Are you afraid of the second coming of Jesus? You might have been taught a fearful eschatology. The book of Revelation should not be a scary thing for the Christian. Instead, we should find ourselves encouraged and our hope strengthened by our study of it. Join Jon and Justin in a conversation with Rev. Chris Gordon from Abounding Grace Radio in this podcast from the January 2024 Theocast/AG Radio Conference, “Suffering & The Hope of Christ’s Return.”
Do you ever feel like you know a lot about Jesus–but you can’t remember the last time you felt that he loves you? Has doctrine ever felt cold to you? Have you ever been tempted to pit doctrine and experience against each other? If you answered “yes” to any of those questions, today’s podcast is for you. Jon and Justin have a conversation about Jesus and his love for us. The guys make an effort to pull us into God’s story of redemption and into the way Christ loves us.
For many people, reading the Bible can feel like a burden. It seems that the whole conversation around Bible reading is riddled with guilt and shame. It shouldn’t be that way. It is good that we would know and love the Word of God! It is important that we, as Christians, be regularly engaging with the Word. That said, there are a number of ways that we can do that. Jon and Justin consider how we are called to know, love, and obey the Word in today’s episode.
Every year around Christmastime, Christians love to argue about the song “Mary, Did You Know?” That’s another conversation for another day. (Mary did know some things, but she didn’t know everything.) A more significant question is, “Satan, did you know?” Did you know that Christ was bruising your head at the cross? How much did Satan know of the gospel? Jon and Justin talk about the victory of Christ over Satan in today’s episode.
When you assess your life and your sanctification, do you conclude that there’s no way you could be God’s child? If so, it is possible that the categories of the law and the gospel have not been clearly explained for you. In today’s episode, Jon and Justin have a conversation with Josh Sommer (host of The Baptist Broadcast) about the law/gospel distinction and sanctification.
Perfect love casts our fear. And certainly, the love of God for us is perfect. Yet, fear reigns often–in our hearts before God and even in our relationships with others in the church. Here’s the thing, fear is actually a hindrance to repentance. Are you having a hard time repenting? The answer is not fear and dread. The answer is to lean into the love of God for us. United to Christ, trusting his righteousness, we walk by the Spirit. And there is freedom unto repentance.
Happy New Year from us here at Theocast! We assume that you might’ve had some difficult conversations over the holidays about Jesus or about matters of theology and the Christian life. In light of that, how should we approach disagreement–amongst our family and friends, or even in our churches? (Hint: patience, gentleness, and love are generally useful.)
It matters how we live as Christians. In light of Jesus–because he has saved us and because he loves us–how do we live our lives? What is our purpose? What is our mission? Why do we pursue obedience and holiness? Does God have a plan for our lives? Jon and Justin talk about all of this in today’s episode. We hope it encourages and motivates you to live for the sake of the kingdom of Christ.
Christmas isn’t always the happiest time of year for everyone. Some grieve each year as December shows up on their calendar. How should we, as Christians, view this holiday when we suffer? How do we find joy when there seems to be nothing to celebrate? Jon provides the hope of the gospel for those who are struggling. Joy can be found, but it may not be in presents or hallmark endings but in the love of Christ.
Many people raise sincere, well-intentioned concerns toward us here at Theocast–and toward other confessional Reformed believers–that perhaps we don’t talk enough about obedience. Or that there isn’t enough application of Scripture being done, as it pertains to our personal conduct and holiness. How would Jon and Justin respond to these concerns? The guys have that conversation in today’s episode.
Jon picks up where he left off last week, “Feel like quitting?” He walks the listener through the hope of the Gospel and how it fuels our lives in the Kingdom. Life is not about what we can see and feel but what is true and in our future. How does the Kingdom bring us true joy and hope?
Fairly regularly, we see posts or correspondence discouraging people from listening to Theocast because this podcast attracts those whose lives are shipwrecked. From our perspective, we are happy to receive such a compliment. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. He came to save sinners. He came for the weak and frail. He came for those who were weighed down by guilt and shame. This is the gospel. And, here’s the thing: it is anything but the celebration and condoning of sin.
Have you hit the point where nothing in life seems to matter anymore? Even faith seems pointless. Every day seems worse than the day before. In this episode, Jon speaks on how easy it is for all Christians to fall into this trap and how it happens. What hope is there for us? How does the Kingdom of Christ help us through these times?
If you think the “meat of the word” is about our obedience and what we do, this episode is for you. Jon and Justin explain how holiness and obedience is a fruit of our growth in Christ–but how to eat the meat of the word is to grow in our understanding of the gospel of Christ, our union with Christ, the mystery of Christ, and even of the local church.
Why were the outcasts of the culture drawn to Jesus? Why did they consider him to be their friend? In today’s episode, Jon speaks to how the gospel should be the sweat aroma that draws sinners to us, not repel them away. Those who know they are saved by grace should be the most pleasant to be around in the world, but often they feel judged and confused. We love sinners, but we do not affirm their sin. We point to the rest found in Christ, which is freedom from sin.
In this episode, Jon and Justin sit down with Kelsi Klembara of 1517 (host of “Outside Ourselves”). The guys talk personally about their own experiences in the church and how they came to grow in their understanding of Christ and the gospel. After that, the conversation centers on the clarity of the gospel but covers a number of topics, including trends in the contemporary church, half-gospels, the sacraments, and what’s going on with people in our generation.
What does it mean to be an antinomian? Can we emphasize grace so much that we keep people from obeying? In this episode, Jon explains what antinomianism historically means and how Theocast and the Reformed Tradition have never been antinomian. The actual danger is believing the law can change the heart toward Christ instead of the gospel. We use the gospel to motivate our obedience, not fear or doubt.
Life under the sun is often brutally hard. We live in a world where we bury our children. Only an insane person would look around and say that everything is as it should be. So, what hope do we have? The hope is not for anything in this life or in this world. The hope is in the life–and the world–to come. Jon and Justin have a very personal and pastoral conversation about hope in the midst of heartbreak and pain. Jesus has promised us that he has gone to prepare a place for us and that he will bring us to be with him where he is. We take him at his word.
In a war, the truth can determine who wins. In this war against Satan, if we are not clear on what the power of the gospel truly is, we will not be set free by it. Satan has been adding to the gospel for two thousand years, but not lies we would recognize. He adds God’s law into the gospel. Commands we know are good and healthy, but not when it comes to the gospel. Only grace is attached to the gospel, not the law. In This episode, Jon explains how the gospel being confused with the law is a tactic by Satan to confuse and discourage the soldiers of the King.
There are many believers who think that the longer they are Christians, the less they will sin. More than that, the battle against sin will get easier. But, if we’re honest, we all know sin remains–and that the battle rages on. Christians are, at the same time, saints and sinners. Today’s episode is a conversation amongst four pastors about how understanding the saint/sinner reality informs pastoral ministry, fosters real sanctification, and produces honesty and compassion in the church.
