Faithfullyliven:the podcast
Do you want to learn how to study the Bible? Do you wish you could understand the Bible better? Do you want to know how you can remain faithful to historic Christianity in our contemporary society? Let's take a journey to explore and learn how to be a faithful follower of Christ. Faithfullyliven, the podcast is here to uplift your soul and encourage you to live a life honoring to God
Faithfullyliven:the podcast
Navigating Life with a Biblical Worldview with Lance Cashion
Discover the profound influence a biblical worldview can have on every aspect of your life, with my guest, Lance Cashin. Together, we peel back the layers of how our perceptions of origin, meaning, and destiny are intricately shaped by the Christian narrative. Lance helps us understand the potential for a life lived in harmony with God's truth, offering insights that promise to reframe your understanding of purpose and identity.
We explore the pressing need for Christians to be equipped with the discernment and solidarity to navigate the moral dilemmas of a post-Christian society. To equip you for this journey, we highlight essential resources that delve into a biblical understanding of culture, from "A Practical Guide to Culture" to the wisdom of Genesis. This episode is an invitation to engage deeply with Scripture and community, emboldening you to reflect God's glory in every action and embrace a life of meaningful influence.
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Site: www.forgeroom.org
Blog: RevolutionOfMan.org
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Welcome to Faithfully Living, the podcast where we learn how to live for Christ in our daily lives. I am Dwan, your host, and I would like to invite you on a journey with me to explore and learn how to be a faithful follower of Christ. Faithful follower of Christ hey everyone, welcome to Faithfully Living, the podcast, where we strive to encourage you to live for Christ faithfully by offering guidance on studying the Bible, how to understand the Bible better and how to remain faithful to historic Christianity in a contemporary society. How to Remain Faithful to Historic Christianity in a Contemporary Society. You know what we believe is important, but why should we, as believers, view the world differently than unbelievers? In this episode, I talk with Lance Cashin about why it's important to have a biblical worldview. But before we get started with this conversation, let me tell you a little bit about Lance.
Speaker 1:Lance Cashin is the founder and CEO of the Forge Room Foundation, equipping and mobilizing Christians to engage, culture and live courageously. Lance speaks and writes on topics ranging from culture, worldview and apologetics to human trafficking, pro-life issues and biblical leadership. He serves on the Tarrant County Five Stone Task Force Steering Committee and several nonprofit advisory boards in the anti-trafficking and pro-life space. All right, let's dive into today's episode. Hi, lance, welcome to the show. Hi, how's it going? Dwan, it's going great Good. Thank you for having me, no problem. So before we get into our topic about worldviews, could you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Speaker 2:Yes, so my name is Lance Cashin and I'm the CEO and founder of the Forge Room Foundation we launched in almost a year ago, so the end of May of 23.
Speaker 2:And so we're almost a year old, we're still a toddler, and I was on church staff as a local outreach pastor at a church here in Fort Worth for nine years and I just oversaw domestic outreach partnerships with nonprofits, really focusing on equipping and deploying, mobilizing and deploying the people of my church into all areas of ministry specific focus areas and pro-life and serving those experiencing homelessness refugees, asylees, human trafficking, situation that's prevalent here in North Texas and a lot of other areas.
Speaker 2:And so it was an exciting nine years, and prior to that I had a wealth management firm and an insurance marketing company, and prior to that I had a wealth management firm and an insurance marketing company. Prior to that I was in the music business, but I live here in Fort Worth with my wife and two children and just pursuing what God has for me. Through the Forger Foundation, which is an equipping ministry, we believe that we're to help Christians develop worldview knowledge in order to have real world impact right in our own community, and so we forge Christians who shape culture right here in the Fort Worth area. So that's, that's a bit about me.
Speaker 1:Well, that kind of dives into our topic about having a biblical worldview, because you know there's a lot of competing ideas in our world today and they're floating around. So kind of, let's start at the ground level. What are some core beliefs or principles that define a biblical worldview?
Speaker 2:Well, I think, if we back up just a little bit and describe what makes up a worldview in general and then move into what a biblical worldview so a worldview is is a lens through which every human being sees the world, is generally um developed from age 5 to 14 to, you know, years old. Somewhere in those teenage years your worldview starts to solidify. And what a worldview is is how you see yourself in the world around you. It's your perception of the world, reality and everything around you, and it answers anywhere, depending on who you speak, with four to eight different questions. I try to land somewhere in the middle of origin, meaning, morality, identity and destiny. So you know origin, where do we come from? You know the origins where do human beings come from? That's one question. Meaning does life have meaning? And okay, can we know what life, the meaning of life is? Morality, the difference between good and evil Can we know the difference? Is there a difference? Or is everything relative? Or, and then another question is identity? What does it mean to be human and who am I? And then, finally, it's the destiny question what happens when I die? Now there's other questions about the nature, reality, that flow into what constitutes a worldview, but that's essentially it, and every human being has answers to those questions.
