Halloween is upon us! Costumes, trick-or-treating, and plenty of controversy! In today’s episode, Pastor Derek and Pastor Jackie look at whether or not witches and witchcraft are something Christians should be concerned with. Many costumes involve witches, but is it wrong to dress that way? We dig into the history of witches and witchcraft, dating all the way back to early biblical references. We then look at modern Wicca and even talk through some popular fantasy series that involve w...

Israel seems to be in the news every day and Christians need to know…should they be supportive of Israel? Will we be blessed if we support Israel and cursed if we don’t? Is Israel returning to glory a sign of the Second Coming? In today’s episode, Pastor Derek and Pastor Jackie answer a listener question about Zionism, and more specifically, Christian Zionism. We look at the definition of Christian Zionism, which seems to be a bit of a moving target. From there, we look at God’s promises in ...

Mindfulness is a modern practice across secular and other religious communities, but what exactly is it and how are Christians supposed to practice it? In today’s episode, Pastor Derek and Pastor Jackie answer a listener question related to the topic of mindfulness. We break down various definitions of this practice, then get into what biblical mindfulness looks like. We talk through Scriptures that can help us focus on what God wants us to focus on and look at the benefits of being mindful,...

Pastoral burnout is real, but is it avoidable? What is a sabbatical and is it reasonable? In today’s episode, Pastor Derek and Pastor Jackie return from time away to talk through the idea of pastors going on extended sabbaticals and looking at the benefits it can have not only for the pastor, but also for their congregation. We then spend the last half of the episode going through what all Pastor Jackie did on his sabbatical and his vision for the future of RBC. The 17:17 podcast is a minis...

Nimrod is a little mentioned man in the Bible, yet when digging through history, we find that he may have had a huge impact on many biblical events. Was he a good or evil man? Why does it matter? In today’s episode, Pastor Derek and Pastor Jackie talk through the history of Nimrod in the Bible, how he likely wasn't a good "mighty hunter," and a deep dive into outside sources that may link him with other notable people throughout history, including his involvement in the Tower of Babel, the c...

Public, Private, or Homeschool? Which one is the right choice? Are any of them wrong? In today’s episode, Pastor Jackie and Pastor Derek seek to answer the question of whether or not Christians should send their children to public school. We’ve heard of some of the agendas being pushed in public schools, but how much validity is there to those claims? Shouldn’t Christian kids go to public school so they can be light to others around them? Tune in as we look through the history of education i...

Spanking? Grounding? Time outs? Which way is the best way to discipline your children? On this episode, we address the question, "How should I discipline my children?" And that's a BIG question. Much of the ills in our culture today can be traced back to a lack of discipline in the home. The Bible isn't silent on this topic. In fact, God the Father is the perfect example for us. His loving discipline not only shapes us into disciplined Christ followers, it is also a model for us to fol...

Is it necessary for Christians to have a “quiet time” with the Lord? What exactly should that look like? Should I have one even if my heart isn’t in it? In today’s episode, Pastor Jackie and Pastor Derek talk through what a meaningful quiet time looks like in the life of the average Christian, some examples of it in Scripture, and some very practical tips for how to kickstart your quiet time or add to what you’re already doing! The 17:17 podcast is a ministry of Roseville Baptist Church (MN...

It's the summer months and everyone is itching to get outside and to the beach for some sun...but with that comes a lot of skin and even more debate as to how people should dress. What is modesty and is it important or is it overemphasized? In today’s episode, Pastor Jackie and his wife, Carina, talk through the concept of modesty and how Christians ought to show (or not show) their bodies. They talk through what it means to be a temple of the Holy Spirit, the idea of causing a fellow believ...

NFL or Sunday Church? AAU every weekend? FANTASY SPORTS?! What is a Christian to do? On today’s podcast, Pastor Derek and good friend of the show, Jordan Rossler, talk through what the Bible says about sports as well as how Christians should view them. Sports are so popular today, especially in America, and can teach a lot of great values to kids and adults alike, but what do we do when a love of sports goes too far? Our hope is that as you listen to two sports lovers, you can see some godly...

COVID, infections, deaths, vaccine...this is all we seem to hear (and fight) about anymore, but how should a Christian respond to the pandemic? Should we buy into the hype? How would God have us respond? On today’s podcast, Pastor Derek and Pastor Jackie talk through a biblical perspective on COVID-19 and some practical steps on how we ought to view and handle the hype of this virus. This topic is as controversial as they come, but thankfully, God's Word speaks to all topics. The 17:17 podc...

Immigration laws, borders, Biden vs. Trump...so much controversy over illegal immigration, but where should Christians stand on this issue? In today’s episode, Pastor Jackie and Pastor Derek look at how God views immigration, how He tells us to treat immigrants/foreigners, and His expectations for immigrants who came to Israel in Bible times. Although the issue is very charged because it impacts real people, our hope is that you can listen through what the Bible has to say and it would lead ...

The Intertestamental Period. There may only be one page separating the OT and NT in your Bible, but what actually happened during that time frame and does it have much relevancy for the Christian? In today’s episode, Pastor Jackie and Pastor Derek talk through a listener question regarding the "400 years of silence" between the Testaments. We find that there are tons of relevant things that happened between historical wars and fulfillment's of prophecy that shed light on context around the G...

Dinosaurs in the Bible?! You better believe it! But how can dinosaurs and the Bible coexist if they came millions of years before humans? On today’s podcast, Pastor Derek and Pastor Jackie talk through multiple passages about dinosaurs in the Bible and the vivid description we are given of them. From there, we walk through Scripture to show how humans and dinosaurs would have lived on earth at the same time and the radical impact the Flood would have had on most of the dinosaur species. Chec...

Did fallen angels make babies with women to make giants?! You may not be aware of the Nephilim, but these are giant humans mentioned throughout the Old Testament…but where did they come from? Why don’t we see them today? On today’s podcast, Pastor Derek and Pastor Jackie talk through the controversial origin story of the Nephilim that is first mentioned in Genesis 6. We spend time looking at a couple different popular schools of thought on the issue, where we land on it, and examples of Neph...

What happens in the tragic event that an unborn child dies? What about a young child who doesn't have an understanding of the world? Do we have any assurance of salvation for them? On this episode, we address the question, "Do babies go to heaven?" This question is a tough one for many because our gut wants to say yes, but what does the Bible actually say about it? We know that Jesus is the way, truth, and life, but if a child doesn't understand, does that still appl...

A devotional with over 38 million copies sold to date...It's gotta be great, right? In today’s episode, Pastor Derek and Pastor Jackie talk through a listener question about the popular devotional titled "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young. We look at her unique writing style and a few issues with the content within the devotional. Our hope is that as you listen, you can have a mind that seeks the Lord, but in a discerning way, always testing "words of God" by the true words of God in Scrip...

With modern medicine comes controversial questions. Today we're talking about sperm donation and artificial insemination. Is it wrong for Christians to do? Is there sexual sin involved? Are there any differences between these options and IVF? In today’s episode, Pastor Derek and Pastor Jackie talk through a listener question around the nature of sperm donation and artificial insemination to get an idea if either of these options would be appropriate for a Christian to consider. We look at th...

A practice brought up a ton in Scripture and hotly debated today...what do we do with circumcision? Does the Bible prescribe it still? What are the medical ramifications? In today’s episode, Pastor Derek and Pastor Jackie talk through a listener question around circumcision and how Christians should think about it today. We look at the origin of circumcision in the Bible, how Christians dealt with the issue through the New Testament, and medical research and opinions on the matter today to h...