Christendom and the World

Pastor Andrew Preus
  • 5.0 (11)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Weekly

Conversations on the state of the Christian church anchored against the waves of worldly doctrines, both past and present. Christendom is Christ's church as she has existed around the world in various situations throughout various times. The times change, but God's Word remains the same. Join host Pastor Andrew Preus and guests as we discuss how Christ's church on earth strives to maintain sound doctrine and proclaim the gospel in a fallen world. Through topics of church history, current events, and biblical study, Christendom and the World covers various trends the church must face as she stands on the foundation of Christ and his enduring Word.

  1. 1d ago

    An Awkward Infusion: When Church Music Clashes

    What makes church music fitting for Christian worship? In this episode of Christendom and the World, Pastor Andrew Preus is joined by Pastor Jim Wilshusen to discuss Lutheran church music, contemporary worship, congregational singing, and the purpose of the liturgy. They discuss the difference between congregational singing and an audience singing along with a performer, the danger of turning worship into a performance, and how music should serve the teaching of God's Word rather than become the main event. Pastor Preus and Pastor Wilshusen also discuss how hymns teach doctrine, why pastors should carefully choose the hymns used in worship, and practical ways to introduce and teach unfamiliar hymns to a congregation.   #ChristendomAndTheWorld #Lutheran #LutheranWorship #ChurchMusic #ChristianWorship #Hymns #Liturgy #DivineService #Worship #ChristianMusic #LutheranHymns #Gospel #ChurchHistory   Video Credits: https://www.gottesdienst.org/gottesblog/2026/8/29/how-did-lutheran-church-music-get-so-bad   Chapters   00:00 Introduction and overview of worship discussion 02:08 The influence of praise culture on church music 03:56 Differences between Lutheran and Catholic understanding of worship 08:10 The importance of liturgical order and flow 11:54 The role of hymns in teaching doctrine 15:12 Practical methods for hymn selection and teaching 20:12 The impact of worship style on active participation 24:08 The danger of performance-oriented worship 30:06 The active reception of God's Word and Sacraments 40:07 Reforming hymnody and worship practices

  2. 1d ago ·  Bonus

    Introducing: On Purpose with Jay Shetty

    Introducing LUCY HALE: “I Was Sabotaging My Life.” from On Purpose with Jay Shetty. Follow the show: On Purpose with Jay Shetty Jay sits down with actress Lucy Hale, who at 37 says she feels more comfortable with herself than ever before. Lucy opens up about letting go of society’s timelines, navigating media scrutiny and body insecurity while growing up in the early days of social media, and her relationship with alcohol and path to sobriety. Lucy also shares her decision to freeze her eggs on her own terms, and how solitude, self-forgiveness, and personal growth have changed the way she approaches love, relationships, and herself. With Love and Gratitude, Jay Shetty Mazda crafts cars for people who do more than simply move. Visit Mazdausa.com to learn more. Consumer reports does not endorse products or services. Your future is waiting, and Walden is here to help you achieve it. https://WaldenU.edu JAY’S DAILY WISDOM DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX Join 900,000+ readers discovering how small daily shifts create big life change with my free newsletter. Subscribe here: https://news.jayshetty.me/subscribe Check out our Apple subscription to unlock bonus content of On Purpose! https://lnk.to/JayShettyPodcast What We Discuss: 00:00 Introduction 01:00 Reaching Her Grounded Era at 37 04:00 Releasing Societal Timelines & Comparison 06:40 Letting Go of The Pressure to Be Who Others Expected 13:56 Facing Oneself & Reframing Envy 16:28 The Need for Solitude From a Young Age 17:50 Reconnecting With Feminine Energy 20:40 Early Fame, Media Scrutiny & Perfectionism 24:20 Insecurities On Pretty Little Liars 27:35 Unpacking Past Coping Mechanisms & Learning to Forgive Yourself 32:14 The Ongoing Journey Of Sobriety 35:00 The Moment She Decided to go to Rehab 43:48 Advice For Anyone Seeking Sobriety 45:45 Dating Differently After Doing the Work 53:00 Waymo Cars & Delivery Robots 54:12 Rapid-Fire Game 56:44 Will There be a Pretty Little Liars Reunion? 58:46 Perspectives On Motherhood & Freezing Her Eggs 01:05:40 A Blind Date and The First Healthy Relationship 01:11:32 Looking for Signs in Everyday Life 01:16:58 Lucy On Final Five Episode Resources: Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/lucyhale YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTMIfFn9BoAHSCaKkcZm-VA Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/LucyHale X | https://x.com/lucyhale Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to team@podroll.fm.

