Intersect Podcast

17/06/2024

If you haven't heard, there's recently been a little bit of controversy between the Presbyterian Church in America and writer, David French. Do you think he should have been "canceled"? Check out our interview with David back in 2022 and let us know what you think!

Intersect Podcast: Where Church Meets Culture is hosted by Lead Pastor Josh Desch, and his wife Bets

03/11/2023

Gather your friends and listen to the latest episode of the Intersect podcast, out NOW!
The passing of Matthew Perry, the actor known to so many as “Chandler Bing” on the popular TV Show “FRIENDS”, has the world talking about this show again. Josh and Betsy offer their take on why this iconic show has remained nearly as popular today as it was in its heyday. What does FRIENDS teach us about friendship… and have we lost that special something in our uber-digital world of today?
Do we still need good friendships? How do we make them?”
Join us for this fun conversation, and remember… “we’ll be there for you…”
🎧
https://nepresbyterian.org/f%c2%b7r%c2%b7i%c2%b7e%c2%b7n%c2%b7d%c2%b7s-friendship-and-the-secret-sauce-602/
🔗
Also, check out this great read about Matthew Perry's encounter with God:
https://www.premierchristianity.com/obituaries/matthew-perry-1969-2023-the-friends-star-found-god-at-his-lowest-moment/16634.article

19/10/2023

Season 6 of Intersect is finally here and we're starting with a bang!💥
Josh and Betsy are ready to rumble! In this debate style episode, they take opposite sides on the question of whether or not the casualization of clothing in America has been a good thing. This episode was prompted by the recent rule change in the United States Senate, which permits Senators to wear pretty much whatever they want on the floor of the Senate. So what will it be, stretchy pants or tailored slacks? You decide!
Listen at the link below or your favorite Podcast platform!
https://nepresbyterian.org/throwdown-is-the-casualization-of-clothing-good-or-bad-601/

08/09/2023

06/06/2023

NEW EPISODE!!
Stories. We read them, we watch them, we live them. Every person has a story, and every person has to make sense of life in terms of a story. That is to say, everyone believes some story about how we got here, what is our purpose, and what happens when we die. We are en-storied beings. Josh and Betsy jump into this topic and help us to think about the big questions. It’s time to examine your story. Is it a good one?
Listen wherever you podcast or click the link: https://nepresbyterian.org/every-human-has-a-story-511/

17/03/2023

New episode is out! Have you heard of the difference between ‘résumé virtues’ and ‘eulogy virtues’? This distinction, first brought to the public’s awareness by NY Times columnist David Brooks, is worth contemplating for all of us. What are we living for? What virtues are we cultivating? Are we more concerned with the things that we put on our résumé or the things that others will say about us at our funeral? And how does all of this apply to modern parenting?

06/02/2023

New release! PCA pastor and writer Derek Radney joins Josh and Betsy to talk about our culture of suspicion and bad faith readings of those we disagree with. Why has our culture become so polarized? When should we confront others? What does it mean to have intellectual humility without compromising on the truth? This episode will help you embrace curiosity and gospel-rootedness over fear and suspicion.

10/01/2023

Kicking off 2023! Oftentimes we hear about the benefits of home ownership, but what we don’t think about is that our culture is constantly talking to us about self-ownership. We are all constantly hearing the message that we belong to ourselves, and no one else, and that what we do with our lives is totally up to us. Josh and Betsy discuss this cultural belief through a biblical lens, leaning heavily on Alan Noble’s excellent book, You Are Not Your Own. Learn how to give up an ownership mindset and instead embrace a stewardship mindset.

03/01/2023

The people have spoken! 📢
It turns out the deschlings have grown quite a bit since we last shared a family photo 🤣

That last one is from Betsy’s 40th birthday…don’t mind the craziness!!

We’re thankful for our listeners who care about our podcast AND our family. 🤍

15/12/2022

The latest from Intersect Podcast!!!

Who doesn’t like the movie Elf?

Podcast quote from Betsy: “Buddy is kind of an evangelist for an unseen reality.” Got to listen to find out what she is talking about.

