Doctrine 4 Doxology (formerly "Bear Christianity")

Summary Do you think of the Trinity as a boring doctrine which doesn't really have much practical application to your life? Do you shy away from thinking about the Trinity because it seems too complicated? I use to think the same way. In this episode, I try to simplify some of the main concepts of the Trinity. This is part 1 in a series on why I believe the Trinity. Next week, I will discuss s...

Summary In Dan Brown's bestselling novel, The Da Vinci Code , the divinity of Jesus was a conspiracy by the church hundreds of years after Jesus' death. In this episode, I discuss why I believe Jesus is divine. Outline Did the early church believe Jesus was God? Did Jesus claim to be God? In what sense is Jesus God? A Bear in the Woods "Bear, I have young kids. Sometimes they eat well,...

Summary I discuss alternate theories for the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and why I do not find them convincing. This episode is highly dependent on the information from the previous episode so please listen to Part 1 first. (Who would have thought???) Resources Books The Resurrection of the Son of God by NT Wright Why Are There Differences in the Gospels? by Mike Licona Investigating the Resurre...

Summary I share the "Minimal Facts Argument" proposed by Dr. Gary Habermas and Dr. Mike Licona as the foundational evidence for my belief Jesus was raised from the dead. These "Minimal Facts" are well accepted among New Testament scholars, even those scholars who are not Christians. After stating the facts, I explain how they arrived at those facts, and I close the episode talking...

How can God show love and mercy without compromising His Holiness? A perfect judge must always be just. Because of our sin, we all deserve the justice of God. In the Old Testament, we learn our sin can only be covered in the way God provides. In this episode, I discuss the Passover and the Day of Atonement as Old Testament symbols giving us a picture of what Jesus will be in the New Testament. Thi...

Have you ever thought, "Eternal punishment in hell seems pretty severe for telling a few lies and disobeying your parents"? Me too! In this episode, I talk about God's Judgment and share my journey in discovering why God's judgment is necessary and often misunderstood. The basic outline is this: God's judgment is necessary. I underestimate God's view of sin. We like the ide...

Why do I believe God exists? I compare atheism and theism, and then present the Moral Argument for God. Every human seems to know there are fundamental moral truths all humans are responsible to obey. If these objective moral laws are violated, humans feel they have the right to say to the violator, "You are wrong". Here are the basics of the Moral Argument for God: If objective moral laws...

Welcome to Bear Christianity! In this episode, I explain the reason for starting this podcast and what to expect in future episodes. Inspired by C.S. Lewis' book, Mere Christianity , I challenged myself to investigate why I believe what I believe. but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is i...