Bespoken

One quarter of self-professing Evangelicals believe that religious belief is a matter of opinion, not about objective truth. Although this sentiment has been expressed in a new way in our postmodern age, the question of objective truth has been asked throughout history. Even Pontius Pilate asked Jesus, “what is truth?” (John 18:38). On this episode, Jay, Ryan, and Matt discuss how the Bible and Christians throughout history have thought about truth, especially as it relates to the content of the Christian faith.Have questions or ideas for a future episode? Email them to bespoken@biblechurch.org.Bespoken is a weekly podcast by Pastors, Jay Thomas and Ryan McKee. Each week we cover spiritual topics and issues that will help you grow closer to God and deeper in Christ.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Roughly 40 percent of self-professing Evangelicals agree that God accepts the worship of all religions. They are not alone: many today believe that all religions are different but valid paths culminating in the same life after death. But the Bible paints a different picture, one that insists on the glory and singularity of Jesus Christ, the one mediator between God and man, and the plan that God is working through Christ to renew the world. Jay, Ryan, and Matt discuss this tenet of Christian faith and its implications.Have questions or ideas for a future episode? Email them to bespoken@biblechurch.org.Bespoken is a weekly podcast by Pastors, Jay Thomas and Ryan McKee. Each week we cover spiritual topics and issues that will help you grow closer to God and deeper in Christ. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Almost half of self-professing Evangelicals believe that everyone sins a little, but most people are good by nature. On this episode, Jay, Ryan, and Matt discuss the witness of the Bible and the church’s tradition on this widespread belief. They also consider why modern people are disposed to this belief, and how the nuance of Scripture allows us to affirm both creaturely goodness and the widespread presence of sin.Have questions or ideas for a future episode? Email them to bespoken@biblechurch.org.Bespoken is a weekly podcast by Pastors, Jay Thomas and Ryan McKee. Each week we cover spiritual topics and issues that will help you grow closer to God and deeper in Christ. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this new series, Jay, Ryan, and Matt discuss some of the findings of Ligonier Ministries’ State of Theology survey. About one third of self-professing Evangelicals believe that Jesus was a great teacher, but he wasn’t God. Questioning Jesus’ identity as fully God and fully man has deep historical roots. Why might this belief be so prevalent today, especially among those who claim to be Christians? How should Christians who want to stand on the Bible and in the tradition of the church understand Jesus’ identity? Jay, Ryan, and Matt discuss these questions and more in this episode.Have questions or ideas for a future episode? Email them to bespoken@biblechurch.org.Bespoken is a weekly podcast by Pastors, Jay Thomas and Ryan McKee. Each week we cover spiritual topics and issues that will help you grow closer to God and deeper in Christ. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Francis Grimke turned down a university presidency to continue pastoring. He helped found the NAACP. And he had some prescient words for white churches in his day and in our own. His message was exceedingly simple – (1) preach, believe, love, share, and treasure the gospel; and (2) obey it with all of your might. Grimke’s understanding of the church’s role in broken hearts and a broken society has much to teach us today. For further reading:The Negro: His Rights and Wrongs, the Forces for Him and Against Him, Francis J. Grimke. The final sermon in this collection, “God and prayer as factors in the struggle,” inspired a podcast hosted by Isaac Adams, our primary speaker at this year’s H3 Conference. Check out United? We Pray as well (web / podcast).Meditations on Preaching, Francis J. Grimke“Some Reflections Growing Out of the Recent Epidemic of Influenza that Afflicted Our City,” Francis J. Grimke. This sermon was preached after the devastating outbreak of the Spanish flu. It was republished by 9Marks at

