Lisa Harper's Back Porch Theology

• The Theology of ROAR: Judges Part 3

  Save 25% off an annual subscription to Dwell here. During today’s podcast on Back Porch Theology we’re exploring one of the greatest leaders in the history of God’s people who just so happens to be a chick named Deb! She was both a judge and a prophetess. Which means she was kind of like a president and pastor rolled into one - the entire prone-to-wander nation of Israel turned to her for leadership, wisdom, and spiritual guidance. And another unlikely heroine makes her debut during Deborah’s timeline, too. Her name was Jael and let me tell you, that woman was LEGIT - she could have held her own against a burly, tatted MMA fighter twice her size! Even though these women’s stories take place long before David’s in redemptive history, they illustrate what God said to Samuel about Davey when he was anointed to be the future king of Israel before he even started shaving, “People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” In other words, God delights in using misfits in miraculous ways. Don’t forget, the book of Judges was a bleak chapter in the history of God’s people – there was no king on the throne, the Word of God was not being taught in the land, and most people were doing whatever crooked little hearts desired. It looked as if their toes were hanging over the edge of obscurity. And based on their rebellion and idolatry, they deserved to be fried into greased spots of oblivion by some divine lightning bolt. Instead, our Heavenly Father inserts a couple of unlikely heroes into their drama, which results in an epic military victory as well as a national revival. The brightest mornings often follow the darkest nights when we give God the sole authorship of our story. It a great day to hang out on the porch, so please grab your favorite beverage, your Bible, and a snack and come prop your feet up with us. We love getting to spend this time with you. Watch the Ark in the Darkness HERE. Learn more about The Chosen HERE.

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• The Theology of ROAR: Judges Part 2

  Save 25% off an annual subscription to Dwell here. During today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology we’re diving into our second in a series called The Theology of ROAR that explores the cyclical, increasingly damaging nature of unconfessed sin. Unbridled rebellion is like a hoard of hungry termites on a piece of damp wood, it eats away at our emotional and relational integrity until there’s nothing left but dust and regret. But here’s the great news, throughout human history God has consistently interrupted the chaos of our rebellion with His compassionate spirit. And when Holy Spirit permeates our conscious, we become not simply cognizant that we’re unwell, we become aware that our Creator is also our Healer. Contrary to the flawed reasoning of many in modern culture, a heightened awareness of our own sin nature doesn’t lead to depression, instead it shifts our fallenness into the realm of real hope! It’s what Jesus was talking about in Mark chapter two when He said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor – sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” Today we’re going to get up close and personal with a dude who did just that. He started out as a weenie but ended up an epic warrior in God’s kingdom, once again proving that you can start bad and end up awesome when grace invades your story. We’re so grateful you’ve carved out this time to hang out on the porch with us; getting to lean into the unconditional love of God with y’all has become a habit we hope we don’t ever have to break! Which reminds me, if you haven’t already, will you please subscribe to BPT on whatever app you use to listen to podcasts? Your subscriptions ensure that Alli, Dr. Howard and I get to keep doing this podcast, so thank you very, very much. Watch the Ark in the Darkness HERE. Learn more about The Chosen HERE.

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• The Theology of ROAR: Judges, Part 1

  Save 25% off an annual subscription to Dwell here. During today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology we’re diving into a new series called The Theology of ROAR – that’s an acronym for Rebellion, Oppression, Asking for God’s Forgiveness, and Restoration. And you’re going to need to buckle your seat belts for this one because we’re taking an exegetical tour through a really tumultuous time in redemptive history when there was no king on the throne, the Word of God was not being taught in the land, and people were doing whatever their crooked little hearts desired. It was essentially the Wild West of idolatry and rebellion, which quickly led to bondage and oppression, and finally – when God’s image bearers were sick of being flat on their face in the stinky muck of their consequences – they looked up and asked Him to forgive them. And He did…over and over again. Fortunately for humanity, the Bible is riddled with true stories that illustrate how a thimbleful of sincere repentance has the power to unleash an avalanche of divine restoration. Sin is anything but innocuous, y’all – it robs us of peace, shoplifts our joy, fertilizes addictive and narcissistic behavioral patterns, which erode trust and intimacy with our friends and families, and worst still sin creates heartbreaking distance between us and the God who loves us more than we can ask or imagine. And yet His grace is greater still. There is no confessed sin so grievous that it has the power to permanently catapult outside of our Savior’s ability to redeem the ruins of our lives into something truly beautiful. Where there’s real repentance, there is always restoration. Remember how Holy Spirit often manifests as wind in both the Old and New Testament canons? Well, I think some saints are going to get a fresh gust of it in their sagging sails today; no matter what lies the enemy has been whispering to you in the dark when you feel completely alone and like the last drop of hope is draining out of the colander of your heart, I promise, this doesn’t have to be the end of your story. Today’s going to be a good day on the porch and we’re very grateful we get to spend it with you. So please grab a cup of coffee and your Bible and come lean into some fresh grace with us. Watch the Ark in the Darkness HERE. Learn more about The Chosen HERE.

