Grounded & Growing

What does it mean to follow Jesus as His disciple? Join us for this insightful conversation with Anabaptist historian Daniel Zimmerman as we discuss the early Anabaptist emphasis on personal transformation and practical obedience. We discuss what discipleship is, what makes the Anabaptist view unique, and how every believer can grow as a disciple of Christ. Support the show A production of The Swo...

What is distinct about the way the Anabaptists interpreted the Bible? In this episode, Paul Emerson discusses the particular value of Anabaptist hermeneutics through a commitment to the Bible’s ultimate authority and guide for all aspects of life, not just doctrine. We discuss Christ-centered hermeneutics, the interplay between the individual and the gathered church community, and the teaching and...

Join us for this engaging interview with Dean Taylor, president of Zollikon Institute, as we discuss how the early Anabaptists understood non-resistance, how their views aligned with those in the early church, and how views on non-resistance have developed since the Anabaptist beginnings in the 16th century. We also discuss distinctions between non-resistance, pacifism, and just war theory. RESOUR...

The early Anabaptists believed that they were called to follow Christ, and in following Him, to live lives separated from the world's methods, ethics, and values. Join us for this conversation with Todd Neuschwander on how the early Anabaptist convictions on non-conformity developed through the last five centuries, what factors shaped their applications, and how 21st century Anabaptists can a...

Who gets to determine who are the members of the church? In the centuries before the Reformation, the gathered church typically included all the members of society. Against the Catholics and Magisterial Reformers, who assumed a level of cooperation between the church and the state, the Anabaptists believed that the church should be free from the influence of the civil magistrates and untainted by...

How did the religious, social, and political upheaval in 16th century Europe catalyze and shape the beginning of the Anabaptist movement? And what ideas define Anabaptism? Join us for this engaging conversation with Anabaptist historian Marcus Yoder as he takes us on a tour through pre-Anabaptism, the Peasant's War, and the Anabaptist takeover of Münster, on to the core beliefs that united th...

God wants us to know Him and obey Him. Does the Bible tell us everything we need to know to experience this? Listen to learn about God's purpose for Scripture and how He has graciously provided everything we need through it. ARTICLES FOR FURTHER STUDY The Sufficiency of Scripture OTHER RESOURCES Booklet - The Sufficiency of Scripture Support the show A production of The Sword and Trumpet Mini...

When God revealed Himself through Scripture, He did not mask Himself behind mysteries and riddles. Listen today to learn how the Bible helps us see God clearly and know Him truly. ARTICLES FOR FURTHER STUDY The Clarity of Scripture Support the show A production of The Sword and Trumpet Ministries. To learn more about The Sword & Trumpet Ministries, visit the Sword & Trumpet Website . For m...

Where did our English Bibles come from? Join us to learn how our modern translations were developed, and how you can know and love Christ better through them. ARTICLES FOR FURTHER STUDY The Preservation of Scripture BIBLE STUDY TOOLS: biblearc.com, blueletterbible.com, stepbible.org For a more detailed introduction to the preservation and translation of Scripture, see the book God’s Word Written b...

God has providentially preserved the Bible ever since it was written. Listen to learn how familiarity with our copies of the Bible can increase our confidence in the  Bible's trustworthiness. ARTICLES FOR FURTHER STUDY The Preservation of Scripture BIBLE STUDY TOOLS: biblearc.com, blueletterbible.com, stepbible.org For a more detailed introduction to the preservation and translation of Script...

The Bible is a reliable witness to reality. Join us to learn about God's trustworthiness and why His character leads us to trust the Bible. ARTICLES FOR FURTHER STUDY The Inerrancy of Scripture (4 Part Series) Support the show A production of The Sword and Trumpet Ministries. To learn more about The Sword & Trumpet Ministries, visit the Sword & Trumpet Website . For more theological c...

Are the words of the Bible more significant than the words of any other book? Join us today to learn about God's authority and how He exercises His authority through the Bible. RELATED EPISODES From the Mouth of God: Inspiration and Authority Third Culture and the Loss of Biblical Authority ARTICLES FOR FURTHER STUDY The Authority of Scripture Inspiration, Authority, and the Christian Third C...

