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

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 upon using the theological concept of a "covenant" as an organizing principle for Christian theology. Kenny specifically explains the primary covenants that God uses to relate to people: the Covenant of Works, which was established with Adam in the Garden of Eden and applies to humanity by default, and the Covenant of Grace, which is the covenant God uses to interact with and govern His people, the people of faith. (Note: There is a third covenant that Kenny mentions in this episode, but plans to elaborate upon that covenant in a future separate episode.) Covenant theologians assert that covenants in the Old Testam

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 people, and how should we feel towards them, in light of the fact that they rejected Jesus?

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. In this episode, Kenny dives into the context of Matthew 12 in order to give us insight into this question. There are several views of this passage but the view that seems most consistent with the rest of the New Testament is the idea that the only sin that God will not forgive is unbelief. The very nature of unbelief indicates that God cannot forgive it. The unpardonable sin is simply the complete and final rejection of Jesus Christ as the Messiah.

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 financially wealth. Many contemporary preachers would lead you to believe that your enjoyment and your financial resources are God's #1 priority... but His #1 priority is not you! God is consumed with His own glory and His own fame... that should also be our #1 priority. Misunderstanding this truth can lead people to continually cultivate a desire for something(s) that may or may not be what God wants for you. The prosperity gospel is consumed with material blessings, which cultivates desires in us that will ultimately lead to "ruin and destruction" but right Gospel preaching leads people to being willing to sacrifice all for the

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 his dentist to explain how sin numbs our souls and impacts our spiritual health. Highlighted Passages 1 Timothy 4:1-2 Ecclesiastes 3:11 Romans 2:15-16  

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, Christian worldview, and leadership development. He gives us three primary reasons why the Bible ought to be trusted: 1- Jesus substantiated the Scriptures. 2- The reliability of the New Testament manuscripts. 3- The living and active nature of the Bible. Kenneth Freire has a Bachelors degree in Biblical Studies from Liberty University and an M.Div. from Regent University. He has more than eight years of experience with leadership development, having trained over 500 men and women in leadership and theology. Kenneth Freire currently serves as a part of the staff team at Bethany Global University in Minneapolis,

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 way, God speaking to us or guiding us? In this episode, Kenny highlights both the scientific and metaphysical explanations for this phenomenon. Kenny also addresses the wrong assumption and false belief that this phenomenon could somehow be evidence for reincarnation (see Hebrews 9:27-28). Kenny also gives us a great reminder that the only spiritual experience that we ought to be seeking is the cultivation of personal friendship and intimate communion with the Holy Spirit.

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 episode, Kenny dives into one specific Bible character that some people say seems suicidal; that is the Old Testament man named Job, whom suffered greatly after God gave Satan permission to attack Job. After facing much pain and suffering, Job certainly seemed to be "done with life" but to say that he was suicidal doesn't quite seem fair. Many times Job vented his frustrations to God, he lamented, and he even wrongly cursed the day of his birth, but many times Job would later acknowledge God's sovereign hand and God's right to determine when Job would die. Job often acknowledged the power and the majesty of God, w

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 condemnation of any act of selling a human and/or treating any person like property (see Exodus 21:16), so to say that the Bible does not condemn slavery is simply inaccurate. Then Kenny specifically contrasts and highlights the distinction between the ancient Roman practice of slavery that would have surrounded the writers of the New Testament and the modern forms of slavery that we today are much more familiar with, such as the African slave trade of the 17th and 18th centuries. Understanding the historical context gives you better insight into the passages of the New Testament that relate to slavery. Kenny finishes the episo

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 and how we as Christians ought to approach love of country. For modern American Christians in particular, there might not be an issue more complicated or wrapped-up in history and politics than patriotism. Even saying the word patriotism in any gathering of Christians is likely to garner as many responses as there are people. A love for one's country is looked upon with both reverence and revulsion, depending on who you talk to about it... and Kenny believes that both sides seem to have good reasons for their positions. So how ought Christians think about patriotism? Kenny dives into the idea of having 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. But it is important to remember that whatever happens to our body after we are dead has no impact on our eternal destination. We also know that one Jesus will return to Earth and give new bodies to all those who were united with Him. Our souls will be reunited with our bodies, therefore no matter which we choose, burial or cremation, our new bodies will be perfect. With all this stated, Kenny recommends we choose burials whenever possible because it follows the biblical pattern followed by the Old Testament saints and the pattern observed by the early Christians.

