Kitchen Table Theology
Where Coffee, Conversation
and Theology Meet
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Bonus Episodes
When you hear the word “theology”, what pops into your mind? My goal is to educate and share biblical truth on the same level as if you and I were sitting at your kitchen table with a Bible and a pot of southern pecan coffee in front of us. It is my hope to better equip the body of Christ to know God and make Him known.
Episode 026: Your Greatest Adventure
In this episode, Pastor Jeff shares some personal insight into why he started the Kitchen Table Theology podcast. He also introduces and gives a brief overview of his new book, Your Greatest Adventure.
Episode 029: Which Translation of the Bible Do I Prefer?
In this episode, Pastor Jeff shares which translation of the Bible he prefers to use in his study and the reasons why.
Episode 032: New Testament Quiz Part One
Episode 033: New Testament Quiz Part Two
As we wrap up Season One on Kitchen Table Theology, we have a little fun in this two-part episode with a New Testament Quiz. Let’s test your New Testament knowledge!
Episode 045: Bible Study Tools
Pastor Jeff suggests a few basic tools that you might want to use on a regular basis as you do your personal Bible study. He recommends a trustworthy and understandable Bible translation, concordance, and commentary.
Episode 052: Interview with Dr. Dana Goodnough
Let me introduce you to Dr. Dana Goodnough, the lead pastor of Pittsford Community Church in New York, and author of the book, Three Minute Theology. In this episode of Kitchen Table Theology, Dr. Goodnough and I had a great conversation about the state of theology in Christian culture today. We discuss the decrease of theology awareness among Christians and the misconceptions of perceived difficulties in studying theology. Dr. Goodnough has some encouragement for us Kitchen Table Theologians as we move forward, learn more about what the Bible teaches, and how we can live in a way that shows love to our neighbors. You can watch the interview here on my YouTube channel.
Episode 060: Interview with Dr. Dave Park
Dr. Dave Park is the founder and president of Infusion and His Passion Ministries. Dave has ministered to pastors, youth leaders, parents, and students for over 25 years all over the world including Panama, Argentina, Germany, Ireland, and Israel. Dave and his team provide training, seminars, conferences, workshops, and one on one counseling to people mainly in the areas of their identity in Christ. Listen as Dave and I discuss finding freedom in your identity in Christ.
Episode 067: Hymns and Theology
In this bonus episode, Jen and Jeff each share their favorite hymn and explore the author, background, and theology of the hymn.
Episode 068: Interview with Mike Linch
Pastor Mike Linch from Northstar Church in Atlanta, GA joins me to discuss his thoughts on the current theological views of the majority of evangelical Christians in America. Theology does not have to be complicated, but we must be rooted in Scripture to maintain what is truth.
Episode 076: Q&A Episode September 26, 2021
How do God's providence and our prayers work together? Does having peace about a decision give assurance of God's direction? Did a baby die because of David's sin? Listen as Pastor Jeff and Jen work to answer these listener-submitted questions.
Episode 081: Doctrine of Scripture Quiz
The teaching of the Bible is consistent because it all comes from the unchanging God who cannot lie. So no passage of Scripture ever contradicts another passage of Scripture. How well do you know the doctrine of Scripture? How well do you know what the Bible tells us about the Bible? Author and blogger Tim Challies created a great 33-question online quiz regarding the doctrine of Scripture. Listen in this episode as Pastor Jeff chooses 12 of those questions to challenge Jen to answer. Let us know how you do!
Episode 095: Q&A Episode February 20, 2022
What happens when a believer dies? Do I need to be a missionary to obey the Great Commission? Listen as Pastor Jeff and Jen work to answer these listener-submitted questions.
It's time for a quiz! How well have you been listening and learning from Kitchen Table Theology recently? In this episode, Pastor Jeff tests Jen’s Biblical knowledge of the end times. Will anyone depart from the faith in the latter days? Is there going to be another flood? Take the quiz along with Jen and see how you do!
As we celebrate 100 episodes of Kitchen Table Theology and almost 2 years of creating the episodes each week, Jeff and Jen share more about the motivation behind KTT and the drive to continue it.
Episode 101: Interview with Dr. Mark Smith
In this episode of Kitchen Table Theology, Pastor Jeff is joined by Dr. Mark Smith, President of Columbia International University. They discuss the need for biblical literacy, especially among young people. Pastor Jeff and Dr. Smith also mention their thoughts on the future of the American Church and how people can tackle biblical illiteracy through modern resources that are available.
Episode 102: KTT Rewind: The Unpardonable Sin
In this episode, Pastor Jeff Cranston and Jen Denton discuss one of the least understood passages in the New Testament. They shed light on the unpardonable sin is, what it is, how we know if we have committed it, and so much more! This is a re-broadcasting of one of Kitchen Table Theology’s most popular episodes.
