Theology For The Rest Of Us | Quick Answers To The Questions About God And The Bible

Sometimes people accuse God of being an egomaniac. People often wonder, "Why Is God Consumed with His Own Glory?" This is a great question that has a very simple Biblical answer. In this episode, Kenny explains what it means to "glorify" something or someone by using a silly metaphor from his favorite Chik-fil-A sandwich. Then Kenny uses the recent Villanova University Men's Basketball National championship as a metaphor to explain the absurdity of any being praising something or someone other than God; and this includes God Himself. It would be absurd to assume that we should be consumed with His glory, but expect God to be consumed with something other than His own glory. Highlighted Passage: Revelation 4:11 (KJV): "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."

There are many different Christian denominations around the globe, with a variety of different theological perspectives. In response to a recent episode, Why Are There So Many Denominations?, one of our regular listeners asked about the fact that so many Christians disagree on doctrines. The listener asked, "How can we read the same Bible and claim the Holy Spirit guides our interpretation of the meaning of Scripture and yet believe mutually exclusive doctrines?" This is a great question. In this episode, Kenny gives three reasons: 1) In some cases the people are not really Christians. 2) Humans are all incredibly biased and overly subjective. 3) Mass ignorance is rampant among contemporary Christians. Kenny also outlines why it is important to always keep an open mind when studying theology and keeping quality dialogue open with other believers to guard ourselves against our own arrogance and biases. Then Kenny pivots to explain closed-hand theology versus open-hand theology, with the understanding tha

In a previous episode of the podcast, episode 35: Why Are There So Many Different Denominations?, a regular listener of the podcast made this comment: "[You described] the Reformation as being a significant benefit for mankind. How can splintering dogmas and denominations be beneficial for the church?" This a great question that deserves a quality answer. If the Reformation caused so much division among Christians, how can we consider it a positive event in human history? In this episode, Kenny makes the point that the positives of the Reformation far outweigh the negatives. The Reformation was started by a German monk and Catholic priest named Martin Luther. This event ushered in an era where hundreds of thousands of people all across Europe were reacquainted with the essential doctrine of justification; and the Reformation caused a mass revival, which has had incredible positive impacts on the world.

Some of the most frequently asked questions asked by younger believers are about the topic of sexual purity and sexual integrity. In essence, does it really matter? Do my sexual choices today really have any impact on my life in the future? In this episode, Kenny interviews therapist, speaker, author, and podcaster Dr. Corey Allan about the topic of sexual purity and sexual integrity, particularly about the impact sexual choices have on our future marriages. Dr. Allan is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and a Licensed Professional Counselor who has coached hundreds of people through issues related to sexual integrity. He makes it clear that all of our choices in life have impact later on, positive and negative, in every arena of our lives, but especially when it comes to the arena of sexual purity. Connect with Dr. Corey Allan at www.simplemarriage.net Follow Dr. Corey Allan on Twitter: @simplemarriage Check out "Sexy Marriage Radio" co-hosted by Dr. Allan & Shannon Ethridge Check out our interv

While it may seem like there's an obvious answer to the question "What is Sin?" our podcast host Kenny feels that many people often miss the real definition of sin. Many people would define sin as "bad things." While there is certainly an element of "bad" when it comes to our sin, the idea of sinning against God is much bigger than just doing something that might be classified as a bad thing. In this episode, Kenny gives a clear, holistic, and Biblical definition of sin. In addition, Kenny explains God's ultimate desire to have humans reflect His character and nature to one another, as well as the damaging effects on our lives when we fail to reflect God well.

The now-famous Quaker author Richard Foster wrote a well-know book Celebration of Discipline to discuss the things that we can do to engage with God and grow in our faith. However, our guest on this episode of the podcast has a different perspective on how we grow in our faith. Our interviewee David Mathis points to grace as the means for growth in faith. Grace is abundantly available to us each day, and it us by the grace of God that we enjoy Jesus. There are a variety of things we can strive to do everyday to enjoy Jesus, but so often as many of us seek those "things" we end up falling into legalism. Enjoying Jesus is not about doing something, but rather it's about engaging with His grace. There are three seemingly unremarkable principles that can shape and strengthen our Christian life: 1) Hearing His voice. 2) Having His ear. 3) Belonging to His body. In his recent book, Habits of Grace, David Mathis talks about the importance of listening to God’s voice, speaking to him in prayer, and joining toge

