Doctrine and Devotion is a weekly podcast exploring Christian faith and practice from an experiential perspective marked by the fun and humor that characterize real friendship.
The guys are back, this time talking about the expectations congregations have of their pastors. What expectations are appropriate? Are pastors held to a higher standard? Plus, Joe gets things #crackalackin.
Joe and Jimmy step gently into the current back and forth on racial reconciliation. They talk about the sin of racism and the basis of reconciliation with an aim at encouraging people to "love, listen, understand, and help."
Joe and Jimmy are back after taking their kids to see two very different kinds of movies. In this episode they talk about idealism in ministry and how it can become dangerous if untethered from reality. How do we hold on to our biblical convictions while adapting to the demands of a growing church? Can one be both faithful and flexible in church ministry? This is another example of the guys thinking out loud. We'd love to have you join the conversation, so it fly on social media.
Joe and Jimmy sit down to discuss sermons stealing right after having a couple's fight over lunch. What do the guys think of using other preacher's sermons for their own congregations? What's the harm? When does using other's work become a sin issue? What should a preacher do if he has to preach but has little time to prepare? Plus, antidotes vs. anecdotes.
Many of our public leaders in the evangelical church have fallen morally and have either resigned or been removed from ministry. Most recently, Frank Page, former President and CEO of the SBC Executive Committee resigned, confessing to having been in a " morally inappropriate relationship ." Dr. Paige Patterson, President of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary penned an encouraging "open letter" to Southern Baptist on how to move forward after this most recent admission of guilt. You can r...
Jimmy and Joe sit down to discuss Redeemer Fellowship's Leadership Lab and our top ten "preaching don'ts." What is Leadership Lab, and how do we run it? And what are out top ten "don'ts" for preachers and teachers, and what can we do to fight against them? We've listed them below for people who like lists. Plus, Jimmy's hand gestures, Joe's brow wiping, and "mom's spaghetti." Preaching Don'ts 1. Don't tell long stories. 2. Don't delay getting to the point. 3. Don't go down rabbit trails. 4. Don'...
Joe and Jimmy are joined by Richard Clark (no, not that one) to talk about the whole enneagram phenomenon. What is the enneagram , and is it something we should be wary of, or does it have some value? You can check out the book, The Road Back to You , for a positive perspective, and Kevin DeYoung's critique here . CT also has an article called The Enneagram for Pastors that you can check out. Richard is the co-founder Christ in Pop Culture, and the director of editorial development for CT Pastor...
Today Jimmy and Joe answer some email questions about membership. How do we think of baptism as a prerequisite for baptism? Should nonmembers be allowed to serve on a worship team for corporate worship? How do we deal with people who are resistant to the idea of membership? And what is the membership process like at Redeemer Fellowship?
Joe and Jimmy pick up the cause of baby dedications and argue for the practice on biblical grounds. That's right, we argue it's actually biblical. Check it out. Plus, All-4-One and lactose intolerance!
The guys are back and talking about worship, but this time they focus on some of the more subtle and practical aspects of corporate worship. So feel free to raise your hands, but only if you have a question. How should we think about the "order of service" and liturgy? How should we approach the reading of Scripture in the service? Does it matter whether we use hymnals or a big screen? How should we approach the issue of musical style? What we do matters, but how we do it matters as well. Plus, ...
Joe and Jimmy talk through the issue of divorce. Why does God allow for it? Is divorce always wrong? What are the acceptable reasons for divorce? What about remarriage after divorce? We expect some push back on this perspective, so join the conversation online. Just keep it biblical. Plus, Jimmy and Joe share their recent jams.
The guys continue their conversation with Pastor Eric Mason at the famous Iwan Ries in downtown Chicago. This time the subject shifts to the Lord's Supper. What is the meaning and significance of the Lord’s Supper? How is it different from baptism? What can we learn from the church in Corinth concerning this ordinance? Plus, Eric compare Jimmy and Joe to Statler and Waldorf of the Muppets. If you missed Part One of our discussion with Eric on Baptist, you can find it here . Eric is the founder a...
Joe and Jimmy meet up with Pastor Eric Mason at the oldest cigar shop in the United States, Iwan Reis . Today is part one of a two-part conversation about the ordinances. First up is baptism. This is a great discussion filled with history and scripture. Eric is the founder and pastor of Epiphany Fellowship in Philadelphia, PA, and the author of Unleashed: Being Conformed to the Image of Christ , Beat God to the Punch: Because Jesus Demands Your Life , and Manhood Restored: How the Gospel Makes M...
Jimmy and Joe are up to talk about "attractional churches." What is an attractional church? Is it a bad thing? Does size have an impact on this issue? Should the church be attractive in any way? Plus, Joe and Jimmy affirm Steve Furtick. For real. Just not this theology.
Jimmy and Joe sit down to talk through Christian mysticism. What is Christian mysticism, and is it dangerous? Even when wrong, is Christian mysticism trying to emphasize something many Christians miss? On this episode we recommend Henry Scougal's The Life of God in the Soul of Man and point listeners back to our conversation with Don Whitney on Fasting and Fountain Pens . Plus, would you like to hear the guys' wives sit down to record a podcast? If so hit them up on Facebook and let 'em know. #d...
The guys are back with Ed Stetzer (Ed holds the distinguished Billy Graham Chair of Church, Mission, and Evangelism at Wheaton College and serves as Executive Director of the Billy Graham Center) to talk about Christians and cultural engagement. Why are so many in our culture so angry? How should we approach social media? What about Pastors and platforms? LGBT? How does good conversation matter to the work of cultural engagement? Plus, Ed tries to save Jimmy and Joe from their own words and regr...
