Thinking Well is a space for thoughtful conversations about faith, life, and culture. We challenge each other with unique perspectives and ask the hard questions, knowing there are no easy answers. Join us for the journey!Thinking Well is a production of Living Waters Church in Elk River, Minnesota. For more information about Living Waters Church, visit http://livingwatersMN.org

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/7/28/17/2b6508f1-f9cf-4a7a-aec3-3c734c41cd69_women_in_leadership.mp3

What does the Bible actually say about women in leadership? Our elders at Living Waters Church spent time in prayer and study over the passages often used to keep women from the pulpit — and while staying faithful to scripture, arrived at a different understanding than what they previously held. That shift opened the door for Renae Calva to become our lead pastor. In this episode of Thinking Well, we have a conversation about that journey and how we got there without leaving scripture behind.

Rethinking Women as Pastors: How God Led Us Here

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/7/9/18/f2ce4a7f-27e2-4afd-a3b0-f75a27dbc6c1_should_christians_be_politically_active.mp3

Should Christians engage in politics? We dive into the debate over the intersection of faith and political involvement, discussing whether believers should vote, run for office, and influence government policy. Join us for an insightful discussion on the responsibilities and challenges Christians face in the political arena.

Should Christians Be Politically Active?

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/3/28/15/39b315e8-a0b4-45f6-a621-05a6438f4c45_purity_culture.mp3

Join us for a candid reflection on the purity culture movement of the 90&#39;s and 2000&#39;s as we acknowledge its well-intentioned beginnings and subsequent pitfalls. We explore the unintended consequences, while advocating for a healthier, more robust theology of sexuality, singleness, and marriage.

Purity Culture

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2023/11/16/6/a2a3a7b7-6f28-4171-a9f1-c0a103bbc32b_how_should_christians_think_about_israel__.mp3

Do Christians have a biblical mandate to support the modern nation state of Israel? In this episode of Thinking Well, we tackle pressing questions on the relationship between and Israel and The ChurchJoin us as we dive into the diverse theological viewpoints regarding God&#39;s promises to Israel and whether or not they have been fulfilled. Gain insights into the historical events leading up to the formation of Israel in 1948, setting the stage for recent conflicts, including the attacks by Hamas against Israel on October 7th.We also debate the challenging topic of what is an appropriate, proportionate response to these attacks, wrestling with how our identity as Christians informs our position in this conflict.

Do Christians have a biblical mandate for Christians to support  the modern nation state of Israel? In this episode of Thinking Well, we tackle pressing questions on the relationship between  and Israel and The Church

Join us as we dive into the diverse theological viewpoints regarding God&#39;s promises to Israel and whether or not they have been fulfilled. Gain insights into the historical events leading up to the formation of Israel in 1948, setting the stage for recent conflicts, including the attacks by Hamas against Israel on October 7th.

We also debate the challenging topic of what is an appropriate, proportionate response to these attacks, wrestling with how our identity as Christians informs our position in this conflict.

How Should Christians Think About Israel?

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2023/10/19/15/5b7b5f32-2ac9-4edc-a835-ff1b5bb06b47_discipleship.mp3

On this episode of Thinking Well, we explore the concept of discipleship. What is it? Can you be discipled online? What does mentorship and accountably really look? Is it possible to be be discipled by more than one person?

Discipleship

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2023/6/29/5/17b23d3b-c795-4611-8d11-f86f7bc08127_culture_wars.mp3

In this thought-provoking episode, we explore how Christians can effectively navigate the culture wars of this world as citizens of another Kingdom.

Culture Wars

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2023/5/25/6/0baf58f4-ef5b-41d8-90eb-050452d6ea9c_education_part_2.mp3

In this episode of Thinking Well, we discuss a variety of questions parents are facing when it comes to the education of their children.

Education Part 2 - Navigating Changing Times

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2023/4/27/7/0100d46f-9757-4c0f-8833-c9f247af4a26_education_part_1.mp3

In this episode of Thinking Well, Kasie Peters joins us to discuss the differences between homeschooling, charter schools, public schools, and private schools. She also shares practical advice on how parents can partner with teachers to support their child&#39;s education and promote their success.Kasie serves as the Curriculum Instruction and Assessment Coordinator at PACT Charter School in Ramsey, MN.

Education (Part 1) - An Inside Look With Kasie Peters

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2023/3/23/4/c005931b-2f06-43bc-a032-a35ef3a750c5_for_the_love_of_god___country.mp3

In this episode, we discuss whether or not America is a Christian nation, give different perspectives on Christian nationalism and talk about how Christians should engage in politics.

