Calvary Conversations

Computer technology is a given part of our lives. We cannot live our modern lives without interacting with it. But we must be aware of the negative ideas some who see the world from other than the biblical worldview intend for AI. How can we protect ourselves from those negative uses of AI? How might AI be used in the fulfillment of the biblical prophecies surrounding Jesus’ Second Coming?

What's the difference between someone who is "unreached" and someone who is unsaved? Why should we care and what should we do about it? How many people groups are considered "unreached"?

Calvary University's Dr. Joshua Paxton invited Jeff McLinden, Executive Director of The Alliance for the Unreached, to discuss this important subject as well as the upcoming "International Day for the Unreached."

____________________

What does it mean to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength”? Before we can answer this question, we have to answer another one.

In this conversation, the Calvary Conversations team explores this “foremost commandment” from the Law textually. In other words, Matthew, Mark and Luke all record a similar passage, but there are some differences that need to be explored. So, the question that has to be answered first, is why? Why are there differences between these writers? This raises other questions that can’t be ignored: Are these errors in the text? Can we trust that these writers documented the actual words of Jesus?

____________________

What’s love got to do with it? Why is love so central to the ministry of Jesus and the Christian, biblical worldview? When Jesus was asked what was the foremost commandment in the Law, He responded with Deuteronomy 6:5, “And you shall love the Lord your God…” Why? Why is this the foremost commandment? Why does it “sum up the Law and the Prophets”?

In this conversation, the Calvary Conversations team begins a multi-episode conversation about what it means to love God with all we are—heart, mind, soul and strength.

____________________

Contemporary Christian Music is huge! It has impacted the lives of millions of people. At the same time, there are some problems with some of the messages in some lyrics. Music has an ability to evoke emotions while bypassing the intellect, so many may not be using critical thinking skills while listening. No one is suggesting we should stop listening, but is all Christian music Christian?

Calvary University’s Dr. Joshua Paxton invited Calvary University music students, Nathan Smith and Declan Killeen to discuss this important issue.

____________________

How should we respond to seemingly hopeless situations? Who can we turn to for help, for guidance, for deliverance? The Bible book Ruth is about two women, and a nation, facing seemingly hopeless situations! And yet God had been working providentially behind the scenes to provide for them and to work out His will through them—despite the seemingly hopeless situations they faced!

Calvary University’s Dr. Mike Dodds invited author Dianna Penner to discuss this important topic. Penner is the author of Ruth – Building on the Firm Foundation, recently published by CU Press. Her book is a personal and group Bible study guide for learning how to build our response to life’s hopeless situations on the foundation of God’s covenant love.

____________________

Is all worship good? Are some forms of worship superior to others? Does it matter? What distinguishes mundane, everyday worship from vibrant worship? Is it the music style? Spontaneity? Liturgy?

Dr. Joshua Paxton—one of the hosts of Calvary Conversations—invited Pastor Greg Washington, pastor of Abiding Faith Baptist Church and Mission in Raytown, Missouri, to discuss worship and some of the misconceptions around modern expressions of worship.

____________________

Christians instinctively know that we should speak out on the moral issues of our time. But it’s not always easy to discern what is a wise approach for wading into politics. Which political issues are moral issues and which are not? How should Christian citizens respond to corrupt governments? Should pastors address political issues from the pulpit?

Calvary’s Dr. Mike Dodds led a discussion with the Calvary Conversations team—Shaun LePage, Dr. Joshua Paxton and Dr. Tim Hange—to address these questions and more.

____________________

The challenges of local church leadership are as old as the church itself. Financial and resource problems, relational problems, unrealistic expectations and numerous other problems are the cause of numerous pastors walking away from the ministry.

What can be done? Calvary’s Dr. Joshua Paxton invited Dr. David Deets of the Institute for Biblical Leadership to address this issue and offer advice to pastors who desire to preserve long term.

