In this sequel episode, we update everyone on how we're processing through our different faith journeys, addressing common questions we've received, and finding common ground along the way. We also discuss a hodgepodge of topics, ranging from social justice in the Orthodox tradition, to what we mean when we say "I believe in the Bible," to theosis (Christlikeness), to doctrine and the idol of certainty.   Music Credit: LAKEY INSPIRED Track Name: "The Process" Music By: LAKEY INSPIRED Official SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired Official YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOmy8wuTpC95lefU5d1dt2Q License for commercial use: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported "Share Alike" (CC BY-SA 3.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/legalcode Music promoted by: Chill Out Records @ https://goo.gl/fh3rEJ www.ChillOutMedia.com / www.LoFi-HipHop.com

Life In The Gray

Are You SURE You're Still A Christian?

Based on a number of conversations, Derrick takes some time to further contextualize and clarify his newfound journey into Christian-Humanism, further defining the 'what' and the 'why' behind it all. This includes comparisons with Secular Humanism, practical applications of CH in our world, and why the word 'Christian' is not always helpful in conversations with others. 

BONUS: Clarifying Christian-Humanism

This one's a long time coming! In our rawest, diciest, most transparent episode yet, Luther and Derrick discuss where the last year of their faith journeys has taken them. Throughout this discussion, we wrestle with a question that many in our world are asking themselves: 'Am I still a Christian?' This podcast will never be the same again... Timestamps Introduction (0:00) Luther's Journey into Eastern Orthodoxy (5:50) Derrick's Journey into Christian-Humanism (32:30) Closing Thoughts (1:16:10)   Music Credit: LAKEY INSPIRED Track Name: "The Process" Music By: LAKEY INSPIRED Official SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired Official YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOmy8wuTpC95lefU5d1dt2Q License for commercial use: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported "Share Alike" (CC BY-SA 3.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/legalcode Music promoted by: Chill Out Records @ https://goo.gl/fh3rEJ www.ChillOutMedia.com / www.LoFi-HipHop.com

Am I Still A Christian?

How do we navigate death in a death-denying culture? Joining Derrick today is professor and author J. Todd Billings, whose recent cancer diagnosis has given him a sobering perspective on life. He enlightens us on how he's learned to embrace his mortality, and how we too can healthily navigate life in the midst of pain and suffering. Timestamps Writing in the 'Gray' (0:00) Embracing Our Mortality (3:04) Redefining 'Sheol' (8:41) How To Navigate Suffering in Our Relationships, Churches, and Bibles (18:53) Narratives & Near-Death Experiences (40:50)   Dr. J. Todd Billings is the Gordon H. Girod Research Professor of Reformed Theology at Western Theological Seminary in Holland, MI. An ordained minister in the Reformed Church in America, he received his M.Div. from Fuller Seminary and his Th.D. from Harvard. Check out his latest book The End of the Christian Life: How Embracing Our Mortality Free Us To Truly Live Connect with Dr. Billings at: jtoddbillings.com   Music Credit: LAKEY INSPIRED Track Name: "The Process" Music By: LAKEY INSPIRED Official SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired Official YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOmy8wuTpC95lefU5d1dt2Q License for commercial use: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported "Share Alike" (CC BY-SA 3.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/legalcode Music promoted by: Chill Out Records @ https://goo.gl/fh3rEJ www.ChillOutMedia.com / www.LoFi-HipHop.com

How Do You Deal With Death? [feat. J. Todd Billings]

