Podcast
Teaching On Preaching by Jack Hyles (11)
Comparing the Jack Hyles methods of emotional and psychological manipulation to what the New Testament says about the Great Commission and the power of the gospel.
"They play with people's lives." - A Conversation with Jeremy Prince (part 2)
in part 2 of this conversation i had with Jeremy, he narrates his last year at LCA and his first at TBC. He also expresses some pretty strong opinions.
Teaching On Preaching by Jack Hyles (10)
One more chapter covered, and this chapter is so short I read and react the entire thing.
"It Was a Miserable Existence"--A Conversation with Jeremy Prince (part 1)
Jeremy recounts what it was like to grow up at LBT in the late 80s and early 90s as the stepson of a TBC student and later graduate.
Teaching on Preaching by Jack Hyles (9)
We only cover one chapter of this book today, the chapter on preaching with compassion. and we dare to ask whether or not Hyles actually practiced what he preached. (Also, he ruins one of the…
The Bright Side - A Conversation with Sarah Harless
Sarah reflects on her childhood growing up at LBT, how she was unprepared for the culture shock of the real world, and how she doesn't hold any grudges and tries to look on the bright…
More Freedom (with James Safrit of 4-Freedom Podcast)
Part 2 of my conversation with James Safrit of 4-Freedom Podcast. In this episode we talk about soccer, cigars, the goodness of God, and how to exercise our liberty in Christ.4-Freedom Podcast - https://www.4freedompodcast.com/From Brokenness…
Bonus Frances!
Frances is back on for two more stories, run-ins she had with men from LBT after she left.
Now We Are Free - A Conversation with Frances Harper (Zappa) part 2
Part 2 of this wonderful conversation with Frances Harper. She continues to give us her perspective as a reluctant member of LBT and what happened to finally set them free.
Buy the Truth (with James Safrit of 4-Freedom podcasts)
Part 1 of a conversation with James Safrit of 4-Freedom podcasts about legalism, the IFB, and freedom in Christ.https://www.4freedompodcast.com/https://a.co/d/0fXciyTq
I Didn't Sign Up for This - a Conversation with Frances Harper (Zappa)
Part 1 of my conversation with Frances, a bible college student's wife and mom to two boys who attended LCA. Life at LBT as seen through her eyes.
Legalism
I intended to get to Jack Hyles's book today but never quite got there. Instead you get my passionate thoughts on the legalism preached and promoted by the IFB and how I wish they understood…
Overcoming Fear - A Conversation with Robin Nichols (part 2)
We rejoin Robin as she narrates the rest of her time at LBT, how they came to leave, what happened after, and how she eventually left the IFB but found it hard to land anywhere…
Teaching on Preaching by Jack Hyles (8)
Covering chapter 9 of Jack Hyles' book Teaching On Preaching, as well as commenting on the fact that he made no attempt to ground his methodology in Scripture and had no idea how to understand,…
An IFB Odyssey - A Conversation with Robin Nichols (part 1)
Part 1 of a conversation with Robin Nichols, which is basically a cautionary tale about what it was like for her to be born into and raised by an IFB family. From domineering leadership, to…
Don't Repeat the Cycle - (I Went Back)
Reflections on my first return to the auditorium of LBT in over three decades.
Listen to This One Twice - A Conversation with Stephanie Freed (part 3)
From Longview to Ohio and back to Longview again. Listen to this one and then listen to it again. This one is amazing,
Teaching On Preaching by Jack Hyles (7)
Seventh in a series where I go through Jack Hyles' book, Teaching On Preaching, and offer a criticism, linking it back to Bob Gray Sr. and the wreck he made of the pulpit at the…
Locally Sourced Honey - A Conversation with Stephanie Freed (part 2)
Part 2 of my conversation with Stephanie, in which she recounts her time spent as a pianist with summer college tour groups and then her experiences as Bob Gray Sr's personal secretary.
Teaching On Preaching by Jack Hyles (6)
A word or two about some positive things I learned from Dr. Bob Gray Sr. followed by a brief overview of chapter 6 of Hyles' book Teaching On Preaching, again accentuating the positive.
"We Should Have Done Better"--A Conversation with Stephanie Freed (part 1)
A candid conversation with Stephanie. She takes us from her upbringing in IFB churches through her time at Texas Baptist College, all the way up to being girls' dorm supervisor.
Teaching on Preaching by Jack Hyles (5)
Part 5 of my series going through Jack Hyles' book Teaching On Preaching one chapter at a time. This episode covers chapter 5 and offers a paragraph by paragraph critique and commentary.
The Final Year - A Conversation with Adam Freed (part 3)
Adam narrates his final year at Texas Baptist College, including the time Bob Gray Sr. tried to throw him up against the wall and Adam fought back.
