June 26, 2026

Ep 1364 | John Luke’s Snake-Handling Lesson Backfires in Front of Terrified Campers

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John Luke’s attempt to turn a four-foot rat snake into a calm teaching moment for campers goes sideways fast, leaving the kids panicked and John Luke woozy at the sight of his own blood. Al, Zach, John Luke, and Christian use Augustine’s story to dig into why modern people are so restless, why getting what we want still doesn’t satisfy us, and how our appetites quietly train our hearts. The guys contrast Augustine’s confession of sin with today’s culture of self-worship. Al points to history’s examples of Christianity’s tendency to bring order, healing, and hope out of cultural chaos.


In this episode: Romans 7, verses 21–25; Romans 8; 1 Corinthians 9, verses 24–27; Philippians 2, verses 5–11; Genesis 1, verse 31


Today’s conversation is about Lesson 11 of Ancient Christianity taught by visiting Hillsdale Professor of History Kenneth Calvert. Take the course with us at no cost to you! Sign up at http://unashamedforhillsdale.com/.


More about Ancient Christianity:


Christ entered the world during the reign of Caesar Augustus. The tensions between Christianity and the Roman Empire shaped the daily practice of the Christian faith and led many Romans to distrust and persecute the early Christians. But Christianity also benefitted from the Roman world. And when Rome collapsed in the West, Christianity provided the hope for preserving civilization.


In this free, eleven-lecture course, Professor Kenneth Calvert will explore:

  • How the Jewish, Greek, and Roman cultures all contributed to preparing the world to hear the Gospel.

  • Why many Romans distrusted and persecuted the early Christians.

  • The inspiring stories of Christ, His apostles, and faithful ones throughout the first four centuries of Christianity.

  • The arguments of key early Christian apologists—Ignatius, Irenaeus, Justin, Athanasius, and more—who defended and defined the Christian faith amidst the animosity of the Roman world.

  • The conversion of Constantine and how he brought stability to Rome, and how the rivalry between his sons almost returned Rome to paganism.

  • How Augustine’s writings helped preserve the message of Christianity during the collapse of the Roman Empire in the West.

You will discover the uncertainties, trials, and triumphs of the earliest Christians as they confronted controversies within the faith and persecutions from outside it.


Join us today to discover the improbable and miraculous story of Christianity. Sign up athttp://unashamedforhillsdale.com/


Check out At Home with Phil Robertson, nearly 800 episodes of Phil's unfiltered wisdom, humor, and biblical truth, available for free for the first time! Get it on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, and anywhere you listen to podcasts!

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/at-home-with-phil-robertson/id1835224621


Listen to Not Yet Now with Zach Dasher on Apple, Spotify, iHeart, or anywhere you get podcasts.


Chapters

00:00 Summer Camp Chaos & ER Trips

05:54 Everyone Wants a Beach Photo

10:43 Augustine’s Influence on the Church

16:10 Augustine’s Wild Past and Conversion

22:23 The Beach Ball Picture of Human Design

29:11 Appetite, Discipline & Reordered Desires

35:05 Augustine vs. Rousseau on Human Nature

43:10 Christianity Brings Order to Chaos

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