the Proclaim & Defend Podcast
The Proclaim & Defend podcast is the podcast of the Foundations Baptist Fellowship International. We established this podcast to give a voice to our publication, FrontLine Magazine. We hope you enjoy the additional content we provide here. You can subscribe to our magazine via Substack or go to http://fbfi.org/subscribe/ to subscribe to the magazine. proclaimdefend.substack.com
All episodes(31)
- StandardSummaries onlyInterview 112: Missions: Are We Doing It Right?
Published May 15, 2026
With this episode we begin a look at the May/June edition of FrontLIne, which is on the theme, “The Future of Missions.”We are getting a few interviews together but will be posting on two week intervals at the moment. Some of our writers are traveling and our conversations with them will be delayed.Our first interview is with veteran missionary, Glen Galbraith. He spent around twenty years in Britain in a church planting ministry. He is now on Baptist Mid-Mission’s recruitment team. I was very p
- StandardSummaries onlyWho Can Believe Anything Anymore?
Published May 10, 2026
The idea is nothing new. The French mathematician and philosopher Rene DeCartes questioned everything because he surmised that insane people cannot distinguish between reality and fantasy—and maybe we are all insane. The only thing he knew for sure was that he had the ability to doubt. That meant his only certainty was that he alone existed. Everything else was uncertain.Pilate asked the famous question of Jesus when confronted with Jesus’ messianic claim.“What is truth?”Post-modernism is built
- StandardSummaries onlyProblems with the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 24:14-29
Published May 4, 2026
Growing up in church, I heard this parable preached often. There were good applications made from the text such as the fact that there will be accountability one day for what God has entrusted to us, and that God only expects us to work with what He has given us. All of these are applications made to Church Age Christians about faithful stewardship. But deeper study of the parable makes me wonder if that is the point that Jesus was intended to make when He used this literary device.How does the
- StandardSummaries onlyInterview 111: Israel, Palestinian Arabs, and Christian Attitudes
Published May 2, 2026
I had planned to publish this episode last week but we received the conversation between Mike Riley and Ryan Martin promoting the upcoming Conference on the Church for God’s Glory. We wanted to get that out to promote the conference. If you missed it, check back to last week and listen. If you are able to attend, please register now.This week we are publishing an interview with Kevin Bauder, on his article in the March/April FrontLine called “Israel, Palestinian Arabs, and Christian Attitudes.”A
- StandardSummaries onlyIs the Gathering of the Elect from the Four Winds (Matthew 24:31) Describing the Rapture of the Church?
Published Apr 27, 2026
Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (Matthew 24:30-31)This passage certainly contains imagery reminiscent of the rapture passages of scripture in the Thessalonian Epistles and 1 Cor
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Conference on the Church for God’s Glory — Register Now
Published Apr 25, 2026
Our podcast today is another special edition. This time I invited Mike Riley and Ryan Martin to come on to promote the upcoming Conference on the Church for God’s Glory to be held in Rockford, Illinois, on Monday, May 18, 2026 from 10 AM to 7 PM.This year’s theme is Dispensationalism, Israel, and the Nations.The topic is relevant to today’s headlines. You will come away from this conference with a lot of thoughtful, biblical instruction and a day of good fellowship and stimulating conversations.