Teaching on Preaching by Jack Hyles (4)
Part 4 of my series going through Jack Hyles' book Teaching on Preaching one chapter at a time. This episode covers chapter 4 and offers a paragraph by paragraph critique and commentary.
The Meal Plan - a Conversation with Adam Freed (part 2)
So named because it begins and ends with the college meal plan. Adam is confronted with a problem and eventually solves it. In between is a first-hand account of what it was like to be…
Teaching on Preaching by Jack Hyles (3)
Part 3 in a series going through the late Jack Hyles' book Teaching on Preaching one chapter at a time. This episode covers chapter 3 and might just come in handy for some of you…
The Rules Are Made Up and the Points Don't Matter - A Conversation with Adam Freed (part 1)
The first part of my conversation with Adam Freed, a very candid conversation on how he got to LBT and what his earliest experiences were like.
Thoughts On This Past Week
Reflections on a couple of things that happened last week that kind of rocked the IFB world plus a look back on the beginnings of the podcast as well as a look ahead to the…
The Lasting Effect - A Conversation with Heidi Miller
2 1/2 years at LBT for a pastor and his family and how it changed their lives forever. But God isn't finished yet. I hope you enjoy this conversation I had with Heidi as much…
Bob Gray 2.0 - ModestyGate
My thoughts on the drama that took place over the weekend concerning Bob Gray II and Eric Skwarczynski of the Preacher Boys Podcast.
"Because I'm the Pastor"--A Conversation with Mindy Kammerdiener (part 2)
Mindy finishes recounting how she tried to help bring about the change she believed the pastor had envisioned, but found, ultimately, that what she had in mind was not what her pastor had in mind…
Goats, Hound Dogs, and Jail Ministry - Levi (part 3)
Finishing up my conversation with Levi, working through updates and glitches, sacrificing goats, and lessons learned from hound dogs. This episode has it all! hope you enjoy!
Religious OCD - A Conversation with Mindy Kammerdiener (part 1)
Mindy describes her zeal for God and how it was hijacked by the drive to please the people who were over her through the legalistic system they burdened her with. And how unburdened she felt…
Flaming Pie - Episode 100 part 2 with Levi Robinson
A continuation of the conversation begun last Tuesday about the podcast and the book that started it all, The Texas Baptist Crucible. And at the end...a tribute to a friend.
Incompetent to Counsel - A Conversation with Wendy Foy (part 2)
What happens when the people who are supposed to help you let you down? And how does fundamentalist purity culture respond to people who genuinely want help dealing with sinful strongholds in their life? How…
Episode 100 - with Levi Robinson
Celebrating 100 episodes of the Texas Baptist Crucible, Levi Robinson comes back on to talk about the podcast, its impact, and the book that started it all.
That's Not Normal - A Conversation with Wendy Foy (part 1)
Wendy talks about being in and out of LBT growing up, what that was like. Then going to TBC, getting married, and the control exercised over them before and even after marriage, and how she…
Teaching on Preaching by Jack Hyles (2)
In this second episode of this series where I give a running commentary on Jack Hyles's book, Teaching on Preaching, I go over the emotional manipulation being taught in the second chapter and also uncover…
Hope, Healing, and Restoration - A Conversation with Amy Moore (part 2)
The second part of our conversation with Amy Moore. The poem she wrote, that she reads at the end, is very powerful. This entire conversation was powerful and a testimony to God's grace.
Teaching on Preaching by Jack Hyles (1)
A new series where I take the Jack Hyles' book Teaching On Preaching and dissect it one chapter at a time--a critical reading, as it were.
"It's okay to be angry." - A Conversation with Amy Moore
Part 1 of a conversation with Amy Moore. She talks about growing up in fear and isolation and what it takes to overcome.
Grace, Peace, and Love at Church
Something that every church should strive for, something we knew nothing of at the Longview Baptist Temple. What are pastors actually called to be and what is Christian leadership supposed to look like?
Was I Raised In a Cult (2) - A Conversation with Pete Gabucci (part 2)
Pete and I finish out Pete's list of ten questions to ask to see whether or not the religious organization or community you belong to is a cult.
Unconditional Love
Is God's love for us conditioned on obedience? Must it be earned? Is it possible for God to stop loving us if we mess up? And why isn't the gospel preached from the pulpit?
Was I Raised In a Cult? - A Conversation With Pete Gabucci (part 1)
Pete recounts a few things about growing up at LBT, then focuses on his journey since, discovering grace, and then begins asking the hard questions.
