Following up on Paul's recent post summarizing Kruger's book on spiritual abuse, Drew and Paul sit down to discuss the topic drawing from their experiences. They discuss how spiritual abuse has been a problem in our community, ways that we can prevent it and care for those damaged by it, and how to be vigilant while at the same time trusting and su…

With a new face on the podcast, Katie Heffner, Elijah discusses the history of Christians and science and talks about the complicated relationship that Anabaptists have had with higher education and science. Why aren't more Anabaptist young people becoming researchers, engineers and mathematicians? You can read Katie's recent blog post here. Watch …

If we aren't careful, we fall prey to seeing the gospel as the start of our Christian journey, but not realize that to the New Testament authors, the gospel is also the ongoing way that we learn how to live like Jesus. It is the story of what Jesus did, and the means by which, through the Spirit, we learn what we can and should do. Elijah and Drew …

What about the pagan origins of Christmas? Or Santa Claus and heavy commercialization? Drew and Elijah discuss some of these common objections, talk about their past experience with the holiday, and give some pointers on how to make Christmas a meaningful, spiritually rich holiday. Find the YouTube version here. Support the Show.…

In this first live-audience podcast episode, Paul and Elijah consider the church's relationship to Israel. In light of the current conflict, it is crucial to understand how we are to think about the modern Jewish state. They argue that we should not be looking to the modern geopolitical nation of Israel for prophetic fulfillment, whether or not the…

Heaven is what modern Christians tend to think about, but resurrection is what the apostles thought about. If creation was good, created by God, then the necessity of re-creation follows! Paul and Elijah do a dive into Scripture and early Christian thought to understand what the orthodox Christian hope is for the future. What happens after death? A…

Our modern Christian concept of our ultimate hope is of floating up to a disembodied sky heaven. The Christian Hope is of Jesus reigning as king on earth, and heaven reunited to earth. How did we get off-track? Paul and Elijah argue that dualism, gnostic thought, and misguided interpretation of Scripture has informed our hymns, theology, and unders…

Ever gotten stuck on a Proverb that you didn't understand? Or heard questionable advice on wealth-making from an obscure proverb? Or perhaps puzzled (or felt guilty) over why life doesn't always turn out the way Proverbs seems to indicate it should? Paul and Elijah talk genre, interpretation, and application of this important wisdom book. https://b…

Drew and Elijah continue their discussion on some of the fallout with teachings from Gothard and IBLP. In this podcast, they talk about the tendency in some settings to view submission to authority as a formula for success. Godly authorities are a necessary part of every Christian's life, but what about when authorities seem to be acting in unlovin…

Have you ever felt guilty about enjoying an innocent activity? On the heels of Drew's recent post on Jinger's recent book, Becoming Free Indeed, Drew and Elijah discuss a specific example from the book about her oversensitivity as a child. Jinger often felt guilty playing broom ball with her family, because she felt she should be doing something mo…

Should we avoid people who are bitter? What does bitterness even mean? Drew and Elijah discuss how bitterness has been misunderstood and weaponized against people who get hurt. Unforgiveness is something to overcome at all costs, but it is not the same as biblical bitterness. Watch this episode on YouTube Support the Show.…

In this special Q&A episode, Elijah and Paul discuss a few of your questions related to the book of Revelation. Questions include: Could other apocalyptic works be borrowing from Revelation instead of vice versa? If Revelation is an example of “apocalyptic” literature, then did John really see the things he said he saw? What’s your take on postmill…

Revelation was written to a group of late first-century churches. It was meant to encourage and exhort them to be “conquerors.” But we’re far removed from them. On the other side, Revelation envisages events still in our future. How do we read and practically apply Revelation today, as believers far removed from the first century and still awaiting…

Serious Christians are often on the lookout for the “mark of the beast.” And for good reason—it’s spiritually fatal! But should we be looking suspiciously at new technologies, vaccines, or payment methods? In fact, is this “mark” a specific, one-time “thing” for the final generation only, or is it an image that warns all believers? What should we b…

How do you read Revelation? Or do you read it at all? Maybe you find it fascinating, but don't know how to find any meaning in it. Or maybe you feel a bit jaded by controversies over strange symbolism in the book. Join Elijah and Paul in this first episode of a series on Revelation where they sweep away some common misconceptions about the book of …

