Shows / The Learning Laborers
The Learning Laborers
Denver is a missionary, Taylor is a pastor, and Matt is a professor. All of them, however, are passionate about bridging the gap between scholarship and ministry. They want to take the insights gained through academic study of the Bible and bring them directly to the fields of ministry. Sometimes Christians are led to believe they must choose between being a capable scholar and having a fruitful ministry. The Learning Laborers believe that the opposite is true. When brought together in the…
Episodes
The Learning Laborers64 - Be Afraid: Discipling Fear through Horror with Kutter Callaway
What can horror movies teach us about fear, faith, and following Jesus? In this episode of the Learning Laborers, we have Dr. Kutter Callaway join us to talk…
The Learning Laborers63 - A Woman's Place Is in the Story with Sandra Glahn
How did Shiphrah and Puah save Israel before Moses was even toddling around? Was Tamar an immoral or righteous woman? Was it okay for Abigail to undermine her…
The Learning Laborers62 - Jesus, People, Pharisees with Scot McKnight
In this episode, Elijah and Taylor welcome back our very first return guest to the Learning Laborers: Dr. Scot McKnight. Together we discuss Scot's new book…
The Learning Laborers61 - Why We Labor to Learn the Bible (and Denver Reveals His Real Name)
How would you describe the Bible to someone who had never heard of it? Would you start with its purpose? Its contents? Its history?In this kick-off to season 5…
The Learning Laborers60 - "Amen" on Season 4: Israelite Identity, Torah, and the Firstborn in Genesis
In the season four finale of Learning Laborers, the we begin by reflecting on the season’s journey, highlighting conversations with guests like Paul Sloan…
The Learning Laborers59 - Dry Bones and the Hope of Restored Israel (Ezekiel 37)
In this episode, Matt, Taylor, and Denver do a live study of Ezekiel 37 - the famous Valley of Dry Bones.What's going on in this nightmarish vision that feels…
The Learning Laborers58 - Music, Scripture, and Holy Week w/ Poor Bishop Hooper
This special Holy Week episode features an interview with Jesse Roberts from the band Poor Bishop Hooper. Jesse and his wife Leah have been making music and…
The Learning Laborers57 - Pontius Pilate: Power, Pressure, and the Trial of Christ
As we draw closer to Holy Week, Matt and Taylor devote an episode to the trial of Jesus before Pontius Pilate. Matthew details the importance of this episode…
The Learning Laborers56 - Ritual and Leviticus with Dru Johnson
The Learning Laborers hosts a conversation about Leviticus with Dr. Dru Johnson. Dru frames Leviticus as forming God’s people through embodied, communal…
The Learning Laborers55 - Why Children’s Ministry Matters with Dr. Teresa Roberts
Matt, Taylor, and Denver welcome Dr. Teresa Roberts (professor at Ozark Christian College) to discuss why children’s ministry is vital to a healthy…
The Learning Laborers54 - Persecution and Suffering in 1 Peter: A Historical and Pastoral Examination
In this episode of the Learning Laborers Podcast, Taylor hosts a conversation with Dr. Matthew McBirth on the themes of persecution and suffering faced by the…
The Learning Laborers53 - What Makes Jesus a Legitimate Messiah? (Christmas Special)
In this Christmas episode of the Learning Laborers podcast, Denver and Taylor explore the multi-dimensional nature of Jesus' Messiahship through the lens of…
The Learning Laborers52 - An Empathetic Reading of Scripture with Shane J. Wood
In this episode, Matt, Denver, and Taylor welcome Dr. Shane J. Wood, a professor of New Testament at Ozark Christian College and Lincoln Seminary. The…
The Learning Laborers51 - Holy Embrace: Biblical Hospitality in its Ancient Context
What did authentic hospitality look like in the ancient world? What were the lifelong implications for those who engaged in hosting and being hosted? How can…
The Learning Laborers50 - Sacred Bedtime Stories: The Role of Sleep in the Bible
In this episode, Denver invites Matt and Taylor into a discussion of the theme of sleep in the narratives of Scripture. They explore the various Old Testament…
The Learning Laborers49 - Church Planting with Dr. Brenton Fessler
In this episode of the Learning Laborers, hosts Matthew and Denver sit down with Dr. Brenton Fessler, lead pastor at Refuge OC in Orange, California. They…
The Learning Laborers48 - Becoming God's Family with Carmen Joy Imes
The Learning Laborers podcast is honored to host Dr. Carmen Joy Imes. Carmen is an Old Testament professor at Biola University and in this episode, we discuss…
The Learning Laborers47 - Jesus, the Law, and Restoration with Paul Sloan
Does the Law of Moses still matter for Christians today? Does Jesus expect his followers to obey the Torah? In this episode of the Learning Laborers, Taylor…
The Learning Laborers46 - A Biblical Theology of Work