Speaker 2:Now, not everybody claims to have a worldview or know what their worldview is, but I think that's where it ties into the importance of Christianity and a biblical worldview is that Christians think this way, and we have for 2,000 years. It's only been recently where we've been having to recover what a biblical worldview is, particularly in the West worldview is particularly in the West. But from a biblical worldview or a historic Christian worldview is going to answer those five questions through the lens of a Bible. And so the Bible, god's word, we see it as instructive, we see it as inerrant, we see it as authoritative, sufficient for all things, for godliness, salvation, all that. But it is not only a book to be read and trusted, but it's also a lens to be looked through. So it's not only a book to be read but a lens to look through.
Speaker 2:So when we answer the questions of origin, meaning morality, identity and destiny, the Bible gives very clear answers about that. You know, where did we come from? We're created by God and we're created in his image. So there's some identity and a lot of that tied into that first question right there. And so what that does is gives unity to the Christian worldview and it gives it stability, meaning that there's clear meaning that God defines who we are in the world around us, and different worldviews will have different answers to each of those questions. An atheist who doesn't believe in God isn't going to say that oh, god created us in his image. And so when you take those worldview questions around origin, meaning, morality, identity and destiny and work them out logically, they end up in some very different areas.
Speaker 2:And for the biblical worldview you know, because we believe the word of God is true about all things you know, when you see it through that lens and let's just say identity, which is a big issue in our current cultural moment is a lot of people are asking who am I and what does it mean to be human, and they're grasping on to different identities and different meanings. You've got everything from transgenderism to transhumanism, to all these different types of thinking of what a human being is and what a human being ought to be. Well, the biblical worldview has an answer to that, a very clear answer. It's not changed. And yet those are the ideas that we face as Christians. Is okay.
Speaker 2:What does the Bible say?
Speaker 2:How do I have a biblical worldview, how do I make sure that it's very clear?
Speaker 2:And then how do I articulate it in a way that not only fortifies my faith but can also come into contact with those contrary worldviews that are telling people things that are very different than what the word of God says.
Speaker 2:So that's how I approach try to keep it as simple as possible, because that way, when you're helping people understand biblical worldview, they can remember and it's a part of the story, it's the story that they inhabit and it's who they are and how God created.
Speaker 2:So it's going to affect the relationships with God themselves, others and then creation, and so it's going to be broader and deeper. So it's very rich, it's very stable, meaning that nothing changes with the biblical worldview, and that's very comforting, that God doesn't change His word, doesn't change we might, but the biblical worldview stands firm, and so we can tell others who hold to other worldviews when we can respect their position. We can understand that their worldview isn't grounded in truth, and there may be kernels of truth there, but at the end of the day there's something that's disconnected or disjointed from the truth because it's not grounded in the Word of God, and so that's where Christians, apologists and folks like ourselves can come in with truth and love and say this is the biblical worldview and help that person understand where their worldview might be disjointed or not grounded in truth at all. Right, so.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's helpful. So, looking at it from that way, kind of maybe breaking it down a little bit more helping people like navigate the challenges and maybe crisis that they have, how can they all of those elements of the biblical view, how can it help them, you know, navigate the different challenges they might see, you know, in our culture and world today?
Speaker 2:I I think, well, I think, let's, let's. Let's take a challenge, um that I've dealt with with within my own community and in church, um, and just have a concrete example of um. You know an individual that that is a grandparent of their grandchild, is struggling with identity. They don't same-sex attraction, they don't know if they're transgender. They may have some friends, and so this gets into some very sticky situations and I mean, these are relationships, so it's got to come down to. For me, it's always going to come down. The rubber meets the road in that relationship and so we can talk about these bigger cultural issues. But most people, when they're thinking of an issue, if you can help them ground it into something concrete and usually they have something there that they're dealing with then where does the biblical worldview make contact with that grandchild? And you're talking to that grandparent and they're saying you know, what do I do? How do I approach this as a Christian? Well, there's no, it's not just simple oh, do these three things and everything will be fine. And it's more difficult than that because you're dealing with a relationship. These are real people and that grandchild is created in the image of God, with value, dignity and worth. But they're confused either by their own sin or the lies of the world, the schemes of the enemy, or all of the above. And yet here's this grandparent trying to be a witness and be a light and a beacon of hope and truth into that child's life. So the biblical worldview. I think you just start with that origin and affirm what's already true.
