The Gospel Media Collaborative
By John Ellis
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Find out more about John at www.johnedwardellis.com.
The Gospel Media CollaborativeJun 29, 2022
Christian ministry, the Great Commission, and how to live a life in ministry to the world around you
In consideration of the great commission, what is every Christian's specific calling to ministry and how does/should it manifest? In this episode, we speak with regular guest Aaron Trout, whose next calling is to head with his family from San Francisco, California, to the Philippines to carry out full-time ministry using his gifting in Visual Art and experience in education. Even though Aaron and his family didn't always suspect vocational ministry to be in their future, they were still always engaged in the "ushering in" of God's kingdom. But what does this mean practically for the everyday Christian who understands the great commission but not their explicit role within it? Come listen to Aaron's story, and his thoughts on everyday life in Gospel ministry.
Also, please check out Aaron and his family's website at International Ministries! They want your partnership. Please give here: Aaron & https://www.internationalministries.org/author/trout/
How to Love God: An interview with Bruce Tallman, author of "God's Ecstatic Love"
Social Justice: Friend or Foe of the Church? (Discussion featuring Pastor Jordan Hall)
In our current cultural moment, there is no other issue so dividing the American evangelical church than Social Justice/the "Woke Church". James 1:26-27 says, "If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." As assessed through the lens of these verses, why is Social Justice/the Woke Church movement so divisive? Listen to John and Pastor Jordan Hall discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly of social justice in the evangelical church.
This episode was originally livestreamed on Monday, December 27th, at 10am PT/ 1pm ET, on Facebook.
God in the Reel: Dune (Discussion featuring Visual Artist Aaron Trout)
The 2021 film adaptation of Frank Herbert's classic novel, Dune, is a mythic hero's journey about Paul Atreides, a brilliant young man who travels to a dangerous planet to ensure the future of his family. In the third in a series of film reviews and analyses, Visual Artist Aaron Trout and Writer John Ellis discuss the religious archetypes and influences found throughout Dune--both the 2021 film and Frank Herbert's novel--and how they parallel the message of the Christian Gospel.
This episode was originally livestreamed on Facebook on Saturday, November 13th, 2021.
Check out other episodes of God in the Reel for Christopher Nolan's Interstellar and Zach Snyder's Justice League (the "Snyder cut").
Aaron and his family are headed to the Philippines as missionaries! However, they need your support to do so. Find out more about them, their work, and how to support them, here: https://www.internationalministries.org/author/trout/
Preferred Pronouns, Free Speech, and Christianity, Oh My! (Discussion featuring Attorney Juan Miguel Sclafani)
On May 25th, 2021, in response to a Northern Virginia school district's "Rights of Transgender and Gender-Expansive Students" meeting, public school teacher Tanner Cross spoke against a proposal requiring that transgender students be addressed by their preferred pronouns.
Cross stated, "I love all of my students, but I will never lie to them, regardless of the consequences. I'm a teacher, but I serve God first, and I will not affirm that a biological boy can be a girl and vice versa because it's against my religion, it's lying to my child, it's abuse to a child and it's sinning against our God." Two days after the meeting, Cross was suspended.
Join attorney Juan Miguel Sclafani and me as we discuss all that's happened so far with Cross' case and what may be coming.
This episode was livestreamed on Facebook on July 10th, 2021.
FYI: in the intro, I mistakenly refer to the podcast by its old title, “The Gospel &”...
The political viewpoints espoused by guests are not necessarily those of the host.
Counterpoints: Abortion (Discussion featuring Writer Robyn Buller)
With the Supreme Court accepting a new case that could lead to a major shift in abortion law, join writer Robyn Buller with John Ellis in a new episode of Counterpoints, a series in which two differing opinions on a given topic are presented in a Socratic, constructive context. In today's episode, we discuss the pro-life/pro-choice contention. Please comment and share!
This episode was originally livestreamed on Facebook on May 22nd, 2021.
*Due to connection issues during the livestream, there are numerous sudden drop-offs in the audio. I did my best to edit everything back together, but my sincerest apologies for any issues in audio quality.
**At 16:31, I say "pro-choice"; I meant "pro-life".
The political viewpoints espoused by guests are not necessarily those of the host.
God in the Reel: Justice League - The Snyder Cut (Discussion featuring Visual Artist Aaron Trout)
This episode was originally livestreamed on Facebook on Tuesday, April 6th.
Reportage: Martin Luther King, Jr., Lyndon B. Johnson, and the 1964 Civil Rights Act (Discussion featuring Author David Marshall)
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was preeminently groundbreaking; it precipitated the end of Jim Crow laws, secured Black Americans' equal access to public facilities, and enabled the breaking of racial barriers in the workplace. Overarchingly, it prohibited discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. Martin Luther King Jr.'s efforts had much to do with the passing of this pivotal law, as did--some would say, surprisingly--the efforts of his contemporary, President Lyndon B. Johnson. In this episode, John sits down with David Marshall, author of the book "God Bless Our Divided America", to talk about this monumental time in America's history and its relevance to today's racial climate.
