Viewpoint - The Bible and Culture

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

Should Christians Watch That? (With Cap Stewart)

As Christians, how do we decide what’s “okay” to watch on TV or in movies? Our culture is over-saturated with content that often includes heavy doses of violence, strong language, or varying degrees of sexual content. Is our choice simply a matter of the age rating? Is this an area of Christian freedom?  How can the Bible help guide our viewing decisions? And isn’t the Bible itself full of violent and sexual content at times?

Beyond the implications for our own eyes and minds, what about the implications for the actors who are featured? Do we have an obligation to be good neighbors by avoiding media content in which actors are exploited or taken advantage of during the production process?

Our guest for this episode is Cap Stewart, a contributing author to the curriculum called Personal Purity Isn’t Enough: The Long-Forgotten Secret to Making Scriptural Entertainment Choices, and contributor to publications like Christ and Pop Culture, The Christian Post and The Gospel Coalition.

Physician Assisted Suicide - Part 2 (with Dr. Jim Benecke)

Physician assisted suicide has major implications for the way our culture views the value of human life. As governments around the world open the door to physician assisted suicide as a form of medical care, how can Christians bring the perspective of God's value of each human life to the discussion, or even to the voting booth?

On a personal level, what happens if a family member expresses a desire to end their life through physician assisted suicide? How does the hope of the Gospel of Jesus Christ provide a way to minister to people in that difficult place?

This is part two of our conversation with Dr. Jim Benecke who serves as our helpful guide through the realities of what's happening in the medical community, and encouragement for how to engage our culture as this issue continues to progress.

Physician Assisted Suicide - Part 1 (with Dr. Jim Benecke)

Physician assisted suicide is rapidly becoming an available, legal - and sometimes even promoted - option for people experiencing pain, suffering or hardship. But as Christians who believe all life is sacred and created in the image of God, the implications of offering or promoting the idea of ending life before someone's natural death are tragic.

Dr. Jim Benecke returns as a guest of Joe and Brendan to discuss what physician assisted suicide is, what the Bible has to say about the sanctity of life, and the concerning path down which the practice of physician assisted suicide will take our culture.

Transgenderism (with guest Walt Heyer)

More people than ever in our culture are expressing a desire to change their gender. What does the Bible say about that desire?  More importantly, how can Christians engage with those who want to change genders in a way that ministers to them with both grace and truth? And how can parents navigate transgender culture as it affects young people, schools and beyond?

In this episode, Joe and Brendan discuss transgenderism through excerpts of a live interview Joe conducted in 2022 with Walt Heyer, a man who spent eight years of his life living as a woman before coming to faith in Christ and de-transitioning. He has since started a ministry for those experiencing transgender regret and has worked with thousands of transgender individuals. You can learn more about Walt and his ministry at WaltHeyer.com

Forced to Create? Supreme Court Protection for Creative Professionals

Should a Christian website designer be required to create a website with a message that is contrary to their beliefs about same-sex marriage? The Supreme Court made a decision that has caused many in the LGBTQ community to claim discrimination - but is that what's really happening? What happens when a creative professional - Christian or otherwise - is hired to create something containing a message they don't agree with? Can the government force someone to convey a message? And how can Christian business owners navigate these often-hostile waters in light of Jesus' command to love their neighbor?

This episode will bring clarity to what the Supreme Court decided in this case and explore what that means for people in creative professions. We'll also dig deeper into what it means to be a Christian creative professional, what happens when a request for a creative service conflicts with the foundations of faith, and how we can love our LGBTQ neighbors with both grace and truth. 

The Problem of Suffering

Pain and suffering are inevitable as we live life in a broken world. How do we cope when life gets unbearable? Why would a good and loving God allow His creation to suffer? How does Christianity's view of suffering compare to other world views?

Joe and Brendan welcome guest Dr. Jim Benecke who shares his experience as a father who lost a son to cancer as well as a doctor who has walked with patients through challenges of suffering.