Earlier this year, Aaron Salvato and I presented a workshop together at the 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.
Prior to the conference, we recorded our material and Aaron took that video, added graphics and text, and is releasing it in parts on the Calvary Chapel YouTube page.
The first part can be seen here, and I have to say that Aaron did a really good job with the graphics.
One of my favorite parts of this episode is the discussion of the philosophical origins of the Deconstruction Movement, discussing Foucault, Derrida, and others.
October 3, 2023 marks 10 years since the passing and heavenly homecoming of Pastor Chuck Smith. Pastor Chuck was the man God used to start the Calvary Chapel Movement of churches.
For this anniversary, I wrote an article for CalvaryChapel.com about how Pastor Chuck impacted my life, and the lives of many other young people – including my pastor, Tom Stipe.
Additionally, I recorded a bonus episode of the Mission & Methods Podcast, in which I spoke with Pastor Brian Brodersen about Chuck’s approach to ministry, including some questions about how Chuck pastored personally, and what were the major influences that shaped Chuck’s theology, and his preaching.
Pastor Brian is uniquely qualified to speak to these questions, as he not only served alongside Pastor Chuck and eventually succeeded him as the Senior Pastor of Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa — but he also shares close family ties to Pastor Chuck, as his son in law.
How God Used Chuck Smith To Empower A New Generation Of Pastors
When I was 18 years old, I boarded a plane bound for Hungary. Despite the fact that I had only been following Jesus for two years, my pastor, the late Tom Stipe, sent me out as a missionary. Three years later, when I was 21, Tom ordained me as I was going out to plant a church.
At the time, these actions didn’t strike me as abnormal or unusual, yet now, years later, I look back on them with a sense of surprise. Why was Tom willing to take a chance on me, as young as I was? Why did he trust that I could serve the Lord in those ways without any formal training?
Later on, I came to realize that the reason was because that is what Chuck Smith had done for him when Tom was a young man: In 1976, Pastor Chuck sent Tom to Colorado to start a Calvary Chapel church here. In the movie, “Jesus Revolution,” millions of people saw the portrayal of how Chuck Smith empowered the young Greg Laurie to plant a church in Riverside, California. Still, the even more incredible reality is that Pastor Chuck did similar things with many young people over the years. Tom was doing for me what Chuck had modeled for him.
I remember sitting with Tom and listening to him tell stories of the early days of Calvary Chapel. One thing that Tom told me was that, in his opinion, the true genius of Chuck Smith was not his verse-by-verse teaching, as many people assume, and as masterful as that was. The true genius of Chuck Smith, Tom said, was that Chuck was willing, and even eager, to empower young people to serve the Lord in meaningful ways because he genuinely believed in the work of the Holy Spirit in and through people who were willing to make themselves available to God.
I finally got to meet Pastor Chuck in Austria, at the conference center that he had acquired for Calvary Chapel as a launching point for ministry in Eastern Europe. He asked about our ministry in Hungary and gave encouragement and affirmation. As I look back on that, I’m full of appreciation for him as a person who was more than just a good Bible teacher but an example of foresight and faith. Not only did Pastor Chuck want the Gospel to go forth into the whole world, but he understood that God wanted to use many other people to do that work. He was willing to support missionaries and church planters, including some of us who maybe wouldn’t have been empowered to do those things by anyone else who didn’t have the measure of faith he did!
Now, ten years after Pastor Chuck’s heavenly homecoming, I’m more inspired than ever to carry on his legacy of Bible teaching, evangelism, missions, and empowering people, especially young people, to serve the Lord.
Q&A On Chuck Smith’s Approach To Ministry – With Nick Cady And Brian Brodersen
I’m excited to be heading out to Kansas City in November to speak at a church which used the book as the basis for their community groups this fall. A Christian school in the Bay Area of California used it as the basis of an apologetics class for their students this semester. I have heard several other stories of churches using it in similar ways, and I’m glad it continues to be a helpful resource!
Spanish Translation Coming Out in November 2023
There are several translations of The God I Won’t Believe In currently in process, but I am excited that the Spanish translation is complete! My friend Jonathan Cuesta is a great translator, and did a great job.
The title of the Spanish version is: El Dios En El Que No Puedo Creer: Enfrentando Nueve Barreras Comunes Que nos Impiden Aceptar la Fe Cristiana.
It will be released mid-November once we get cover art and a few formatting things worked out. Then it will be sold on Amazon and hopefully in several Christian book shops in both the US and abroad. If you have Spanish speaking friends or family, please consider getting a copy for them and helping us promote when the time for that comes.
