Does Flat Earth theory have any basis? Is this an example of the Bible and science contradicting? Does the Bible ever explicitly state what shape the Earth is?In today’s episode, Pastor Jackie and Pastor Derek talk through a listener question regarding flat earth theory. We look at the history of beliefs on the shape of the Earth as well as some observational evidence presented out there. We then dig through the Scriptures to see what God says about His earth and whether or not this is a situ...

Do parents idolize their kids in America? How much of a parent’s life should revolve around their child? How should kids treat their parents?In today’s episode, Pastor Jackie and Pastor Derek talk through a listener question regarding parent/child relationships. We talk through the roles of each and how they change as people age. We talk through what it means to honor your parents and the role parents have in developing and disciplining their own children. We spend much of the time giving bib...

People love their pets, but do they have the same rights as humans? Should we stand with organizations like PETA for the rights of animals? In today’s episode, Pastor Jackie and Pastor Derek talk through the topic of animals rights in America. We look through Scripture to see how God views animals, how he commands mankind to interact with animals, and how that should impact us today. We talk through the role of hunting and eating meat, while also addressing cruelty to animals and how we ...

Is it sinful to listen to music that isn’t specifically about God? Are certain genres of music more appropriate than others? What exactly is “secular music” anyways?In today’s episode, Pastor Jackie and Pastor Derek talk through the topic of music and what kind of content Christians should listen to. We look through the Bible to see a variety of instruments used for all sorts of purposes. We look at the definition of secular music to decipher whether this music is worth listening to or if it ...

How does a church keep a pastor in check? Is there a correct hierarchy within leadership that all churches should implement? In today’s episode, Pastor Jackie and Pastor Derek talk through a listener question about hierarchy within the church and across various denominations with the intention of figuring out how best to structure accountability within the church. In some churches, it can seem like the pastors have too much power, but in others, it may feel like they hardly have power at...

What the heck is a millennium and when is it supposed to happen? Will we get a thousand years of peace on Earth, or is it already happening?In today’s episode, Pastor Jackie and Pastor Derek talk through a listener question about the Millennium. We primarily talk through Premillennialism, Postmillennialism, and Amillennialism to debate the various views of the thousand years of peace that is mentioned in Revelation 20. We hope that this episode is helpful to your understanding of some confusi...

Is it disrespectful to God and others to eat or drink in the sanctuary? What about coffee? Water? Should churches have "No food or drink" signs? In today’s episode, Pastor Jackie and Pastor Derek talk through a listener question regarding eating and drinking in the sanctuary. We look through what God has to say regarding reverence in worship as well as how the early church handled this issue to see if we can learn how the modern church of America ought to deal with eating in the sanctuary...

The Intertestamental Period. There may only be one page separating the OT and NT in your Bible, but what actually happened during that time frame and does it have much relevancy for the Christian? In today’s episode, Pastor Jackie and Pastor Derek talk through a listener question regarding the "400 years of silence" between the Testaments. We find that there are tons of relevant things that happened between historical wars and fulfillment's of prophecy that shed light on context around the...

Ever feel shame over sin and wonder why God still forgives you? How many times can I sin before His forgiveness runs out? In today’s episode, Pastor Jackie and Pastor Derek talk through a young listener's question regarding God's forgiveness. We dive through a simple answer followed by a deeper answer regarding God's character and his grace. We hope that this episode can be reassuring to you in your walk with the Lord and lead you to rejoice in the Lord even more today! The 17:17 podcast is...

Easter is one of the most popular Christian holidays, but what do we do with all of the cultural elements? Eggs, Easter Bunnies, and candy...should we even partake? What if the origins of Easter are more pagan than we realized? In today’s episode, Pastor Jackie and Pastor Derek talk through the origins of Easter and take a look at how Easter became what it is today. We talk through some of the debate among Christians on whether we should even celebrate Easter and to what extent. Our hope is...

What does it mean to be a steward of something? What about in regards to Christianity? Is it just about how to use your money? In today’s episode, Pastor Jackie and Pastor Derek wrap up a 4 part series on the Ships of the Bible, finishing with Stewardship. We find this idea in Scripture mentioned in a multitude of ways, such as man’s responsibility to steward the earth, the sharing of the gospel, our gifts, our wealth, and even our bodies. Take a listen to check in on how you are doing with...

Is fellowship just hanging out? Can't we follow Jesus on our own? In today’s episode, Pastor Jackie and Pastor Derek continue a 4 part series on the Ships of the Bible, moving onto Fellowship. This is something we find throughout Scripture as essential to the life of the Christian, so we dig deeper into what this looks like practically and how God has provided benefits to it for our own life and wellness. We hope that you would listen and take fellowship more seriously in your own life and...

What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus? Is it enough to just be a convert? In today’s episode, Pastor Jackie and Pastor Derek continue a 4 part series on the Ships of the Bible, moving onto Discipleship. How should disciples of Jesus live? What is our role in making other disciples? Does the Great Commission apply to everyone? Our hope is that as you listen, you would grow in your faith and knowledge of what it means to be a disciple of Christ. The 17:17 podcast is a ministry of...

