Ryley Heppner Podcast

What Makes Mark’s Gospel Unique? | Dr. C. Clifton Black

In this episode I have the privilege of chatting with New Testament scholar Dr. Clifton Black to explore his journey as a biblical scholar, his recent book Mark’s Gospel, and his deep insights into the unique qualities of this often-underappreciated Gospel. Dr. Black offers valuable insights on how Mark’s Gospel can deepen our understanding of the Christian faith and its significance for the modern church.
Dr. C. Clifton Black, Princeton Theological Seminary’s Otto A. Piper Professor of Biblical Theology, earned his MA in theology from the University of Bristol, his MDiv from Emory University, and his PhD from Duke University. He is an ordained elder in the Western North Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church. While his research interests concentrate in the New Testament’s Gospels, particularly in Mark, he publishes in many fields, including biblical theology, New Testament rhetoric, and the history of biblical interpretation. He offers a broad array of courses, including New Testament introduction, the exegesis of Mark’s Gospel, biblical theology and the practice of ministry, the parables of Jesus, major themes in New Testament theology, the biblical and Shakespearean visions, prayer in the New Testament, series in faith and film, as well as several doctoral-level seminars. He is the author, editor, or collaborating author of 20 books, and has published more than 200 essays, articles, and reviews. Black is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature, the Catholic Biblical Association, Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas, the Center of Theological Inquiry, and the American Association of University Professors. He serves as secretary of the American Theological Society.

Sermon: By Becoming the Curse For Us (Galatians 3.10-14)

The scandal of the Gospel. That a perfect God would substitute himself in the place of the guilty. More than that, in the place of enemies. As Charles Wesley so wonderfully wrote, "How can it be That Thou, my God, should die for me?"

Following Jesus in a Political World | Miranda Zapor Cruz

How do you live as a faithful Christian in such politically polarized times? How do you follow Jesus and participate in politics? How do you be salt and light in the world and love your neighbour well and contribute politically to our society? There are so many pressing questions like these when it comes to the relationship with between faith and politics. Thankfully there are people like Miranda Zapor Cruz who providing biblical answers! I was so privileged to get to talk to Miranda today about her new book, “Faithful Politics: Ten Approaches to Christian Citizenship and Why it Matters.” I hope you enjoy our conversation and that you are challenged and edified by it!
Miranda Zapor Cruz is professor of historical theology at Indiana Wesleyan University. She holds a PhD in religion, politics, and society from Baylor University's J. M. Dawson Institute of Church-State Studies and an MDiv from Princeton Theological Seminary.

How Do I Lead My Church Through Change? | Tod Bolsinger

In today's episode I chat with Tod Bolsinger about his new four book series, Practicing Change. In our conversation Tod briefly unpacks each book in the series, walking me through what it looks like to lead a church through positive change and transformation in the midst of crisis and resistance, while building trust and staying on mission. If you are a Christian leader of any sort, Tod's new series is a must read, and hopefully this episode is a good precursor to it!
Tod Bolsinger is the founder and principal at AE Sloan Leadership Inc., the executive director of the DePree Center Church Leadership Institute, and associate professor of leadership formation at Fuller Seminary. He is the author of Canoeing the Mountains and Tempered Resilience. Tod and his wife, Beth, split their time between Pasadena, California, and Ketchum, Idaho.
 

Does God Want Us to Have Fun? | Kevin Gushiken

Today I had the chance to chat with Kevin Gushiken about his new book out of Kregel Press, “A Theology of Play: Learning to Enjoy Life as God intended.” It is such a unique topic of study and one that hasn’t received that much focus. To think that God created play, gives us the freedom and permission to play, and that he actually delights in his people playing. How incredible! In our conversation, I asked Kevin every question about play that came up for me as I read his book. I hope they are questions that you have asked and wondered about too.
Enjoy and as always, consider picking up this book. Whether you struggle to make time for play, or you struggle with shame in your play, this one is well worth the read.
Kevin M. Gushiken (PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) serves as the PhD and Leadership Director at Lancaster Bible College, Capital Seminary & Graduate School. Prior to this, he served as a senior pastor in Chicago for seventeen years.