Merry Christmas from the Intersect team 😀.

Have you seen the movie “Elf”, the 2003 comedy starring Will Ferrell? Josh and Betsy love that particular film. But more than the movie, they love one theme that radiates throughout the movie and throughout the Bible: hope. We live in a cynical age. In this episode, Josh and Betsy discuss the gospel and the true meaning of Christmas through the lens of hope.
Listen anywhere you listen to podcasts, or on our website: https://nepresbyterian.org/the-gospel-according-to-elf-the-movie-507/

14/12/2022

Have you seen the movie “Elf”, the 2003 comedy starring Will Ferrell? Josh and Betsy love that particular film. But more than the movie, they love one theme that radiates throughout the movie and throughout the Bible: hope. We live in a cynical age. In this episode, Josh and Betsy discuss the gospel and the true meaning of Christmas through the lens of hope.
Listen anywhere you listen to podcasts, or on our website: https://nepresbyterian.org/the-gospel-according-to-elf-the-movie-507/

01/12/2022

Who's following the World Cup?? 👀 Did you know that Josh and Betsy had a heated debate about which is better, football vs. futbol? We're not giving away any spoilers! Check out which sport won that debate and who had the winning argument at the link below: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/football-vs-f%C3%BAtbol-413/id1432890619?i=1000555827549

Are you ready for the debate of the century? Josh and Betsy are back to debate one another on this question: Which sport is better, American Football or what the rest of the world calls Football/Fútbol? Producer Billy Grooms serves as the debate judge and picks a winner at the end.
NOW IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO VOTE!! Comment below which sport YOU think is better! *Bonus points if you listen to the arguments in the episode before making your vote!😉 .....
https://nepresbyterian.org/football-vs-futbol-413/

11/11/2022

OUT NOW! Josh and Betsy are joined by nationally recognized writer, speaker and constitutional lawyer David French to discuss what is happening inside of the American Evangelical Church. What makes an evangelical? Why is there so much division? What should Christians be aiming for in political engagement? Finally, David gives us a review of Amazon’s show, the Rings of Power. This conversation will challenge and enlighten you.

10/11/2022

Listen as David French explains how to live out Micah 6:8 in your Christian walk. The full episode, "The Fracturing of Evangelicalism" drops TOMORROW!!

Micah 6:8 - "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to act justly, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"

09/11/2022

Another sneak peek audio clip! Hear what David French has to say about remaining in fellowship when disagreement occurs. The FULL episode drops this FRIDAY. Are you getting excited yet?!?!

08/11/2022

When this episode drops in a few days, it will be titled "The Fracturing of Evangelicalism," but special guest David French covers a variety of hot topics in this episode, including abortion. Here is an exclusive sneak peek for our Intersect listeners. Sound on!

07/11/2022

Intersect listeners, we have big news! Our next episode will feature the man, the myth, the legend: DAVID FRENCH! We are ecstatic to have David on the podcast to talk about the fracturing of the American evangelical church and what that means for us as believers. And because we are SO excited, we'll be sharing a sneak peek every day leading up to the big release later this week! 🤩 Stay tuned...literally!

28/10/2022

New episode! Our culture now regularly labels people and statements as "toxic." What does toxic mean in their sense? Should we cut toxic people out of our lives? Is our culture evolving in a positive way or is this a concerning trend? Josh and Betsy are back to break this down from a Christian perspective, with a little humor mixed in along the way.

14/10/2022

IN THIS EPISODE... New research shows that more and more people are retreating into their interior worlds. In other words, we are becoming less social people. We are interacting with other people less than prior generations. Is there a price we are paying for being less social? Does God care about how social we are? Josh and Betsy, your favorite amateur researchers, are back to break down this topic and tease out the implications for the church in 2022.

15/09/2022

Listen as Josh shares with you about Intersect Podcast's latest episode on trauma. Find the episode here: https://nepresbyterian.org/exploring-trauma-a-review-of-the-book-the-body-keeps-the-score-503/

08/09/2022

We want to hear from you! What topics do you want us to tackle on the podcast?! You know where to reach us... send us a message on Facebook or Instagram, or email us at [email protected].