Shunned - A Conversation With Travis Zappa
What happens when suddenly every friend you've ever had will have nothing to do with you? Travis Zappa describes his life growing up at LBT, the control the church tried to maintain over his family's…
Obey Them That Have the Rule Over You--Correcting Bad Teaching (5) Hebrews 13
In which I explain how they twisted and abused Hebrews 13 and then explain what it actually says.
Looking Back - A Conversation with Jamie Andrews
A bit of a retrospective and a look ahead. What have we learned so far? What do we hope to see going forward?
Strong Man Leadership - Explaining LBT (part 11)
Tying some things together with this episode. Since when is rhetorical ability a mark of the Holy Spirit?
How To Restart - A Candid Conversation With Doug Bearden
I'm joined again by Doug Bearden. He and I talk about what it's like to restart after leaving LBT, how to find help, and what the state of the church might be nowadays.
Live from Arkansas
Reactions to last Friday's conversation with Rachel, some thoughts about it, and looking ahead.
Rocks - A Conversation with Rachel Pace
I usually try to name these episodes after something said in the conversation. This one today? It gets named for my final thoughts after editing it. Listen to the end.
Explaining LBT (Part 10) - What Is a Fundamentalist?
Exploring the origins of independent Baptist fundamnetalism and comparing that to what they've become.
Why Can't We Be Normal? - A Conversation with Barbara Jennings Duncan
A candid conversation with someone who never really wanted to be there, but did her best to go along and make the most of it.
The Scott Gray Episode
Not an interview with Scott. My thoughts on what was recently in the news.
The Resistance - A Conversation with Sara Weissman
A wonderful conversation about abuse, survival, and ultimately overcoming.
Yelling and Screaming
How atrocious was this behavior, and how damaging was its normalization as we sanctioned and even sanctified it in the name of Jesus?
Millstones and Woodchippers- A Conversation with Joshua Hirner (part 2)
Part 2 of my conversation with Josh Hirner in which he talks about the day they came to arrest his dad, what happened afterward, how he's adjusted to life afterward, and many other things you're…
Worldliness - Correcting Bad Teaching (4) 1 John 2:15, 2 Cor. 6:17
What does it really mean to be separate and worldly? Comparing the teaching of LBT to what the Bible actually says.
Ripe for Abuse - A Conversation with Joshua Hirner (part 1)
Another compelling witness to the system of abuse that was set up for the kids growing up at the Longview Baptist Temple--a system that not only abused them, but left them ripe for even more.
Lack of Gospel Focus
In this episode I address one of the biggest problems with the ministry of the Longview Baptist Temple, especially the pulpit ministry.
A Second Chance - A Conversation with Doug Bearden
Doug Bearden tells the story of how he went from favored kid to not fitting in to be singled out to be told "Don't call me when you fall."...then what happened to him afterwards. You…
On Forgiving - with Douglas Pietersma
Some thoughts on biblical forgiveness and what it actually means.
Jenny Tmouh Unfiltered - A Conversation with Jenny Tmouh (part 2
Part 2 of my conversation with Jenny Tmouh--her thoughts on LBT now as well as some other memories of her experiences there along with her continuing education and life in Switzerland.
God's Will (part 2) - Correcting Bad Teaching (3) Rom. 12:1-2
Attempting to explain what Romans 12:1-2 is really saying--a continuation of last Tuesday's episode.
Problem Child - A Conversation with Jenny Tmouh (part 1)
What do you do when the adults in your life make one bad decision after another? Part 1 of a tremendous conversation I had with Jenny Tmouh.
God's Perfect Will - Correcting Bad Teaching (2) Rom. 12:1-2
How they used a misunderstanding of Romans 12:1-2 to instill fear and keep people under control.
Average Joe Preacher Boy - A Conversation With Douglas Pietersma
Doug was a student at TBC in the early 90s and he offers great insight into what was wrong with LBT's entire approach to ministry.
Abstain From Bob Gray - Correcting Bad Teaching (1) 1 Thess 5:22
Part 1 in a series putting back into context verses that were taken out of context and misused to abuse the flock.
Darkness and Confusion - A Conversation With Wayne Mixon
What you don't know can be used against you.
"It always costs something."--A Conversation with Daniel Hamilton (part 3)
Today is a Friday-like episode of Tuesday length in which I finish my conversation with Daniel Hamilton. What a powerful finish to his powerful witness of how God can and does work his grace in…
Pushed Over the Edge - A Conversation with Daniel Hamilton (part 2)
From being spiritually abused by egomaniacal control freaks to being pushed to the depths of despair, this is part 2 of Daniel's story.
A Reckoning (part 2)
What if they did mend their ways? What would that look like? This is part 2 of a topic we broached beginning last Tuesday, and a call to repentance to those who took part in…
Followship - A Conversation with Daniel Hamilton
Groomed to be followers. That's what Daniel says they were at the Longview Baptist Temple. There's a lot of common sense and practical wisdom in part 1 of this conversation.
