The Russell Moore Show

Will I face a midlife crisis? Is there any way to prepare for it? You will probably endure a midlife crisis, and it will most likely hit you harder than you expect. The good news is, there are things you can do to prepare. In this episode of Signposts, I talk about how to prepare for your midlife crisis and what you might expect when it comes. Listen above, and be sure to subscribe to get new episodes of Signposts as they are released. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is pro-life more than pro-birth? Why isn’t the pro-life movement committed to the whole person? These are common questions aimed at the pro-life movement. In fact, one of the most frequent criticisms of the pro-life movement is that those who hold such views only care about ending abortion. In this episode of Signposts, I address these questions and offer my perspective on the pro-life movement by thinking about what it means to fight for justice and human dignity. Listen above, and be sure to subscribe to get new episodes of Signposts as they are released. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Should we stop calling ourselves “evangelicals”? Should we just give up on “evangelicalism”? I am asked these questions all the time, usually by Christians who are concerned that these labels no longer accurately define or describe who they are and what they believe. In this episode of Signposts, I talk about these questions and offer my own perspective on the status and future of evangelical Christianity in the United States. Listen above, and be sure to subscribe to get new episodes of Signposts as they are released. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I’m excited to announce that my podcast, Signposts, will soon be returning in a fresh new format that I hope you’ll enjoy. I’ll continue to deal with questions ranging from theology to ethics to culture and much more. I’ll also be inviting guests from all corners of society to join me on the program. In conversation with these leaders, we’ll get to hear their stories and explore some of the moments and ideas that have shaped their lives. This season of Signposts will officially kick off on April 6, and we’ll be releasing two new episodes each month. I really look forward to thinking through important questions and sharing these conversations with you, and I hope you’ll join me. The post Introducing My Updated Podcast appeared first on Russell Moore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Signposts, I talk about my approach to writing. From keeping track of ideas, to writing books and articles, this podcast offers you a look at the whole process. You can find the full transcript and links to subscribe below. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Signposts, I talk about what to say at the funeral of an unbeliever. You can find the full transcript and links to subscribe below. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Signposts, I sat down with Skye Jethani to talk about why church attendance is declining. From a conversation that began on Twitter, we explore changes in culture, supply and demand, and the state of the local church. Listen below, and subscribe to Signposts to get new episodes when they publish. The post Signposts: Why is church attendance declining? A conversation with Skye Jethani appeared first on Russell Moore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Signposts I sit down with Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska. We talk how perpetual adolescence hurts the church and about his new book, The Vanishing American Adult: Our Coming-of-Age Crisis–and How to Rebuild a Culture of Self-Reliance. Listen below, and subscribe to Signposts to get new episodes when they publish. The post Signposts: Senator Ben Sasse and Russell Moore talk about how perpetual adolescence hurts the church appeared first on Russell Moore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I often get asked this question from parents: Should we require our child to come to church with our family? Sometimes the child even dreads or dislikes going to church. What if we suspect that our child is going through difficult things while at church? In this episode of Signposts I talk about why requiring church from children is an issue of priority, and how to engage a situation where your child might feel unwelcome at church. Listen below, and subscribe to Signposts to get new episodes when they publish. The post Signposts: Should You Make Your Children Go to Church? appeared first on Russell Moore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When someone you love or are close to vocalizes a racist sentiment, what’s the best way to respond? In this episode of Signposts I consider how we can confront racial prejudice in our families in a gospel-centered way. Listen below, and subscribe to Signposts to get new episodes when they publish. The post Signposts: How to Deal with a Family Member’s Racist Comments appeared first on Russell Moore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How do I navigate technology with my kids? In this episode of Signposts I talk with author and speaker Andy Crouch about families and the use of technology. We also talk about his new book, The Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in Its Proper Place. Listen below, and subscribe to Signposts to get new episodes when they publish. The post Signposts: A conversation with Andy Crouch about family and technology appeared first on Russell Moore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Signposts I talk about why I am not a pacifist and what I have learned from that tradition. Listen below, and subscribe to Signposts to get new episodes when they publish. The post Signposts: Why I’m Not a Pacifist (But I Don’t Hate Those Who Are) appeared first on Russell Moore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This year marks the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. Central to the Reformation’s theology was the idea of sola Scriptura, meaning “The Bible alone.” What does