- StandardSummaries onlyThree Ways to Build Your Child’s Biblical World View
Published Apr 20, 2026
How Shall We Then Live? Francis Schaeffer addressed transformed thinking in his classic film series and book. He traced changing patterns of thought through time and the impact Christianity has had on Western culture.It’s clear that God expects His people to think differently than the unredeemed populace. Paul states it clearly in Romans 12:1-2.I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasona
- StandardSummaries only[Podcast] Interview 110: Five Principles to Exercise Your Mind as You Read Your Bible
Published Apr 18, 2026
Our podcast today is another special presentation, which is to say it is not connected to a FrontLine article. Our guest is a regular contributor, Gordon Dickson. In recent weeks, Gordon has written several articles on a concept he calls the “G.R.A.C.E. framework.” The acronym first represented to him a way of expressing the gospel to the lost, especially emphasizing a missing note that I think can cause us to stumble when solely relying on older gospel presentations we have learned. It is not t
- StandardSummaries onlyWhy Believer’s Baptism is So Important
Published Apr 12, 2026
I saw the following story engraved on a plaque on a wall at a Christian University I toured last week. It reminded me that treating believer’s baptism as an optional step for a new Christian is a grave mistake. This is the summary of the story.Visitors have come to the Arizona desert in the wintertime for decades seeking relief from the freezing temperatures of the Northeast and Midwest. Throughout the years, Cave Creek Arizona has been one of the destinations of the rich and famous. First Bapti
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Resurrection of Jesus Should Not Have Been a Surprise
Published Apr 6, 2026
The accounts of Resurrection Sunday morning in scripture seem to indicate that the resurrection of Jesus bodily from the tomb was a surprise—to the women who went there, to the disciples, and to Jerusalem. Mary supposed Jesus was the gardener and asked him where they had taken Jesus’ body. It’s understandable that someone rising from the dead would be an event doubted by most people, but the evidences of this event should have been there to see. This was not an unexpected miracle but rather a pr
- StandardSummaries onlyInterview 109: The Ultimate Failure of the Moral Majority
Published Apr 4, 2026
Today we continue discussing our latest edition of FrontLine, the March/April issue focused on the topic, “Is Conservativism Enough?”This week, we are talking to Bud Steadman, who is now a “Missions Mentor” with Baptist World Mission, previously serving as the Executive Director of the Mission and before that spending many years in the pastorate. He is also currently Chairman of the FBFI Board and a good friend, as I too spent many years serving under Baptist World Mission.His topic is “The Ulti
- StandardSummaries onlyWhat Kind of Pharisee are You?
Published Mar 30, 2026
Pharisees were the religious megastars of Jesus’ day. They were generally viewed by the populace as deeply committed, genuinely spiritual, and on fire for the Law of Moses. To us, the word Pharisee is synonymous with hypocrite or religious legalist, but much of that is the result of what the gospels later said about them, not what people thought of them at the time. In our context, they would sell books, attract lots of followers on social media, and have lots of adoring fans. There have been su
- StandardSummaries onlyInterview 108: Christ or Conservatism?
Published Mar 28, 2026
Today we introduce our latest edition of FrontLine, the March/April issue focused on the topic, “Is Conservativism Enough?” Last week, we posted an interview with one of the authors, David Saxon.This week, we are talking to the Associate Editor of this edition, Gordon Dickson. He also contributed an article called “Christ or Conservatism?” which will be part of our discussion.We are living in troubled times. The political left increasingly attacks the pillars of our civilization, especially thos
- StandardSummaries onlyGod Doesn't Take Sides
Published Mar 23, 2026
“Is God for us or for them?”God is not a Republican. He is certainly not a Democrat. He is also not American. He is not Canadian, Russian, Ukrainian, British, French, Egyptian, Iraqi or Iranian. Shockingly, He is also not Israeli. Jesus was Jewish (and from the tribe of Judah) by blood, but that is different than present political nationality.Our tendency in any conflict--be it a war or political fight--is to claim that God is on our side. There seems to be biblical precedent for making such a c
- StandardSummaries onlyInterview 107: Purpose or Result?
Published Mar 21, 2026
We begin this week to look at our latest edition of FrontLine, the March/April issue focused on the topic, “Is Conservativism Enough?”The topic we are addressing is Christian political philosophy. Should Christians be involved in politics, trying to effect political change, and if yes, how and how much should we be involved? Should churches be involved?I had intended to interview our Associate Editor for this edition to kick things off, but we were thwarted by events outside of our control, the
- StandardSummaries onlyDid God Tell Abraham to Sin in Genesis 22?
