The Laymens Lounge

Today, the day after Charlie Kirk was assassinated, Pastor Michael Foster sent out a short article on his Substack and posted it on X. It read like a manifesto, but rooted in reformation and not revolution. I sent it to no less than 40 people. I asked Michael if I could read it on this episode of TheLaymensLounge.com and He has given me permission to do just that. The article is called “What Now?” Please listen and share.Follow Michael Foster on X @thisisfosterhttps://www.thisisfoster.com/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=emailhttps://x.com/thisisfoster/status/1966171803249946760Jon Harris has written and shared on his Twitter the song “America (One Million Charlie Kirks)" - you can listen to it here:https://x.com/jonharris1989/status/1966246387080978830

Let Twitter rage; Douglas Wilson is the People's Theologian. Join us for a conversation with Douglas Wilson, where we delve into his recent book, 'Mere Christendom,' explore the unexpected blessings of online trolls, examine the remarkable overlap between Abraham Kuyper and Douglas Wilson, and celebrate the genius of whoever is behind Canon Press' Twitter account (by the way, everyone who subscribes to the Westminster Confession of Faith is a Christian nationalist).

In John 15, Jesus says, “I have called you friends.” But what does it mean to be friends with Jesus? In the early 1650s, theologian John Owen attempted to answer this question through a series of sermons, eventually compiled as Communion with God. The book is full of truths about having fellowship with God, but Owen’s work is often a struggle for modern readers to understand.  In Friendship with God, pastor Mike McKinley takes a key idea or insight from Communion with God and clarifies it for readers in each chapter, giving them practical guidance for how to develop fellowship with God—such as obeying the Father’s commands, acknowledgment of sin, and prayer. Perfect for new Christians or for those without a church background, this accessible resource offers an introduction to the God who “wants you to know him and be known by him.”  Join us as we sit down with Mike and discuss the expectations and nature of friendship with God.

Neo-Calvinism, also known as “Kuyperianism,” is a nuancing and application of Christianity to all aspects of life that was developed by Abraham Kuyper and Herman Bavinck. It is based on John Calvin’s (aka The Bible’s) program to every square inch of a person’s life (beyond the realm of Sunday mornings and into a leavening into Monday through Saturday). Neo-Calvinism is Biblically, historically, and theologically conservative through and through, but unfortunately, it has been appropriated and distorted by theological liberals. As a result, many orthodox, Bible-believing, conservative Christians when they first hear “neo-Calvinism” often associate the tradition with all the whack-jobs out there who claim to be neo-Calvinist when in reality Kuyper is rolling over in his grave. “Whatever else believers may tolerate or bear, false teaching they may not.” – Abraham Kuyper

Tracing the History of Abortion in America by Looking beyond the Laws to the Dramatic Stories and Colorful Personalities of the People They Touched Fifty years ago, the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision to legalize abortion-on-demand sparked nationwide tensions that continue to this day. In the decades since that ruling, abortion opponents and proponents have descended on the Capitol each year for marches and protests. But this story didn’t begin with the Supreme Court in the 1970s; arguments about abortion have been a part of American history since the 17th century. So how did we get here? The Story of Abortion in America traces the long cultural history of this pressing issue from 1652 to today, focusing on the street-level activities of those drawn into the battles willingly or unwillingly. Authors Marvin Olasky and Leah Savas show complex lives on both sides: Some sacrificed much to help the poor and others sacrificed the helpless to empower themselves. The Story of Abortion in America argues that whatever happens legally won’t end the debate, but it will affect lives. Join us as we sit down with Leah Savas as we discuss "The Story of Abortion in America: A Street-Level History, 1652–2022" (Crossway).

The gLAWspel is Depressing but the Gospel is Sweeeeeet! Happy new year! To kick off season 4, hosts Benji and Jason chat (this is episode 1 of 2) a bit about their own stories and the glory of the Gospel over and against the old man, about how legit it was when when we realized the Gospel is actually good news when its rightly divided, and we also touch a lil on your boy Kuyper as well.

Join us as we sit down with Stephen Wolfe, author of “The Case for Christian Nationalism,” and consider what the specifics of a Christian Nation might look like when applied (what to do with Mormon? Effeminates and butch ladies with blue hair? Taylor Swift, etc.).

A Church for the Rest of Us What is the CREC (Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches)? How can such a small group of churches make such a national impact? What itches does this crew scratch, and what is it about these churches that result in such a jolly band? All this and more as we sit down and chat with CREC’s Presiding Minister Uri Brito.

