Exploring Faith, Pursuing Grace

E84: Maintaining Christian Unity amid Political Diversity

What do Ronald Reagan, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump all have in common?They're the best (or worst) president America has ever had.It depends on who you ask. Far, FAR too many Christians are defining themselves based on the political party they place their faith in rather than Jesus Christ. Christians (in America, especially) have allowed themselves to become divided along political party or policy lines, and as a result the kingdom of God suffers. How can we remain united in Christ in spite of our political diversity? Kevin and Lee discuss this concept in this episode.Have feedback for us? Drop us a line at exploringfaithpursuinggrace@gmail.comThanks for listening!

E83: The Canaanite Genocide - Dr. Grant Testut

"...in the cities of the nations the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, do not leave alive anything that breathes. Completely destroy them—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—as the Lord your God has commanded you." - Deuteronomy 20:16-17
After Israel's exodus from Egypt and their sojourn in the wilderness, the time finally arrived for Israel to take the land promised to the patriarch Abraham. The instructions from God were clear regarding the land's inhabitants; kill everyone. 
The genocide passages have troubled Christians for hundreds of years. After all, how can we reconcile a God of love, mercy, grace, and compassion with the orders to plunder the land and kill everyone who inhabits the land?
In this episode, Hebrew Bible scholar Dr. Grant Testut returns to discuss the historicity of these passages and various ways they have been and can be understood within the context of the Old Testament, and within the context of Jesus. 
 
Have feedback for us? Email us at exploringfaithpursuinggrace@gmail.com
Thanks for listening!

E82: Religious Trauma: A Response

Our previous episode with Krystal Shipps has by far generated more response than any other episode we've done in the few short weeks following its release. The overwhelming majority of the feedback Kevin and Lee received was positive, but some listeners also shared some concerns they had regarding the tone of the episode. Enough constructive feedback was received that Kevin and Lee thought it would be beneficial to publish a follow-up discussion dealing with both the positive and not-so-positive comments received.
 
Have more feedback for us? Holler at us! We love hearing from everyone, even from folks who disagree with us. exploringfaithpursuinggrace@gmail.com
 
Thanks for listening!

E81: Fruit of the Spirit - Joy

You've waited 4 months, and your wait is over! This episode is part 2 in our series discussing the Fruit of the Spirt, in which Kevin and Lee discuss Joy. 
 
Email us your questions and comments to exploringfaithpursuinggrace@gmail.com
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E80: Sincere Thinking vs. Critical Thinking

Why do you believe what you believe? Why do you think the way you think? The opinions people hold, the values people possess, and the conclusions people draw are always (or almost always) held sincerely. For many of us, we don't think too hard or too deeply about those things, they simply are. But what would change if we started to think more critically about things? How could that improve our outlook, and even our lives?
In this episode, Kevin and Lee discuss the difference between sincere thinking and critical thinking, and map out ways we can all begin to think more effectively.
 
Send us you questions at comments at exploringfaithpursuinggrace@gmail.com
Thanks for listening!

E79: Coping with Religious Trauma - Krystal Shipps, MA, LPC

Faith is often a powerful tool that helps individuals live fulfilled lives. Faith can be a balm for the soul in times of distress and is often an anchor in our darkest days. But sometimes, the way our faith is programmed and expressed isn't helpful, and often times can manifest itself in toxic ways. 
Religious trauma is real, and often times that toxic faith that breeds religious trauma leaves a wide wake of destruction that can take decades to heal from, if one even heals at all.
In this episode, Kevin and Lee are joined by Krystal Shipps, a Licensed Professional Counselor who helps people cope with Religious Trauma as one of her several specialties. Krystal has personal experience with Religious Trauma, and is uniquely equipped to provide help to those who struggle with the damage toxic religion can often bring. 
Krystal's resources can be found here:
TikTok:  @mendedliving
Facebook group:  Mended Living with Krystal Shipps
Website:  mendedkc.com
 
Enjoying the podcast? Hate it? Have a suggestion? Email us at exploringfaithpursuinggrace@gmail.com
 
Thanks for listening!

E78: Myth as a Biblical Genre

Prophecy, History, Poetry, Apocalypse, Epistle, Narrative, Law, all of the preceding represent some of the genres we find in the Bible. Learning to recognize genre leads to a better reading of scripture and provides needed context that is often lost with a 'straightforward' reading of the Bible. What often surprises many Christians (and even scares some) is the realization that Myth is a Biblical genre.
This idea of Myth as a Biblical genre is often ignored and even rejected by many believers. After all, if the Bible contains myth, how can we trust any of it?
Kevin and Lee discuss this concept in this episode.
 
Wanna tell us how good we're doing? Wanna knock us down a few pegs? Email us at exploringfaithpursuinggrace@gmail.com!
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E77: Is it Wrong for Christians to have Fun?

Life is hard, folks. We have ups and downs, we have times for celebration and times to mourn, we have stress and we have moments of levity in which our cares and stresses are forgotten. For many Christians, those moments of happiness and pleasure can sometimes bring about guilt afterwards, because the Bible also teaches that suffering is a part of the Christian life as well. Some take this idea too far.  
For many Christians, having fun and pursuing fun shouldn't be part of the equation. After all, "There's no scripture that authorizes a Christian to have fun! Any pleasure a Christian experiences should be spiritual." But is that so?
Lee and Kevin discuss this idea (which is more common than you think) in this episode.
Have questions? Wanna reach out to us? Email us at exploringfaithpursuinggrace@gmail.com
Thanks for listening!