Should we live to work or work to live? How does Jesus want his followers to work? In the new creation, will we finally be done working forever?To kick off…
The Learning Laborers45 - Season 3 Recap & What We're Learning
In this special season finale of The Learning Laborers Podcast, Denver and Taylor dive into a comprehensive recap of Season 3. They discuss their favorite…
The Learning Laborers44 - The Gospel According to Peter: A New Lens for Christian Living
In this summer episode, Taylor and Denver discuss the central theme of the gospel in the book of 1 Peter. They explore how Peter's testimony about Jesus as the…
The Learning Laborers43 - Understanding Violence in the OT with Matt Lynch
In this episode, Taylor and Denver dive into a thought-provoking discussion on violence in the Old Testament with Dr. Matthew Lynch. The conversation delves…
The Learning Laborers42 - In the Deep with Peter with Noah Schumacher
In this episode of Learning Laborers, Taylor and Denver sit down with their fellow classmate Noah Schumacher - a pastor and contributor to the new volume And…
The Learning Laborers41 - Confronting Conspiracies with Dr. Jared Stacy
What do you do when someone in your congregation or church community starts to get wrapped up in conspiracy theories?Join us in this episode where we dive into…
The Learning Laborers40 - AI Shepherds & Electric Sheep with Paul Hoffman
In this insightful episode of the Learning Laborers podcast, hosts Taylor and Denver sit down with Paul Hoffman, co-author of AI Shepherds and Electric Sheep…
The Learning Laborers39 - Buying Friends and Entering the Kingdom by Force: Quirky Passages in Luke 16
In this episode, Taylor and Denver dive deep into the intriguing and puzzling world of Luke 16. The teachings of Jesus in this chapter can seem pretty bizarre…
The Learning Laborers38 - Jesus, Taxes, and The Kingdom
In this episode, Taylor walks us through the timely topic of taxes. Yep it's that time of year again! But don't worry, no IRS forms to fill out here!Instead…
The Learning Laborers37 - Cannabis and Christians: Wisdom from Dr. Todd Miles
Cannabis and Christians: A Thoughtful Examination In this episode, Taylor and Denver welcome Dr. Todd Miles, a professor of theology at Western Seminary and a…
The Learning Laborers36 - The Magi and the Christmas Star
Merry Christmas to all our Learning Laborers! In this festive episode, Denver and Taylor dive into the fascinating story of the Magi, or wise men, from the…
The Learning Laborers35 - Jesus Calls Us Friends: Rediscovering Friendship with James North
Join us for a deep dive into the intriguing world of biblical friendship with our guest, James North. In this episode, James shares his journey from pastoral…
The Learning Laborers34 - Cultural and Countercultural Christianity: Early Church Witness and Historical Insights with Nadya Williams
Denver and Taylor chat with Dr. Nadya Williams, a classicist and author with a PhD from Princeton. It is an enlightening discussion on cultural Christianity in…
The Learning Laborers33 - Engaging Gen Z with the Sermon on the Mount with Matt Trexler
In this episode of the Learning Laborers podcast, Denver and Taylor explore the intersection of biblical scholarship and ministry with Matt Trexler, a campus…
The Learning Laborers32 - Pastoring Pastors: An Inside Look at Kaleo Collective with Andy McQuitty
Join Denver and Taylor in a heartfelt and insightful conversation with Andy McQuitty, founder and CEO of Kaleo Collective. They delve into the origins and…
The Learning Laborers31 - Faithful Departures: Discerning God's Voice in Ministry Shifts
Season 3 kicks off with Denver and Taylor discussing the topic on ministry transitions. Taylor shares about his own ministry transition, where he is leaving…
The Learning Laborers30 - What We're Learning: Transfiguration & Atonement
In this season two finale, Denver and Taylor reflect on the last 14 episodes and also share about the topics they are currently researching. Denver is studying…
The Learning Laborers29 - Implications of Atonement: Part 2 with Spencer Owen
Continuing our conversation with Spencer Owen, Denver and Taylor discuss the atonement and the implications our theories of atonement have on how we view God…
The Learning Laborers28 - Rethinking Atonement: Part 1 with Spencer Owen
What is the significance of Jesus' death? What exactly happens on the cross? These and other questions related to Jesus' death and the idea of "atonement" are…
The Learning Laborers27 - The Trinity & Prayer with Sam McVay
What does trinitarian theology have to do with prayer? How can we inspire our communities of faith to engage in movements of prayer? What does it look like to…
The Learning Laborers26 - The End of the World & Rapture Theology with Matthew Halsted
Should our eschatology make us fearful or hopeful? Is there any Scriptural evidence for some kind of coming Rapture event? How should we approach the difficult…