A Reckoning (part 1)
What if they did mend their ways? What would that look like? What would we have to see before we believed it were genuine?
Grace and Perspective - A Conversation With Janet Kammerdiener Noe
Janet was basically a lifer, until she and her husband decided to take a different direction in life. Listen to her story and then decide for yourself whether she made the right choice or not.
A Culture of Sexual Abuse
The number of cases of sexually predatory behavior coming out of LBT was not by coincidence.
"We Were Freaks"--A Conversation With Rebekah Fancher
The life and times of a girl raised at LBT by parents who were bought in, and the absurdities that entailed.
Reasonableness
What Scripture calls us to in our response and our overall demeanor toward outsiders, especially as ministers of the gospel, and how LBT and Bob Gray were the opposite
The Forgotten - A Conversation with Karen Coblentz
A wife and a mom tells her story of life at LBT and the day that changed everything.
Taking the Lord's Name In Vain
What it actually means to take the Lord's name in vain and other thoughts on Bob Gray Sr. and the Longview Baptist Temple--including some highlights on what's to come.
Finishing Well - A Conversation with Curt Mathis (part 2)
Part 2 of my conversation with Curt Mathis. Bro. Mathis talks about his ministry in Thailand and how much he delights in it and how different it is from what we experienced at LBT.
A Methodolgy for Ministry
A methodology for ministry is what we were taught at Texas Baptist College, but how does that methodology compare to what was actually practiced in the New Testament?
Truth and Love - A Conversation With Curt Mathis (part 1)
Why can't we just love people? Isn't that what it's all about? And why all this control? What's wrong with fun? And what is the truth anyway? All this and more in part 1 of…
Jeremy, Jerky, and January 2026
The first episode of 2026 is here with a short interview with Jeremy Prince of J Baws jerky, some announcements about upcoming episodes, and some encouragement to buckle up for the ride ahead.
The Crucible Christmas Special (part 2) w/Levi Robinson
In part 2 we swap stories and stuff stockings with candy canes and/or coal. Help us to wrap the year 2025 up with a bow!
The Crucible Christmas Special (part 1) w/Levi Robinson
In part 1 Levi and I talk about what the holidays were like at LBT including some funny and odd practices and traditions and how you had to tread the holidays lightly so as not…
A Glitch In the Matrix
A celebration, an explanation, and a glimpse into the future.
Explaining LBT (part 9) - A History of the Bus Ministry
A brief history of the bus ministry which will help explain why it was so important at LBT.
The Turning Point - A Conversation With Jason and Susan Barnes (part 2)
Taking a stand will often cost you something. And when Jason finally found a line he wasn't willing to cross when it came to the numbers game they were playing at LBT, he took a…
Boot Camp and Baptism Factories
Some more thoughts on a couple of topics brought up in last Friday's episode "All About the Numbers" which was part 1 of a conversation with Jason and Susan Barnes.
All About the Numbers - A Conversation With Jason and Susan Barnes (part 1)
Part 1 of a conversation with Jason Barnes and his wife, Susan Bertoti. They met at TBC in the mid 90s. Jason and Susan were instrumental in dragging me back into all of this.
LBT and Race (part 2, sort of)
More on LBT and race, including an actual sound clip of Bob Gray Sr. denouncing interracial marriage and my response to it.
Race, the IFB, and My Own Experience
The conversation with James Michael Sobolik-Williams brought up a lot of old memories for me, too, and I wanted to share them before giving my further evaluation of LBT and its views on race from…
Two Shades Darker - A Conversation With James Michael Sobolik-Williams (part 2)
A candid conversation about race and racism at the Longview Baptist Temple, but also a story of God's grace and human resiliency in overcoming.
Explaining LBT (part 8) - The Man of God
A word about this title Bob Gray Sr gave to himself--the Man of God. Along with other silly hypocrisies.
Second Class Citizen - A Conversation with Michael Sobolik-Williams (part 1)
What it was like to grow up at LBT being a person of color in what was pretty much an old southern culture and mindset.
Explaining LBT (part 7) - Landmarkism
LBT took everything to the extreme. Even this niche Baptist teaching that originated in Tennessee in the mid 19th century. Are you in the bride, brother?
Bustin' Hides - The Levi Robinson Conversation (part 3)
Part 3 of a great conversation I had with Levi. If you haven't heard the first two yet, go back and listen to them first. Then come back. Now. Ready for an hour of straight…
Explaining LBT (part 6) - D. L. Moody and Personal Evangelism
Another in this series in which I try to help the people who grew up at LBT to know where the church came from, how it got there and why it believed and behaved the…