Drew and Elijah talk about how to use technology without it keeping us from things that matter. Realistically, for most of us, the quality of our lives will suffer if we don't make intentional choices about how we use--and don't use--our phones. We are on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/@thinktruth7992 Support the Show.…

Drew and Elijah acknowledge that we all use some arbitrary lines in fleshing out principles, at least individually. But how do we keep this separate from strong positions we take, especially publicly? The podcast is launched with a discussion on a comment Drew received on a recent post: https://think-truth.org/2023/02/28/pcc-the-kings-singers-and-t…

Drew and Elijah discuss their initial thought on the Asbury revivals. They also discuss their broader view of revivalism, in light of some of their past experiences. https://think-truth.org Support the Show.על ידי Think Truth

Drew and Elijah continue their discussion on modesty. Here they talk about the process of overcoming lust and lay out practical specifics for determining modesty standards. Support the Show.על ידי Think Truth

Drew and Elijah have a lively discussion about Elijah's popular article on the Think Truth blog: https://think-truth.org/2022/10/20/how-modesty-is-weaponized/ Are modesty and beauty fundamentally at odds? Do we need to accept a tradeoff between the two? Can we be fully modest and fully beautiful? Link for Followers of the Way modesty panel discussi…

In this last episode in their Holy Spirit series, Drew and Elijah talk about how easy it is to set up a dichotomy between serious thinking and experiences of the Spirit. Why does there often seem to be two camps and how can they learn to work together? Support the Show.על ידי Think Truth

Should we be seeing more manifestations of the Spirit today, especially of the kind we see in the book of Acts? And how do the miracles we see in Acts connect to the teaching of the Epistles? Drew and Elijah continue their Holy Spirit series by going back to the very beginning of the outpouring of the Spirit. Are you a fan of the podcast? We're run…

Drew and Elijah start a new series on the Holy Spirit. They discuss different beliefs about how the Spirit works in our lives, how we should seek to grow in the Spirit, and how we should view the gifts of the Spirit. Support the Show.על ידי Think Truth

Yesterday Trump announced his candidacy for the 2024 GOP nomination. Drew and Elijah discuss how the church should respond. Is there a good reason for Christians to support Trump? And how does widespread evangelical support for Trump affect our Christian witness? Support the Show.על ידי Think Truth

In the last episode in their pacifism series, Drew and Elijah delve into just war theory. By its own standards, how many wars have been just? And does the theory present a compelling biblical argument for war being necessary? Support the Show.על ידי Think Truth

In this latest instalment in the series, Drew and Elijah discuss C. S. Lewis and his objections with pacifism. How do pacifists respond to the charge that their beliefs could lead to a disrupted world, with no one to resist evil invaders? Support the Show.על ידי Think Truth

How should we approach Scriptures talking about government involvement and not resisting evil? Is there more to non-resistance than merely getting off the hook when there’s a draft? How can we have a consistent, well-defined worldview on these issues? Join Drew and Elijah as they continue their discussion on non-resistance and pacifism. Support the…

Why, if Anabaptists identify as nonresistant, do they often go out of their way to make it clear that they are not pacifist? In this first episode of a series on nonresistance, Elijah and Drew bring their thoughts together on this question. Support the Show.על ידי Think Truth

How should we as Anabaptists respond to the brokenness and weaknesses within our churches and communities? Is it possible to be critical without being cynical and deconstructive? In this episode Drew and Elijah search for a balanced perspective, including ways to approach the problems surrounding us with loving critique and committed effort to brin…

Drew and Elijah talk about how the team works at Think Truth and how content is chosen and edited. They also talk about how they relate to controversial topics, as well as their vision for content moving forward. (Recorded July 2022.) Support the Show.על ידי Think Truth

Drew and Elijah talk about their personal lives, their friendship, and how it intersects with their work on Think Truth. (Recorded in July 2022.) Support the Show.על ידי Think Truth

When we look at the way "worldliness" is used in Scripture, a very different set of practical issues come to the forefront. Rather than just thinking that avoiding worldliness means acting and dressing differently from the world arbitrarily, we realize that worldliness is simply sin--that issues such as anger, lust, and church strife are the bigges…

Yes, we talk a lot about avoiding being tainted by the world. We talk a lot about the dangers of worldliness. But what if we're misusing the term? What if, in our zeal to stay away from "the world," we've actually just been staying away from unbelievers? Join us in thinking through this topic as we discuss the scriptures on worldliness. Support the…

