Can your vote actually make a difference? Can we take part in presencing the Kingdom of God on earth...even in politics?

This episode of Found (the fourth in the "Faith in Politics" series) examines the Societal Transformation view, a powerful approach to civic engagement for Jesus-followers. Hosts Linda Tokar and Brandon Bathauer explore unpack how some Christians view their faith as a driving force to actively shape the world around them. We'll explore these questions as we examine the biblical basis, historical figures, and real-world applications of this approach.

Get ready to wrestle with the challenges and the potential of societal transformation. We'll uncover the strengths of actively engaging our faith with culture and politics, while also acknowledging the potential pitfalls of this approach. We'll discuss how to balance our desire for social reform with the need for personal spiritual transformation. Prepare for thought-provoking insights and practical examples that will equip you to engage with this election season (and beyond) in a way that is both faithful and effective.

Areas of Deeper Study

• "Sphere Sovereignty": Concept developed by Abraham Kuyper
• "Inaugurated Eschatology": Theological view of God's Kingdom as already present but not yet fully realized.
• Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Lutheran pastor and theologian known for his resistance to the Nazi regime. Pick up one of many great biographies on his life, including the accessible Eric Metaxas biography.
• William Wilberforce: British politician who played a key role in abolishing the slave trade. "Amazing Grace" is a helpful film to get a glimpse of his life.

Books Mentioned

• Ethics by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
• UnChristian and Good Faith with Gabe Lyons and David Kinnaman

Is it possible to be a faithful Christian and still engage in a political system that feels at odds with your values?

This episode of Found (the third in the "Faith in Politics" series) examines the Two Kingdoms view, a perspective that seeks to navigate the tension between faith and politics. Hosts Linda Tokar and Brandon Bathauer explore how this approach, also known as the sacred-secular divide, allows Christians to participate in the civic sphere without compromising their beliefs. They explain how this view envisions two distinct realms: the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of this world.

Learn how this view emerged in Christian history, highlighting the influential ideas of Martin Luther and Augustine of Hippo. Examine key biblical passages, such as Romans 13:1-7 and Matthew 22:17-22, that are often cited in support of this perspective.

Suggested Resources for further study:

Martin Luther: "On Secular Authority"

Augustine of Hippo: "City of God"

David VanDrunen: "Living in God’s Two Kingdoms"

For updates on important events, visit https://saddleback.com/found and join the Found community! For any questions, email us at formation@saddleback.com .

Is your vote a tool for change or simply participation in a corrupt system? Do you feel a tension between engaging with a broken world and protecting your faith from its influence?

This episode of Found (the second in the "Faith in Politics" series) grapples with these very questions as hosts Linda Tokar and Brandon Bathauer explore the idea of "separation as faithfulness." Discover why a growing number of Christians are choosing to disengage from the political sphere, citing reasons like distrust in candidates, a sense of powerlessness, and concern about the world's corrupting influence. Through insightful analysis of recent studies and statistics, the hosts unpack the motivations behind this perspective and what it means to live faithfully in a world that often feels at odds with Christian values.

Journey through the history of Christianity and discover how groups like the Essenes, monastic movements, and Anabaptists embraced separation as a means of preserving their faith. Explore the writings of influential thinkers like Menno Simons, John Howard Yoder, Rod Dreher, and C. Kavin Rowe, and see how their ideas have shaped the modern understanding of this approach. The hosts examine key biblical passages that both support and challenge the idea of separation, sparking a thought-provoking discussion about the role of Christians in the public square. Is withdrawing from the world the best way to protect one's faith and live according to Christ's teachings, or is there a path to engage meaningfully without being corrupted?

Suggested Resources for further study:

Menno Simons: A good starting point is The Complete Writings of Menno Simons translated by Leonard Verduin.

John Howard Yoder: His most famous work is The Politics of Jesus, which explores pacifism and Christian engagement in the world.

Rod Dreher: His book The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation advocates for building resilient Christian communities in response to a perceived decline in Western culture.

C. Kavin Rowe: The World Upside Down: Reading Acts in the Graeco-Roman Age examines the early Church's response to Roman power and provides a framework for understanding Christian witness in a challenging world.

For updates on important events, visit https://saddleback.com/found and join the Found community! For any questions, email us at formation@saddleback.com .

In this episode of Found, Pastors Linda Tokar and Brandon Bathauer introduce their newest series "Living Faithfully in the Public Sphere." They explore the complex and sometimes challenging topic of Christian engagement in the public sphere. As Christians increasingly find themselves navigating cultural and political divides, Linda and Brandon unpack three distinct approaches to faith and public life. Whether it's the path of separation, a balanced "two kingdoms" approach, or transformative engagement, they dive into what each approach means for Christians today and how each reflects on our relationship with society and government.

Using biblical, historical, and practical perspectives, they walk through examples of each stance, from the Monastic movement and the Anabaptist tradition to Luther’s "two kingdoms" concept and the Reformed tradition’s transformative vision. Through these examples, Linda and Brandon help listeners reflect on how to engage faithfully, authentically, and effectively in today’s world.

