Art is all around us. It is on every screen that we see, the TV shows and movies we watch, the plays and musicals we attend, and in the images that catch our eyes. The Bible is full of art too, in the forms of poetry, songs, and stories. But for many people of faith, talking about and interacting with the visual arts is a rarity. Most of us know we’re supposed to appreciate it but aren’t really sure how. Join us as Page2Podcast’s resident artist, Greg Holmes, discusses the complexities of appreciating art, what makes art good, and why it matters as we pursue God.

 

Recommended Resource

CIVA – Christians in the Visual Arts
Website: civa.org

Special Thanks

Center for Church Renewal
Website: bibleprinciples.org

Politics has always been a divisive issue, but it seems to have risen to new heights in recent years. Many would say our culture is the most polarized it has ever been, especially when faith gets into the mix with politics. What does it look like for people of faith to thoughtfully and passionately engage with public policy? What are the opportunities and limitations of the political arena for Christ-followers who want to influence culture? We are joined by Brad Smith who worked on Capitol Hill for many years and now currently serves as President of the Bakke Graduate University, a school dedicated to developing Christ-Centered leaders who impact global cities. Together we’ll discuss what a posture and approach to political conversations can look like as we head into an election year.

 

Special Thanks

Brad Smith
President, Professor of Transformational Leadership
Website: bgu.edu

Center for Church Renewal
Website: bibleprinciples.org

Every Christmas or Easter, there is bound to be a special documentary airing on television that claims to have unearthed the truth about the real Jesus. Implied in that premise is that the Jesus we read about in the New Testament is different than the one who existed in history. And it begs a few important questions. How certain are we that Jesus actually walked on this planet? Are the Gospel accounts trustworthy? What about all of the discoveries and scholars who think the real Jesus is not at all like the one we worship? We are joined by Dr. Darrell Bock, a highly-respected scholar, theologian, and historian, who helps us think about the historical Jesus and how confident we can be in the stories told about him in Scripture.

Recommended Resources

Who Is Jesus: Linking the Historical Jesus with the Christ of Faith by Darrell Bock

 

Special Thanks

Dr. Darrell Bock
Executive Director of Cultural Engagement and Senior Research Professor of New Testament Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary
Twitter: @DBockDTS
Podcast: The Table Podcast (dts.edu/thetable)

Center for Church Renewal
Website: bibleprinciples.org

Most people today would say they are spiritual. And many would say they want to grow spiritually. But what does that actually mean and look like? When we say we want to become more physically fit, there are lots of indicators it is happening: losing weight, lifting more weights, or running a faster time on the track. And we typically know how to pursue that type of growth: joining a gym, getting a fitness coach, or eating healthier. What can we specifically know about spiritual growth? And what makes it more likely to happen? Join Greg and Eric as they talk about what it means to be transformed. They’ll talk about what can be learned about it from hundreds of churches and the stories of thousands of Christ-followers.

Transformation is an imperfect journey with a promised destination. Click To Tweet

Special Thanks

Center for Church Renewal
Website: bibleprinciples.org

We live in a culture saturated with technology. For families, this can be overwhelming. The rate of change when it comes to devices, apps, and abilities of technology is faster than the development of wisdom with how to handle it well. We all want our homes to be places where everyone flourishes. Join us today as we discuss the nuances, challenges, and opportunities that come with being a parent in the technology-age. We’ll hear from Dan Martin who works with Pure Hope, an organization dedicated to equipping parents and helping families thrive.

The pace of technological change has surpassed anyone's capacity to develop enough wisdom to handle it. ~ Andy Crouch Click To Tweet

Recommended Resources

The Tech-Wise Family by Andy Crouch

pureHOPE

 

Special Thanks

Dan Martin
Parenting Associate, pureHOPE
Twitter: @danmar34
Website: purehope.net

Center for Church Renewal
Website: bibleprinciples.org

Alleviating poverty is a complex issue. From job creation to life coaching and fighting systemic challenges, there is no “one size fits all” solution. Greg and Eric are joined by Kenny Brown, Executive Director of Pivot Talent Group, a program that gives a helping hand to people who made one mistake that could negatively affect the rest of their wage-earning years. As Kenny launched Pivot, he learned more about the criminal justice system and the challenges of bail. On any given night, nearly half a million people go to bed in jail cells without having been convicted of a crime. The reason they are there? They couldn’t afford bail. And because they couldn’t leave jail, many were in danger of losing their jobs, their kids, and their homes. Join us as we wrestle with the complexities of poverty, income inequality, and bail.

Taxpayers spend an estimated $14 billion annually incarcerating people who haven't been convicted of anything. Click To Tweet

Recommended Resource

TED2018 TALK: What if we ended the injustice of bail by Robin Steinberg

 

Special Thanks

Kenny Brown
Executive Director at Pivot Talent Group
Website: pivottalentgroup.com

Reflekt
Twitter: @iamreflekt
Website: soundcloud.com/reflektmusic

Center for Church Renewal
Website: bibleprinciples.org

 

The Easter season and Holy Week bring up so many topics and questions, from the silly (like the Easter bunny and whether PEEPS qualify as good candy) to the serious. So, instead of focusing on any one area, we’re doing our first ever “grab bag” podcast, where we dive into all things Easter, including the historicity of the resurrection, the background on the stations of the cross, the concept of heaven and our physical resurrection, and how to make the most out of Holy Week.

Christianity is grounded in a historical event. If the resurrection happened, it changes everything. Click To Tweet

Special Thanks

Reflekt
Twitter: @iamreflekt
Website: soundcloud.com/reflektmusic

Center for Church Renewal
Website: bibleprinciples.org