DRIVING THEOLOGY

A sequel to last week's podcast on the Beatitudes of Matthew 5.

Matthew chapters 5-7 contain some of the most loved and most controversial teachings of Jesus, beginning with the so called "Beatitudes". This 8 (or 9)sentences are among the most quoted and also most misunderstood sayings of jesus. When is the last time you took the time to contemplate their meanings, or, God forbid, apply them to your life? This is my attempt (3rd attempt, actually, to make sens...

So, did God make us to sin? I know it is a stange, and some might say, offensive notion, but how do you reconcile the fact that God knew we would sin, and made us anyway? What are the implications?

Covid 19 has ushered many dark times, both for individuals and organizations. Churches are not immune, and actually have been quite hard. But, the dawn follows the night and these dark times will one day be a thing of the past. What does Jesus' resurrection teach us about overcoming darkness?

How are you processing all the information you take in on a daily basis? How do you know what to believe? This is a brainstorming session about trying to navigate through all the noise on the way to finding the truth.

In this episode, I meander my way to a possible truth: A broken understanding of hell can lead to a shying away from an encounter with God. To few of us have mystical experiences. Why is that?

Do you recognize when rhetoric is being used? Do you recognize it in the Bible? Recently in Facebook Jail because my sarcastic rhetoric was taken literally, I talk about that experience and about learning to see rhetoric when it is being used, in the Bible and elsewhere.

Abortion is a failure, but not perhaps of who you think. The Kingdom of God was meant to prevent such failure, to use it for good, even. Christians need to begin taking responsibility for our failures and do better. We need to embody grace. We need to do a better job of educating and nurturing. This is a difficult topic, perhaps too difficult for me to handle. Let me know what you think.

Russia, one week ago, invaded Ukraine. It seems like, just when we think things are getting better, someone in the world decides to make war on their neighbor. Haven't we evolved past that point yet as a species? Are we still blind to the damage we do to ourselves when we try and solve our problems with our neighbors by violence? How can we stop this cycle?

Why do churches chase numbers? What are the consequences in trusting the world's definition of success? Is the church today enslaved by money and the pursuit of money?

What has happened to Christendom? What is the era we find ourselves in today? What is the consequence of the church playing the world's game of numbers, power, and fame? I believe we have a date with the Refiner's Fire, and it won't be pretty. In fact, it has already begun.

Our theology of Heaven needs tweaking from time to time. Mine, at one time, was in need of a total overhaul. This is a story of two Heavens. Or, more precisely, the Kingdom of Heaven and an "afterlife" version of Heaven.

Prompted by a recent FB messenger discussion about "Postcards From Babylon" and the issues it brings up about the American church and it's identity crisis as disciples of Jesus, or citizens of Uncle Sam. Or some ungodly mashup of the two.

After bumbling around for a few minutes, I finally get to the topic that I wanted to talk about: The WORD of God. What does that mean to you? It used to mean "the Bible" to me. That's what I was taught. But I have come to a completely different conclusion. Give a listen, if you dare!

Jesus says to Mary Magdalene in the garden after he has been resurrected, "Don't cling to me, Mary, for I have not yet ascended." What did he mean by that?! Shouldn't we cling to Jesus? Maybe not, it appears...

Hope, Peace, Love, and Joy are the themes of Advent (sometimes). Here, I explore the idea that Joy is our response to the hope, peace, and love which we receive from God. Merry Christmas!

Just what mysteries does the incarnation contain? Exploring Love in this third week advent episode. Merry Christmas!

A stream of consciousness on the subject of peace, and especially peace-making, being the second theme of Advent. I have an epiphany in the course of this recording. Enjoy!

Looking back, can you see a progression in the things or people you have put your hope in, your faith in? Should you place your hope in Jesus? Is there one greater than Jesus? Maybe. Just maybe.

So many people right now are critical of CRT without really knowing what it is. What is Critical Race Theory? This is my understanding. Open to correction. What are the critics critical of? The theory itself or the application thereof?

When we hear, "God is love", what does that mean to us? How well do we understand God? Love? Anything?

First 18 minutes is basically catching you up with me. FF if you would like to get into the meat of the LOGOS discussion.

There is much Calvinism that has made it into modern Evangelicalism and Christianity as a whole, my tradition (past) included. In this podcast, I go into more death on the ideas of Calvinism, what I agree with, but mostly what I don't

After finishing the entire Cultish podcast episode on the Churches of Christ... This is my reactions and thoughts. Trigger alert: I'm not a fan of John Calvin!

If you are going to criticise the theology of a group, you had better be sure that you are standing on decen theological ground. In this episode, I rebut the criticisms of Cultish podcast, who criticise the theology of Churches of Christ, the tradition I grew up with. But, not, perhaps, in the way you might expect.