Episodes

James welcomes Dylan (founder of Varsity Skateboarding & leader of Skate Church KC) and co-host Nate to unpack how skateparks have become mission fields. They cover why skating is exploding post-Olympics, what makes a skatepark a “safe space,” and a practical model—teach, equip, empower—that moves kids from pizza and push-offs to Scripture, mentorship, and local church life. Expect candid stories (Dylan’s own faith journey from party life to pastoring), Gen Z/Gen A trends (digital overload, the ...

In a season filled with noise, outrage, and “cancel culture,” is there still room for real joy? In this Christmas episode of Thinking Christian, Dr. James Spencer invites you to slow down, listen, and remember. He begins with a personal memory of reading the Christmas story in church as a teenager, then simply does the same for you—reading Luke 2 so you can hear the story of Jesus’s birth without distraction. After the reading, James reflects on Mary, the shepherds, and the wonder of that first...

At Christmas, Christians often quote Isaiah 7:14—“the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son”—but few pause to ask what that verse meant for King Ahaz before it pointed to Christ. In this episode of Thinking Christian, Dr. James Spencer walks through the political and spiritual crisis facing Judah, the rising Assyrian threat, and Ahaz’s refusal to ask God for a sign. James unpacks why God answered with something that seemed wildly inadequate in the face of war: a child. He explores how th...

In this episode of Thinking Christian, I sit down with Dr. Tanita Maddox—National Director of Generational Impact for Young Life and author of What Gen Z Really Wants to Know About God. Drawing from years of research and on-the-ground ministry, Tanita helps untangle the unique worldview of Gen Z and why many of our “classic” Christian explanations fall flat with today’s young people. We explore how Gen Z understands concepts like truth, goodness, safety, and identity, and why shared vocabulary ...

In this episode of the Thinking Christian podcast, Dr. James Spencer is joined by Dr. Daniel (Danny) Zacharias and Dr. Christopher Hoklotubbe, co-authors of Reading the Bible on Turtle Island: An Invitation to North American Indigenous Interpretation. Together they explore how Indigenous perspectives can help Christians read Scripture more faithfully on this land we often call North America—but which many Indigenous peoples know as “Turtle Island.” Danny and Chris explain the story of Turtle Is...

In this episode of the Thinking Christian podcast, Dr. James Spencer welcomes back Sathiya Sam—CEO and founder of Deep Clean Coaching—to talk about pornography addiction, sexual integrity, and the power of Christian community in lasting recovery. Sathiya shares his own story of breaking free from pornography after years of struggle as a pastor’s kid, ministry leader, and researcher—and how that journey led to the creation of Deep Clean, a ministry now helping thousands of men pursue freedom and ...

In this episode of the Thinking Christian podcast, Dr. James Spencer talks with J.R. Briggs—founder of Kairos Partnerships and author of The Art of Asking Better Questions: Pursuing Stronger Relationships, Healthier Leadership, and Deeper Faith. Together they explore why the questions we ask of God, ourselves, and others shape the quality of our lives, leadership, and discipleship. J.R. shares how his own experience of isolation in ministry led him to ask three haunting questions—“Who pastors t...

In this episode of Thinking Christian, I sit down with Pieter Valk—founder and director of Equip and a founding brother of an ecumenical monastery in Nashville—to talk about what it really means to follow Jesus as single men and women in the church. Pieter shares how his ministry equips churches and parents to care well for people who experience same-sex attraction or gender incongruence while embracing a historic Christian sexual ethic. We explore the biblical vision for vocational singleness ...

James sits down with Denise Lester, founder of Rended Heart (Kansas City, MO), to explore what sexual exploitation looks like today—and how her ministry stands in the 30-day gap between crisis and long-term recovery. Denise shares her journey from NYC to KC, early work with Exodus Cry, street and club outreach, and why most trafficking now hides offline and online. They discuss highways I-35/I-70, drug dependency, the legal hurdles of proving force, fraud, or coercion, how porn and grooming shap...

In this episode of Thinking Christian, James Spencer talks with David Green, CEO of Hobby Lobby, and Bill High, CEO of Legacy Stone, about their new book Legacy Life: Leading Your Family to Make a Difference for Eternity. Together they explore what it really means to live a legacy life—one rooted not in wealth or success, but in faithfulness, purpose, and generational discipleship. Reframing legacy as something you set in motion, not just leave behind Rethinking retirement as a season of rene...

In this episode of Thinking Christian, Dr. James Spencer engages with Dr. Carmen Imes about her book 'Becoming God's Family: Why the Church Still Matters.' They explore the themes of identity, vocation, and belonging within the context of the church, discussing the significance of ecclesia and its roots in the Old Testament. The conversation emphasizes the continuity of God's people from the Old Testament to the New Testament, the importance of community in faith, and the call for believers to a...

Dr. James Spencer sits down with Beth Felker Jones (Professor of Theology, Northern Seminary) to talk about her new IVP book Why I Am Protestant. Beth lays out how Protestant distinctives—especially Scripture as the norming norm—fit within a broader, lowercase-c catholic Christian unity rooted in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. They dig into the ecumenical creeds, the messiness of the church, recovering historic practices (like corporate confession), how to live with rival interpreta...

