Features
A Tale of Two Lost Sheep
In a happy and sane world, we would be constantly having our work interrupted, and be killing ourselves in the evenings and on the weekends because of all the parties we’d have to throw as sinners clamored to get into the Kingdom of God.
#198: Three For One: Voting Abortion, Hays’ Immoral Vision, and Stripper Salvation
Matt, Jady, and Nick discuss Trump’s statement on abortion, talk about Richard Hays’ new book and seeming about-face on sexuality, and consider the idea that online prostitutes are too far gone to find Jesus (spoiler: they’re not).
#197: Serious Good News: A Sermon for Easter Sunday
Jady preaches a sermon on Christ’s resurrection for Easter Sunday.
What’s Wrong With You? A Reflection on three Vigil Texts
Photo by Pisit Heng on Unsplash Of all the people in the Bible, Noah’s wife has always had my greatest sympathy. Good wives—and I speak from experience because I am one—make space in their lives for the existential disquiet of their husbands. Many people in the Bible...
#196: He Has Done It: A Sermon for Good Friday
Matt preaches a sermon on Psalm 22 for Good Friday.
Quite Literally The Most Loving Thing
Discovering you are wrong and are committed to the wrong people and ideas is painful. So painful that each of us resist it to the outermost parts of the sea. But even there the Lord can go and snatch a creature out of the clutches of Satan. This is technically the most loving thing that can ever happen to anyone, even though it might be unpleasant in the moment. But how comfortable is it to get your cheeks pierced and your kneck tattooed? I feel like having to chat with a Christian in the beauty section of Marshalls wouldn’t even barely compete.
#195: No Longer Against the Grain: A Conversation with Shane Morris
Jady and Nick welcome Shane Morris of the Colson Center to the podcast. They consider the supposed difference between private faith and public discourse, talk about life “with the grain” of God’s good design, and discuss the new creation mandate.
#194: The Heart of the Matter: Men and Women, Body and Soul
Matt, Jady, and Nick consider the Diocese of South Carolina’s recent convention as a microcosm of the ACNA as a whole, talk about diocesan interrelationships, and discuss the importance of discussing men and women at the creation-order level.
But God…
“And you,” explains Paul, “were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience…” Isn’t it disappointing, though, that the sons of disobedience would have to be church clerics? Oh well.
#193: Sorry Not Sorry: Christ, Culture, and Apologizing for Evangelism
Matt and Jady talk about the Church of England’s recent report calling for an apology for their history of ministry in Africa. They discuss the biblical view of false gods, evangelism and the early church, and the benefits of Christian “imperialism.”
#192: The Guy Behind the Guy: Christian Nationalism, Natural Law, and the Origin of Everything
Matt, Jady, and Nick talk about a new wrinkle in the Christian Nationalism conversation: the source of your rights. They discuss God’s pre-existence before the state, what natural law means, and how a preeminent God is actually Good News.
#191: Get Lent, Pharisees: Protestantism and Lent, Embryonic Children, and Concupiscence Again
Matt, Jady, and Nick discuss three separate issues: how evangelical Protestants should approach Lent, a recent ruling in Alabama regarding IFV embryos, and why disordered attraction is sinful, even if you don’t act on it.
Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin
So the first thing we might say is that Jesus does love people. But he loves them in a different kind of way than we expect. He identifies with them. But how he identifies with them changes their identity entirely. His kind of love and his kind of identification, in the words of NPR, is deeply controversial, and that is because, at its very heart, it includes a peculiar kind of hate.
#190: In Your Letter: Another Stand Firm Mailbag
On this episode of the Stand Firm podcast, Matt, Jady, and Nick dig into the mailbag and discuss how they came to their views on women's ordination, the new "He Gets Us" Super Bowl ad, and the online conversation about Elisabeth Elliot. Help send Stand Firm to...
The Scandal of the Church of England Enabling Criminal Migration
The scandal of abusing the offices of the church and even the Holy Name of Jesus to aid criminal migration probably will not stay in the U. K. and the Church of England.
Sick At Heart
The thing to remember about the time in which we live is that it is a death work. It is a death space. It is a death belief. It is death. Everything about it is to destroy the human soul and drag it into hell as fast as possible. And what are you going to do? Living, as you do, in a world—not just a nation, but a world—that has chosen death to be its Shepherd?
#189: Lone Ranger Anglicans? Collegiality, Congregationalism, and a Questionable Crisis
Matt, Jady, and Nick discuss the nature of the ACNA, talk about the breadth of American Anglicanism, and consider how it relates to the current crisis (or is it one?) regarding the ordination of women.
There Are People Dying
I feel like this is all relevant because the thing that all the people and children of the world always want is bread. But they want the bread on their own terms. They either want to get it themselves, or they agree to get it from Satan, instead of trusting God for everything. A lot of well-meaning Christians and philanthropists fall into confusion on this point. They go abroad and they see such enormous material need that they are overwhelmed. They don’t know where to start.
#188: Doubling Down? Alistair Begg, Calvin Robinson, and the Continuing Conversation
Matt, Jady, and Nick review the latest developments around Alistair Begg’s controversial comments and Calvin Robinson’s contentious talk at Mere Anglicanism.
When Jesus Preaches the Sermon
Strangely, Jesus, though it must have been exasperating, attended the weekly synagogue service faithfully though no one was expecting him. Before he began his public ministry, he must have heard so many bad and unhelpful sermons, rabbis wandering around the text in search of a point, nice people trying to work their way out of the exegetical and hermeneutical bag.