____________________

Some people love it! They say “The Chosen” has changed their lives. Others criticize it, call it heretical and blasphemous! Which is it? Is “The Chosen” a faith-building, uplifting, inspirational work of art or is it an unhelpful reimagining of the gospel story?

Calvary University’s Dr. Tim Hange invited Prof. Shaun LePage, Dr. Josh Paxton and Dr. Mike Dodds to explore the value of the popular but controversial television series “The Chosen” and whether it is worth watching. Join us for this conversation and be sure to start your own conversation about this important, Christ-related theme.

____________________

The popular television series “The Chosen” has presented Christians with a dilemma: Is it wrong or confusing to speculate about what Jesus may have looked like? Is a visual depiction of Jesus the same thing as creating idols? Or, is it wrong to imagine what conversations—outside the text of the Bible—Jesus may have had with His disciples? Is it adding to Scripture?

Calvary University’s Dr. Tim Hange led the Calvary Conversations team—Dr. Joshua Paxton, Dr. Mike Dodds and Shaun LePage—in a conversation exploring these questions.

____________________

In the recent Super Bowl ads entitled “He Gets Us!” we’re told that “Jesus didn’t teach hate. He washed feet.” Certainly He didn’t teach hate. But did He really wash feet? Did He wash everyone’s feet? Is the symbolism of foot-washing appropriate for thinking about what Jesus wants to do in our lives today? Does this imagery help or hinder engaging a post-Christian culture with the gospel today?

Join the “Calvary Conversations” team—Dr. Mike Dodds, Dr. Tim Hange, Dr. Joshua Paxton and Shaun LePage—as they explore these questions and others raised by the “He Gets Us” campaign, as well as some practical ideas for how to engage a post-Christian culture with the gospel message.

____________________

The recent Super Bowl ads proclaimed, “He gets us!” What does it mean that Jesus “gets us”? Is that true? Is that the right message? The gospel message? Is it too short? Is it a distortion of the gospel? Is this an appropriate method for sparking conversation about Jesus?

Calvary University’s “Calvary Conversations” team discussed and debated the value and shortcomings of the “He Gets Us” ad campaign as well as some ways Christians can engage a post-Christian culture with the gospel message.

____________________

During the recent Super Bowl, an ad entitled “He gets us”—an obvious Christian message—was aired. It got a variety of responses, both positive and negative. Were these ads effective? Were they appropriate presentations of Jesus and the gospel? Were they trying to correct misconceptions about Jesus, the Church, Christians? Were they seeking to encourage Christians to communicate Jesus and the Gospel more correctly?

Calvary University’s “Calvary Conversations” team—Dr. Mike Dodds, Dr. Tim Hange, Prof. Shaun LePage and Dr. Joshua Paxton—explore this subject together, looking for the positive and less-positive aspects of the “He Gets Us” campaign as well as the larger discussion of how to engage a post-Christian culture with the gospel message.

____________________

Worship and music are such an important aspect to the life and community of a local church. And there have been diverse answers to the questions surrounding the kinds of music and the depth of the lyrics.

Calvary University’s Dr. Mike Dodds invited Dr. Ian Guthrie, Assistant Professor of Music at Calvary University, to discuss music and its relationship to faithful and meaningful worship.

RESOURCES MENTIONED BY DR. GUTHRIE:

Westermeyer, Paul. Te Deum: The Church and Music. Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Fortress, 1988.

Dawn, Mava J. Reaching Out Without Dumbing Down: A Theology of Worship for This Urgent Time. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1995.

MacArthur, John. Charismatic Chaos. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1993.

PERSONAL LINK: ianguthriecomposer.com

____________________

“I love the drums in church!” “I hate drums in church!” “I love the contemporary worship songs!” “I love the old hymns!” We call this the “worship wars” in churches—so much debate surrounds the music in our worship services. Why? When is criticism good and when is it not so good?

Calvary University’s Dr. Mike Dodds invited Dr. Ian Guthrie, Assistant Professor of Music at Calvary University, to explore this important subject of music and worship in our churches.

