Pastor's Corner - Planting Apple Trees on the Clock

About this episode

Pastor Tom Roepke discusses the urgency of cultural stewardship and family discipleship in light of a terminal cancer diagnosis faced by Ben Sasse.

What would you say to the next generation if you knew your time on earth was running out? In this episode of Pastor’s Corner, Pastor Tom Roepke joins Heartfelt Mornings hosts Burch and Lisa to unpack a deeply moving, urgent perspective on life, family, and cultural stewardship inspired by a recent address from former U.S. Senator Ben Sasse. Speaking at the Manhattan Institute while facing a terminal cancer diagnosis, Sasse chose to look past Washington politics and target the true battleground of our era: the human soul and the local family table. Join us as we explore what it means to live "on the clock" with a robust biblical worldview. We live in the most abundant era in human history, yet our culture is drowning in digital anxiety, gluttony, and grievance. How do we fight back? By cultivating true biblical virtue, practicing "Tech Sabbaths," and choosing the slow, local, inconvenient work of discipleship. We ground this life-overview in two foundational scripture passages: 📖 Mark 8:36–37 – The danger of gaining the world but forfeiting the soul. 📖 Deuteronomy 6:6–7 – God's local, relational design for family discipleship. No matter what the future holds, our times are in…

People in this episode

Hosts: Burch, Lisa

Guest: Tom Roepke

Topics covered

• life perspective
• cultural stewardship
• family discipleship
• digital anxiety
• biblical worldview
• local community
• virtue cultivation

Keywords

• cultural stewardship
• family
• digital anxiety
• discipleship
• biblical virtue
• Tech Sabbaths
• Mark 8:36–37
• Deuteronomy 6:6–7

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Manhattan Institute

Books & works: Mark 8:36–37, Deuteronomy 6:6–7

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