Speaker 2:So when we think of the Bible, it's always helpful for me to think of it in four chapters creation, fall, redemption and restoration. Me to think of it in four chapters creation, fall, redemption and restoration. Right, and so when, when we're dealing with people or any problem we can, we can kind of, we can not kind of we can apply that lens and say how do I see this issue? Through creation, fall, redemption, restoration, oftentimes we're seeing the fall piece of it, we see the sinful brokenness and that takes all of our focus. But then I think, while that's very important, we have to understand it in a bigger context of that lens of creation, fall, redemption, restoration.
Speaker 2:So, along with those four chapters, or four stories of the Bible, or the greater story of the Bible, there's, there's four questions. So, um creation, add the question to it what's what's good that we can? Um promote, protect and celebrate. So what's good that we can promote, protect, celebrate um fall. What's what's um evil that we can stop, fight or confront? And then the third question is what is missing that we can contribute or create? And then the final question being what's broken that we can restore. And I think that's the most beautiful question, but we have to start at the beginning before we get to restoration.
Speaker 2:So, in the context of this grandchild, you can, as a Christian, say this grandchild is a teenager, 14, 15 years old let's just put an age to it.
Speaker 2:So in that context, you can affirm them and who God created them to be and so, approaching that child, who's confused, but you still have this connection because you're the grandparent to speak into that child's life, you can say you know, you're created in the image of God. There's only one of you. You are beautiful, you, um, you've got dignity, value and worth and there's a purpose in you. Like you, you are, there's only one of you, and so I believe that. And so what you're doing is you're you're, you're, you're promoting and celebrating what is already true, like God would say yes and amen, that is true, that's I've created this child. No-transcript out on any of this. They may just be so confused and deceived that, okay, so you're dealing with some brokenness here. So that's kind of you. Look at that as like, okay, I'm dealing, I've identified either the sin or the brokenness in this individual. Now, how I approach that may be a couple of different ways. Well, with a child, you may not say look, that's a sin, that's evil, you're going to go to hell if you act on this. Well, that may be true, right, but this child may have not acted on any of this. They're just confused, and so what you're trying to do is shepherd them toward the truth.
Speaker 2:So then the next question is redemption. So here comes the view. The light is like, what is missing that I can contribute or create. Well, they need to know the truth, and you've already started there with that first question by promoting what is good and celebrating what is good. But what you can contribute there is further ground their identity and say you know human beings, you know described, ask them questions like what does it mean to be human? Like you know, where do you find your identity? Um, and, and getting getting the individual to interact and share. That's where that door opens up, opens up and allow them to share what they're believing, and if they can share what they believe, they're almost sharing what they worship, in a way.
Speaker 2:And then you've identified again something that's broken. But also you can then contribute what is true again about how they're created and that, in fact, that there is evil in the world and that there is this thing called sin and brokenness. And why do we get confused about who we are and maybe share a personal example of when you've been confused about your own identity, like I used to think I could be a rock star. You know, a great athlete I'm like, I'm not that great of an athlete, whatever that may, and you don't want to trivialize it because this is someone who's really dealing, but you use your own life and your own testimony to share, contribute to that person's life and, obviously, truth into their life and then ultimately the idea is that is get to that.
Speaker 2:That final question is restoration. What's broken? We can show where their, their idea, their identity is is broken as far as it's been untethered from god's story, um, either through confusion or lifestyle. And then they need to be reoriented around God's truth and who God says they are, and then they need to then be reconciled. If they can be reconciled with God because that's our ministry is reconciliation is working from there Then when we're reconciled with God, then we can reconcile with ourselves.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:And then it's like who gets to determine who I am, me? Well, that can be very dangerous and daunting, right? Well, if God is who he says he is and he's all powerful, he never changes and he authored my life, well, I'd rather trust him on who says I am, he authored my life, rather than me trying to author my life because I'm going to make mistakes, but you're reorienting them around God's character, who God says they are. And then, just, I think prayer is very important because in that moment and this isn't just one conversation I don't think this is over time.
