Theology for the Rest of Us

Latest Episodes:

218: Should We Approach a Heretic in Our Church? Jun 01, 2017

Show notes

Dealing with heresies and dealing with those individuals whom espouse heresies is something that the church has been dealing with since the church’s inception. In this episode, Kenny explains how we should deal with modern heresies, and more specifically, how we ought to approach or deal with those people asserting or promoting the heresy.

217: Should A Christian Business Owner Be Forced to Do Business with Gay People? May 31, 2017

Show notes

As a part of an on going mini-series on issues related to homosexuality, Kenny addresses the questions around Christian business owners being forced to serve same-sex weddings, as well as other events, that may violate their own Biblical or ideological convictions.

Kenny believes that business owners, of any religious or political conviction, should be allowed to do business with whomever they please, for whatever reason they see fit, in whatever manner they see fit, and that the federal government ought not be involved in such matters unless it is a matter of life and death. Kenny outlines how his notions are rooted in paleoconservationism ideology, libertarian ideals, and John Locke’s assertions about natural rights. Kenny makes the case that all of the American founding documents are rooted in these same ideologies.

Kenny points out several cases where Christian business owners have been sued or put out of business for refusing to serve a same-sex wedding, and compares it to a recent dress designer who refused to make a dress for Melania Trump for the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump. The most famous case to date is the case of Arlene’s Flowers wherein the florist refused to sell flowers to a gay couple for their same-sex wedding.

Kenny points out the hypocrisy evident in many modern secular progressive groups and the inconsistency in their ideology. Kenny also makes the legal case as to why it is not illegal (and neither is it a form of discrimination) for any business owner to refuse to do business with any person engaged in an action that violates the religious or ideological convictions of that business owner, regardless if the action is sexual or otherwise.

216: Should I Ever Attend a Same-Sex Wedding? May 06, 2017

Show notes

Mainstream views on homosexuality have shifted significantly in contemporary society over the past decade. Being homosexual is viewed as being perfectly normal, and even celebrated, by many people. Now, with the legalization of same-sex marriage, many Christians have asked: Should a Christian ever attend a same-sex marriage ceremony?

This could be a tough question because there are a lot of emotions involved and wrapped up in the situation, and there possibly could be the risk that certain relationships could be fractured.

Some people say that we should not ever attend because it endorses sin and causes people to believe that we affirm homosexual behavior. Others might say that we ought to attend same-sex weddings as an act of evangelism and charity. And other people might attend without ever really considering whether it is right or wrong. How should we respond? Should we attend?

In this episode, Kenny gives a clear answer with careful focus on the importance of having a Biblical worldview and with sensitivity towards Christians who are friends with gay people that are getting married.

Recommended Resources:

What’s the Meaning of Sex (Denny Burk)

Transforming Homosexuality (Denny Burk & Heath Lambert)

What Does the Bible Really Teach about Homosexuality? (by Kevin DeYoung)

Is Gay the New Black? (Voddie Baucham) (Video)

How Can Homosexuality Be Wrong If It Doesn’t Harm Anyone? (Video)

215: Are Gay People Born Gay? May 03, 2017

Show notes

Lots of gay people claim that their inclinations and affections for the same gender are feelings that they have experienced since they were very young. Most would claim: “I was born this way!”

In this episode, Kenny responds to this thought process by answering some common question that have come from a variety of people and sources in reference to homosexuality and those individuals who profess to be gay. The questions that are often asked: Are gay people born gay? Or do they “turn” gay through life experiences? Or is it just a choice?

For much of the history of modern Western civilization, homosexuality has been considered sinful or immoral, or at minimum there has been a cultural stigma attached to homosexuality. This has begun to shift significantly over the last few decades. Many gay people claim that, since they are born this way, all of us must consider homosexuality natural and embrace it as normative.

The response by many Evangelical Christians has been to claim that being gay is simply a choice or merely the manifestation of some abuse. In doing this, Evangelicals have taken the spotlight off of the proper angle of this issue. Kenny makes clear that the question about whether gay people are born gay is simply the wrong question to ask because, from an orthodox Christian worldview, it ought to be irrelevant. We are all born with some sin patterns and propensities for sin. The question ought not be: “Are we born this way” but rather “What does the Bible say about this issue?”

Recommended Resources:

What’s the Meaning of Sex (Denny Burk)

Transforming Homosexuality (Denny Burk & Heath Lambert)

What Does the Bible Really Teach about Homosexuality? (by Kevin DeYoung)

Is Gay the New Black? (Voddie Baucham) (Video)

How Can Homosexuality Be Wrong If It Doesn’t Harm Anyone? (Video)

214: Should We Get Angry When We’re Labeled Bigots for Our View on Homosexual Behavior? May 01, 2017

Show notes

Contemporary western society is becoming increasingly more hostile towards the Gospel and increasingly more accepting of alternative lifestyles. People who stand for traditional Biblical morality and orthodox Biblical convictions are going to be called all sorts of derogatory names. There is no genre or topic in which this will be more applicable than in the arena of sexuality, especially any topics related to the LGBTQ community. How should Biblical Christians respond?