Study Guide Coming Soon
To help those who want to use the book for group studies, I am currently writing a Group Study Guide resource to be a companion to the book. This was originally scheduled to come out earlier this year, but my injury set me back.
When the guide comes out, each session will include a group activity, a synopsis, and several study questions which correspond to the content of each chapter. Additionally, we are planning to create a series of videos which can be watched along with the study guide, for groups to use.
New book – So That You May Believe: a Study of the Seven Signs and Seven “I am” Statements in the Gospel of John
I have been preparing the content for a new book, which will be a follow-up or companion to my first book. This book will show people the evidence for Jesus as Messiah and God our Savior which are presented by John in his gospel. The details and nuances of these evidences can easily be lost on modern readers, and I look forward to drawing them out for people to see.
Part of the impetus for writing this book is the fact that, when preparing a sermon series on the Gospel of John a few years ago, I noticed that many scholars and commentators point out the structure of John’s Gospel as being built upon seven signs and seven “I am” statements, but there were very few, if any, good short volume books on these subjects. I hope my book can fill that niche, as I’ve heard the need for a book on this topic confirmed by many of my pastor friends.
Last week, I spent the week teaching the content which will make up the book at Ravencrest Chalet Bible College (Torchbearers International) in Estes Park, Colorado. I got great feedback on the study from the students, which encouraged me in continuing the project.
I hope to be able to release that book by Spring of 2024.
In this episode, Dr. Ryken and I discuss the role of beauty in theology. Dr. Ryken points out that Beauty is not a topic that is often discussed in theological circles, but it should be, both as a lens through which we view theological topics such as forgiveness, or atonement, or justice, and even as an attribute of God and the end result of God’s work of redemption in our lives and in the world.
Dr. Philip Ryken is the President of Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. He has a Doctorate in Philosophy from Oxford University, and he is the author of over 50 books. His latest book is called Beauty is Your Destiny: How the Promise of Splendor Changes Everything.
In this episode, Dr. Ryken and I discuss the role of beauty in theology. Dr. Ryken points out that Beauty is not a topic that is often discussed in theological circles, but it should be, both as a lens through which we view theological topics such as forgiveness, or atonement, or justice, and even as an attribute of God and the end result of God’s work of redemption in our lives and in the world.
Jeremy Treat is the Pastor for Preaching and Vision at Reality LA, a church in Los Angeles, California. He is also an Adjunct Professor of theology at BIOLA University, and he has his PhD from Wheaton College.
On this episode of the Theology for the People podcast, I spoke with Jeremy about the doctrine of the Atonement, including what it means, and why it is so central to Christianity.
We also discuss some common errors that people commit when thinking about the atonement, and how many of these errors are due to a view of the atonement which is reductionistic. Further, we talk about the practical implications of those different reductionist views.
Jeremy believes that the best narrative in which to understand the atoning work of Jesus is that of the Kingdom of God, in light of the entire story that the Bible tells.
Jeremy Treat is the Pastor for preaching and vision at Reality LA, a church in Los Angeles, California. He is also an Adjunct Professor of theology at BIOLA University, and he has his PhD from Wheaton College.
Jeremy is the author of several books. His latest book is The Atonement: an Introduction, published by Crossway Publishing as part of their series of Short Studies in Systematic Theology.
In this episode, Jeremy speaks with Nick Cady about the doctrine of the Atonement, including what it means, and why it is so central to Christianity.
They also discuss some common errors that people commit when thinking about the atonement, and how many of these errors are due to a view of the atonement which is reductionistic. Further, they talk about the practical implications of those different reductionist views.
Jeremy believes that the best narrative in which to understand the atoning work of Jesus is that of the Kingdom of God, in light of the entire story that the Bible tells.
Nathan Knight is the Lead Pastor of Restoration Church in Washington DC — a church that he planted 14 years ago.
He now leads a church planting network in the DC area called Treasuring Christ Together, and he recently wrote a book (published by Crossway and 9Marks) about church planting called: Planting by Pastoring: A Vision for Starting a Healthy Church.
In our discussion, Nathan and I talk about the premise of his book, which seeks to encourage the planting of new churches, while getting back to the biblical definitions of what a church is, what a church does, and how to define “success” in a local church.
Nathan Knight is the Lead Pastor of Restoration Church in Washington DC — which is a church that he planted 14 years ago. He now leads a church planting network in the DC area called Treasuring Christ Together, and he recently wrote a book (published by Crossway and 9Marks) about church planting called: Planting by Pastoring: A Vision for Starting a Healthy Church.
In our discussion, Nathan and I talk about the premise of his book — which seeks to encourage the planting of new churches, while getting back to the biblical definitions of what a church is, what a church does, and how to define “success” in a local church.