sola Scriptura mean practically for the Christian life? Is it a workable doctrine, or does it lead to a fractured, individualistic spiritual life? In this episode of Signposts I talk about an evangelical theology of Scripture, and why saying “The Bible alone” is not a recipe for an anti-authority Christianity. Listen below, and subscribe to Signposts to get new episodes when they publish. The post Signposts: Why Sola Scriptura Matters appeared first on Russell Moore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How can you know if you’re under the discipline of God? Recently I was asked this question by someone who was concerned that her recent struggles with sin were causing her health problems. Like many others, she worried that God was punishing her. In this episode of Signposts I consider what the Bible says about who we are as Christians, the difficulties we face in this life, and what God’s discipline means for us. Listen below, and subscribe to Signposts to get new episodes automatically when they publish. Transcript coming soon. The post Signposts: How Can You Know If You’re Under God’s Discipline? appeared first on Russell Moore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For thousands of years, Christians have taught that on Good Friday, Jesus bore the wrath of God for our sins. But is this an immoral belief? Can we worship a God who would pour out wrath on His Son? In this episode of Signposts I consider the doctrine of substitutionary atonement and explain why God is good, and not evil, to lay our sins on Christ. Listen to Signposts below, and subscribe to get new episodes automatically when they publish. Transcript coming soon. The post Signposts: “Is Penal Substitutionary Atonement Immoral?” appeared first on Russell Moore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Signposts I talk with author and speaker Jen Wilkin about the local church, men and women in ministry, and how to build a strong culture of teaching for women in the church. Listen below, and subscribe to Signposts to get new episodes when they publish. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How should Christians respond to cultural transformations, many of which actively threaten the beliefs and practices of the church? Journalist Rod Dreher offers a provocative answer in his new book “The Benedict Option,” which encourages believers and churches to abandon the popular models of cultural engagement and focus instead on shoring up our own theological foundations and communities. In this episode of Signposts I talk to Rod about the Benedict Option and what he hopes Christians take away from his book. Listen below and subscribe to Signposts to get new episodes automatically when they publish. Transcript coming soon The post Signposts: A Conversation With Rod Dreher appeared first on Russell Moore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How should a teenager who has sinned sexually respond in repentance? How should parents of struggling teens address sexual sin? In this episode of Signposts, I talk to both child and parents about what walking in light of the gospel means for addressing sexual failure. Listen below, and subscribe to Signposts to get new episodes automatically. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This special episode of Signposts features a portion of my sermon at our 2017 Evangelicals For Life gathering in Washington, D.C. You can listen to the full message at the Evangelicals For Life page here. Be sure to subscribe to Signposts below to receive new episodes automatically. The post Signposts: What Human Dignity Means For the Church appeared first on Russell Moore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What should Christians think of New Year’s resolutions? Are they a helpful way to make changes, or do they merely represent a modern from of legalism? In this episode I talk about how resolutions can help us form godly habits, and why this doesn’t need to be a slavish, performance-obsessed way of life. Use the links to subscribe to Signposts and get new episodes automatically as they are released. Below is an edited transcript of the audio. As the old Christmas song says, “Fast away the old year passes; hail the New Year, lads and lasses!” As we head into a new year, one thing that many people begin to wonder about is New Year’s resolutions. Recently I received a question from a listener, asking if Christians should have New Year’s resolutions. Perhaps the reason someone would ask this is the reality that most people don’t keep their resolutions. That’s a reason why, for example, gyms will make a lot of money in memberships around the first of the year. People tend to come in January and February and then taper off toward the end of the year. But I think New Year resolutions can be a good thing. Some Christians have said that these resolutions can feed into a performance mentality that undermines the gospel. I think they can do this, but I also think one positive element of New Year resolutions is the building of habit. That’s a good thing, because we know that habits shape us. What a New Year’s resolution is ultimately trying to get us to is the sort of habit in our life that we don’t have to map out and say, “This is what we’re going to do today.” It’s just something that we naturally do. In the same way you probably don’t make a list and include, “Brush my teeth tomorrow.” It’s just part of your routine, and a resolution is trying to imitate that. What we need to do is think through what are the resolutions we want to pursue in our life, and decide whether these are realistic. One thing many people will do is choose a big abstraction, like, “I will be a kind person.” That’s a good abstraction, but what’s better is to say, “I am going to give one word of affirmation every day to my spouse or a coworker.” Try to build into your life something specific and concrete. This is especially true in your own spiritual life. If you don’t have a consistent plan for Bible reading and prayer, for example, you may say, “I am going to self consciously set aside time