Life and Books and Everything Clearly Reformed

We live in a day where authority is often rebuffed and where many people are quick to assume all authority is abusive authority. And yet, some authority is abusive. But the antidote to bad authority is not “no authority” but “good authority.” Kevin welcomes Jonathan Leeman, editorial director for 9Marks, into the virtual studio to talk about Jonathan’s new book Authority: How Godly Rule Protects the Vulnerable, Strengthens Communities, and Promotes Human Flourishing. You’ll hear real life examples of good authority in action, and you’ll hear how authority can sadly be used for evil. Whether you exercise authority or sit under authority (and we all do some of both), you’ll be interested to listen in as two friends chat away on this important topic.

Chapters:
0:00 Intro & Sponsors
2:45 The Blessing and Danger of Authority
14:08 Perspectives on Authority
35:37 Alternative Interpretations of Authority
50:34 Authority, Wisdom, and Leadership
1:00:33 Until Next Time…

Books & Everything:
ESV Spiral-Bound Journaling Bible, Five-Volume Set
Ask Pastor John: 750 Bible Answers to Life's Most Important Questions
Authority: How Godly Rule Protects the Vulnerable, Strengthens Communities, and Promotes Human Flourishing

Kirk Cousins has been an NFL quarterback for 12 years. Before that he played at Michigan State (where he and Kevin met). Before that he was a barely-recruited teenager playing at Holland Christian. And before that, he was a kid in Chicago whose dad helped start Willow Creek (yes, that Willow Creek). If you want to know more of this story, and hear a lot of football talk, you won't want to miss this special LBE episode with the new Atlanta Falcons QB.

Books & Everything:
Ask Pastor John: 750 Bible Answers to Life's Most Important Questions
New Morning Mercies for Teens: A Daily Gospel Devotional

What are you doing with your life? Todd Rester is using a big chunk of his life to translate a seventeenth-century Dutch theologian's magnum opus (all 1.7 million words of it) from Latin into English. Join Kevin and Todd as they take a deep dive into the world of Latin translation, systematic theology, and church history. Who was Petrus Van Mastricht? What was his method? What did he teach? Why does he matter? Come swim in the cool, refreshing waters of Reformed scholastic theology and be encouraged to "live to God, through Christ."

Books & Everything:
Ask Pastor John: 750 Bible Answers to Life's Most Important Questions
ESV Systematic Theology Study Bible: Theology Rooted in the Word of God
Theoretical-Practical Theology

With everything the pastor must do—preach, pray, visit, raise money, organize meetings, write emails, study, write, marry, bury, and baptize—does he also need to be a leader? John Currie, in his new book The Pastor as Leader (Crossway), says yes. But don't fear, this is not about one more impossible task or another time burden for the pastor. Leadership is about living and preaching as a man of God for the people of God. In this practical episode Kevin talks with John Currie, professor of practical theology at Westminster Theological Seminary, about what effective leadership in the church looks like (and doesn't look like). There is plenty of rich food for thought—both for the seasoned (and weary) pastor and for the young man just starting out in ministry.

Books & Everything:
The Pastor as Leader: Principles and Practices for Connecting Preaching and Leadership
The (Not-So-Secret) Secret to Reaching the Next Generation
Don’t Waste Your Life

For most of us, getting married and forging a strong family is the best way to build a prosperous, meaningful, and happy life. That's the message of Get Married: Why Americans Must Defy the Elites, Forge Strong Families, and Save Civilization, the new book by University of Virginia professor Brad Wilcox. Listen in as Kevin and Brad talk explore why young people aren't prioritizing marriage, why elites don't preach what they practice when it comes to marriage, and why getting married is one of the best things you can do for yourself and for others.

Books & Everything:
Get Married: Why Americans Must Defy the Elites, Forge Strong Families, and Save Civilization
ESV Bible App
Light + Truth Podcast

Have you ever wondered if King Arthur was justified in cutting off all four limbs of Monty Python’s Black Knight when he refused the king passage? If so, then you’ll want to listen to this episode of LBE with Eric Patterson. Eric is an author, an important leader in Washington, D.C. and an expert in the theology and history of the Just War Tradition. What are the right reasons for going to war? How should a just war be fought? Was the American Revolution a just war (or even a revolution)? What about the firebombing of Dresden in World War II? Join Kevin and Eric and they try to apply the insights of the Just War Tradition to military conflicts past and present.

Chapters:
0:00 Introductions
7:45 A Basic Guide to the Just War Tradition
15:45 What Makes a War Just?
29:45 Sponsor Break | Crossway
30:28 “It’s Only a Flesh Wound.”
35:25 A Just American Revolution?
46:39 MLK’s Just Cause
51:15 Sponsor Break | Desiring God
52:00 Current Events

Books & Everything:
Basic Guide to the Just War Tradition: Christian Foundations and Practices
Just War and Christian Traditions
Humility: The Joy of Self-Forgetfulnes
Ask Pastor John: 750 Bible Answers to Life's Most Important Questions