Novels are fiction, and by definition "not true," right? Since Philippians 4:8 tells us to read things that are "true," should we avoid novels? Drew, Elijah, and Kayla are back to discuss fiction, delving into the concerns some have about fiction and talking about how novels have positively affected their lives. Support the Show.…

For some, the question is obvious: novels are a waste of time, often include unrealistic romance, and are not true. For others, novels are a richer, different way of describing and enjoying the human experience, and prepare the Christian to better understand Scripture. Drew, Kayla, and I talk about our journeys with reading and how we've come to th…

In this final episode of our Galatians series, Paul and Drew tackle some fascinating and confusing portions of the letter: What does Paul mean by the "elements of the world"? How is Paul employing the story of Hagar and Sarah "allegorically"? And are Paul's metaphors merely rhetorical flourishes, or are they central to his moral exhortations? Suppo…

What was Paul's point in bringing Abraham into his argument about law-keeping vs. living by the promise? How should we change the way we read the NT in light of Paul's perspective on the Scriptures? Have we been too focused on finding commands to obey that we're missing the promise? Support the Show.…

How did Paul view the urge to use rules to guide moral behavior? Why did he react so strongly to the Judaizers and their appeal to using the law to guide the new gentile disciples? Where do we have similar impulses to return to our own set of laws to guide our disciples? Support the Show.על ידי Think Truth

In this episode, Paul and Drew discuss the reasons for the Apostle Paul writing this book. Why did Paul emphasize his apostleship in the first chapter? What is behind Paul's phrase, "this present evil age," in the beginning of the book? What is the "different gospel" that Paul was so worried about? Join us in this adventure through an intriguing an…

We have a trust problem. Too many people trust what they read too much, reading some authors uncritically simply because they are perceived as coming from the same "side." At the same time, many people refuse to read things written by authors coming from other perspectives than their own. How shall we learn to think better about our sources? Suppor…

What do we do when we as believers disagree on something as controversial as the COVID-19 vaccine? What is the path to be able to work through our disagreements? What if we never agree on the facts? Elijah and Drew pick up this spiny topic together in this episode. Support the Show.על ידי Think Truth

Paul Lamicela joins us to talk about our political conversations...yes, it's possible to really enjoy a chat with someone you disagree with on politics. And it's also possible that you can learn something new and become more nuanced in your position—if you start asking questions. Support the Show.על ידי Think Truth

Drew, Paul, and Elijah join for the first time to discuss politics and how it relates to the church. Support the Show.על ידי Think Truth

In a follow-up to their podcast on Suffering and Healing, Drew and Paul discuss some of their life experiences. They also ask how we can help those who are suffering in ways that are loving and helpful. Support the Show.על ידי Think Truth

We should expect suffering in this life. But we are told to pray for healing. How do we reconcile this seeming paradox? Paul Lamicela joins the podcast for the first time to discuss how healing and suffering converge in the biblical perspective. Support the Show.על ידי Think Truth

Many are concerned about young people reading non-Anabaptist authors, afraid that they will lose their way. Others try to discredit non-Anabaptists on their interpretation of a scriptural passage on the basis of an unrelated belief or lack thereof. How should we make our reading decisions, and how can we learn to appreciate the contributions of aut…

Drew and Elijah reflect on their debate series and discuss their points of agreement. What if being different is actually our key to success in reaching out—so long as we're different in the right areas and for the right reasons? They discuss relationships, music, devices, and Christian love...here's where "different" will count. Support the Show.…

What does it mean to be modern and is that a positive thing for Christians to desire to be? Does the fact that a specific tradition is old-fashioned make it less likely for others to adopt? Drew and Elijah come back to discuss the museum effect in more detail, focusing on the definition of modern and asking whether the process of modernization is p…

Should we care if others think we conservative Anabaptists are old-fashioned? Is it a positive effect? Drew and Elijah debate these controversial questions together, finding mutual agreement and sharpening the disagreements, in this discussion on culture and the church. Support the Show.על ידי Think Truth

Does tradition keep outsiders from joining our churches? Or does our tradition—informed by our beliefs—actually serve to draw people to join us? This episode contains an answer to the anti-traditionalists that does not ignore Anabaptists' evangelism problem or fuel the mindless tradition-dumping that many engage in. Support the Show.…