    Introducing: On Purpose with Jay Shetty

  3. Sep 16

    Did Constantine Invent Christianity? The Truth About Nicaea

    Did the Council of Nicaea decide what books belong in the Bible? Did Constantine invent the doctrine of Christ's divinity? In this episode of Christendom and the World, Pastor Andrew Preus addresses these popular claims and traces the history behind them. Beginning with The Da Vinci Code and other modern conspiracy theories, Pastor Preus examines the Gnostic Gospels, the early Church Fathers, the development of Christian teaching about the Trinity, and the historical evidence surrounding the Council of Nicaea. Rather than inventing Christianity, Nicaea defended and confessed what Christians had already been teaching from Scripture for generations—especially that Jesus Christ is truly God, eternally begotten of the Father, and the Savior of mankind.   #ChristendomAndTheWorld #Christianity #Constantine #CouncilOfNicaea #NiceneCreed #Bible #Scripture #EarlyChurch #ChurchHistory #JesusChrist #Trinity #ChristianApologetics   Chapters (00:00) Opening Scripture reading and theme of grace, salvation, and good works (00:40) Why The Da Vinci Code shaped modern confusion about Jesus and the Bible (02:03) Apocryphal writings, Gnostic gospels, and why the Church rejected them (04:54) Nag Hammadi and the rise of "lost gospel" conspiracy theories (06:18) The claim that Constantine decided the Bible at Nicaea (08:17) The Da Vinci Code as the source of the Constantine canon myth (09:36) Constantine, Maxentius, and the political world before Nicaea (11:29) The Milvian Bridge, the Chi-Rho, and Constantine's conversion narrative (13:04) Arius and the phrase "there was a time when he was not" (15:23) Orthodox Christianity's response to Arianism (16:20) Earlier heresies: docetism, modalism, and denial of the Trinity (17:17) Why Jesus' baptism refutes modalist theology (18:42) Paul of Samosata, Antioch, and early language about substance and person (20:11) Scripture's teaching on the Trinity and the eternal Son (22:42) Josephus and the Jewish canon before Christianity (26:03) Early church fathers and organic reception of Scripture (28:00) Where the Nicaea canon myth likely came from (29:53) Reading the later apocryphal story about books on the altar (35:05) Why the surviving canons of Nicaea do not mention voting on Scripture (37:59) The synodical letter from Nicaea to the Church in Alexandria (38:56) The council's real action against Arius and his teachings (44:44) Easter, church order, and housekeeping decisions at Nicaea (46:38) What the council actually affirmed about Christ's divinity (51:03) Final takeaway: the Council of Nicaea defended Scripture, it did not create it

  4. Sep 9

    Legalism Among Us: What is the Source of the Christian Life?

