In recent years it has become increasingly popular for people who grew up in Christianity to go through a process of “deconstruction” in which they seek to examine and question the origins of their beliefs.
Deconstruction isn’t always a bad thing, but the deconstruction movement, powered by social media, largely targets younger people and encourages them to cast off their Christiaan beliefs.
This episode of the Theology for the People podcast is the recording of a workshop which Nick Cady and Aaron Salvato co-lead at the 2023 Calvary Global Network International Conference on the Topic of Doubt and Deconstruction.
We start out by defining deconstructionism and examining its philosophical roots, then we look at the impact of this movement and some of the common themes in its claims. Finally, we discuss a Biblical response to doubt and deconstruction and give some helpful tips for addressing the questions that those who are deconstructing may have.
In recent years it has become increasingly popular for people who grew up in Christianity to go through a process of “deconstruction” in which they seek to examine and question the origins of their beliefs.
Deconstruction isn’t always a bad thing, but the deconstruction movement, powered by social media, largely targets younger people and encourages them to cast off their Christiaan beliefs.
This episode of Theology for the People is the recording of a workshop which Nick Cady and Aaron Salvato co-lead at the 2023 Calvary Global Network International Conference on the Topic of Doubt and Deconstruction.
We start out by defining deconstructionism and examining its philosophical roots, then we look at the impact of this movement and some of the common themes in its claims. Finally, we discuss a Biblical response to doubt and deconstruction and give some helpful tips for addressing the questions that those who are deconstructing may have.
Check out more from Aaron Salvato on the Good Lion Podcast.
My book, The God I Won't Believe In: Facing Nine Common Barriers to Embracing Christianity, can be found here.
Visit the Theology for the People blog at nickcady.org
Please kindly explain John chapter 10 verses 17 and 18.
Here’s what those verses say:
For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
John 10:17-18
Context: The Good Shepherd Discourse
In John 10:1-18, Jesus gives the Good Shepherd Discourse, which he spoke in response to the events that took place in John 9 and the actions of the “bad shepherds” of Israel: the religious leaders who had excommunicated a family because they refused to deny that Jesus had healed their son who had been blind from birth.
In response to the actions and attitudes of the “bad shepherds,” Jesus describes himself as the Good Shepherd.
Fulfillment of Messianic Prophecies
In Ezekiel 34:23 and 37:24, Ezekiel (writing hundreds of years after the death of King David), predicted a future day when “David” would rule over the people of Israel as their single shepherd.
Rather than having many shepherds (spiritual leaders), who were often bad, God was going to raise up a single shepherd, from the line of David. This was certainly a reference to the promise God made to David in 2 Samuel 8, called the Davidic Covenant, in which God promised that the Messiah would come from David’s family line.
Consider this passage from Jeremiah 23, which is clearly speaking of Jesus as the future, coming “Good Shepherd.”
“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” declares the LORD. Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: “You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the LORD. Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the LORD. “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: The LORD is our righteousness.’
Jeremiah 23:1-6
So, that’s the context for what Jesus says in John 10:17-18.
The Good Shepherd Lays Down His Life for the Sheep
In this section, in verses 11 and 15, Jesus says that, as the Good Shepherd, one of the things which differentiates him from the bad shepherds – or really from all other shepherds, is that he will lay down his life for the sheep, which he explains is motivated by his love for them.
But in verses 17-18, Jesus shows that another motivation for laying down his life, is that he is doing it in obedience to the Father.
The Connection Between Love and Keeping God’s Commands
Verse 17 should not be understood to mean that Jesus earns the Father’s love by laying down his life, rather that there is a relationship of mutual love between the Father and the Son. Jesus’s obedience to the Father’s authority and commands is a reflection of his love for the Father.
In John 14:15, Jesus told his disciples: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” And in John 15:10, Jesus explains that “abiding” in his love looks like, in practice: keeping his commands, just as he keeps the Fathers commands and thereby abides in the Father’s love:
Abide in my love.If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.
