While road-tripping across Minnesota, Steve and Jeremiah record a conversation about road etiquette, driving with your knees, and how Christians can be redeeming the time (Eph 5:16) as they spend hours behind a steering wheel. The first episode (Part 1) ends with Steve concocting a work of fiction about how he and Jeremiah first met. In this episode (Part 2), Jeremiah shares the historically accurate version of their dramatic meeting.

While road-tripping across Minnesota, Steve and Jeremiah record a conversation about road etiquette, driving with your knees, and how Christians can be redeeming the time (Eph 5:16) as they spend hours behind a steering wheel. This episode (Part 1) ends with Steve concocting a work of fiction about how he and Jeremiah first met. In the next episode (Part 2), Jeremiah shares the historically accurate version of their dramatic meeting.

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Currently, over 3.3 million U.S. citizens are actively serving across all branches of the United States miliary. We recently had the privilege of sitting down with Marine Private First Class Aukeem Knoop to talk about his experience in boot camp at the Marine Corps Recruitment Depot in San Diego, California.

• How does a Christian man seek to be a light in the military?
• Should Christians be enlisting in the armed forces?
• What is the history of women serving in the Marine Corps?
• Are there opportunities for evangelism & spiritual growth at boot camp?

This and more on Episode #30 of Plundering Leviathan.

How does a follower of Jesus plunder the serrated edge of suffering for the glory of God? This valley of shadow is covered with the footprints of the saints. What did they have to say about their suffering that can give us hope and courage in the midst of ours?

This is the question on Episode #29 of Plundering Leviathan.

QUOTES

• “God had one Son on earth without sin, but never one without suffering.” ~ Augustine of Hippo (354–430)
• “They gave our Master a crown of thorns. Why do we hope for a crown of roses?” ~ Martin Luther (1483–1546)
• “When I am in the cellar of affliction, I look for the Lord’s choicest wines.” ~ Samuel Rutherford (1600–1661)
• “Suffering so unbolts the door of the heart, that the Word hath easier entrance.” ~ Richard Baxter (1615–1691)
• “Such fatigues and hardships as these serve to wean me more from the earth; and I trust will make heaven the sweeter.” ~ David Brainerd (1718–1747)
• “I love to live on the brink of eternity.” ~ David Brainerd
• “It is good for me to be afflicted, that I might die wholly to this world and be led more fully to God.” ~ David Brainerd
• “I have learned to kiss the wave that throws me against the Rock of Ages.” ~ Charles Spurgeon (1834–1892)
• “Suffering, then, is the badge of true discipleship. The disciple is not above his master.” ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906–1945)
• “There is no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still.” ~ Corrie Ten Boom (1892–1983)
• “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” ~ Corrie Ten Boom
• “Of one thing I am perfectly sure: God’s story never ends with ‘ashes.’” ~ Elisabeth Elliot (1926–2015)
• “The weaker we feel, the harder we lean. And the harder we lean, the stronger we grow spiritually.” ~ Joni Eareckson Tada (1949–Present)

HYMNS

• "Sovereign Over Us" ~ Shane & Shane
• “It Is Well with My Soul” ~ Horatio Spafford
• “Is He Worthy?” ~ Andrew Peterson
• “He Will Hold Me Fast” ~ Keith & Kristyn Getty
• “Yet Not I but Through Christ in Me” ~ CityAlight
• "You Are God" ~ WeakSide
• “His Eye Is on the Sparrow” ~ Civilla Martin
• “Blessed Be Your Name” ~ Matt Redman

"Fairy tales and magic remind us of the infinite possibilities that lie beyond the walls of the world."

~ G.K. Chesterton

Truly, there is infinitely more to this world than what our physical eyes can see. There is a supernatural power beyond our wildest imaginations, and God's Word is clear when it comes to entertaining powers that don't belong to us (e.g., Exod 22:18; Lev 19:31; Deut 18:10-12; Gal 5:19-21; Rev 21:8).

• So, what about the wizards in Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings"?
• What about the deep magic in Lewis's "Chronicles of Narnia"?
• What about the sorcery in Rowling's "Harry Potter"?
• What about the witches in Maguire's "Wicked"?
• What about the arcane magic in "Dungeons & Dragons" (D&D)?
• What about the dark magic in "Magic: The Gathering" (MTG)?

Adam and Sarah Heim join the conversation as Plundering Leviathan asks the question: "Is there any place for FANTASY MAGIC in Christian entertainment? And, if so, how can we plunder this genre for the glory of Christ?"

RESOURCES

• Table Top Recovery || https://www.tabletoprecovery.com/

The Bible has much to say about our language. It tells us that "death and life are in the power of the tongue" (Pro 18:21), that "the tongue is a fire" (James 3:6). It tells us to "let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth" (Eph 4:29) and to "let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt" (Col 4:6).

Yet, the Bible also recounts the stories of godly men who used "strong language" on occasion. Indeed, there is a time to use our words "to build" and a time "to destroy" (Eccl 3:3). But this leaves all kinds of questions:

• When should Christians use their words to destroy?
• What does this look like in the church today?
• Who should be allowed to use strong language?

This is the conversation in Episode #27 on Plundering Leviathan.

RESOURCES

MESSAGES

• Jeff Durbin, "Jeff Durbin Confronts The Woke Church" (here) starting at 1:00:35.

BOOKS

• Doug Wilson, "A Serrated Edge: A Defense of Biblical Satire and Trinitarian Skylarking"

ARTICLES

• Doug Wilson, "Understanding Bad Words" (here).
• www.protestia.com

PODCASTS

• JD Hall, "Insights to Incite"
• Doug Wilson, "Blog & Mablog"

VIDEOS

• Douglas Wilson and Gabriel Hughes, "Flipping Off Idols" (here).
• Joe Rigney, "Gracious Speech, Salty Language, and the Sexual Revolution" (here).
• John Piper, "Can Christians Cuss to Prove a Point" (here).

The Bible tells us that the last enemy to be destroyed is death (1 Cor 15:26).

In recent days, superstar individuals such as Hulk Hogan (the wrestler), Ozzy Osbourne (the musician), and John MacArthur (the pastor) have walked through the doorway of death and into eternity.

This spurs the question: how should Christians prepare for the finish line?

• Should we join those like Bryan Johnson, the centimillionaire tech entrepreneur, who is seeking to find a way to keep his body alive forever?
• Should we join those like Elon Musk who are investing into transhumanism, seeking to override the aging and dying processes through artificial intelligence and nanotechnology?
• Is it possible for human beings to conquer death?
• What does it mean to "finish well"?

This is the conversation on Episode #26 of Plundering Leviathan.

Words create worlds, and phrases create philosophies. Truly, the language we use is more powerful than we will ever know - for better or for worse.

This is true in every sphere, including the church.

In this episode, Pastor Jeremiah argues that we are unintentionally harming the church by the way we talk about it. Instead of strengthening the covenant community of believers, our words have unwittingly created a world of individualism, consumerism, and entertainment.

• "What church do you attend?" = no good
• "What time does your church start?" = no good
• "Where is your church located?" = no good
• "Welcome to church!" = no good
• "Let's grab lunch after church." = no good

The way we talk shapes the way we think. Therefore, Pastor Jeremiah suggests a better kind of "church talk".