Amanda Berry Smith emerged from slavery and great hardship eager to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. She traveled to Britain, India, and Liberia to do just this: she worked with and supported churches, all the while proclaiming Christ to all who would listen. She later founded the first orphanage for black children in Illinois, funding it partially out of her own pocket. In word, Smith proclaimed true religion; in deed, she exemplified it. For further reading…An Autobiography: The Story of the Lord’s Dealings with Mrs. Amanda Smith the Colored Evangelist, Amanda Berry SmithJasmine Holmes is an author and educator. She is writing a book on the lives of a few remarkable Christian, black women that is coming out in the fall. It has been announced only informally and I can’t find its title, but you can check out her work at her personal website/blog, or see her most recent book project, Mother to Son: Letters to a Black Boy on Identity and Hope.Have questions or ideas for a future episode? Email them

Charles Octavius Boothe was born a slave. He learned to read, was converted, and turned his able mind to the “uplift” of African Americans living under the post-Reconstruction, Jim Crow regime. He planted churches, started schools and colleges, assembled churches’ resources to send missionaries, and much more. His work displays his keen attention to the weak, the powerless, the “foolish” (1 Cor. 1); his efforts betray his conviction that all people ought to have access to the beauty of God via the study of him. Let us know how Charles Octavius Boothe is challenging or encouraging you at bespoken@biblechurch.org.For further reading…Plain Theology for Plain People, Charles Octavius Boothe (with an introduction by Dr. Walter R. Strickland II, Assistant Professor of Systematic and Contextual Theology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) – the Works Cited section at the end of Strickland’s preface provides other resources for further readingThe Cyclopedia of the Colored Baptists of Alabama: Their Leaders

In the second episode of our series investigating the lives of overlooked witnesses to Jesus Christ, Matt introduces you to Phillis Wheatley, the first published African American poet, a significant contributor to the abolitionist cause, and a faithful disciple of Christ. This brilliant sister was a master with words; we encourage you to read some of her poetry and consider her witness to Christ.For further reading…Phillis Wheatley: Biography of a Genius in Bondage, Vincent CarettaPoems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral, Phillis WheatleyYou can find individual poems published simply by Googling them. Those I mentioned in the podcast include “To His Excellency, George Washington,” “An Elegiac Poem, on the Death of that Celebrated Divine, and Eminent Servant of Jesus Christ, the Reverend and Learned George Whitefield,” and “On the Death of General Wooster.”The Collected Works of Phillis Wheatley, edited by John C. ShieldsHave questions or ideas for a future episode? Email them to bespoken@biblechurch.org

Jay and Ryan are taking a break, so we begin a new series with Matt Gilleskie (our producer) flying solo. In this episode, Matt introduces you to Lemuel Haynes, a remarkable pastor and activist living during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Haynes was the first African American ordained in any religious body in America, the first to receive an honorary graduate degree, and a pastor of character, commitment, and intense hope in the Sovereign God. This brother has much to teach us. For further reading…May We Meet in the Heavenly World: The Piety of Lemuel Haynes, Thabiti AnyabwileThe Faithful Preacher: Recapturing the Vision of Three Pioneering African-American Pastors, Thabiti AnyabwileSketches of the Life and Character of the Rev. Lemuel Haynes, Timothy Mather Cooley The books below are scholarly works and thus are quite expensive. I include them here because they may be available at your library or for online reading, if you are affiliated with an institution of higher education.Black Purita

Restrictions on gathering during the pandemic call for robust reflection on the church’s life together. That’s why Jay, Ryan, and Matt are investigating the theological and practical import of the physical gathering of the local church. This episode takes the theme in a slightly different direction than previous episodes in this series. Jay, Ryan, and Matt talk about the spiritual practice of feasting — not gluttony - but celebrating over a meal with friends. How does God work through such a practice? Is that even in the Bible? Tune in to find out.If you’re interested in this topic, check out some of these resources:For an in-depth audio treatment of this topic, check out Mark Hampton’s Bespoken series on a theology of foodFor a deeper theological treatment of this topic in book form, see "The Supper of the Lamb: A Culinary Reflection" by Robert Farrar CaponFor convicting and practical books on a related topic, hospitality, see Rosaria Butterfield’s "The Gospel Comes with a House Key: Practicing Radically Ord

