My God is True

What is the purpose of a robust theology if it cannot serve to practically help the believer? How does that theology play into God's sovereignty through our suffering? Aimee, Todd, and Carl talk with pastor and cancer survivor Paul Wolfe about his battle with cancer and its impact on his relationships with Christ and the congregation he serves. Paul also discusses the importance of the local church body in helping on cope with trial and suffering. Listen now!  Winners of Paul Wolfe's title My God is True! J. Scheurer - Leavenworth, KSJ. Olivetti - West Lafayette, INM. Debowski - New Boston, NHA. Kelly - Corona, CA  Mentioned on Mortification of Spin.  My God is True! by Paul Wolfe     Setting Our Sights on Heaven: Why Its Hard and Why its Worth it by Paul Wolfe      

Bully Pulpit: Ridiculous Gibberish

This edition of the Mortification of Spin marks the inauguration of a new game: Bully Pulpit Challenge! Carl, Aimee, and Todd respond to a listener's email asking for a critique of an interview that "pastor" Carl Lentz gave recently. In this image-obsessed world, many times churches feel the need to bow to the image idols and create environments that are completely foreign to the mindset of biblical Christianity. There are many who claim to be pastors but deny God's Word through their words and actions. Why do we continue to give these people a platform, and why do we give credence to their voices? To use a forbidden phrase, the whole thing is "utterly ridiculous.."Interview with Carl Lentz   The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals would like to offer you a free MP3 download entitled A Catholic Church by Mark Dever.

Sexual Chaos

Aimee, Carl, and Todd like to push buttons, and this week’s installment of the Mortification of Spin is no different as they discuss sexual ethics. Our current cultural milieu is one which exalts sexual behavior, and to speak out against it is seen as heresy. But where does it stop? When will we take our stand? The gang helps to vocalize some of these major concerns, and attempts some answers to the cultural pressure.   Enjoy this free resource from the Alliance of Confessing EvangelicalsThe traditional chronology was love, marriage, sex, and baby. It was like the old schoolyard rhyme: "First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes someone in a baby carriage." The new chronology is a plot for postmodern times: sex, baby, marriage, and love. It is almost exactly backwards, except that the baby comes after the sex. But this is simple biology, and not even Harlequin can change the way God made us. The new romances turn romantic relationships upside down, making sex the basis for love, and separating procreation from marriage.Dowload the free pdf The New Harlequin Romance by Philip Ryken. The Social Costs of Pornography: A Statement of Findings and Recommendations     Wired for Intimacy: How Pornography Hijacks the Male Brain by William Struthers

Bully Pulpit: A Year’s Worth of Mortification

On this installment of Bully Pulpit, Aimee, Todd, and Carl discuss the multi-generational nature of the Bride of Christ. How do we reconcile the fact that different generations seem to want different things from a church? Is it true that we need to constantly be looking to the youth? We must fight the cultural trends and look to the wisdom of age within our churches. Listen in to this anniversary episode of Mortification of Spin and learn more about this perennial issue.  Enjoy this free resource from the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals by Dr. J.I. Packer from the Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology.Divisions in the Church - by J.I. Packer

The Code of Modesty

Aimee, Carl, and Todd are joined in the studio via the internet by Gloria Furman, author of Glimpses of Grace, published through Crossway, and blogger over at Domestic Kingdom. As a pastor's wife serving in Dubai, a major city in the United Arab Emirates, Gloria has a unique perspective on the topic at hand: modesty. Listen in as the gang seek to enlighten themselves and the listeners as to what it means to be modest, and all that Christian modesty implies.Enjoy this free resource from the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals.Holding Hands, Holding Hearts Part 1 - by Richard and Sharon PhillipsFind the entire "Holding Hands, Holding Hearts" set in MP3 format here, and CD format here.     Glimpses of Grace: Treasuring the Gospel in Your Home - Gloria Furman    

Bully Pulpit: Abortion and the Public Square

Aimee, Carl, and Todd are back at it - this time discussing the church's involvement in the public square, specifically when dealing with the polarizing issue of abortion. How are Christians to conduct themselves, in the church and on the street, when talking about and protesting abortion? Are we to engage in political debate or sit back and let it happen? Or is there a third way? Listen to the team's lively conversation.Click here for a free MP3 download of God's Church & God's Purpose by Eric Alexander

Fashionable Preaching

What's the purpose of a sermon? Is it to inspire the congregation or just a means of transmitting knowledge? Or is the sermon something greater? Dead bones came to life when Ezekiel preached. Are the sermons you listen to that powerful? Listen to Aimee, Carl and Todd once again discuss sermons.     Free digital download: A Layman's Primer on Bible Interpretation by Richard Phillips from the Alliance.

Bully Pulpit: How to Choose a Good Church

What do you look for in a good church? Bouncy castles, a good social network, a place to land a good business deal? Those may be fun, but there’s more to it than that. Don't forget about good preaching and a robust confession. Listen to Bully Pulpit with Carl, Todd, and Aimee to learn more.  If you want to really understand something, one of the best things you can do is study its origin, or beginning. This is true of nations. If you want to understand why America is as it is today, what its institutions are about, how its self-identity formed, then you have to go back and learn about its birth in the Revolutionary War, its struggle as a colony seeking independence, its ideal of equality under God, its pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness. Click here to download this free message.

Preaching & Preachers

What role does preaching play in today's church? The Rev. Dr. Jonathan Master joins Carl Trueman and Todd Pruitt to talk about the importance and gravity of preaching. Through the book "Preaching & Preachers" by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, they show the necessity and primacy of the proper preaching of the all-sufficient Word of God. Listen the Mortification of Spin to learn more about this imperative and perennial topic.  Free resources from the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals on PreachingPractical Considerations for Preaching the Fatherhood of God by Derek Thomas    Preaching Christ and Him Crucified by Alistair BeggBenefits of Expository Preaching by Alistair Begg The Foolishness of Preaching by James Boice   Books mentioned on Preaching & PreachersPreaching and Preachers by Martyn Lloyd-Jones     Christ-Centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon by Bryan Chapell     Between Two Worlds: The Challenge of Preaching Today by John Stott     The Priority of Preaching by Christopher Ash     Positive preaching and modern mind by Peter Forsyth    Proclamation and Theology by William Willimon     Speaking God's Words: A Practical Theology of Preaching by Peter Adam

Bully Pulpit: Being Human

How can Christians appropriately, firmly but sensitively talk about the Bibles teaching on sexuality. Our sexuality is for the glory of God and not a means to its own end. There is so much that can be said about our sexual identity so listen now to Carl and Aimee on the Bully Pulpit as they touch this important subject.  Free offer from the Alliance of Confessing EvangelicalsFree download of David Wells' message Unisex: Male and Female from the Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology.