In episode 1, we begin by asking "What is God's perfect design for work?" Everything in our experience tells us that work is a mixed bag at best. Are we just trying to make the best of an unavoidably bad situation? Or is work more like marriage - a God-given gift that is unavoidably influenced by sin? That decision makes a big difference in the way that we approach work theologically!

We start in Generis and look at the role of human work in the Garden of Eden and then we move into the Prophets to take a glimpse at how work might look after Jesus returns and establishes the kingdom of God. We want to understand what purpose that humans (and our work) play in this beautiful universe that God made for us to live in without looking at the complications that emerge because of sin. We'll also do a little foundation building: defining work biblically and putting work and rest together to help us understand work in context.

In Episode 1, we saw that work was part of God's good design in Creation and in the eternal kingdom. But it sure does not feel that way right now!

In this episode, we turn to Genesis 3 and the entrance of sin into the world. Work comes under the curse, but it remains a good gift. We explore how frustration, futility, injustice, and exhaustion shape our experience of work, and why both over-identifying with work and despising it miss the biblical diagnosis. Then we look at how God, both through common grace and the gospel of Jesus Christ, is redeeming work in this world and using it for transformation until Christ returns.

Understanding how sin distorts work helps us name what has gone wrong and prepares us to undertake the difficult task of confronting it in the name of Jesus.

We have seen that work is God's gift to humans, but it is influenced by the curse, and by the redeeming work of God. So what are we supposed to do about it?

In this episode, we are going to discuss our secret identity as ... theologians. You may not know this yet, but you are a theologian, just like every other human being you will ever meet. To live, you have to think about where we come from, and what life means, and why we are here. You may be good at that, you may not be, but everyone is a theologian. It's the human condition.

But theology may not mean what you think it does. We outline 4 traps that many theologians fall into. They lead to bad theology, and therefore to a hard life. We'll also set our sights on the albatross of the Christian faith: the sacred secular divide.

You may be a theologian, but that knowledge does not translate into making wise decisions. What are you supposed to do now?

In this episode, we show how theology (or "the fear of God") is the beginning of wisdom, but it is not the end. If you think that biblical wisdom mostly involves on waiting for further instructions from the Lord, this is the episode for you. We demonstrate that this view undermines our God-given responsibility to live and to work and to make meaningful choices. We also outline a framework for understanding biblical wisdom, borrowing heavily from Garry Friesen's classic Decision Making and the Will of God.

Work is not a curse or a cross that we must bear. It is God's good gift, even when it feels disconnected from our faith. Are you just getting by at work? Are you trying to follow Jesus but don't know how? Have you searched your Bible in vain for references to "meetings", "salary scale", "evaluation", or "hostile environment"? Is work only spoken about in vague generalities at your church, and is money only mentioned when it is requested? If so, then this podcast is for you. Work is part of God's plan for the transformation and redemption of the world, and we, and our world, are the poorer if we ignore it.

The Gospel Works is a podcast for workers who try to follow Jesus. Scripture speaks about work broadly—schoolwork, housework, volunteer work, professional labor, and ministry alike—and we take that breadth seriously. We discuss how the Bible applies to real work issues with regular people. Thoughtful conversations, in-depth looks at the Word of God, and more than a few jokes. Join us as we journey together to reclaim work as the good gift that God intends it to be.

We've travelled a long way together in our discussion of work and theology and wisdom. But some of the material may have been novel or controversial. Is it true?

In this episode, we are going to talk some about a field of special interest for me, the history of biblical translation. We are going to take a hard look at some common objections to the wisdom view held by faithful people who are reading a version of the Bible that they do not understand well. If you have ever stumbled over "lean not on your own understanding" this episode is for you. Even better, we are also going to take a deep dive into 1 Corinthians 7 where the Apostle Paul spends an entire chapter helping believers think through some of the most important decisions of their lives.

Finally, after all the prologue, we get to have a real life conversation with a real life believer who works.

We have Keith Philippi, retired founder of a precious metals company. We have a great conversation about what it was like working in the 1970s, how coming to faith as an adult changed his business, and what he is doing now working 40 hours a week for the Boys Ranch of New Mexico in retirement.

We've talked about making wise decisions in faith, but how are we supposed to learn how to be wise and follow Jesus at work? Should we choose our default: online lectures, books, sermons, or whatever? Or is there another way?

In this episode, we will discuss some of the different kinds of knowing, and how knowledge has changed over the centuries. We'll also look at Jesus's "minimum requirements" for learning in Matthew 7, and how those get played out in the early church in 1 Timothy. We'll end with an ode comparing pastors, not to a summer's day, but to a sweaty PE coach. It'll change your life.