There's more than one way to interpret Genesis 1. As Apologetics 201 continues, I am joined by Joe Dea of Happy Dea Ministries and author Christian Ashley to discuss the six major creation views. In this episode, we breakdown Six Day Creationism, Evolution, Gap Theory, Day/Age Theory, and others in an attempt to help people understand that there is…

Who watches the Watchmaker? In this week's episode of Apologetics 201, we dive head first into the arguments for the existence of creation. Was it, as William Paley put it, an intelligent, benevolet God who like a Watchmaker put the mechanism together? Was it as Darwin purposed a series of changes over time left to chance? Was it as Alan Moore purp…

With Christianity being a religion, faith plays a big part in our daily lives. From major beliefs within the Christian faith, like the virgin birth of Jesus to, to daily living, faith plays a crucial role. How does faith play a part in apologetics? As our Helper, what does the Holy Spirit do? How does reason play into the equation as we discuss thi…

This episode is a rebroadcast. What does the word "apologetics" mean and how is it relevant to Christians today? As we begin Apologetics 201, we go back to the original series for a refresher on what this critical word means. Website: https://myseminarylife983333216.wordpress.com/?preview_id=3&preview_nonce=2d22b29479 Shop: https://my-seminary-life…

Happy birthday My Seminary Life! In this year's birthday special, I sit down with Dr. Jonathan Roy of Trevecca Nazarene University to discuss his dissertation on the role shame has on counselors. It is understandable that those stepping into a counseling environment to receive help may feel some shame in their life, but what about those who are pro…

What's in a name? In today's episode, we bring Celebrate March to a close with a look at my name. Yes, it is my birthday as well this month, and although I do not have the influence the rest of the people I highlighted this month have had, I still think there is an interesting origin behind my name. So strap in as I take you to the magical land of …

Happy birthday L. Ron Hubbard! Who is your favorite sci-fi writer? As we Celebrate March, we now turn our attention to pulp fiction writer and creator of Scientology L. Ron Hubbard and his work "Dianectics." How does someone go from sci-fi writer to leader of a new religion? What is the science in Scientology? What is the aim of Scientology and Dia…

Happy birthday Fred Rogers! Celebrate March continues as we celebrate the life, career, and impact of everyone's favorite neighbor, Mister Rogers. In this episode, I am joined by Pastor Will Rose to take a walk down memory lane looking at how Mister Roger's Neighborhood impacted him, myself,, and now my son as well. We discuss the important lessons…

Happy birthday Chuck Norris, and happy 150th episode MSL Seminarians! In this special edition of Celebrate March, Joe Dea of BuddyWalk with Jesus joins the show to wish a happy birthday to the pop culture phenomenon, Chuck Norris. Joe and I go back to Chucks early days on the karate tournament scene, discuss his place in the hierarchy of great 80s …

Happy birthday Dr. Seuss! What does it mean to speak for the trees? Today we are beginning our month long series Celebrate March where in each episode I will be sitting down to talk about someone who was born in the month of March who made an impact on faith, religion, pop culture, and in some cases all of the above. In this episode, my wife Claire…

As Lead Them to Worship comes to an end, I sit down to make some observations from a recent survey. Over the past month I have been asking for you all to give me your favorite hymns and worship songs. In this episode, I go over this list and draw some interesting observations. What hymns made the list? Which ones did not? What was the all time most…

In this week's edition of Lead Them to Worship, I am joined once again by Joe Dea of BuddyWalk with Jesus to discuss the relationship between AI and ministry. We discuss the popular saying among many Christians that when it comes to tech we should embrace everything because "it's just a tool to share the gospel." Joe briefly recaps the history of A…

Lead Them to Worship continues with a look at "Holy Roar" by Chris Tomlin and Darren Whitehead. In this book, Tomlin and Whitehead break down the seven different words used in the Hebrew language for "praise" and how they affect how the Jewish people and Christians today worship. In this review, I am joined by my brother Bradley to discuss three of…

This episode in the Lead Them to Worship series takes a close look at John 4:21-24. In this passage, Brandon recaps the story of Jesus speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well, and camps out in a popular portion where Jesus answers a question about worship. Has the worship wars tainted our thinking on this passage? Can worship take place beyond …

This is a rebroadcast of the final OneMoreThing bonus episodes. On today's episode, Dr. Ashely Mofield of Mixtape Theology drops in to discuss how music influences our theology, what role 90s CCM influenced him as a young man going into seminary, and where current and classic CCM and even some hymns come up short in teaching good theology. You can …

Spoilers ahead! In this week's episode, I sit down to reveal all the planned specials and series for 2024. From Lead Them to Worship, to Apologetics 201, to Dialogues 2, and everything in between, we have a total of seven series coming your way in 2024. I also introduce our new summer time format with Summer School and Camp My Seminary Life, and an…