For The Love Of God & Country

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2023/1/18/6/be9afeb1-f3d6-469a-8266-0277d0b1b66a_charismatic_culture.mp3

In Christian circles, the term “Charismatic” can mean a lot of different things to different people. If you grew up in Charismatic culture, things like miracles, speaking in tongues, and revival meetings were completely normal, and chances are you didn’t have any reason to question any of it. If you weren’t a part of that culture, there’s a good chance you saw and heard things in Charismatic culture that gave you reason to pause and be skeptical.  In this episode of Thinking well, we’re celebrating and critiquing the movement we belong to with love, humility, and a desire for truth. Whether you consider yourself charismatic or not, there’s a lot here to challenge us all.

Charismatic Culture - The good, the bad, and the awkward

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2022/12/21/21/f425d44b-e0a1-4f3c-a6ee-aaa6cfc3a4d8_deconstructing_deconstruction.mp3

Deconstruction loosely refers to the process by which Christians re-evaluate some or all of their beliefs, which can lead to many different outcomes. In this episode of Thinking Well, we discuss what healthy and unhealthy deconstruction can look like, why deconstruction is gaining in popularity, and how the Church can better serve those wrestling with questions and doubt.

Deconstructing Deconstruction

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2022/12/1/5/902cf646-2b1b-42b0-950d-f1da97c6cbd0_worship.mp3

Every week, millions of Christians gather together in churches across the world to worship God. While it’s true that worship is more than music and singing, the time, energy, and resources we devote to the corporate expression of worship would suggested it plays a profound role in shaping our view of God.Today we&#39;re putting worship and our attitudes towards it under the microscope. Do the songs we sing always need to be theologically, correct? With so many great songs available to us now, how can we avoid approaching worship with a consumer mindset? And does the emotion music creates mean our response towards God isn’t genuine? We hope today&#39;s conversation encourages and challenges you to worship God in spirit and in truth.

Make Worship God's Again

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2022/11/10/4/bb89d6c2-eb17-468b-b22c-b72c2e3bf690_how_the_pandemic_changed_us.mp3

For the past two years, COVID-19 has consumed our conversations with debates about masks, mandates, and vaccines. On this episode of Thinking Well we take a step back from the debates to look at the way in which this global pandemic has shaped us individuals, society, and the Church.Have we allowed ourselves time to process the new normal that was forced upon us? Are we able to live with crisis for a long period of time? How can the Church model hope in times of uncertainty.By facing these questions head on, we can learn a lot about ourselves and this new moment God has placed us in.Thinking Well is a production of Living Waters Church in Elk River, Minnesota. For more information about us, visit http://livingwatersMN.org

How The Pandemic Changed Us

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2022/10/26/16/713c4373-04e5-45e7-98ca-fb97f14a8270_social_media.mp3

In 2021, Americans spent an average 2-3 hours on social media every day, or 30-45 days per year. On this episode of Thinking Well, we’re taking a look at the profound ways social media shapes our attitudes and beliefs as individuals, society, and The Church.

Social Media

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2022/10/11/0/8dc1dcc2-de87-4c01-87cc-091e2327a32c_happily_single__happily_married.mp3

The Church does a lot of things well and has ministries geared towards couples, teens, kids and more. But have we forgotten about a portion of our church community—the people who are not married and don&#39;t have kids?In this episode of Thinking Well, we discuss how the Church has viewed singleness, purity culture, and what what we wish we had known before marriage.Thinking Well is a production of Living Waters Church in Elk River, Minnesota. For more information about Living Waters, visit http://livingwatersMN.org

Happily Single, Happily Married

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2022/9/28/4/77576538-208a-4582-ab68-1c742b9c09f6_unanswered_prayers_128.mp3

We pray because we know God hears our prayers, but there are times when it seems like he doesn&#39;t answer. It&#39;s in those moments that we are forced to question what we really believe. Is God really in control? Does prayer really change things? Can we trust him? On today&#39;s episode of Thinking Well, we wrestle with these hard questions and share stories about finding God&#39;s faithfulness in the midst of trials and confusion.Thinking Well is a production of <a href="http://livingwatersMN.org" rel="nofollow">Living Waters Church</a> in Elk River, MN.

Unanswered Prayers

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2022/9/14/3/7241a489-215c-4bd7-8c5e-2830056dd81d_convictions_edited.mp3

What if your strongly held personal conviction isn’t the same conviction a friend or church member holds? Is it possible to get along with them, and even honor them in those beliefs? In this episode of Thinking Well, we discuss the reality of living in a deeply polarized world and how to navigate the tension it creates in our relationships. We don’t have all of the answers, but we hope that this will spark a conversation in your homes and friendships and help you find common ground. Thinking Well is a production of Living Waters Church in Elk River, Minnesota. For more information about Living Waters Church, visit http://livingwatersMN.org

Strong Convictions, Healthy Conflict

Conversations on faith, life and culture.

Thinking Well is a space for thoughtful conversations about faith, life, and culture. We challenge each other with unique perspectives and ask the hard questions, knowing there are no easy answers. Join us for the journey!

Thinking Well is a production of Living Waters Church in Elk River, Minnesota. For more information about Living Waters Church, visit http://livingwatersMN.org