____________________

Persecution of Christians has been a part of the history of the Church since its inception, but it appears to be getting worse. While we in America have been free from serious persecution for our faith, some say that it is coming even for us and maybe soon. How do we prepare for it? If it were to happen to us, how should we respond?

Calvary University’s Dr. Mike Dodds invited Pastor Reed Waggoner, author of Preparing for Persecution, to have a conversation about this important topic.

____________________

October 7, 2023: Hamas invaded Israel. Why? What did Hamas hope to gain? What are the causes of the conflict between not just Hamas and Israel but much of the Arab world and Israel?

Calvary University’s Dr. Mike Dodds—and the Calvary Conversations team—invited Dr. Teddy Bitner, who has 26 years’ experience in the United States Army including as a Colonel commanding a battalion during Operation Desert Storm, to discuss the historical background issues which have led up to this current conflict and some of the biblical and theological issues related to this current conflict in the Middle East. Dr. Bitner is currently Calvary University’s Chief Academic Officer and History Professor.

____________________

An “evangelical” is a “good news proclaimer”! It’s a perfectly good word to describe those who take the Bible seriously and desire to “proclaim the good news” of Jesus Christ. But, in recent times, it has become politicized—evangelicals are now thought of by many as a voting bloc. So, many who would have at one time embraced the label “evangelical” now consider it an outdated word that has obscured the true mission and message of God's people. What do you think?

In this Calvary Conversation, Calvary’s Shaun LePage, will lead the Calvary Conversations team—Drs. Tim Hange, Josh Paxton and Mike Dodds—to explore the question of whether evangelicals should give up their “activism” and mind their own business.

____________________

Does everyone need to be converted to Christianity? Evangelicals say yes. It’s called “Conversionism”: the belief that lives need to be transformed thorough a “born-again” experience through faith in Jesus Christ. But not everyone is excited about this belief. It assumes everyone is a sinner—we’re not okay the way we are.

Dr. Joshua Paxton leads the Calvary Conversations team—Dr. Mike Dodds, Dr. Timothy Hange and Shaun LePage—in a conversation about this distinctive of Evangelicals listed by historian David Bebbington. How shall Christians be “evangelical” in a world that can easily be offended by conversionism?

____________________

How do we know what is true? The National Association of Evangelicals claims that most evangelicals believe in “biblicism.” They have a high regard for and obedience to the Bible as the ultimate authority. Where do Christians get this idea? Are they anti-intellectual?

Calvary’s Dr. Mike Dodds had a conversation with the Calvary Conversations team—Dr. Tim Hange, Dr. Joshua Paxton and Shaun LePage—about this important distinctive and why it is such a fundamental part of the definition of “evangelical.”

____________________

The cross is an unusual choice for the symbol of a religion. It shows that the death of Jesus is one of the key beliefs of Christians—evangelicals in particular. But many today are asking whether we got it right—was Jesus our substitute? Was His death an atonement which satisfied the wrath of God? Some say this is akin to “cosmic child abuse.”

Dr. Tim Hange led a conversation with the Calvary Conversations Team—Dr. Mike Dodds, Dr. Joshua Paxton and Prof. Shaun LePage—about what is technically labeled as “crucicentrism.” Is the cross truly central to the Christian faith? Join us as we explore this important question, and we invite you to participate in the conversation using the links below.

____________________

The term “evangelical” has a rich heritage in Church History, going all the way back to the Greek word behind “preaching” or “proclamation” in the Bible, up through the Reformation. But in modern U.S. culture, it has been linked to politics and is often used for people and movements that are unbiblical in their beliefs.

The Calvary Conversations team is asking the question, “Should we continue to call ourselves ‘evangelical’?” But the first important step is to ask, “What exactly is an ‘evangelical’?” Join us as we explore these important questions about the identity of God’s people in our culture.

____________________

People all around us need help. They need encouragement, help and answers. Should ordinary, average Christians wade into the waters of “counseling” or should we leave that to the professionals?