The Old Testament can be tricky to navigate. But thankfully, biblical scholar and author Tremper Longman III has dedicated his life to helping people better understand it. We discuss principles of interpretation, the problem of divine violence, and the Apocrapha.  Timestamps Introducing Tremper Longman III (:54) Principles for Interpreting the Old Testament (OT) (8:45) Divine Violence in the OT (16:31) Other OT Controversies (37:45)   Dr. Tremper Longman III (B.A. Ohio Wesleyan University; M.Div. Westminster Theological Seminary; M.Phil. and Ph.D. Yale University) is the Distinguished Scholar of Biblical Studies at Westmont College. He has written over 30 books including commentaries on Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Daniel, and Nahum. His most recent book (with the psychologist Dan Allender) is God Loves Sex: An Honest Conversation about Sexual Desire and Holiness. His books have been translated into seventeen different languages. In addition, as a Hebrew scholar, he is one of the main translators of the popular New Living Translation of the Bible and has served as a consultant on other popular translations of the Bible including the Message, the New Century Version, the Holman Standard Bible, and the Common Bible. He has also edited and contributed to a number of Study Bibles and Bible Dictionaries, most recently the Baker Illustrated Bible Dictionary (2013). Connect with Tremper at: tremperlongman.com   Music Credit: LAKEY INSPIRED Track Name: "The Process" Music By: LAKEY INSPIRED Official SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired Official YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOmy8wuTpC95lefU5d1dt2Q License for commercial use: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported "Share Alike" (CC BY-SA 3.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/legalcode Music promoted by: Chill Out Records @ https://goo.gl/fh3rEJ www.ChillOutMedia.com / www.LoFi-HipHop.com    

What To Do With The Old Testament? [feat. Tremper Longman III]

We're on another road trip, this time driving from our co-host Michelle's wedding! We chat it up with the wives to discuss our dating experiences, whether or not we can change our spouse, and our best marriage advice.  Timestamps What do you appreciate about marriage? (1:56) Can you change your spouse? (11:40) Lightening Round: First Date, Wedding Song, Favorite Vacation (29:16) Our best marriage advice (39:48)   Music Credit: LAKEY INSPIREDTrack Name: "The Process"Music By: LAKEY INSPIRED Official SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspiredOfficial YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOmy8wuTpC95lefU5d1dt2QLicense for commercial use: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported "Share Alike" (CC BY-SA 3.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/legalcodeMusic promoted by: Chill Out Records @ https://goo.gl/fh3rEJ www.ChillOutMedia.com / www.LoFi-HipHop.com

On The Road #2: Marriage In The Gray [feat. Wives In The Gray]

In Post-Christian America, what does the church need to do in order to be relevant and effective? Should the church be focused on tweaking its current model, or does it need to tear it all down and start over with a fresh approach? Joining us is Caleb Keller, the leader of BILD's national CityChurch Network. Caleb is committed to nurturing church communities in a way that's grounded in the Scriptures. Timestamps One Man's Passion for the Local Church (3:46) The Current State of the Church (9:24) The Church in Scripture: Descriptive vs. Prescriptive (12:34) The House Church Movement (15:48) The Future of the Church (27:06)   Caleb has been a part of the BILD and Antioch School team since 2016, following a decade of non-vocational work with the team. Caleb works together with the leaders of Antioch School programs, helping them complete their certifications, and training them in the BILD paradigm and systems. Locally, he is part of the leadership team of the CityChurch of Ames-Des Moines, and helps to lead BILD's national CityChurch Network. Caleb grew up in Ames, where he makes his home with his wife Annie and his two young boys. To learn more about the Antioch School, visit: antiochschool.edu   Music Credit: LAKEY INSPIREDTrack Name: "The Process"Music By: LAKEY INSPIRED Official SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspiredOfficial YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOmy8wuTpC95lefU5d1dt2QLicense for commercial use: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported "Share Alike" (CC BY-SA 3.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/legalcodeMusic promoted by: Chill Out Records @ https://goo.gl/fh3rEJ www.ChillOutMedia.com / www.LoFi-HipHop.com

The Church in 2021: Adapt or Die? [feat. Caleb Keller]

