As the hymn writer noted, our hearts have a proneness to wander from the Lord we love. On account of this inclination, God, through the writer of the book of Hebrews, calls us to “pay much closer attention to [the gospel] lest we drift away from it.” In his book Lest We Drift, Jared C. Wilson explains the subtle yet powerful ways that even those who claim to be “gospel-centered” can stray from the purity of the gospel of grace and the counterfeits we drift toward in its place. He joined Dr. Keith Plummer to talk about this and more.

One doesn't have to look too hard or too far to recognize the church's shortcomings. But according to Brad Edwards, author of The Reason for Church, these obvious flaws aren't the main reason people dismiss the idea that church helps humans flourish. Edwards argues that both Christians and non-Christians have absorbed two powerful assumptions: anti-institutionalism and radical individualism. These beliefs make many view the church with cynicism and suspicion, preventing people from recognizing how its work and witness can help address our deepest needs. In this episode, he joins Dr. Keith Plummer to discuss these cultural assumptions and how even committed Christians can mistake these ideas for genuine biblical faith.

The Edmiston Center focuses on Christian endurance in the midst of competing cultural narratives. Mrs. K.A. Ellis, its director, joined Dr. Keith Plummer to talk about how she came to Christ and the people and things God used to form her heart for Christians experiencing persecution around the world. What different forms does persecution take, and despite these differences, what commonalities underlie them? What can Christians in the West learn from how Christians around the world and across time have persevered in the face of severe opposition? How can American Christians conquer cultural anxiety? Karen answers these questions as well as whether American Christians are being persecuted. She and Dr. Plummer also discuss what led her to “jump ship” from X (Twitter).

In his book, The Body God Gives: A Biblical Response to Transgender Theory, Dr. Robert S. Smith offers a biblically grounded critique of transgender theory’s central claim that there is no inherent connection between the sexed body and the gendered self. In this episode, he joins Dr. Keith Plummer to discuss how he came to be interested in this subject; some of the factors that have led to the current confusion about the relationship between biological sex and gender; and what biblical revelation reveals about the significance of embodiment for sexuality, marriage, and personal identity.

Many believe higher education is facing an existential crisis. While nonprofit and for-profit schools are battling issues of affordability, enrollment, and latent COVID realities, the need for Christ-centered, academically rigorous, and biblically faithful institutions of higher education remains.

In this episode, Dr. Todd J. Williams, president of Cairn University, and Dr. Allen Guelzo, American historian and senior research scholar in the Council of the Humanities and director of the Initiative on Politics and Statesmanship in the James Madison Program at Princeton University, discuss the history and future trajectory of Christian higher education; the genesis of their love of history, civics, and deep thinking; and the lasting value of biblical worldview formation in the life of the student.

Emily Harrison, author of the Substack newsletter Dear Christian Parent, sits down with Dr. Keith Plummer to explore the impact of technology on children and teens. They discuss a four-part series she wrote on what parents need to know about Artificial Intelligence (AI) that covers its pervasive presence in daily life, its implications for education, the dangers of AI-created deep fakes, and its impact on artistic creativity. They also discuss the importance of fostering real-world skills and the need for collective action within the church to help families navigate the challenges of the digital age.

We are most vulnerable to drifting from the core teachings of the Christian faith when we find them boring, irrelevant, or embarrassing. Dr. Trevin Wax wrote his book The Thrill of Orthodoxy: Rediscovering the Adventure of Christian Faith to counteract the familiarity with Christian teaching that he says is “the enemy of wonder.” He joins Dr. Keith Plummer to discuss a wide array of topics including the subtle yet often imperceptible ways that we drift from the gospel; how ancient summaries of scriptural teaching like the Apostles’, Nicene, and Athanasian creeds serve as valuable maps and grammars; why doctrinal details matter; and how Christian orthodoxy, contrary to its detractors, is actually broader, richer, and more satisfying than its heretical contenders.

Drawing from his own journey of deconstructing and reconstructing his Christian faith, Ian Harber describes deconstruction as an existential crisis of faith that consists of much more than intellectual questioning. In this episode, he joins Dr. Keith Plummer to offer insights about how we are to understand and accompany loved ones in the midst of such crises. Among the topics they discuss are contributing factors to deconstruction, the importance of a theology of suffering, and the vital roles that sound biblical truth and genuine Christian community play in healing and reconstruction.