Episode 103: Interview with Lee Strobel
Kitchen Table Theologians, we have a special guest on the podcast this week! Atheist-turned-Christian Lee Strobel, the former award-winning legal editor of The Chicago Tribune and New York Times best-selling author of more than forty books joined me to discuss his story, his new book “The Case for Heaven”, and how the pandemic has affected our viewpoint on death and the afterlife. I was so honored to speak with Lee and hear his perspective on this topic.
Episode 107: Q&A Episode May 29, 2022
Jeff and Jen answer two listener-submitted questions in this bonus Q&A episode. When Christ returns to reign, where will the believers be who have been in heaven? When the rapture occurs, and Christ’s church is taken to heaven, will it include all children and unborn babies?
Episode 117 Bonus Episode: Interview with Ricky Alcantar
In this episode, Pastor Jeff welcomes Ricky Alcantar, Lead Pastor at Cross of Grace Church, to have a conversation about his article, “Three Reasons We Should Sing Sound Theology. What do our hymns tell us about our beliefs? The songs we sing reveal, shape, and doxologize our theology. By understanding this connection, we can have a deeper understanding of our faith. The scripture is filled with songs, and it’s only appropriate for theologians to sing together in order to have a well-rounded understanding of God.
Episode 126: The State of Theology 2022
The goal of Kitchen Table Theology is to educate people on Biblical truth in an easily understood way. But the recent survey results on the state of the American Evangelical Church done by Lifeway Research are quite alarming. These results are in stark contrast to what the Bible teaches. Tune in to find out more!
Episode 129: Happy Reformation Day
On October 31st, 1517, Martin Luther wrote the 95 Theses to spark a debate and reform the church from within. The 95 Theses sparked the Protestant Reformation and changed the course of Christianity forever.Reformation Day reminds us to be thankful to the men and women who gave their lives that everyone might have the scripture in their own language.
Pastor Jeff answers three listener submitted questions:
-Are Jesus and Melchizedek the same person?
-Why pray if God has already decided everything? Why should we pray if God has fixed the future?
-Is it alright to be angry when someone I love dies? Or is being angry a lack of faith in God and His plans?
Episode 142: Interview with Daniel Lucas
Daniel Lucas, Lead Pastor of Better Life Church, joins Pastor jeff to discuss the powerful experience of attending the Asbury Revival. Pastor Jeff and Daniel explore the power of revival and how it can spark transformation when hearts are open to hearing from God. Discover the difference between revival and awakening and how social media has helped spread the word about revivals like the one at Asbury University. Listen as they reflect on the remarkable experience and discuss how it can happen in local churches.
Episode 148: End Times Q&A, Part One
In this episode, Erin Pickering, LCC's adult ministries director, joins Pastor Jeff Cranston to answer questions submitted during an end time series at Low Country Community Church last fall. They delve into the tribulation period, the significance of the rebuilding of the temple, false prophets, and whether only Christians will hear the trumpet at the rapture. They explore the chaos and disruption that will occur on earth after the rapture, including the difficulties pregnant and nursing women will face. They also discuss identifying false prophets and the importance of context when studying the Bible.
Episode 149: End Times Q&A, Part Two
In this episode, the conversation gets off to an exciting start as they discuss the rapture and the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. They delve into the context of resurrection and how it relates to Revelation. You'll learn about the different resurrections mentioned in the Bible and how they relate to the end times.
Episode 150: End Times Q&A, Part Three
Join Pastor Jeff Cranston and Erin Pickering as they dive deep into the book of Revelation, covering various questions, including topics such as raptured church, martyred saints, and final judgment for unbelievers. The conversation begins with the exciting issue of Satan's release after the millennium; they also dive into where Christians go when they die pre-rapture or second coming, exploring the belief that the body goes to sleep awaiting resurrection at the rapture while the soul goes to be with Jesus in paradise or Hades.
Episode 156: Interview with Pastor Jeff
In this captivating episode of the Kitchen Table Theology podcast, host Tiffany Coker delves into Jeff's travels, favorite hobbies, and encounters with historical figures. Join the conversation as Jeff shares his calling to ministry and the profound impact of Bob Buford's book Halftime on his life. Explore the importance of strong pulpits and biblical literacy, and discover the influential books and resources that have shaped Jeff's path as a pastor. And don't miss out on his dreams of becoming a firefighter paramedic and an off-the-grid gentleman farmer.