The Bible is God's word to us. Listen now to hear how God spoke to the biblical authors, and how He still speaks today. RELATED EPISODES From the Mouth of God: Definitions From the Mouth of God: Inspiration Theories From the Mouth of God: Biblical Support From the Mouth of God: Inspiration and Authority ARTICLES FOR FURTHER STUDY The Inspiration of Scripture - Part 1 The Inspiration of Script...

How do we know what writings should be included in our Bibles? Join us to learn the questions we need to ask to recognize which writings were spoken by God. RELATED EPISODES Approaching Canon Principles of Canon - Part 1 Principles of Canon - Part 2 Old Testament Canon New Testament Canon Is the Apocrypha Scripture? Close of the Canon ARTICLES FOR FURTHER STUDY The Canon of Scripture (3 Part Serie...

Scripture is essential to all true faith. Listen today to hear how God reveals Himself through creation and through the Bible, and why it matters. ARTICLES FOR FURTHER STUDY The Necessity of Divine Revelation (7 Part Series) Support the show A production of The Sword and Trumpet Ministries. To learn more about The Sword & Trumpet Ministries, visit the Sword & Trumpet Website . For more the...

Why does justification by faith alone matter? Because if we discard or downplay it, we are of necessity also discarding and downplaying grace. If our works are necessary to complete our salvation, then God’s grace isn’t sufficient to save. If our gospel is to be God-glorifying, it must be God-centered. And if it is to be God-centered, it must be grace-based. That is, it must be about what God has...

Jesus does not require anything of us poor wretched sinners except that we come to Him in faith. His love is offered freely to all who are willing to receive it. This grace compels us to obey. As Isaac Watts expressed, “Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.” This kind of love demands that we give everything—my soul, my life, my all. If we come to Christ with hearts brimming...

What is the relationship between faith and works? The apostle Paul taught that we are saved by grace through faith apart from works. If we are justified by faith alone, why does James say that Abraham was “justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?” Did James disagree with Paul's gospel? Support the show A production of The Sword and Trumpet Ministries. To learn more about...

Scripture speaks consistently of salvation coming to those who believe, those who have faith. That much is clear, but the bigger question is, “What is faith?” This episode answers that very question. Support the show A production of The Sword and Trumpet Ministries. To learn more about The Sword & Trumpet Ministries, visit the Sword & Trumpet Website . For more theological content, visit t...

The work of Christ by which He accomplished our justification is the linchpin of the gospel. Until our sin problem is dealt with—that sinful nature which we exercise in rebellion against God—the rest of the blessing of the gospel remain aloof. It is Christ’s atoning work on our behalf which provides not only justification but all of redemption.  Support the show A production of The Sword and Trump...

To appreciate justification we must first realize who we are and where we are headed apart from Christ. Without God’s grace, we are: justly condemned to eternal judgment, under divine wrath, alienated from God, in bondage to sin and Satan, and captive to our hearts which prefer the darkness of sin to the light of Christ. Support the show A production of The Sword and Trumpet Ministries. To learn m...

 J.C. Wenger said it is a “queer notion that because the Anabaptists were vigorous in their demands for a life of earnest Christian discipleship, they were therefore unclear on grace and justification.” In the same context he references Menno Simons, who set forth a clear doctrine of justification by faith, one compatible with Reformed doctrine. Menno does, however, constantly emphasize that any t...

Did the Anabaptists believe in justification by faith alone or were the Reformers alone in that view? While we often associate justification with Reformed doctrine, many early Anabaptists accepted justification as an essential gospel doctrine too. Support the show A production of The Sword and Trumpet Ministries. To learn more about The Sword & Trumpet Ministries, visit the Sword & Trumpet...

In our efforts to emphasize the importance of obedience, we sometimes hesitate to teach that justification is experienced apart from our works. We fear that, if people realize that they contribute nothing to their standing before God, they will consider themselves free to sin. If we are saved simply by believing, does that not free us to live however we want? The opposite is most certainly true. O...

The nature of Christ’s atonement is becoming a common discussion. It’s an important one, since the atonement is a foundational tenet of Christian doctrine. The atonement is no secondary or tertiary issue. Christ's atoning work is essential to the gospel. His work on the cross is what makes it possible for sinful men to be reconciled to a holy God. Our salvation rests upon Christ’s atonement....