Theology Mom || All The Things

The on-going war in Israel has raised several questions for us. What involvement should Christians have with war? Is there a biblical case for Christians to participate in the military, given that it could mean bombing innocent civilians? After all, didn’t Jesus command us to love our enemies and “turn the other cheek”? We asked Dr. Eric Patterson, the President of the Religious Freedom Institute, to share about his research related to a Christian perspective on war and peace, and everything in between.

I asked my friend, Pastor Jeremy Bannister, to come one and talk about how to set spiritual priorities in your family. We also tackle the tricky topic of extra curricular activities, and overcoming teenage apathy.

LIVE SEASON 6 kickoff! We talked to our friend, Katy Faust, about practical strategies for raising conservative kids in the midst of "woke" ideology, even if they attend public school.

In this special New Year's livestream, I shared some thoughts about ways I've changed since 2020, as well as what I see on the horizon for 2024. This is more of an informal commentary than a Bible teaching.

***Answering a Popular Meme*** Last Christmas I saw a meme depicting Mary (the mother of Jesus) with her fist raised in the air. The artist reimagined Mary's poem in Luke 1 as a “call to economic justice.” I asked my friend, Father Hayden Butler from St. Matthew’s Anglican Church in Newport Beach, CA to come on and help us walk through the true meaning of this passage.

This is the final installment of a three-part teaching series that I am currently doing to try and put the war in Israel into its historical context. It's a complex journey, but there is simply no way to understand what is happening right now in the Middle East without taking the time to understand some key events.

This is part 2 of a three-part teaching series that I am currently doing to try and put the war in Israel into its historical context. It's a complex journey, but there is simply no way to understand what it happening right now in the Middle East without taking the time to understand some key events.

It has been almost two months since the Black Sabbath of October 7 in Israel. I have been on a personal journey to research the history of the state of Israel in an effort to put the current conflict into its historical context. This has proved very challenging. In this three-part teaching series, I attempt to share what I have learned and how it connects to the media propaganda that is coming out on both sides.

The Evangelical Theological Society (ETS) annual meeting is like Comicon for theology nerds. This is the place where evangelical scholars (the people who write the commentaries and study Bibles) present academic papers to each other. Many of these ideas are then taken back into seminaries, ministries, and local churches. In this special edition of the Theology Mom podcast, Krista is joined by Monique Duson to share their thoughts about some of the papers they heard last week at ETS and how they think these ideas will potentially influence your Christian circles.

While many archaeologists reject the spiritual authority of the Bible and even argue about the details of the history it presents, it is important to remember that even secular archaeologists use the Bible as a tool in their excavation work. Why? Because the Bible describes real events, people, and places. We will talk with filmmaker and biblical archaeologist, Joel Kramer about his unique work to explain the historical accuracy of the Bible to regular people. Check out Joel's book, Where God Came Down: https://www.christianbook.com/where-came-down-archaeological-evidence-hardcover/joel-kramer/9780998037417/pd/037417?event=ESRCG

Here is part 2 of my discussion with my Christian sister, Callie Mitchell, who lives in Israel. I ask for her to share her perspective as an American and Israeli citizen about the political conflicts in Israel. Questions we discussed: • Help us understand the claim that Gaza has been an "open air prison." Is this accurate? • Can you help us understand the saying, "From the River to the Sea Palestine will be Set Free"? • What can you tell us about the history of Hamas? Do they represent the Palestinian people?

When I woke up on October 7 and my daughter Emily texted me that Israel was at war, the very first person I messaged was my Christian sister, Callie Mitchell. You may recognize her name, as she was a guest on the show earlier this year sharing with us about Messianic Judaism. When she responded, she said her family were safe and that they had spent the day in a bomb shelter. Now that she's had some time to process the recent events in her country, I've asked her to come on and talk to us about what happened and how to best pray for our Christian family who live in Israel. Questions we discussed: • How did you come to love the Jewish people, and how did you, as an American, come to live in Jerusalem? • Tell us about the day of the invasion and what your family and your community has been going through? • How is the Messianic community responding to the crisis? • What is the difference between a Jew and a Zionist? And why do I keep seeing pictures on Twitter of Orthodox Jews saying that they aren’t Zionists and that they support Palestinians? • What can you tell us about the history of Hamas? Do they represent the Palestinian people?

The events in Israel have hit many of us very hard. One of the first things I did was reach out to my friend Laura Powell. Monique and I did a show with her a couple years ago about sharing our faith with Muslims. So I asked her if she could help me understand the truth whether Islam is a religion of violence or peace.

Monique and Krista wrap up season 5 of All The Things!

I have seen a lot of comments on social media from people wanting help to understand our unique relationship with our Jewish friends and family, as well as with Israel as a nation. This is a live teaching where I try to offer some clarity around Jews, Judaism and Israel.

