Coffee with Creamer

By Barry Creamer

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Category: Christianity

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Episodes: 30

Description

Coffee with Creamer, where you get to sit down with our host, Dr. Barry Creamer, for a conversation about faith, life, and culture. We’ll look at old ideas through a new lens, turn the culture wars on their head, and paint a picture of the way things could be. If you like your thinking deep, and your coffee hot, pull up a chair—you’re in the right place.

Episode Date
Famous Failures: Part 1 | Episode 97
40:41
Barry starts a new series on King David’s famous failures and points out aspects of those failures that we commit regularly. Psalm 50 reminds us that while we prefer a talisman what we really need is a Judge whose mercy is as unlimited as his power.       Scriptures: Psalm 50 1 Chron 15:1-17, […]
May 31, 2023
Civility in Armed Civilization: Part 2 | Episode 96
51:55
Barry finishes up a 2-part series about gun violence and gun control. The focus, as always is a way to get at a thoughtful and measured conversation, where we hear concerns from the other side, and come up with compromises that make things better, and hopefully make us better in the process.    
May 26, 2023
Civility in Armed Civilization: Part 1 | Episode 95
45:00
Barry starts a conversation about mass shootings, inviting believers to think through narrowing the topic, developing parameters for response, and seeking clear-headed and soft-hearted means for conversing about challenging topics facing our culture.         Articles: More than 13,900 people killed in gun violence so far in 2023, Kiara Alfonseca AR-15 Rifles Were […]
May 17, 2023
The Ungood Shepherd | Episode 94
49:52
Psalm 49 describes our descent into the fear of death while offering a handhold out—a much better shepherd than the one we first see inside the boundaries of birth and death.         Scriptures: Psalm 49 Matt 10:28 James 2:1-7 Psalm 23
May 10, 2023
Frailty Blindness | Episode 93
49:00
Using Hannah Arendt’s Eichmann in Jerusalem, Barry talks about how challenging it is to acknowledge our own frailties and yet maintain a moral standard. Peacemakers in God’s world have to do both.         Book: Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil, Hannah Arendt Scripture: 2 Cor 10:7-13 Referenced Episodes: […]
May 03, 2023
Good News and the Death of a Salesman: Part 2 | Episode 92
42:40
Barry concludes a series about evangelism and the dangers of “selling the gospel.” God tore the veil not to get more people into the temple, but to get the church into more of the world.       Scripture: Luke 9, 10, 19 Acts 24 Isaiah 56:6-8
Apr 26, 2023
Good News and the Death of a Salesman: Part 1 | Episode 91
44:38
Barry bemoans the fact that sometimes our best efforts with the Good News are only a means to some things we errantly think better. He invites us to develop a different mental model as he describes some learning experiences in the development of his own ministry.       Scripture: Proverbs 11:30 Luke 9 & […]
Apr 19, 2023
3 Weddings and a Funeral | Episode 90
48:28
Barry covers the most distinct Psalm so far, Psalm 45. In it, we observe a bride love a groom, Israel worship the Messiah, and the church desire the Redeemer.         Scriptures: Psalm 45 Judges 5:28-31 Isa 37:14-20 Heb 1:7-14 John 19:39-40
Apr 12, 2023
What Good Are We? | Episode 89
42:07
Barry talks about the concept of self-improvement and the ways in which people offer something of value to the world. Often, we focus on improving our weaknesses and just let our strengths ride. The better way may be to trust our weaknesses to others’ strengths.       Scripture Rom 12:3-8 1 Cor 12:4-11 1 […]
Apr 05, 2023
Denominations: Drama Queens and Kings? | Episode 88
55:22
Barry invites Dr. Everett Berry, Professor of Theology at Criswell College, to talk about the development of protestant denominations. Were the splits rooted primarily in doctrine, carpet color, or the cultural influence of time and place?    
Mar 29, 2023
That’s Not Why I Believe | Episode 87
48:47
In evangelism, we often feel like we must reason someone into the kingdom of God, removing nearly all their doubts. Barry recounts what did lead him to faith, what did not, and what has kept him there.         Scripture: 1 Tim 2:10-13 Referenced Episode: Ep 86 Belonging via Rejection  
Mar 22, 2023
Belonging via Rejection | Episode 86
52:02
Barry walks us through Psalm 44, the journey of someone who is feeling the physical and emotional strain of suffering. At the start of the episode Barry asks us what one thing convinces us that we are loved by God. By the end of the episode, we receive a beautiful but uncomfortable invitation to follow […]
Mar 15, 2023
60 Years to Listen/Learn: Part 3 | Episode 85
54:03
Barry finishes this series pointing out what should be the main focus of ministry: people. Not simply the minister, the conflict, the moralism, or the popularity, but the people. That was Christ’s focus and it should be ours.   Scriptures: Eph 4:11-12 Micah 6:8 Matt 22:37-39            
Mar 08, 2023
60 Years to Listen/Learn: Part 2 | Episode 84
42:51
Barry continues his trip down memory lane to share some things he has learned the hard way through his many (many!) years in ministry and teaching scripture. Some of the surprising juxtapositions include balance over simplicity, patience over victory, and tension over resolution.         Scriptures: John 14:23 Luke 11:37-52 Micah 6:8 Matt […]
Mar 01, 2023
60 Years to Listen: Part 1 | Episode 83
44:22
Barry takes a trip down memory lane prompted by his recent 60th birthday to highlight an important issue. In sharing his experience of race relations growing up in Texas he hopes that people younger than him will learn what he did not—until he was much older than he should have been. Article: Gov. Greg Abbott […]
