9.29 - Politics and Faith: Tension
After Class Podcast
Jesus commands us to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. But how should citizens of the Kingdom of God engage with the kingdoms of this world? In today's episode, the guys explore the tension between the Kingdom of God and earthly kingdoms. Are you ready for some tension? Growth rarely comes without resistance. Just as perseverance strengthens our character, wrestling with difficult questions strengthens our faith. Join us as we work through the challenging—but essential—relationship between the kingdoms of this world and the Kingdom of God. Because the best...
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9.28 - Politics and Faith - Allegiance Continued
After Class Podcast
Is the world ultimately transformed through the voting booth, or through a people who faithfully live out the “strange” teachings of Christ? Do Christians need governments to enforce God's standards, or is a holy, set-apart life sufficient? What comes to people's minds when they think about you? Your politics? Your opinions? Your accomplishments? Or do they think of Christ? If your life points more clearly to a kingdom other than to the Kingdom of God, it may be time to ask where your true priorities—and your true allegiance—lie. Join the guys as they explore what it means to pursue...
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9.27 - Politics and Faith: The Pledge Of Allegiance
After Class Podcast
Who Has Your Allegiance? Your Nation... or the Kingdom of God? Can a Christian faithfully serve both their country and the Kingdom of God? Or, when push comes to shove, must one always come first? Jesus said, "No one can serve two masters." But what if your nation's values appear to align with God's? Can patriotism and discipleship coexist? Where does your ultimate allegiance belong? Building on last week's discussion, the guys explore one of the most challenging questions Christians face today: the Kingdom of God versus the kingdoms of this world. Scripture teaches that followers of Christ...
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9.26 - Politics and Faith: Distinct Christian Influence
After Class Podcast
Continuing last week's conversation, we explore how God's set-apart people are to relate to the nations. Israel was forbidden from making alliances with the nations, and its way of life stood in stark contrast to the surrounding cultures. Kings, prophets, and priests each served a unique role in advancing God's purposes. But that was then. This is now. Did Christ’s fulfillment of the prophecies overturn the Old Testament trajectory? Under the lordship of Jesus, what has changed, and what has remained the same, and what does that mean for us today? Did Jesus walk the hard road so we could...
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9.25 - Politics and Faith: Unique Politics
After Class Podcast
Up to this point, we've identified who the powers and principalities are and the role they play. Today, the guys shift the conversation to how God's set-apart people should relate to them. Who are we? What is our role in the world in relation to the nations? How did God begin with His covenant people and shape them for a fundamentally different purpose? And how does that purpose grow into our calling today? Tune in to today's episode to find out. Because the best conversations happen After Class.
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9.24 - Politics and Faith: Judgement of the Nations
After Class Podcast
If God holds the nations accountable, shouldn't we, in the spirit of the prophets, join Him in calling the nations to account for their actions? But what does God actually hold the nations accountable for? The answer may not be what you think. Join the guys as they explore the prophetic witness of Scripture and examine how God judges nations, rulers, and empires— Is your nation at risk of God's judgement? Tune in to today's episode to find out. Because the best conversations happen after class.
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9.23 – Politics and Faith: Christ Above All Powers
After Class Podcast
All things were created through Him and for Him. Above all creation, this includes the powers and principalities of this world. Christians proclaim a God who is above all governors, governments, nations, rulers, and even angelic beings. This is a deeply subversive message—and a dangerous one. Throughout history, earthly powers have demanded ultimate allegiance, loyalty, and recognition. The early Christians refused. Empires attempted to silence this message through force, persecution, and their ultimate threat: death itself. Yet Christ overcame death, exposing the weakness and fraudulent...
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9.22 – Politics and Faith: The Powers Behind the Powers
After Class Podcast
Who really rules the nations? God, governments, or something else entirely? Today, the guys continue their discussion on governing authorities by looking at one of the Bible’s most intriguing and often misunderstood themes: powers and principalities. Are earthly governments merely human institutions, or is there something deeper at work behind the scenes? What did Paul mean when he spoke of rulers, authorities, and powers in the heavenly realms? Why was Satan able to offer Jesus the kingdoms of the world? And what do these passages have to do with how Christians understand governing...
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9.21 - Politics and Faith: Spiritual Reality
After Class Podcast
Is God on your political side? Scripture may say otherwise. Sam, John, and Ron continue their series on governing authorities by challenging one of the most common assumptions Christians make: that God automatically supports “our” nation, party, or political tribe. From Isaiah’s shocking blessing of Egypt and Assyria, to Nahum’s judgment against violent empires, to Daniel’s warning that even admired superpowers can become beastly, the guys explore the Bible’s deeply unsettling view of political power. Then Revelation raises the stakes. Rome is portrayed as a beast empowered by...
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9.20 - The Government, the Gospel, and the Christian: Pick a Side?
After Class Podcast
What if the nation you despise most is actually on God's payroll? In this episode of The After Class Podcast, John, Ron, and Sam trace what the Bible really says about God and governing authorities — from Babylon and Assyria to Cyrus the Great — and why the "lesser of two evils" argument might be more sub-Christian than you think. If politics has been messing with your faith, this one's for you! Tune in to today's episode of The After Class Podcast. Because the best conversations happen... after class.
info_outlineThe Bible sometimes depicts God as changing his mind, some have used this narrative to promote a view that God has changed his mind about sexual ethics in our time.
While not dealing with this topic exclusively, the guys begin a new series investigating the question:
What does the Bible say about divine change?