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• When Scars Become Beauty Marks: The Spiritual DNA of BPT

  Save 25% off an annual subscription to Dwell here. During today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology we’re going to dive deep into a miraculous, modern story that highlights how God can take what seem to be the absolute ruins of a life and restore them into a spiritual leader. Sometimes we forget that Abraham was a lunar worshipper before God tapped him to be the father of a theocracy; that Moses was guilty of homicide before God tapped him to lead His people out of captivity; that Elijah had a massive meltdown under a broom tree after witnessing God’s powerful presence on Mt. Carmel; or that John the Baptist – the forerunner of our Messiah – literally doubted the divinity of Jesus when he was languishing in prison. Biblical narrative is riddled with stories about saints who lost their way, only to run headlong into divine mercy in the middle of literal and proverbial deserts. Playwright Oscar Wilde – whose reputation was much more playboy than choirboy – sure spoke the truth when he wrote,“Every Saint Has a Past and Every Sinner Has a Future.” The testimony you’re about to hear is a poignant antidote for shame and loneliness…it will expose ugly, insidious lies like, “I’m too dirty or too damaged to deserve true love” to the light of the Gospel where they’ll shrivel up and die. Frankly, some of the most radiant believers I’ve ever met – certainly the most authentic and grateful Christ-followers – are the ones with the most brokenness in their backstory. In light of John’s proclamation in Revelation 12 – that the enemy is defeated by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony – I believe the next forty minutes has enough tangible hope to help more than a few begin to break free from heavy emotional bondage. However, some of the subject matter we’re going to cover isn’t suited for little ears so if you normally listen in the car with your kiddos in the backseat, please wait until those precious punkins’ aren’t within earshot to pull your chair up to the porch. And when you do so, please bring a large cup of coffee, a few of your favorite snacks, and your Bible - then feel free to exhale and prop your feet up because this is a safe place to relax and lean further into the unconditional love of Jesus, no matter what your backstory is. Watch the Ark in the Darkness HERE. Learn more about The Chosen HERE.

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• Jeremy & Adie Camp - The Theology of Worship – Part 6

  Save 25% off an annual subscription to Dwell here. We can hardly believe we’ve come to the end of this series called the Theology of Worship! I hope it’s encouraged you as much as it’s encouraged us. Sometimes I found myself white-knuckling it in order to hang onto love, joy, peace and hope during all the public discord and rancor of 2024, so it’s been really lovely to start out 2025 with this deep dive into worship. It’s been like an oasis, where much like the woman at the well I’ve encountered Living Water and have experienced renewal that I wasn’t even aware my heart was yearning for until it found me. Modern theologian John Ortberg wisely said, “I need to worship because without it I lose a sense of wonder and gratitude and plod through life with blinders on.” We’re wrapping up this series with a super special bow because Jeremy and Adie Camp let Alli and me twist their arms and they’ve come back to help us seal that sense of wonder and gratitude that comes with being a fully devoted worshipper of Jesus Christ. So please grab a cup of coffee, your Bible, a journal and make sure you’re wearing your comfy pants because today’s going to be like a spiritual spa day for your heart. Thanks so much for pulling a chair up to the porch with us, we’re glad you’re here. Watch the Ark in the Darkness HERE. Learn more about The Chosen HERE.

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