The Learning Laborers25 - Cracking Open the Apocrypha with Matthew McBirth
What is the Apocrypha? Why is it included in some Bibles and not in others? Is it safe for an evangelical Protestant to read these “hidden” books?! Denver and…
The Learning Laborers24 - A Fresh Reading of the Familiar Christmas Story
Has our traditional, familiar version of the Christmas story distanced us from the Bible's version? Were Mary and Joseph really turned away from inhospitable…
The Learning Laborers23 - The Jewishness of Jesus with Lois Tverberg
Denver and Taylor interview Lois Tverberg about the Jewishness of Jesus, the importance of understanding Jesus in his Jewish context, and why that matters for…
The Learning Laborers22 - Song of Songs: Embodied Love and Curse Reversal
What is a graphic Hebrew love song doing in our Bibles? Must the Song of Songs be read as an allegory in order to contribute to our spiritual formation? What…
The Learning Laborers21 - Providing Pastoral Care for Missionaries with Steve Henry
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to pastor missionaries? That's exactly the kind of ministry that Steve Henry engages in every day. Steve has been…
The Learning Laborers20 - NT Scholarship for the Church with Scot McKnight
Should we connect passages from Revelation to current events, such as the tragic crisis in Israel-Palestine? How can we cultivate a tov culture within the…
The Learning Laborers19 - What About Aliens? (Part 2)
Would aliens bear the image of God? Would they need their own divine incarnation? Would God expect Christians to evangelize alien worlds? In part two of their…
The Learning Laborers18 - What About Aliens? (Part 1)
Would the discovery of extra-terrestrial, intelligent life dismantle our Christian faith? Does the Bible have room for the existence of aliens? How should we…
The Learning Laborers17 - Christians & Military Service with Leland Stephens
Are there any situations in which Christians are permitted to use violence? How are Jesus followers supposed to think about military service? Join us as we…
The Learning Laborers16 - Missional Hospitality
How do hospitality practices play into God's mission for the Church? What does it mean for Christians to be not just good hosts, but also good guests, to those…
The Learning Laborers15 - Season One Finale
Denver and Taylor wrap up the first season. As we take a break for the Summer, be sure to catch up on any episodes that you have missed. See below for how you…
The Learning Laborers14 - Matthew Bates: Why the Gospel?
Denver and Taylor interview Matthew Bates about his newest book: Why the Gospel? Matthew has written extensively on the use of "gospel" in the New Testament…
The Learning Laborers13 - Second Temple History & Politics
What was going on during the Second Temple Period? And how did that build the social-political context of the first century? Lastly, then, how does this help…
The Learning Laborers12 - Gary Pauley: The Social Gospel, Kingdom Politics, and Ministry in a Maximum Security Prison
Taylor and Denver sit down for a chat with pastor and life-long learner Gary Pauley. In the first part of the episode, Gary shares about his academic research…
The Learning Laborers11 - Renjy Abraham: The BibleProject Paradigm & a Biblical Theology of Unity and Diversity
Denver and Taylor have a fantastic conversation with Renjy Abraham, the Dean of Scholarship at BibleProject. If you do not know about BibleProject, it is a…
The Learning Laborers10 - Tommy Preson Philips: Romans, Deconstruction, and Pastoral Ministry
Taylor and Denver interview Tommy Preson Phillips, lead pastor and elder of Watermark Church in Tampa, FL. The discussion touches on various topics from…
The Learning Laborers09 - Baptism Through First-Century Eyes
What did first-century baptisms look like? How was it similar to other rituals of the time? How was it different? In this episode Taylor interviews Denver…
The Learning Laborers08 - Bob Blincoe: Galatians, Acts, and the Two Structures of the Church
Why do we need mission agencies? And how should churches relate to them? In this episode, Denver sits down with Dr. Robert Blincoe to discuss the two…
The Learning Laborers07 - Nika Spaulding: A Church Culture of Learning
Denver and Taylor have a chat with Nika Spaulding. They discuss her role as the resident theologian at her church, where she leads their midweek theology…
The Learning Laborers06 - Rethinking Grace: The Christ-Gift and Reciprocity
Referencing the work of John Barclay, Denver and Taylor discuss the notion of "grace." What is the grace of God? How does understanding gift-giving in the…
The Learning Laborers05 - Grant Porter: Middle East Missions in Light of the Early Church
Grant Porter grew up in Australia but served with Operation Mobilization beginning in 1982 when he joined a short-term outreach in Singapore and Malaysia…