Reconnect

Is government redistribution of wealth stealing?  Show Links:"A Fork to Feed, a Scapel to Heal, or a Sword to Protect?" by Wes BarefordMartin Luther's Large Catechism - "The Seventh Commandment" "A Voter's Guide to the Ten Commandments" by Bryan WolfmuellerVirtue in the Wasteland - a podcast co-hosted by Wes' professor for Theology 565, Jeff Mallinson.  "How Do I Know I am a Christian?" - Reconnect Episode 19 with Wes and George

Maybe when you see a fill-in the blank about God not being something, or someone, your mind runs to fill it in with something akin to the title of the 2007 Christopher Hitchens’ book, God is not Good. Maybe you’d fill in the blank by saying something like “God is not a merciful, forgiving God.” This is certainly what Richard Dawkins thinks, as he wrote in his bestselling book, The God Delusion: “The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.” But that’s not what this episode is about at all! This episode looks at false views of God emerging from within the Church. Christians, in our sinfulness, far too often approach God in ways that are contrary to how he is revealed to us in Scripture. Sometimes, these prese

Wil Hunemuller wrote a blog post entitled, “Smoking to the Glory of God”. I shared it to my Facebook page, Contradict – They Can’t All Be True. The comment section exploded! Many Christians on my page argued that smoking is a sin. The arguments that smoking is addictive and harmful to one’s health were the two most recurring arguments to support the sinfulness of smoking. The verse that was often cited for smoking being a sin due to the bodily harm it is known to cause was 1 Corinthians 6:19, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” No verse was supplied by the commenters who said smoking was sinful because it’s addictive. The verse I think that shows us that addiction can be sinful is 1 Corinthians 6:12, which says, “"I have the right to do anything," you say--but not everything is beneficial. "I have the right to do anything"--but I will not be mastered by anything.” I believe the closing line about not being mastered by anything

The Bible teaches that God created all things. The Bible also teaches that his existence is known by everyone from what he has made, but men have exchanged this truth for a lie. (Romans 1) The beauty and design evident within nature screams for there to be a Creator. Looking beyond intelligent design, observation tells us that life does not come from non-life. There must be a God. Primal Pastures is a family run farm in Murrieta, CA. They are one of many farms that are growing crops and raising livestock following God’s plan for farming. Andy’s guest for this episode, Paul Greive, one of Primal Pastures’ farmers shares more about this design for growing food that God has built into his creation. Since Reconnect is a podcast dedicated to sharing and defending the Good News of Jesus Christ, there is a connection to sharing the Christian faith that Paul shares often arises on Primal Pastures’ farm tours. Show Links: Primal Pastures Paul Greive’s Concordia University Irvine Bio and Primal Pastures Article

Articles Against Theistic Evolution: Theistic Evolution Articles (answersingenesis.org) "Is it Necessary to Believe in a Literal Adam and a Literal Fall?" (blog.answersingenesis.org) "Couldn't have God Used Evolution?" (answersingenesis.org) "Why Shouldn't Christians Accept Millions of Years?" (answersingenesis.org) Articles For Theistic Evolution: "Is Evolution a 'Salvation Issue'? The Bible is Clear, Despite Young Earth Creationist's (YEC's) Attempt to Muddy its Message"(godofevolution.com) "Is Evolution Unworthy of the God of the Bible and the Christian Faith?" (godofevolution.com) Analysis Questions: What is theistic evolution? Can you be saved and go to heaven if you believe in theistic evolution? What dangers/theological problems is there in believing in theistic evolution? Is it possible that God could have used evolution to eventually create man? How does the following statement apply to the issue of theistic evolution? "Filling in where the text doesn't speak and speculating is not interpre

There are in fact twelve days of Christmas.  In the Western Church calendar, the twelve days of Christmas start on Dec. 25th and end on January 5th.  A break down of the days are as follows:Dec. 25 - ChristmasDec. 26 - The Feast of StephenDec. 27 - John the Baptist’s martyrdomDec. 28 - Feast of the Holy InnocentsJan. 1 -   Feast of the Name and Circumcision of JesusJan. 5 -   Day of the MagiThis means that the famous song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas" is connected to the Church calendar, and some people have certainly made some deeper connections to the meaning of the gifts from the "True Love" of the song by finding Biblical parallels.  Was this song intentionally written as code to teach the Christian faith?  And even if it wasn't, can these Biblical connections add a new sense of wonder to the song and help remind us that we have way more to celebrate and remember in the Church calendar for the Christmas Season?  I think so.  Listen and find out more!  Show Links:12 Days of Christmas Show Notes St. Paul'

