What if the crushing weight of modern life isn't a bug in the system but a feature of a false belief? In this episode of Thinking Christian, Dr. James Spencer is joined by Dr. Alan Noble to explore his compelling book, You Are Not Your Own. Together, they unpack why our culture's demand to “define yourself” leads to despair, and how belonging to Christ—not ourselves—is the good news we’ve been trained to forget. Drawing from the Heidelberg Catechism, zoocosis, and Sylvia Plath, this conversation dives deep into anthropology, social pressure, identity, and the role of the Church in resisting cultural formation. A quietly radical episode that reminds us that true freedom isn’t found in self-expression, but in surrender.

Explore the book: You Are Not Your Own at ivpress.com (use code IVPPOD20 for a 20% discount)

🔗 Learn more about Useful to God:www.usefultogod.com

📢 Stay Connected & Keep Growing!

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to Thinking Christian so you never miss an insightful conversation!

For more resources to help you grow in faith and deepen your walk with Christ, visit Useful to God—where you'll find books, courses, podcasts, and more to equip you for faithful Christian living.

What if the crushing weight of modern life isn't a bug in the system but a feature of a false belief? In this episode of Thinking Christian, Dr. James Spencer is joined by Dr. Alan Noble to explore his compelling book, You Are Not Your Own. Together, they unpack why our culture's demand to &ldquo;define yourself&rdquo; leads to despair, and how belonging to Christ&mdash;not ourselves&mdash;is the good news we&rsquo;ve been trained to forget. Drawing from the Heidelberg Catechism, zoocosis, and Sylvia Plath, this conversation dives deep into anthropology, social pressure, identity, and the role of the Church in resisting cultural formation. A quietly radical episode that reminds us that true freedom isn&rsquo;t found in self-expression, but in surrender.
Explore the book: You Are Not Your Own at <a href="https://www.ivpress.com/you-are-not-your-own?srsltid=AfmBOor6Kc6xuq4KQEbQqOxOupD60a01Emc-Y7f034QzgeJTbMknRmIK">ivpress.com</a> (use code IVPPOD20 for a 20% discount)
🔗 Learn more about Useful to God: <a href="https://www.usefultogod.com">www.usefultogod.com</a>
📢 Stay Connected &amp; Keep Growing!
If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to Thinking Christian so you never miss an insightful conversation!
For more resources to help you grow in faith and deepen your walk with Christ, visit <a href="https://www.usefultogod.com/">Useful to God</a>&mdash;where you'll find books, courses, podcasts, and more to equip you for faithful Christian living.

Christians shouldn’t just think. They should think Christian. Join Dr. James Spencer and guests for calm, thoughtful, theological discussions about a variety of topics Christians face every day. The Thinking Christian Podcast will help you grow spiritually and learn theology as you seek to be faithful in a world that is becoming increasingly proficient at telling stories that deny Christ.

Find more from James at https://usefultogod.com/.

Christians shouldn’t just think. They should think Christian. Join Dr. James Spencer and guests for calm, thoughtful, theological discussions about a variety of topics Christians face every day. The Thinking Christian Podcast will help you grow spiritually and learn theology as you seek to be faithful in a world that is becoming increasingly proficient at telling stories that deny Christ.
Find more from James at <a href="https://usefultogod.com/">https://usefultogod.com/</a>.

Christians shouldn’t just think. They should think Christian. Join Dr. James Spencer and guests for calm, thoughtful, theological discussions about a variety of topics Christians face every day. The Thinking Christian Podcast will help you grow spiritually and learn theology as you seek to be faithful in a world that is becoming increasingly proficient at telling stories that deny Christ.

Thinking Christian: Clear Theology for a Confusing World

Christians shouldn’t just think. They should think Christian. Join Dr. James Spencer and guests for calm, thoughtful, theological discussions about a variety of topics Christians face every day. The Thinking Christian Podcast will help you grow spiritually and learn theology as you seek to be faithful in a world that is becoming increasingly proficient at telling stories that deny Christ.
Find more from James at <a href="https://usefultogod.com/">https://usefultogod.com/.</a>

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