This episode was recorded on March 20th, 2021.
Buy David's book on Amazon: God Bless Our Divided America: Unity, Politics and History from a Biblical Perspective: Marshall, David W: 9781631292699: Amazon.com: Books
The Fall of Celebrity Pastors (Discussion featuring Pastor Jordan Hall)
Carl Lentz, Ravi Zacharias, Bill Hybels... and so many others. After years--or decades--of committed, faithful ministry, why did these Christian leaders fail to live the Christian life they so often preached?
In this episode, John and Jordan discuss how and why those in the ministry spotlight--or any committed follower of Jesus--can falter, fail, and fall so terribly.
This podcast was originally livestreamed on Facebook on March 6th, 2021.
Our Secular Gods: Sex, Sexuality, and Sexual Identify
G.K. Chesterton said, “When men choose not to believe in God, they do not thereafter believe in nothing; they then become capable of believing in anything.” Accordingly, when humanity chooses not to worship God, it will not then worship nothing; it will worship anything. As the first episode in a series entitled "Our Secular Gods", John reads a critical essay entitled "The Deification of Sexuality in America".
"The Deification of Sexuality in America" was originally featured on Medium.com on November 10th, 2019.
Counterpoints: Christianity vs. Modernity's Influence on Art, Film, Literature, and Architecture (Discussion featuring Visual Artist Aaron Trout) - Part 1
Get ready for the first episode of Counterpoints, a debate between and/or comparison of two juxtaposed worldviews, religions, or ideologies. In the first of a two-part series, Visual Artist Aaron Trout and Writer John Ellis contrast the varying evidences of Christianity's influence on Western Culture's Art, Film, Literature, and Architecture against those of the Modernity (encompassing Post Modernism, Modernism, and the current secular humanistic consensus).
This episode was originally livestreamed on Facebook on Saturday, February 6th, 2021.
As discussed in the episode, support Aaron and his family in their ministry in the Philippines. Please visit Aaron & AmyEstelle Trout | International Ministries
God in the Reel: Interstellar (Discussion featuring Visual Artist Aaron Trout)
In the inaugural episode of "God in the Reel", a series of discussions about the Christian Gospel in secular film, Writer John Ellis and Visual Artist Aaron Trout examine Christopher Nolan's pivotal film, "Interstellar", released in 2014. Spoiler Alert!
As described on IMDB: "(The film) portrays a future riddled by disasters, famines, and droughts. There is only one way to ensure mankind's survival: Interstellar travel. A newly discovered wormhole in the far reaches of the solar system allows a team of astronauts to go where no man has gone before, a planet that may have the right environment to sustain human life." Interstellar stars Matthew McConaughey as astronaut Joe Cooper, Anne Hathaway as fellow astronaut Dr. Brand, and Jessica Chastain as Joe Cooper’s daughter, Murph.
This episode was livestreamed on Saturday, January 16th, on Facebook Live.
How a Worldview of the Unseen Affects Christian Evangelism (Discussion featuring Visual Artist Aaron Trout)
Most Christians are familiar with the bible's innumerable references to a plane of existence beyond our material world--an "unseen" realm--but many neglect to contemplate such a reality to the extent of shaping their theology and worldview.
In scripture, the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 32, addresses many such details, the understanding of which would have been implicit to the Old Testament writers and Patriarchs. It begs the question--how should our own understanding parallel theirs, and in particular, how should it affect our understanding of our fallen world and our efforts at evangelism? In discussion with San Francisco-based Christian Visual Artist Aaron Trout, John discusses these questions and the associated "Deuteronomy 32 worldview".
The political viewpoints espoused by guests are not necessarily those of the host.
About John Ellis: www.johnedwardellis.com
How Should a Christian Vote? (Discussion featuring Pastor Jordan Hall)
On the cusp of the highly-anticipated 2020 presidential election, John and Pastor Jordan Hall discuss how Christians must elevate their identity in Jesus above any political party allegiance, bias, or presuppositions in order to biblically and prayerfully approach the voting booth.
This episode was livestreamed on October 24th, 2020. The political viewpoints espoused by guests are not necessarily those of the host.
About Jordan Hall: www.trinitychurchsf.com/about
About John Ellis: www.johnedwardellis.com
Racial Reconciliation: How does a Divided Nation Heal? (Interview with Author David Marshall)
How does a divided nation achieve racial reconciliation? In a conversation with Christian reconciliation leader David Marshall, author of "God Bless Our Divided America: Unity, Politics, and History from a Biblical Perspective", John discusses David's book and the commentary therein on Christianity's one-body-many-parts lens on race. In addition, David speaks on such topics as the modern bipartisan political schism, the Black Lives Matter organization, and the Black experience in America in the wake of the murder of George Floyd.