The Force Awakens this Friday, December 18th.  Star Wars will likely dominate many families' Christmas gatherings.  With this in mind, Andy sought advice from Pastor Rob Mrosko, who has been a fan of Star Wars since seeing Episode 4 in 1977 when he was six years old.  Pastor Rob shares why he thinks the Star Wars franchise has been so popular before sharing ways that the series connects with Biblical themes that Christians can use in conversations to share the Gospel.  Pastor Rob also addresses two approaches Christians often times take when approaching secular films like Star Wars: approaching it just as entertainment with no discernment or avoiding it all together due to certain elements that oppose Scriptural truths.  Andy also asks if the Star Wars series has a Christ-like figure and who the hero actually is since it appears that the Dark Side has a popularity in toy and clothing marketing and products.  Finally, Pastor Rob gives some pastoral advice for Christians to consider when entering into this new

George and Andy apply the Reconnect theme of sharing and defending the Gospel and apply it to the Christmas season. Together they answer the following three questions:1.  Do you have any ideas for sharing the Gospel during the Christmas season? 2.  Any particular Christmas movies that you think do a good job of sharing the Gospel message?3.  What's your response to this year's Starbucks red cup and the "movement" that was attempted by Joshua Feuerstein?Show LinksLinus Explains the Meaning of ChristmasBad Religion's Christmas Songs Merry Christmas Starbucks in the News

Andy, Wes, and Jesse take an online quiz to find out what Christian denomination they should be.  This is all the more fun because Jesse doesn't have a denomination! Take the quiz for yourself here: http://www.selectsmart.com/FREE/select.php?client=christiandenom

For this episode of Reconnect, Andy is sharing an episode of Cross Defense, in which he joined host Rev. Rod Zwonitzer as they discuss the different opinions people have of Jesus… A Myth? A Liar? A Lunatic? A Pantheist? From The Future? A Prophet, but Not God? A Demon? or the Messiah?For more Cross Defense episodes, click here.

Andy and Wes take a quiz to find out what Christian denomination they should join, but Andy mistakenly had a quiz that asked "What Kind of Christian are You?" instead, so they don't hear what denomination they should be, but they hope you still get some good doctrinal insights from this episode.  Sticking with the Reconnect theme of sharing and defending the Gospel, they share how they think different answers could affect what the Gospel message really is.  Enjoy. Take the quiz if you dare:What Kind of Christian Are You?

George interviews Andy about his MA research project, THE USE OF CHINESE LITERATURE AS A CULTURAL STARTING POINT TO PRESENT THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST.AbstractCommon methods of Christian evangelism present a list of facts about man’s depravity and God’s act of salvation for mankind.  These methods are problematic in today’s mostly postmodern world that does not accept absolute truths.  These methods also use terminology and concepts unknown outside of the Christian faith, furthering the difficulty of communicating the Gospel.  This research project then seeks to find a well-known piece of Chinese literature that Christians can use as a cultural starting point when presenting the Gospel in China, eliminating the problems of a facts-based presentation of the Gospel.Key List of WordsChinese folktales, Chinese literature, Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, monomyth, and storytelling evangelism.

Many religions teach that the soul is eternal and that it passes on from one life to the next, being incarnate in a new body each time.  This teaching is called reincarnation.  It contradicts the teaching of resurrection that says this life is the only life humans have before a bodily resurrection of all the dead at the final judgment of the Lord.   Mike Shreve of Shreve Ministries shares why he used to believe in reincarnation, how he used to teach others about reincarnation, how the Lord saved him and brought him to embrace the resurrection of Christ and the future bodily resurrection of all the dead, and how he explains that reincarnation isn't logically consistent. Show Links: Shreve Ministries Free Download of Mike's Testimony: Encountering God Website for Mike's Book, In Search of the True Light: The True Light  

A 2005 Gallup poll revealed that 37% of Americans believe houses can be haunted and 21% believe they can personally communicate with the dead. In a 2009 Pew Research Center survey, it was discovered that 29% of the American population believes they have been in touch with the dead. Among those who identify as Christians, the percentage was the exact same! 18% of Americans claim to have had a ghostly experience (17% among Christians). In light of such results, is the Church ready to respond to an increasing population that embraces a paranormal worldview? This is a drastic shift from countering the typical Atheistic naturalism. There is a cultural shift occurring in which the non-religious are open to a reality that exists beyond our natural world. However, are Christians prepared to address the many facets of this growing belief system and fascination with the spirit world? In the first Reconnect Halloween Special, Andy interviews Daniel Jenkins, a Christian paranormal investigator. Daniel has been on 100