Speaker 2:We're microwaving this thing and turning it into a few minutes. But that's where that witness and discipleship come in, because they may not know christ and let's say the child doesn't know christ. We are just just discipling in the shepherd. Then to the truth. It's god's business on regenerating and and saving that, even as much as you love them, you can't save them and behavior modification is not redemption, right. So even if they do follow, like well, I'm not going to act on that, well, those are good things. But what you're ultimately praying for is for that person to repent, turn to Christ and believe and be saved and then walk in the light. And that doesn't mean life is going to be perfect for them. They may struggle like Christopher Yuan, who's a friend of mine, you know wrote Holy Sexuality struggle with same-sex attraction his whole life and all that. You know he's going to have that struggle. That doesn't go away for him, maybe one day, you know. But what's really interesting is that he walks with God in that thing and just say I'm going to be a steadfast God willing to demonstrate Christ as his steadfast love, and then pulling it in that worldview, frame that, and you've really put your biblical worldview on display and demonstrated rather than in just word. But you've always you've demonstrated in deed, and so you've. You've.
Speaker 2:Whatever God wants to do with that in that child's life, you don't have control over that, but we're the messenger. We're not. We're not the message and we're not the one that that created the message. That's God, so that's his business. And somebody said I think it was TS Eliot basically said that we don't have a ministry of results. We have a ministry of trying, like our job is to get up and try and leave the results to God, knowing that he's in charge and his providence and his grace, and depend on that.
Speaker 2:And then that way, that's what I love about helping people develop that biblical worldview is you can really help them understand that once they live out their biblical worldview and they can articulate it and guide and help others. That's their job. The results of what? The fruit? That's up to God. But you can stand back at the end of the day and say, okay, god, I, I, I did what. I was obedient, I was faithful, I tried to demonstrate your love and articulate my worldview to this grandchild that's struggling. But I can't fix them, nor is that my job, that that is yours, so I'm going to leave them into your care and your hands and I pray that you will do your good work in their heart, but I'm going to remain faithful and you leave it, kind of that, and I know that's oversimplifying things. Obviously it's messy, because you're dealing with human beings and we're messy people, and I hope that that kind of gives you an idea of how that might work out, other than giving you theoretical constructs.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So, that was a good illustration. My next question is you know what are like a couple of ways that a biblical worldview can influence our understanding of right and wrong and how it can, you know are like a couple of ways that a biblical worldview can influence our understanding of right and wrong and how it can, you know, guide our ethical decision? But I think you you kind of answered that question as far as like pointing to the bible. That's going to be our foundation for right, what the truth is, and that should be what guides us in all of our like decision making and making sure it's pointing us to the right path.
Speaker 1:Would there be any other ways?
Speaker 2:Well, I think you know, I think you probably find this in your work as a nurse and trainer. Your work as a nurse and trainer, like you, deal with a lot of people and I throw myself in this category where we, in our current age of social media and quick facts and all these type of things, we lack wisdom and discernment, lack wisdom and discernment and so, coupled with any type of quote, unquote worldview or apologetics, type of training, cultural intelligence, all of those things has to be discernment and wisdom. And I think the practically speaking, to sharpen discernment. I mean I spend a lot of time in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes and the book, in the book of James, and so you know, because those that's a lot of wisdom it's also helping, helping sharp discernment. So discernment isn't necessarily knowing good from evil, it's knowing good from almost good. Somebody said I don't know who said that, but I probably messed up that quote too.
Speaker 2:Somebody said that Somebody said that that was really smart and it's true, right, and so I think that's part of our job as Christians not only to help ourselves, strengthen our discernment and wisdom, but help others. And I think that happens in community. And then sharing these challenges that we have and saying, you know, to brother, sister in Christ, like, look, I've got let's go back to the grandchild, or a situation at work, or something like I'm dealing with this and I'm really struggling to discern what I need to be saying or what I need to be doing, and then that's where that community can come in and speak to that issue, because maybe they've experienced something similar and they can speak from wisdom. And so then they're coming from a biblical worldview and you've got your Bible at the center of things and they're helping you to apply God's word to your situation in your own life. And that's wisdom, because the Bible clearly states that there's wisdom and counsel.
Speaker 2:And so we don't do things alone. So I think community plays a huge role in this biblical community, where people have solid worldview, they know their bibles and they they have experience that can you can benefit from, that builds up and equips the body and in unity and and helps us to minister and live life yeah, community is so important, like you said, to make sure you're not siloing yourself and you get all these.
Speaker 1:You don't have wrong ideas of how to navigate the world, because surely there's somebody out there who experienced a similar experience that you have and they can help, like navigate, and tell you what to do and what not to do.
