Episodes

Season 2, Episode 122 In this episode, Michael and Zach reflect on several key themes and insights that emerged from their recent roundtable discussions on government, politics, and Christian civic engagement. The conversation begins by considering how many political disagreements are not ultimately disagreements about moral principles, but disagreements about facts and competing understandings of reality. Drawing on biblical commands concerning truthfulness, wisdom, and charity, the discussion ...

Season 2, Episode 121 In this episode, Michael and Zach continue their series on sin, desire, identity, and the gospel by applying the theological foundations established in previous episodes to the contemporary discussion surrounding same-sex attraction and Christian identity. Recognizing that this topic is often approached through political or cultural categories, the conversation instead seeks to examine it through the lenses of biblical anthropology, sanctification, and union with Christ. Dr...

Season 2, Episode 120 In this episode, Michael and Zach conclude their government roundtable series with returning guests Matthew Gilbert and Jonathan White by examining the relationship between nations, immigration, and the Christian's responsibility to love both neighbor and stranger. Early in the discussion, Jonathan—a Colson Center alumnus—offers four guiding questions that help frame faithful Christian cultural engagement: 1. What is good that we can promote, celebrate, and preserve? 2. Wha...

Season 2, Episode 119 In this episode, Michael and Zach continue their series on sin, desire, identity, and holiness by examining the biblical doctrine of concupiscence and the ongoing struggle against indwelling sin. Building on the previous discussion of original sin and fallen human nature, the conversation addresses a difficult question: What should Christians think about sinful desires that seem to arise without conscious choice? Drawing from passages such as James 1, Romans 7, Galatians 5,...

Season 2, Episode 118 In this episode, Michael and Zach are once again joined by Jonathan White and Matthew Gilbert for the second installment of their government roundtable discussion. The conversation tackles some of the most challenging questions Christians face in political engagement, including whether believers should prioritize just outcomes or just processes, how Christians ought to think about democratic norms, and what role the church should play in addressing political issues. Drawing...

Season 2, Episode 117 In this episode, Michael and Zach begin a new series exploring the biblical relationship between sin, desire, identity, and the gospel. Before addressing contemporary debates surrounding temptation, same-sex attraction, identity language, and pastoral qualification, they lay a theological foundation by asking a more basic question: What is sin? Many Christians think of sin primarily as outward behavior, but Scripture presents a much deeper picture. Sin includes not only our...

Season 2, Episode 116 In this episode, Michael and Zach are joined by returning guests Jonathan White and Matthew Gilbert for a roundtable discussion on one of the most difficult questions facing Christians in modern politics: how much should a candidate's character matter? Unlike most of human history, citizens in democratic societies have a direct role in selecting their leaders, creating unique moral and spiritual questions for believers. Drawing from passages such as Proverbs 29, Titus 1, Ro...

Season 2, Episode 115 In this episode, Michael and Zach continue their series on common mistakes in Bible interpretation by addressing one of the most pervasive errors in modern Bible reading: making ourselves the central character of Scripture. From David and Goliath to Daniel in the lion’s den, many familiar Bible stories are often reduced to moral lessons about courage, perseverance, or personal success. While Scripture certainly has practical application, the discussion argues that the Bible...

Season 2, Episode 114 In this episode, Michael and Zach continue their series on the biblical role of government by exploring how Christians should think about the civil laws of ancient Israel. Rather than treating the Mosaic Law as a direct blueprint for modern nations, the discussion examines how these laws often reveal enduring principles of justice, responsibility, and social order. Through examples such as the parapet law, the dangerous ox law, and the biblical treatment of public harm, the...

Season 2, Episode 113 In this episode, Michael and Zach continue their series on common mistakes in Bible interpretation by examining the importance of literary context. Scripture was not originally written as isolated verses but as letters, narratives, poems, and arguments that unfold over time. The discussion explores why some of the most frequently quoted passages in the Bible—including Philippians 4:13, Matthew 7:1, Romans 8:28, and the Great Commission—are often misunderstood when separated...

Season 2, Episode 112 In this episode, Michael and Zach examine one of the most foundational political questions in Scripture: what is the actual God-given role of government? Beginning with a social media debate over abortion and state responsibility, the discussion moves into Romans 13, Genesis 9, and the broader biblical framework for civil authority. The episode argues that government is not morally neutral, but instead exists as a delegated institution established by God to punish evil and ...

Season 2, Episode 111 In this episode, Michael and Zach continue their Bible interpretation series by exploring one of the most overlooked tools for understanding Scripture: historical and cultural context. The Bible was written to real people in real places facing real circumstances, and ignoring that world can easily lead modern readers toward confusion or misapplication. Along the way, they ask an important question: how much background information is actually necessary for understanding the ...