    In this episode of Christendom and the World, Pastor Andrew Preus continues his discussion of Philip Hahn's "Enthusiasm Among Us" by turning to J.P. Koehler's 1914 essay "Legalism Among Us." Kaler's warning is directed specifically toward conservative, confessional Lutherans: even our zeal for pure doctrine, proper worship, sanctification, and church discipline can subtly become legalistic when we lose sight of the Gospel. Pastor Preus explores the difference between living from the Gospel and allowing the Law—or our outward forms, traditions, and intellectual formulations—to become the source of our Christian life. He discusses how the old Adam can even take good things like pure doctrine and use them to feed pride, suspicion, selfishness, and fear rather than faith, hope, and love. The episode also considers intellectualism, proof texts, traditionalism, ecumenical spirit, and how Christians should interact with those who hold doctrinal errors. The goal is not to abandon sound doctrine or discipline, but to remember why we guard them in the first place: because the Gospel of Jesus Christ is our life.     #ChristendomAndTheWorld #Lutheran #Christianity #Gospel #LawAndGospel #ConfessionalLutheran #ChristianDoctrine #Faith #JesusChrist #Theology #ChristianPodcast #LutheranTheology #Legalism   Chapters   00:00 Introduction to the dangers of legalism 02:00 Historical background of legalism among Lutherans 04:24 Legalism as a subtle infiltration in church practice 06:47 The difference between law and gospel 10:08 Manifestations of legalism in doctrine and worship 13:09 The role of faith, hope, and love in the Christian life 16:07 The danger of intellectualism and traditionalism 18:55 The importance of the gospel as the foundation 21:49 The false reliance on proof texts and doctrine 24:46 The ecumenical spirit rooted in the gospel 28:06 Practical application: guarding the gospel in church life 31:51 The life of faith as rooted in Christ 36:05 The danger of externalism and superficiality 39:52 The importance of the Holy Spirit's work 44:10 Summary and concluding thoughts on Christian freedom

  5. Sep 2

    Christian Freedom, Adiaphora, and the Worship Wars

    What does Christian freedom actually mean when it comes to worship, church traditions, and adiaphora? In this episode of Christendom and the World, Pastor Andrew Preus revisits the Lutheran teaching of adiaphora—things neither commanded nor forbidden by God—and considers what Christian freedom means for the church's worship and life together. Drawing on the Wauwatosa theologians and a recent article, "Enthusiasm Among Us," Pastor Preus examines the dangers of both legalism and enthusiasm. We can fall into legalism by treating traditions as laws simply because "we've always done it this way," but we can also fall into enthusiasm by trying to manufacture spiritual experiences through atmosphere, emotion, or entertainment. The answer is neither prohibition nor indifference. Rather, Christian freedom sends us back to Scripture, where we learn to use the forms and traditions of the church as witnesses to the Gospel. Ultimately, our confidence is not in a particular liturgical form, a tradition, or a manufactured experience—but in Christ and His life-giving Word. "Christian freedom includes a lot of disciplining of your own flesh. It includes a lot of digging into Scripture and a lot of repentance, but it is a wonderful life because it is one that relies only upon the grace of God in Jesus Christ and His life-giving Gospel."   #ChristendomAndTheWorld #ChristianFreedom #Adiaphora #Lutheran #LutheranTheology #Worship #WorshipWars #Gospel #Christianity #Theology #Scripture #ChurchHistory #Liturgy #LutheranChurch #ChristianDoctrine   0:00 — Introduction: Freedom, Adiaphora, and Christian Life 0:25 — Revisiting Wawatosa Theology and Gospel-Centered Teaching 3:22 — Why Doctrine Must Serve Life, Not Become Legalism 8:06 — The Ministry Debate and the Pastoral Office 15:12 — Christian Freedom and the Problem of Tradition for Tradition's Sake 20:27 — "Enthusiasm Among Us" and Gospel Freedom 24:42 — What Reveals the Church's Real Instinct? 30:16 — Adiaphora, Ordination, and Sunday Worship 37:48 — Worship Wars, Forms, and What They Actually Teach 43:11 — Holding to Christ, Not Just to Forms 52:13 — Why Adiaphora Exists for the Christian Will 57:09 — Theological Conclusion: Freedom, Repentance, and the Gospel

  6. Aug 26

    What is the Gospel? How do we talk about it?