Published Mar 16, 2026
I had some difficulty getting Co-pilot to generate a theme image for this post. It seems that Microsoft considers an image depicting child-sacrifice objectionable. Shocking.One of the intellectual dilemmas about the Genesis 22 story is the issue of human sacrifice and the command of God. On one hand, God commands Abraham to make a child sacrifice, which clearly seems immoral. Yet Abraham is commended by God for being willing to obey in such an objectionable act. Was God being insincere in His co
- StandardSummaries onlyFBFI Statement on Christian Nationalism
Published Mar 9, 2026
This, Judge Phil Ginn wrote for Realclearreligion.com on the subject of Christians and culture. He was addressing an upcoming (March 8, 2026) feature on CNN entitled The Rise of Christian Nationalism. In the article, he includes CNN’s definition of Christian Nationalism as follows:CNN is ostensibly defining Christian Nationalism as “an ideology rooted in the belief that our country was founded as a Christian nation, and that our laws and institutions should reflect Christian values.” Ms. Brown g
- StandardSummaries onlyInterview 106: Giving a Boost to Your Bible Reading
Published Mar 7, 2026
Today we have something different for you. Normally I’m interviewing one of our authors from our FrontLine magazine. I am in the process of recording interviews for our next edition of the magazine, so we will return to that in due course.However, today I am talking to my friend Ben Hicks. He is the Associate Pastor at Colonial Hills Baptist Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. He works closely with me on Proclaim & Defend and is a key idea guy for us whenever we get together and talk.At the beginni
- StandardSummaries onlyWorship without Understanding Isn’t Worship
Published Mar 2, 2026
Entertainment disguised as worship isn’t worship. It’s idolatry. Ignorant worship is not worship at all. The ultimate authority on worship is Jesus, and He explained Himself very clearly in John 4. Let’s consider it.SituationJesus is in Samaria by choice. The Jews did not have dealings with the Samaritans. The Samaritans were the remaining vestiges of the Israelites who remained in the land of Israel during the Babylonian exile. They had intermarried with the occupying nations and were considere
- StandardSummaries onlyInterview 105: Called in Community: The Local Church and the Shaping of Pastoral Ministry
Published Feb 28, 2026
We continue our interviews with authors from our January/February edition of FrontLine on the theme: “It Takes a Church to Grow a Pastor.”Today’s episode is a discussion with Nathan Mestler, president of International Baptist College and Seminary in Chandler, AZ. Nathan offers us the article, “Called in Community: The Local Church and the Shaping of Pastoral Ministry.” It gives us the practical theological basis behind many of the articles in this issue.We are well aware of the growing need for
- StandardSummaries onlyWhy Did the Triumphal Entry Crowd Turn on Jesus a Week Later?
Published Feb 23, 2026
The simple answer is that they probably didn’t. There were two groups of people. The Matthew account of the Triumphal Entry clearly delineates between the two.It was a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.Jesus began telling the disciples that He was going to Jerusalem to die months before this trip. The book of Matthew records three separate instances where Jesus told his closest followers of his plan to go to Jerusalem where He would be tried and crucified. The first was when they were in the far north nea
- StandardSummaries onlyInterview 104: The Second-Career Call
Published Feb 21, 2026
We continue our interviews with authors from our January/February edition of FrontLine on the theme: “It Takes a Church to Grow a Pastor.”This week our guest is Matt Klassen. His article is his own testimony about his call into the ministry after a long career in a field we don’t usually think of as a training ground for ministry. He’ll tell you all about that as he talks about how the Lord brought him to faith in Christ, then grew him in the local church to the point where he realized he could
- StandardSummaries onlyFBFI Position Statement 26_03: The Jewish People and Israel
Published Feb 16, 2026
Note: Position statements of the FBFI are not the same as magazine articles on FrontLine or typical posts on Proclaimanddefend.org. They are crafted in a committee during our Winter Board Meeting, discussed by the assembled board members, edited by the board, and published as a collective statement of the position of our board on a particular subject. We do this when we believe it is important for us to speak with unity on a matter of great importance. With the rise of antisemitism among evangel
