Carl and Todd welcome special guest Harold Senkbeil, executive director of Doxology, the Lutheran Center for Spiritual Care, and the author of the popular book The Care of Souls: Cultivating a Pastor's Heart. Together, they discuss the essence of pastoral ministry, the significance of patience, and the importance of the Word and sacraments in pastoral care.

Pastoral work is really the work of Jesus in our time, in any given contemporary moment in history… In the twentieth century, pastoral work kind of took a left turn and reinvented itself in the mold of business perhaps or counseling, and so forth, all of which is helpful, but the essence is really the Word of God and the sacraments. To apply those with the goal of introducing people to Jesus and Jesus to them, is what pastoral work is about. - Harold Senkbeil

What are the challenges and expectations pastors face today, and how can they stay true to their calling amidst modern-day complexities? And tune in to discover what part congregations should play in the life of the Church.

We are pleased to offer three copies of The Care of Souls to our listeners, thanks to the generosity of our friends at the Lexham Press. Register here for the opportunity to win.

Show Notes:

The Care of Souls series (5 volumes): https://lexhampress.com/product/258922/the-care-of-souls-bundle

The Care of Souls (audiobook): https://lexhampress.com/product/254940/the-care-of-souls-cultivating-a-pastors-heart

Maintaining appropriate Christian behavior can be particularly challenging in a world where political discourse often becomes heated and divisive. In today's timely episode, Carl and Todd delve into the complexities of navigating faith and politics, especially during an election year.

"We want to talk today about how Christians can have strong opinions on important issues and express those opinions in a way that does not undermine their broader Christian witness." – Carl Trueman

What impact does political discourse have on Christian testimony, and how can we express strong opinions without compromising our witness? Their conversation delves into the rise of neo-Christian nationalism, the infantilism in modern politics, and the need for Christians to engage in the public sphere with integrity and honor.

"We are not going to win the culture by aping the culture. Seek influence, push back against the darkness, but do so uniquely as Christians." – Todd Pruitt

We are pleased to offer three copies of Carl's book Crisis of Confidence to our listeners, thanks to the generosity of our friends at Crossway Books. Register here for the opportunity to win.

Carl and Todd dive deep into the complex relationship between religion and politics with Miles Smith from Hillsdale College as they discuss his new book, Religion and Republic: Christian America from the Founding to the Civil War. Why did he decide to write this book now, and why did he intentionally not use the more commonplace terms “Church and State”? What is the difference between Christian institutionalism and Christian nationalism? And what is the role of the church in addressing political issues?

"I'm actually someone who doesn't want the church to do politics. I think the church is quite frankly, not competent to do politics." – Miles Smith

Miles’ book offers profound insights into how Christians can maintain their witness in times of political polarization. Listen as they discuss the historical and contemporary challenges Christians face in navigating their faith within the civic and political spheres,

Thanks to the generosity of our friends at the Davenant Institute, we are pleased to award three copies of Miles Smith’s book Religion and Republic to our listeners. Congratulations to Elizabeth B. from Poland, OH, Philip M. from Maidsville, WV, and Doug N. from Clendenin, WV.