***Part 3 of our Series on Human Trafficking*** Human trafficking in our neighborhoods, our churches and our homes We are concluding our series of discussions about the issue of human trafficking. In this episode, we will hear from a former stay-at-home mom who now helps victims of human trafficking get to safety and begin the healing process. Carrie also discusses how trafficking comes into the homes of everyday people, and even our churches.

The occult is on the rise. I was invited on the Mama Bear Apologetics podcast to talk with Amy Davison about why youth and adults are falling prey to this dangerous worldview. Find out more about their ministry here: https://bit.ly/3M2d0CX. This is a rebroadcast from the Mama Bear Apologetics podcast.

***Part 2 of our Series on Human Trafficking*** An Insider Explains How Human Traffickers are Caught As we've been researching questions about the film, Sound of Freedom, we have interacted with various insiders who work in the field of human trafficking. Our guest for this discussion has worked in a human trafficking law enforcement unit in a major U.S. county. We will get a glimpse inside their unit, how traffickers are actually captured, and how to keep your kids safe. Here are links to resources mentioned in the program: The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s Global Report on Trafficking in Persons https://www.unodc.org/unodc/data-and-analysis/glotip.html Polaris Project’s Analysis of 2021 Data from the National Human Trafficking Hotline https://polarisproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Polaris-Analysis-of-2021-Data-from-the-National-Human-Trafficking-Hotline.pdf International Labour Organization’s Global Estimates of Modern Slavery https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_norm/---ipec/documents/publication/wcms_854733.pdf National Center for Missing and Exploited Children https://www.missingkids.org/theissues/trafficking

Krista is joined by Monique Duson and Kevin Briggins for this special edition of the Theology Mom podcast. They will help you process the recent events in Israel, including explaining the history of the conflict, as well as the link between the Critical Social Theories and Hamas. If you listen to ONE THING about the conflict, make it this!

***NOTE: Since I've been researching the film, Sound of Freedom, I have also been working to assemble some quality content related to human trafficking. I want to help people move beyond the Hollywood sensationalism into being more accurately informed. Tonight is the kick-off for that special content. This is part 1 of 3.*** During the month of October, we are facilitating a series of discussions about the issue of human trafficking. In this episode, we go behind the scenes of the Orange County Rescue Mission, a ministry that does full wrap-around service to help those coming out human trafficking to heal and hopefully find ultimate freedom in the Gospel.

Recently, I’ve been doing some content related to the film Sound of Freedom, as well as the man behind the film, Tim Ballard. I wrote a blog post in July and then dropped a podcast summarizing some of my research last week. I will likely drop another podcast later in the week, as the story is quickly escalating. But it made me think about how this story with Tim Ballard is a microcosm of a larger issue: we live in the age of fake news and reliable information is becoming increasingly difficult to find. Pretty much every conservative news outlet, including a lot of Christian news outlets, were pumping Sound of Freedom as being mostly factual and Ballard as being a real life hero. I took a LOT of heat for saying, "Slow down. Some of these so-called facts don’t add up." I can't count how many times I've said to my husband in the last three years, "I simply don't know what to believe anymore." Maybe you can relate. In this week’s teaching, talk about 3 ways to help you find the truth in the age of fake news. My hope is that this will help guide you through the crazy.

We hadn't even heard the term "Christian Nationalism" until about two years ago. Now, there is a growing division among Christians about how to think about the relationship between faith and government. Last December, we had a discussion over dinner with our friend Sam Sey about the issue. Now we are going to have a public conversation to share our thoughts so far.

It's not always easy to determine what's real on the internet. But Christians have a responsibility to do their due diligence before pressing the SHARE button. In this special mid-week edition of the podcast, I'm sharing my journey to research the alleged "true" story behind the film, Sound of Freedom. Programming note: I recorded this on August 14, 2023. I delayed releasing it while I continued to research things and with the hope I was wrong. But the evidence continues to mount against Mr. Ballard. So I've decided to go ahead and release it because I think more Christians need to consider the data.

***A Closer Look at the Orange Curriculum's Position on Race*** I continue to receive a lot of inquiries related to the Orange Curriculum. Over the last year, I have been collecting resources focusing on their position on race and racism. This is important data for those churches who are trying to decide whether to use Orange. Toward the end, I will also discuss RightNow Media.

We are excited to finally have our friend, Christopher Yuan, on the show. He will share a little about his journey out of homosexuality, as well as his perspectives on the "Side B" approach to helping those who struggle with same sex attraction. This is a very important discussion, especially for parents and pastors.