for these things.” In doing this, though, make sure you have something that is doable. If you don’t have any sort of Bible reading in your life, don’t resolve to read 3 chapters a day. Resolve instead to read 1 chapter a week, and start with something manageable that you can build on as time goes on. One thing I’ve noticed in my own life is that if I look back on journals that I’ve written in from years ago—I just found a whole stack of them recently—I can look and see all the ways God was with me in the past. And I can also say, “Look at what I was so worried about then that never came to pass.” So I’ve realized that I want to get back into the practice of journaling, not because it’s something everyone needs to do but because I’ve found it’s beneficial to me. And since I’m in a very fast paced season of life with work and the ages of my children, I’ve found it helpful to use some technological ways to journal. That’s a good thing to do, to just sit down and say: What’s one thing I want to change and build into my life? And this isn’t something to be a slave to. If you have a resolution that you see as something that’s going to be a drudgery for you throughout the year, don’t do it. That’s not going to be helpful. But find a way to build these patterns into your life in a way that will benefit you in the year to come. This isn’t a legalistic “performance” mentality, as long as you keep it in perspective. The post Signposts: Should Christians Make New Year’s Resolutions? appeared first on Russell Moore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Should Christians take offense when the signs say “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas”? If not, how can Christians cope with a rapidly secularizing public square? In this episode of Signposts I talk about what is and what is not evidence of a transforming culture, and the right way Christians ought to respond to both. Use the links below to subscribe to Signposts and get new episodes automatically when they publish. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Signposts I respond to an email from a listener, who is facing a volatile situation at her church between a new believer and an older member. How should churches gently shepherd new believers who may bring in “baggage” to the church, and how can more seasoned saints come alongside them in fellowship and support? Listen below, and use the links to subscribe to Signposts and get new episodes automatically when they publish. The post Signposts: Shepherding New Believers Who Cause Controversy in the Church appeared first on Russell Moore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Signposts I respond to a listener’s question about video games, and what parents should remember as they make decisions about this. Listen below, and subscribe to Signposts to get new episodes when they publish. The post Signposts: Should Your Family Play Video Games? appeared first on Russell Moore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this special episode of Signposts I sit down with professor and author Rosaria Butterfield to talk about her conversion to Christ, her previous life in the LGBT community, and what Christians need to remember when reaching out to the world around them. Listen below, and use the links to subscribe to Signposts and get new episodes automatically when they publish. The post Signposts: A Conversation With Rosaria Butterfield appeared first on Russell Moore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this special episode of Signposts, I sit down with award winning musician and author Andrew Peterson to talk about creativity, marriage, the gospel, and more. Listen below, and use the links to subscribe to Signposts and receive new episodes when they publish. The post Signposts: A Conversation With Andrew Peterson appeared first on Russell Moore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this special episode of Signposts, I discuss how Christians should respond to the election results and to President-elect Donald Trump. Listen to the episode below, and subscribe to Signposts to get new episodes automatically when they publish. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of Signposts I reflect on life lessons I learned from serving Congressman Gene Taylor, and how a politician modeled integrity and conscience for me that made a lasting impact. Listen below, and subscribe to Signposts to receive new episodes automatically. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode I respond to a question about Halloween and the local church, and how Christians can handle disagreements in a way that glorifies Christ and preserves fellowship. Listen below, and use the links to subscribe to Signposts to get new episodes when they publish. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Signposts I reflect on how parents can talk to their adopted children about their story, and what adoption stories should teach us about our own adoption into the family of Christ. Listen below, and subscribe to get new episodes of Signposts automatically. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Signposts I discuss what the responsibility of the local church is toward members who have experienced divorce, and what the gospel means for how we bear each other’s burdens through this. Listen below and subscribe to Signposts to get new episodes automatically when they publish. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Signposts, I reflect on what being a Baptist has meant for my Christian life, and why I am still one today. Listen using the links at the bottom of this page, read the transcript below, and subscribe to Signposts to get new episodes automatically when they publish. