In light of Black History Month, and in response to feedback about the “Racism in America” series (episodes 31-33), Robert shares some additional thoughts about the history of racism in the church, Critical Race Theory, and more.
In response to this week’s unprecedented events on Capitol Hill, Robert offers an invitation to look in the mirror, and not across the aisle.
This week we are re-posting Robert’s Christmas podcast from 2019, as he looks at the understandably ridiculous claim of the virgin birth of Jesus and how this miracle of Christmas gives us greater hope and joy than any other news this world can offer.
In this week’s episode, Robert expands upon a few tweets he posted about masculinity, how our culture’s view of manhood has been formed by the lack of good examples in the church, and what the Bible says about true manhood and womanhood.
This week’s episode is a brief word from Robert reminding us about the importance of thanksgiving in all seasons, but especially this year.
LINKS:
If you’ve been hurt by family or friends whose fundamental Christianity placed a burden on you that was too heavy to bear, this episode is for you. Robert does a deep dive into the movie “Frozen,” the ways people react to fundamentalism, and a better way forward through Jesus himself.
As the senior pastor of a church which submitted itself to an independent investigation of sexual abuse, and which is currently submitting to another investigation, Robert has recorded this episode as a resource to others who find themselves in a similar situation and are looking for Biblical guidance. This episode looks at two main questions: why is the church uniquely susceptible to sexual abuse, and what can be done to protect against sexual abuse?
LINKS:
Executive Summary of Independent Investigation Conducted by GRACE for Tates Creek Presbyterian Church (June 2019)
Announcement of Investigation into Allegations Against Chris Rice (October 2020)
In Part 2 of this two-part series, Robert unpacks what it truly means for America to be a “Christian Nation” by looking at the founders’ beliefs, the intentions behind the way they designed our nation, and how to deal with the failures of our country in a way that honors our founding principles.
In this two-part series, Robert answers the question “Is America a Christian Nation?” two ways: absolutely not, and absolutely yes. In Part 1, he takes a closer look at the history of American exceptionalism and its ties to Christianity, both at America’s founding and also to this day.
In the final episode of our series on racism in America, Robert looks specifically at how our Protestant, Presbyterian tradition has handled the issues of slavery and racism in our country’s history, before ending the series with theological and practical applications for our church.
LINKS:
Overture 43 from the 44th PCA General Assembly, condemning corporate historical racism in our denomination
“Heal Us, Emmanuel: A Call for Racial Reconciliation, Representation, and Unity in the Church” edited by Doug Serven (link to Amazon)
“For a Continuing Church: The Roots of the Presbyterian Church in America” by Sean Michael Lucas (link to Amazon)
“Mississippi Praying” by Carolyn Renée Dupont (link to Amazon)
In episode two of our "Racism in America" series, Robert now speaks to Christians who have a harder time accepting proof that racism is still a problem in today's society, and challenges us to examine our history through a more critical lens.
In the first episode of a three-part series on the historical cultural moment emerging from the killing of George Floyd, Robert speaks to those who are passionate for racial justice. While affirming their zeal to fight racism, he cautions that they may be unknowingly embracing a destructive ideology that harms the very world they are seeking to heal. In his analysis, he takes a look at the history and meaning behind many terms that have entered our mainstream discourse which are crucial to understand.
In the final episode of our de-conversion series, Robert finishes by looking at a common “non-starter” for non-Christians: the seemingly archaic and unreasonable sexual ethic of the Bible. What does Jesus have to say about our sexuality, and why does our western culture refuse to accept it?
In Part 4 of our de-conversion series, Robert asks us to think about justice and judgment, and answers a common question from non-Christians about why a loving God would send people to hell.
Part 2 of this series engaged Rhett's struggle with the truth of Christianity. In Part 3, Robert turns to Link's story and his struggle with the beauty of Christianity, arguing that Jesus is not just true, Jesus is beautiful.
This episode of Every Square Inch features an interview with Wayne & Sandra Marlowe, two members of our church who recently received some life-altering news: Sandra has been diagnosed with ALS. They have courageously agreed to discuss their story, from the first symptoms until now, and share about their struggles, sorrows, and ultimately, their unshakable joy in Christ.
Part 1 of this series looked at de-conversion stories in general; in Part 2, Robert looks specifically at Rhett’s story, the pursuit of truth, and the “truest truth” that is found in the person of Jesus.
From a Christian perspective, nothing is more relevant today than whether or not there is an ancient, empty grave. Following the acronym of R.I.S.E.N., Robert summarizes his years of study to outline his historical defense of the truth of the resurrection.
On March 11, in response to Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear’s request that all churches should cancel worship, Tates Creek Presbyterian Church released a statement saying that it never cancels its weekly worship service. The next day, its service was canceled. What happened in those 24 hours? On this week’s podcast, Robert shares what happened behind the scenes that changed the minds of the church leadership, and challenges us all to “embrace the inconveniences” of loving our neighbor.
When popular comedians Rhett & Link announced they no longer had faith in Christ, the news sent ripples across Christian circles who have been following their work for decades. Before diving deep into their de-conversion story, Robert first looks at their story through the lens of Charles Taylor’s observations about our “secular age” and how unsurprising (and not uncommon) stories like their’s are in a post-modern world.