Make sure to visit the Theology for the People website at nickcady.org
Elisabeth Elliot was one of the most well-known and influential figures of the late 20th century, and early 21st century, both in evangelical circles, but also in the culture at large.
On this episode Lucy and I speak about who Elisabeth Elliot was and the influence she had.
As Lucy points out, Elisabeth Elliot was a sometimes controversial figure, who changed her views on things throughout her life, and her life reflects much of the history of evangelicalism in the 20th century.
Elisabeth Elliott was one of the most well-known and influential figures of the late 20th century, and early 21st century, both in evangelical circles, but also in the culture at large. Recently a biography of her life was written by Lucy S R Austen, and published by Crossway Publishing, titled Elisabeth Elliot: A Life.
On this episode of Theology for the People, I speak with Lucy S R Austen about who Elisabeth Elloitt was and the influence that she had. As Lucy points out, Elisabeth Elliot was a sometimes controversial figure, who changed her views on things throughout her life, and her life reflects much of the history of evangelicalism in the 20th century.
Visit the Theology for the People website at nickcady.org
We discuss who the Magi were and why they came to Jerusalem at the exact time they did, when Jesus was born, and how it ties into the book of Daniel and other Old Testament passages.
Additionally, we talk about the history of why the church has celebrated the birth of Jesus on December 25, and whether that has any ties to paganism or not.
500 Year Journey: How the Magi Knew When Jesus Would be Born – with Cory Piper –
Theology for the People
Cory Piper is a teacher who specializes in the Old Testament, theology, and history. He recently wrote a book called 500 Year Journey: How the Magi Knew When Jesus Would be Born
We discuss who the Magi were and why they came to Jerusalem at the exact time they did, when Jesus was born, and how it ties into the book of Daniel and other Old Testament passages.
Additionally, we talk about the history of why the church has celebrated the birth of Jesus on December 25, and whether that has any ties to paganism or not.
Visit the Theology for the People website at nickcady.org
A few weeks ago, I was sitting in the car with my kids on a family trip, and my teenage daughter asked me, “Dad, why is it wrong to be gay?”
I responded that, first we needed to discuss what she meant by “gay”; did she mean: “Is it a sin to feel attraction to people of the same sex?” or did she mean, “Is it a sin to perform sexual activities with people of the same sex?” – because those are two very different questions, which have two different responses from the Bible.
She clarified by saying, “Well, why is it wrong for two people of the same sex to be in love?”
I responded, “The Bible encourages people of the same sex to love each other. We are all called to love everyone God puts in our path, but that certainly doesn’t mean that we are to have sex with everyone God puts in our path.” “For example, the Bible says that David loved Jonathan more than he loved any woman. But that doesn’t mean that they performed sexual acts together; rather that they had a close and intimate friendship. In other words, when we reduce ‘love’ down to sex, we are cheapening it. Further, the Bible’s vision is for people of the same sex to have meaningful, loving friendships, but that’s different than having sex with someone.”
She clarified once again, “Why is it that people of the same sex can’t have romantic relationships?”
I responded, “What do you mean by romantic? Are you talking about an exclusive relationship which is characterized by touching of a sexual nature?”
At this point, she said, “Okay, I get it,” and we changed the subject.
My daughter did not ask these questions from a heart of rebellion against God, but out of genuine curiosity and interest, and because she has sincere questions. Certainly the questions she asked were shaped by the cultural influences she faces at school and in the world in general. You can imagine people asking her these questions, and her wondering how to respond. As a father, I’m glad she asked me, and gave me the chance to help her understand.
I received an advance copy of this book to read and review a few months ago. The book was released to the public on August 1, 2023 and is now available wherever books are sold.
The book begins with two chapters which give “Foundations,” or principles which need to be clarified up front. The first is about how to have a fruitful conversation about these topics which are highly charged when it comes to emotions and politics, in the world today. The second foundation is an explanation of the historically Christian view of marriage. This chapter is helpful, in that it looks at how Christians have viewed and understood marriage for the past 2000 years, and why. It looks at the Bible and the writings of church fathers, and more.
Then, the book goes into a response to 21 common questions or claims, which people use as justification for why same-sex marriage should be affirmed by Christians. Preston then responds to these in brief but content-rich chapters. He does so with tact and empathy, which I appreciated very much. He also shares data, statistics, history, facts, and quotes to support his responses.
Overall, the recurring theme of his answers is that sex difference is part of God’s design for marriage and that both same-sex sexual activity as well as all sex outside of marriage is considered “sexual immorality” (porneia in Greek) in the Bible.
