The Thinklings Podcast

The Thinklings Podcast — Episode 319 — Understanding the Works of the FleshWelcome to Episode 319 of The Thinklings Podcast!What exactly does Paul mean by the “works of the flesh” in Galatians 5? This week, we examine the sins Paul identifies, consider their biblical meanings, and discuss why understanding sin accurately is essential to Christian growth.Along the way, we share some good books, discuss poetry, and offer a few announcements!⏱️ Episode Chapters0:00 — Welcome, Coffee & Lord of the Rings Banter2:51 — Announcements: IRBC Young Adult Retreat & October Book Giveaway6:07 — Books & Business: Biblical Counseling, Poetry & Bible Study23:00 — Main Content: Understanding the Works of the Flesh (Galatians 5)28:00 — Sexual Immorality, Impurity & Sensuality42:00 — Idolatry, Sorcery & False Worship46:00 — Enmity, Strife, Jealousy, Anger & Divisions53:20 — Drunkenness, Debauchery & Learning to Recognize Sin📚 Books & BusinessWe discuss several books and literary selections, including:* The Pastor and Counseling — Jeremy Pierre and Deepak Reju* Poetry and the value of reading good literatureWe also consider how careful Bible study helps us recognize the meaning and application of Scripture.📖 Main Content: Understanding the Works of the FleshIn Galatians 5:19–21, Paul identifies behaviors and attitudes that characterize the works of the flesh. But do we understand what these terms actually mean?We work through Paul’s list, discussing sexual immorality, impurity, idolatry, sorcery, jealousy, anger, rivalries, divisions, drunkenness, and other sins.Throughout the conversation, we consider how biblical definitions sometimes challenge our cultural assumptions. We also discuss the relationship between inward desires and outward behavior, and why we must avoid redefining sin according to personal preferences.Our goal is simple: to understand what God calls sin so that we can recognize it, put it off, and walk in the Spirit.📢 AnnouncementsIRBC Young Adult Retreat: Join us for the upcoming retreat at Iowa Regular Baptist Camp! Visit IRBC.org for registration information.October Book Giveaway: We’re giving away a copy of the Holy Land Illustrated Bible (CSB). Subscribe to the podcast or any of our individual Substack accounts to be entered.🎧 Listen & SubscribeJoin us each week as we read good books, discuss meaningful ideas, and seek to renew our minds with the Word of God.Follow the Thinklings on Substack:@thethinklingspodcast@profstearns@timlittle00@thinklingcarter This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thinklingspodcast.com

The Thinklings Podcast — Episode 318 — Moral Purity: Lessons from SolomonWelcome to Episode 318 of The Thinklings Podcast!This week, we continue our discussion of moral purity by examining the life of Solomon. Through 1 Kings, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes, we explore the dangers of sexual immorality, the importance of pursuing a godly spouse, and why the greatest danger of impurity is that it draws our hearts away from God.⏱️ Chapters0:00 — Welcome & Introduction1:29 — Announcements3:23 — Books & Business14:06 — Main Content: Moral Purity & Solomon’s Downfall25:12 — Proverbs: Finding a Prudent Wife33:18 — Sexual Sin as a Deep Pit41:54 — The Narrow Well: Why Immorality Never Satisfies52:25 — Ecclesiastes 7:26: Pleasing God & Escaping the Snare55:10 — Practical Applications & Closing📣 AnnouncementsOur October Substack giveaway is a CSB Holy Land Illustrated Bible! Anyone who follows or subscribes to the podcast or any of our individual Substack accounts is automatically entered. Existing subscribers are already entered.We also mention the upcoming IRBC Young Adult Retreat, October 23–24.📚 Books & BusinessWe begin with Invitation to Biblical Theology by Jeremy Kimble and Ched Spellman, discussing their interpretation of Genesis 1–2 and whether their argument for a creation covenant commits an exegetical word-study fallacy.We also reflect on Galatians 5 and the observable nature of the works of the flesh, share an account of an Iowa–Michigan football game, and discuss the completion of our devotional writing for the Baptist Theology Bible Study app.📖 Main ContentMoral Purity: Lessons from SolomonOur discussion begins in 1 Kings 11:1–13, where Solomon’s many wives turn his heart away from the Lord. Although Solomon’s sexual immorality is significant, the passage emphasizes something even more serious: his heart was no longer wholly devoted to God.This becomes the controlling theme of our discussion. The greatest danger of sexual sin is not simply its earthly consequences, but the way it draws us away from our relationship with the Lord.We then examine several passages from Proverbs:* Proverbs 18:22 — Finding a wife is a good thing and a blessing from the Lord.* Proverbs 19:13–14 — A prudent wife comes from God, while foolishness and quarreling bring ruin.* Proverbs 22:14 — The forbidden woman’s mouth is described as a deep pit, illustrating the entrapment of sexual sin.* Proverbs 23:26–28 — The adulteress is compared to a narrow well, providing a picture of immorality that promises satisfaction but continually leaves a person wanting more.These passages challenge us to think about purity not merely as avoiding forbidden behavior, but as cultivating a heart that genuinely loves and seeks to please God.🌿 Final MeditationPleasing God and Escaping the Snare — Ecclesiastes 7:26We conclude with Solomon’s description of a woman whose heart is snares and nets, and whose hands are fetters. The passage contrasts the person who pleases God and escapes her with the sinner who is captured.The practical application is straightforward: prioritize your relationship with God.If you are trapped in sexual sin, seek help, accountability, repentance, and reconciliation. If you desire a godly marriage, focus first on becoming someone who genuinely loves and seeks to please the Lord.Our relationship with God must remain our highest priority, because sexual purity is ultimately about more than avoiding sin. It is about remaining faithful to Him.🎧 Listen & SubscribeFollow The Thinklings Podcast on Substack, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.Subscribe on Substack for show notes, updates, giveaways, and future Thinklings content.JOIN THE THINKLINGS ON SUBSTACK@thethinklingspodcast@profstearns@timlittle00@thinklingcarter This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thinklingspodcast.com

