In today's episode, Lyle, Noah, and the new producer Justin discuss the ethical subjectivity that is common in the Western world today. Find out what's on everyone's radars this week and who would be on their own individual all-star lineups of Bible characters. Be sure to listen, subscribe, and leave a review!

Have any questions or comments for us? Connect with us by emailing passionatelydevotedpodcast@gmail.com or leave us a message on any of our social media platforms. 

Mason King serves as a pastor at The Village Church in Flower Mound, Texas. He also serves as the Executive Director of The Village Church Institute, Groups, and Leadership Development. He is currently completing a Ph.D. in Church History from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and holds a  D.Min. in Executive Leadership from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. A native Texan, Mason and his wife Carly have three kids and two labs.

Every Christian wants to grow into the person God made him to be. Every Christian has a healthier, more spiritually mature version of herself in mind. Every Christian looks upon the future's horizon and imagines a relationship with God ever-increasing in vibrancy and strength.

But how does a Christian get there? How does a sapling with good intentions actually become an oak of righteousness?

You might think the answer is "regularly read the Bible, pray often, and share the gospel consistently." And those practices are certainly part of it. But in this book, Mason King expands your thinking beyond basic spiritual practices (which typically emphasize what you must do) into a more holistic picture of what a full and flourishing life with God can look like when it is cultivated well (focusing instead on who you might become).

In these pages, learn how you can become a vibrant, healthy Christian by regularly offering to God three main dimensions of your life—your attention, your emotions, and your limits—for when you are disciplined in cultivating these environments at the root, you will grow into the right kind of tree. 

You can buy the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Short-Guide-Spiritual-Disciplines-Christian/dp/1087768489/ref=asc_df_1087768489/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=652498079189&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2531853507847110124&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9013118&hvtargid=pla-2009212874636&psc=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwg-GjBhBnEiwAMUvNWxccdBC_0-2GVdgHawtBu5rC4oiSSUVsO7NahdmKomlJHpCbCYTQoBoCcK8QAvD_BwE

In this episode, we tackle two intriguing topics: the existence of evil and ranking the top U.S. presidents.

First, we dive into the age-old question of why God allows evil to exist. We explore various philosophical and theological perspectives, examining concepts such as free will and the potential for growth through adversity. It's a deep exploration that seeks to shed light on the complexities surrounding the existence of evil.

Later, we switch gears to the fascinating realm of U.S. presidents. We discuss and rank some of the most influential leaders in American history, considering their leadership qualities, impact on the nation, and historical significance. It's a thoughtful discussion that celebrates the unique contributions of these individuals to shaping the United States. Who would your top 5 be? We want to know! 

If you're enjoying the podcast, we would greatly appreciate it if you could take a moment to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your chosen podcast platform. Your feedback and ratings help us reach a wider audience and continue creating valuable content for our listeners.

We value your support and engagement, and we love hearing from our listeners. So, whether you have questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes, feel free to reach out to us on social media or through our website. Your input is what makes this podcast a meaningful and enriching experience for everyone.

Welcome to "The Passionately Devoted Podcast", where we explore topics related to faith, spirituality, and personal growth. In today's episode, we delve into the age-old debate about the existence of God and also talk about the movies we are excited to watch this summer.

First, we discuss the topic of the existence of God. This is a question that has puzzled philosophers, theologians, and scientists for centuries. We explore various arguments for and against the existence of God, ranging from the traditional arguments from religious texts to modern scientific theories.

We examine the cosmological argument, which posits that the universe must have a cause, and that cause must be God. We also look at the teleological argument, which argues that the complexity of the universe suggests an intelligent designer. On the other hand, we consider the problem of evil, which questions how an all-powerful and all-loving God could allow suffering and injustice in the world.

Do you have a question that you would like discussed? Make sure to let us know in the comments of our socials. 

