Exploring Faith, Pursuing Grace

E46: Instrumental Music in Worship pt 3; Church History

In the third and final episode in our series discussing musical instruments, Kevin and Lee break down the objections made to using musical instruments in worship to God that are based on a faulty understanding of church history.
Did the early church fathers unanimously condemn instrumental worship? Did the reformers? We discuss these concepts and more in this episode!
Want to drop us a line and tell us how good we're doing? How terrible we are? You can let us know directly at exploringfaithpursuinggrace@gmail.com.
 
Thanks for listening!

E45: Instrumental Music in Worship pt 2 - Kevin (2012) vs. Kevin (2015/21) cont.

This is part 2 of our three part series on musical instruments in worship, where we continue the conversation and 'debate' between Kevin from 2012, and Kevin from 2015-present. While part 1 sets the stage, part 2 gets to the core issues of the discussion and the main points at which Kevin (and Lee) diverge from their previous understanding of this topic.
Send your comments, questions, suggestions, and hate mail (HA!) to us at exploringfaithpursuinggrace@gmail.com.
 
Thanks for listening!!

E44: Instrumental Music in Worship pt 1 - Kevin (2012) vs. Kevin (2015/21)

Kevin is BACK! And upon his return we begin a discussion on a topic that has been requested by many of our listeners; is it unscriptural or sinful to use musical instruments in worship to God?
One of the defining characteristics of the Church of Christ is the utilization of acapella singing in worship. As Kevin and Lee both have a long history within the Churches of Christ, both have held the conviction that God does not desire nor does the Bible authorize the use of musical instruments in worship to him within the New Covenant era. It goes without saying that both Kevin and Lee's perspective on this topic has changed, and this episode is part one of a three part series that discusses why their perspective has changed on this topic.
In 2012, Kevin engaged in his final formal debate of his preaching career with Jason Weatherly. In this episode, we take audio from Kevin's first affirmative, and much like the 2019 Avengers had to contend with a time-travelling 2014 Thanos, Kevin and Lee 'debate' with 2012 Kevin. 
This episode was a blast to record, and we hope our audience enjoys what becomes a lively discussion, especially in part 2.
Have questions? Requests? Thoughts or insights to share? Holler at us at exploringfaithpursuinggrace@gmail.com
 
Thanks for listening!

E43: Convictions and Spiritual Formation

In this episode Lee flies solo again, summarizing his spiritual journey over the previous year. Lee discusses the challenges he and his family faced in making the decision to leave their faith community, the reasons that lead them to do so, and why this isn't a choice that anyone should make lightly. Questions? Feedback? Concerns? Requests? Email us at exploringfaithpursuinggrace@gmail.comThanks for listening!

E42: Convictions & Faith Journeys - Sarah Gonzales

This episode takes a different approach than our previous efforts. Kevin and Lee both come from a Churches of Christ background, and most of the guests on this podcast have either been from a similar background or have done work in Theology at a scholarly level. In this episode, Lee sits down to have a conversation with his good friend Sarah Gonzales, as she shares her faith journey from a legalistic paradigm to a more grace-centered spiritual worldview. Sarah's story is much different than Kevin's, Lee's, and most of the guests that have joined them on this podcast, so we know it will be a blessing to folks who have travelled a different road in their faith journey towards a better understanding and appreciation of God's grace.You can reach Kevin and Lee at exploringfaithpursuinggrace@gmail.comThanks for listening!

E41: Convictions & Paradigm Shifts - Daniel Rogers

In this episode Daniel Rogers returns to the podcast to discuss his faith journey, the paradigm shifts he experienced, and the challenges we face when going through the process of spiritual formation and re-formation. Eventually we all will face a concept that challenges our interpretation, and when that happens we have to decide how to proceed. Daniel and Lee have a conversation that discusses what that looks like, and we certainly hope that you'll be blessed by it.
 
https://labornotinvain.com/2021/03/14/convictions-shape-communities/
www.freedominchrist.net
www.labornotinvain.com
https://labornotinvain.com/product/how-to-study-the-bible/
 
Enjoy the show? Have a question you don't have a safe place to ask? A helpful suggestion? We'd love to hear from you! exploringfaithpursuinggrace@gmail.com is how to get ahold of us.
Thanks for listening!
 

E40: Does "Progressive" Christianity disrespect the Bible? - Pastor Josh Scott

"Progressive" Christianity is often colored as an affront to the Bible, with progressive Christians characterized as people who don't care about the Bible, who just want to "do whatever they want", who have no regard for truth and don't respect God, Christ, or the scriptures. 
In this episode, Kevin and Lee are joined by Josh Scott, pastor of GracePointe Church in Nashville, TN, who was the recent subject of an article in The Christian Post after his remarks about the innerancy of the Bible went (somewhat) viral. 
Josh's work can be found here:
https://joshscott.substack.com/
www.gracepointe.net
Give us a holler at exploringfaithpursuinggrace@gmail.com!
Thanks for listening!
 

E39: How to read the Bible pt 2: Faith or Fear?

In our previous episode, Kevin and Lee discussed the regulative principle and why that principle isn't the most helpful or effective approach in reading, interpreting, and applying scripture. This episode picks up where the previous episode left off, discussing how a focus on studying the Bible in a manner that pursues knowledge about God leads to fear, while reading the Bible in a manner that works to know God and who He is leads to a deeper, richer faith.Have questions? Suggestions? Hit us up at exploringfaithpursuinggrace@gmail.com!