Jake Wells is a Flesh Pilot.  He's a tattoo artist and a DIY RC POV Helocopter enthusiast.  Tattoos are taboo in most Christian circles.  Jake is covered in them and he covers others with them too.  Remote controlled helicopters are a booming hobby, though a controversial one due to the fact that most people call them drones and some pilots fly them in illegal spaces or over private property while filming from them!  Despite the controversy, Jake uses his job as a tattoo artist to share the Gospel and he has been dubbed the "world's first RC (Remote Control) Christian Minister".  Andy interviews Jake to find out more about how he became a Christian and how he shares Christ through his work and hobbies in the hope that Jake's boldness to share the Gospel through his every day endeavors will excite others to do the same in their jobs and recreational pursuits.  Show Links:Jake's Ministry Site - Flesh Pilot Jake's Coptor Frames for Sale - Black Arm Workshop VICE's Motherboard Article on Jake - "The Born-Again Ch

We can approach a church service as our opportunity to serve the Lord through what we are doing during our gathering, or we can go to a church service with the expectation that we are going to be served by the Lord. We usually hold one approach as our predominant understanding of what is occurring when we gather. There is a church service order called the Divine Service. This is an order of service typically used within Lutheran traditions. Its name was mentioned in Episode 28, but not much was shared about what actually transpires in a Divine Service. So for this episode, Andy interviews Pastor Jaime Nava of Good Shepherd Lutheran in Yucaipa, CA, to learn more about what the Divine Service is and why Jaime thinks it is the best approach to sharing the Gospel during our church services.Show Links:Good Shepherd Lutheran Church - Yucaipa Episode 28 of Reconnect which Sparked the need for this Episode Jaime Shares that Law and Gospel is a Lutheran Distinctive and Episode 27 of Reconnect Explains both of These Te

Andy and Ben take a look at a video God or Absurdity posted that demonstrates what they call" an excellent summary of presuppositional apologetics".The video is a splice of two episodes of "On the Box" featuring Mark Spence answering the question: "What is presuppositional apologetics and how is it used?"  In the process of answering this question, Mark discredits the use of evidential apologetics.   He does this because he says the nonbeliever will discredit all evidence that is presented for the existence of God.Andy and Ben disagree with Mark Spence on some of his points about evidential apologetics and they agree with him on some of his points about presuppositional apologetics.  Together, they make a case for using both presuppositional and evidential apologetics when sharing and defending the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Show Links: God or Absurdity"On the Box" Video on Presuppositional Apologetics"Martyrs Read Joel Osteen Tweets" VideoGod or Absurdity - "Other Religions" Page Featuring Contradict!

George and Andy take a quiz from ChurchPop that makes them decipher if a selection of lyrics are from a secular love song or a contemporary worship song. This quiz leads them to ask if it’s a problem if the lyrics to a song intended to be sung to Jesus could just as easily be sung to your girlfriend. Other questions are also addressed: Why is there music and singing in worship services? Is there a Scriptural reason to support singing when Christians gather for worship? What should we expect to see in the lyrical content of songs intended for worship? Should worship be viewed as a time that God comes and serves us, or a time that we come together to worship and praise God? Should there be a different standard of lyrical content when singing to God corporately or by one’s self? Andy has noticed what appears to be a thrust to have the songs and bands in services be something non-Christians or non-Church-goers wouldn't mind hearing. This means the band in a way has become an outreach component. Is this a goo

Andy and Wes discuss Law and Gospel. 0:30 – Law and Gospel Intro2:35 – What is God’s Law?5:20 – What is the Gospel?6:40 – When does a person need to hear Law?  When does a person need to hear the Gospel?10:00 – Public preaching of God’s Word needs both Law and Gospel. 14:20 – Don’t weaken the Law of God. 18:30 – The Law found in the Sermon on the Mount20:55 – Can we meet God’s standard in this life?25:00 – God’s Law is written on all men’s hearts. 27:00 – Knowing that God’s Law is written on the hearts of men, most adherents of other religions are likely already in terror of God’s Law and need to hear the Gospel, not more Law.  31:20 – Christianity has both Law and Gospel.  Other religions just have the Law.  35:00 – What is the Hermeneutical principle of distinguishing Law and Gospel in a Scriptural text?52:00 – Closing words

Psalms 32:6-7, 89-8-11, and 74:12-17 are some examples of raging sea images within Scripture.  The raging sea is depicted as being chaotic becuase of a great sea monster!  Andy connects this imagery and understanding of the sea with the Gospel of Mark's repeated references to the sea that contains multiple sea crossings that were marked with chaotic storms that were stilled by Christ.  What occurred before and after these crossings is also significant.  This episode's sermon is meant to encourage you as we are called to be fishers of men, entering into the chaotic sea of this world knowing that the sea will one day be turned to glass before the throne of God.  The place where men from every nation, tribe, and language shall praise the Lord.  Show links: Hangzhou International Christian Fellowship