Upcoming Events
Bob Thune
Dad, whom should a Christian vote for?
Many feel that the great American political experiment is crumbling around us. How should Christians engage politically, if at all? Should our faith determine who gets our vote? If so, how?
About the Speaker
Bob Thune is the founding and lead pastor of Coram Deo Church in Omaha, Nebraska, and a Council member of The Gospel Coalition. He is the author of Gospel Eldership, coauthor of The Gospel-Centered Life and The Gospel-Centered Community, and creator of the Daily Liturgy podcast. His uncle, Senator John Thune, recently invited him to pray in the U.S. Senate.
Andrew Walker
Dad, isn’t the Bible’s view on sex outdated and intolerant?
Christian views of sex are painted as defensive and reactionary. Often they are. In a culture that constantly pushes the sexual boundaries, it may feel like we have no choice. But, in fact, the Bible offers a much richer, more beautiful, and healthier view of sex that fosters both individual and cultural flourishing. Leading Christian ethicist Andrew Walker will help us think through how to respond to the constantly evolving cultural challenges with that more fulfilling biblical vision for sex.
About the Speaker
Andrew T. Walker is an associate professor of Christian ethics at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a fellow with the Ethics and Public Policy Center. He is the author of numerous books, including Faithful Reason: Natural Law Ethics for God’s Glory and Our Good, God and the Transgender Debate: What Does the Bible Actually Say about Gender Identity?, and Liberty for All: Defending Everyone’s Religious Freedom in a Pluralistic Age.
Dr. James N. Anderson
Dad, why does God allow evil?
It’s a question that Christians have wrestled with throughout history and a common objection to the Christian faith: If God is good and in control, why is there evil in the world? If your kids haven’t asked you this question yet, they will. Dr. James Anderson, a renowned philosopher and theologian, will prepare us to give our kids an answer that builds up their faith.
About the Speaker
James N. Anderson is Carl W. McMurray Professor of Theology and Philosophy at Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte. He doesn’t shy away from the hard questions of theology. He’s the author of Paradox in Christian Theology (Wipf & Stock, 2007), What’s Your Worldview? (Crossway, 2014) and Why Should I Believe Christianity? (Christian Focus, 2016).
Sam Allberry
Dad, is God anti-gay?
Sam Allberry draws on his own experience as a believer who experiences same-sex attraction to help Christians answer this question with biblical clarity and charity. He presents a deeper understanding of the Bible’s teaching by combining Bible passages that talk directly about homosexuality with Jesus’ general teaching on sex and marriage, as well as what Jesus teaches about finding ultimate satisfaction and happiness. He will equip us to challenge the current culture narrative, which inextricably ties sexuality to personal identity, and show that the gospel is good news for everyone, whatever their sexual orientation.
About the Speaker
Sam Allberry draws on his own experience to help Christians answer this question to help Christians answer this question with biblical clarity and charity. He presents a deeper understanding of the Bible’s teaching by combining Bible passages that talk directly about homosexuality with Jesus’ general teaching on sex and marriage, as well as what Jesus teaches about finding ultimate satisfaction and happiness. He will equip us to challenge the current culture narrative, which inextricably ties sexuality to personal identity, and show that the gospel is good news for everyone, whatever their sexual orientation.
Thaddeus Williams
Dad, is there a difference between social justice and biblical justice?
“The Lord is a God of justice” (Isaiah 30:18), so justice is unsurprisingly a primary biblical virtue. But can the pursuit of justice go off the rails? Judging from the recent cultural discourse and the questions your kids may be bringing home from school as a result, it sure seems so. How do we maintain a commitment to biblical justice while helping our kids respond to the dangerous excesses of the social justice movement?
About the Speaker
Thaddeus Williams serves as associate professor of systematic theology at Biola University. He is the author of several books, including the bestseller Confronting Injustice Without Compromising Truth: 12 Questions Christians Should Ask About Social Justice. He has taught jurisprudence at Trinity Law School, worldview studies at L’Abri Fellowships in Switzerland and Holland, and ethics for the Blackstone Legal Fellowship and the Federalist Society in Washington, DC. Thaddeus resides in Southern California with his wife and four children.
Michael Kruger
How Should I Teach My Kids the Bible? Preparing our kids for tough questions
We all realize we are called to teach our children the truths of the Bible to provide them with a firm foundation that can withstand these turbulent times and prepare them for the next stage of their lives. But what does that actually look like? Dr. Michael Kruger will address why and how to prioritize this in our families. Join the conversation to gain encouragement and practical guidance for this most important fatherly responsibility.
About the Speaker
Michael J. Kruger is president of Reformed Theological Seminary’s campus in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he also serves as a professor of New Testament. He is the author of several books, including 5 Things to Pray for Your Spouse, Surviving Religion 101, and Christianity at the Crossroads: How the Second Century Shaped the Future of the Church.
Scott Klusendorf
Why is abortion wrong?
In the larger cultural narrative, abortion has gone from sin to necessary evil to celebrated good. Though an earlier generation would find it difficult to believe, our kids are growing up in a context in which the answer to the basic question of whether abortion is wrong and should be avoided is far from obvious.
About the Speaker
Scott Klusendorf travels throughout the United States and Canada, training pro-life advocates to persuasively defend their views in the public square. He contends that the pro-life message can compete in the marketplace of ideas if properly understood and properly articulated.
Trevin Wax
How does media influence our kids?
We constantly compete with our culture to shape our kids’ identities. Media conveys powerful messages to our kids about how they should think about their lives. Even Disney movies, which may seem innocent and innocuous, communicate a vision of life as self-determined. Rather than looking within for meaning and direction, we need to teach our kids to look to Jesus.