Since its inception, CHBC has been known as a gathering of believers from diverse backgrounds of thought and culture. And, while such diversity is often a blessing; loving agreement in Christ between those who disagree politically presents unique challenges for pastoral shepherding. In this episode, Jay and Ryan discuss those challenges. They name the difficulties and the joys associated with pastoring a diverse congregation. They clarify other statements that the church has made on the riot at the Capitol. They discuss the "how" of communication (the means used to deliver a message). And they examine and explain their motives and intentions, which have guided their responses.Near the end of the episode, Pastor Jay references a sermon by Zack Eswine called, "What Does Jesus Say About God and Country?" Watch the message here.Have questions or ideas for a future episode? Email them to bespoken@biblechurch.org.Bespoken is a weekly podcast by Pastors, Jay Thomas and Ryan McKee. Each week we cover spiritual t

Restrictions on gathering during the pandemic call for robust reflection on the church’s life together. That’s why Jay, Ryan, and Matt are investigating the theological and practical import of the physical gathering of the local church. This episode builds on the conceptual foundation of the previous episode. Given that the physical gathering of the local church is essential to being a church and discipleship in the way of Jesus, what place do internet and digital media have in church? Can these complement the physical gathering of the local church? Do these detract from the life of the church? Jay, Ryan, and Matt try to understand the proper uses and limits of technology in the church’s regular, gathered worship.Have questions or ideas for a future episode? Email them to bespoken@biblechurch.org.Bespoken is a weekly podcast by Pastors, Jay Thomas and Ryan McKee. Each week we cover spiritual topics and issues that will help you grow closer to God and deeper in Christ.  See acast.com/privacy for priv

Restrictions on gathering during the pandemic call for robust reflection on the church’s life together. That’s why Jay, Ryan, and Matt are investigating the theological and practical import of the physical gathering of the local church. In this episode, they introduce the theological basis for the claim that Christian discipleship requires physical presence. They also reflect on their experience of returning to the physical gathering after months of online worship.Recommended resources:The Common Rule by Justin Whitmel EarleyYou Are What You Love by James K.A. SmithHave questions or ideas for a future episode? Email them to bespoken@biblechurch.org.Bespoken is a weekly podcast by Pastors, Jay Thomas and Ryan McKee. Each week we cover spiritual topics and issues that will help you grow closer to God and deeper in Christ. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Restrictions on gathering during the pandemic call for robust reflection on the church’s life together. That’s why Jay, Ryan, and Matt are investigating the theological and practical import of the physical gathering of the local church. In this series’ first episode, they ask, What is a church, really? They discuss the essential marks of the church presented in the Bible (and perpetuated in church history) and the implications of some of the images used to describe the church: a flock, a family, and God’s possession.On the episode, Jay recommended for further reading The Enduring Community: Embracing the Priority of the Church by Les Newsom and Brian Habig.If you’re interested in a more academic treatment of this subject, check out The Church: The Gospel Made Visible by Mark Dever. A ministry that originated at Dever’s church, 9Marks, has an abundance of free resources on the subject as well.Have questions or ideas for a future episode? Email them to bespoken@biblechurch.org.Bespoken is a weekly podcast by Pa