Key Themes:

• Separation: Exploring traditions like the Essenes, Monastic movements, and Anabaptism, where Christians set themselves apart from mainstream society as a way to preserve their values and avoid secular influence.
• Two Kingdoms: Understanding Martin Luther’s perspective on God’s distinct roles in the Church and the world, encouraging Christians to live faithfully within both without conflating them.
• Transformation: Investigating the Reformed view of actively bringing change to culture, inspired by thinkers like Abraham Kuyper and his concept of “sphere sovereignty.”

Takeaways:

• A reminder that as Christians, we’re called to think biblically, not politically, as we engage with the world.
• Each person’s approach to public life can reflect both personal convictions and a faithful response to the Gospel’s call.
• Jesus is called LORD of All. The question is, how can he be LORD of more in our lives, including the political decisions we make?

Join us for an enlightening discussion on living as a people of faith within society. Listen now to explore which approach might resonate with your own journey in today’s public square.

For updates on important events, visit https://saddleback.com/found and join the Found community! For any questions, email us at formation@saddleback.com .

In this episode, Brandon, Linda and Rob finish their conversation on the topic of how we change and grow.

The first part of the episode explores the current cultural trend toward tolerance and what we’re calling radical acceptance - this idea that no one should have to change anything about themselves if they don’t want to and, more than that, the act of asking someone to change is now considered an affront - real love would just accept people however they are.

In the second half of the episode, we turn a corner in this conversation to begin to see how the way we’ve been designed (think neuroscience and the psychology of attachment) shape our approach to change and growth. We also explore how each of the previous approaches - knowledge, action and power - come together as aspects of change and growth that emerge from our attachment to God as his dearly loved children.

Resources mentioned or used in the episode

The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution by Carl R. Trueman

Renovated: God, Dallas Willard, and the Church That Transforms by Jim Wilder

The Connected Life: The Art and Science of Relational Spirituality by Todd W Hall and Curt Thompson

Becoming a Face of Grace: Navigating Lasting Relationship with God and Others by Ed Khouri

Paul and Union with Christ: An Exegetical and Theological Study by Constantine R. Campbell

Found episode #3 - Freedom - What is it good for?

Found episode #6 - What is love? (Baby Don’ Hurt Me)

Found episode #7 - How do we change and grow? (part 1)

The Well episode: “Joy”

List of philosophers/thinkers/scientists/physicians mentioned:

Philip Rieff

Carl Trueman

Immanuel Kant

John Locke

John Stuart Mill

Isaiah Berlin

Jean-Paul Sartre

Simone de Beauvoir

Jacques Derrida

Michel Foucault

Charles Taylor

James Wilder

Dr Alan Schore

Ed Khouri

Saint Clair of Assisi

For updates on important events, visit https://saddleback.com/found and join the Found community!

How do we change and grow? Seems like a pretty straightforward question…until you dig a little deeper. This is the first of a two-part episode that explores the various ways this question has been answered by secular philosophers as well as how the church has incorporated these ways of thinking into the approaches it uses to help people change and grow. This episode explores three paradigms -

The first is: “Information = Transformation” and it poses the question - does transformation happen as I accumulate correct knowledge?

The second is: “Do the Right Thing” which seeks to determine if transformation happens as we accumulate longer and longer strings of good deeds.

The third is: “Power to the People” which asserts that the ability to change and grow is tied to having the power in a given situation.

Episode two will look at our current cultural reality and then propose a Biblical perspective for change and growth that involves knowing, doing and power under the umbrella of attachment to God.

Join your hosts Brandon Bathauer and Linda Tokar and their special guest, Rob Jacobs as we seek to really understand how we change and grow.

Doable Discipleship is a Saddleback Church podcast produced and hosted by the Saddleback Spiritual Growth Team. It premiered in 2017 and now offers more than 300 episodes. Episodes release every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app and on the Saddleback Church YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/saddleback).

Doable Discipleship is a proud part of the Saddleback Family of Podcasts. To learn more about the Saddleback Family of Podcasts, visit saddleback.com/podcasts.

Books referenced in the episode:

The Connected Life by Todd Hall

The Solution of Choice by Dr. Marcus Warner and Jim Wilder.

Early Thinkers:

Tertullian Augustine

Justin Martyr Boethius

Philo Thomas Aquinas

Clement

Knowledge = Transformation

Descartes

Locke

Hume

Kant

Do the Right Thing

Hobbes

Einstein

For full show notes, visit https://saddleback.com/found and join the Found community!

Kick off this series on the Fruit of the Spirit by diving into the hotly contested, deeply forming, culturally appropriated word of all words: LOVE.

Join your hosts Linda Tokar and Brandon Bathauer as they process the loves presented by our culture, in contrast with the love shown to us by God.

For full show notes (books, linked articles, and more), visit https://saddleback.com/found and join the Found community!

Special thanks to: Logan Tullius, Lindsey Sun, Andrew Obnial, Ryan Bathauer, Ian Greenhalgh, Scott Tokar, Doug Jones, Bethany Bathauer, and Rob Jacobs for your insights and research on this topic.

**To join our community by joining our email list, visit http://saddleback.com/found

Music: Holding my World, Saddleback Worship

Found is a proud member of the Saddleback Church Family of Podcasts. Please also check out:
saddleback.com/thewell
saddleback.com/doable
saddleback.com/leadwithworship

For more resources to help you grow, visit:
saddleback.com/grow or email maturity@saddleback.com