About the Speaker
Trevin Wax is vice president of research and resource development at the North American Mission Board and a visiting professor at Cedarville University. He is a founding editor of The Gospel Project and the author of multiple books, including The Thrill of Orthodoxy, The Multi-Directional Leader, Rethink Your Self, This Is Our Time, and Gospel Centered Teaching.
Carl Trueman
Topic: Should we use pronouns?
Is conforming our speech to requests for alternative pronouns a form of gracious hospitality or a concession on the true nature of gender? How should we as Christians think through these delicate and dangerous questions? What do they say about how our culture thinks about identity?
About the Speaker
Carl Trueman (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is professor of biblical and religious studies at Grove City College in Grove City, Pennsylvania. He has written more than a dozen books, including Luther on the Christian Life, The Creedal Imperative, and The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution, and Strange New World: How Thinkers and Activists Redefined Identity and Sparked the Sexual Revolution.
Jimmy Scroggins
Topic: How to have hard conversations with your kids
Never before have kids faced such an overwhelming range of options for self-definition. Rather than receiving an identity, they are told to create one for themselves, ignoring all limits. But, increasingly, kids are finding this unfettered freedom to be oppressive. As parents, how should we embrace our responsibility to lovingly shape our kids’ identities into the true freedom of the gospel?
About the Speaker
Jimmy Scroggins is the lead pastor of Family Church—a network of neighborhood churches in South Florida. He holds an MDiv and a PhD from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and teaches as a visiting professor at both Southern and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminaries. He is the author or co-author of multiple books including, Turning Everyday Conversations into Gospel Conversations and Full Circle Parenting. He and his wife, Kristin, have 8 children—James, Daniel, Jeremiah, Isaac, Stephen, Anna Kate, Mary Claire, and Caleb.
Melissa Kruger
Topic: How should we shape our kids' identities?
Never before have kids faced such an overwhelming range of options for self-definition. Rather than receiving an identity, they are told to create one for themselves, ignoring all limits. But, increasingly, kids are finding this unfettered freedom to be oppressive. As parents, how should we embrace our responsibility to lovingly shape our kids’ identities into the true freedom of the gospel?
About the Speaker
Melissa Kruger is an author, speaker, and vice president of discipleship programming for The Gospel Coalition. Her books include Identity Theft: Reclaiming the Truth of Who We Are in Christ, The Envy of Eve: Finding Contentment in a Covetous World, Growing Together: Taking Mentoring beyond Small Talk and Prayer Requests, and Walking with God in the Season of Motherhood. Her husband, Mike, is the president of Reformed Theological Seminary, and they have three children.
Jeremy Schurke
Why are kids so lonely today?
We are living in the midst of an epidemic of loneliness that threatens to submerge our kids in anxiety, depression, and despair. What’s fueling this loneliness, and how can we not only protect our kids from it, but build in them instead a deep sense of belonging in relationship with both their earthly father and their heavenly Father?
About the Speaker
Jeremy Schurke is vice president of creative strategies for Man in the Mirror, a ministry that aims to equip Christian men around the world to engage in meaningful relationships that change lives and build the kingdom of God. He directs Mirror Labs, the research and development division of the ministry, which seeks to better understand and creatively address the current problems facing men today.
A Christian Response to the Respect for Marriage Act
Topic
We are excited about our next event. Please RSVP as soon as possible, as space is limited. We will discuss the topic of marriage, given its radical redefinition in American culture. Recently, the government endorsed this new understanding of marriage in the so-called Respect for Marriage Act. Some key questions discussed in this event include:
How should Christians respond?
Why do Christians believe the traditional definition of marriage, which Christians have long held, is still worth defending?
For the dads of the Embassy, how do we provide a Biblical definition of marriage to our kids?
How can I say another human being doesn’t have the same right I have to get married?
Speakers
Jackson Randall
Jackson Randall is the Discipleship Pastor at Christ Covenant in Atlanta, Georgia. He has an MDiv from Talbot School of Theology and served as a pastor in Southern California for 13 years before moving to Atlanta to join Christ Covenant. Jackson’s passion is to glorify God by serving in the local church to make disciples who make disciples. He is married to Raelyn, and they have three children.
Thomas Nelson
Thomas Nelson is the Young Adult and Families Pastor at Christ Covenant in Atlanta, Georgia. Thomas has worked in the next-generation ministry for 20 years and is leading young adults in their 20s and 30s. This real-life ministry experience, coupled with a love of the Bible, has melded a desire for Jesus to be known by younger believers in an increasingly secular age.
Lunch & Learn with Albert Mohler
About the Event
Join us for a special Embassy-only Lunch & Learn with Albert Mohler. A special thanks to Jason Dees, the Senior Pastor at Christ Covenant, who helped organize this event.
Please note: Christ Covenant is putting on an exciting conference on October 24-25 called The Duck & the Goose here in Atlanta. This event will bring together some of the greatest Christian leaders in the country. There are two opportunities to participate:
Full Conference: For those who want to attend the entire event, you can get tickets here.
Night Sessions Only: For those of us who can only attend the night events (we are busy people, after all!), you can get tickets here.
About the Speaker
Dr. Mohler serves as president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary — the flagship school of the Southern Baptist Convention and one of the largest seminaries in the world. He has written nine books and authored thousands of articles on a wide range of topics. Dr. Mohler is a respected Christian leader with a talent for helping Christians to interpret modern-day secularism through the lens of a Christian worldview.