Christ and the Psalms | Christopher Ash

I had the wonderful privilege today of getting to speak with, author and biblical scholar Christopher Ash. Ash has most recently released through Crossway a four volume commentary called The Psalms: A Christ Centred Commentary, which was the topic of our conversation today. We talked about how to find Christ in the Psalms, how to read the Psalms of vengeance, how important the Psalms are to the church, and many more things to do with the beauty and intricacy of the PsalmsI hope you enjoy, are blessed, are challenged, and are taken deeper into knowing Jesus through the Psalms! I also hope you’ll pick up Christopher's commentary, even if you just start with volume one. You will not look at and read the Psalms the same again.Christopher Ash is a preacher, teacher, and writer. After working in telecommunications and as a teacher of math, Christopher studied theology at Oxford, where he was awarded the Denyer and Johnson prize. He was ordained and served as an Assistant Minister in St. Andrew the Great in Cambridge, before leading a church plant to All Saints, Little Shelford, in 1997. In 2004 he and Carolyn moved to London where Christopher served as Director of the Proclamation Trust’s Cornhill Training Course until July 2015. He is now writer in residence at Tyndale House in Cambridge. He and his wife, Carolyn, are members of a church in Cambridge, and they have four children and numerous grandchildren.

10 TIPS to Better Bible Reading in the Busyness of Life

Just ten simple things that have helped me be more disciplined in and get more out of my time in God's Word. Maybe they'll be helpful to you too!
1. Read it daily.2. Read it in strange places.3. Read it while you’re waiting.4. Read it with multiple bookmarks.5. Read it with a plan.6. Read the Psalms once a month.7. Buy new Bibles because you wear them out.8. Read it with a commentary9.  Read it without rushing.10. Read it with prayer.

Waiting Isn't a Waste | Mark Vroegop

I had the awesome privileged today of getting to talk to pastor and author, Mark Vroegop about his latest book, “Waiting isn’t a Waste: The Surprising Comfort of Trusting God in the Uncertainties of Life." Our conversation covered, among other things, the motivation for the book, why waiting is both normal and difficult, how it is an opportunity for Christ to shine in and through us, and how waiting can reveal the idolatrous parts of our hearts. Hope you enjoy, that you are encouraged and challenged and that you inspired to go out and grab this book quick!
Mark Vroegop (MDiv, Grand Rapids Theological Seminary) is the lead pastor of College Park Church in Indianapolis and the author of the ECPA 2020 Christian Book of the Year Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament. He’s married to Sarah, and they have four children and three daughters-in-law.

Sermon: What Would You Risk if His Love Couldn't Fail? (Galatians 1.11-2.10)

There is an old adage that goes something like this, "What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?” Now let me reword it for you and ask it again, “What you would attempt for Christ, if you knew His love for you could not fail?”

Church History, George MacDonald and the Diary of an Old Soul | Dr. Timothy Larsen

Today's conversation is with Professor of History and Christian thought, Dr. Timothy Larsen. Dr. Larsen's latest project is the reissue of a powerful devotional from the 19th century Scottish author and minister, George MacDonald, Diary of an Old Soul, in which Dr. Larsen provides an introduction and explanatory notes throughout the book. We talked lots about George Donald, about his Christian faith, his influence on people like Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, the uniqueness and ongoing relevance of this devotional Diary of an Old Soul, and what exactly an Old Soul even is.
Dr. Larsen is McManis Professor of Christian Thought and Professor of History at Wheaton College, an Honorary Fellow, School of Divinity, University of Edinburgh, and an Honorary Research Fellow, School of Theology, Religious Studies and Islamic Studies, University of Wales Trinity Saint David.  He has been a Visiting Fellow at Trinity College, Cambridge, All Souls College, Oxford, and Christ Church, Oxford and is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and a Fellow of the Royal Anthropological Institute. He has been elected President of the American Society of Church History for 2025. He is the author or editor of twenty books including Crisis of Doubt: Honest Faith in Nineteenth-Century England, A People of One Book: The Bible and the Victorians, The Slain God: Anthropologists and the Christian Faith, John Stuart Mill: A Secular Life and The Oxford Handbook of Christmas (all with Oxford University Press).