John 15:9b-10
Clearly there is a connection between love and keeping God’s commands. Jesus expressed his love for the Father by doing what the Father had called him to do, and there was a relationship of mutual love between them, which manifested itself in Jesus being willing and glad to submit to the Father’s authority.
Laying Down His Life, Only to Take It Up Again
In verses 17 and 18, Jesus explains that the plan of the Father, by which he would save his people from their sins (cf. Matthew 1:21) was not only that he would lay down his life, but that he would take it up again, i.e. resurrect from the dead.
This is one of the few places in the New Testament where Jesus’ resurrection is attributed as an action of Jesus himself. In most other places, God the Father is described as raising Jesus from the dead. This is important because it is one more example of the fact that the Bible teaches that Jesus is God: because Jesus does the works that are attributed to God alone, e.g. the creation of the world.
On a human level, Jesus’ life was taken from him by the actions of evil men. And yet, as we see in verse 18, those events were not outside of Jesus’ control. Jesus was not as a victim of circumstance, but the one who was in control of his destiny. Later on, during his trial, before he was crucified, Pontius Pilate said to Jesus, “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?” (John 19:10). Jesus replied, “‘”You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above” (John 19:11). These incidents show that Jesus was in control of his own destiny.
A good example of this two-fold understanding of why Jesus died is found in Acts 2:23, where Peter says to the crowd gathered on the day of Pentecost:
this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.
Acts 2:23
In this verse we see both the human responsibility and the plan of God which were at work in the death of Jesus. Jesus laid down his life willingly; he certainly could have walked away from the Garden of Gethsemane on the night when he was arrested. He didn’t have to come to Jerusalem at all, actually – and many people urged him not to! But Jesus went, knowing what awaited him, intent on laying down his life BOTH as an act of loving obedience to the Father who sent him, and as an act of loving redemption for those whom he came to save.
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We talk about how the Beatitudes are meant to be understood, and how people have misread them throughout history. Further, we also discuss what the eschatological nature of the Beatitudes, and what they mean for practical areas of life, such as lament, power, and politics.
In this discussion, we talk about different interpretations of the Beatitudes, from Martyn Lloyd-Jones to Robert Schuller, to the church fathers. We also talk about Nietzsche, Constantine, and the question of whether Christianity creates emasculated men under the heading of “meekness,” and what it looks like to live out the ethic of Jesus in our modern world.
Chris Castaldo is the Lead Pastor of New Covenant Church in Naperville, Illinois. He has a PhD from London School of Theology, where he studied under Dr. Tony Lane; the same professor who was my mentor for my Masters dissertation.
Chris Castaldo is the Lead Pastor of New Covenant Church in Naperville, Illinois. In this episode we discuss his recent book The Upside Down Kingdom: Wisdom for Life from the Beatitudes. We talk about how the Beatitudes are meant to be understood, and how people have misread them throughout history. Further, we also discuss what the eschatological nature of the Beatitudes, and what they mean for practical areas of life, such as lament, power, and politics.
Chris has a PhD from London School of Theology, and he is a fellow at the Center for Pastor Theologians. He has authored and contributed to several books including: Talking with Catholics about the Gospel: A Guide for Evangelicals.
You can find more about Chris and read his writings at chriscastaldo.com.
Did you know that children in the foster system form an at-risk people group within our own communities?
In almost every case, the reason these children end up in foster care care is because of an unsuitable home environment, which may involve violence, neglect, drugs, crime, etc. These environments not only result in trauma many times, but they also tend to result in or be associated with poverty. Many foster care situations are kinship care, which means the child is cared for by a relative, which can create a financial burden.
Poverty has a profound impact on a child’s mental and physical well-being. Children living in poverty have higher rates of absenteeism from school. Students who come from low income families are six times more likely to drop out of high school. Adults without a high school diploma are 4 times more likely to be unemployed and live in poverty, which means raising their children in poverty, perpetuating a cycle of poverty which may persist for generations: poverty affects education which affects poverty. (source 1, source 2)
One of the ways that we can help kids break out of this cycle of poverty is by encouraging them to stay in school – and one of the ways we can do that is by helping them have the things they need to be confident and excited about going to school, so they can succeed!