"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 said many things, but there is one verse from his writings that is most commonly quoted within certain modern Christian circles. That verse that is famously quoted is Jeremiah 29:11, often used as a proof-text to demonstrate that God always wants us to prosper. In this episode, Kenny tackles the question head on: Does Jeremiah 29:11 apply to Christian believers today? If so, how does it apply? Kenny makes the point that the verse does indeed point to the fact that, overall, God wants good things for His people... He loves His people... He favors his people... just like any good daddy, God loves showering His children with goodness. He'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 confidence do we have that we will not ever sin when we are in heaven? In this episode, Kenny answers this question by making sure that we understand that it is not the place that keeps us from sinning, but rather the state we find ourselves in once we are in eternity. Once we are in heaven we will be fully transformed, given new bodies, and enter into a state of holy perfection. This will protect us from sin and this shall only be made possible by the power of Christ at work within us. Highlighted Passages: Philippians 3:21 Jude 1:24 Revelation 21:27 1 Timothy 5:21  

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 contests? Why or Why not? In this episode, Kenny gives a thorough response to the topic of gambling. The Bible does not directly label these contests or games as sinful, but as with many things in life, we need to examine the topic more closely before indulging. Kenny opens the episode giving us an important warning about gambling addictions. Just like addictions to drugs or porn, addictions to gambling have destroyed families, therefore we must be extremely cautious and careful before participating. Kenny encourages anyone dealing with a gambling addiction to immediately seek help from a church elder or visit www.gamblersanonymous.org. The B

Did Jesus have physical siblings? If so, wouldn't that prove that Mary was not a virgin for her entire life? And, if that is the case, why do Catholics still refer to her as the "Virgin Mary" even though she conceived and gave birth to several children after Jesus? These questions and thoughts came to Kenny by email from a listener. In this episode, Kenny makes the point that Jesus did indeed have physical siblings, children of Mary and her husband Joseph. Catholics have been known to have a deep reverence for Mary, the mother of Jesus. Mary was very deserving of honor for her role in God's redemptive story, however some of the beliefs embraced by Catholics (and some other Christians) about her "perpetual virginity" may not be a Biblically-founded doctrine. Some other Christians may not embrace the doctrine of her perpetual virginity, however they may still refer to her as the "Virgin Mary" simply a sign of respect, although she clearly was not a virgin for her entire life. The Biblical evidences for Jesu

In this episode, Kenny responds to a regular listener asking about giving to charities. Kenny opens the episode by making it clear that Christians should be extremely generous; God has given us so much, we ought to demonstrate His generosity by choosing to be generous to others. There is no set amount that we ought to give, but we should seek to be sacrificial in how we give. There are no shortage of options when it comes to organizations that are in need of money, so where should we give our money? Kenny gives us three primary places where we ought to consider giving: 1- Your local church. 2- Missionaries that you know personally or missions organizations that you trust. 3- Any cause or campaign focusing on social justice that reflects well on the Gospel. Kenny's encouragement and advice to believers: Determine a vision for what types of causes that you want to give towards, based on your personal passions and the specific arenas that grab your heart, and then seek to give as much as possible to those t

Throughout the Scriptures we see these supernatural creatures called "angels" highly involved in a variety of things that God is doing with and through His own people. While we don't have a lot of specific information about angels, there are plenty of things about them that we can observe. In this episode, as a response to an e-mail from a regular listener, Kenny tells about these creatures, their nature, and their purpose. Angels are supernatural spiritual creatures that God employs in His service to accomplish tasks as God sees fit to employ them. They are living beings with personality, intellect, emotions, and their own sense of determination. They are powerful, but not omnipotent. They are wise, but not omniscient. We don't know precisely how many angels there are, but we do know that there are a lot of them; maybe thousands, or maybe even billions. We know a few of their names, such as Gabriel, Michael, and Lucifer (check out episode 17), but overall we don't know much about specific angels. They we

Throughout the centuries God revealed His truth to certain people, and in most cases those persons documented the revealed truth. Typically the truth was revealed for some specific contemporary purposes, but those truths were also typically transcendent and therefore valuable to all peoples of any time period. God did this many times throughout the pages of the Old Testament through the prophets. Any time God revealed some element of truth to His people, this was referred to as a form of revelation. One of the greatest forms of revelation we have ever received has come through the writers of the New Testament, after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, giving us the clarity of the full Gospel message and its implications. In this episode, Kenny explains that we, as orthodox Christians, believe that the "cannon has been closed" ever since the death of the last Apostle; meaning there will be no more new writings ever added to the Bible. The Apostles and the New Testament writers were the last group of p

Throughout the Bible we see several moments when God spoke to people through dreams and visions. Does God still do this? Does He still speak to people in this manner? In this episode, Kenny reminds us that the Bible is sufficient in terms of knowing what God desires from us. The Scriptures must always be the ultimate authority in our lives when it comes to determining the will of God and determining what we believe to be absolute truth, therefore we should not ever expect God to speak to us through a dream or vision in order to directly reveal any new truth to us. We should not be getting our primary spiritual guidance or our doctrine through dreams. However, there is nothing in the Bible that ought to lead us to believe that God has stopped doing this as a secondary manner of getting people's attention and helping them see that Jesus is indeed the only way to God. In addition, there have been some contemporary accounts of people around the world seeing dreams that eventually points them to the Gospel. Whi