In today's episode, we take a look back over the year highlighting all the series that we did and why, putting a spotlight on the new specials that dropped this year, and celebrating the many milestones and new endeavors that My Seminary Life began in 2023. Also, I give a big shout out to Christian Ashley for being so dang popular! Website: https:/…

Happy Holidays! In today's episode, I sit down with Joshua Noel and TJ Blackwell of The Whole Church Podcast, and Elizabeth Clyde of The Clyde's to discuss the top ten most popular holidays in the US. We debate over the ranking of some of the holidays, and try to figure out why certain holidays didn't make the top ten list. Website: https://mysemin…

Happy Hanukkah! As a way to bring you all into the Hanukkah festivities, I am sitting down with my brother Bradley to review the Disney Channel Original Movie, Full Court Miracle. Along with reviewing the film and sharing our favorite scenes and lines, we discuss how there is a general lack of Hanukkah content this time of the year, and who we woul…

What is the Gospel? That is the big question my wife Claire and I dialogue over in the finale to this series. We discuss the tiered system approach to theology and how it is possible that the Gospel should be the only item in that category. We dialogue about how the Gospel is simple and yet a very big reality, what heaven will be like, and the impo…

As humans, our understanding of God and life eventually runs out. We cannot fathom God completely and every possible reason for why life is going the way that it is. In this episode, I sit down with Joshua Noel of The Whole Church Podcast to dialogue over hard questions that every human wrestles with and may never arrive at a conclusion. Why God do…

In this episode, Dialogues continues as I sit down with Pastor Will Rose of Holy Trinity Chapel Hill to answer questions about the Bible. We dialogue about which Bible translation is best, and whether or not the Bible is God's Word. Website: https://myseminarylife983333216.wordpress.com/?preview_id=3&preview_nonce=2d22b29479 Shop: https://my-semina…

During the Dialogue series, I am sitting down with a different guest in each episode to dialogue about a different area of theology. In today's episode, I sit down with the host of BuddyWalk with Jesus, Kingdom on the Road, and Shell Shock, Joe Dea to dialogue about Creation. In this dialogue, we answer the questions is the creation account in Gene…

We are ending 2023 with a series called Dialogues. In each episode, I will sit down with a different guest to dialogue about a different theological topic. In this episode, I sit down with host of Let Nothing Move You Christian Ashley to dialogue about the Old Testament and our relationship with it as Christians. We look to answer important questio…

It is finally here! Welcome to our first ever Halloween/Reformation Day special. In this episode, I and Joshua Noel of The Whole Church Podcast sit down first to discuss the history and practices of Satanism, then on the second half of the episode we discuss some of Martin Luther's teachings on Satan. Josh shares his story of visiting a Satanic Tem…

This episode is a rebroadcast. Just in time for the Spooky Season! In this episode I explore what Scripture actually has to say about demons and Satan from a Conservative Evangelical viewpoint. I also run down what possession actually would have been like in the New Testament and how much of our understanding of the dark side of the supernatural co…

This episode is brought to you by the letter delta In the finale to the study on Ancient Greece, I sit down to talk about how Greece was an early form of American government in how they ushered in democracy. I talk about how the government systems worked in Athens and Sparta and their similarities to our current government, and I give my opinion on…

Producer Cooper stops into the studio to have a discussion on Aesop Fables, these ancient short stories that teach moral lessons. In the episode I discuss why Aesop Fables should still be a part of rearing children, how not all Fables are appropriate for today's audience, and I compare the Fables to the Parables of Jesus. Plus, i talk about my favo…

This episode is brought to you by the letter omicron In this edition of the Ancient Greece study, I am joined by Christian Humanist Joe Scibbe to discuss the impact that Homer's Iliad and the Odyssey could have on believers. We also have a long discussion on what it means to be a Humanist and how being a Christian influences that pursuit of answeri…

This episode is brought to you by the letter theta THIS IS MSL! In this episode in the Ancient Greece series, I sit down with a returning Christian Ashley of Systematic Geekology and the Let Nothing Move You podcast to discuss the iconic 2006 film "300." We also go back to the source material of the same name written by the great comic book artist …

Today's letter of the day is pi In today's episode, we take a look at Greek Mythology through the lens of the classic 1981 film "Clash of the Titans." I am joined by Pastor Will Rose of Systematic Geekology and Christian Ashley of SG and the Let Nothing Move You podcast to discuss the fun, nerdy, and very inaccurate film adaption of the myth of Per…

This episode is brought to you by the letter eta In this episode on Ancient Greece, I sit down to discuss The Big Three philosophers from classical Greece, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, I take a look at the basics of what they taught, and how their views brought them close to understanding who our God is. I also explain how classical philosophers vie…

This episode is brought to you by the letter alpha Should ancient Greece matter to modern Christians? What does Athens have to do with Jerusalem? These are questions that believers have been wrestling with throughout church history. In today's episode as we kick off our new series Ancient Greece, I run down three reasons why I think listeners shoul…