Acclaimed writer and filmmaker Kevin Miller (Hellbound, JESUSA) joins Derrick to wrestle with the relationship of violence to Christian nationalism, scapegoating, and the afterlife. Is there ever a good reason to use violence? Does the Bible teach us to use violence when necessary? Is God violent towards his enemies? Will God eventually save everyone? Buckle up for this one!  Timestamps The Journey of a Documentary Filmmaker (0:00) The Nature of Evil (18:03) How We Justify Violence (30:51) Jesus the Scapegoat (44:00) God & Violence in the Bible (54:18) Hellbound? (1:10:37)   Kevin Miller has worked on over a dozen films, including documentaries, feature films, and short film projects (he's Kevin Miller XI on imdb.com) and over a hundred books, both fiction and non-fiction, many of which he worked on as an editor. His best-selling debut novel Up the Creek has sold over 10,000 copies and has topped Amazon.com's Canadian literature chart for over 9 weeks. Kevin's career has taken him all over the planet, from the secret underground world beneath Moscow to the Brazilian rainforest. He's snorkeled with sharks in the Galapagos, interviewed war criminals in a fly-infested market in Sierra Leone, traveled across Europe with Ben Stein, shaken hands with Chuck Norris (he's still smarting from that encounter), and done chin-ups in Kirk Cameron's bedroom. Along the way, he even got to play one of the most iconic comic book villains of all time, Lex Luthor, in an episode of the TV series Smallville. ​In addition to his work in film and publishing, Kevin has taught extensively, conducting writing classes and workshops in schools, colleges, and at conferences across Canada and the US as well as in the UK and Australia. Check out his latest film JESUSA here: jesusafilm.com Connect with Kevin at: kevinmillerxi.com   Music Credit: LAKEY INSPIREDTrack Name: "The Process"Music By: LAKEY INSPIRED Official SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspiredOfficial YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOmy8wuTpC95lefU5d1dt2QLicense for commercial use: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported "Share Alike" (CC BY-SA 3.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/legalcodeMusic promoted by: Chill Out Records @ https://goo.gl/fh3rEJ www.ChillOutMedia.com / www.LoFi-HipHop.com

Can Violence Ever Be Redemptive? [feat. Kevin Miller]

We're back in a new year with Season 5! After the storm that was 2020, we discuss how to pick up the pieces and rediscover what we might've lost in the chaos: a sense of purpose. Joining us is none other than the Destiny Activator herself, Jennifer Fonseca.  Also listen in for a major announcement regarding Michelle and Season 5.  Timestamps Season 5 Updates/Announcement (0:16) Introducing Jennifer Fonseca: Destiny Activator (4:30) Purpose and Our Work (13:31) Purpose and Our Identity (16:53) How To Find My Purpose (29:15)   Jennifer currently serves as the Destiny Activator / Assistant Director of Career Development at Palm Beach Atlantic University, while managing her private coaching practice. She is published in a NASPA Journal and Player magazine. She earned her M.Ed. at the University of Toledo (after reading and embracing What Color is Your Parachute), and has a B.S. in Journalism/Public Relations from Bowling Green State University. She was certified by Gallup in 2003 in StrengthsFinder, and is a certified practitioner in the Strong Interest Inventory and Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Connect with Jennifer and activate our destiny at: jenniferfonseca.com   Music Credit: LAKEY INSPIREDTrack Name: "The Process"Music By: LAKEY INSPIRED Official SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspiredOfficial YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOmy8wuTpC95lefU5d1dt2QLicense for commercial use: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported "Share Alike" (CC BY-SA 3.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/legalcodeMusic promoted by: Chill Out Records @ https://goo.gl/fh3rEJ www.ChillOutMedia.com / www.LoFi-HipHop.com

What Is My Purpose? [feat. Jennifer Fonseca]

Ready for some unfiltered 'Gray?' Recorded on a road trip back in February, this might be our most ridiculous episode yet! We'll be back in January for the premiere of Season 5. In the meantime, Merry Christmas from the Gray and stay safe!    Music Credit: LAKEY INSPIREDTrack Name: "The Process"Music By: LAKEY INSPIRED Official SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspiredOfficial YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOmy8wuTpC95lefU5d1dt2QLicense for commercial use: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported "Share Alike" (CC BY-SA 3.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/legalcodeMusic promoted by: Chill Out Records @ https://goo.gl/fh3rEJ www.ChillOutMedia.com / www.LoFi-HipHop.com  

On The Road #1: Will There Be Fast Food In Heaven? [feat. Wives In The Gray]