The Thinklings Podcast — Episode 317 — Deceiving YourselfWelcome to Episode 317 of The Thinklings Podcast!This week we dig into deception in James 1. James uses different Greek words that English translations render as “deceive,” and those differences help us understand how we wander from truth, mischaracterize God, and even reason ourselves into disobedience.⏱️ Chapters0:00 — Welcome & Lord of the Rings Opener4:13 — Announcements5:55 — Books & Business13:31 — Main Content: Deception in James 117:03 — “Do Not Be Deceived” — James 1:1620:39 — Wisdom & Walking the Right Path27:14 — Planao: Wandering From the Path31:49 — “Be Doers of the Word” — James 1:2236:48 — Mischaracterizing God & Mischaracterizing Yourself40:46 — How Do We Keep From Being Deceived?46:10 — The Word of God as a Mirror52:22 — Hearing Without Doing Is Self-Deception53:31 — Closing📣 AnnouncementsThe Baptist Theology Bible Study app has launched. Use the code thinklingspod for 15% off.For October, our Substack giveaway is a Holy Land Illustrated Bible. Anyone subscribed to the podcast or one of our individual Substacks is entered.We also mention the Abounding Grace book event on October 8 and the IRBC Young Adult Retreat on October 23–24. The retreat theme is “Living Sacrifice” from Romans 12.📚 Books & BusinessWe begin with a brief update on The Odyssey before discussing work on Gendered by Design, including the long-running debate over 1 Timothy 2:11–15 and interactions between Douglas Moo and Philip Payne.We also discuss David Mathis’s Workers for Your Joy, particularly three elements involved in pastoral ministry: a man must aspire to the work, meet the biblical qualifications, and have an opportunity providentially provided by God to serve.📖 Main ContentDeceiving YourselfJames 1 repeatedly warns about deception—but the English word “deceive” represents different Greek words. We explore those differences and how they contribute to James’s larger picture of wisdom, truth, and obedience.In James 1:16, deception carries the picture of being led astray or wandering from the path. In context, one way we wander is by mischaracterizing God during trials and temptation. God is not our tempter; our own desires draw us toward sin.James 1:22 gives another warning: “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” Here the picture involves reasoning or calculating alongside the truth. We can hear what God has said and then effectively reason our way around obeying it.🪞 The Word as a MirrorJames compares Scripture to a mirror. God's Word allows us to see things about ourselves that we otherwise might miss.But seeing is not enough. If we hear the Word but don't do what it says, James says we deceive ourselves. We can study Scripture, listen to sermons, and accumulate biblical knowledge without actually walking farther down the path of wisdom.The answer is not less Bible study. It is approaching Scripture with a heart prepared to believe and obey what we see.🌿 Final MeditationThis episode does not contain a separate Final Meditation, but the closing application brings the discussion directly to the listener.James’s warning is straightforward: hearing the Word and not doing it is self-deception. Wherever we encounter Scripture, we should pray that the Word will take root, grow, and cultivate obedience in our lives.🎧 Listen & SubscribeFollow The Thinklings Podcast on Substack, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.Subscribe on Substack for show notes, updates, giveaways, and future Thinklings content.JOIN THE THINKLINGS ON SUBSTACK@thethinklingspodcast@profstearns@timlittle00@thinklingcarter This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thinklingspodcast.com

