The Psalms, a collection of personal and corporate prayers, is considered Israel's hymnbook and they are often our favourites to which we turn in times of sorrow or joy or petition. However, upon closer examination, we find that these psalms, written over a thousand years by several authors, were placed within an intentional structure of five books, reflecting the first five books of the Bible, the Torah. This talk will look at the themes that give the Psalms an overall trajectory, a guiding...

Increasing pressures from both within and outside the church are causing more and more people to go through a season of "deconstruction", reevaluating the foundations and assumptions of their beliefs. Some go through deconstruction and return to Christianity, while others never do. What does it feel like to go through such a major transition? And what does it feel like to be a friend or family member of someone whose faith is coming apart? This lecture will examine how friends and family...

Clarke ventures into the mysterious yet wonderful reality of the Spirit. Often people speak of the Holy Spirit as a force or an impression or as a "holy ghost." The Bible speaks of the Spirit as a person yet we never see the Holy Spirit; we only see what the Spirit does. How are we to think of this Spirit who is to indwell us and to mark time since Jesus ascended? The Copyright for all material on the podcast is held by L'Abri Fellowship. We ask that you respect this by not publishing the...

This talk looks at and critiques Christian Universalism, the belief that all people will be saved through the work of Jesus, whether a person trusts or does not trust in "Jesus as Lord." Is this a real possibility? And if not, how can God be good if he judges people not unto salvation? The Copyright for all material on the podcast is held by L'Abri Fellowship. We ask that you respect this by not publishing the material in full or in part in any format or post it on a website without seeking...

Clarke re-gives an earlier talk due to demand! In this talk, he examines the cultural revolution of the 2000s that led many young evangelicals to despise the lack of social justice from traditional churches and led them inadvertently to abandon traditional faith. He then looks at how Critical Theory works in shaping not only their faith but also society in general. Finally he turns to see how the whole church might pursue social justice in light of the whole biblical witness. The Copyright...

Attachment theory gives us helpful insight into how people bond with each other. But what does it mean for our relationship with God? We will look at attachment styles and how we can understand God as our model for secure attachment, providing a base to move forward into secure relationships with each other. (NOTE: The recordings include the discussion.) The Copyright for all material on the podcast is held by L'Abri Fellowship. We ask that you respect this by not publishing the material...

Exciting! A talk on epistemology! While seemingly an intimidating and abstract topic about how we come to know the world around us, this talk will look at how we might gain an understanding of the world that does not divide faith from reason, or meaning from nature. The wisdom tradition (Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes, and Jesus) provides this very much needed integration today. It moves us from a dead modern epistemology to a living one. The Copyright for all material on the podcast is held...

Often people speak of being open-minded as a way of discrediting a belief in God. However, in this talk, I argue that we need to look beyond closed explanations for existence and open our minds to admit our desire for God. This is a basic argument that suffering and joy are two fundamental aspects of experience that point to the existence of God. The Copyright for all material on the podcast is held by L'Abri Fellowship. We ask that you respect this by not publishing the material in full or...

Marilynne Robinson's quartet of Gilead novels, set mostly in rural Iowa, explore the tension between shame and grace. Much of this contrast comes through the medium of sight: how we see the world, ourselves, and God, and how others see us. Saturated in the beauty of the natural world, human relationships, and theological meditations, Robinson's novels have been beloved by many. Join us as we discuss how this Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist teaches us to have eyes that see and truly perceive...

By looking at Daniel 2, we see that the Bible gives us a reflection on the relationship between God's people, their nation, and the kingdom of God. When we see nations without an anchor, power becomes arbitrary. How might the Christian respond in those times? The Copyright for all material on the podcast is held by L'Abri Fellowship. We ask that you respect this by not publishing the material in full or in part in any format or post it on a website without seeking prior permission from...

For this talk, we welcome guest speaker Lisa P Christian, who currently serves as the Executive Director for Community Faith Partners. She has been a missionary in Russia for 15 years and a cross-cultural worker in the Middle East for 5 years. She is currently pursuing her PhD in theology and Christian apologetics. In this talk, she'll examine Paul's letter to the Romans and make a case that it is primarily about racial reconciliation (Jew and Gentile) which can be applied to black and white...

Many people accuse Christianity of fostering shame in its adherents. The self-esteem movement has attempted to address feelings of worthlessness. But does self-esteem work? How should Christians think about themselves? The Copyright for all material on the podcast is held by L'Abri Fellowship. We ask that you respect this by not publishing the material in full or in part in any format or post it on a website without seeking prior permission from L'Abri Fellowship. Also, note that not all...

In this third talk on Jordan Peterson, we look at his most recent book Beyond Order, the sequel to his best-selling 12 Rules for Life. Through his personal suffering and through his interactions with many people on tour, his thinking is refined and clarified. We also look at his emphasis on maps and stories as sources of knowledge and meaning, and how might a Christian think about his newest contribution. The Copyright for all material on the podcast is held by L'Abri Fellowship. We ask...

