Theology for the Rest of Us

The desire of church leaders to reach irreligious or unchurched people is certainly not a new desire, and there have been many movements throughout church history influenced by that simple desire. One of those movements influenced by that desire is a modern movement within North American Evangelical circles now known as the “seeker sensitive” movement. This modern movement has its root...

There is a common saying in modern Evangelical circles that whenever someone repents and comes to faith in Christ (often called “getting saved”), the angels in heaven “throw a party.” Is this true? Do the angels indeed celebrate? In this episode, Kenny explains the passage of Scripture that this idea comes from (Luke 15:7-10) and he highlights what those verses are actually...

In 1947, an incredible archaeological discovery was made in some desert caves located near the Dead Sea. Several hundred scrolls from ancient times were found; more than 200 hundred of them were manuscripts of Biblical text. Since the discovery, the region around the caves have been excavated and examined. The Dead Sea scrolls have been called the greatest manuscript discovery of modern times. In...

A common question asked by new believers and those inquiring about the Christian faith, “How do we know the Bible hasn’t been changed over the course of centuries since the early Church? How can we be confident that the words have not been edited, rewritten, or altered in any way?” This is also a topic often brought up by critics that would seek to undermine the authority and cre...

One of the primary tenants of the Christian faith is the authority of the Scriptures. The Bible is heavily relied upon by many people for the development of theology and doctrine as well as personal guidance and advice. But where did the Bible come from? How was this book compiled? In this  episode, Kenny makes the point that we cannot understand the Bible, and its authority, unless we understand...

The name “Josephus” is a name that is “thrown around” in many Jewish and Christians circles on a regular basis; but who was this man? And why does he matter to our lives today? In a previous episode, Kenny interviewed Dr. John Morris about extra-Biblical evidences for the resurrection of Jesus, and the primary source mentioned in that episode was the works of Flavius Joseph...

There is a common belief among many Christians that “all sins are equal”… but is idea this true? In this episode, Kenny dives into the history of this common belief and what passages of Scriptures, if any, that this idea is rooted in. Then Kenny gives us a more holistic Biblical approach to properly comparing sin. Yes, it is true that all sins have the same eternal consequences f...

In this episode, our host Kenny interviews theologian Kenneth Freire about preachers publicly “calling out” other preachers with whom they disagree. Freire says that there is indeed a time and place for preachers to call out other preachers, but he warns against doing so too fast or too flippantly because of the repercussions such actions can have on that preacher’s reputation. K...

The system and framework of theology which asserts that the covenants are essential to overall hermeneutics (Biblical interpretation) is known as Covenant Theology, and it is typically contrasted against Dispensationalism. Within the system of Covenant Theology, there are typically two overarching covenants that govern how we interpret the Bible. However some people within Protestantism assert tha...

This episode is a follow-up to our previous episode about Covenant Theology. As stated in the previous episode, there are two primary frameworks used by most Protestants today to interpret Scripture: Covenant Theology and Dispensationalism. Dispensationalism considers Biblical history as divided deliberately by God into specific time periods (dispensations). In each dispensation, God governs and r...

There are two primary frameworks used by most Protestants today to interpret Scripture: Covenant Theology and Dispensationalism. In this episode, Kenny talks about both frameworks of theology, giving us a brief overview of their histories and the key contrasting points between the two systems. Then Kenny dives into the nuts and bolts of Covenant Theology, highlighting that this system is founded u...

We know that the Jewish people were God’s chosen people, the nation that God chose to use as His instrument to bring forth the Messiah. This is a big deal that cannot be overstated. But many Jewish people in the first century rejected Jesus, and many more contemporary Jews reject Jesus as well. In this episode, Kenny answers the question: What should we, as Christians, think of the Jewish pe...

In this episode, Kenny answers the question, “What does it mean to be confessional?” In essence, Kenny explains how subscribing to, or fully affirming, an historical confession can be helpful in our faith and church governance.

Many people have asked their pastors and church leaders about the topic of the “unpardonable sin” that Jesus talks about in Matthew 12:31-32. In that passage Jesus makes it clear that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is an unforgivable sin. Various people throughout church history have given different opinions, claiming that various sins fall into this category of “unforgiven&#8...

What is the prosperity gospel movement? Why is it so popular? Why is it so dangerous? With the rise of this so-called ” gospel” movement, it is very important to answer these questions. In this episode, Kenny clearly defines the prosperity gospel movement and its most extreme form, wherein preachers claim that God wants all Christians to always experience good things, mainly to be fina...

What does it mean to have a seared conscience? And, maybe more importantly, is this condition irreversible? Or once you have a seared conscience, is that the final condition of your soul? In this episode, Kenny addresses a listener question about our consciences and how sin impacts our souls. Kenny uses simple illustrations from his recent experiences with both his air conditioning repairmen and h...

In this episode, our host Kenny interviews his personal friend Kenneth Freire about the trustworthiness of the Bible and the importance of shaping our lives around the core values we see in Scripture. They also talk about the importance of allowing the Bible to be our ultimate authority when determining our beliefs. Kenneth Freire has proven to be an expert in the arenas of theology, apologetics,...

Déjà vu is a French term that literally means “already seen” and refers to a phenomenon that many people have claimed to experience wherein they experience having a strong sensation that an event, that is currently being experienced, has already been experienced at some point in the past. So this begs the question: Is this phenomenon a spiritual experience? Is this experience, in some...

Suicide is a controversial topic, as well as a sensitive one for many people, therefore we ought to not be flippant as we dialogue about the subject. With that stated, we know that suicidal thoughts and tendencies are very real in the minds and emotions of many people. As we examine the Bible, we sometimes see Biblical characters venting or lamenting, and sometimes they even seem suicidal. In this...

Some people claim that the Bible supports slavery; or that it does not say enough in condemning the institution of slavery. Are those people right? In addition, many of those same people claim that the Bible’s stance on slavery proves that it is an antiquated irrelevant book. Are they right? In this episode, Kenny dives into the topic of slavery, starting off with the clear Biblical condemna...

Many people are proud of their nation, but some people wonder whether or not it is wrong to have any love of country. Others have wondered if they can find a way to take any pride in a nation that has done bad or evil things around the world. Others have even grappled with the idea as to whether or not any national allegiance is helpful at all. In this episode, Kenny tackles to topic of patriotism...

In this episode, Kenny answers the questions whether or not it is okay for Christians to be cremated; or is it sinful. As with many topics, Kenny tells us that asking about whether or not it is “okay” is not the right question, but rather we ought to be asking whether or not it is ideal for us. We know that when we die we will either end up in heaven or hell, our soul leaves our body....

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” ~Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) Several centuries before Jesus showed up on the scence, the propher Jeremiah was preaching to the Jewish people as they faced the judgment and discipline of God, meted out at the hands of the Babylonians. Jeremiah s...

It is widely believed by most Evangelical Christians that once we get into heaven and with Jesus, that we will not ever be able to sin or ever choose to walk away from God. This begs the question: How did Lucifer sin in heaven? Lucifer did indeed sin while he was in heaven (Note: Today Lucifer is often called “Satan” or “the devil” or “the enemy”). So, what conf...

Gambling, card games, sports betting, games of luck or chance, poker tournaments, and even raffles. These are all forms of contests that have been labeled as “gambling” by many people. And with the label of “gambling” comes a taboo within North American evangelicalism. So that begs these questions: Is gambling a sin? Should Christians participate in any such events or conte...