Episodes
Mending the Fracturing Church: Discipleship, Trauma, and Trust (Andrew Hall)
In this episode of Thinking Christian , Dr. James Spencer is joined by Rev. Dr. Andrew Hale , pastor, author, and host of CBF Conversations and Clergy Confessions , to discuss his new book Mending the Fracturing Church: How t...
Truth Rising Project: Hope, Truth, Identity, and Calling for Christians Today (John Stonestreet)
In this episode of Thinking Christian , Dr. James Spencer is joined by John Stonestreet , president of the Colson Center , to discuss the Truth Rising Project —a collaboration between the Colson Center and Focus on the Family...
Immoral Torah? Why Removing Hard Biblical Laws Does More Harm Than Good (Gary Edward Schnicker)
What should Christians do with the hardest laws in the Bible—texts about slavery, sexual violence, capital punishment, and social inequality? Should they be explained away… or even crossed out? In this episode of the Thinking...
Ordinary Time: Spiritual Growth in the Everyday Rhythms of Life (Amy Peeler)
What if the most spiritually formative season of the Christian year isn’t Advent or Lent—but the long stretch of ordinary time in between? In this episode of the Thinking Christian Podcast , Dr. James Spencer is joined by Dr....
Becoming Pro-Grace: A Christian Response to Abortion Beyond Politics (Angela Weszley)
The abortion conversation in the church is often framed as a political battle— pro-life versus pro-choice , red versus blue. But what if that framing itself is the problem? In this episode of the Thinking Christian Podcast , ...
Joshua, America, and the Myth of Innocence: Undoing Manifest Destiny (Daniel Hawk)
Was America founded as a “new Israel”? And if so, what happens when biblical conquest narratives are used to justify colonization, displacement, and violence? In this episode of the Thinking Christian Podcast , Dr. James Spen...
Christian Business Without Compartmentalization: Faith, Success, and Surrender (Andrea Anderson)
Can Christians pursue success in business without sidelining their faith—or turning God into just another “box” in life? In this episode of the Thinking Christian Podcast , Dr. James Spencer sits down with Andrea Anderson , C...
Acedia, Purgation, and Faith That Lasts: God in the Desert (Noelle Forlini-Byrte)
What do you do when faith feels dry, confusing, or emotionally barren—when God seems absent, or even uncomfortably near? In this episode of the Thinking Christian Podcast , Dr. James Spencer talks with Dr. Noelle Forlini-Byrt...
The Listening Church: Loneliness, Mental Health, and the Skills Every Christian Needs (Dr. Jackie E. Perry)
What if a major driver of today’s mental health crisis isn’t simply “more disorders,” but more people who feel unseen, unheard, and alone ? In this episode of the Thinking Christian Podcast , Dr. James Spencer talks with Dr. ...
The Legacy of the Reformation: Freedom, Fragmentation, and Accountability
In this final episode of our German Reformation series, Dr. James Spencer and Dr. Greg Quiggle step back from the 16th century to ask a pressing modern question: what does it actually mean to be Protestant today—and what have...
Protestantism Isn’t Individualism: The Solas, Catechesis, and Authority (Greg Quiggle)
In this episode of our German Reformation series, Dr. James Spencer and Dr. Greg Quiggle pivot to one of the defining features of Protestant tradition: the Reformation Solas —and why they still matter for Christians today. Ra...
Protestantism Under Luther: Authority, Chaos, and the Cost of “Bible Alone”
In this episode of our German Reformation series, Dr. James Spencer and Dr. Greg Quiggle begin exploring what happens after the attempt to reform the Catholic Church breaks down and the division becomes permanent: What does P...
Luther’s 95 Theses: What He Meant to Do—and What Actually Happened
In this episode of our German Reformation series, Dr. James Spencer and Dr. Greg Quiggle linger in Wittenberg before the Diet of Worms and Wartburg Castle to unpack the moment everyone knows—but few understand: Luther’s 95 Th...
Luther Goes to Rome: Corruption, Crisis, and the Breakthrough in Romans
In this episode of Thinking Christian , Dr. James Spencer and Dr. Greg Quiggle pick up the story after Luther’s intensifying crisis of conscience. If the monastery wasn’t bringing peace—what could? Luther’s mentor, Johann von...
Before Wittenberg: Luther’s Erfurt Years and the Weight of Judgment
In this episode of Thinking Christian , Dr. James Spencer is joined by Dr. Greg Quiggle to continue the German Reformation series—this time focusing on Martin Luther’s years in Erfurt and the startling turn that led him into ...
Why the Reformation Happened: Germany Before Luther (Greg Quiggle)
In this first episode of a new Thinking Christian series on the German Reformation , Dr. James Spencer is joined by Dr. Greg Quiggle —a historian, former Moody Bible Institute professor, and leader of Tours for Ten —to set th...
Multiculturalism in the Church: A Biblical Theology of Unity Without Uniformity (Ben Mathew)
What does it look like for Christians to pursue multicultural unity without flattening real differences—or turning ethnicity into an ultimate identity? In this episode of the Thinking Christian Podcast , Dr. James Spencer is ...
Counseling and the Church: How Pastors and Congregations Should Work Together (Dr. Steve Stuhlreyer)
Pastors are carrying more emotional and spiritual weight than most congregations realize—and many churches still treat counseling and discipleship as if they’re separate worlds. In this episode of the Thinking Christian Podca...
Rediscover Prayer: From Performance to Presence (Addison Bevere)
Why do so many Christians feel like they’re “bad at prayer”? In this episode of the Thinking Christian Podcast , Dr. James Spencer sits down with Addison Bevere (President of Messenger International ) to talk about prayer as ...
The Holy Spirit and Discipleship: Why Growth Isn’t Just Human Effort (Roger Ross)
Is discipleship mainly about trying harder—or is it something God does in us? In this short, focused segment on the Thinking Christian Podcast , Roger Ross explains why the Holy Spirit is the prime mover in the entire work of...
Unmuted: From Silence to Testimony (Nick Sash) | Ordinary Faith, Discipleship & Finding Your Voice
What happens when God confronts the “two lives” we’re living—and calls us out of the background and into honest testimony? In this episode of the Thinking Christian Podcast , Dr. James Spencer is joined by Nick Sash (a longti...
Raising Wise Kids in a Sexually Broken World with Lori Krieg | Parenting, Porn, Gender & Discipleship
How do Christian parents raise kids with wisdom in a culture shaped by pornography, confusion about gender, and broken ideas about relationships—without living in “hair-on-fire” panic? In this episode of the Thinking Christia...
Songs Before the Manger: Mary, Zechariah, and the Deep Theology of Christmas
Before angels sing over Bethlehem in Luke 2, two other voices break into song—Mary and Zechariah. In this episode of Thinking Christian , Dr. James Spencer continues the “Thinking Christian about Christmas” series by walking ...
Dr. Christine Jeske | Learning to Hope Differently: Racial Justice for the Long Haul
What kind of hope can actually sustain racial justice work over decades—not just months? In this episode of Thinking Christian , Dr. James Spencer is joined by anthropologist and author Dr. Christine Jeske to talk about her n...