Join us as we sit down with Zachary Garris author of "Masculine Christianity" and ask: Should wives always submit to their husbands (what if he is a pagan? What if he's a lazy gamer)? Can women at least Pray in Church (or must they always remain silent)? Can a woman be a professor (or is she really to have no teaching authority over a man)? Can a woman Tweet out an admonishment? What is the connection between universal suffrage, feminism and being trans.? All this and more... The Western church has gone feminist. God has given men authority in the home, church, and society. Yet the church has rebelled against God’s design and embraced the unbelieving world’s teaching that women should take on the same roles and duties as men rather than focus on the home and children. Christian scholarship and Bible commentaries are dominated by feminist arguments that both husband and wife should submit to each other (“mutual submission”), that women may be pastors and preach sermons to men, and that the Apostle Paul’s teaching on men and women was limited to Greco-Roman culture and has been transcended by our unity in Christ.Sadly, the conservative response to feminism—complementarianism—compromised several historic Christian teachings and has thus given feminism an even stronger foothold in the church. Many complementarians fail to root gender roles in the differing natures of men and women. As a result, they have refused to apply the Bible’s teaching about men and women beyond the home and church, leading to the embrace of women in civil office and military combat. In addition, the vast majority of complementarians have adopted the novel interpretation of 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 (“the women should keep silent in the churches”) that Paul only prohibited women from evaluating prophecy, which has opened the door to women preaching and teaching men in the church.The result is that the Western church has become effeminate and weak. Pastors are afraid to teach important Bible passages on the roles and duties of men and women, and it is no surprise that young Christian women are trading babies for careers outside the home and that churches are regularly capitulating to subversions of biblical sexual ethics. What the church needs is to recover its masculine calling, where men embrace their God-given authority—and responsibility—in the home, church, and society. This book affirms the historic Christian teaching on men and women, critiques feminist scholarship, and urges complementarians to hold a more robust and consistent position. This is a call to return to the Bible’s teaching on men and women. This is a call to Masculine Christianity..

Join us as we sit down with Biblical Theologian and captain-of-common-sense Bnonn Tennant and discuss the telos of man, white knights, weak pastors, singing like a man, and why it is good to be man.

A Biography of Abraham Kuyper the Alpinist, Globetrotter, Celebrated Speaker, Scholar, Activist, Journalist and Statesman Who was Abraham Kuyper? We know his books, we know his vast opinions, but do we know his actions? Do we know how he thought of himself? Do we know how others thought of him? How is he remembered today? Indeed, there is a folk "history" of Kuyper alive and not-so-well here in the USA, but is what we have been told, and assumed all along (and probably echoed ourselves), actually true to the historical record? Was Kuyper really a jerk whereas his younger co-laborer Bavinck the humble and kind man - or, was actually, contrary to popular belief,  the nice guy and it was Herman Bavinck that was the disagreeable one? Was Kuyper truly genuinely disdained or did even his critics respect him? Did he really stop attending church at the end of his life? Did he fancy himself a Theologian? Did he fail a second term as Prime Minister of the Netherlands because he was despised or was there another reason? Was Kuyper a schismatic for starting a non-state Reformed Church in the Netherlands or did he have no other choice? We also might ask: is James Bratt's, author of the definitive English language biography of Kuyper, accurate or does he have an ax to grind? All these questions, and more, we discuss with the formidable and ad fontes proponent Johan Snel, author of "De Zeven Levens van Abraham Kuyper" ("The Seven Lives of Abraham Kuyper"). Join us as Snel, who poured over Kuyper's personal letters and correspondence, gives us the only English version of his Dutch language book "De Zeven Levens van Abraham Kuyper." Listen in as we discuss Kuyper in the 7 areas that he, at the age of 75, associated with himself. Namely, Kuyper's own self-identifying as an Alpinist, Globetrotter, Celebrated Speaker, Scholar,  Activist, Journalist and Statesman. Join us as we separate fact from fiction in regards to "Abraham The Great" - the founder of neo-Calvinism and a faithful brother in Christ. Pro Rege.

"God's child remains the old man's grave-digger until the hour of his own departure." - Abraham Kuyper An excerpt From "The Work of the Holy Spirit" by Abraham Kuyper (Read the book FREE at Monergism)

Because there are no throwaway verses When starting a new Bible-reading plan, many readers begin enthusiastically in Genesis but then lose momentum when they encounter the Old Testament laws and genealogies. But the Pentateuch—the first five books of the Bible—has much to offer today’s Christian; it is the foundation for understanding the rest of the Bible, pointing forward to the coming Savior, Jesus Christ, in profound ways. In this interview with Ian J. Valiancourt, author of “The Dawning of Redemption: The Story of the Pentateuch and the Hope of the Gospel”, we learn there are no throwaway verses and that we need to immerse ourselves in the Bible getting pickled in the glory-book!

Trevin Wax is a pillar of the SBC and recently wrote a book called “The Thrill of Orthodoxy Rediscovering the Adventure of Christian Faith” published by IVP. Join us as we see just how far the creeds and orthodoxy touch on so much of life. “Orthodoxy, like the spires and beams in a gothic structure, can uphold a bigger and stronger roof. Heresy, however, is like a series of cracks that tend to multiply in ways that, over time, can’t sustain the weight of such beauty. By spreading throughout the structure, heresies lead to collapse. Some doctrines are like load-bearing walls in a house. You can’t remove a load-bearing wall without destroying the structure. But sometimes errors become like cracks in this wall, weakening the structure so that over time the result is the same.” – Trevin Wax “It’s beside the point to argue that marriage and sexuality are not explicitly spelled out in the creeds. Neither is infanticide. Neither is theft. Neither is the command to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Neither is a whole host of issues connected to Christianity’s moral vision. And yet few would argue that these and other unique and powerful elements of Christianity’s testimony are “optional,” to be taken or left depending on societal preference. We must not think we can take shelter under a minimalist interpretation of the creeds, so as to get out from under the Scriptures.” – Trevin Wax

Toward a Christian Vision of Government The cult of Climate, Covid, CRT, LGBT, and "unity. We’re at a cultural moment. It’s a product of counter reformation. Success involves 0 carbon, 0 Covid, 0 intolerance. They are impossible utopian goals… This all gives justification for state to have ultimate reach and authority power to get us to the place of ultimate simplicity. Total oneness and unity. The Bible teaches us Jesus is King and Kuyper (this does NOT include the libbed-out "neo-Kuyperians" who are preachers of heresy of and lovers of Totalitarianism) and Boot teach us there is, in fact, a Christian Vision of Government. Join us as we sit down with the Ezra Institute's Dr. Joe Boot as we discuss Dr. Boot's new book “Ruler of Kings: Toward a Christian Vision of Government.”

The Rule of Faith for Reading the Bible Today we sit down with Todd Hains, author of “Martin Luther and the Rule of Faith” (IVP), and we learn there is more to Luther than his emphasis on salvation by faith alone. How should we read the Bible? What lens should we have when reading the law? What guide for the Psalms? Indeed, Luther and Hains have much to offer. Happy Reformation Week!

Jacob & the Old Testament Guide to Messy Discipleship “I have entitled this book, "Limping with God" instead of Walking with God or Running with God, not because there would be anything wrong with those metaphors, but because, as Jacob limped away from his famous wrestling match with God, so we all get by on bum hips and bad knees. Following Jesus, we gimp our way down the dark and slippery paths of life. “ - Chad Bird

In this interview we sit down with Richard Gaffin, author of “An Introduction to the Biblical Theology of Acts and Paul - In the Fullness of Time” (Crossway) where I pepper Dr Gaffin with every question under the sun in regards to neo-Calvinisim (and its drift to liberalism), Kuyper & Bavinck (and translations), Geerhardus Vos (was he a neo-Calvinist?), Ridderbos (did he cave to liberalism?), Romans 7 (is it a Christian speaking or pre-Christian?), the fact that Pentecost is more than just a blip in the history of redemption (but one of the most important scenes), what the Christian life is made of (“Christ is both the means and the end”), and much more. Pro Rege!

The Baptist shift from Calvin’s “Feeding” to Bunyan’s “Memorial” When it comes to baptism and the Lord’s Supper, many Baptists reject the language of sacrament. As a people of the book, the logic goes, Baptists must not let tradition supersede the Bible. So Baptists tend to view baptism and Communion as ordinances and symbols, not sacraments. But the history of Baptists and the sacraments is complicated. In “Amidst Us Our Beloved Stands,” Michael A. G. Haykin argues that earlier Baptists, such as Charles Spurgeon, stood closer to Reformed sacramental thought than most Baptists today do. More than mere memorials, baptism and Communion have spiritual implications that were celebrated by Baptists of the past. Haykin calls for a renewal of sacramental life in churches today—Baptists can and should be sacramental. All this and more as we sit down with Dr Haykin.

Do you know you would have done otherwise? Jonathan Edwards owned a slave. George Whitfield owned slaves and was a pro-slavery activist. Thomas Jefferson, who said “all men are created equal part,” was a slave owner. Should we cancel Whitfield, burn our “Jonathan Edwards is my homeboy” shirts, and take some dynamite to Jefferson’s face on Mount Rushmore? But should we ask a few questions first? Hypocrisy of the highest order to be sure - yet baked into the culture was slavery. What was the silver bullet verse that prohibits slavery? Surely these people turned a blind eye, right? Surely there is no excuse, right? Surely YOU would have done different… Right? Right?...? We ask all these questions and more on this episode with Thomas S. Kidd (author of Thomas Jefferson: A Biography of Spirit and Flesh, God of Liberty: A Religious History of the American Revolution, George Whitefield: America’s Spiritual Founding). Here is frustrating and horrifying subject, but one that we do well to have.