The Thinklings Podcast — Episode 316 — What Does the Bible Mean by “Heart”?Welcome to Episode 316 of The Thinklings Podcast!What does the Bible actually mean when it talks about the heart? We often use “heart” primarily to describe emotions, but Scripture presents a much bigger picture. This week we examine how the heart thinks, understands, plans, believes, desires, obeys, fears, and ultimately serves as the source from which our lives flow.⏱️ Chapters0:00 — Welcome & Introduction1:32 — Announcements5:00 — Books & Business6:56 — Playlist Theology: If Not Unison, Then Harmony10:40 — Main Content: What Does the Bible Mean by “Heart”?16:59 — “Follow Your Heart” in Popular Culture18:25 — What Does the Bible Say About the Heart?19:02 — The Heart Thinks & Understands21:06 — The Heart Questions, Plans & Intends25:26 — The Heart Believes & Doubts27:33 — Obedience From the Heart30:40 — Why Does the Bible Use “Heart”?33:43 — The Heart Trusts, Desires & Feels37:20 — Our Words Flow From the Heart38:42 — Guarding the Source of Life40:11 — The Heart as the Internal Person41:05 — Practical Application: Changing From the Inside Out44:03 — Closing📣 AnnouncementsThe Baptist Theology Bible Study app officially launches this week, including Thinklings devotional content. Use the code thinklingspod for 15% off.We also give a final reminder about the September giveaway of Understanding Christian Theology, the Seminary Q&A on October 5, the Abounding Grace event on October 8, and the IRBC Young Adult Retreat on October 23–24.📚 Books & BusinessWe talk about the devotional writing and study that has occupied much of our reading time—including work in James and sanctification—as well as a little Louis L’Amour.📖 Playlist Theology: If Not Unison, Then Harmony — Ben EversonWe spend some time discussing Everson’s approach to Christian music and his movement away from simplistic rules and arguments based merely on association. Instead, the book emphasizes developing biblical discernment when evaluating music.📖 Main ContentWhat Does the Bible Mean by “Heart”?Our culture often treats the heart as primarily the home of our feelings: “follow your heart,” trust your intuition, or do what feels right. But when we survey Scripture, the biblical picture is considerably broader.The heart thinks, understands, questions, plans, intends, believes, doubts, obeys, desires, trusts, fears, loves, and speaks. Rather than simply describing our emotions, “heart” can describe the internal person—who we are on the inside and the source of what eventually appears in our outward lives.❤️ Guard Your HeartProverbs 4:23 tells us:“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”External safeguards can be wise and necessary, but lasting change cannot come merely from modifying external behavior. We have to consider the beliefs, desires, loves, intentions, and motivations underneath our actions.Whether we’re fighting habitual sin or struggling to do what is right, the question isn't merely “How do I change my behavior?” We also need to ask what is happening in the heart that produces that behavior.The goal is change from the inside out.🎧 Listen & SubscribeFollow The Thinklings Podcast on Substack, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.Subscribe on Substack for show notes, updates, and future Thinklings content.JOIN THE THINKLINGS ON SUBSTACK@thethinklingspodcast@profstearns@timlittle00@thinklingcarter This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thinklingspodcast.com

The Thinklings Podcast — Episode 315 — Family, Genealogies & Adultery in the Old TestamentWelcome to Episode 315 of The Thinklings Podcast!This week we consider the importance of family lines, descendants, and inheritance in the Old Testament—and how understanding that ancient context helps us better understand Ruth, the Levirate Law, and the Bible’s treatment of adultery.⏱️ Chapters0:00 — Welcome & Coffee from Washington2:16 — Books & Business12:59 — The Odyssey14:31 — Main Content: Family, Genealogies & Children23:24 — The Levirate Law29:24 — Ruth, Boaz & the Kinsman-Redeemer42:25 — Why the Family Line Matters43:48 — Adultery, Children & Inheritance53:05 — Applying These Ideas Today1:03:17 — Responding Biblically to Sexual Sin📚 Books & Business📖 Ancient Israel: Its Life and Institutions — Roland de Vaux📖 Two Second Lean — Paul Akers📖 The Odyssey — HomerWe discuss ancient Israelite culture, revisit Two Second Lean and the relationship between Lean and leisure, and give an early update on reading The Odyssey.👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family, Genealogies & the Old TestamentWhy does the Bible care so much about genealogies?We look at Abraham, the importance of descendants, and the Levirate Law to understand just how significant the continuation of a family line was in the ancient world. That context also changes the way we read the story of Ruth and Boaz.📜 Ruth, Adultery & the Family LineWe examine Ruth’s covenant faithfulness, Boaz’s role as a close relative or redeemer, and why the story is about much more than a romance.From there, we consider Numbers 5 and the ancient understanding of adultery—particularly the connection between adultery, paternity, inheritance, and the preservation of the family line.🧠 Thinking Biblically About Sexual SinHow much of our response to different sins comes from Scripture, and how much comes from our culture?We close by discussing the conscience, the danger of treating some sins casually while reacting disproportionately to others, and the importance of responding biblically and graciously when someone confesses a struggle with sexual sin.🎧 Listen & SubscribeSubscribe to The Thinklings Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, and join the conversation with us on Substack.JOIN THE THINKLINGS ON SUBSTACK@thethinklingspodcast@profstearns@timlittle00@thinklingcarter This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thinklingspodcast.com