Both Peter and Judas asked of Jesus, "Is it me?" after Jesus had told his disciples that one of them would betray him. This can be a question that can cause hand-wringing even today. Am I saved or am I not? Am I chosen? This talk deals particularly with 'theological fatalism' (or 'hyper-Calvinism') and the concerns that the doctrine of predestination bring up. While the doctrine of predestination often brings dread, the opposite is intended in Scripture. It is a doctrine, when properly...

There is a deep resonance between our feelings of anxiety and our fear of out-of-control water. We feel ‘overwhelmed’, ‘flooded’. This resonance was shared by the authors of Scripture, who depict floods, storms and towering waves within the emotional landscape of God’s people. In fact, the bible story is saturated with water imagery. We will explore how that offers us company within our struggles, hope within the story of God’s victory over them, and wisdom for how to handle them.  The...

Today Thomas Paine is remembered for his books Common Sense (1776) and The American Crisis (1776–1783) which made him the leading propagandist of the American Revolution and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America. What is largely forgotten is his devastating attack on Christianity in The Age of Reason (1737-1809) and other writings and his key role in creating what many scholars call "the Victorian crisis of faith." This talk will examine Paine's criticism of Christianity...

While it has been popular in the past to call one's self "spiritual but not religious," we also see people who are "religious but not spiritual." This is not just the legalistic person or "a fundamentalist." We can all fall into this category at times in our lives, perhaps looking to this spiritual practice or this tradition to bring us close to God. It is a hope that an external form will guarantee an internal transformation. This talk will look at this topic through the lens of King Saul's...

This is a look at Job 28, an unusual chapter. It is a calm reflection on the nature of humanity and wisdom in the midst of the torrent of argument and lament throughout the book of Job. What does this have to say to us about being human? How can humans be so powerful, intelligent, and adventurous, yet they cannot discover the meaning and wisdom of all these things? Is it all sound and fury signifying nothing? The Bible offers us a different answer, a valuable one during these chaotic...

In this talk, guest speaker Brett Cane examines the two key themes from the book, of God's sovereignty and of human character. God's sovereignty is revealed not through the miraculous but through the ordinary, and human character is revealed by faithfulness, dedication, resourcefulness and ingenuity, and what's more, by women, showing a unique perspective on the importance of women in God's plan. The Copyright for all material on the podcast is held by L'Abri Fellowship. We ask that you...

Attachment theory gives us helpful insight into how people bond with each other. But what does it mean for our relationship with God? We will look at attachment styles and how we can understand God as our model for secure attachment, providing a base to move forward into secure relationships with each other. The Copyright for all material on the podcast is held by L'Abri Fellowship. We ask that you respect this by not publishing the material in full or in part in any format or post it on a...

This is the fourth talk in this series on Loftus's Christian Delusion. Here we deal with arguments against the historicity of Jesus. While the book looks primarily at "the myth of Christ," the talk focuses on three narratives - Christ as myth, Jesus as a failed prophet, and Jesus as resurrected Lord and Savior. (This was recorded on Zoom in Good Friday 2021.) The Copyright for all material on the podcast is held by L'Abri Fellowship. We ask that you respect this by not publishing the...

This is the third talk in this series on Loftus's Christian Delusion. Here we deal with what Loftus refers to as the "Darwinian problem of evil," particularly in regard to animal suffering. Many evolutionists point to the evidence of animals suffering prior to human existence. How can this be? Can God be good if animals were created to suffer before the fall of humanity? Christians have offered several possible solutions to this question but are any of them sufficient? (This was recorded on...

This is the second talk in this series on if the Christian faith fails as it has been claimed to do in John Loftus's The Christian Delusion: Why Faith Fails. In the first part, we looked at Loftus's "outsider test for faith." He with others now take aim not at Christian faith in general but now the Bible specifically. In it the book claims that the Bible is too scientifically inaccurate, too textually inconsistent, and too easily misinterpreted to be divinely inspired. How could Christians...

We welcome our colleague Joshua Chestnut from Southborough L'Abri via Zoom to speak to us about how we might have hope when our imaginations have become "pornified." Discussion afterward included. The Copyright for all material on the podcast is held by L'Abri Fellowship. We ask that you respect this by not publishing the material in full or in part in any format or post it on a website without seeking prior permission from L'Abri Fellowship. Also, note that not all views expressed in the...

This is a look at the first part at the five parts of The Christian Delusion edited by John Loftus (2010). This examines his Outsider Test for Faith (OTF), which he claims makes all religious faiths fall short of probability. (The following parts will include the veracity of the Bible, the goodness of God, the resurrection, and Christianity as a social good.) The Copyright for all material on the podcast is held by L'Abri Fellowship. We ask that you respect this by not publishing the material...