Calvary’s Dr. Tim Hange, along with Dr. Joshua Paxton and Shaun LePage, invited Dr. Luther Smith—Chairman of Calvary University’s Biblical Counseling Department—to explore this issue.

____________________

Is the Old Testament for us today? Is everything in it for Christians living in the 21st Century? If we fail to study the Old Testament, what might we be missing? What might we be getting wrong?

Calvary’s Dr. Mike Dodds invited Joel Williamson, professor of Hebrew and Old Testament studies at Calvary University, for a conversation about the importance of studying the Old Testament today.

____________________

For 50 years, most missionaries have been focused on reaching unreached people groups—prioritizing people who have the least access to the gospel. Today, this focus is falling out of favor by critics of the Western missionary enterprise because they feel it reflects “Western” or Enlightenment thinking.

Calvary’s Dr. Joshua Paxton invited Dr. Ted Esler, President of Missio Nexus, to discuss this development and how it impacts global missions as well as individual believers.

____________________

Times have changed.

At one time, the Church in America lived in a positive world—a culture that was positive toward the Bible, respected clergy, and considered the Church to be a force for good in the world. But times have changed.

We now live in a world that considers the Christian faith to be bigoted, misogynistic, even hateful.

So, how can Christians and churches be faithful to Christ in this negative world? Join Shaun LePage as he leads the Calvary Conversations team—Drs. Joshua Paxton, Tim Hange and Mike Dodds—in the second part of a discussion about the so-called negative world and how Christians and churches need to think, speak and act in order to thrive.

____________________

Do you have questions about God, the Bible or Christianity? Shea Houdmann, as a new graduate of Calvary Seminary in 2001, decided to pose that question to the world. He created gotquestions.org and offered to provide answers from the Bible to any and all questions. As it turns out, lots of people “got questions”! Houdmann recruited a team that has now responded to more than 741,000 questions. The site receives millions of visitors every month—either to ask questions or read the answers to the questions others have already asked.

Calvary University’s Shaun LePage invited Houdmann, Founder, President, and CEO of Got Questions Ministries, who is also the keynote speaker for the 2023 CU President's Dinner on September 28, to discuss not only gotquestions.org, but also to help Christians understand the importance of providing biblical answers to the curious.

____________________

“And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end . . . And because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will become cold.” (Matthew 24:6, 12, NASV). To what extent should we expect to see these end times prophetic events to occur in our day?

Join Calvary University’s Dr. Mike Dodds as he and Dr. Richard Schmidt of Prophecy Focus Ministries discuss his recent book, Globalism, and end time prophecies.

____________________

Can we really know what is true? How do we know what we think we know? In other words, what is the worldview of Postmodernism and on what is it based?

Calvary’s Dr. Joshua Paxton invited Calvary University graduate student, Joshua Barr, to discuss his recent paper exploring this issue of Postmodern Epistemology.

____________________

Anyone following the news about concerns over school curriculum, traumatic events at schools, adult agendas being pushed on children and youth in schools and in the community, and the documented mental health crisis being experienced by children and youth know that young people need help today!

Dr. Mike Dodds invited Hanna Sims, the founder of NETWorkersTEC, to have a conversation about how to best minister to children and youth in these confusing and troubled times.

____________________

At one time, the Church in America lived in a positive world—a culture that was positive toward the Bible, respected clergy, and considered the Church to be a force for good in the world. But times have changed. We now live in a world that considers the Christian faith to be bigoted, misogynistic, even hateful. So, how can Christians and churches be faithful to Christ in this negative world?

Join Shaun LePage as he leads the Calvary Conversations team—Drs. Joshua Paxton, Tim Hange and Mike Dodds, in a discussion about this world-changing shift and how Christians and churches need to think, speak and act in order to thrive.

____________________

Since the 1960’s, Americans have seen numerous social norms change or disappear. What is the impact of this? Does it mean freedom from outdated ideas or does it create new problems? Surely some norms need to change, but aren’t some good? And how do we figure out which social norms should not be changed?

