Under the Fig Tree: Singleness and the church with Jacob Rhodes

Under the Fig Tree

In this episode of Under the Fig Tree, hosts Rev. Micah Glenn and Dr. Ben Haupt sit down with Jacob Rhodes, a Master of Divinity graduate and Master of Sacred Theology student at Concordia Seminary. Hear what Jacob found so surprising about his historical theology courses at the Seminary and his thoughts on being single in the church. “The church can often tend to be, I think in our circles, a family-oriented church rather than a family-friendly church,” he says. “There’s nothing wrong with being married and having kids. … But single people still matter and are members of the church and are redeemed by Christ.” Also hear his three-pronged advice for prospective students: “Get your foundation laid,” he says. “Don’t go reading the biggest books you can possibly find. Actually memorize the Small Catechism. Read your Large Catechism. Figure out what the basics are. Get that solidified. No. 2: Get your devotional life in order. … Start praying, start reading. The most important part is always just prayer. You have to be in conversation with God. You have to be in conversation with His saints, with your pastor, you guys in the office. It’s not just you alone. This is never just an interaction between you and God. It’s an interaction between you and God, you and the church and the other saints, you and all these people who God is living in. Foundation, devotion, prayer. Get that all knocked out.” On a lighter note, hear the trio debate the age-old question of which fast-food restaurant has the best french fries: Wendy’s or McDonald’s. For the recurring segment, “Ripe for the picking or leave it on the tree,” hear how they feel about cinnamon toothpaste, sriracha, “I Love Lucy” and more!

“Under the Fig Tree” is a video and audio podcast of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. New video and audio episodes are added weekly each Monday during the academic year. “Under the Fig Tree” can be found on YouTube, the Seminary’s Scholar site (scholar.csl.edu) and most podcast platforms including Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts. Those interested in vocational ministry are invited to learn more about Concordia Seminary at http://www.csl.edu or by contacting the admissions team at [e-mail] or 800-822-9545.