Is God's Spirit only in Christians? What do Christians often misunderstand about the Holy Spirit? How does the Spirit confront injustice in our world? Joining us this episode is none other than renowned biblical scholar Jack Levison in one of our most lively, challenging, and thought-provoking discussions yet.  Timestamps The Faith Journey of a Scholar (1:56) The Spirit Throughout the Bible (16:20) The Experience of the Spirit (30:51) The Spirit In Our Lives (48:38) The Spirit In Our World Today  (1:02:15)   Jack Levison holds the W. J. A. Power Chair of Old Testament Interpretation and Biblical Hebrew at Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University. Raised in a tract house in Levittown, New York, Jack left to attend Wheaton College, followed by an MA at Cambridge University. When he returned from England to pursue doctoral studies at Duke University, Jack fell in love with a divinity student, Priscilla Pope, whose office is now just down the hall from him at SMU. With essays in the Huffington Post, parade.com, relevant.com, and beliefnet.com, Jack's writing and speaking appeal to a wide swath of readers. In the course of his career, he has received the Fitzpatrick Prize for theology at Cambridge University, as well as grants from the National Humanities Center, the Lilly Fellows Program, the Louisville Institute, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the Rotary Foundation, the International Catacomb Society, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Jack lives in Lower Greenville, a thriving urban hub of Dallas, with Priscilla--not too far from his adult children, Chloe and Jeremy. To Find out more about Jack at jacklevison.com. Pre-Order Jack's latest book An Unconventional God: The Spirit According To Jesus    Music Credit: LAKEY INSPIREDTrack Name: "The Process"Music By: LAKEY INSPIRED Official SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspiredOfficial YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOmy8wuTpC95lefU5d1dt2QLicense for commercial use: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported "Share Alike" (CC BY-SA 3.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/legalcodeMusic promoted by: Chill Out Records @ https://goo.gl/fh3rEJ www.ChillOutMedia.com / www.LoFi-HipHop.com

Spirit In The Gray [feat. Jack Levison]

Two years ago, we checked in with Derrick to see how his views had changed over time. Now it's time to do the same with Luther as we hear how his views have changed on owning a gun, women in ministry, tithing, sex, and even the Bible.      Music Credit: LAKEY INSPIREDTrack Name: "The Process"Music By: LAKEY INSPIRED   Official SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspiredOfficial YouTube Channel:   https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOmy8wuTpC95lefU5d1dt2QLicense for commercial use: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported "Share Alike" (CC BY-SA 3.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/legalcodeMusic promoted by: Chill Out Records @ https://goo.gl/fh3rEJ   www.ChillOutMedia.com / www.LoFi-HipHop.com

Where Are You At Now? (Luther Edition)

What do we make of George Floyd, police brutality, Black Lives Matter, white supremacy, and protests across the nation? Luther and Derrick once again engage in a passionate conversation on race and why it matters for this moment we find ourselves in.   Music Credit: LAKEY INSPIREDTrack Name: "The Process"Music By: LAKEY INSPIRED Official SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspiredOfficial YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOmy8wuTpC95lefU5d1dt2QLicense for commercial use: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported "Share Alike" (CC BY-SA 3.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/legalcodeMusic promoted by: Chill Out Records @ https://goo.gl/fh3rEJ www.ChillOutMedia.com / www.LoFi-HipHop.com

Race In America: Where Do We Go From Here?

Are conspiracy theories outlandish speculations or covered-up truth? It's time to find out which of us is the craziest as we each share a well-known conspiracy theory that we believe has some shred of credibility based on evidence. Does your favorite conspiracy make the cut?   Music Credit: LAKEY INSPIREDTrack Name: "The Process"Music By: LAKEY INSPIRED Official SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspiredOfficial YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOmy8wuTpC95lefU5d1dt2QLicense for commercial use: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported "Share Alike" (CC BY-SA 3.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/legalcodeMusic promoted by: Chill Out Records @ https://goo.gl/fh3rEJ www.ChillOutMedia.com / www.LoFi-HipHop.com

Conspiracy Theories: Facts or Fakes?

What starts off as a rant about the "Christian Girl Instagram" develops into a larger conversation about how social media can hinder us from practicing spiritual disciplines solely for an audience of One.   Music Credit: LAKEY INSPIREDTrack Name: "The Process"Music By: LAKEY INSPIRED Official SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspiredOfficial YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOmy8wuTpC95lefU5d1dt2QLicense for commercial use: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported "Share Alike" (CC BY-SA 3.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/legalcodeMusic promoted by: Chill Out Records @ https://goo.gl/fh3rEJ www.ChillOutMedia.com / www.LoFi-HipHop.com

The Instagram Quiet Time (And Other Forms of Social Media Spirituality)

Hosts Derrick Hatch, Luther Menard, and Michelle Turner discuss controversial topics and address tough questions about God, church, and culture.

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Life In The Gray

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