Speaker 2:Right. Learn from my mistakes, please. I don't. I don't want to watch other people drive their life into a ditch I've done that. It's not fun, I've survived but pull people aside and say this is what I've experienced, this is the wisdom that I gleaned from it. Take from it what you will that benefits. This is what God taught me and this is what it says in his word. And this is how I learned those lessons. Because I wasn't following God's word, I wasn't exercising discernment, or I made a foolish decision and I learned I needed to gain wisdom and through my foolishness, by God's grace, I gained some wisdom. So sometimes foolishness you'll gain some wisdom. Usually through the results of our foolishness will teach us.
Speaker 1:So now that we know what is a biblical worldview and kind of how to navigate it different challenges that we might have why is it important for us as believers to have it in our culture today?
Speaker 2:That's a great question. I truly believe that worldview training, christian worldview training in the church, is not an elective anymore. It's been treated like that as, oh, you've got your apologists, your worldview, they're into that stuff and maybe you're into something else. No, actually, in the current situation that we find ourselves, particularly in the West, is that we live in a post-Christian society Aaron Wren would call it a Christian negative world, where Christianity in a positive world, you know, 60 years ago, if you were a Christian, it was a social, you know, plus, it was like oh, you're a Christian, oh, you're trustworthy, I'll bank with you or I'll, you know, shop with you or trust you in a business deal or whatever. And then we went to a Christian neutral world about, say, 30 years ago, where you know it was neutral You're a Christian, I'm a Buddhist, we can get along, you know, that's fine. And now we're in a Christian negative world where it's a social negative to be a Christian in a lot of places, maybe not here in Texas as much as some other areas of the country. But where it comes in is that, if we understand that and we understand the times, in order to respond appropriately to the times, so we have to be like the men of Issachar and Chronicles that understood the times in which they lived. To know what Israel ought to do is that we have to be like those men or sons of Issachar and understand our time. So what that means is that we're understanding now that that biblical worldview it's not just a one hour training session on worldview. We can do that, but that's kind of compartmentalizing it as a part of an option on a like in a cafeteria. Like some people like green beans, some people like carrots, I'll have the carrots, I don't like green. It's not that.
Speaker 2:It's a part of the story and the importance of it is is that I believe that the greater non-Christian pagan culture and that could be a lot of different worldviews, let's just say the anti-Christian or the non-Christian culture is narrating a story and people believe a good story. They want to believe a story that, oh, you know, if we just do these things, the world will be a better place and if I just say these things, then my life will be better. And you know, I'm not the problem with the world, it's the systems out there that are the problem of the world. I was born good, you know these type of things that people believe, rather than saying I'm born a sinner and I'm the problem with the world, you know, you know, you think everything's outside, so that that then creates a worldview where every everybody's the bad guy and you're the good guy, and it's like wait a second, I'm the bad guy, we're all the bad guy, and.
Speaker 2:But I think the importance of the biblical worldview is that there's a story that's being told to people out there. That's it's a strong story, but it's a wrong story. And we have the true, bigger, overarching story that encompasses all story creation, fall, redemption, restoration. Jesus Christ at the center of it encompasses all story creation, fall, redemption, restoration. Jesus Christ at the center of it. He is risen at the center of total reality.
Speaker 2:That, if we would just learn how to articulate and tell that bigger story, we just out narrate the culture we just out narrate them, say, wait a second, these people are believing a lie and a really bad story that doesn't end well. Why aren't we telling the story of a God of the universe who created all things and that he, in fact, is telling a story and it is a true story that Jesus did die for our sins and that he rose from the grave and that you can be forgiven and that you don't just invite Jesus into your heart, which isn't biblical. He invites you into his life. That's theologically sound, that he invites you into his life because then he raises you to life to then do what? Well, ephesians 2.10, your workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works that were created beforehand that you would walk in them. So that gives you the reason why you were saved, that he has something for you. And then, once you can share that God loves me and that he saved me, and that not only that, that he has something that he's designed for me to do in this world for him, and it's only I'm going to be able to do it, but it's going to be through his power. Go figure that out, you know it's that just blows your mind. And that yet he loves me and I'm going to stumble, I'm going to make mistakes, I'm going to hurt people, I'm going to sin, but that's not going to change his love for me, because he saved me and all I have to do is believe and and and just walk in faith and and be obedient to what he commands. And that's a testimony to the unbelieving world. That's such a powerful story in that he's going to restore all things. Read the end of the book. Behold, I'm going to make all things new.
Speaker 2:Okay, so now we have a better story that sounds better than any utopia or any nihilism type of idea that we're just going to when we die, nothing happens and we go into oblivion, or any of those which are untrue. I gosh, I'm like, wait a second, I'm here for a reason. Oh, my gosh. And that God, out of billions of people throughout all of history, that God saw me and he loved me and he sent his son to die for me. And that gospel, that proclamation, changes everything.
