Month: December 2023

Is the Virgin Birth Essential to the Gospel?

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Several people over the years have asked me whether the virgin birth of Jesus is an essential element of the gospel message.

Emergent church leader Rob Bell, for example, asked the question of which parts of the biblical story of Jesus are essential to believe in order to be saved. He specifically questioned the necessity of belief in the virgin birth.

Additionally, this week I came across a discussion online of people arguing that instead of the original lyrics to the hymn Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, the line “offspring of the virgin’s womb” should be changed to “offspring of Mary’s womb.” The reason for this, they said, was that not saying Mary’s name, but instead identifying her according to her sexual status, takes away from her dignity. Therefore, we should say her name, and get rid of this “unnecessary” controversy regarding the virgin birth.

So, is the virgin birth essential to the gospel?

I believe it is. In this video, I explain the reasons why:

Understanding Doubt & Deconstruction: Part 3 – Reasons People Deconstruct

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Continuing through the workshop that Aaron Salvato and I presented at this year’s Calvary Chapel pastors and leaders conference on the topic of Understanding Doubt and Deconstruction, here is Part 3, in which we delve into topics such as:

  • Contradictions
  • Abuse
  • Politics
  • Hypocrisy

My Book in Spanish is Now Available for Purchase

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The Spanish translation of my book, The God I Won’t Believe In: Facing Nine Common Barriers to Embracing Christianity, was released today in both paperback and Kindle formats!

It will be available for purchase at the White Fields Church book shop, or online on Amazon and other online retailers.

Check it out here: El Dios En El Que No Puedo Creer: Enfrentando Nueve Barreras Comunes Que nos Impiden Aceptar la Fe Cristiana.

If you know of anyone who would benefit from this resource, please share it with them!

Is Praying in the Spirit Speaking in Tongues?

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Recently at White Fields Church, we studied the Epistle of Jude, which contains a phrase which is also used in elsewhere the Bible: “Praying in the Holy Spirit”.

In this Sermon Extra video, Pastor Michael Payne and I discuss whether praying in the Spirit is the same thing as speaking in tongues, what speaking in tongues is, and what it means to pray in the Spirit.

Understanding Doubt & Deconstruction: Part 2 – The #Deconstruction Movement & How We Got Here

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Recently I posted Part 1 of a workshop that Aaron Salvato and I presented at this year’s Calvary Chapel pastors and leaders conference on the topic of Understanding Doubt and Deconstruction.

The purpose of the workshop was to help equip Christian leaders to understand and engage those experiencing doubts or going through a process of deconstruction, in order to help strengthen their faith in Jesus and their trust in the Bible, so they might wholeheartedly embrace the gospel.

In Part 2 of this series, Aaron and I speak about the #deconstruction movement and different causes of deconstruction, including the influence of the Emergent Church movement in the early 2000’s.

Release Date for My Book in Spanish: El Dios En El Que No Puedo Creer

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The Spanish translation of my book, The God I Won’t Believe In: Facing Nine Common Barriers to Embracing Christianity, has finished the editing and design process, and has an official release date!

The Spanish title is: El Dios En El Que No Puedo Creer: Enfrentando Nueve Barreras Comunes Que nos Impiden Aceptar la Fe Cristiana, and it will be available in paperback and Kindle formats, and will be released on Thursday, December 7, 2023.

The Kindle version is currently available for pre-order.

I’m excited for this to come out and reach a whole new audience. Please pray that it reaches many people and helps them move from doubt to belief!