What is real worship? In today’s episode, Pastor Jackie and Pastor Derek start a 4 part series on the Ships of the Bible, starting with Worship. What exactly is it, and how should we do it personally and corporately? Are there rules to worship? What is the purpose and the benefit? We seek to tackle these questions so that you can have a godly view of worship and a renewed effort to praise God in worship. The 17:17 podcast is a ministry of Roseville Baptist Church (MN) that seeks to tackle...

Is Cupid real? Do angels actually exist and if so, what do they look like? What purpose do they even serve? In today’s episode, Pastor Jackie and Pastor Derek look different kinds of angels mentioned in Scripture as well as their roles. We talk through how angels work today based on Scripture and how we ought to view them in relation to God. Our hope is that you would gain a better understanding of how Scripture portrays angels so that you may even see them show up in your life...

What does it mean to "fall in love?" Is that biblical...or even truly possible? What does biblical romance look like? In today’s episode, Pastor Jackie and Pastor Derek look at the history of Valentine's Day and how our culture views love vs. what God says about love. We look at Scriptures that help clear up the difference between love and lust, as well as the way any believer ought to approach finding a spouse. Surprisingly, the Bible has plenty to say about romance and there is plenty to...

Immigration laws, borders, Biden vs. Trump...so much controversy over illegal immigration, but where should Christians stand on this issue? In today’s episode, Pastor Jackie and Pastor Derek look at how God views immigration, how He tells us to treat immigrants/foreigners, and His expectations for immigrants who came to Israel in Bible times. Although the issue is very charged because it impacts real people, our hope is that you can listen through what the Bible has to say and it would lead...

We often feel like we could use a nap, but should we? Are we wasting time and productivity by napping? If we do nap, how long is appropriate before its just being lazy? In today’s episode, Pastor Jackie and Pastor Derek look to see if there is a biblical precedent for nap taking. We examine Scriptures of various people throughout the Bible who took naps and the results that followed. We look through some famous people throughout history who nap frequently and ultimately give some...

Streets of gold with everyone singing all the time? Will we just be floating on clouds all day? What will heaven actually look/be like? In today’s episode, Pastor Jackie and Pastor Derek answer a listener question from an 8 year old about what heaven will be like. We look through the Scriptures to find some physical descriptions of heaven, who will be there, and what we will actually be doing when we get there. Although we don't have all of the answers, the answers that we do find in...

Many of us have heard a story or two of a cancerous tumor miraculously disappearing, leaving medical personnel stunned. We also know of churches that specialize in "faith healing." So what do we make of it all? Is it all actually a miracle from God, or a hoax? In today’s episode, Pastor Jackie and Pastor Derek answer a listener question about miraculous healings and our attitude towards them. Should we respond with skepticism, or is that a lack of faith? Does God still heal us today in...

With a new year brings new resolutions, many of which have to do with eating healthier and losing weight. But what kind of food should you be eating? In today’s episode, Pastor Jackie and Pastor Derek look through the dietary laws of the Old Testament and dig into the spirit behind those laws. In addition, we seek to give listeners a simple application on how to approach food the way that God intended us to that ultimately leads to a healthier lifestyle and a great way to accomplish some of...

Did God give me a vision?! Was that weird dream last night from God or am I just crazy? In today’s episode, Pastor Jackie and Pastor Derek answer a listener question regarding dreams and visions and whether or not Christians today still get them. How do we know if they are from God or just our mind playing tricks on us? How do we avoid being deceived? These are the questions we are seeking to answer on this podcast and we hope this is helpful for you! The 17:17 podcast is a ministry of...

Is December 25, 1 A.D. actually Jesus' birthday? How do we know that for sure?  In today’s episode, Pastor Jackie and Pastor Derek look through biblical clues, as well as historical sources, to determine what year and what day Jesus was born. There is plenty of debate when this actually happened, so we believe it is worth digging into to come up with an answer ourselves. Our hope is that you would be encouraged this Christmas season to remember the birth of Jesus and what He has done for us,...

Is God trying to tell me something, or is it just coincidence? Are these my own thoughts or God's thoughts? How can we know the difference? In today’s episode, Pastor Jackie and Pastor Derek answer a listener question about how to discern God's voice in our lives from all of the other influences around us. We look through the Scripture to find examples of individuals who were clearly spoken to by God and what we can learn from those, as well as the role of the Holy Spirit within us. Our hope...

Pastors get all the attention, but what about deacons? What exactly do they do within a church and who has the ability to become a deacon? In today’s episode, Pastor Jackie and Pastor Derek talk through the uses of the root word for deacon in Scripture and dig through the various contexts it is used in to come up with a more clear definition of what a deacon is. From there, we look at some practical roles in the church today for a deacon and what qualifications a deacon must hold to be in...