We can't go back to the church environments we grew up with, we can only go forward. So what would a healthy modern reformation and a Great Rechurching look like? Rather than wallowing in pessimism and longing to return to the church of yesteryear, Michael Horton, Bob Hiller, Justin Holcomb, and Walter Strickland discuss how the church today can reform and be marked by orthodoxy, love, and resilient joy.   CHECK OUT THIS MONTH’S OFFERS: The Great Dechurching: Who’s Leaving, Why Are They...

If you go to church, do you know why you attend? Do you know why your friends and family have casually just stopped going to church? How can we talk about the necessity of the church in a way that is beautiful and life-giving, but goes beyond personal preference? In this episode, Michael Horton, Justin Holcomb, Walter Strickland, and Bob Hiller answer these questions and more as they discuss how Christians can reach out to their dechurched friends, family, and neighbors.   “When asked how...

What happened in American culture and in the church from the 1970s-1990s? What were the conversations and big concerns of that time when White Horse Inn recorded its first episodes? In answering some of these questions, churches can get their bearings as to what trends have impacted those who no longer sit in their pews and what to do about it.   “The early 1990s was an inflection point for American religion. Between the early 1970s and 1990s, the share of Americans who had no religious...

Justin Holcomb interviews Jim Davis and Michael Graham, authors of The Great Dechurching, to discuss why forty million Americans have stopped attending church in the past 25 years. Many attribute church decline to encroaching secular trends, abuse in the church, or spiritual deconstruction. While all of these trends have spiked in recent years, Davis and Graham, with the help of Ryan Burge, reveal that these factors are not the primary causes for the erosion of church attendance and share...

In Acts 13:16-41, we encounter the newly converted Paul preaching at the synagogue in Antioch. In this episode, Michael Horton, Bob Hiller, Walter Strickland, and Justin Holcomb discuss what happened between Stephen’s death and Paul’s conversion, and what uniquely transformed Paul from a law-abiding Pharisee to preaching “[freedom] from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.”    CHECK OUT THIS MONTH’S OFFERS: Knowing the Bible: Acts Study by Justin Holcomb ...

In Acts 7, we see Stephen’s sermon before the Sanhedrin. What did he say that enraged those he was speaking to and how can we model his posture of forgiveness in the face of persecution? Hosts Michael Horton, Walter Strickland, Bob Hiller, and Justin Holcomb trace Stephen’s redemptive historical tour de force that ultimately culminates in his martyrdom and ask how we can model our own lives and ministries after his example.   CHECK OUT THIS MONTH’S OFFERS: Knowing the Bible: Acts Study...

Why was Jesus sent to the Jews first? How does the church relate to Israel now? In Acts 3:12-26, Peter continues to unravel for the “Men of Israel” how Jesus is the fulfillment of the promises made to the Patriarchs, Moses, and the Prophets. In this episode, Michael Horton, Bob Hiller, Justin Holcomb, and Walter Strickland discuss Peter’s second sermon, how Christianity and Judaism became their own distinct religions, and how the preaching of the gospel calls for the religious and irreligious...

Watch this conversation at youtube.com/@whitehorse1990   Let’s just go to the OK Corral together to defend the gospel and help people.” In this episode of White Horse Inn, original hosts, Michael Horton, Ken Jones, and Kim Riddlebarger discuss the impact and legacy of their dear friend and former co-host, Rod Rosenbladt. Rod died after a brief illness on February 2, 2024. For those at White Horse Inn, “Dad Rod” was more than just a regular voice articulating a confessional Lutheran...

What can the modern church learn from apostolic preaching in Acts? More than we may realize. In this episode, Michael Horton, Walter Strickland, Justin Holcomb, and Bob Hiller uncover many of the key themes, components, and characteristics of apostolic preaching. Starting with Peter’s Pentecost sermon in Acts 2:14-40, the hosts discuss the hermeneutics of the apostles and how we can use their insights in the Old Testament to “cut to the heart” of those who hear our message today.    CHECK...

Michael Horton is joined by Ann Tarwater to discuss the place of art in the Christian life, if art is just for the elites, and how churches can emphasize truth, but neglect goodness and beauty.    Ann started her career as a model for famous American fashion designers Oscar de la Renta, Mary McFadden, Alpert Nipon, and many others. She also graduated with a Masters of Divinity from Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina. Building upon her background in modeling and...

Walter Strickland and Carl Ellis discuss how the sermon is a piece of rhetoric that is not merely made of wise words (Acts 4:13), but could also be described as a piece of art. Even if there are no icons, tapestries, and stained glass windows in a church, there is still art in worship and in the sermon.   Dr. Carl Ellis began his ministry as a Senior Campus Minister in New York, he studied under Francis Schaeffer at LÁbri in Switzerland, completed his MAR at Westminster Theological...