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Draw of Eastern Orthodoxy: Maybe Baptists Should Consider Putting the Word “Baptist” Back in the Church Name
Published Feb 9, 2026
A young man recently started on a journey to find God and a biblical place to worship. His friends were investigating Eastern Orthodoxy because it has an extremely prominent representation on Youtube. As he began visiting evangelical mega churches and asking about the differences, he was met with vapid answers.“Well, we are just glad you are showing an interest in religion.”“Maybe our church isn’t for you, and Eastern Orthodox is a better fit.”Evangelical church leaders are treating the Orthodox
- StandardSummaries onlyInterview 103: Mentor to the Mentors: A True Call to Ministry
Published Feb 7, 2026
We continue our interviews with authors from our January/February edition of FrontLine on the theme: “It Takes a Church to Grow a Pastor.”This week it is Jeff Caupp, his article is on Mentoring, a subject that was much talked about a few years ago, but his emphasis is a bit different. Of course, we want to reach out to those who are growing as leaders and help them as much as possible, but each leader has a key limitation. He is one man, and secondly, there are only so many hours in a day.Jeff’s
- StandardSummaries onlyDrawing Theological Boundaries
Published Feb 2, 2026
We won’t always agree. No, let me rephrase that. We won’t ever agree—on everything doctrinal and practical about the faith.History indicates this and the Bible recognizes it. The Apostle Paul recognizes this in the early church regarding worship choices. Historically, Baptists have also recognized this in one of the key Baptist Distinctives—individual soul liberty and responsibility.We will all give account to God individually for the things we believe and practice. We will not be able to hide b
- StandardSummaries onlyInterview 102: The Power of Radical Hospitality
Published Jan 31, 2026
Today we begin our interviews with authors from our January/February edition of FrontLine on the theme: “It Takes a Church to Grow a Pastor.”I’ve got Dave Shumate with me to talk about this issue and his article in the magazine. Dave is a regular on the podcast and this time is what we call the “Associate Editor” for this edition of the magazine. That means he was involved in setting the theme and recruiting the authors for this edition.We talk about the theme and its emphasis on the whole churc
- StandardSummaries onlyThe Changes in the “Wordless Book”
Published Jan 26, 2026
I must admit that I had not been keeping up with Child Evangelism Fellowship and its premier way of sharing the gospel with children—the Wordless Book.The Wordless Book uses simple colors as a framework for sharing the gospel. My mother trained with CEF before she was married and considered joining the organization as a missionary. I was first introduced to the Wordless Book before I could even speak the colors of its pages. She and my father continued to participate in Good News Clubs in public
- StandardSummaries onlyInterview 101: The World at Our Doorstep: Chaplaincy Ministry to Scouting America
Published Jan 24, 2026
We are wrapping up our interviews for the November/December issue of FrontLine with this podcast. This interview is unique among all the others for this issue of the magazine as it combines the theme “Raising Children to be Adults in an Adolescent World” with a chaplains report.Alan Ashley is an FBFI endorsed chaplain with the Boy Scouts of America. As his son was growing up, he had a lot of involvement in Scouting and continues to have as a chaplain. You will hear some great accounts of what Al
- StandardSummaries onlyInterview 100: Fostering Resilience in Young Adults
Published Jan 17, 2026
We took a few weeks off over Christmas and are just now getting going once again. Today’s interview also comes from our November/December FrontLine magazine, which had the topic “Raising Children to be Adults in an Adolescent World.”In this interview, I’m interviewing Emily Haynes, whose article was called “Fostering Resilience in Young Adults.”I really enjoyed having this conversation with Emily and then enjoyed it a second time while editing it. I hope you find it profitable as you think about
- StandardSummaries onlyWe Need an Old People’s Revival
Published Jan 12, 2026
“We need more young people in the church!” I hear this cry in lots of smaller churches across the country. Why would God give your church more young people, if the older people are spiritually stagnant and unwilling to sacrifice to build and encourage the next generation? Could it be that the problem in your church is you, not them?Revival always starts with me.For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my