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Every Christian has had to wrestle at some point with guilt. Even for those who believe, theologically, that they are forgiven in Christ, the struggle to feel forgiven can be agonizing. How should believers in the gospel of justification handle their residing feelings of shame, guilt, and condemnation? In this episode of Signposts I reflect on what the Scriptures say about our guilt, and why Christians can–and can’t–trust their feelings. Listen below, and use the links to subscribe to Signposts and receive new episodes automatically when they publish. The post Signposts: How Christians Should Handle Shame appeared first on Russell Moore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I’m often asked about which podcasts I listen to. With all the time I spend traveling, I listen to quite a few podcasts, and there are a few in particular that are especially helpful to me in keeping up with what’s being talked about in broader culture. In this episode of Signposts I talk about which podcasts I frequently return to, and what makes them specifically useful to me in my life and ministry. Listen below and use the links to subscribe to Signposts and get new episodes when they publish. The post Signposts: My Favorite Podcasts appeared first on Russell Moore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As parents, some of the most difficult conversations we can have with children is about evil. It can often be challenging to know how to explain the reality of evil to children in a gospel-centered way. In this episode of Signposts I reflect on why it’s important to talk honestly to children about pain and death in the world, and to do this in a way that exalts Christ as the final answer to all evil in the world. Listen below, and use the links to subscribe to Signposts and get new episodes when they publish. The post Signposts: How to Talk About Evil With Your Children appeared first on Russell Moore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The odds are that, sooner or later, you will find yourself disagreeing with the leadership of your local church. The issue may seem small or it may seem very significant; you may be a lay member, or you may be on staff. Regardless of the circumstances, what are the most important things to remember when you don’t agree with the leadership of your church? In this episode of Signposts I talk about what healthy disagreement within a church can look like, and what marks the difference between handling it well and damaging the fellowship. Listen below, and use the links to subscribe to Signposts and download new episodes automatically when they publish. The post Signposts: How Should You Handle Disagreement With Church Leadership? appeared first on Russell Moore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

At our recent ERLC national conference, I had the opportunity to sit down with pastor Andy Stanley. Andy and I have a lot of significant disagreements about ministry, but our conversation was fascinating and helped me and everyone at the conference think through some important issues. In this episode of Signposts I reflect on my time with Andy Stanley, and how our dialogue about ministry and theology sharpened my own thinking about Scripture and the church. Listen below, and use the links to subscribe to Signposts and get new episodes automatically when they publish. The post Signposts: Reflections On My Conversation With Andy Stanley appeared first on Russell Moore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How does the gospel address our deepest fears? How can we be confident, while facing an uncertain future? In this episode of Signposts, I offer some thoughts from Scripture on why the gospel disarms our fear, and allows us to walk confidently toward the kingdom. Listen below, and use the links to subscribe to Signposts and get new episodes automatically when they publish. The post Signposts: How to Be Free From Fear appeared first on Russell Moore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Christianity isn’t normal anymore, and that’s good news. The Book of Acts, like the Gospels before it, shows us that the Christianity thrives when it is, as Kierkegaard put it, a sign of contradiction. Only a strange gospel can differentiate itself from the culture around us. But the strange, freakish, foolish old gospel is what God uses to save sinners and to build the Church. The post Signposts: Why Christians Must Keep Christianity Strange appeared first on Russell Moore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The illusion of being a Christian majority in this country has not been good for our understanding of what it means to be the people of God. As we enter the public arena, we don’t come with a Christless form of religion that is satisfied with mere behavior modification rather than new birth. We need to remember that we are sent with consciences that are shaped and formed by the Word of God, for the purpose of reconciliation. The post Signposts: How to Engage the Culture as the Church appeared first on Russell Moore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Each and every one of us is tempted to shelter ourselves from the prophetic edge of Scripture. We don’t want to hear that we’re wrong, and we don’t want to hear the diagnosis of our sinfulness. But we need to understand the way our own hearts often seek to evade Scripture’s call on our lives. In this episode of Signposts, I talk about the need for the Word of God to confront us and challenge us in areas that we are not choosing so that we can be equipped to engage in the warfare of the Christian life. The post Signposts: How to Be Changed by the Word of God appeared first on Russell Moore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Recently I read that sales of e-readers like the Kindle had slowed, and that sales of physical books had risen. This made sense to me, since over the past couple of years I’ve realized that I almost totally prefer bound books to digital versions. In this episode of Signposts I talk about why physical books are so important to me in my life and ministry, and what e-readers, though helpful, miss about the written word. Listen below, and use the links to subscribe to Signposts to automatically receive new episodes when they publish. The post Signposts: Why I Prefer Books to E-Readers appeared first on Russell Moore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Recently I was asked by a younger man, “How can I make sure to end my ministry well?” In my own life I’ve seen many ministers end their service poorly, not only through moral failure but also through anger, bitterness, and disillusionment. In this episode of Signposts I talk about what ministers, young and old, should remember in order to end their ministries well, and how the gospel helps us see ourselves the way God sees us. Listen below, and use the links to subscribe to Signposts and receive new episodes when they publish. The post Signposts: How to Plan Now to End Your Ministry Well appeared first on Russell Moore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