Episode 163: Interview with Marquis Laughlin, Part One
On this episode of Kitchen Table Theology, join Pastor Jeff Cranston as he welcomes special guest Marquis Laughlin, founder of Acts of the Word Ministries. Marquis travels the US performing dramatic solo scripture presentations and has memorized seven complete books of the Bible. They discuss his ministry, commitment to spreading the gospel, and his journey from wanting to become a major league baseball player to discovering his gifts in speech and communication. Finally, Marquis provides advice on making the most of one's gifts and talents as God has put these on them for a purpose!
Episode 164: Interview with Marquis Laughlin, Part Two
In this episode, Pastor Jeff continues his conversation with Marquis Laughlin, the founder of Acts of the Word Ministries. Marquis travels all over the US, performing dramatic solo scripture presentations, and shares his experiences. This conversation dives deep into understanding the story God is telling in the Bible to strengthen faith. It also highlights the importance of having context when reading and interpreting scripture, as well as understanding the big picture that God has laid out for us.
In today’s Kitchen Table Theology's' special quiz episode, listeners are going to challenge their Old and New Testament knowledge through a total of 16 carefully crafted questions, varying in complexity, ranging from foundational queries like the terminology for the initial five books of the Old Testament to more nuanced ones about specific biblical events, such as Jesus's first miracle.
In this episode, Pastor Jeff Cranston challenges Tiffany and listeners to a Bible knowledge quiz. Covering insights from 30 books of the Bible that have been discussed in previous episodes, the quiz offers a fun interactive component and a tool for reinforcement learning. Featuring questions from both Old Testament and New Testament books, the quiz covers the theology of various key figures and events in the Bible. Tune in and test what you have learned so far!
Episode 184: Burial vs Cremation
In the episode of Kitchen Table Theology, Pastor Jeff Cranston addresses the topic of cremation versus burial from a Christian perspective. He discusses the recent trend towards cremation over traditional burial, noting the significant increase in its practice. He explores the biblical mentions and practices regarding burial and cremation, stating that while the Bible does not explicitly command against cremation, it has been historically less common among God's people. He emphasizes the importance of personal conviction and seeking guidance from the Holy Spirit in making such a decision. He concludes by inviting listeners to reflect on their preferences for burial or cremation, guided by Christian principles and the overarching goal of glorifying God.
Episode 192: Interview with Charlotte Clay
Have you ever wondered how the Bible has influenced art, history, and culture across the globe? In this episode, Pastor Jeff Cranston interviews Charlotte Clay, the Marketing and Communications Director for the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. They discuss the museum's features, exhibits, and its impact since opening in 2017. Charlotte highlights the museum's unique collections, interactive experiences, and the broad appeal it has for people of all ages and backgrounds. They also touch on future exhibits and the museum's role in educating the public about the Bible's historical and cultural significance.
In this episode, Pastor Jeff Cranston addresses two listener questions on the role of church services and the relevance of Old Testament laws for Christians today. He debates whether church services should cater to believers or non-believers, suggesting that while they should primarily build up Christians, they also need to be accessible to non-Christians. Pastor Jeff then tackles the applicability of Old Testament laws, explaining that Christians are not bound by these laws due to the New Covenant through Christ, emphasizing love for God and neighbor as the guiding principles of Christian life.
In this special 200th episode of Kitchen Table Theology, hosts Tiffany Coker and Pastor Jeff Cranston celebrate the milestone by reflecting on their journey, featuring past co-host Jen Denton. The episode includes a giveaway announcement, discussions about the podcast's origins, its most impactful moments, and the lessons learned along the way. They also share insights into their favorite episodes and the challenges they've faced.
Episode 207: Theophanies and Christophanies
Have you ever wondered how God made his presence known in the Old Testament? In this bonus episode, Pastor Jeff delves into the concepts of theophanies and Christophanies, exploring their significance in biblical theology. He explains that a theophany is an appearance of God to human beings, primarily in the Old Testament, while a Christophany is a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ. Pastor Jeff shares various biblical examples of these divine appearances, highlighting their roles in revealing God's character and foreshadowing the incarnation of Jesus Christ.
Episode 212: Bible Overview Quiz
How well do you know your Bible? In this episode, Tiffany Coker and Pastor Jeff Cranston take a break from their Bible overview series to test their knowledge with a quiz covering 12 Bible books that we’ve just covered. How well will you do?
Episode 236: The Real Story of St. Patrick
When you think of St. Patrick, what comes to mind—green beer, shamrocks, and leprechauns? The real story of Patrick of Ireland is far more powerful and inspiring. In this special bonus episode, Pastor Jeff steps away from our denominational series to share the true history of St. Patrick, the man who brought Christianity to Ireland and left a lasting legacy of faith.
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