INTERSECT PODCAST One thing is constant about this moment in history in which we are living: change. We see huge cultural shifts happening all around us, and when coupled with the ever burgeoning place that technology holds in our lives, it’s sometimes hard to stay on top

02/09/2022

It is time for the American Church to have a new conversation about singleness.
It is time for the Reformed, PCA world to have a new conversation about singleness.

Thank you, Greg Johnson, for graciously coming on our podcast to talk about Singleness, Celibacy and Christian Ministry.

The WORLD tells us
- Singleness is a fate worse than death
- Singleness must always mean preparation for marriage
- Romance and s*x are the greatest things in this life

The BIBLE tells us
- Marriage is to be held in honor by all (Hebrews 13:4) AND
Singleness is too (1 Cor. 7:25-40)
- Some Christians are called to marriage, and some to singleness (again, see 1 Cor. 7:25-40 on singleness).
- The single Christian is not “less than” the married Christian. If we have communicated that in our churches either intentionally or unintentionally, we need to do better.
- Single people can and should serve in Christian ministry in all the ways that married people do, including as pastors.

LIFE tells us
- Lots of people in our churches are single for many reasons. How are we doing caring for the single people in our midst?
- When we think about singleness, we need to think beyond the person who has never married. We must also remember the widow, widower, the divorced person, and single parents, among others.
- Everyone needs community, friendship, and intimacy (using that word not in a s*xual way, but in a way that means “deep love”).

Greg Johnson is a voice that we need to hear on this topic. Please listen to this podcast. Share it with single people in your churches. Share it with married people in your circles.

Church, we need to do a better job caring for, and enfolding, the single people God has brought to our churches.

‎Society & Culture · 2022

31/08/2022

We can't believe we're going into...wait for it...SEASON 5!!! Thank you to all of our faithful listeners who have stuck with us along the way. We are cooking up some great content to release in season 5!

29/06/2022

The finale is here! Josh and Betsy are joined by Andrew Eckstrom to talk about how to stay dapper as a dad of four kids. In addition to discussing this important topic, they talk about Andrew’s efforts to raise money for cancer research and the importance of men being in a men’s Bible study. Finally, for the first time ever on Intersect, we introduce the lighting round. Hope you enjoy!

22/06/2022

A behind the scenes sneak peek at Josh and Betsy in the studio recording season four's FINALE episode with special guest, Andrew Eckstrom! This episode will have you in stitches! Keep an eye out--"Staying Dapper as a Dad" drops next week!!

14/06/2022

Social Media . . . these days, platforms like Instagram are the dominant channel through which many brands advertise. But in our quest to gain followers and get likes, have we become the product? Are we now branding ourselves? And if so, what impact is that making on our lives? Josh and Betsy dive into the world of Instagram for this interesting topic and bring Christian principles to the world of Social Media.

‎Show Intersect: Where Church Meets Culture, Ep “From Branding Products to Branding Ourselves” -416 - Jun 14, 2022

31/05/2022

NEW DROP: What an amazing universe we live in! There are over 100 billion galaxies in the universe. Each galaxy contains hundreds of billions of stars. In this episode, Betsy and Josh discuss the book, Astrophysics for Young People in a Hurry, by Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson. Why does our amazing universe not move us to wonder more? Have we taken time recently to just take in the miracle of God’s creation? It’s time to talk Physics 101 and regain our sense of wonder. It’s time to wake up.

16/05/2022

Did you do Josh's challenge in this last episode? Tell us what you found!

13/05/2022

Clothes, we all own plenty of them, and they help define who we are. But why have clothes gotten so cheap? And should we care? Josh and Betsy bring a Christian worldview to the topic of clothing and consumption. In this episode, you will find a critical analysis of fast fashion and some practical suggestions for those who want to bring their faith to their wardrobe (visit our show notes here for a list of helpful resources https://nepresbyterian.org/clothing-consumption-and-the-christian-life-414/)