Category: Podcasts

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Has atheism changed in the last generation or so? It used to be that atheists tended to be more angry and militant about their lack of belief. But now it seems that a lot of people are comfortable, satisfied with life, unconcerned, even “spiritual” atheists. So how does a Christian talk to such a person? Maybe making logical arguments to dismantle their atheism isn’t the best approach. Join Sandra and Pastor Riley as they discuss ways to confess the Christian faith with atheists.

Questions? Comments? Send them to us at http://higherthings.org/contact or leave them on The SimulCast Facebook page.

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As Christians, we are assailed every day by the devil, the world, and our sinful flesh. But it’s easy to dismiss the ways that our sinful flesh can betray us, especially when sin effects our ability to think and feel. Providing spiritual and pastoral care isn’t about getting people to improve themselves and sin less, but absolving those sins, preaching the Word in its full strength and purity, baptizing and communing them, and reminding them of who they are in Christ. Over and over and over and over again.

Questions? Comments? Send them to us at http://higherthings.org/contact or leave them on The SimulCast Facebook page.

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A lot of Christians (including ourselves) talk a big talk when it comes to loving God and loving our neighbors. It’s great to do these things in theory, but practice is another story entirely. If we’re honest, we don’t even want to. It doesn’t help that we understand love (and other fruit of the Spirit) as feelings and then believe that in order to love God and our neighbors, we need to work up these feelings from within ourselves. And then what happens when your ability to feel and process is impaired by things like mental illness? Join Sandra and Pastor Riley as they discuss feelings, the lack thereof, and the freeing news that the Spirit produces them in and through us by the Gospel.

Questions? Comments? Send them to us at http://higherthings.org/contact or leave them on The SimulCast Facebook page.

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Many artists have depicted the Nativity showing the holy family in their own ethnicities, as a way to show that Jesus came to save all people. Similarly, some Bible translators have paraphrased the Bible into slang for different regions of the world. This week, Sandra and Pastor Riley discuss where to draw the line between artistic and literary license to communicate the Gospel, and using art and language to further your own cultural agenda.

Questions? Comments? Send them to us at http://higherthings.org/contact or leave them on The SimulCast Facebook page.

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On this episode, Sandra and Pastor Riley discuss the phenomenon that for many people, the Advent and Christmas seasons are full of traditions…and stress. People who don’t attend the rest of the year go to church, expecting to hear the familiar Christmas narrative and relive childhood memories. (Or at least as close as they can get.) Everyone likes the nice Baby Jesus story of Christmas, but what we really need to hear is the undiluted, full-on, Gospel–that we needed Baby Jesus to be born so He would grow up and die for our sins.

Questions? Comments? Send them to us at http://higherthings.org/contact or leave them on The SimulCast Facebook page.