Dr. James Spencer talks with Jonathan P. Walton—author of Beauty and Resistance and 12 Lies That Hold America Captive—about moving beyond “thinking Christian” to living as a Christian. Jonathan shares how grief, burnout, and hard family seasons pushed him from activism-on-adrenaline to formation and faithfulness: Sabbath as the minimum, annual “Dope Day” planning with his wife, building guardrails for generosity and time, embracing insignificance over platform, and choosing obedience even when it means visible losses. We unpack a practical pathway from pity → sympathy → empathy → compassion → incarnation, learning to mourn with others (and even empathize with “enemies”), plus simple, local practices that build communal good. A grounded, hopeful invitation to become the kind of person who can do the kinds of things Jesus commands.

Buy the book: Beauty and Resistance 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.

Dr. James Spencer talks with Jonathan P. Walton&mdash;author of Beauty and Resistance and 12 Lies That Hold America Captive&mdash;about moving beyond &ldquo;thinking Christian&rdquo; to living as a Christian. Jonathan shares how grief, burnout, and hard family seasons pushed him from activism-on-adrenaline to formation and faithfulness: Sabbath as the minimum, annual &ldquo;Dope Day&rdquo; planning with his wife, building guardrails for generosity and time, embracing insignificance over platform, and choosing obedience even when it means visible losses. We unpack a practical pathway from pity &rarr; sympathy &rarr; empathy &rarr; compassion &rarr; incarnation, learning to mourn with others (and even empathize with &ldquo;enemies&rdquo;), plus simple, local practices that build communal good. A grounded, hopeful invitation to become the kind of person who can do the kinds of things Jesus commands.
Buy the book: Beauty and Resistance at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ivpress.com/beauty-and-resistance">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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