In this episode, James and Nate sit down to talk about the origin story Grammy award winning band for King & Country.  Luke Smallbone shares some inside info on the new movie "Unsung Hero" movie coming to theaters April 26th.  

In this episode, James and Nate sit down to talk about the origin story Grammy award winning band for King &amp; Country.  Luke Smallbone shares some inside info on the new movie "Unsung Hero" movie coming to theaters April 26th.

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>

For King and County’s Story: An Interview with Luke Smallbone

Is artificial intelligence just a tool — or are we slowly making it a partner in how we think, relate, and even worship?

In this episode of Thinking Christian, I sit down with Dr. Paul Hoffman — pastor, theologian, and co-author of AI Shepherds and Electric Sheep — to talk about what it means to be human in an age of accelerating technology. We explore the Imago Dei through the lens of AI, the theology of embodiment, and the very real dangers of offloading our spiritual and intellectual efforts to machines.

We also talk about how hearth habits, practical theology, and the intentional formation of Christian communities can help counteract the disintegration of relational and spiritual life in the digital age.

This is not a dystopian tech rant or a techno-optimist’s dream. It’s a pastoral, theological, and deeply human conversation about what we’re becoming — and how we might recover a more grounded, God-centered way of living.

Links:


AI Shepherds and Electric Sheep book


Follow Dr. Hoffman: @pastorhoffman77 (X), @pastorhoffman (Instagram/Facebook)

👀 Subscribe, review, and share this one — it’s a conversation for anyone wondering how to follow Christ in the age of ChatGPT.

🔗 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.

Is artificial intelligence just a tool &mdash; or are we slowly making it a partner in how we think, relate, and even worship?
In this episode of Thinking Christian, I sit down with Dr. Paul Hoffman &mdash; pastor, theologian, and co-author of AI Shepherds and Electric Sheep &mdash; to talk about what it means to be human in an age of accelerating technology. We explore the Imago Dei through the lens of AI, the theology of embodiment, and the very real dangers of offloading our spiritual and intellectual efforts to machines.
We also talk about how hearth habits, practical theology, and the intentional formation of Christian communities can help counteract the disintegration of relational and spiritual life in the digital age.
This is not a dystopian tech rant or a techno-optimist&rsquo;s dream. It&rsquo;s a pastoral, theological, and deeply human conversation about what we&rsquo;re becoming &mdash; and how we might recover a more grounded, God-centered way of living.
Links:
<ul data-start="1246" data-end="1371">
<li data-start="1246" data-end="1291">
<a href="#" data-start="1248" data-end="1291">AI Shepherds and Electric Sheep book</a>
</li>
<li data-start="1292" data-end="1371">
Follow Dr. Hoffman: @pastorhoffman77 (X), @pastorhoffman (Instagram/Facebook)
</li>
</ul>
👀 Subscribe, review, and share this one &mdash; it&rsquo;s a conversation for anyone wondering how to follow Christ in the age of ChatGPT.
🔗 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.

Paul Hoffman | AI, the Imago Dei, and the Fight for Our Humanity

In this episode of Thinking Christian, Dr. James Spencer sits down with Nate Giarratano to unpack the rapid advance of artificial intelligence, a controversial 10-year moratorium on state regulation, and what it means for Christians navigating a tech-saturated world. From government policy and adolescent mental health to AI-generated “biblical” influencers and enhanced Olympic hopefuls, they explore what’s at stake when human identity, discernment, and spiritual formation intersect with emerging technology. Can Christians embrace innovation without outsourcing their souls? Should we fear the end—or just be faithful in the middle of it? Tune in for a nuanced, grounded, and theologically rich conversation that pulls no punches and offers a steady compass in a disoriented world.

For some of the stories and other materials referenced in the podcast, see below:
Federal and State Disagreements on Policy (click here)
APA Health Advisory (click here)
Honest AI (click here) 

🔗 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.

In this episode of Thinking Christian, Dr. James Spencer sits down with Nate Giarratano to unpack the rapid advance of artificial intelligence, a controversial 10-year moratorium on state regulation, and what it means for Christians navigating a tech-saturated world. From government policy and adolescent mental health to AI-generated &ldquo;biblical&rdquo; influencers and enhanced Olympic hopefuls, they explore what&rsquo;s at stake when human identity, discernment, and spiritual formation intersect with emerging technology. Can Christians embrace innovation without outsourcing their souls? Should we fear the end&mdash;or just be faithful in the middle of it? Tune in for a nuanced, grounded, and theologically rich conversation that pulls no punches and offers a steady compass in a disoriented world.
For some of the stories and other materials referenced in the podcast, see below:
<ul>
<li>Federal and State Disagreements on Policy (click <a href="https://statescoop.com/state-lawmakers-push-back-federal-proposal-limit-ai-regulation/">here</a>)</li>
<li>APA Health Advisory (click <a href="https://www.apa.org/topics/artificial-intelligence-machine-learning/health-advisory-ai-adolescent-well-being">here</a>)</li>
<li>Honest AI (click <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jun/03/honest-ai-yoshua-bengio">here</a>)&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
🔗 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.

AI, Adolescents, and the Apocalypse? Discerning the Digital Age Without Losing Your Soul

What does it look like to lead not just with strategy, but with soul? In this episode of Thinking Christian, Dr. James Spencer speaks with Laura Richter, executive advisor to various healthcare systems, about the quiet revolution happening in Catholic healthcare—mission integration. From executive formation rooted in Catholic social teaching to navigating ethical quandaries with theologians on call, this conversation explores how identity, tradition, and spiritual formation shape some of the largest healthcare systems in the U.S. It's a masterclass in aligning vocation with organization, purpose with practice. Protestant listeners may come away inspired—and maybe a little envious.

What does it look like to lead not just with strategy, but with soul? In this episode of Thinking Christian, Dr. James Spencer speaks with Laura Richter, executive advisor to various healthcare systems, about the quiet revolution happening in Catholic healthcare&mdash;mission integration. From executive formation rooted in Catholic social teaching to navigating ethical quandaries with theologians on call, this conversation explores how identity, tradition, and spiritual formation shape some of the largest healthcare systems in the U.S. It's a masterclass in aligning vocation with organization, purpose with practice. Protestant listeners may come away inspired&mdash;and maybe a little envious.

For King and County’s Story: An Interview with Luke Smallbone

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