 Jay, Ryan, and Matt reflect on the H3 conference, discussing its high points and sketching how CHBC plans to move forward. They also preview Bespoken's next series, lasting through the end of the year.Have questions or ideas for a future episode? Email them to bespoken@biblechurch.org.Bespoken is a weekly podcast by Pastors, Jay Thomas and Ryan McKee. Each week we cover spiritual topics and issues that will help you grow closer to God and deeper in Christ.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Over the past several months, overt racial tension has spurred conversations about racism in our society and the church. There are a variety of opinions on the subject, so we are working to STOP & LISTEN to others in our church family who have a story to tell.In this episode, Young and Sarah Whang join Jay and Ryan to relate their experiences of ethnic insensitivity and prejudice in the church. Young describes the feeling of not belonging at CHBC, despite being an established leader and member of the church. Sarah discusses her father's trauma following a hate crime: he was brutally beaten on account of his race. She also relates her story of discovering the multifaceted experience of minorities - including her own - in a majority white culture. She concludes with helpful exhortations to guide our church as we pursue robust ethnic unity.Sarah mentioned a few books in this episode. They are linked below for those interested in learning more."What's So Amazing About Grace?" by Philip Yancey"Be the Bridge" b

Over the past several months, overt racial tension has spurred conversations about racism in our society and the church. There are a variety of opinions on the subject, so we are working to STOP & LISTEN to others in our church family who have a story to tell.On this episode, Ryan and Matt talk with fellow church member Robert Smith. Robert discusses his experience of racism and its pervasive effects upon him and his family. He also reflects on the healing power of friendship across ethnic lines. They conclude their time, and invite you to join them, in prayer for all who are suffering.Have questions or ideas for a future episode? Email them to bespoken@biblechurch.org.Bespoken is a weekly podcast by Pastors, Jay Thomas and Ryan McKee. Each week we cover spiritual topics and issues that will help you grow closer to God and deeper in Christ.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Recently, overt racial tension has spurred conversations about racism in our society and the church. There are a variety of opinions on the subject, so we are working to STOP & LISTEN to others in our church family who have a story to tell.On this episode of Bespoken, Jay, Ryan, and Matt discuss Tim Keller‘s recent article, "A Biblical Critique of Secular Justice and Critical Theory." Through the article, they reflect on questions such as: What is biblical justice?What is secular justice?How do competing ideas of justice affect our action in the world? How does biblical justice propel us towards love of neighbor and, in particular, towards addressing the suffering of ethnic minorities and its causes?We recommend that you read Keller’s article, if only as an aid for your own reflection. You can find the article here.Have questions or ideas for a future episode? Email them to bespoken@biblechurch.org.Bespoken is a weekly podcast by Pastors, Jay Thomas and Ryan McKee. Each week we cover spiritual t

Recently, overt racial tension has spurred conversations about racism in our society and the church. There are a variety of opinions on the subject, so we are working to STOP & LISTEN to others in our church family who have a story to tell.On this episode of Bespoken, Jay, Ryan, and Matt (a CHBC member) discuss the complex terminology that often attends conversations on race. They address the origins of the concept of “race,” the act of a “micro-aggression,” what we mean we say “critical race theory,” and more. But this episode isn’t merely a dictionary – Jay, Ryan, and Matt highlight the necessity of compassion, particularly in dialogue about the personal ramifications of racial injustice. How can we embody compassion – fellowship with those who are suffering – in our pursuit of ethnic unity?Have questions or ideas for a future episode? Email them to bespoken@biblechurch.org.Bespoken is a weekly podcast by Pastors, Jay Thomas and Ryan McKee. Each week we cover spiritual topics and issues that will help y

Recently, overt racial tension has spurred conversations about racism in our society and the church. There are a variety of opinions on the subject, so we are working to STOP & LISTEN to others in our church family who have a story to tell.In this episode, Pastor Jay shares his story, explains how it animates his perspective on matters of ethnic unity and reconciliation, and charts a biblical way forward on these issues. Jay explains the connections between his ethnicities and his experience of the various cultural environments in which he’s lived. He also describes how these experiences have softened his heart to the stories of his brothers and sisters and neighbors. He encourages us to lead with love as we imagine “what ought to be” regarding ethnic unity. No matter where you are on this topic, we invite you to STOP & LISTEN.Have questions or ideas for a future episode? Email them to bespoken@biblechurch.org. Bespoken is a weekly podcast by Pastors, Jay Thomas and Ryan McKee. Each week we cover