One question I am asked frequently is, “Should Christians boycott?” Over the past few years there have been several calls within evangelical communities for boycotts of corporations like Starbucks and Target. Is this kind of activism effective and wise? In this episode of Signposts I talk about evangelical conscience and boycotts, and what the Scriptures can teach us about human nature and real change. Listen below, and use the links to subscribe to Signposts and get new episodes automatically when they publish. The post Signposts: Should Christians Boycott? appeared first on Russell Moore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

One of the most important things that we as Christians can know is what fathers need to say to their children. The Scriptures give us wisdom on this, and help us to see what it is that every human yearns to hear from their earthly, and heavenly, father. In this episode of Signposts I reflect on what the Bible says about fathers and children, and how the gospel leads and forms Dads to model the fatherhood of God. Listen below, and use the links to subscribe to Signposts and receive new episodes automatically. The post Signposts: What Fathers Need to Tell Their Children appeared first on Russell Moore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Not long ago I received an email from a new Christian. This person wanted to know how she could help a friend realize that her lifestyle was sinful and destructive, without being too harsh, judgmental, or overbearing. This is a question that all Christians have to wrestle with if we seek to live faithfully as believers. In this episode of Signposts I talk about how Christians can help those close to them who are struggling in the fight for purity, and why this struggle matters for the church. Listen below, and use the links to subscribe to Signposts and receive new episodes when they publish. The post Signposts: How Can You Help a Friend Struggling With Sexual Immorality? appeared first on Russell Moore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With the Department of Education’s recent decree on transgender restrooms and public schools, many families are wondering how they are going to help their children navigate through these questions. In this episode of Signposts I discuss what Christian parents need to do when discipling their children to think about gender identity questions, and why hard conversations about controversial topics are essential. Listen below, and use the links to subscribe to Signposts and receive new episodes automatically when they publish. The post Signposts: How Should You Talk to Your Children About Transgender Issues? appeared first on Russell Moore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Summer means vacation, cook outs, and late nights. For many families, it also means an often intense schedule of summer sports leagues. These activities can be rewarding and helpful, but what about when they collide with other priorities–like church attendance? In this episode of Signposts I talk with my friend, pastor David Prince, about what Christian families can do to maintain healthy priorities when it comes to church and sports. Listen below, and use the links to subscribe to Signposts and get new episodes when they publish. The post Signposts: What If Your Kids’ Sports Teams Interfere With the Church Schedule? appeared first on Russell Moore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Christians talk a lot about sexual purity. In many ways, I think the discussion amongst evangelicals is better than it has been in years past. But what are the “blind spots” of our teaching on purity, how do we bring the conversation back to the gospel? In this episode of Signposts I talk about what evangelicals should remember in discipling one another in sexual purity, and how we can correct the areas where we’ve unintentionally mimicked the culture. Listen below and use the links to subscribe to Signposts and automatically download episodes when they publish. The post Signposts: What We Miss in Our Sexual Purity Teaching appeared first on Russell Moore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the past few years, many of us have watched as well-known, respected ministers have fallen morally. This can lead us to ask: If these men didn’t resist temptation, how can I? In this episode of Signposts I talk about why it matters to think strategically about how you will fight temptation in your life and ministry, and what practical things can help. Listen below, and use the links to subscribe to Signposts and download new episodes automatically when they publish. The post Signposts: How Can You Guard Yourself Against Moral Failure? appeared first on Russell Moore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A daily personal devotion time is something that most Christians would say is vital to their walk with Christ. But often it’s a spiritual discipline wrapped in frustration and confusion. In this episode of Signposts I talk about my own personal methods for private devotions, and reflect on what I’ve learned about the priority of spending time in meditation and prayer. Listen below and use the links to subscribe to Signposts and receive new episodes when they publish. The post Signposts: How I Do My Personal Devotions appeared first on Russell Moore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices