Viewpoint - The Bible and Culture

What do the recent acts of violence in our country show us about the deep brokenness in our culture? What opportunities do we have as Christians to bring the hope of the Gospel to a nation that is hurting, confused, fearful, angry and looking for answers? In this live class session held at Highlands Church, our panel of pastors takes a deeper look at the events surrounding the murder of Charlie Kirk, the boldness with which he shared his faith, what it says about our current cultural moment, and what the Bible teaches us all about sharing the hope of Jesus Christ with others.

What does it mean to "be a man"? Our culture is wrestling with all kinds of definitions - from the hyper-masculine on one side to those on the other who claim there is no defining characteristics and we can completely decide for ourselves. But what does the Bible say about what it means to be a man? What does God's created order have to do with it? What characteristics should men aspire to? Dr. Jeffery Ventrella has written extensively on the subject of the Bible and culture and provides a great framework for our discussion, including the pitfalls of social media's "man-o-sphere", and even mixed messages the church itself has sent young men over the last 20 years.  You can find more of Dr. Ventrella's work discussing the Bible and culture at Truth Xchange: https://truthxchange.com/

How does someone raised in the Islamic faith hear the message of the gospel? In this live Viewpoint class session recording, Pastor Joe Infranco is joined by special guest Al Fadi, who came to the U.S. as a Muslim and was led to faith in Jesus Christ. Al shares his conversion story, and about the family and cultural pressures that he and others encountered afterward. His experience gives us great insight on how to reach out to our Muslim neighbors with the hope of the gospel. Learn more about Al Fadi's ministry, CIRA International, at https://cirainternational.com/ Find out about more upcoming Viewpoint class sessions at Highlands Church at HighlandsChurch.org/Viewpoint

Our culture presents us with a steady view of the supernatural, especially in TV and movies. Stories range from how angels get their wings to gruesome horror portrayals of dark spirits. But what does the Bible actually teach on the spiritual dimension and human interaction with this unseen realm? Are there things we can know for sure? As Christians, how much should we be thinking about the spiritual realm in our day-to-day life?  This episode features a live class session held in February of 2025 hosted by our Pastor of Adult Education, Joe Infranco, and our Equipping Pastor, Dr. Ed Lutz. You can find the notes referred to in the episode at this link (PDF).

Should Christians use someone's preferred pronouns? This is a question made complicated by our culture's ever-changing ideas around identity. What happens when a friend or family member asks you to refer to them using a pronoun that's opposite of their biological sex? Should you agree out of respect? Or is that denying a fundamental truth about who God made them to be? Joe and Brendan take a tour of the Bible as it relates to the concept of identity and how the Apostle Paul gives us a roadmap for entering into conversations with people who share a different view. Ultimately we'll explore how we can best love the people around us like Jesus - with both grace and truth - pointing them always to the hope of the gospel.

Abortion is one of the most divisive issues in our culture. The political and media machinery of our society often exploit the issue for their own gain, trying to convince us that we can either be in favor of women or in favor of unborn children, but not both. We can quickly lose sight of the true human cost: women who are in crisis, and unborn children who are losing their lives. This episode breaks through the soundbites to look at the heart of the issue. What does the Bible say about life and the lives of unborn children? How does the gospel bring hope to women who are facing an unplanned pregnancy as well as women who have had an abortion? What is the church's role and responsibility in advocating for God's view of the value of human life? Our guest is Erica Steinmiller-Perdomo who has spent years as an attorney advocating for pro-life causes, churches and organizations, and who is on the front lines of the cultural debate on abortion.  If you are in the Phoenix area and have an unplanned pregnancy and don't know where to turn for help, please contact our ministry partners at Choices Pregnancy Centers (https://www.choicesaz.com/). For information about adoption services, you can visit our partners at Christian Family Care (https://cfcare.org/). Have a question or show idea? Email us at the podcast at viewpoint@highlandschurch.org 

How should Christians vote? Does the Bible provide insight on how we should engage in the political process? What if you like a candidate's policies, but struggle with their character? In a culture that continues to drift further from biblical values, is the political process even worth our time? We'll take on these questions and more as we take a biblical tour of how God has worked through leaders and voting throughout history. Along the way we'll read God's desire for His people to serve others and seek the good of the communities in which He's placed us, including by using our vote. We'll even explore the results of leaders throughout the Bible with questionable character and seek to understand God's perspective. Have questions or show ideas? Email us at viewpoint@highlandschurch.org

What kind of school should Christians send their kids to? The U.S. provides a wide range of choice when it comes to educating kids - and our home state of Arizona is one of the most school-choice-friendly places in the nation, with financial support for any number of choices. So how does a parent decide which path to take?  Is public school too progressive? Is private school too exclusive? Is home school too limited of an experience? This episode is part two featuring guests from each school experience - public, private and home school - to talk about the pros, cons, misconceptions, benefits and challenges of their experience.

What kind of school should Christians send their kids to? The U.S. provides a wide range of choice when it comes to educating kids - and our home state of Arizona is one of the most school-choice-friendly places in the nation, with financial support for any number of choices. So how does a parent decide which path to take?  Is public school too progressive? Is private school too exclusive? Is home school too limited of an experience? This episode is part one of two that features guests from each school experience - public, private and home school - to talk about the pros, cons, misconceptions, benefits and challenges of their experience.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is taking the world by storm, transforming businesses, education, and life all around us - including the church. Rapid change from revolutionary technology brings new opportunities, but it also brings many questions and even fears. Some believe AI will be as significant of a change for our world as the automobile or the internet. How should Christians view and respond to the brave new world being ushered in by AI? Can AI be used as a tool for sharing the gospel and making disciples? This live Viewpoint class session was hosted in July of 2024 by Pastor Joe Infranco and his guest Jim McGuire.

Where does our understanding of who we are come from? Our culture tries to convince us to base our identity in lots of things - our work, our family, our economic status, and even our sexual desires and orientation. But the Bible tells a different story about our identity and what God's design says about our desires and feelings.  Our guests Garry and Melissa Ingraham, founders of Love & Truth Network (loveandtruthnetwork.com), share their powerful stories of sexual brokenness, how that led them to eventually find their identity in Christ, and the healing and restoration that came by grace through faith.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is quickly finding its way into many aspects of our lives, whether we’re even aware of it or not. As Christians, how should we think about AI?  Is it just another technology tool like Television or the Internet? Or is there something more to it that we need to be thinking about?  Is AI something we should be suspicious of, or should we embrace it? How about this - does AI present new opportunities to share the gospel with the world? Our guest for this episode is Elijah Low, author of the book "Navigating AI With Faith". As both a technology specialist and a ministry veteran, he's on the leading edge of thinking about the intersection of AI and our Christian faith, and he has a gospel-centered optimism about AI as a useful tool for ministry. You can find his book on Amazon.com here.

The attack on Israel by Hamas on October 7th shocked the world. The resulting war between Israel and Gaza has sparked debate and conflict across people and cultures worldwide. How do we respond to this as Christians? What are the possible prophetic implications? This episode features a live class session hosted by Joe Infranco, Highlands' Pastor of Adult Education. Joe covers the history of the nation of Israel, the origins of Hamas, and biblical prophecy surrounding Israel.  Joe also took questions from the audience, and encouraged us toward the hope we have in Jesus Christ, even in the darkest days of world conflict. Want to contact the podcast? You can always email us at viewpoint@highlandschurch.org 

How do we best love our neighbors with disabilities? One simple but often overlooked way is to assume competence - interacting in a way that assumes the other person can receive and comprehend even if they can’t physically demonstrate that comprehension. In a culture that claims to value the vulnerable and marginalized, the practice of assuming competence in another person can unfortunately be rare, even within institutions like schools and hospitals.  Our guest is our good friend Brooke Brown who is also an author, public speaker, and who recently held the title of Ms. Wheelchair Arizona 2022. Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, Brooke's speech and movement disabilities have caused her to become a tireless advocate for assuming competence in everyone.  You can learn more about Brooke and her ministry at https://brookesbutterflytouch.com/ Have any feedback for the Viewpoint podcast? We'd love to hear from you - email us at viewpoint@highlandschurch.org

As Christians, how do we decide what’s “okay” to watch on TV or in movies? Our culture is over-saturated with content that often includes heavy doses of violence, strong language, or varying degrees of sexual content. Is our choice simply a matter of the age rating? Is this an area of Christian freedom?  How can the Bible help guide our viewing decisions? And isn’t the Bible itself full of violent and sexual content at times? Beyond the implications for our own eyes and minds, what about the implications for the actors who are featured? Do we have an obligation to be good neighbors by avoiding media content in which actors are exploited or taken advantage of during the production process? Our guest for this episode is Cap Stewart, a contributing author to the curriculum called Personal Purity Isn’t Enough: The Long-Forgotten Secret to Making Scriptural Entertainment Choices, and contributor to publications like Christ and Pop Culture, The Christian Post and The Gospel Coalition.

Physician assisted suicide has major implications for the way our culture views the value of human life. As governments around the world open the door to physician assisted suicide as a form of medical care, how can Christians bring the perspective of God's value of each human life to the discussion, or even to the voting booth? On a personal level, what happens if a family member expresses a desire to end their life through physician assisted suicide? How does the hope of the Gospel of Jesus Christ provide a way to minister to people in that difficult place? This is part two of our conversation with Dr. Jim Benecke who serves as our helpful guide through the realities of what's happening in the medical community, and encouragement for how to engage our culture as this issue continues to progress.

Physician assisted suicide is rapidly becoming an available, legal - and sometimes even promoted - option for people experiencing pain, suffering or hardship. But as Christians who believe all life is sacred and created in the image of God, the implications of offering or promoting the idea of ending life before someone's natural death are tragic. Dr. Jim Benecke returns as a guest of Joe and Brendan to discuss what physician assisted suicide is, what the Bible has to say about the sanctity of life, and the concerning path down which the practice of physician assisted suicide will take our culture.

More people than ever in our culture are expressing a desire to change their gender. What does the Bible say about that desire?  More importantly, how can Christians engage with those who want to change genders in a way that ministers to them with both grace and truth? And how can parents navigate transgender culture as it affects young people, schools and beyond? In this episode, Joe and Brendan discuss transgenderism through excerpts of a live interview Joe conducted in 2022 with Walt Heyer, a man who spent eight years of his life living as a woman before coming to faith in Christ and de-transitioning. He has since started a ministry for those experiencing transgender regret and has worked with thousands of transgender individuals. You can learn more about Walt and his ministry at WaltHeyer.com

Should a Christian website designer be required to create a website with a message that is contrary to their beliefs about same-sex marriage? The Supreme Court made a decision that has caused many in the LGBTQ community to claim discrimination - but is that what's really happening? What happens when a creative professional - Christian or otherwise - is hired to create something containing a message they don't agree with? Can the government force someone to convey a message? And how can Christian business owners navigate these often-hostile waters in light of Jesus' command to love their neighbor? This episode will bring clarity to what the Supreme Court decided in this case and explore what that means for people in creative professions. We'll also dig deeper into what it means to be a Christian creative professional, what happens when a request for a creative service conflicts with the foundations of faith, and how we can love our LGBTQ neighbors with both grace and truth. 

Pain and suffering are inevitable as we live life in a broken world. How do we cope when life gets unbearable? Why would a good and loving God allow His creation to suffer? How does Christianity's view of suffering compare to other world views? Joe and Brendan welcome guest Dr. Jim Benecke who shares his experience as a father who lost a son to cancer as well as a doctor who has walked with patients through challenges of suffering.