The last several episodes of the podcast have been a mini-series on the doctrine of the physical resurrection of Jesus from the dead, including several evidences for the resurrection and responses to several common attacks from skeptics and liberal theologians. This is the capstone episode, bringing the mini-series to a close. In this episode, Kenny answers the question: "Why do I believe in the resurrection of Jesus?" highlighting the eye witness accounts from the people who saw Him on planet Earth after He rose from the dead. And then Kenny outlines why this doctrine matters so much. Kenny asserts that the resurrection is the lynch-pin of the Christian faith, the foundation upon which our entire faith rises and falls. There is no doctrine more important to examine, critique, defend, and embrace than the resurrection of Jesus. Recommended Books: - The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus (by Gary R. Habermas and Michael Licona) - Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of th

Over the last several episodes, Kenny has been in a mini-series about the evidences for the physical resurrection of Jesus. There are three common theories used by skeptics and liberal theologians to attack the validity and credibility of the traditional resurrection story. Those three common attacks are: 1) The Swoon Theory 2) The Stolen Body Theory 3) The Wrong Tomb Theory In this episode, Kenny explains the basics of all three theories and thoroughly explains why he rejects them. Kenny highlights several concessions made by skeptics that point to the credibility of the resurrection as well as outlining the reasons why these three theories are simply illogical, and in some ways they ignore several well-documented historical facts. The most rational and most logical explanation for the events of the first century is the fact that Jesus did indeed raise from the dead. Recommended Books: - The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict (Josh McDowell) - The God Who is There (Frances Schaeffer) - The Resurrec

Can you imagine if the world's biggest terrorist, all of a sudden, based upon an experience he claims to have had, changed his mind about his ideology? What if the biggest enemy of a particular group of people, all of a sudden, became their biggest advocate? Well, this is exactly what happened in the first century with a man named Saul of Tarsus. In this episode, Kenny examines the conversion of a man named Saul and his transformation into becoming the Apostle Paul. Saul was the biggest enemy of the church; he was zealous and passionate about stopping the spread of Christianity. But he would later become the biggest proponent of the church and did more to spread Christianity than anyone else in human history. Why did he transform? Because he saw the resurrected Jesus!

Some skeptics and opponents of Christianity will concede that the early Christians did in fact believe that they had seen the resurrected Jesus Christ, but that those early Christians were actually hallucinating. Some critical scholars will claim that the early Christians, led by the disciples, were so passionate about their movement that they began to see visions of Jesus after His death, and therefore they began to proclaim that Jesus had risen from the dead. In this episode, Kenny examines this claim. When we rationally consider the facts surrounding the claims of the early Christians about the resurrection of Jesus, as well as what we know about how hallucinations take place, we begin to quickly see that this skeptical claim cannot be true. Recommend Resources: The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus (by Gary R. Habermas and Michael Licona) Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church (by N. T. Wright)  

This episode is a part of the mini-series on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Herein Kenny examines the historical nature and historical evolution of the holiday that we now called Easter Sunday. There are many contemporary revisionist historians and liberal theologians that would seek to discredit the Christian faith by making claims that the early church did not celebrate the same things we celebrate today, and more importantly, that the early Christians supposedly did not believe the same things we believe today. However, there is substantial historical evidences that show that the early Christians did indeed believe in the physical resurrection of Jesus and that they celebrated the resurrection each year as an official holiday. In this episode, Kenny covers the history of the lustful, warring goddess known as Eostre, tracing back to the days of Nimrod in ancient cities such as Babel and Ninevah, and the influence that specific goddess had in ancient Germanic and Old Saxon tribes as well. Kenny does c

There are many skeptics that claim the resurrection never happened, but rather it was a fabrication by the early Christians, led by the Apostles. But this does not make sense. When we consider the persecution they faced, it is both illogical and irrational to believe that they would have conspired to fabricate it. In this episode, Kenny examines several elements surrounding the resurrection narrative. As we study this, we see that it is more likely than not that the early Christians did indeed see the resurrected Jesus. Recommend Resources: The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus (by Gary R. Habermas and Michael Licona) Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church (by N. T. Wright)

The central and foundational truth upon which Christianity is built is the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the lynch-pin of our faith. If Jesus did not raise from the dead, then Christianity is false. The question has been asked many times: What are the evidences for the resurrection? In addition, many people have asked: Are there any historical documents or reliable ancient sources that mention the death and resurrection of Jesus? In this episode, Kenny interviews lawyer and evangelist Dr. John Morris about the historical extra-biblical evidences that do indeed point to the life, death, and physical resurrection of Jesus. Recommended Resources: - Check out Dr. John Morris' new book: Resurrected! - Check out Dr. John Morris' Website: http://yourgreatgrace.net  

In this episode, Kenny records on-location, from Guatemala City, while on a mission trip. He talks about the importance of loving people from all over the world, not just your own backyard. Kenny makes the point that God loves all peoples, and if we are going to be His followers and His ambassadors, then we need to love the same things that He loves, mainly all the peoples of the Earth. Recommended Resources: - Radical (by David Platt)