Join Calvary University’s Dr. Mike Dodds as he leads the Calvary Conversations team in a discussion about the pros and cons of changing societal norms.

____________________

Throughout history, people have played games. But today’s “gaming” options are more abundant than any other time in history. This raises questions for many: Are there pitfalls to some games, but not others? Are there “fake” pitfalls to gaming? What about balance of time, community and cost? Should Christians participate in role-playing games?

Join the two coolest Calvary Conversations’ hosts, Drs. Timothy Hange and Joshua Paxton, as they explore and wrestle with these difficult, but very relevant, questions.

____________________

For a Christian young person graduating from high school, should a Christian college be the obvious next step? Should Christians go to non-Christian universities—is that ever a good idea? How does the rising cost of college factor into this question?

Join Calvary’s Timothy Hange and the Calvary Conversation’s team for a conversation on this important and practical question.

____________________

What are the most seductive ideas being embraced by Americans? This question was recently explored by the Arizona Christian University’s Christian Research Center. They then released The American Worldview Inventory 2023: A National Survey of Biblical and Competing Worldviews and The Top 10 Most Prevalent Seductive Unbiblical Ideas That Are Embraced by Americans Today. Some of these ideas may seem obviously unbiblical, but the reality is that Christians are tempted by these ideas too. Some of them sound good at first, and how they contradict the Bible is not immediately clear to all.

Join Calvary University’s Dr. Mike Dodds as he leads the Calvary Conversations team in exploring how we should respond to people who hold these unbiblical ideas, and how Christians can help each other to avoid being “seduced.”

____________________

According to the recent Ligonier “State of Theology” study 10% of those who self-identify as “evangelical” disagree with the statement: “Biblical accounts of the physical (bodily) resurrection of Jesus are completely accurate. This event actually occurred.”

Does it matter whether the resurrection was literal and physical? And, if it really happened, why does it matter? In other words, would it matter to the Christian faith if archeologists found the remains of Jesus? Join the Calvary Conversations team as they explore the significance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

____________________

Why would the Chairmen of two Christian university departments waste their time on gaming? Shouldn’t they be studying, writing and lecturing? Shouldn’t they be discouraging their students from participating in pointless activities? Or, is it possible there are actually some benefits to gaming? Is it possible that games could conceivably be a tool for something good?

Join Calvary University’s Dr. Joshua Paxton and Tim Hange for a discussion about their own experiences in seeing gaming through the lens of the biblical worldview.

____________________

Is there really a God? Is the Bible really His perfect revelation? How can God be good when He allows people to suffer? Especially when we are going through difficult things, it is common to experience doubt. Is that wrong? Is “a double-minded man unstable in all his ways”? Or is it part of a natural progression to a mature faith?

Join Calvary’s Tim Hange as he leads a discussion with the Calvary Conversations team about this important and common struggle. Click on the links below to join in the conversation. We would love to hear your thoughts about doubt. 

____________________

How can a loving God allow evil and suffering in the world? This is a sticking point for many who choose not to believe. Christians, however, choose to believe that God has a purpose in what he plans and in what he allows.  There is, however, still tension in our belief and our experience, and it is acutely felt when we encounter difficult pain, or witness the abused or suffering innocent.  We ask “why is God distant?”

As Christians, we often talk about how God is near and present. One needs to look no further than the psalms to hear about how God is an ever-present help in times of trouble.  The Psalms, however, also mourn about times when God seems absent in our times of suffering (Psalm 88). Even in the New Testament, we feel this tension: Christ telling us that He is leaving to go to the Father, while also promising to be with us until the end.

Join the Calvary Conversations team as they explore a proper understanding of both the nearness and the distance of God?

____________________________

Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky, has recently been in the news for an on-campus revival. Thousands of people are headed to Wilmore in hopes of seeing a move of God with their own eyes. Dr. Mike Dodds, Dean of the Calvary University Seminary, and a distinguished member of the Calvary Conversations team, was a student at Asbury when a similar event took place in the 1970’s.