Speaker 2:That, if I believe and then walk in that obedience of, okay, christ, you saved me, but what's out there? What do you want me to do? You know, waking up every morning, going okay, god, what's on? I know I've got obligations obviously got to pay bills, take care of family, stuff like that. But what do you have in store for me? Yesterday wasn't such a great day. I've messed up here and I sinned here. But no, today's a new day, your mercies are new every day and you have something for me. So you give people that story and it gets Christians even get excited. They're like right.
Speaker 2:I mean, god has something. I don't just wait to go to heaven, I've got my ticket out. Well, no, read the end of the book again. This is our home. God comes and dwells with us, but he has something for you to do. And then when you see somebody really grasp that, that God loves them and that he has a mission for them and that they can have purpose and dignity and value and impact in every single moment of their life to the glory of God, it changes the whole dynamic.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So that you can see I get excited about that, absolutely yeah.
Speaker 1:That is exciting. Yeah, the battle is already won.
Speaker 2:That's right. That's exciting. Yeah, the battle is already won. That's right. That's right. We're fighting a defeated foe and most of the times we are our own misgivings, our own sin, our own deception. A friend of mine says we're self-deceived deceivers we deceive ourselves into believing that somehow we're going to lose. You know now.
Speaker 2:I'm sorry, that's back to community, that we need community to say, look, we're going to lose, you know now, I'm sorry, that's. That's back to community that we need community to say, look, we're not losers, we're winners. And yes, there's going to be darkness, and but the gates of hell will not prevail against the church. And so gates are stationary, the church moves, so, okay, what are we supposed to be doing? We're supposed to be on the March, and okay, what does that look like? Well, you need to get in community, read your Bible and asking God okay, god, what is it you would have me to do in this life? And everything in his hands that we give to him for his glory he will use, and it could be small, like it's in God's word. It says you know, a cup of water given in my name, a cup of water given in his name, an encouraging word.
Speaker 2:You just never know what you can say or what you do just in the normal routine. You know day and moments of life that you've had an impact on somebody's life, until they come back to you 20 years later and said you remember when you said blah, blah, blah and you're like no, you're like well, it blessed me and it changed the trajectory of my life. You're like praise god because that's you give the credit to him, because you can't remember sometimes and that will happen, you know. So I think that's the biblical worldview in action. I think that's the important of it, because it's not just a set of beliefs in this theoretical thing even though you have that to be able to teach it but at the end of the day, it's something that you live in and you live out, and I think once people get that, it's very attractive to an unbelieving world that's looking for hope, particularly now and for Christians it just it's energizing.
Speaker 1:Amen to that. Yeah, all right. So what resources could you recommend to help people like stritten their worldview?
Speaker 2:Well, I think there's great books out there. As a kind of one of my favorite kind of books, um sort of overview, is um, um, uh, john Stone Street and Brett Kunkel's uh, practical guide to culture. So that's a great like overview, christian worldview, what we're to be about A couple of another couple of books that I really love. If you want to go deeper into the like, the academic side of worldview, chuck Colson and Nancy Piercy wrote a book. It's probably 25 years old but it's called how Now Shall we Live Great book and it gets more into the nitty gritty of worldview, gets into the kind of how things work out. It's a, it's a bigger book than the practical guide to culture. And there's also I always recommend folks is they're diving into worldview.
Speaker 2:Where do you start? Well, go to the word of God, right, and spend a bunch of time in Genesis one and two, because that's before the fall and do a deep dive study of Genesis one and two to understand what the world was before sin entered it. And there's a lot there that I think and I've glossed over it. But a couple of years ago I was teaching a worldview, a course called Culture and the Christian Worldview at my church decided to spend like three weeks there just just spending time in God's word and like, okay, I want to really know what all this means, because I've glossed over it, over it and you get to the fall and then you bust through the rest of the Bible and you get to redemption, the gospels and then revelation. You know how it goes. And there was a book by Christopher Watkin called Thinking Through Creation Genesis 1 and 2, as cultural critique, and so a friend of mine gave me this book and so I started reading through it. While I was reading through Genesis and it was really helpful in drawing out the bigger implications of scripture further than just application to your daily life, because it's really hard to apply genesis one and two to your daily like what the heck does that mean? Um? But when you see how god created the world and all of this um and it was good, and that he put all this latent potentiality, kind of buried underneath the surface, for human beings to develop, you're like, wow, you know there was gold there and there were aromatic resins, there was food and you know Adams naming animals, which then creates this authority structure where you get the first form of governance, and like you start drawing these things out, you're like, wow, when god created the world, in these first two chapters of his word, they're very powerful. And then from there that becomes the from my perspective and others may have different so that becomes the launching pad into the biblical worldview.
