Some Christians worry that their Christianity is only theirs because they grew up in a Christian home. But is this a weakness, or a strength? We’re used to thinking that an idea must be individually chosen to be legitimately one’s own, and this taps into a valuable scriptural assertion–that the human individual either does or doesn’t have a relationship with the God of the universe, and that individual has an individual, personal responsibility to this relationship.

But on the other hand, the pursuit of a relationship with God as an isolated individual, as though one could know God without any insight or direction from any other human being, is a false dream. None of us can know anything without others guiding us–either personally, through writing, YouTube videos, or the like. And this reflects an even deeper biblical truth: God has created us for community, for the body of Christ. And as such, there is no way of getting around a relationship with God that is tied up inextricably with relationships with other Christians.

Hosts: Aaron Mueller and Chuck Rathert

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To comment on this episode, visit https://saintjamesglencarbon.org/cacg-ep137.

The apocalyptic fears many have surrounding Artificial Intelligence (AI) evoke a dystopian image of robots someday ruling the world and turning humans into their slaves. But on the other hand, the dreams some have of a utopian paradise in which computers have advanced to the point where humans no longer need to work, all problems have been solved by the power of advanced computing, and a sort of millennial golden age descends upon a liberated humanity are equally as misguided. These two wildly fantastic visions are based upon a false view of humans as basically walking computers which can be improved upon (either detrimentally on the one hand or beneficially on the other) by even more powerful computers. But if the Bible is right that humans are made in the image of God, with all the personal and relational powers that reflect the internal life of the Trinity and thus are both more valuable and more complex than any computer, then such fears and hopes are mistaken.

AI, since it gathers stored data from across the internet, data quickly accessed by powerful servers, and since it can sort, analyze, and deliver this information at stunningly fast speeds; in fact, can learn to predict how that stored information has been used in past human usages and mimic that usage, is an extremely powerful tool which–in the right hands–can do much good for all of us. But since humans are unique, created by God with specific relational skills like empathy, creativity, and ethical sense, no computer can ever do more than mimic them. So humans don’t need to fear that they will ever be replaced. AI, like any tool, can be used for harm or for good, and as Christians we must resolve to use AI to love and serve each other.

• A Troubled Man, His Chatbot and a Murder-Suicide in Old Greenwich (Subscription may be required) – The Wall Street Journal (August 2025)
• The EPOCH of AI: Human-Machine Complementarities at Work – MIT Sloan Research (December 2024)

Hosts: Aaron Mueller and Chuck Rathert

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To comment on this episode, visit https://saintjamesglencarbon.org/cacg-ep136.

What does an experience of the Holy Spirit actually look or feel like? Within the Christian tradition, there is often a sharp divide in how this question is answered. Some believe the Holy Spirit frequently acts independently of the Bible, providing direct instructions for specific life situations. Others maintain that the Spirit speaks exclusively through the written Word of Scripture. However, a closer look at the New Testament reveals that both positions capture a partial truth while risking a significant error.

• The Subjective Risk: Those who believe the Spirit always acts independently of Scripture run the risk of confusing their own emotions, bad attitudes, or selfish desires with the voice of God.
• The Restrictive Risk: Those who believe the Spirit only works through the reading of the Bible can inadvertently "imprison" the Holy Spirit, denying His power to lead and guide His people in their concrete, day‐to‐day lives.

In this episode, Chuck and Aaron explore why the work of the Spirit is almost always a "both‐and" reality. While God’s Word is our "more sure" and primary source of truth, God is not bound by the page; He often uses our conscience, our study, and our circumstances to apply His truth directly to our hearts.

Ultimately, discerning God's voice is not a mechanical three‐step process, but a relational one. To avoid deception, we must weigh our intuitions against the Bible and submit them to the wisdom of the Christian community.

Hosts: Aaron Mueller and Chuck Rathert

Subscribe to the show at https://cacg.saintjamesglencarbon.org.

To comment on this episode, visit https://saintjamesglencarbon.org/cacg-ep135.