How should Christians respond to the news of a revival? Should we hop in our cars and go? Should we be skeptical? Join the Calvary Conversations team as they discuss the important and exciting issue of revival.

____________________________

What do most people believe the Bible says? What do “evangelical” Christians believe the Bible says? And why are more and more Christians believing things the Bible does not really say—things contrary to the Bible and to what Christians have asserted to be the truth down through the centuries?

Join the Calvary Conversations team as they discuss “The State of Theology” survey findings and the implications for how we evangelize and teach biblical Christianity to others.

____________________________

Is time a blessing or a burden? Why has God placed us under a system marked by seasons and years? What does it mean to be good stewards of time?

Calvary University’s Shaun LePage, led the Calvary Conversations team in a conversation about this important subject that impacts every human on the planet. The focus is on having a biblical worldview of time so that we can think rightly about it and use it well.

____________________________

It’s one of the most frequently asked questions: Why does God allow suffering? Why does He allow cancer, hurricanes, pandemics, heart-break, war, etc.? Why doesn’t He fix His world?

The Calvary Conversations team explores these questions and more through the lens of the biblical worldview. What does the Bible teach about suffering? Has God already done something about it? What about the future? Whether you are new to Christianity or going through some challenges, we invite you to join us for this important conversation.

____________________________

What is it like to grow up as a missionary kid (MK)? How does it shape the way kids see the world? How does it impact their faith?

James Gleaves has some stories to share. Calvary University’s Dr. Joshua Paxton invited Gleaves—a mobilizer with Ethnos 360, a former missionary, and a former MK—to have a conversation about his experience as an MK, and some of the lessons learned that can benefit every believer, including non-MKs. Join us for this fun, yet inspirational conversation.

____________________________

The benefits of partnering with indigenous leadership for global missions are enormous. But those benefits can be eclipsed by several and various problems.

Dr. Joshua Paxton invited Shawn Haynie, Director of Adelphos USA, to discuss some key questions about partnerships: What are the benefits and potential dangers of partnering with national missionaries? How can we partner with nationals in a way that does not create dependency or paternalism? Is there a process for helping the national missionary to become supported by the local national church?

____________________________

With all the great needs around the world, why should anyone consider serving in North America? This is the question posed by Dr. Joshua Paxton to three leaders of North American mission agencies—Jon Hansen, Doug Clark and Dr. Henry Vosburgh.

Their conversation not only explores the reasons why North American missions is so necessary, but also the question of need—what are the greatest obstacles faced by North American missions agencies? The answer from all three leaders may surprise you.

____________________________

Christmas – “the most wonderful time of the year!” And yet it’s become loaded with a lot of unbiblical traditions and expectations. How should Christians respond? Which should we clearly avoid? Which should we engage with caution? And which should we employ with a clear conscience?

Join Dr. Mike Dodds as he leads a discussion with the Calvary Conversations team—Tim Hange, Dr. Joshua Paxton and Shaun LePage—as they seek to bring some biblical sanity to the season and its celebrations.

____________________________

How do you know when you’re out of balance—overemphasizing some things while neglecting others? What are the dangers of forcing our priorities on other people? What does it mean to actually be “biblical”?

Dr. Joshua Paxton led a conversation with the Calvary Conversations hosts—Dr. Mike Dodds, Tim Hange and Shaun LePage—about this important subject and the importance of finding balance, setting priorities and living with tension between differing viewpoints.

____________________________

“How could I ever help anyone with a personal problem? I wouldn’t know what to say or where to turn for finding good advice to share! And if it’s a conflict situation, for sure I would be at a loss!” Every Christian knows this dilemma but also needs to have wisdom for how to help others – we ALL need to know how to do Biblical Counseling and to how to deal with conflict.

That’s why Dr. James Clark has written two books on the subjects, and he has written them to help the maturing Christian, not just for the professional counselor. Join Dr. Mike Dodds as he welcomes Dr. James Clark, President Emeritus of Calvary University, for a conversation about his most recent book, Dealing with Conflict Biblically.

____________________________