In “At The Hour of My Death” the Three Failed Pastors consider the importance of real hope.
It doesn’t seem possible to find a substantial reason to achieve or to act morally without some expectation of continued consciousness beyond this life. In this final episode in our Faith That Works series, we explore the need and reasons for an eternal hope at the hour of my death.
On our journey of exploration, we travel through deep skepticism both over any real purpose for life and over any reason to believe in an afterlife. We’ll consider the implications of the recent debate over AI before surveying some conclusions reached in Plato’s Republic. At the end of the conversation, we’ll contend that the Christian hope is both necessary and reasonable.
In “Point That Somewhere Else,” the three failed pastors discuss the human need to worship.
Some form of worship features in almost every culture around the world. While common the human inclination to honor something “other” can be problematic as well. In Faith That Works episode 11, the three failed pastors argue for the validity of the gospel by showing that it guides people to “point that somewhere else.”
In our first listener response episode, we get to hear Jeremy’s perception of “Faith Like Yeast.”
Kent and Nathan sit down with Jeremy, one of our listeners, to hear his reaction to “Faith Like Yeast,” and to attempt to clarify some ideas shared there.
In “Faith Like Yeast,” two of the three failed pastors explore the value of the gospel to society at large.
As we continue through the Faith That Works series, we explore the value of the gospel even to those who don’t believe it. Through a survey of ancient and modern worldviews, we affirm that Christianity is a faith like yeast that permeates and improves the surrounding culture.
In today’s episode, Nathan referred to some examples. Here are some links for more information:
BBC article on Andrew Graystone who made a sign and stood watch outside a mosque in the UK after the shooting in Christchurch New Zealand.
In “The Miraculous 8 Ball Part 2” the Three Failed Pastors explore the power of the gospel to stop sex abuse.
On May 26th, the Southern Baptist Convention released a report detailing decades of sexual abuse by ministers and coverups on the part of denominational leaders. This bombshell coupled with the now-well-documented culture of pederasty among catholic priests might compel us to wonder if Christianity fosters sexual abuse. In “The Miraculous 8 Ball Part 2,” Nathan and Alex argue that the gospel is the only resource we have to combat institutional evil of every kind.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of sexual abuse within Southern Baptist Churches, Guidepost Solutions in conjunction with the SBC has set up a hotline which can be accessed below.
The likeness of Christ is our true north and the adventure is his experience.
In “True North and the Adventure”, we discuss why the gospel works when religious systems don’t. While dogmatic systems prescribe behavior regardless of circumstances, the Christian faith gives us an ultimate goal to pursue. Because we know the destination, we no longer need the directions. We can say with Paul, “All things are lawful, but not all things are helpful.”
Episode Notes
In this episode, Nathan discusses Paul’s four spiritual laws. Kent thought it would be good to publish an article on that topic for those who’d like to learn more. Here’s a link to our article, “The Original Four Spiritual Laws.”
In “The Strength of My Heart,” the Three Failed Pastors share stories that demonstrate the ability of the gospel to bolster the human psyche.
Life can be a lot to handle in even normal circumstances much less during times of great duress. Episode 5 in our Faith That Works series explores faith in God as that which David called, “the strength of my heart.”
In “Religious Darwinism,” the Three Failed Pastors explore the implications of the fitness of the gospel.
In our current series, “Faith that Works,” we’ve been exploring the utility of the gospel and how that argues for its viability as a worldview. In this fourth episode of that series, we examine the gospel’s survival and how that argues for its fitness relative to other historic and contemporary belief systems. We assert that over two billion people around the world believe in Jesus today due to what we call “Religious Darwinism.”
In “God is so Meta” we demonstrate how the gospel provides the one metanarrative that unifies and liberates at the same time.
Every person engages with the world through their own narrative. Communities cohere around a shared narrative. While they help us interpret our experiences and operate as a group, narratives can also inhibit personal growth and cause division between different societies. In “God is so Meta” the three failed pastors explore the benefits and dangers of narrative. We will argue for the need for a grand metanarrative and demonstrate how the gospel satisfies that need without destroying diversity.