Podcast
#179: The (Advent)ure Begins: Waiting, Hoping, and the Start of the Church Year
Matt, Jady, and Nick discuss the season of Advent, talk about the whole arc of God’s saving work, and consider the Good News for which we’re asked to wait.
#178: Underwater Assurance: A Baptism Conversation with James Gad
Matt welcomes James Gad to discuss the doctrine of assurance and how it connects to baptism. They talk about the objective nature of Christ’s promises versus our often subjective views of the quality of our faith.
#177: Routes to Rebirth: Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Conversion, and Evangelism
Matt, Anne, and Nick talk about Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s conversion, discuss what one must know (and believe) to call oneself a Christian, and consider the different ways people can and do come to saving faith.
#176: Pulling the Lever for Jesus? Politics, Abortion, and the Morality of Voting
Matt, Jady, and Nick discuss the results of the 2023 election, talk about the moral weight of casting a vote, and consider abortion as a voting issue; past, present, and future.
#175: A Covenanted Communion: A Conversation with Phil Ashey
Matt, Jady, and Nick welcome the Rev. Canon Phil Ashey to the show, and discuss the possibility of covenanted Anglican Communion with mutual accountability, interdependence, and discipline at the global level.
#174: OK Zoomer: Reconquista and Recovering the Mainline
Matt, Jady, and Nick talk about the Reconquista Movement, a strategy to rescue mainline churches for orthodoxy. While there are some exciting and noble aspects to the plan, there are serious theological and ecclesial problems with it.
#173: Yearn and Burn: Desire, Sex, and Marriage
Matt, Jady, and Nick discuss recent online conversations about “same sex attracted” people and marriage, talk about God’s power to change us, consider biblical reasons for singleness, and remember that, in Christ, we are promised redemption.
#172: An Existential Crisis: Terrorism, Israel, and Biblical Israel
Matt, Jady, and Nick discuss the recent atrocities perpetrated by Hamas in Israel. They talk about the clash of cultures involved, look at the biblical right of nations to wield the sword, and consider God’s on-going relationship to his chosen people.
#171: Who We Say That We Are: Identity and the Bible
On this episode of the Stand Firm podcast, the hosts step away from the mic again. In their place, enjoy a lecture by our own Nick Lannon on identity and the Bible.
#170: The People Under the Stairs: Evangelicals, Culture, and Elite Embarrassment
Matt, Jady, and Nick discuss prominent evangelicals distancing themselves from their former fellows, talk about the drive for—and the costs associated with—cultural acceptance, and remember that friendship with the world is enmity with God.
#169: (Mis)Uses of the Law? Preaching, Gospel-Centeredness, and the Third Use
Matt, Jady, and Nick discuss God’s law. They begin by reflecting on the waning influence of the “Gospel-Centered” movement and then talk about preaching and how the law works in a Christian’s life.
#168: Showing Their True Colors: ACNAtoo, Affirmation, and LGBTQ+
Matt, Jady, and Nick discuss the recent statement from ACNAtoo. They talk about the morphing definitions of terms, the anonymity of the leadership, and the anti-Christian nature of the organization’s promises.
#167: Shepherds Lost and Found: Ministry, Hope, and Preaching Jesus
Matt, Jady, and Nick talk about a pastor’s essay about leaving the ministry. They discuss expectations, the difficulties of parish ministry, and the consolation they find in Christ.
#166: Modern Families? Morality and Procreation in the Technological Age
Matt, Jady, and Nick discuss modern family planning: abortion, sperm donation, IVF, “snowflake” adoption, surrogacy, and more. They talk about the moral implications of these technologies, adoption in Christ, and hope in the Gospel.
#165: Essay Does It: Global Anglicanism and the Archbishop’s Essay Contest
Matt, Jady, and Nick discuss Archbishop Beach’s summer essay contest: a sermon on what it means to be a global Anglican today. They discuss that topic, applicable biblical texts, how such a sermon might go…and what they’ll do with their winnings.
#164: Unashamed: God’s Word, Eternal Truth, and Changing Churches
Jady and Nick discuss a Christianity Today article about recently departed ACNA churches. They wonder if clergy and congregation knew what they were joining, reflect on their own past hesitancies, and reaffirm the goodness of God’s Word…no matter what.
#163: Girls Rule Boys Drool? Barbies, Boys, and Future Men
Matt and Jady talk about the Barbie movie, gay Boy Scouts, masculinity, trail life, and Matt and Anne’s workouts.
#162: Another Stand Firm Mailbag
Matt, Jady, and Nick tackle some more listener questions. This time: whether or not Anglicanism is Calvinist, female deacons, regenerate church membership, and becoming an involved layperson.
#161: I Am Become Death: Just War Theory and the Morality of Atomic Bombs
Matt, Jady, and Nick talk about Just War Theory, discuss the difference between making war and turning the other cheek, and consider the history of the atomic bombings on the occasion of the release of the film OPPENHEIMER.
#160: No Thanks: A Response to Some Theses on Anglican Reunification
Matt, Jady, and Nick react to a recent article calling for ACNA and TEC to reconcile. They remember (again) the reasons for the “schism,” clarify (again) the severity of TEC’s offense, and say (again) that only repentance can lead to reconciliation.