Anchored by the Word

Seeing Interruptions as Blessings (feat. Diana Likens)

In the final episode of Season 1 of Anchored by the Word, Pastor Justin is joined once more by Diana to discuss a truth that is often hard to embrace: sometimes God's greatest blessings come wrapped in disappointment.

When plans fall apart, it can often feel like failure-but what if it is divine redirection? In this episode, Justin and Diana explore biblical examples like Joseph, showing how God uses closed doors and unexpected turns to sovereignly guide us into something greater.

If you've ever felt frustrated by detours in your life, this conversation will offer encouragement and remind you that God's plan is always better than ours.

Weapons of Mass Distraction (feat. Diana Likens)

"Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."

Psalm 90:12 highlights the deep truth that our time is limited and how we use it matters. In today's fast paced world, however, distractions are constantly stealing our attention, crowding our hearts, and distracting us from the intentional, God-centered life we are called to. In this week's episode of Anchored by the Word, Pastor Justin is joined once more by his wife, Diana, to face the problem so many of us face: the struggle to stay spiritually focused despite everyday noise.

Together, they explore how to identify the subtle ways distractions derail our walk with God and how Scripture offers a path back to clarity and purpose. From digital interruptions to internal anxieties, we uncover biblical strategies for redirecting our focus and living wisely in light of eternity.

Biblical Theology feat. Chris Belknap

In this week's episode of Anchored by the Word, Pastor Justin is joined once more by Director of Family Ministries Chris Belknap to discuss the other major way to study theology: Biblical Theology.

In contrast with the Systematic Theology we looked at last week, Biblical Theology looks at the major themes of the Bible and how the Old and New Testaments form one book with one message.

Systematic Theology feat. Chris Belknap

According to American Professor Kevin Vanhoozer, the goal of the Theologian "is to move beyond the acquisition of knowledge to its application in real life: in a word, to gain wisdom." But how does one study Theology?

What even IS Theology?

In this week's episode of Anchored by the Word, Pastor Justin is joined by Chris Belknap- Director of Family Ministries at Westlake-to begin a discussion of theology and its application in the Christian life by looking at the key points of the study of Systematic Theology

Biblical Worldview

Theologian and philosopher Francis Schaeffer once said "People function on the basis of their worldview more consistently than even they themselves may realize." This is because your worldview-fundamentally-is the vehicle by which you understand and make sense of the world. Your worldview determines how you view reality, interact with other people, and make decisions  while also determining your beliefs, values, and the choices you make.

The question, then, is this: "Is your worldview in line with the truth of scripture, or is it shaped by your own whims?"

In this weeks episode of Anchored by the Word, Pastor Justin dives into a discussion of the two main worldviews and the underlying presuppositions that lead to someone having one worldview or another.

Deconstruction or Refining?

In the last decade, hundreds of thousands of people who claimed to be Christians have gone through an intellectual exercise by which they challenged their deeply held convictions. This process of "deconstruction" as it has come to be known has let to dozens of high profile people leaving the Christian faith.

The question is: is deconstruction automatically a bad thing? In this weeks episode of Anchored by the Word, Pastor Justin discusses the differences between deconstruction and refining your faith as well as discusses how to properly approach the scriptures to do so.

When Should Someone be Baptized?

Historically, one of the defining doctrines of the various Baptist conventions is that baptism is only for believers, but WHICH believers should be baptized and when?

In short, when should a church agree to perform a believer's baptism? In this week's episode of Anchored by the Word, Pastor Justin goes it alone for the first time in months to discuss this important historical doctrine and what the church should do before baptizing a new believer.

Raising Godly Children in an Ungodly World (feat. Diana Likens)

What does it mean to raise Godly children? How should a Christian raise their children? How do we navigate the complexities of an ever changing world so that our children love God first and foremost? In this week's episode of Anchored by the Word, Pastor Justin is joined one last time by his wife, Diana, to complete the series on relationships by answering these and other questions in a biblical way.