Dr. James Spencer welcomes Gregory R. Lanier (RTS Orlando, NT) and William A. Ross (RTS Charlotte, OT), co-editors of The Authority of the Septuagint: Biblical, Historical & Theological Approaches (IVP Academic). What is the Septuagint (LXX)? Why is it a library of Greek translations rather than one book? How did NT authors access Scripture—and why do their citations sometimes match Greek more than Hebrew? We unpack a three-fold framework for authority (normative Hebrew text, derived authority o...

In this episode of Thinking Christian, Dr. James Spencer engages with Dr. Greg Quiggle and Dr. Jerry Root to discuss an upcoming study tour focused on the English Reformation and the works of C.S. Lewis. The conversation delves into the complexities of the English Reformation, exploring its political and theological dimensions, and how these historical events resonate with contemporary issues. The discussion also highlights C.S. Lewis's contributions to Christian thought and the importance of di...

Dr. James Spencer welcomes Georgette Beck—author of Junk to Jewels: A Journey from Brokenness and Despair to Beauty and Delight and founder of the Bella Healing Hearts Foundation. Georgette shares her path from low self-worth, early marriage, and divorce to God’s steady restoration as a single mom and, later, in a blended family. We talk generational patterns (genograms), lament that turns to praise, the “limbo” years, and how community, counseling, Scripture, and small groups became lifelines. ...

James talks with Debbie D’Souza (co-writer/co-director) about the new film The Dragon’s Prophecy—why the project accelerated after Oct 7th, how Revelation 12’s “dragon” frames Israel’s story, what recent archaeology (City of David’s Pilgrimage Road, Pool of Siloam, Tel Dan, etc.) says about the Bible’s historicity, and why the filmmakers went on location near Gaza and at the Nova site. To get tickets to The Dragon's Prophecy, visit: www.thedragonsprophecyfilm.com. You can also find information ...

Dr. James Spencer sits down with Dr. Peter Y. Hong—federal prison chaplain and author of The Reconciliation of Humanity in Christ—to explore how a prison chapel became his living parable for our “shrinking” world. Peter describes ministry in a pluralistic, constrained space where Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Native American practitioners, and others share one room—and why respect, service, and patience often open gospel doors better than aggressive tactics. From the fall of the Berlin Wall...

Dr. James Spencer talks with Jonathan P. Walton—author of Beauty and Resistance and 12 Lies That Hold America Captive—about moving beyond “thinking Christian” to living as a Christian. Jonathan shares how grief, burnout, and hard family seasons pushed him from activism-on-adrenaline to formation and faithfulness: Sabbath as the minimum, annual “Dope Day” planning with his wife, building guardrails for generosity and time, embracing insignificance over platform, and choosing obedience even when i...

Dr. James Spencer talks with Peter Greer—CEO/President of HOPE International and author of How Leaders Lose Their Way (and How to Make Sure It Doesn’t Happen to You)—about why organizations drift when leaders first drift personally, and how to course-correct. Peter unpacks the danger of identity in achievement, the difference between mission vs. methods, and why the stat that only 1 in 3 leaders finish well should sober us. We get practical: constellation mentoring (real accountability that stic...

Dr. James Spencer welcomes Dr. Mikel Del Rosario—theology professor at Moody Bible Institute, host of The Apologetics Guy podcast, and author of Did Jesus Really Say He Was God?—to explore Jesus’ divine self-understanding through both words and deeds. Rather than looking only for the exact phrase “I am God,” Mikel shows how Jesus acted and spoke as God in ways his opponents clearly grasped. We walk through Mark 2 (forgiving sins) and Mark 14 (Son of Man at God’s right hand; Daniel 7 + Psalm 110)...

Dr. James Spencer welcomes Eun Strawser—author of You Were Never Meant to Lead Alone and co-vocational lead pastor of Ma Ke Ali o—to rethink church leadership through the lens of Ephesians 4–5. Instead of celebrity or solitary leaders, Nkei makes the case for polycentric/shared leadership that distributes authority, equips the saints, and embodies mutual submission. We unpack how different kinds of authority (positional, spiritual, relational) operate in churches, and why power must be examined ...

James and Nate unpack a recent Gallup poll on Americans’ views of capitalism—down from 60% (2021) to 54% (2025)favorable—and why that headline can mislead. Beneath it: strong support for free enterprise and small business, persistent dislike of big business, and sharp differences across age, gender, and party. Rather than picking teams (“capitalism vs. socialism”), they ask the more Christian question: where are we placing our hope? Drawing on 1 Samuel, the exile, and Daniel, they argue systems ...

Dr. James Spencer welcomes Ryan Skoog—author of Lead with Prayer and president of Venture—for a wide-ranging conversation on prayer, discipleship, and the explosive growth of the global church. Ryan shares powerful stories from persecuted and unreached regions where God’s kingdom is breaking out through church-planting movements, miraculous healings, and courageous local believers. Together, James and Ryan explore why persecution forges unity, how oral cultures disciple through obedience and mem...

Dr. James Spencer sits down with Will Acuff—author of No Elevator to Everest: Shift from Survive to Thrive through Spirit-Led Self-Awareness and cofounder of Corner to Corner (Nashville)—to explore how Christians can move from frantic survival to joyful, Spirit-led living. We talk practical rhythms (breathwork, journaling, contemplative prayer), why emotions are God-given “sensors,” and Will’s delete / delegate / do differently framework for designing your day. Will shares how Corner to Corner h...