Our church, White Fields Community Church, has a history of ministering to children in the foster system, and six years ago we began a new ministry: Project Back to School.
We are working with Weld County Department of Human Services, and this year they have identified over 100 at-risk kids who need help with school supplies, clothes, and shoes. They have provided us with a list of needed items, which we will share with those who sign up to help.
We are trusting that God will raise up people to bless these families in the name of Jesus. It’s a way for us to love not only in words and in speech, but in action as well (1 John 3:18).
We will be taking sign-ups beginning Sunday, July 2 and asking items to be returned by Sunday, July 30.
How to Get Involved and Make a Difference
1. Sign up in-person
If you live in or near Longmont, visit White Fields Church on a Sunday morning this July and sign up to sponsor one or more children.
2. Sign up online
If you can’t make it on a Sunday morning, but are still local and could drop off items to us for delivery, leave a comment below, or contact the church here.
3. Contribute Financially
All monies that come in designated for Project Back to School will go directly towards buying school supplies for at risk children. You can make a tax-deductible donation on our church’s website here: www.whitefieldschurch.com/give (choose Project Back to School on the drop-down menu).
Join us in praying for these kids, and that God uses this initiative to bless them!
Earlier this year I traveled to Ukraine to help lead a conference for Christians who had been providing aid for people in their country since the full-scale Russian invasion began in February 2022.
While I was there, I heard stories from many people of tragedy and loss, but I also heard stories of heroism, faith, and spiritual revival.
I also had the opportunity to record a few interviews with members of different churches, in which they got to share their experiences in the early days of the war, how things look now, and how God has been working and using them to share his love to hurting people.
These interviews are being released on the CGN Voices Podcast. There will be four episodes in this mini-series, and they will be released every Friday for the next few weeks.
The first episode came out last week, and it is one which was particularly meaningful to me. You can listen to it here, or in the embedded player below.
Ukraine: Resilience, Resolve and Refuge – A Testimony from Tanya Kotelenets –
CGN Voices
Welcome to "Voices from Ukraine", a mini-series inside look at the resilience, faith, and service of Calvary Chapel believers in Ukraine during the difficult months since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
In this special edition, we sit down with Tanya Kotelenets from a church in eastern Ukraine. Kotelenets shares her harrowing experiences from the first days of the war – the fear, uncertainty and eventual decision to flee the city with her church community. Despite difficult conditions, God's provision and grace sustained them.
Though she returned home months later, the impact of war remains. Kotelenets’s husband ministers at funerals almost daily, including that of a coworker who recently died in combat. Our listeners are reminded that all parts of the body of Christ feel the suffering of others.
Kotelenets asks for prayers for the children enduring so much change and loss, and for strength to continue living through this conflict with hope. If you'd like to support relief efforts in Ukraine, donations can be made through calvaryglobalnetwork.com/relief
Join us next time for another firsthand account of courage, sacrifice and faith continuing to burn bright within the Calvary Chapel family amidst the darkness of war.
On this episode of the Theology for the People Podcast, I am joined by Jason Cralley, Executive Pastor at White Fields Community Church, and we respond to questions from listeners on a variety of topics, including how Christians should respond to Pride Month, whether humans will have the ability to sin in the age to come, how to serve God faithfully in an unsatisfying job, and how to respond to different situations in dating and marriage.
AMA #1: Ask Me Anything – Pride Month, Sin in the New Jerusalem, Work, Marriage, and more –
Theology for the People
In this episode, Nick Cady and Jason Cralley respond to questions on various topics, including how Christians should respond to Pride Month, whether humans will have the ability to sin in the age to come, how to serve God faithfully in an unsatisfying job, and how to respond to different situations in dating and marriage.