    What exactly is the Gospel? And why does it matter how we define it? In this episode of Christendom and the World, we discuss the distinction between the Gospel in its broad sense and the Gospel in its narrow sense, along with the proper distinction between Law and Gospel. The Gospel in its narrow sense is the promise of forgiveness and salvation freely given through Jesus Christ. The Law exposes our sin and brings us to recognize that we cannot establish our own righteousness before God. The Gospel, however, points us entirely outside of ourselves—to Christ, who was crucified for our sins and raised for our justification. We also discuss baptism, faith, repentance, and the danger of turning God's gracious gifts into something we must accomplish for God rather than receiving what Christ has done for us. The episode ultimately comes back to the foundation of Christian faith and certainty: Christ and Him crucified. Christ alone.   #ChristendomAndTheWorld #Lutheran #LutheranTheology #LawAndGospel #TheGospel #ChristAlone #ChristCrucified #Justification #Faith #Baptism #ChristianDoctrine #ConfessionalLutheran #Gospel #Christianity

  7. Aug 19

    Lay Readers, Women Lectors, and the Public Reading of Scripture

    In this episode of Christendom and the World, Pastor Andrew Preus examines LCMS Resolution 5-09A and the ongoing debate over lay readers and the public reading of Scripture in the Divine Service. Pastor Preus discusses 1 Timothy 4:13, the nature of public Scripture reading as an act of teaching, and the biblical distinction between the various stations and vocations God has given to Christians. He also considers the arguments surrounding women serving as lectors, the history of the practice in the Missouri Synod, and the importance of allowing Scripture to interpret Scripture. The episode also looks at the role of the pastor, the historical use of trained male lay readers, the 2026 LCMS convention debate, and the importance of grounding our church practices in the Word of God rather than simply in historical precedent or contemporary custom. For questions or comments, email news@christiannewsmo.com.   #ChristendomAndTheWorld #ChristianNews #Lutheran #LCMS #LutheranChurch #Pastor #Bible #Scripture #ChurchHistory #Theology #DivineService #Worship #LayReaders #WomenLectors #PastoralOffice #ChurchPractice #SolaScriptura

  8. Aug 12

    What Is Christian Mysticism? Luther, Enthusiasm, and the Word of God

    This week on Christendom and the World, Pastor Andrew Preus is joined by Pastor Jesse Schlie for a conversation about mysticism and enthusiasm and whether there is such a thing as true, biblical Christian mysticism. Luther strongly warned against enthusiasm—the idea that God speaks to us apart from His external Word. But what does that mean for prayer, meditation, spiritual experience, and a Christian's personal awareness of God's work in their lives? In this episode, we discuss: What Luther meant by enthusiasm Why God speaks to our hearts through His Word, not out of our hearts The dangers of seeking signs, dreams, visions, and extra-biblical revelation Mysticism and its place throughout church history Luther's theology of the cross Oratio, meditatio, tentatio — prayer, meditation, and testing The relationship between Christian experience and Scripture How Luther's understanding of faith differs from the mysticism that came before him True Christian spirituality isn't found by looking beyond God's Word for something new. Rather, the Christian is brought deeper into the mystery of Christ through the Word, through faith, prayer, meditation, and the trials of life. For questions or comments, email news@christiannewsmo.com.   #ChristendomAndTheWorld #Lutheran #LutheranTheology #MartinLuther #Mysticism #Enthusiasm #ChristianMysticism #Theology #Scripture #Bible #TheologyOfTheCross #Pietism #Christianity #ConfessionalLutheranism

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
11 Ratings

About

Conversations on the state of the Christian church anchored against the waves of worldly doctrines, both past and present. Christendom is Christ's church as she has existed around the world in various situations throughout various times. The times change, but God's Word remains the same. Join host Pastor Andrew Preus and guests as we discuss how Christ's church on earth strives to maintain sound doctrine and proclaim the gospel in a fallen world. Through topics of church history, current events, and biblical study, Christendom and the World covers various trends the church must face as she stands on the foundation of Christ and his enduring Word.

Information

  • Creator
    Pastor Andrew Preus
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    84
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025
  • Show Website
    Christendom and the World

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