually getting at when it commands us to "fear the Lord." He makes the case for the difference between rightly fearing God and sinfully being afraid of him, explains why the fear of the Lord is so often paired with examples of God's gracious blessing and commands to love him in Scripture, and offers encouragement for the Christian wrestling with consistent guilt, shame, and even fear on account of their sin.

Rosaria Butterfield discusses what it looks like to embrace the Christian call to radical hospitality even during a pandemic. She shares about how her family has sought to continue reaching out to those around them with the love of Christ, reflects on our tendency to spend more time reading the news than reading our Bibles, and calls on Christians to fight against the fear that threatens to destroy our witness.

Barbara Hughes discusses why discipline is important for Christian women. She highlights her own struggle to cultivate a disciplined life over the years, reflects on an important lesson she learned from key mentors like Elisabeth Elliot, and offers encouragement for the listener who feels like she's struggling in her spiritual walk right now.

Kent Hughes discusses why discipline is so important for the life of a Christian man. He explains how discipline is actually aimed at freeing us to be the men that God called us to be, how to fight the addiction to entertainment so common among men in our culture today, and why working hard when it comes to our spiritual growth is not the same thing as working for our salvation.

Bob Kauflin discusses his work as a songwriter and worship leader. He reflects on how God led him into a career in music, what his process looks like when it comes to writing songs for the church, and what it's like to lead a crowd of thousands in worship at a conference like Together for the Gospel.

Jeff Vanderstelt discusses what it means to be fluent in the gospel and why that's an essential part of what it means to live as a disciple of Jesus. He reflects on his own journey as a pastor and efforts to cultivate a culture of gospel fluency in the churches where he has ministered, highlights why the concept of the missional community is so central to how he views what the church is called to be, and unpacks why living in light of the gospel should impact literally every facet of our lives as God's people.

Stephen Meyer discusses the controversial topic of theistic evolution. He explains what the term does and doesn't mean, describes the amazing digital code at the heart of all life on earth, and highlights significant scientific and philosophical problems with many forms of theistic evolution advocated today.

Joel Beeke discusses the doctrine of Christ's ongoing intercession in heaven. He explains what that doctrine is all about, where we find it in the Bible, and why it is more important and spiritually edifying than you may realize. Joel Beeke is the author, with Paul Smalley, of Reformed Systematic Theology: Volume 2: Man and 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!

Erik Raymond discusses what it looks like to cultivate a spirit of contentment in a world that often seems dead set on helping us do just the opposite. He explains what is unique about a distinctly Christian approach to contentment, highlights the connection between contentment and gratitude, and offers practical advice for navigating the consumerism of the holiday season that's just around the corner.

Listen to a special two-hour preview of 'The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self,' including the book's introduction and first chapter. Historian Carl Trueman analyzes the development of the sexual revolution as a symptom, rather than the cause, of the human search for identity.

Carl Trueman discusses our culture's current obsession with identity and changing attitudes about gender and sexuality. He offers a crash course on key historical figures and ideas that have shaped us in profound yet often unnoticed ways, highlights what conservative Christians often misunderstand about the LGBTQ cause, and offers advice when it comes to navigating an increasing hostile culture in the coming years.

Crossway is pleased to announce the launch of our newest podcast: Emblems of the Infinite King, an imaginative journey through the grand story of the Bible. Listen now: Apple Podcasts Spotify RSS You can see a full listing of all of our podcasts at crossway.org/podcasts.

Andy Naselli discusses snakes in the Bible. He talks about why Satan appeared to Adam and Eve as a talking serpent in Genesis 3, where else snakes and dragons appear in Scripture and why it matters for our understanding of the history of redemption, and how the biblical idea of serpents and serpent slayers sheds light on everything from 'Beowulf' to 'Lord of the Rings' to 'Harry Potter.'