Our special guest in this episode Alexis Muscarella covers the topic of suffering and the importance of viewing suffering as an opportunity to know God better. As she has faced a myriad of health issues in her life, including many weeks spent in a hospital, she has found herself in multiple "bad circumstances" where she was faced with grappling through her own understanding of suffering. Alexis says that she has come to learn and discover many different ways to face suffering, many different attitudes, but embracing suffering as an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of God's character and nature is the only attitude that leads to a stronger relationship with God. Alexis says that pretty much every other possible attitude typically leads to bitterness. Suffering can be negative or positive. It can be an opportunity to fracture our relationship with God in a very bad way or it can be the opportunity to strengthen our faith; the result typically depends on our posture towards God in the face of tough t

There are a variety of theories surrounding Judas, the disciple whom betrayed Jesus. Sometimes the question arises: Is Judas in heaven or hell? Most Christians assume that Judas is in hell, but the Bible doesn't clearly state that. In this episode, Kenny addresses why we cannot know for sure where Judas went. Some say that Satan entered Judas, so that is evidence that he's in hell. Others say that he's definitely in hell because he betrayed Jesus, but in this episode Kenny highlights the fact that Peter betrayed Jesus by his denial, and many of us betray Jesus everyday of our lives with our actions. Some people say Judas repented, so he must be in heaven, but we're not so sure that he really repented. It does appear that he felt guilty for what he did, but was it only regret? Or was it true repentance? We're not sure. Feeling bad for your mistakes doesn't automatically equate to true Biblical repentance. Others say that Judas is in hell because he committed suicide, but no where in the Bible are we told th

Ever wonder what God thinks of you? Or what type of potential He sees in you? The answer is simple: God sees greatness in you, and it's because He put it there. In this short episode, Kenny explains what we learn about ourselves from the simple name changing of an inconsistent fisherman named Simon, whom Jesus renamed "Peter" which can be translated "rock" or "big boulder." Many times in the Bible, God changed someone's name because He was calling them to live out a new mission or identify with a new identity that God was giving them. This is exactly what Jesus was doing with Simon, seeing in him some great potential that no one else saw. Everyone else saw Simon, Jesus saw Peter.

The topic of money is a controversial topic within Christians circles, but it is far too important to ignore. This topic demands a quality Biblical response and examination. In this episode, Kenny tackles the topic by making it clear that Christians should not ever tithe, but rather we should cheerfully and sacrificially give generously; giving to causes that spread the Gospel. Kenny dives into the actual meaning of the word "tithe" and the Hebrew words that we translate into English as "tenth" or "tithe" throughout the Old Testament. He then examines the Old Testament Law that required multiple types of tithes from the land, not general income; he also explains that those monies were generally earmarked for these three items: 1- One tithe for the Levites 2- One tithe for the use of the temple and the feasts 3- One tithe for the poor people The tithe laws only applied to those in the land of Israel, and they were a part of the Old Covenant, therefore they do not apply to Christians today. But the princi

The Church is the group of people who are followers of Jesus, called to "live life" together. Christians are called to meet together on a regular basis for worship, prayer, fellowship, building relationships, hearing teachings, and for the sacraments (ie: baptism and communion). We as Christians are at our best when we have quality Christ-centered friendships in our regular everyday lives to challenge us and encourage us. Jesus and His Apostles established the Church to be for all people, from any ethnic group or nation, that wanted to be followers of Jesus. In this episode, our guest Tori Mayo talks about how the concept of the local church has been attacked in our contemporary culture, and he answers the question as to why being a part of a local church is so important. Tori is the Lead Pastor at The Well in Austin, TX. Tori tells us that the local church is God's preferred manner to grow us and build us up as believers. He talks about several key elements: the process of sanctification being cultivated

In this short episode, Kenny answers the question as to why we attend church services on Sundays opposed to any other day of the week. The Bible encourages us to meet with other believers on a regular basis for things such as prayer, worship, teaching, fellowship, and the sacraments (ie: baptism and communion). The early Church were mostly Jews, so they observed the Sabbath (Friday evening thru Saturday evening). They were already accustomed to doing these sorts of things. However, because Jesus Christ rose from the dead on a Sunday morning, it became tradition to meet together every Sunday morning for corporate worship and to hear preaching from one of the Apostles, in honor of the Resurrection of our Lord. Many of the Gentile churches began to follow that tradition. It is important to note that Christians are never commanded to worship on any particular day, it was the common practice and tradition of the early Church to do so. Because we value the heritage that we have inherited from the early believers,