JED BREAKS BREAD

Often Same Sex Attraction (S.S.A.) is a struggle that Christians face alone. The "church" has often done a poor job of helping believers think through this particular issue and how or when it crosses the line to become sin. Some Christians are afraid of talking about their struggles with it because "LGBTQ" sin has been ostracized as the "worst" kind of sin a person could commit. Of course, this isn't true, but for many, their perception has become reality (and sadly, some churches have indeed treated it as such). In this episode, I define S.S.A. and provide Biblical insight as to how it ought to be categorized in the different "types" of sin a person might commit, and how victory over it can be achieved.

One of the great spiritual disciplines that has been used by God's people all throughout history is the practice of fasting. However, when one examines the evangelical church in America over the last 40-50 years, one would have a hard time discerning if fasting is even relevant anymore. Think about it: When is the last time you heard a sermon or Sunday school lesson on fasting? When is the last you time yourself fasted, or even heard of someone fasting? This episode seeks to define fasting and understand the spiritual benefits and blessings of this important practice. Intro music is by AudioCoffee(Denys Kyshchuk): https://www.audiocoffee.net/. I have named this song "Little City Big Sound." Outro music is "My Town Yo Town" by Doug Maxwell/Media Right Productions.

In this episode, I provide a brief overview of the practice and process of church discipline. The relevant Biblical texts are Matthew 18:15-17, 1 Corinthians 5:1-13, and 2 Corinthians 2:5-8 (the restoration of a brother who was excommunicated) There are, of course, many more details to cover and if you have a specific question regarding church discipline, please leave a comment or email me and I will answer it in a future episode. Intro music is by AudioCoffee(Denys Kyshchuk): https://www.audiocoffee.net/. I have named this song "Small Town Big Sound." Outro music is "My Town Yo Town" by Doug Maxwell/Media Right Productions. Both songs are used under a Creative Commons license.

As a pastor, I have been asked this question or a version of it many times throughout my ministry. In this episode, I attempt to answer this question from a Biblical baseline (what does God require?) and also add some pastoral opinions which may help guide you in a more specific manner as you seek to honor God with your life.

Marriage is work...we all know that! But there are habits that you can develop in marriage to make it work easier. In this episode, I invite my beautiful bride Meredith to join me and we together, we share four habits that will help you make your marriage work easier. Not married? If you're engaged, dating, or even single, these habits are some that you should talk about developing with your significant other or even conversation starters as you seek to begin a new relationship.

While this podcast isn't based upon the "reaction and critique" kind of content, an event occurred recently in the conservative evangelical sphere of Christianity which requires comment and clarity. In late January, Pastor Alistair Begg was recorded on a radio program offering advice to a woman who wanted to attend her grandchild's LGBTQ "wedding" ceremony. In his response to her, he suggested she go; his advice caused a great deal of controversy in conservative circles. After having listened to the original interview and follow up sermon, this episode is my attempt to offer some brotherly pastoral counsel to Pastor Begg (whom I greatly respect) and some clarity for Christians who may be considering this question from a practical standpoint. I attempt to answer the question specifically asked in the title, while also broadening it to other kinds of marriages, to give Christians a framework to think through these matters. Please leave any comments or questions that you have; I'm happy to answer!

As a follow up to episode 125 on "How Many Kids Should I Have?", this episode seeks to answer the question of what methods are morally acceptable for Christians to use in family planning. I interview my friend and elder-in-training Andrew Winters to get perspective from a Christian who is well-studied in biology.

It is good to examine your roots - especially your theological roots. Often, we find that the messages and sermons preached in days gone by are as relevant and needed today as they were when first delivered. Today, I recorded a sermon first delivered by the Original Jonathan Edwards, on December 29, 1734. This was his New Year's message to the congregation. We would all do well to heed the exhortation found in this message. Note: this isn't a word-for-word reading of the sermon; some words/portions were altered to communicate more clearly to a 21st century audience.