This is the second of a 2-part teaching series on church leadership.My friend, Pastor Jeremy Bannister, and I have a discussion about the job description of elders and deacons and how these offices are the key to healthy churches. And what some of the consequences can be when churches don't follow God's plan.

A couple months ago, I did a teaching about what to look for in a church, especially if you’re transitioning churches or wondering whether you should transition to a different situation. At the end of that teaching, I said that the most important thing to look for in a church is Godly elders. In this 2-part teaching series, In this teaching, I unpack that discussion in more detail and why I think that Godly elders are the key to healthy churches. Previous teachings in this series: • "What to Look for in a Church" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jq2cof193HU • "What is This Thing Called Church?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAV5G81-b74

In our effort to push back against critical social justice, Christians can't forget to clearly articulate the biblical case for justice. Monique and Krista have each chosen three issues to highlight that they think are a current injustice, according to God's standards.

What happens when you wake up one day and realize you know more about the canon of Star Wars than the canon of the Bible? There are a lot of Millennials parenting young children. And I've noticed that many of them have grown up in mega-church culture and they're struggling to know how to pass along the faith to their children. In this very practical teaching, I will outline some very basic strategies to help equip young Christian parents to grow in their own faith, as they are balancing the discipleship of their own children.

Congress is continuing to have more hearings about UFOs. We'll be taking a closer look at the religious component to alien encounters. It is important for Christians to give some thought to this issue, as it is going to continue to be in the news and many of our friends and family are trying to make sense of their experiences. Guest: Kenneth Samples, co-author, Lights in the Sky and the Little Green Men

Humans cannot flourish if we don't live according to God's design. And a major component of that design involves WORK. Yet, there are many messages these days that program our children not to work. In my own parenting journey, I have found that discipling my children about work and money have had a substantial impact on their lives as young adults. In this episode, I will share some Scriptures and practical ideas to help you disciple your kids on these issues.

We are all theologians. Why? Because everyone has beliefs about God. The question is, do you have sound or unsound theology. How can parents equip themselves to think more accurately about God so they can disciple the kids in their lives more effectively. This is a rebroadcast from the Brave Parenting podcast. braveparenting.net Find FREE resources to help foster daily Bible reading: https://www.thenextgenerationministries.com/resources. Watch my webinar about developing a daily Bible habit: https://youtu.be/8dIs7piGLP0

Memorizing longer passages of Scripture can be invaluable to your knowledge of Christianity, your personal spiritual growth, and your love for God—and you don’t have to be a genius to do it! My friend, Amy Hall (from Stand to Reason) came on to describe the benefits of memorization, give practical tips for memorizing, and help you develop a personalized plan for memorizing your favorite chapter or even an entire book of the Bible. You can do it! Link to a blog post with Amy's tips: https://www.str.org/w/tips-for-memorizing-a-book-of-the-bible.

We often talk about the fact we think there is a place in the Christian life to engage in public advocacy. But something that's even more important than public advocacy is for every Christian to understand that the pathway to solving America’s real problems lies in evangelism. Changing policies or electing better politicians won’t be enough for lasting change. We must preach the Gospel with increased vigor in order that the Holy Spirit will change people’s hearts. But many of us have never even shared the Gospel. We worry that it will damage the relationship. Let's talk about a tough issue, and help encourage each other.

Practical wisdom to diagnose the spiritual health of your favorite Christian institution Do you send your kids to Christian school or donate to a favorite ministry? Or do you work for a ministry or church? Do you ever wonder how well it is maintaining biblical fidelity? I want to share with you the four stages of institutional health when it comes to maintaining biblical fidelity. This is a rubric that I've developed after many difficult discussions with churches and ministries over the years. There is a definite pattern of decay. I will pull the curtain back so you can see where your church or favorite ministry stands. Resources mentioned: • How to Hire Biblically Faithful Leaders https://youtu.be/jMjmVUDqBJU • Avoiding the Danger of Doctrinal Drift https://www.theologymom.com/post/avoiding-the-danger-of-doctrinal-drift • 3 Errors about Politics and the Christian https://www.youtube.com/live/RbR5wiBPfHI?feature=share

My husband and I went to see the surprising summer hit, Sound of Freedom. I discuss the highs and lows of the film in this honest review. Link to my blog post (mentioned in the podcast): https://www.theologymom.com/post/differentiating-between-fact-fiction-isn-t-always-easy

This week I'm sharing more details about my journey as a theologian....the part I don't usually share in public: the sin and struggles of my 20 year wilderness period. It's kinda....rough. And why I think it matters for others who aspire to work in ministry and apologetics.