Speaker 2:Is start out with with god and how he's creating and what his creation was like, and then, looking at the implications and drawing those out, you have to use, you know, the Christian imagination and say, okay, what would these things been like if the fall hadn't happened? And then when you come to the fall, you can start asking questions of the fall is, like, you know, for marriage or something is like well, what is what is marriage? You know Genesis one and two, a biblical picture of marriage. You know covenant between man, woman and God, three together. And okay, you get to the fall. How has the fall impacted it? Right, yeah, whether it be war or famine or all these things. And they start to make sense. You won't fully understand them because a lot of it's beyond us, because it's in God's domain. But at least he's created reality in such a way that we can comprehend it and that's such a beautiful thing. I can't imagine what life would be like if we couldn't comprehend reality. Well, there probably wouldn't be life.
Speaker 2:We would have all yeah, it would have been over at the fall, I think, or Cain and Abel ended a war or something, but in any event, you know some of these would be. Those three books were really helpful in world as far as, like as a recommendation for people diving into worldview is start there with the practical guide it's going to be talking about. These books all say deal with cultural issues, but the biblical worldview is how we see culture, because I think Andy Crouch said that his definition of culture is what humans make of their world. Like that's a pretty good definition. I mean it's very simple but it's profound. In that way that gets us away from calling the cult, putting the in front of things like no, we are culture.
Speaker 2:You know, if you don't engage with culture, then you're actually creating a culture. If you don't engage with culture, then you're actually creating a culture. So if we understand what those mean. But then the biblical worldview informs all that and it helps us. The culture helps us understand the biblical worldview because the entire Bible is set in cultures, and so I think that those three books are helpful the Practical Guide, how Now Shall we Live, and Thinking Through Creation and using Genesis as that starting point to develop or sharpen a biblical worldview.
Speaker 2:All right, so recap and give us those titles John Stone Street and Brett Kunkel, a Practical Guide to Culture. The second book I would recommend is Chuck Colson and Nancy Piercy how Now Shall we Live. The third book is Christopher Watkins Thinking Through Creation Okay, and then, of course, Genesis being that launching point for all of it. Okay, and then, of course, genesis being that that launching point for for all of it, yeah, genesis one and two. That's because Genesis is a big book, like I'll read Genesis, that's, we'll read Genesis, yes, but just one and two being really the launching point for the biblical worldview. Okay, all right.
Speaker 1:So this has been a very helpful conversation as far as like looking at worldview and how we ought to view it through the Bible and truth and having some resources to kind of help guide us through. So, to wrap up, what encouragement can you offer believers to live faithfully for Christ?
Speaker 2:Wow, I think I always go to Acts 17, 26, that from one man all nations of mankind, he created us in allotted times and periods of our dwelling. So God created us for a place in a time, and that Ephesians you know two, eight, nine and 10. So you have, for we are saved by grace, through faith, not by works. Thus any man should boast. But then it moves on to Ephesians two, 10, which, which says that we're created as a workmanship in Christ Jesus, for good works that were created beforehand, that we should walk in them. So that gives us a mission, both individually. And then I think the encouragement is is understanding what it means to be a leader. We're Christians, are called to be leaders. We're discipling, we're called a disciple, and when you're discipling someone, then you're leading. And if you're a child, maybe you're not discipling someone, but at some point you're called to go and make disciples, and that may be in your own family. So you will be leading, but in that leadership.
Speaker 2:I think Oz Guinness put this the best way, that I can't articulate it any better, because we're all called to be leaders as Christians. And he said biblically, from Old Testament, new Testament well, what is a leader? He said, a leader is someone who takes responsibility and initiative for the crisis or opportunity that's right in front of them. So that's what a leader does, and in doing so, they're serving God's purposes in their generation. So he's calling to a generation, a time and a place, and so I think my encouragement for my brothers and sisters in Christ, from this biblical worldview type of conversation, is is understand that you aren't responsible for changing the world.
Speaker 2:The times can be very frustrated. You can look politically, you can look globally like social media is just, you know, coming at us from all directions with horrible things going on. In a matter of milliseconds we can be barred with 50 different messages. Is what's right in front of me? It may be that grandchild, it could be your own children, it could be, um, your parent.
