127 episodes

Christians shouldn’t just think. They should think Christian. Join Dr. James Spencer and guests for calm, thoughtful, theological discussions about a variety of topics Christians face every day. The Thinking Christian Podcast will help you grow spiritually and learn theology as you seek to be faithful in a world that is becoming increasingly proficient at telling stories that deny Christ.

Find more from James at https://usefultogod.com/.

Thinking Christian: Clear Theology for a Confusing World LifeAudio

    • Religion & Spirituality
    • 4.5 • 17 Ratings

Christians shouldn’t just think. They should think Christian. Join Dr. James Spencer and guests for calm, thoughtful, theological discussions about a variety of topics Christians face every day. The Thinking Christian Podcast will help you grow spiritually and learn theology as you seek to be faithful in a world that is becoming increasingly proficient at telling stories that deny Christ.

Find more from James at https://usefultogod.com/.

    Thinking about Faith, Leadership, and Baseball: A Conversation with Dayton Moore

    Thinking about Faith, Leadership, and Baseball: A Conversation with Dayton Moore

    In this episode, James and Nate sit down with Dayton Moore. In addition to holding various other positions in Major League Baseball, Dayton was a general manager for the Royals. Under his leadership, the Royals won the world series in 2015. James, Nate and Dayton talk about leadership, the need for mentoring, and the importance of faith in Jesus Christ. 
    Dayton is also the founder and board president of C You In the Major Leagues, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting children and families in crisis and developing strong future leaders.
    To connect with James, visit https://usefultogod.com/contact-us.
    You can find out more about C You In the Majors at https://cyouinthemajorleagues.org/.
    Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

    • 55 min
    How Should Christians Build Resilience and Character in a Digital Age? A Conversation with Jay Y. Kim

    How Should Christians Build Resilience and Character in a Digital Age? A Conversation with Jay Y. Kim

    In this episode, James sits down with Jay Y. Kim, author of Analog Christian: Cultivating Contentment, Resilience, and Wisdom in the Digital Age. James and Jay discuss the promise and pitfalls of digital technologies, how to slow down in a world that is constantly pushing us to speed up, and technology's capacity to shape us into something other than the image of Christ.
    You can connect with James at usefultogod.com.
    To purchase Jay's book at ivpress.com (use IVPPOD20 for a 20% discount). 
    Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

    • 53 min
    How Should Christians Think about Manhood? A Conversation with Jake Hamilton

    How Should Christians Think about Manhood? A Conversation with Jake Hamilton

    In this episode, James talks with Jake Hamilton, author of Journey to Biblical Masculinity: 12 Paths Every Man Must Take. Jake is also the founder and CEO of "The Fight," a ministry dedicated to challenging men to own who they are and discover who they could be. They discuss how to distringuish what it means to be a man from more general spiritual and character formation that would apply to both genders. They also speak about the importance of "owning" one's own self, the need for wise elders in the body of Christ, and the vulnerability necessary to become Christian men. 
    To connect with James, visit https://usefultogod.com/contact-us.
    To purchase Jake's book, visit amazon.com or thisisthefight.com. You can also find out more about "The Fight" at thisisthefight.com.
    Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

    • 59 min
    Learning from God's Presence and Provision: A Devotional on the David and Goliath Narrative

    Learning from God's Presence and Provision: A Devotional on the David and Goliath Narrative

    In this episode, James discusses 1 Samuel 17, the narrative of David and Goliath. He discusses the differences between David and the other characters in the narrative, as well as highlighting the underlying theology of this well-known Bible story.
    To connect with James, visit usefultogod.com or get his latest book Serpents and Doves: Christians, Politics, and the Art of Bearing Witness on amazon.com. You can also take the Serpents and Doves online course here.
    Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

    • 21 min
    How Can We Be Alert to God's Presence and Alive to God's Love? A Conversation with Helen Cepero

    How Can We Be Alert to God's Presence and Alive to God's Love? A Conversation with Helen Cepero

    In this episode, James has a conversation with Helen Cepero. Helen is the author of Christ-Shaped Character: Choosing Love, Faith and Hope. She also started the C. John Weborg Center for Spiritual Direction at North Park Seminary and practices spiritual direction formation program at the Journey Center in Santa Rosa, CA. James and Helen discuss spiritual direction, the role of effort and discipline in Christian spiritual life, and the importance of listening to others. 
    You can connect with James at https://usefultogod.com/contact-us.
    Purchase Christ-Shaped Character at ivpress.com (use IVPPOD20 for a 20% discount). You can also get Helen's book titled Journaling as a Spiritual Practice here.
    Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

    • 46 min
    How Should Christians Think about the Relationship between Church and State? Reflecting on the National Conservatism Conference

    How Should Christians Think about the Relationship between Church and State? Reflecting on the National Conservatism Conference

    In this episode, James is joined by co-host Nate Giarratano. James and Nate discuss some of the conversations that occurred at last week's National Conservatism Conference in Washington, D.C., where Pastor Doug Wilson, Al Mohler, and others spoke about America, politics, and Christianity. James lays out five ideas that are crucial for understanding the relationship between Church and state and interacts with some of the statements made at the conference. 
    To connect with James, visit usefultogod.com or get his latest book Serpents and Doves: Christians, Politics, and the Art of Bearing Witness on amazon.com. You can also take the Serpents and Doves online course here.
    For more on the conference, see the article posted here along with the associated links. 
    Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

    • 1 hr 6 min

Customer Reviews

4.5 out of 5
17 Ratings

17 Ratings

Delaney Vulcano ,

Important

Love this show. The interview with the KC Wolf is my favorite so far!

Bespectacled Ape ,

Seems Trumpvangelical

I frequently hear Evangelical canards like:
- both candidates are bad
- government is bad
- Christians have the right to act however they want

Maybe the Bible DOES speak to common issues like masks (Gal 5:13 etc) and these guys just assume it doesn't, for their own party's best interests? Really pathetic and pedestrian discussion.

mdhbpb ,

Human trafficking

Don’t forget about the US being the largest human trafficking in the world. Tim Ballard and Tim Tebow in different ways have done a lot to remove people from human trafficking. YouTube prevents those words from being used by YouTubers. Thanks for what you do as well.

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