Today Joe and Jimmy drop a bonus episode to talk about the Florida High School shooting, how we can think through some of the issues involved, and some ways to guard ourselves in responding to this mass murder.
The guys sit down with Dr. Ed Stetzer to talk about church health and revitalization. What are the basic symptoms of an unhealthy church, and what are the first steps in moving the church back toward biblical vitality? Ed has some great words for us all. And one of those words is "jackwagon." Be sure to follow Ed on Twitter at @edstetzer . Who is Ed Stetzer? Don't pretend you don't know. Everybody knows that Ed holds the distinguished Billy Graham Chair of Church, Mission, and Evangelism at Whea...
The guys are back and open up the mailbag to answer some listener questions. This time: praying for preachers, how to run a preaching lab, complementarity, and yes, another question on cigars and causing people to stumble. Plus, included in the show notes is Jimmy's famous "presidential portrait." #presidentfofo
Joe and Jimmy wrap up their discussion of Graeme Goldsworthy's Gospel and Kingdom by focusing on the chapters that walk the reader through the Kingdom of God throughout the Old Testament, culminating in the New Covenant in Jesus Christ. What is it that makes up the Kingdom of God, and where does it first appear in Scripture? Plus, Jimmy brings Diet Coke and Joe repents of his rebellion against seatbelt laws. Sort of. If you are late to this party we highly recommend that you pick up The Goldswor...
Joe and Jimmy sit down with author, professor , and fountain pen enthusiast, Dr. Don Whitney, to talk about spiritual disciples in general, and fasting and silence in particular. What is a "spiritual discipline"? How important are the biblical disciplines for the Christian life? Why should we fast, and why is it so neglected today? How is silence and solitude a biblical discipline? Be sure to check out Dr. Whitney's website, biblicalspirituality.org , and pick up his books linked below....
As Jimmy and Joe go back to Graeme Goldsworthy little gem, Gospel and Kingdom , they dive into chapter 5, "Covenant and Kingdom". What is the Kingdom of God, and how is it presented in the Bible? Where do we first see the Kingdom, and what place does the kingdom have in different parts of Scripture? Is the Kingdom a present reality or a future hope? What impact should our citizenship in the Kingdom of God have in our daily lives in this world? If you are joining in now, be sure to pick up The Go...
The guys sit down with the super tall author, podcaster, self-professed curmudgeon, Barnabas Piper, to talk about friendship. Jimmy and Joe have addressed this topic in the past (here and here), but they really wanted to hear Barnabas' perspective. What is friendship and why is it so important to a full and healthy life? What does it take to be a good friend? It's a great conversation that will help you think more deeply about friendship. Be sure to check out Barnabas' website , podcast , and, f...
John Piper recently stirred up some controversy when he explained that he does not believe women should be teaching men in seminary who are training for the pastorate . Jimmy and Joe jump into the conversation in this bonus episode.
The guys are back talking through Graeme Goldsworthy's Gospel and Kingdom , this time hitting Chapter 4, "Biblical Theology and the History of Redemption." What is the interplay between systematic theology and biblical theology? What is progressive revelation? How do we seek to demonstrate the relevance of the Old Testament to the Christian life today? How does exegesis, hermeneutics, homiletics help us in understanding and applying the Scripture? Plus, Joe is right, and Jimmy is wrong. If you a...
Jimmy and Joe flew up to the Bethlehem Conference for Pastors and Church Leaders to talk with a few different people. First up we share our conversation with Courtney Reissig , the author of The Accidental Feminist , and Glory in the Ordinary . We had a great time hanging out with Courtney, even though she's never listened to Doctrine and Devotion. Get her books (and men, we're talking to you, too) Be sure to follow Courtney on Twitter , and tell her to listen to Doctrine and Devotion!...
Joe and Jimmy continue their discussion of Graeme Goldsworthy's Gospel and Kingdom , this time focusing on Chapter 3, "What is the Old Testament?" How do we make sense of the different genres of literature in the Old Testament? Is the Old Testament history, and if so, what kind of history is it? If you are joining in now, be sure to pick up The Goldsworthy Trilogy . You'll get three of Goldsworthy's works, including Gospel and Kingdom . The page numbers will line up exactly with the single volum...
Joe and Jimmy are back on the mics talking about Family Integrated Churches. What do the guys like about FIC, and where do they disagree? How does Redeemer Fellowship handle the issue of family integration? CORRECTION Logos is our sponsor this month and is offering a 10% discount on the purchase of Logos 7 when using the discount code docanddevo7. We incorrectly said the discount is 20%. We apologize for our error. SPONSOR Logos Bible Software is offering Doctrine and Devotion listeners 10% off ...
The guys got a lot of feedback about doing a multi-part series on Graeme Goldsworthy's Gospel and Kingdom. Today we kick off the series looking at the aim of his little book, and the place the Old Testament should have in the life of a Christian. How do we get the OT wrong? Why should we read the Old Testament and how should we read it? If you are joining in now, be sure to pick up The Goldsworthy Trilogy by Graeme Goldsworthy.
Joe and Jimmy ditched their schedule topic and wind up talking about a church dating app. They are thinking out loud as the talk abut the idea. They don't like it, but are they being too hard? Are they just too old to understand?