Many people may ask, “Why do you hate gay and lesbian people?” The truth is not that we hate, but rather that we stand for Biblical truth, and God’s ideal for marriage and the family. We orthodox Biblical Christians are going to labeled bigots, homophobic, hateful, old-fashioned, oppressive, etc. because we are seen as hating gay men and women. In this episode, Kenny clearly outlines how we ought to respond in those moments, when we are labeled as being bigots. Should we get angry? What should we do?

213: Is Homosexual Behavior Unique From Other Sins? Apr 26, 2017

Show notes

The cultural stigma around homosexuality has lessened significantly over the past few years in Western society, but certainly still remains. And the cultural stigma that is around homosexuality and same-sex relationships seems to be different than the stigma around any other sins or other sexual behaviors.

There are many sexual choices that conservative Evangelical Christians would typically label as being outside of God’s ideal design, but homosexuality seems to be viewed differently (or even sometimes viewed as being worse). But is this a Biblical idea? Is homosexual activity different than other sins? Is it worse? Is being gay or lesbian worse than other things outside of God’s ideal design?

In this episode, Kenny explains that all sins have some level of equality in their eternal consequences, but not all sins are necessarily completely equal in terms of the ramifications they have on our lives. Kenny then explains:

1- Sexual sin is unique from other sins, which includes homosexuality and gay lifestyles, but sexual sin also includes all forms of lust, objectifying any human being, adultery, pornography, bestiality, pedophilia, and certain forms masturbation (or the inappropriate thoughts that typically the accompany masturbation).

2- Homosexuality is unique from many other sins because the view about it has changed rapidly in our culture and being gay or lesbian is now being celebrated by large portions of the population in Western culture.

Recommended Resources:

What’s the Meaning of Sex (Denny Burk)

Transforming Homosexuality (Denny Burk & Heath Lambert)

What Does the Bible Really Teach about Homosexuality? (by Kevin DeYoung)

Is Gay the New Black? (Voddie Baucham) (Video)

How Can Homosexuality Be Wrong If It Doesn’t Harm Anyone? (Video)

212: Is It Wrong to Hate Homosexuality? Apr 24, 2017

Show notes

There has been a moral revolution in America over the last few years, changing how people view homosexuality and other related topics. One recent expectation is the idea of complete “tolerance” of all sexual perspectives. But doesn’t the Bible tell us that certain sins are an “abomination” to the Lord? If so, how should we feel about the culture shift? And how should we feel towards sexual sin such as homosexuality?

In this episode, Kenny launches a mini-series about homosexuality, answering several questions brought up by regular listeners. The first question Kenny tackles is the idea of hating homosexuality. Is it Biblical to hate homosexuality? Should we hate it more or less than other sins? Kenny answers this by giving us four insights:

1- We should want people to experience God’s best for them, and our passion for God’s design in sexuality should supersede our passion to be against homosexuality

2- We should hate all sin and should find all sin disgusting

3- We should ask God for his grace and power to see a person separate from their sin; we ought to seek to separate a person’s sinful choices from that person’s identity

4- We ought to hate our own sin more than another person’s sin

Recommended Resources:

What’s the Meaning of Sex (Denny Burk)

Transforming Homosexuality (Denny Burk & Heath Lambert)

What Does the Bible Really Teach about Homosexuality? (by Kevin DeYoung)

Is Gay the New Black? (Voddie Baucham) (Video)

How Can Homosexuality Be Wrong If It Doesn’t Harm Anyone? (Video)

211: Motherhood As a Spiritual Discipline with Catherine McNiel Apr 22, 2017

Show notes

Parenting is one of the greatest privileges, and one of the greatest responsibilities, that God has given to human beings. If you are a parent you know how hard parenting can be, and how tough it is to feel like you’re being a good spiritual leader to your kids as well. But even the little mundane tasks can be used by God for His glory and for the good of your kids.

In this episode, our host Kenny interviews author and blogger Catherine McNiel about viewing parenthood (more specifically, motherhood) as a spiritual discipline. The busyness of parenting feels like it encroaches on our ability to practice spiritual disciplines, but the tasks of being a good parent themselves can be spiritual and sacred if we choose to view them that way.

As a mother of three, Catherine knows how it feels to miss out on your “quiet time” with the Lord. She even confesses to occasionally escaping to the bathroom, just to get a few minutes of alone time. But what if we viewed the mundane tasks of parenting and motherhood as being spiritual? How would that change our lives and our families?

Check out Catherine McNiel’s website: CatherineMcNiel.com

210: Why Am I Against the Death Penalty? Apr 10, 2017

Show notes

Typically, American Evangelicals are conservative in their theology and conservative in their politics as well. That means that most American Evangelicals support the typical conservative position which endorses capital punishment (aka: the death penalty).

In this episode, Kenny explains that he is overall very conservative in both his politics and theology, but herein he outlines why he differs from his conservative friends in this one arena of politics.

209: Is it Sinful to Want to be Dead? Apr 08, 2017

Show notes

In this episode, Kenny answers an email from a regular listener about the desire for death. Kenny first responds with some pastoral wisdom for anyone feeling this way. Then Kenny reminds us of the importance of remembering the fact that we are made in the image of God and the importance of promoting a culture of life.

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