Speaker 2:It's like what's the crisis or the opportunity that I can take responsibility and initiative for? And and that's it, you know. Then do that what's right in front of my face? The world's problems. I can pray about those, and there's some things that I can, you know, be involved in to help. I can give to global missions, I can get involved politically or go teach in a school or whatever those things may be, but oftentimes it's right there, what's right in front of you. And if you think back to the first century Christians around Rome, that they were ostracized, they were persecuted, they were hated because they would not bow the knee to Caesar, now they were good citizens, otherwise they just were not going to worship Caesar. And they called for the worship of Caesar. Now they were good citizens, otherwise they just were not going to worship Caesar.
Speaker 2:And they called for the worship of Caesar. So what were they doing? They were putting in the arena and burning them at the stake, all these horrible things. And so they were ostracized and on the edges of of society. But what the Romans were doing, um to their baby girls or throwing them away is infanticide. They valued boys. Boys had value, Girls did not, and so girls were thrown away. But the Christian worldview came in and said wait a minute. Those little girls were created in the image of God. They have intrinsic value and worth and we can't not go help them. So what they were doing is going into the dumps and into the forest where these baby girls were being just tossed away like garbage, and taking them and adopting them. And if you do that long enough, it changes the culture, Because if you're only valuing boys, then you only have boys. Well, where do boys?
Speaker 1:go to procreate and get married.
Speaker 2:Well, they have to go to the church. Well, back then, generally, if you wanted to marry, you had to convert, and the conversion wasn't oh yeah, I believe in Jesus, let me marry your daughter. It was no, you're going to come into church, we're going to disciple you, we're going to catechize you, we're going to test you and then, after a few years, we will then, you know, baptize you based on your profession of faith and we've seen you live by this and then you can, you can marry. Marry our adopted daughter Right. And so you have this baby boom coming out of the church and you do that for, you know, enough decades. Then your population just naturally takes over.
Speaker 2:So you had the fall of Rome and the rise of Christianity, but none of those Christians at that point in time believed that they were changing the world. They just went out and saw these babies, baby girls, that were left out in the, in the, in the forest or in the city dumps, and they were saying no, we're going to take, because God said so. This is what Christians do and thus change the world. William Wilberforce didn't set out to change the world, you know. They were enemies in a lot of the world, and so, you know just do what, but that what they were doing was being faithful to what God had put right in front of them. And then that turned into these bigger things. And so it's small hinges swing big doors. That's why I always try to remember the Christian worldviews.
Speaker 2:Like you may be in your eighties, retired, not knowing what you can do as a Christian to change the world, well, don't worry about it. Maybe it's just teaching a kid how to read before third grade, because if you can't read you can't read God's word, and if you can't read before third grade, you can't read to learn and you can be exploited your whole life. Then you're at the mercy. That child grown up who can't read, that's illiterate, is at the mercy of other people to be exploited. And so you've, just by teaching a kid to read, you've just lowered their vulnerabilities. Amazing, you know you do that for enough kids. You change something. It could happen in a little school, in a classroom or in a city, and God uses those little acts of faithfulness so that you know, little retired lady that's in her eighties, teaching a kid to read is a small hinge that swings a big door because she teaches a couple of kids how to read. You don't know what those kids are going to grow up to do.
Speaker 2:Who knows? So again, that's part of that bigger story. We don't tell that we should as Christians.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's incredible encouragement. Well, Lance, thank you for being on the show. How can people get in contact with you or follow you? Sure.
Speaker 2:I'm on Instagram Forge Room. On Instagram at Forge Room. I'm also at Lance underscore cash in C A S H I O N on Instagram. I'm kind of on Twitter, uh, but it's kind of a mess over there Usually X, yeah, twitter. See, I'm old school, um, but the main thing, uh, you can go to my, uh, the our non website is the forgeroomorg, so it's forgeroomorg, so it's forgeroomorg. And then, um, I write and blog and sometimes podcasts on revolution of manorg, so that's my blog site is revolution of manorg, so that's probably the place where you can get the most content and stay in contact. Um with me is through revolution of manorg, um, my website, and, yeah, I'd love to interact and I I try to make sure that if people message me, I get back in contact with them. There's just all these different platforms. I can't quite track them all, so sometimes it's a little tough. So, yeah, but that's how to stay in touch. But, yeah, thank you. Thank you so much for having me on your podcast. It's awesome, thank you Thanks again.
Speaker 2:Yes, absolutely.
Speaker 1:So how we think and what we believe affects how we act and react in our world today. I pray this episode was helpful to understand a book worldview and if it was helpful, please share with your family and friends. And until next time, remember God is always good and he's always faithful. Thank you for listening to the podcast. Do me a favor by following the podcast and leaving a review to help spread the word. I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you.
