Confessions of a High School Bible Teacher

For centuries, so many people have experienced the enneagram as a powerful spiritual direction and personal growth tool that unveils some of our most unhealthy tendencies and pushes us to understand our true selves. It targets our egos, our coping mechanisms, and our systematized ways of hiding. However, when working with teens, who are still … Continue reading "Enneagram for Teens – 043 – CHSBT"

Are evolution, the Big Bang, and separation of Church and State the unholy trinity of science classes? How differently is science taught in the Christian School classroom when compared to our public school counterparts? Chris sits down with seasoned teacher, Michael Robinson, who has spent considerable time teaching science in both contexts. Michael is a … Continue reading "Science in Public vs Christian School – 042 – CHSBT"

Am I just tired, or is it time to leave? With staggeringly high levels of burnout among ministers and teachers, how does a person tell the difference between the need for a sabbatical and the appropriate time to transition out of Christian educational ministry? Wayne shares the story of his family and their process as … Continue reading "Leaving Christian School – 041 – CHSBT"

At the center of the Christian narrative is God sacrificing his own life for the sake of sinners and enemies. However, in other parts of scripture, there are people killing their enemies in the name of God. So how do we as Christians interact with war and violence in the modern world in light of … Continue reading "War and Violence for Christians – CHSBT – 040"

Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. Many of us are familiar with anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating, but sometimes it’s difficult to recognize (let alone help) students, friends, and family members with these disorders. Maybe we struggle with recognizing it in ourselves. Chris had a chance to sit down with … Continue reading "Eating Disorders w/ Katie and LMFT Christina Zandi – CHSBT – 039"

The Bible is literature… but is it just another book? Should we read it differently than other literary works? In this episode, Chris discusses the Bible with Christine Iskander (a college professor and comparative literature expert) as well as Jon Bennett (high school English teacher and published author). While most of us assume that we … Continue reading "Bible As Literature – CHSBT – 038"

Adolescents in our schools (public or private) are not strangers to self-harm. With as many as 38% of young adults admitting to engaging in self-injurious behavior, it is likely that our students are either closely acquainted with someone who does this, or are struggling with self-harm themselves. In this episode, Chris interviews psychologist Dr. Nate … Continue reading "Self-Harm – CHSBT – 037"

Does God care about safety? Industries, government agencies, policies, and our prayer lives reflect how deeply we value safety… but where does safety fit into the life of faith in Jesus? Chris and Wayne discuss safety and its proper place in the life of a Jesus follower, as well as explore ways to discuss this … Continue reading "Is Safety Important? – CHSBT – 036"

When you meet someone who is rich in spiritual maturity, you can often just feel it in your gut. You can tell that this person is connected to the Divine. But how did they get that way? Dr. Kendra Bailey shares some of her fascinating research with Chris and Wayne about indicators of spiritual maturity … Continue reading "Spiritual Maturity w/ Dr. Bailey – CHSBT – 035"

We had an epiphany! Maybe instead of Chris and Wayne talking about what students think, we should have a podcast that highlights what students think. In this episode, we talk about some Christian school highs and lows with 4 seniors: Pierce, Makenna, David, and Erika. These students insightfully walk us through topics like apologetics, desensitization … Continue reading "Christian Students’ Real Thoughts – CHSBT – 034"