Psalms: When Our Words fail Us

The Psalms offer the Christian a unique plethora of language and capture a wide array of human emotion unlike any other book in the Bible. For the distressed and despairing, Psalms help us find words we otherwise counted as lost - what a gift to our weary souls! Please join Carl, Aimee & Todd as they discuss their own experiences wading through the Psalms seeking (and finding!) solace and strength through them.

Protecting the Flock

Child abuse - it's heinous, it's a crime, it's a shame, and it's a sin. Unfortunately, it's quite pervasive in the Church which is often a soft target. Why is that, and what can we do to guard our flock more preventatively instead of reactively? We certainly need to educate our children and train our nursery workers, but how do we impart discernment while not making them critical of everyone. We all have roles of protecting our children, but even some actions of "justice" can further enable the abuse. This is by no means an exhaustive conversation answering all these questions in depth but a discussion that should put any Church worker on high alert.You can puchase all the messages from the event "Sex, Sin, and Salvation: God's Grace in a Fallen World".

We’re Not in Kansas Anymore

Which MOS host was promised to be made a cardinal by the Archbishop Chaput of Philadelphia if he becomes the next Pope? Aside from an empty promise, the Archbishop shares profound insights into the current Sexual Revolution from the Catholic perspective, and from his unique view point as someone committed to celibacy. Archbishop Chaput is also an author of a book our hosts would highly recommend: Strangers in a Strange Land, in which the Archbishop expresses in more vivid detail how the conservative religious camps are being marginalized by a radical progression in cultural norms at an alarmingly rapid pace. We discuss everything from contraception to abortion to gay marriage to transgenderism. For all who listen, this is a stand-out interview full of rich insight with a vital undertaking in how to think in today's world - a world where we ought to live holding the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other.

Is the Bible Good for Women?

What's on the rail for the lizard? … To answer that important question, we have Wendy Alsup on the show. She's a Mathematics professor at Community College in South Carolina, a mom, and the author of Is the Bible Good for Women?: Seeking Clarity and Confidence Through a Jesus-Centered Understanding of Scripture. Wendy is burdened for women to appreciate and know the Bible. So beyond talking lizards and women, she's here to help us understand: What do we do with the tough passages of scripture - passages where women are taken advantage of, oppressed, killed? There are loads of untidy and discouraging accounts of injustice in the Bible hard to handle and difficult to find the message in the mess. There's much a pastor can learn from Wendy's book to better engage his congregation with compassion and understanding. So let's talk lizards and ladies!

Beauty, The Beast, & The Homosexual

"There may be something there that wasn't there before" … sings the cast of Beauty and the Beast at a pivotal moment in the Disney Classic. Well, days away from its appearance as a live-action film, those words couldn't ring more true! There is something there that wasn't there before: a homosexual character! It's got a lot of people talking since the director puffs the film as the first Disney movie to have an 'exclusively gay moment'. It's no surprise Hollywood has come to this, but then … it's a children's movie! So question is: As Christians, do we let our children see it? Where do we draw the line for entertainment? Perhaps it's not so black and white …? Listen to what the hosts (aka, Beauty & The Beasts) have to say, it's certainly got them talking!Donate to Mortification of Spinvar r_protocol=(("https:"==document.location.protocol)?"https://":"http://");var r_path="https://www.razoo.com/javascripts/widget_loader.js";var r_identifier='Mortification-Of-Spin';document.write(unescape("%3Cscript id='razoo_widget_loader_script' src='"+r_path+"' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));

Parting is Such Frequent Sorrow

When, why, and how should you leave a church? Is it possible to do it graciously and gratefully, or are you just another church-shopping opportunist looking for what's on fleek? Interestingly, leaving a church is somewhat a modern dilemma. It's exponentially more possible with the increase of technology. However, one universal truth stands the test of time: there is no perfect church anywhere. Listen in to what Carl, Aimee & Todd think constitutes the good, the bad and the ugly reasons to leave a church.We're giving away multiple copies of "The Church: God's Kingdom on Earth", be sure to enter for your chance to win.

Suicide: What is the Christian to think?

Suicide is a troubling topic to examine - delicate and disturbing, one must speak carefully about it, especially with those left in its confusing wake. Common questions asked are: Is suicide an unforgivable sin? Could a true Believer take their own life? As a pastor, should I address suicide at the funeral? Carl, Aimee, Todd (…and Thomas Aquinas!), avoid pat answers and offer helpful ways of thinking founded in Biblical truth.We are giving away several pairs of event tickets to either, God Has Spoken, Reformation: Recovering the Essence of the Gospel (Philadelphia), or The Faithful Shepherd: Pastors Conference. Enter Now!

What about Todd?

We're getting group therapy today so we called on the best of the best: David Powlison, Director of Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation, Senior Editor of the Journal of Biblical Counseling, and beloved counseling professor at Westminster Theological Seminary. We are delighted Todd is finally getting the help he needs, but we do have some other ground to cover. What is Biblical Counseling exactly and how important is it to the health of our Church? Is scripture sufficient for counseling? At the close of today's session, everyone's happy and David's take on Todd is as we feared: he's beyond help.We're giving away several copies of David Powlison's book "Good & Angry" courtesy of New Growth Press, be sure to enter for your chance to win.

Devo Nouveau

While Carl's out getting hair plugs, Aimee and Todd steal the show to talk about the Christian term: Quiet Time. What is it exactly - let's talk about the why and how! As thinking people, we should critically consider the theology behind even our daily devotions, as our habits may be founded on false or even contrary doctrine. There's nothing quiet about today's discussion, though more pleasant without our loudest host. Goes without saying: two's company ...

Westminster Preaching Conference: Live Panel Part II

It's round two of the preaching conference and the conversation's heating up. As questions crop up from the crowd we have the usual off-the-wall inquiries but most are measured and helpful. It's yet another conversation where we contemplate the call of the minister, the effects of ministry on everyone's life, and the importance of seeking those more seasoned in the pulpit. No matter if you're a minister or lay person, this discussion is an encouragement to all!