Justin Holcomb sits down with Lloyd DeWitt to discuss how the church has historically thought of sacred space and architecture, what we can learn from categories and trends that have impacted church architecture, and what we miss when we replace steeples, pulpits, and cathedrals with many eclectic, modern designs.    Dr. DeWitt is the Chief Curator and Irene Leache Curator of European Art at the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, Virginia. He holds a Ph.D. in Art History from the University...

Bob Hiller is joined by Dan van Voorhis to discuss a theology of the arts and how Reformational theology, and Lutheran theology specifically, instructs Christians on the place of art as we live coram deo (in the presence of God). They discuss if art can be “redeemed,” cultivating good taste in art, differences in Lutheran and Reformed traditions, and more. After receiving his Ph.D. in History from the University of St. Andrews, Dr. van Voorhis spent 11 years teaching history and political...

The Bible is a large library of ancient books, covering different ancient literary genres. While all things that pertain to how we can be saved are made plain and clear in the words of Scripture, not everything in the Bible is equally as clear. There are many passages that seem to contradict themselves, which can create a hay day for those antagonistic toward the faith. It can also make for a difficult devotional time for the Christian just trying to faithfully read Scripture. In this...

From the Nephilim to the imprecatory psalms, there is a lot of weird stuff in the Bible. The problem is that for many people, these texts can quickly turn into rabbit holes of vain speculation. In the episode, Michael Horton, Walter Strickland, and Bob Hiller show how ordinary Christians can be inquisitive readers of Scripture—being receptive to their meaning and place in God’s revelation—while also refraining from making the strange and the niche central to our who we are.

When it comes to cultural concerns of our day, Bible passages are often used by pastors, politicians, or concerned family members to calm or stoke anxiety and fear in others. In this episode, Michael Horton, Walter Strickland, and Bob Hiller situate these passages in their original context and discuss how they’re often used to address the salient cultural and political issues that occupy so many people’s attention today.

What are some of the most misunderstood passages in the Bible? In this episode, Michael Horton, Walter Strickland, and Bob Hiller discuss three of the most Googled verses in the Bible and how these verses are often shared to help motivate people amidst uncertainty, anxiety, and sufferings big and small.  

Thank you for supporting and listening to White Horse Inn this year! In this special year-end episode, hosts Michael Horton, Justin Holcomb, Bob Hiller, and Walter Strickland answer listener questions and reflect on what excites them as they anticipate God’s work in 2024.  

As we consider Christ’s birth, we can’t help but consider his death. From a baby in a manager to a man hanging on a cross, it is through Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection that we find the hope and joy we sing about at Christmas. In this episode of White Horse Inn, hosts Michael Horton, Justin Holcomb, Bob Hiller, and Walter Strickland reflect on The Song of Simeon, recognizing God’s faithfulness and Jesus’s redemptive purpose.

"Before I draw nearer to that stone to which you point," said Scrooge, "answer me one question." In this special episode re-release, Michael Horton shares how the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come in Dickens's 'A Christmas Carol' points us to our need for a transformation, but how only the gospel can move us from behavioral change to living a new life of gratitude and joy.

"Come in! and know me better, man!" In this special episode re-release, Justin Holcomb shares how the Ghost of Christmas Present in Dickens's 'A Christmas Carol' teaches us about grace and peace and the invitation to feast in the Christian life.

“Oh! But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge! a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner!” In this special episode re-release, Bob Hiller shares how the Ghost of Christmas Past in Dickens's 'A Christmas Carol' teaches us about guilt, the law, and how we are freed from its condemnation through Christ.

Angelic announcements are found throughout both the Old and New Testaments, but angels remain perplexing. Why does God use these messengers, and what is the nature of their message? In this episode of White Horse Inn, hosts Michael Horton, Justin Holcomb, Bob Hiller, and Walter Strickland delve into the mysteries of these terrifying warriors and their message of peace.  

Watch this interview at youtube.com/WhiteHorse1990.  In this bonus episode of White Horse Inn, Michael Horton and Sinclair Ferguson discuss James Montgomery Boice's lasting impact on systematic expository preaching and tackle the modern challenges faced by leaders in the age of social media. Sinclair offers a candid take on the role of pastors versus leaders, as well as the Scottish Reformation, and how to avoid the pitfalls of antinomianism and legalism. (Episode SP015)

Old Testament birth stories often begin with barren women, and the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth follows suit. Conceived in their old age, John the Baptist is born out of a miracle at just the right time—mere months before Jesus. But why is he such a prominent figure in Jesus’s birth narrative? And what can we learn from his father’s song? In this episode of White Horse Inn, hosts Michael Horton, Justin Holcomb, Bob Hiller, and Walter Strickland discuss the song of Zechariah and how a...