Feb 22, 2023
Paying the Price | Episode 82
49:34
Because every person is made in the image of God, we should admit that others are valuable regardless of what they can offer us. Some of the most significant contributions to society may bring the least economic gain. And sometimes the greatest test of how much we value others is actually how much we deny […]
Feb 15, 2023
A Place to Stay When You Have Nowhere to Go | Episode 81
43:48
We normally think of God as a dwelling place for us, a place of safety and a fortress, and He is. But Barry reminds us, from Psalm 43, that even though God was hesitant to live in a beautiful temple, he is eager to dwell in the somewhat rickety tabernacle of our praise.     […]
Feb 08, 2023
Out of Sight | Episode 80
47:52
Barry talks about the power of presence and populations disadvantaged by being out of sight and out of mind. That’s why the unborn need us to speak for them. But it’s also why we have to see the humanity in those we speak to, including those who have forgotten the unborn.       Referenced […]
Feb 01, 2023
Finding God Where We Lost Him | Episode 79
46:41
We walk through Psalm 42, surrounded by desert, crying out in thirst. As we do, Barry reminds us that there are actually no deserts with God and what we must do is open our eyes to his provision. Hope is strong enough to quench our thirst here and now.         Scriptures: Psalm […]
Jan 25, 2023
Resurrection and the Paranormal | Episode 78
47:23
What do the Chupacabra, the return of JFK Jr., and the resurrection have in common, Barry asks. Hopefully, nothing. Barry reminds us that the strength or passion of our faith isn’t as important as its object. A believer’s devotedness to both the return of Elvis and the resurrection isn’t doing us any favors.     […]
Jan 18, 2023
Sorry Not Sorry: Part 3 | Episode 77
58:06
Barry finishes up the series on forgiveness and repentance, keeping in mind that knowing the destination is forgiveness doesn’t make the journey simple. This episode focuses on how the offended and community deal with offenders, pointing out that mercy does not have to mean enabling.         Scriptures: Psalm 119:165 Matt 7:1 1 […]
Jan 11, 2023
Sorry Not Sorry: Part 2 | Episode 76
48:34
Barry continues our series about repentance and forgiveness, providing a few examples from Scripture. These examples help us describe the differences between regret, remorse, restitution, repentance, and resignation for violator, violated, judges, society, and God.       Scriptures: Matt 27:3-5 Psalm 51:3-4 Luke 19:1-10, 3:7-14   Article: “The Southern Baptist Horror” (https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/05/southern-baptist-evangelical-allegations-cover-up/629954/)
Jan 04, 2023
Sorry Not Sorry: Part 1 | Episode 75
45:37
Barry begins a conversation about the complexities of repentance and forgiveness and reminds us that we need enough humility to acknowledge that our responses won’t be perfect, but enough faith that we can make a difference as we go about the business of both.       Scripture: Exodus 22:1-4
Dec 28, 2022
Silent Faith, Holy Night | Episode 74
45:51
Barry reminds us that while we, as believers, are (hopefully) longing, praying, and yearning for what has not yet arrived in the world, God’s faithfulness has already been at work to bring about our redemption. This was true of his first advent as a babe and will be true of his second as King.   […]
Dec 21, 2022
Farm Fresh or Shelf Stable: Part 2 | Episode 73
42:25
Barry continues the conversation about how to make sure our faith matures but doesn’t become stale. He reminds us that our ultimate goal is not to have a good relationship with faith, but with the God of our faith that is making us into his image through the help of his Spirit and our brothers […]
Dec 14, 2022
Farm Fresh or Shelf Stable: Part 1 | Episode 72
46:05
Barry talks about the process of and barriers to the maturation of our faith. We want it to be fresh, but not always novel, stable, but certainly not stagnant. When thinking of our spiritual past, we don’t need the same things we needed then, but we do need some of the things we found then. […]
Dec 07, 2022
Here’s My Chance | Episode 71
36:13
The journey of faith in Psalm 41 begins with belonging, moves through knowledge of self and God, and ends in mercy. Our God walked this path first and now we have the chance to see people as more than what they can do for us.     Scriptures: Psalm 41 Lev 19:1-17 James 2:1-9 John […]
Nov 30, 2022
Always and for Everything | Episode 70
41:02
Many of us have traditions we maintain over Thanksgiving such as thanking God for those around our table or thanking him for something good that has happened to us over the last year. However, Barry throws a wrench in the thankful works, when he suggests that to the extent that our thanks is occasional, it […]
Nov 23, 2022
Power of Poetry | Episode 69
49:35
Barry walks us through five excellent poems about love, sorrow, and sacrifice. In doing so, he reminds us that good poetry not only reveals something about the universe, but also something significant about ourselves.       Poems: “Marvel No More” and “Description of the Contrarious Passions in a Lover” by Sir Thomas Wyatt, “Sonnet […]
Nov 16, 2022
The Funny Thing about Belief | Episode 68
51:32
Barry talks about the many influences on the development of beliefs in an individual, from genetics and environment to an existentialist’s will. However, most importantly, he points to the reason it’s worth wrestling to shape our beliefs: so that Christians attain to the unity and knowledge that leads to the stature of the fullness of […]
Nov 09, 2022