From a pastor's perspective, here are the seven most spiritually significant events of this year. These are events where theology and culture, or the church and the culture, have collided and they represent the main points of the spiritual battle we face.

In case you haven't noticed, since Roe v. Wade was overturned, the pro-life movement has suffered a number of defeats at the state level. I live in Ohio, a state which recently passed Issue 1, which enshrines abortion and abortion access into the constitution of our state. This episode details three reasons why Pro-Lifers keep losing; there are certainly more reasons than these, however, the three detailed in this episode are true cornerstone issues that I identified from a pastoral perspective. The bottom line: if pastors are truly pro-life, then they need to ensure their church goers understand this is firstly a moral issue, not a political issue. Pastors need to step up and lead in this issue, and (as a collective) they're not.

What Biblical principles guide the thinking of Christian couples (or soon to be couples) as they consider family planning? Is it even right to consider family planning, or should you just have "as many kids as God allows"? In this episode, I provide two Biblical commands that give direction for Christian couples seeking to honor the Lord, as well as a number of factors that should be taken into consideration which would provide an answer to "How many kids should we have?"

The final installment in this series! In this episode, I define "culture" from a Biblical perspective and I establish some of the tensions that have existed between the church and the culture. Finally, I provide some historical examples of how Christians have tried to "engage" culture and a challenge on how a Christian can engage culture in the present day.

In this episode, I share with you the Biblical history and origins of the conflict. I also provide five points for Christians to consider as they think about this conflict. The views presented are my own, and are subject to change as I think and study more on the topic, and as new information comes to light. They are not representative of the church's position on this matter.

Continuing to define the issue, this episode examines how one's theological perspective on the end times affects one's understanding of the Christian's relationship to culture. In this episode, the four main end times views are defined and I attempt to explain how this affects their perspective on the Christian and culture: 1. Historical Premillennialism 2. Dispensational Premillennialism 3. Postmillennialism 4. Amillennialism Finally, it concludes with the challenge that one of my fellow pastors gave to me and how that challenge led to this particular study/theme.

This is the first in a series of episodes that will examine how Christians relate to culture and how we think about engaging the culture with Biblical truth and principles. In episode 1, I provide a brief history of different historical perspectives on how Christian's have related to the culture, as well as an appeal to carefully consider one's own thoughts about this issue and how the Bible has shaped your thinking and actions.

Back from August break! Today we examine who the "sons of God" are in Genesis 6. There are four prominent views: 1) Fallen Angels view 2) Fallen Angels Overtook Men view 3) Sethite View 4) Godly Men View Positives and negatives of each view discussed, as well as what is the "main point" that Moses was really trying to communicate.

Questions answered in this mailbag: 1) How do I worship when I don't "feel like it" or if my "heart's not in it?" 2) How should Christians think about and discuss various legends and conspiracy theories? Also, what should Christians say when they hear reports of people seeings angels, ghosts, etc.?

It has been a little over one year since the Supreme Court of the United States overturned Roe v. Wade with their ruling in the Dobbs case. Despite this monumental victory, there is a lot of work still to do in order to protect innocent life. This episode will explore some statistics that reveal the weight of this victory, as well as describe how far we still have to go. Additionally, this episode examines the religious motivations behind the PRO-CHOICE movement and the PRO-LIFE movement, and offers a suggestion for how Christians continue to address this issue.

So what happened during the 2023 Edition of PRIDE Month? It appears that the devil was out waging spiritual warfare, but that the saints were fighting back in some powerful ways. This episode covers three observations of PRIDE Month and then offers some suggestions for how to continue fighting the enemy in this spiritual battle.

With Father's Day nearly upon us, I wanted to address a topic that will separate Christian fathers from others - the importance of leading your family through careful, measured, Biblical discipline. I'm not talking about the discipline of training, but rather, the discipline to correct your child(ten) when they sin by violating God's commands. By leading in this area, and being consistent, we model our Heavenly Father's actions and treatment toward us. Key passage: Hebrews 12:6-11