Viewpoint - The Bible and Culture

Politics & Elections

How should Christians vote? Does the Bible provide insight on how we should engage in the political process? What if you like a candidate's policies, but struggle with their character? In a culture that continues to drift further from biblical values, is the political process even worth our time?

We'll take on these questions and more as we take a biblical tour of how God has worked through leaders and voting throughout history. Along the way we'll read God's desire for His people to serve others and seek the good of the communities in which He's placed us, including by using our vote. We'll even explore the results of leaders throughout the Bible with questionable character and seek to understand God's perspective.

Have questions or show ideas? Email us at viewpoint@highlandschurch.org

School Choice (Part 2) - Public, Private or Home School?

What kind of school should Christians send their kids to? The U.S. provides a wide range of choice when it comes to educating kids - and our home state of Arizona is one of the most school-choice-friendly places in the nation, with financial support for any number of choices. So how does a parent decide which path to take?  Is public school too progressive? Is private school too exclusive? Is home school too limited of an experience?

This episode is part two featuring guests from each school experience - public, private and home school - to talk about the pros, cons, misconceptions, benefits and challenges of their experience.

School Choice (Part 1) - Public, Private or Home School?

What kind of school should Christians send their kids to? The U.S. provides a wide range of choice when it comes to educating kids - and our home state of Arizona is one of the most school-choice-friendly places in the nation, with financial support for any number of choices. So how does a parent decide which path to take?  Is public school too progressive? Is private school too exclusive? Is home school too limited of an experience?

This episode is part one of two that features guests from each school experience - public, private and home school - to talk about the pros, cons, misconceptions, benefits and challenges of their experience.

A.I. and Faith (Live Class Session)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is taking the world by storm, transforming businesses, education, and life all around us - including the church. Rapid change from revolutionary technology brings new opportunities, but it also brings many questions and even fears. Some believe AI will be as significant of a change for our world as the automobile or the internet.

How should Christians view and respond to the brave new world being ushered in by AI? Can AI be used as a tool for sharing the gospel and making disciples? This live Viewpoint class session was hosted in July of 2024 by Pastor Joe Infranco and his guest Jim McGuire.

Sex Faith and Identity (with Garry and Melissa Ingraham)

Where does our understanding of who we are come from? Our culture tries to convince us to base our identity in lots of things - our work, our family, our economic status, and even our sexual desires and orientation. But the Bible tells a different story about our identity and what God's design says about our desires and feelings. 

Our guests Garry and Melissa Ingraham, founders of Love & Truth Network (loveandtruthnetwork.com), share their powerful stories of sexual brokenness, how that led them to eventually find their identity in Christ, and the healing and restoration that came by grace through faith.

Artificial Intelligence (with Elijah Low)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is quickly finding its way into many aspects of our lives, whether we’re even aware of it or not. As Christians, how should we think about AI?  Is it just another technology tool like Television or the Internet? Or is there something more to it that we need to be thinking about?  Is AI something we should be suspicious of, or should we embrace it? How about this - does AI present new opportunities to share the gospel with the world?

Our guest for this episode is Elijah Low, author of the book "Navigating AI With Faith". As both a technology specialist and a ministry veteran, he's on the leading edge of thinking about the intersection of AI and our Christian faith, and he has a gospel-centered optimism about AI as a useful tool for ministry. You can find his book on Amazon.com here.

The War in Israel (Live Viewpoint Class Session)

The attack on Israel by Hamas on October 7th shocked the world. The resulting war between Israel and Gaza has sparked debate and conflict across people and cultures worldwide. How do we respond to this as Christians? What are the possible prophetic implications?

This episode features a live class session hosted by Joe Infranco, Highlands' Pastor of Adult Education. Joe covers the history of the nation of Israel, the origins of Hamas, and biblical prophecy surrounding Israel.  Joe also took questions from the audience, and encouraged us toward the hope we have in Jesus Christ, even in the darkest days of world conflict.

Want to contact the podcast? You can always email us at viewpoint@highlandschurch.org 

Assuming Competence (With Brooke Brown)

How do we best love our neighbors with disabilities? One simple but often overlooked way is to assume competence - interacting in a way that assumes the other person can receive and comprehend even if they can’t physically demonstrate that comprehension.

In a culture that claims to value the vulnerable and marginalized, the practice of assuming competence in another person can unfortunately be rare, even within institutions like schools and hospitals. 

Our guest is our good friend Brooke Brown who is also an author, public speaker, and who recently held the title of Ms. Wheelchair Arizona 2022. Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, Brooke's speech and movement disabilities have caused her to become a tireless advocate for assuming competence in everyone.  You can learn more about Brooke and her ministry at https://brookesbutterflytouch.com/

Have any feedback for the Viewpoint podcast? We'd love to hear from you - email us at viewpoint@highlandschurch.org