This episode was livestreamed on September 27th, 2020. The political viewpoints espoused by guests are not necessarily those of the host.
Find out more about David here: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=youtube+david+w+marshall+god+bless+our+divided+america&docid=608004654326288327&mid=10DD383E480133E0F76610DD383E480133E0F766&view=detail&FORM=VIRE Buy David's book here: https://www.xulonpress.com/bookstore/bookdetail.php?PB_ISBN=9781631292699
About John Ellis: www.johnedwardellis.com
Are Nevada's Reopening plans treating churches and secular gatherings unequally? (Discussion featuring Attorney Juan Miguel Sclafani)
In Nevada, while businesses have been limited to 50 percent of their fire-code capacities, houses of worship have been subject to a flat 50-person attendance limit. On July 24th, Calvary Chapel Dayton Valley in Dayton, Nevada, appealed to the Supreme Court to block enforcement of restrictions on church service attendance. The Supreme Court flatly rejected the request. In a discussion with Las Vegas attorney Juan Miguel Sclafani, John examines the circumstances and the possible reasons behind the Supreme Court's action.
This episode was livestreamed on August 8th, 2020. The political viewpoints espoused by guests are not necessarily those of the host.
About Juan Miguel Sclafani: Juan earned a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and his Juris Doctorate from the Liberty University School of Law. He is an Associate Attorney for Palacios and Associates, LTD, where he focuses on immigration law. Juan has been an editorials contributor for several online political periodicals.
About John Ellis: www.johnedwardellis.com
Three Misconceptions that Confound Belief in Christianity
In a prelude to an investigation of modern secular culture, John examines Mark, chapter ten, the account of Jesus' conversation with the "Rich, Young Ruler". From this, he exposes three common misconceptions that confound a true understanding of Jesus Christ and Christianity: 1) Christ-as-a-good-teacher identity, 2) the meritocratic mindset, and 3) Christianity--ultimately--as a "way to heaven". As demonstrated in the text, although these fallacies go back to Antiquity, they are just as prevalent in Modernity and especially in our own hyper-secularized society.
About John Ellis: www.johnedwardellis.com
The Implications of Social Justice (Discussion featuring Attorney Juan Miguel Sclafani)
Although its conceptual origins can be traced back to the 19th century, the term "Social Justice" seemed to enter the nation's vernacular over only the last few decades. Today, it is all but ubiquitous, but its connotations are at times abstract and vary by context. What about in the context of Christianity? Lamentably, the meaning of Social Justice within the church seems no less splintered; evangelical groups, denominations, and leaders dig in their heels to either defend its sanctity or cast it out as something already implicit to the faith and subverting the primacy of Christ. In a conversation with immigration attorney and political commentator Juan Miguel Sclafani, John discusses the moral and political implications of Social Justice and its meaning within our cultural moment, for both the nation and the Christian.
This episode was livestreamed on July 18th, 2020. The political viewpoints espoused by guests are not necessarily those of the host.
About Juan Miguel Sclafani: Juan earned a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and his Juris Doctorate from the Liberty University School of Law. He is an Associate Attorney for Palacios and Associates, LTD, where he focuses on immigration law. Juan has been an editorials contributor for several online political periodicals.
About John Ellis: www.johnedwardellis.com
Submission and Resistance in Political Matters (Discussion featuring Pastor Jordan Hall)
Following the murder of George Floyd, the nation plunged into a period of sustained dissent and protest led by the banner of the organization Black Lives Matter. What followed was a complex admixture of civil demonstrations, marches, occupations, looting, arson, and demands for the removal of statues and the defunding of major metropolitan police departments. While many leaders draw comparisons to the Civil Rights era, others say our modern cultural moment is far more vitriolic and destructive. In conversation with Jordan Hall, Lead Pastor of Trinity Church in San Francisco, John discusses how Christians may be able to discern appropriate submission and resistance during complex times and events.
This episode livestreamed on July 11th, 2020. The political viewpoints espoused by guests are not necessarily those of the host.
About Jordan Hall: www.trinitychurchsf.com/about
About John Ellis: www.johnedwardellis.com
What's happening inside CHAZ/CHOP? (Discussion featuring Pastor Aaron Monts)
What's going on inside Seattle's Capital Hill Autonomous Zone? What and how should Christians be thinking about it? Is it a violent occupation or a peaceful commune? In the first episode of the Gospel &, Ellis speaks with Aaron Monts, Lead Pastor of United Church, Seattle. Monts, who spent several hours each weekday walking through the area, recounts his experiences and perspective as a Christian, pastor, and activist.
This episode was livestreamed on June 27th, 2020. As a result of connection issues during the stream, there is occasional lag and/or overlap between responses. The political viewpoints espoused by guests are not necessarily those of the host.
Find out more about Aaron Monts: https://aaronmonts.com/about-aaron-monts/
About John Ellis: www.johnedwardellis.com