Ask five people to define the church and you'll get five different definitions. What is the church, exactly? Our inability to biblically define what the church is has led to all kinds of confusion and toxic situations. Toward the end, I discuss the fatal flaw of the seeker sensitive model for "doing" church. Additional resources: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-to-look-for-in-a-church/id1195394811?i=1000616742280 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/att-148-should-i-start-a-house-church-5-13-2023/id1195394811?i=1000612929255 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/are-we-all-gods-children/id1195394811?i=1000601666627

Many of us have heard snippets about the Supreme Court's recent decision about Affirmative Action. We've asked Christian attorney, Hohn Cho, who has carefully researched this case and will report on his findings. Why does this case matter for Christians?

I know there are many people who follow me who would like to homeschool, but they have concerns that they won't be up for the challenge. Is homeschooling right for your family? Let's talk about it. I've asked my friend, Alicia Moss, who is a homeschool coach to come on and talk about how we can move past the obstacles. We even discuss how to make homeschooling happen for students with special needs.

We are honored to be joined tomorrow night by Christian philosopher and social reformer, Vishal Mangalwadi. We will discuss the role the Bible played in shaping India––and America. We will explore the influence of missionaries, India's caste system, power, the impact of the British empire on slavery, widow burning and infanticide, the revolutionary nature of the distribution of the Bible, and more. You won't want to miss this fascinating discussion with a pioneering Christian brother.

The topic of reparations is hard. It's emotional. And polarizing. But it's a question that we get at outreaches...a LOT. So we are finally going to talk in public about where we are with this issue.

If Krista ruled the world, every church in America would make a way so that every family in their congregation who wants to remove their children from government schools can do it. This means local churches will need to provide education solutions that include single parents and low-income families. I’ve asked my friend, Gheorghe Rosca, Jr. (from Protect Our Kids) to come on and help us discuss how a church can start a school as an alternative to government schools and as a refuge for our children.

Back in 2020, the Riesco family had their business burned down in the BLM riots in Chicago. Even though they had been long-time advocates in the community, they were cancelled virtually overnight for saying "all black lives matter." We will talk to brother Juan about his family's experience and how they, by God's grace, "uncancelled" themselves. We will also find out what they learned and how they are ministering today in their community. Sometimes, standing up for the Gospel will cost us. Guest: Juan Riesco, from Nini’s Deli Check out Juan's story here: https://youtu.be/4OJIucA3zsc Connect with Us: Web site: https://www.allthethingsshow.com Email: [email protected] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/attlivestream Podcast: search for "all the things show" on your favorite podcast platform Subscribe to the show's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYendNtt3w7d2yzdutQ1UEQ Support our Sponsors: Family 210 Clothing https://www.family210.com Impact 360 https://www.impact360institute.org Support Monique's work for the Center for Biblical Unity: https://www.centerforbiblicalunity.com/donate

In the good old days….the main thing we wanted in a product was that it worked. Buying a shirt didn't automatically mean I was also promoting a political philosophy. What's happening? Why are so many companies qu**ring themselves? This is a rebroadcast of a teaching that I did last week over at the Center for Biblical Unity.

I am not going to lie: it has been very hard for us as a family to navigate the waters of feeling church homeless for the last 3 years since we left our church of two decades. We have visited all kinds of churches in search of a better situation. It can be tough out there. Really. This has led me to thinking a LOT about what to look for in a church. I receive a fair number of letters asking for advice on this issue, including what to look for in a biblically faithful church and how to know it's time to transition to a better situation. I'm going to offer some VERY practical and specific ideas.

I have worked professionally in the fields of theology and apologetics for 30 years. I want to share some thoughts about the current state of women's apologetics and encourage up-and-coming female apologists. This is a special edition in honor of the 2023 Women in Apologetics conference.

JUNETEENTH EPISODE The frequent narrative is that Africans were introduced to Christianity as a result of slavery. But we have heard rumors that this might not actually be true. It's quite possible that Christianity had spread from northeast Africa to Central Africa long before the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. We will do a deep dive on this situation and try to uncover the truth. Guest: Dr. H C Felder

This is part 2 of my short teaching series on Roman Catholicism. In this episode, I am talking to my friend, theologian and former Catholic, Kenneth Samples about key doctrines that still divide us as Protestants and Catholics. I hope you are edified by our attempt at gracious conversation about an emotional and complex topic. Ken's debate with Fr. Mitch Pacwa on the authority of church and tradition: https://youtu.be/vG7JwkRihoM

When I was posting about The Chosen earlier this year, I received a LOT of comments expressing concern about some of cast members being Roman Catholic and participating on the Hallow app (a Roman Catholic prayer app). I thought that this would be a good opportunity to discuss the complex relationship between Protestants and Roman Catholics. This will be a 2-part discussion. Part 1 will provide an overview of the subject focusing on beliefs that we have in common. Part 2 will include an interview with theologian, Kenneth Samples, about the distinctives between Protestants and Roman Catholics.