In the finale to the Summer of Bonhoeffer, I sit down to review the film "Bonhoeffer: Agent of Grace." This film from 2000 depicts the last six years of Bonhoeffer's life, specifically his imprisonment. In this episode, I walk through my favorite portions of the film, highlighting some of the historical and questionable moments of the film. I talk …

What does it mean to tell the truth? Why is it that a child is required of their parents to always tell them the truth about everything, and yet so many parents willingly lie about things like Santa Claus? Is it healthy to overshare every detail of our lives on social media? In this episode, I wrestle with one of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's unfinished es…

Did you know that at one point in time we as Protestants did not have a clear ethical stance on the sanctity of human life? Seems pretty impossible given the current climate, but not that long ago, Bonhoeffer set out in his book Ethics to formulate a clear ethical stance on the subject. In this episode I boil down some of Bonhoeffer's thoughts on t…

The Summer of Bonhoeffer resumes with a partial look at "Prayer Book of the Bible" by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. In this episode, I break down the general premise of the book as we learn how to pray by speaking the Word of God, specifically the Psalms back to God. I also wrestle with some of the implications of this approach to prayer, like what do we do…

Coming to you live from the Every Tribe, Denomination, and Tongues Convention, it's My Seminary Life! In this special live recording episode of the show, I am joined by a whole host of people to discuss things that are often assumed about denominations from people outside of that particular group. Instead of FAQs, we're talking about FATs, Frequent…

In this edition of the Summer of Bonhoeffer, I sit down to review one of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's most beloved books, "Life Together." This book, which spawned out of Bonhoeffer's experience with being the head of a small, illegal seminary in Nazi Germany, covers his reflections on what it means to live in Christian community together. From defining w…

In this episode of the Summer of Bonhoeffer, I am joined by friend of the show Joshua Noel, host of The Whole Church Podcast, Systematic Geekology, and Dummy for Theology, to discuss what Dietrich Bonhoeffer and CS Lewis, both prominent theologians during World War II had to say to their respective students about pursing their studies during times …

Things are taking a dark turn in Germany in 1933. The Aryan Paragraph has been passed, removing those of non-Aryan descent from civil roles, and now churches are beginning to pass religious versions removing non-Aryan believers from churches and pastorates. In this episode, I discuss Bonhoeffer's response to this religious version of the Aryan Para…

What's a catechism? Today on the Summer of Bonhoeffer, we go back to the summer of 1931 to look at a draft of a 39 question catechism Bonhoeffer and his friend Hildebrandt were working on for the Lutheran church at the time. In this series of questions and answers, we get a look into what was on the mind of Bonhoeffer for his people at that time, a…

What is theology? That is a question that we've actually asked a few times here on the show. Today, we get Bonhoeffer's take on the subject and how that should affect how we live. We also get Bonhoeffer's perspective on another topic we've covered on here a number of times, preaching. All that, plus I give my take on what Christians should be posti…

The Summer of Bonhoeffer continues with a look a speech that Bonhoeffer delivered frequently during his time here in the US. Bonhoeffer is appealing to Americans for sympathy towards their German brothers and sisters in the faith. This episode contains honest reflections of how Bonhoeffer's words about relying on our own strength is still true toda…

Welcome to the Summer of Bonhoeffer! All throughout the summer we will be diving into the writings of the famous Lutheran German minister during the 30s and 40s, Dietrich Bonhoeffer. In today's episode, I am joined by Lutheran Parish Pastor Will Rose to discuss why we need to continue to study the life and theology of this man. We breakdown some of…

It's summertime, so that means School is out! Welcome to the first ever Schoolz Out special from My Seminary Life where we are going to kickback, relax, and have some fun! In this episode, I am joined once again by my brother Bradley to discuss one of our all time favorite summer movies, Recess School's Out. Along with discussing our favorite momen…

Time to celebrate! In this episode, my wife Claire hops on as we discuss graduation weekend. Hear the exciting events the lead up to the moment where I finally got my diploma! Where is the best place to get gluten free pizza? Is Producer Cooper a good traveler? How should someone deal with feelings of inadequacy and homelessness? What's Ritters? Al…

As we draw Apologetics 101 to a close, I sit down with Pastor Scott Erwin of Bethel Church in Hobart, IN, to discuss how to navigate the topic of apologetics with teens. The landscape of apologetics has shifted since we were teens. In this conversation, Scott discusses what topics were most important to the youth group students to discuss and how t…

Sometimes we like to through the word "cult" around to describe anything that we think may be toxic or misleading in their teachings. However, the word "cult" does mean something specific so it is important that we understand what a cult is. In today's episode, I run down five key characteristics of a cult with examples from the history of cults. I…

There are a lot of world religions out there. As Christians, we need to better understand their history and beliefs so that way we can talk to people with tact and intelligently rather than bashing them with a Bible. Here I give the run down on Jehovah Witnesses and the complicated history of the Adventists. Website: https://myseminarylife983333216…