Empires of the Future

This is Empires of the Future, conversations to understand culture and encourage the Church in a time of change. 

One of the things that certainly decreased during the pandemic and has not returned its previous levels is singing with other people.  What are the benefits of singing with others?  Why is it a big deal to actually sing when you gather for worship?  We explore these questions and more in this episode of Empires of the Future based on this article by Alexandra Moe for the Washington Post.  

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/06/25/singing-with-others-mental-physical-health/

"The Empires of the future will be Empires of the Mind." - Winston Churchill

“Identifying the Idols of the City” by Leonardo de Chirico”

Every city has patterns of living and ever group of people has certain ideas, practices, and opinions about the kind of life that is worth living.  The Bible describes an idol as anything that takes the place of God in our hearts.  Through the lens of this helpful article on Acts 17 by Italian church planter and missionary Leonardo de Chirico, we examine what the Idols of Evansville may be and what we ought to do about it. 

https://gospelinlife.com/downloads/identifying-the-idols-of-the-city/

This is Empires of the Future, conversations to understand culture and encourage the Church in a time of change. 

“Company Says facial recognition can’t be used in arrests, but it’s happening in Evansville”

10-19-23 By Houston Harwood for the Evansville Courier & Press

Here in Evansville, Indiana, the Evansville Police Department is using facial recognition software to give them a leg up on seeking out those suspected of crimes.  But what are the limits of this system, and what crimes should be prosecuted using this AI?  We explore these questions and more on this episode of empires of the future.  

https://www.courierpress.com/restricted/?return=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.courierpress.com%2Fstory%2Fnews%2Flocal%2F2023%2F10%2F19%2Fevansville-police-using-clearview-ai-facial-recognition-to-make-arrests%2F70963350007%2F

https://ts2.space/en/facial-recognition-technology-used-by-evansville-police-misleadingly-identifies-crime-suspects/

https://www.14news.com/2023/06/13/epd-utilizing-facial-recognition-software-investigations/

"The Empires of the future will be Empires of the Mind." - Winston Churchill

This is Empires of the Future, conversations to understand culture and encourage the Church in a time of change. 

In an upcoming conference billed for parents of LGBTQ+ children and ministry leaders, Andy Stanley, pastor of North Point community church, claims “You will be equipped refreshed, and inspired as you hear from leading communicators on topics that speak to your heart, soul, and mind,” It further claims “”No matter what theological stance you hold, we invite you to listen, reflect, and learn as we approach this topic from the quieter middle space.”  What is the quieter middle space?  Given the speakers at the conference and the claims on the website, it is the same road that other Protestant liberals have walked in the past, leaving behind biblical authority to affirm popular cultural teaching, in this case on accepting LGBTQ+ sexuality.  Unfortunately, this is a path to theological emptiness and ruin, as we examine in this podcast. Here is a link from World opinion by Albert Mohler, which we discuss in this episode. 

https://wng.org/opinions/the-train-is-leaving-the-station-1695036498

"The Empires of the future will be Empires of the Mind." - Winston Churchill

This is Empires of the Future, conversations to understand culture and encourage the Church in a time of change. 

The West is Repaganizing

Anyone who grew up in the 80s or 90s remembers the claim that if the west could just get free of religion, then a golden age of science, reason, and technology would await.  What we are finding in the 21st century is the receding of Christianity in the West is leading to to a return of pagan morality, if not religion.  Louise Perry deals skillfully with this reality in an article at First Things entitled "We are Repaganizing". https://www.firstthings.com/article/2023/10/we-are-repaganizing

"The Empires of the future will be Empires of the Mind." - Winston Churchill

 

This is Empires of the Future, conversations to understand culture and encourage the Church in a time of change. 

Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald Whitney

“Read the Bible, pray everyday, and you’ll grow, grow, grow.”  This phrase common among christian teachers agrees with one of C.S. Lewis’ sentiments that Christianity is a form of education in itself.  If so, what are the disciplines that come with it?  What is expected of a Christian?  Don Whitney’s book Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life is a simple yet comprehensive answer to this question, and in this podcast we dive into Whitney’s summary of biblical teaching regarding the disciplines.  

"The Empires of the future will be Empires of the Mind." - Winston Churchill

This is Empires of the Future, conversations to understand culture and encourage the Church in a time of change. 

The Boy Crisis

Boys seem to be falling behind their sisters in almost every way, from educational achievement to emotional resiliency.  Why is this happening, and what can be done about it?  In this episode we examine an article by Physician Leonard Sax from the institute for family studies to consider these questions. 

https://ifstudies.org/blog/boys-are-falling-farther-and-farther-behind-their-sisters-should-we-care-

"The Empires of the future will be Empires of the Mind." - Winston Churchill

This is Empires of the Future, conversations to understand culture and encourage the Church in a time of change. 

New Methods and Timeless Truths - 8 Ways Modern Relationships are Forming

Who makes the first move in modern relationships, and does it matter?  What methods and platforms are people meeting on and forming relationships through today? To answer these questions, we look at an article by Wendy Wang at the Institute for Family Studies. 

https://ifstudies.org/blog/who-asked-whom-does-it-matter-who-makes-the-first-move-in-a-relationship

"The Empires of the future will be Empires of the Mind." - Winston Churchill

This is Empires of the Future, conversations to understand culture and encourage the Church in a time of change. 

Season 4, Episode 1 - A Christian Esports Coach?

Sam Henderson has recently moved to the Evansville area to pioneer an ESports program at the University of Evansville.  In this interview, we ask him about being adopted from South Korea, growing up as a gamer, becoming a Christian, and how he became an Esports coordinator and coach.  

"The Empires of the future will be Empires of the Mind." - Winston Churchill

This is Empires of the Future, conversations to understand culture and encourage the Church in a time of change. 

In this article we consider the actions taken two weeks ago at the Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in June 2023.  We talk through an article written by Denny Burk at https://www.dennyburk.com/the-narrative-vs-the-reality-of-sbc-23/

and consider such issues as complementarianism vs. egalitarianism, sexual abuse in the church, and the future of the SBC.  

"The Empires of the future will be Empires of the Mind." - Winston Churchill