Season 2, Episode 110 In this episode, Michael and Zach begin a biblical examination of spiritual warfare by asking a foundational question: what does the New Testament actually command Christians to do when facing spiritual opposition? While affirming the reality of demons, temptation, and spiritual conflict, the discussion focuses on the difference between descriptive passages—such as Jesus casting out demons in the Gospels—and the prescriptive instructions given to ordinary believers in the E...

Season 2, Episode 109 In this episode, Michael and Zach begin a new series on common mistakes Christians make when interpreting Scripture by tackling one of the most abused areas of Bible study: word studies. Drawing from insights popularized by scholars like D. A. Carson, the discussion explores how helpful tools can quickly become misleading when words are ripped from their context or overloaded with meanings they were never intended to carry. The conversation walks through several major inter...

Episode 2.108 In this episode, Michael and Zach conclude their two-part series on presuppositional apologetics by examining one of its boldest claims: that without God, nothing can ultimately be proven at all. Focusing on the Transcendental Argument for God (TAG), the discussion explores the presuppositionalist claim that logic, science, morality, and knowledge itself all depend upon the Christian worldview in order to make sense. The conversation walks through the major pillars of TAG, includin...

Episode 2.107 In this episode, Michael and Zach close out their End Times 101 series by tackling one of the biggest questions surrounding the book of Revelation: how are Christians actually supposed to read it? Rather than jumping immediately into timelines, raptures, or the millennium, the discussion focuses first on the interpretive frameworks that shape how believers understand Revelation in the first place. The episode explores Revelation as apocalyptic literature, prophecy, and a letter wri...

Episode 2.106 In this episode, Michael and Zach begin a new two-part series on presuppositional apologetics by examining one of its central claims: that there is no such thing as a neutral thinker. Drawing from passages like Romans 1, Proverbs 1, and Colossians 2, the conversation explores how presuppositional apologists argue that every worldview rests on foundational assumptions about truth, authority, morality, and reason. The discussion walks through the major ideas behind presuppositionalis...

Episode 2.105 Postmillennialism: Hope for Gospel Victory In this episode of End Times 101, Michael and Zach examine Historic Premillennialism—an older and often overlooked view of the end times that predates modern dispensational systems. While many associate premillennialism with charts and rapture timelines, this episode presents a simpler framework: Christ returns once, after tribulation, and then reigns on earth before the final judgment. The discussion highlights key differences from Dispen...

Episode 2.104 In this capstone episode of the Cults series, Michael and Zach turn to the book of Jude to answer a foundational question: why does doctrine matter enough to defend? Jude begins intending to write about the shared salvation of believers—but abruptly shifts to a warning. Something more urgent was at stake: the need to contend for the faith once for all delivered to the saints. This episode walks through Jude’s central concerns—false teachers within the church, distortions of the gos...

Episode 2.103 Postmillennialism: Hope for Gospel Victory In this episode of End Times 101, Michael and Zach continue the series by exploring one of the most influential modern views of eschatology: Dispensational Premillennialism. Though often associated with rapture language, prophecy charts, and popular fiction, this episode slows things down to ask a more important question—what does this system actually teach, and why has it become so widespread? The discussion explains the core framework of...

Episode 2.102 In this episode of Cults, Michael and Zach examine the Amish—a unique Anabaptist tradition known for simplicity, separation from modern culture, and strong community life. Rather than asking whether the Amish are a different religion, the episode focuses on a more precise question: how their theology and practice align with the biblical gospel and the authority of Scripture. The discussion walks through Amish beliefs across key areas including theology proper, Christology, and espe...

Episode 2.101 Postmillennialism: Hope for Gospel Victory In this episode of End Times 101, Michael and Zach explore postmillennialism—a view that sees the kingdom of God expanding throughout history as the gospel transforms individuals, cultures, and nations prior to Christ’s return. The discussion walks through key passages such as the Great Commission, Psalm 110, and Habakkuk 2, highlighting the expectation that Christ is already reigning and that His kingdom will grow progressively through th...

Episode 2.100 In this episode of Cults, Michael and Zach examine Eastern Orthodoxy working through its core theological framework ending with a comparison and contrast with Roman Catholicism. The discussion moves through key categories including theology proper, Christology, soteriology, and authority. Eastern Orthodoxy stands firmly within historic Christianity in its doctrine of the Trinity and the person of Christ, while approaching salvation through a more transformational lens—often describ...

Episode 2.99 Amillennialism: The Kingdom Is Already Here (and Not Yet) In this episode of End Times 101, Michael and Zach explore amillennialism—a view that understands the “millennium” of Revelation 20 not as a future earthly kingdom, but as a present reality already underway. The discussion centers on the idea that Christ is reigning now from heaven, and that believers are already participating in His kingdom through union with Him. By examining passages like Revelation 20, Ephesians 2, Coloss...