Podcast

Viral Jesus

What You May Be Getting Wrong About God’s Vision for the Church

Theologian Joel Muddamalle on recovering the church’s lingua franca and rejecting the sacred-and-secular divide.

In today’s episode Heather visits with one of her favorite theologians, Joel Muddamalle, for a fast-paced conversation about God’s original vision for the church and how we often miss it. Joel unpacks what it means to be ambassadors for Christ in a fragmented world; he cautions us against letting social media divide our souls; and he reminds us that ethnic and cultural diversity in the church is a beautiful feature, not a bug. One of the big points Joel touches on is what he calls our commitment to “the sacred-and-secular divide.” What does it mean to be set apart as Christians, and what is our role in secular spaces? Joel’s biblically rooted perspectives will inform, surprise, and challenge you to delve deeper into God’s Word. (This is the second conversation in our three-part series that began with “What You May Be Getting Wrong About Biblical Womanhood.”)

We also visit with our favorite social media whiz Brady Shearer for this week’s #Blessed. He gives us a breakdown of the difference between the social graph algorithm vs. the discovery algorithm and why he believes we all need to ride whatever wave social platforms present us with. Brady is the director of Pro Church Tools and the church-software platform Nucleus. His work focuses on helping churches navigate the biggest communication shift in 500 years. Make sure to let us know your thoughts about this segment by typing in ViralJesusPod on Instagram or Twitter and including #Blessed with your comment.

Guest Bio

Joel Muddamalle serves as the director of theology and research for Proverbs 31 Ministries and Lysa TerKeurst. He’s also a member of the preaching team at Transformation Church with Pastor Derwin Gray. Joel earned a PhD in theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, under professors Patrick Schreiner (NT) and Michael Heiser (OT), with an emphasis on Paul’s household language in Ephesians as it relates to the Old Testament. He loves studying and teaching the brilliant truths found in Scripture and unpacking how they relate to our everyday lives.

Host Bio

Heather Thompson Day is an associate professor of communication at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan. She is the author of eight books, including I’ll See You Tomorrow and It’s Not Your Turn. Reach out to Heather on Twitter @HeatherTDay and on Instagram @heatherthompsonday.

Viral Jesus is a production of Christianity Today Host and creator: Heather Thompson Day Executive Producer: Ed Gilbreath Producer: Loren Joseph Associate Producer: Azurae Phelps Mix Engineer: Alex Carter Director of CT Podcasts: Mike Cosper

Our Latest

News

Pew: ‘Christian Nationalism’ Is Becoming a Household Term

Jack Panyard

Perceptions of religious influence in public life hit a 24-year high as Americans see blurring lines between church and state.

Navigating 1984

Evangelicals were optimistic about the global church, afraid of artificial intelligence, and had questions about megachurches.

Building a Platform for God—or Using God to Build Your Platform?

Drew Brown

Pastors can be tempted by the twin enticements of wealth and fame, but praise God for shepherds laboring in faithful obscurity.

Just War Debates Reveal Our Moral Poverty

This tradition still speaks the language of virtue, a tongue our society has largely lost.

Public Theology Project

What I Learned Teaching the Same Book Twice—20 Years Apart

When I first taught through Hebrews, I understood doctrine and discipline but not disappointment and disillusionment.

You Can’t Love the Church in the Abstract

Matthew D. Love

It’s easy to say you love the church universal, the whole bride of Christ. But Scripture unmistakably calls us to love the local congregation too.

Gen Z Isn’t Asking Why Bad Things Happen to Good People

Jared Dodson

Christians have long asked how a good God can let evil happen. My students want to know when the evil will get their due.

News

Kenyan Christians Battle Domestic Violence Epidemic

Harriet Chimea

Nearly half of East African women experience abuse at home. Church leaders are working to stop it.

addApple PodcastsDown ArrowDown ArrowDown Arrowarrow_left_altLeft ArrowLeft ArrowRight ArrowRight ArrowRight Arrowarrow_up_altUp ArrowUp ArrowAvailable at Amazoncaret-downCloseCloseellipseEmailEmailExpandExpandExternalExternalFacebookfacebook-squarefolderGiftGiftGooglegoogleGoogle KeephamburgerInstagraminstagram-squareLinkLinklinkedin-squareListenListenListenChristianity TodayCT Creative Studio Logologo_orgMegaphoneMenuMenupausePinterestPlayPlayPocketPodcastprintremoveRSSRSSSaveSavesaveSearchSearchsearchSpotifyStitcherTelegramTable of ContentsTable of Contentstwitter-squareWhatsAppXYouTubeYouTube