Think Deeper

You won't find the words "place membership" in the New Testament. And, when you're baptized, you're added by God to His church. So do we need to publicly declare our membership with a local congregation? We discuss, including: - Defining "church" and "member" Biblically - Is church an "organism" or an "organization?" - Do baptized teens become members separate from their parents? - Individualism vs. Collectivism - The importance of elders (and other church leaders) in defining membership With Will Harrub, Jack Wilkie, and Joe Wilkie

The guys decided to have some fun this week and sat down to draft 22 Bible books apiece. Tune in to see where the books got taken and how their favorites line up with yours. And, tell us who's "team" of 22 books you would pick if you could only read and study one set. With Will Harrub, Jack Wilkie, and Joe Wilkie

We continue the discussion on prayer by examining a number of specifics, including: - How should public prayers differ from private prayers? - "Abba Father" and reverence vs. closeness - How to know when an answer is from God - Does "Let the men pray in every place" extend to the home, including with one's wife and children? With Will Harrub, Jack Wilkie, and Joe Wilkie

Prayer is one of the basics of the Christian faith, but it's also a remarkably deep concept that raises all kinds of questions. Topics include: - Why do we need to pray if God already knows our thoughts? - Does it make a difference to pray audibly vs. just in our heads? - Do we pray to all 3 members of the Godhead, or just the Father? - Does prayer change God's mind? - Does God hear everyone's prayers? and more. With Will Harrub, Jack Wilkie, and Joe Wilkie Join Focus+ to get access to our weekly Q&A show, The Deep End! patreon.com/focuspressinc

The majority of kids raised in Christian homes continue to leave the church in adulthood. In fixing the problem, the most logical place to start has to be the biggest external influence in their lives - namely, the public schools. We discuss: - Just how bad it's gotten (even in the "good" schools) - The Deuteronomy 6 mandate - Valid reasons vs. excuses - Ways churches can get creative to help families With Will Harrub, Jack Wilkie, and Joe Wilkie

The church will be driven by masculine sensibilities or by feminized sensibilities - it can't be driven by both. This week we explore how the church has become driven by feminized sensibilities, why that isn't God's design, and what the consequences have been. Topics include: - Why femininity and masculinity are both needed, and the only way they can coexist - What a feminized pulpit, eldership, and congregation look like - How political correctness and self-policing hinder the truth - Why weak men are at the heart of the problem With Will Harrub, Jack Wilkie, and Joe Wilkie

The church's task of confronting "sin in the camp" is clearly laid out in the Scriptures... and yet it almost never happens. Why not? What would it look like if we did practice it? We discuss: - The OT roots of the practice - What a lack of church discipline has caused - Why discipline is the only loving way - The danger of overreach - How church discipline might change the world With Will Harrub, Jack Wilkie, and Joe Wilkie

This week the guys each bring three lessons they've learned about marriage. Topics include: - Why self-esteem is so important to a marriage - A mindset both spouses need to bring to the relationship - How to get better at conflict Tune in to catch these and six more lessons. Got one to contribute? Comment on our Facebook page!

With millions of immigrants crossing the border into the US in recent years, and immigration becoming arguably the biggest concern of this year's election, what should Christians think about the issue? We discuss: - Why the issue can't be ignored by Christians - What the Bible has to say - How issues like this make us better Bible students - Whether Christians can have national interests, or if being "not of this world" prohibits us - What obligations we have on the matter Check out Focus+ to get access to the exclusive Deep End episodes and much more! patreon.com/focuspressinc With Will Harrub, Jack Wilkie, and Joe Wilkie

This week we discuss the age of accountability and how we should think about youth baptisms (including our own). - Why we reject infant baptism - Reasons for younger (10-13) baptisms - Reasons for older baptisms (16 and up) - The role of fear as a reason to get baptized - When, if ever, is rebaptism necessary? With Will Harrub, Jack Wilkie, and Joe Wilkie