Guy Waters discusses how to understand the biblical covenants and how they help us to read Scripture rightly. He addresses what people often get wrong when it comes to covenant theology, highlights the progressive nature of God's promises in the Bible, and explains where he thinks dispensationalism and new covenant theology miss the mark.

Jonathan Leeman discusses how Christians should think about political disagreements within the church. He makes the important distinction between clear, biblical principles on the one hand and prudential applications of those principles on the other, shares his take on how much pastors and church leaders should say regarding their own political perspectives online and in-person, and offers advice for those worried about political controversy causing division within their church.

Ryan Lister discusses what it means when the Bible says that God is with us. He unpacks the idea of the presence of God throughout Scripture, addresses common misconceptions about what that phrase really means, and highlights how Jesus, God in the flesh, stands as the ultimate example of God drawing near to his people.

Cameron Cole discusses the unexpected death of his three-year-old son, Cam. He shares about the initial shock when he first heard the terrible news, recalls the thoughts and questions that filled his mind in the days, weeks, and months following, and reflects on how that tragedy and all the suffering it entailed has ultimately strengthened his hope in God rather than destroyed it.

Frank Thielman discusses what the New Testament, and particularly the apostle Paul, teaches about how Christians today should think about the Mosaic law. He reflects on why this seems like such a challenging, hermeneutical issue, why the topic of circumcision was so central in Paul's epistles, and how this so-called "new perspective" on Paul fits in this conversation.

Brad Sickler discusses how Christians should think about recent developments in our understanding of the brain and cognitive science. He explains why all science entails philosophical assumptions stemming from a person's worldview, highlights how science and the Bible both speak to the physical and spiritual dimensions of what it means to be human, and answers the question we've all wondered: Is it true we only use 10% of our brains?

Drew Hunter discusses advice for Christians eager to reinvigorate, or maybe jumpstart for the first time, a consistent Bible reading habit. He reflects on how to avoid viewing time in God's Word as merely a task on a checklist, shares his thoughts on the pros and cons of reading plans, and highlights the importance of seeing God's Word as one unified story culminating in the person and work of Jesus Christ and why that perspective fundamentally changes how we read Scripture.

Paul Tripp discusses what he calls "the leadership crisis" in the church today. He explains what he's been seeing and hearing from pastors that indicates there indeed is a crisis, why healthy leadership in the church is about the leadership community, not just the head pastor, and what it looks like to make progress in and through the gospel.

Lauren Chandler discusses her habit on reading and studying the Bible. She reflects on the biggest influences on how she engages with Scripture even today, explains the way the Bible impacts her work as a songwriter, and shares how God used his Word to strengthen her faith when she first learned her husband had been diagnosed with a brain tumor.

In this special episode, we're sharing a full audio recording of How Can I Love Church Members with Different Politics?—written by Jonathan Leeman and Andy Naselli. Election seasons can cause division on a variety of issues. But what happens when you disagree with someone in your local church community? Authors Jonathan Leeman and Andy Naselli propose that Christians should learn how to disagree on such issues with a spirit of gracious understanding by recognizing the importance of what binds us together as a local church body—the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Joe Rigney discusses why it's okay to celebrate God's good gifts. He explains the impact that John Piper and Christian hedonism have had on his life and theology, the proper place of self-denial in the Christian life, and how to navigate the tension of loving God and enjoying his good gifts.

Mark Talbot discusses what the Bible has to say about suffering and the question that we all so quickly come to: "Why?" He shares some of what God has taught him through his own experience of profound pain, reflects on what we can learn from the story of Job in the Bible, and offers wise advice to the person currently wrestling to understand why God so often allows us to suffer in ways that push us to our limits and beyond.

Adam Griffin discusses what it looks like for parents to prioritize the important but mostly ordinary spiritual leadership of their family. He debunks common misconceptions about what family discipleship has to look like, highlights the importance of cultivating a culture of joy and fun in the home, and offers parents a simple framework for intentionally training their kids to view their lives through the lens of the gospel.