James Duke is an accomplished filmmaker, pastor, educator, and communicator. As an independent filmmaker, James has almost twenty years experience in film, television, and video production. His credits include writing, producing and directing over a hundred award-winning short films, documentaries, and theatrical productions.  He has produced several feature films including The Least of These starring Isaiah Washington and Robert Loggia, and Ragamuffin about the life of Christian singer/songwriter Rich Mullins. James’ passion for developing filmmakers led him to found the Inspiration Film Fest as well as serve as the executive director of the Damah Film Festival.

Recently, he served as the president and CEO of Updog Studios, a production company in Florida that seeks to create provocative, thought-provoking entertainment and commercial cinema. James is a successful team builder with strong leadership skills and who enjoys collaborating with other creatives.

As a pastor, James served on staff at his church, Mosaic LA, for 10 years where he oversaw several ministries including film, live production, and family ministries. He’s also served as pastor in communities of faith in Tennessee and Florida.

As an educator, James’ passion for investing in and mentoring the next generation of filmmakers and storytellers has led him to create high school and collegiate-level curriculum taught and fully accredited in schools both in California and Florida.

As a communicator, James has been privileged to speak to thousands of people around the world on the topics of film, faith and culture.

James received his B.A. in Communications from Union University in Jackson, TN. He is also a graduate of the Los Angeles Film Studies Center, and the Act One writing program.

He is madly in love with his wife, Samantha, and their two young children. To schedule James for a speaking event, please contact him at james@actoneprogram.com.

Dr. George Guthrie is Professor of New Testament at Regent College and a highly sought-after lecturer, who has taught across North America, as well as in East Asia, the United Kingdom, Germany, South Africa, and Israel. Before coming to Regent in 2018, he taught for twenty-eight years at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee, where he served as the Benjamin W. Perry Professor of Bible and Fellow in the Ryan Center for Biblical Studies.

George holds both a PhD and MDiv from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a ThM from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. A recognized authority on the New Testament book of Hebrews, George's doctoral research was published as The Structure of Hebrews: A Text-Linguistic Analysis in the series Supplements to Novum Testamentum (Leiden/New York: E.J. Brill, 1994). He has published commentaries on Hebrews (Zondervan, 1998; 2002, 2007), James (Zondervan, 2006), and 2 Corinthians (Baker, 2015), as well as numerous articles, book chapters, and book reviews. George has also worked as a consultant on the ESV, CSV, NLT, and HCSB translations. 

George has a passion for equipping church leaders and laypeople to read and live the Bible more effectively. To that end he has published a number of works designed to help the church better understand and apply Scripture, including Reader’s Guide to the Bible (LifeWay, 2011), Reading God’s Story: A Chronological Daily Bible(Broadman & Holman, 2011), Read the Bible for Life: Your Guide to Understanding and Living God’s Word (Broadman & Holman, 2011), and CSB Day-by-Day Chronological Bible (Holman, 2018).

George and his wife Pat love being a part of the Regent community and living in British Columbia. They understand their calling to the Regent as oriented to teaching, mentoring, and hospitality, along with a bit of gardening and fly fishing. They have two grown children, Joshua and Anna, who live in Tennessee.

The number one predictor of a person's spiritual health is the regular practice of personal Bible reading. 

But this is precisely the point where many Christians stumble. Why? For many reasons, but one of them is simply that reading the Bible can be challenging. Even when we set aside time and space, we don't always know where to begin, understand what we're reading or know how one part connects to the next. 

In his new book, A Short Guide to Reading the Bible Better, Dr, Guthrie provides an accessible handbook to help you better read God’s Word, whether you are new to the Bible or have been reading it faithfully for decades. This book was designed to be read together by an entire church, studied by a small group or engaged by an individual looking to sharpen his or her Bible reading skill. 

On today's episode, we interview some of our students at FBCG. We are joined by Brian Rager and Luke Larson, who are both students at Liberty Creek High School. 

Brian and Luke shared with us what it's like being a follower of Jesus in 2022, what's different about Gen Z, and tons of other fun topics. 

Have any questions or comments for us? Connect with us by emailing passionatelydevoted@fbcgoodlettsville.com or leave us a message on any of our social media platforms. 

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