We look at the disastrous culture of individualism and following our hearts. "Do what makes you happy" and "I come to God in my own way" set people up for misery and separation from God. Yet, many churches are built on this ideology. Topics include: - How "Follow your heart" culture has infiltrated churches - Why the heart wrecks lives and marriages - What's wrong with the minimalist, libertarian view of the Bible - How to know when you're following your heart vs. following God With Will Harrub, Jack Wilkie, and Joe Wilkie Join us on Focus+ to get access to the weekly Deep End bonus episodes! focuspress.org/plus

Dr. Brad Harrub joins the show to talk about climate change! In this episode: - The history of climate alarmism - What the science really shows - Biblical environmentalism and caring for God's world - How news media manipulates through fear - The indoctrination and weaponization of young minds for the cause With Will Harrub, Jack Wilkie, and Joe Wilkie

We dive into the elder qualifications of 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 and discuss the importance of getting them right while also looking at the controversies involved. Topics include: - How the qualifications have been downplayed, and the consequences we're seeing - What does "able to teach" mean? - Why "peaceable" is a more important qualification to get right than you might think - Does an elder have to be married? - Do an elder's children have to be baptized, faithful Christians? With Will Harrub, Jack Wilkie, and Joe Wilkie

Christians were caught unaware by the rise of the internet, but we can't afford to make the same mistake with the newest booming technology. Almost overnight, artificial Intelligence has gone from a fringe technology to a feature of everyday life. While it comes with numerous useful features, it certainly has its dark side, too. We discuss what you need to know about the issue in this episode, including: - The history and where it stands today - The threats to relationships posed by AI - A dark turn in the porn addiction epidemic - AI's incentives toward laziness and plagiarism, including for those in ministry With Will Harrub, Jack Wilkie, and Joe Wilkie

The role of women in the church has long been a debated topic. This week we take on the big issues like women preachers and what prominent women in the Bible teach us, along with a number of practical questions, including: - Non-speaking roles in worship - "Children's minister" and other titles - Church internships - Ladies Days With Will Harrub, Jack Wilkie, and Joe Wilkie See focuspress.org for more!

This week we take on one of the Bible's most philosophically challenging questions: how much free will do we actually have? Topics include: - Where do we fall on the spectrum of determinism, middle knowledge, or open theism? - Did Pharaoh have a choice when he was "hardened by God?" - What about when God allowed a "deceiving influence" to do His work? - Were key players like John the Baptist and Judas effectively forced to help God accomplish His will? - What are the limits of free will? With Will Harrub, Jack Wilkie, and Joe Wilkie

The guys take a look at Calvinism and the big questions it presents, including: - The 5 points of Calvinism (TULIP) - Whether man has a sin nature - Which system is more consistent with God's character - Calvinism's weakest point With Will Harrub, Jack Wilkie, and Joe Wilkie

This week we take on the difficult but important topic of suicide. Topics include: - Why the rate is so much higher among males than females - How the mental health industry often doesn't help and sometimes makes the problem worse - Why faith is the answer... but also why it's not as simple as that - Questions like is suicide a sin, and does it bring automatic condemnation? With Will Harrub, Jack Wilkie, and Joe Wilkie

Some people are big on chasing goals and resolutions. Others aren't. Does it matter? Do Christians have a duty to aim to grow year over year? Topics include: - Why aimlessness makes us the 1 talent man of Matthew 25 - How do we balance contentment with what we have in life without becoming complacent? - How to make plans without assuming we know what tomorrow holds (see James 4) - All of the things and people depending on your growth - Tips and resources for sustained growth With Will Harrub, Jack Wilkie, and Joe Wilkie

We respond to listener questions, including: - Does the church of Christ have a cult of personality problem? - Why should I stay in the church of Christ? - What's the biggest challenge facing congregations in 2024? - What are the advantages and disadvantages of small groups? - What should we make of the decline of evening services? And is extended AM worship a positive change? - Can Christians join others' religious celebrations to "become all things to all men?" - Where is the line between righteous judgment and being judgmental? - When do we go from being a person who sins to being a sinner? - Is the Bible anti-democracy? With Will Harrub, Jack Wilkie, and Joe Wilkie