Jimmys Table

Over a decade ago a "Ten Commandments" was discovered to exist in one mafia family. Apparently, there is "honor among thieves." In today's podcast, I look at why ethics and character matter, even in criminal organizations, and what such teaches us about the organizations we are a part of...

Have you ever had to make a really hard decision in life, but didn't really know what to do? In ancient times, people used to "cast lots" to divine the will of God for their life. In the 21st century, we tend to be a little more sophisticated with making hard decisions. In today's podcast, I talk about how to make hard decisions, and casting lots...

The recent sex scandal involving the head of Liberty University, Jerry Falwell, Jr., his wife, and his "pool boy" / business partner, has made us painfully aware that a certain hypocrisy exists among us in Evangelical circles. In today's podcast, I look at what it means to be a hypocrite, how hypocrisy thrives, and what we can do to combat it.

To me, Donald Trump and Joe Biden seem like terrible presidential candidates. To vote for either would require me to "hold my nose" while in the voting booth. And instead of doing that, I've decided I'm not voting for either candidate in the 2020 election. I am voting "none of the above."

Have you ever ended up in "Facebook jail?" Or, have you noticed you have some friends and family that end up in this virtual slammer? Why is this? Is it because those who do such are simply truth tellers that the powers that be simply cannot handle? Is it a vast left wing conspiracy that Mark Zuckerberg and his powerful friends are engaged in, as they attempt to suppress your freedom of speech and wage war against the truth? In today's podcast, I talk about why people end up in Facebook jail., and how you can avoid it...

COVID-19 has many people talking about the "new normal." In today's podcast, I want to talk about letting go of the "old normal," as we learn to adapt to a world in transition. To do this, I want to look at the preaching of John the Baptist and Jesus, who taught us to embrace the new thing that God was doing in the history of the world...

I believe COVID-19 is being used by God to challenge the models of ministry we commonly use in the church. In today's podcast, I talk about how John MacArthur's defiance of government orders to shut down his large church as something that exposes the broken mindset we have as a church, and how we need to get back to a much more nimble and personal model of ministry, like we read about in the Bible. A model that doesn't resemble a circus...

Do you want to change your life? And just exactly how do you change your life? Is it through dramatic decisions and New Years Resolutions, or, is it through small and gradual changes? Is it through powerful encounters with God and dramatic interventions? Or, is it through simple baby steps? In today's podcast, I talk about how we can bring about meaningful changes in our life...

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many parents are weighing the options when it comes to the upcoming 2020 school year. Should they send their kids to school? Or will they elect to have their child learning virtually? Or should they take their kids out of public school altogether, and homeschool them? How is a parent to do decide what is best for their child's education during a global pandemic? In today's podcast, I talk...

We love living life inside the box. It brings us comfort. And according to musician John Howey, this comfort becomes a cage that oppresses us. It's a life we need to be freed from. We need to become "uncaged." In today's podcast, I talk to John about the uncaged life, and his upcoming album.

When I think of common sense, I think of "Forrest Gump." He's the embodiment of folk wisdom. And while "common sense" is good, I believe common sense has its limitations. We need something more than common sense to help us navigate the complexities of our world...

There are a number of spiritual dangers that we face as Christians in America. A "worldliness" has crept into us. And by that, I don't mean what movies we watch or what clothes we wear. Rather, it is our identity as Americans. As Christians baptized into the red, white, and blue, our nationalistic identity as Americans threatens to distort our view of what it means to be a Christian. In today's podcast, I talk about this pressing issue...

Our culture has become like a child banging pots and pans together on the kitchen floor. We make plenty of noise, but have no love. Looking at 1 Corinthians 13 today, I question whether or not we really love as we ought to, and how the ultimate acid test of love is seen in how we treat our enemies.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 might have officially ended the "Jim Crow" laws that overtly discriminated against blacks, but many are of the opinion that Jim Crow is still alive and well in America. In today's podcast, I have a conversation about systemic racism in America., and how we can fight against racism today...

Recently the NAACP held a protest rally here in Charlotte, NC on behalf of George Floyd, who was unjustly killed by police. White evangelical teenagers are not usually among the faces you usually see at such protests. In today's podcast, I talk to one...

I think we are all idiots. At least, to some degree. We all suffer from faulty critical thinking skills. Sometimes this is from pride, other times, we just don't know how to think about thinking...

Memorial Day is upon us. How is the COVID-19 pandemic and CDC guidelines impacting your summer vacation plans this year? Are you maintaining a quarantined lifestyle, or are you making plans that include practicing reasonable social distancing recommendations while going on vacation? In this podcast...

This past week, a friend of mine died unexpectedly. Trying to process my grief, I turned to "A Grief Observed" by C.S. Lewis. In today's podcast, I walk through this raw and emotionally gut-wrenching book as I wrestle with the loss of a loved one...

For over a decade I've been learning the art and science of making a better burger. In today's podcast, I share my dogmatic philosophy that guides me in making a better cheeseburger. These rules will ruin you. Follow only if you want to really make the best cheeseburger possible...

As Americans, we love conspiracy theories. But why is that? From our founding fathers, to who really killed JFK, to the coronavirus, we always feel like someone powerful is behind the curtain pulling all the levers that make our world go round. In today's podcast, I explore the political and psychological reasons why conspiracy theories appeal to us so deeply...