Hi, my name’s Tim, and I go to Saturday Church. In the last 6 months I’ve started a new job, which has meant that I’ve had a lot more commuting time than before. One of the things I am really enjoying doing during that time is listening to podcasts. They’re free, and a great way to squeeze some learning into your day! I thought I would share with you some of the best Christian ones that I’ve listened to so far.
Jannali Anglican Church
https://jannalianglican.org.au/sermons/ Of course I couldn’t go very far without mentioning our very own JAC podcast. A lot of you know about this one already but in case you don’t, you can find a version of every sermon preached at Jannali here. Catch up on what you’ve missed out on, or listen in on what other services are doing! World-class biblical teaching right at our doorstep.
Centre for Christian Living
https://ccl.moore.edu.au/ Tony Payne runs this podcast from Moore College. You might recognise the Centre for Christian Living as a few times a year they run a live event, which our church has streamed. It’s a well-produced podcast which explores how Christians apply the Bible to their lives today. Usually Tony interviews an expert on a topic, and the episodes are anywhere from 30-50 minutes long. Some example titles: “Is God Anti-Gay?” “Being single and Christian.” “Political freedom and Christian freedom.”
Ask Pastor John
https://www.desiringgod.org/ask-pastor-john In this podcast Tony Reinke asks John Piper a question that a listener has written in with. These episodes are shorter (5-10 minutes) and remind me of the Q&A sessions that teenagers often get at events but adults somehow either don’t get anymore or don’t take advantage of! Questions vary widely from practical (“Does premarital pregnancy nullify ‘unequally yoked’?”) to theological (“What is union with Christ”) and might also be aimed at those in ministry (“Does depression disqualify a pastor?”). There are more than 1000 questions here – find one that interests you or ask your own!
The Bible Project*
https://thebibleproject.com/ A little bit like “The Jannali Winter School of Theology”, The Bible Project examines all sorts of themes, structures and ideas that come up in the Bible. Tim Mackie is a self-confessed Bible nerd, but he is very easy to listen to, and the host Jonathan Collins plays the part of the average Christian who asks the questions we all have. I have really enjoyed learning about what Jesus means when He refers to Himself as the Son of Man (“Who is the ‘Son of Man’?” and also how to understand Hebrew poetry a bit better (“Art of Biblical Poetry” series). Episodes are usually an hour long – a great exercise for your mind and spirit.
*Since speaking about The Bible Project at Saturday Church someone pointed this article out to me which may indicate that Tim Mackie’s theology is flawed. A good reminder that we always need to examine Scripture to see if what we are being taught is true. I now recommend you read the article before deciding if you would like to listen to The Bible Project’s content.
Fierce Marriage
https://fiercemarriage.com/ Ryan and Selena Frederick are a married Christian couple from the US who have a passion for marriage, in particular seeing Christian marriages last. They’re not trained therapists, but it’s really refreshing to hear from a real couple sharing what has and hasn’t worked in their marriage, and they have put a lot of time into creating resources to help marriages. Podcast topics include “5 specific ways to pray for your spouse,” “Recovering after a bad fight,” and “The ‘Spectrum of Sex’ and why you need it.” Check out their website for a lot more content – they’ve also written two books.
Maybe you have a commute to work like me, or you might find yourself gardening, doing the laundry or exercising. Why not try a podcast? Just open up your podcast app and search for the podcast name. If you have an Apple device you can find them on the built-in Podcasts app, or on Android I use Podbean or Stitcher. If the podcast isn’t on one of these it will be on the other.
Happy listening, and let me know what other gems you find!
Tim Pinnock