Can God be both familiar and fearsome?

Scripture invites us to draw near to God, call him Father, and come boldly to the throne of grace. Yet that same Scripture tells us to fear the Lord, describes him as a consuming fire, and shows people falling before him in awe.

In this episode, we explore what the Bible actually means by “the fear of the Lord” and how it fits with the extraordinary access we've been given to God. Is fearing God simply another way of saying we respect him? Should knowing God more deeply make us less overwhelmed by who he is, or more?

The God who invites us near is still holy. We can come boldly without coming casually.

Jesus said the world hated Him because He testified that its works were evil. Are Christians still willing to do the same?

In this episode, we wrestle with whether the church has become so concerned with being liked that we've lost the boldness to confront the culture around us. Have we confused loving people with needing their approval? Have we become afraid to call something wrong when the culture celebrates it? And have we forgotten that Jesus repeatedly told His followers that faithfully following Him would sometimes produce hatred?

The goal isn't to be hated, and boldness is never an excuse to be ugly. But if the Jesus way really is true and good, we have to be willing to proclaim it—even when the world doesn't want to hear it.

Should Christians want America to be a Christian nation? For many believers, even asking the question feels uncomfortable.

In this episode, we wrestle with why Christians who genuinely believe Christianity is true and good have become hesitant about its influence beyond our churches and personal lives. Have we accepted a privatized version of faith? Have we learned to compartmentalize Christianity? Have we become so accustomed to seeing Christianity through the eyes of its critics that we now apologize for wanting Christian values to influence society?

There is a difference between coercing someone to believe and seeking to influence the world with what we believe is true and good. If Christianity really is good for humanity, why wouldn't we want more of its influence in the world?