To submit your questions for future Ask Me Anything Episodes, visit nickcady.org.
Have we over-emphasized the value of rest and Sabbath to the neglect of the biblical teaching on diligence and hard work?
On this episode of the Theology for the People Podcast, I am joined by Tyler Fuss and Mike Neglia to discuss what the Bible has to say about the importance of diligence, the danger of sluggardliness, and how to know the difference between hard work and over-work.
Tyler is a member of White Fields Community Church; he studied theology at Denver Seminary and is now a business owner in Colorado. Mike is the lead pastor of Calvary Cork in Cork, Ireland and a student at Western Seminary. Mike also leads Expositors Collective, an initiative which seeks to raise up the next generation of expository Bible teachers, and he hosts the Expositors Collective Podcast.
With All Your Might: Exploring Biblical Teaching about Diligence, Hard Work, Sabbath, and Sloth –
Theology for the People
Have we over-emphasized the value of rest and Sabbath to the neglect of the biblical teaching on diligence and hard work?
On this episode, Nick Cady is joined by Tyler Fuss and Mike Neglia to discuss what the Bible has to say about the importance of diligence, the danger of sluggardliness, and how to know the difference between hard work and over-work.
Tyler studied theology at Denver Seminary and is now a business owner in Colorado. Mike is the lead pastor of Calvary Cork in Cork, Ireland and a student at Western Seminary. Mike also leads Expositors Collective, an initiative which seeks to raise up the next generation of expository Bible teachers, and he hosts the Expositors Collective Podcast.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Zeal Without Burnout (Book)
Don't Waste Your Life (Book)
You Have One Life, Don't Waste It (John Piper YouTube video)
Overcoming Apathy and Slothfulness – Uche Anzior (Podcast Episode)
On this episode of the Theology for the People Podcast, I speak with Pastor Mitch Chase from Louisville, Kentucky about how a better understanding of Genesis 3 can help us understand the entire Bible in a deeper way.
The First Gospel: Why Genesis 3 is Key to Understanding the Entire Bible – with Mitch Chase –
Theology for the People
Mitchell Chase (PhD) is the Associate Professor of Biblical Studies at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He also serves as Preaching Pastor at Kosmosdale Baptist Church. Mitch has written several articles for the Gospel Coalition, and he is the author of several books.
In this episode, Mitch and Nick discuss how a better understanding of Genesis 3 can help us understand the entire Bible in a deeper way. Mitch’s latest book, Short of Glory: a Biblical and Theological Exploration of the Fall, addresses this topic. We discuss some issues in Genesis 3, such as the priestly role of Adam and the naming of Eve, among others.
Follow Mitch on Substack at Biblical Theology
My guest is Shane Angland. Shane is a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary, and he was also a missionary in Eastern Ukraine.
The Raskol of 1666 was a schism that took place in the Russian Orthodox Church, which highlights some of the distinctive features of Orthodox theology, and Russian Orthodoxy theology uniquely. Furthermore, we talk about how Russian Orthodox theology plays a role in the current war in Ukraine.
On this episode of Theology for the People, we dive into the topic of Russian Orthodox Christianity.
My guest is Shane Angland. Shane is a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary, and he was also a missionary in Eastern Ukraine.
The Raskol of 1666 was a schism that took place in the Russian Orthodox Church, which highlights some of the distinctive features of Orthodox theology, and Russian Orthodoxy theology uniquely. Furthermore, we talk about how Russian Orthodox theology plays a role in the current war in Ukraine.
Visit the Theology for the People blog at nickcady.org
Since my injury a few weeks ago, I haven’t been able to be in church. I’m hoping to be back soon, maybe even next Sunday, but in the meantime, I have been able to record a few video messages from my wheelchair out in front of my house.
Here’s a message I recorded for Mother’s Day about Eunice and Lois, the mother and grandmother of Timothy, to celebrate and encourage mothers and grandmothers:
Theology for the People 