For me, the most helpful chapters were Conversations 12-14, which addresses the claims that:
Jesus’ Sabbath Hermeneutic Informs How We Should Interpret Same-Sex Prohibitions
God’s Acceptance of Gentiles Mirrors How We Should Accept LGB People
The Trajectory of Women and Slavery Justifies Same-Sex Prohibitions
There are other chapters which are more “ground-level,” which address questions and claims which may be more common, such as:
Love is Love
Some People are Born Gay, So It Must Be Okay
Paul Was Not Talking about Consensual Same-Sex Relationships
The Word Homosexual Was Added to the Bible in 1946
In each chapter, Preston begins by giving a summary of the claim or viewpoint of those who argue for that particular position, then he follows it by sharing a few points of agreement, and finally gives a response.
In the end, Preston’s answer to the question posed in the title of the book is: No, the Bible does not support same-sex marriage. Yet he gives this answer in a thoughtful and helpful manner, which shows respect for his readers and those whose claims he seeks to refute. Finally, he urges the church to truly live out a biblical vision of being a community where the same-sex attracted can find acceptance, love, and care, so that they have a loving community to support them in faithfully following Jesus, including God’s instructions about sexual ethics.
I recommend this book as a helpful resource on this very relevant issue. It would be better if more Christians were well equipped to answer the questions people are asking about same-sex issues, with love and truth.
Unitarianism is the belief that God is not Trinitarian in nature.
This belief can take many forms, such as Modalism: the belief that the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are “modes” in which God sometimes manifests, or in Partialism: the belief that the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are “parts” of who God is.
Other unitarians believe that Jesus is not divine and that there was a time when Jesus was not, i.e. that at one point in time, Jesus came into being – and that he has not existed from eternity past, as the Father has. Further, unitarians might believe that the Holy Spirit is either essentially the Father, or that the Holy Spirit is an impersonal force, but not a “person” of the Trinity.
The following is a list of responses to common Unitarian claims, written by Pastor Jason Cralley, Executive Pastor at White Fields Community Church.
Creeds show progression of development towards the Trinity.
False. The creeds were developed to fight heresy. As one heresy appears, they created a creed to address it. When another heresy appeared around the same topic, they would change the creed to make it more specific. According to the earliest Christian writings it is very clear that they believed in the trinity. Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp of Smyrna, Theophilus of Antioch, Tertullian, and others all church fathers that wrote about the Trinity long before the first creed was ever written.
The Old Testament foretold that Jesus would be a human being.
True. But it also said he would be God. Isaiah 9:6 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 7:14 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” As Matthew 1:23 points out, Immanuel means “God with us.” The Biblical Unitarians argue that the Jews never understood that these meant the Messiah would be God. True. But as we knew they misunderstood most of the prophecies about Jesus. They thought he would come and set up an earthly kingdom. We cannot take what they believed as truth.
The New Testament teaches that Jesus was a man.
True. But it also teaches that Jesus was God. We have to take the Bible as a whole and not take some verses to make a theology and leave others out. Jesus has divine attributes that only God possesses: he is omnipresent (Matt. 28:20), Omniscient (Mark 2:8, John 6:64; 16:30; 21:17), Omnipotent (Matt. 28:18, Mark 4:37-41; 6:30-44), Created all things (John 1:3, Col. 1:16-17), he keeps the universe going by his power (Heb. 1:3). Jesus thought himself as God: he forgave sins (Mark 2:3-12) and the everyone knew that was something only God could do as they tried to kill him (Luke 7:48-50), he accepted worship as God and never rejected it (Matt. 28:9, 17; Luke 24:52; John 9:38; 20:28), He stated he was God (John 10:30-33, Mark 14: 61-62, Rev. 1:8).
The Bible teaches that Jesus was a created being.
False. Jesus explains his own preexistence ((John 3:13; 6:33, 38, 62; 8:23; 16:28) and that he existed before Abraham (John 8:58). God sent his Son proving that Jesus existed before his incarnation (Rom. 8:3; 1 John 1:2; Gal. 4:4). He didn’t create a son but sent the one that already existed.The New Testament teaches that Jesus is eternal: He existed before creation (John 1:1-3; 17:5), Jesus holds all creation together therefore he had to preexist before his birth (Col. 1:17), Jesus has always been and always will be (Heb. 13:8, Rev. 1:8), created all things meaning he was there before creation (John 1:3, Col. 1:16-17), he keeps the universe going by his power so he had to be preexistent (Heb. 1:3).
The Bible teaches that Jesus has a God.
True and False. Jesus has two natures: fully human (Gal. 4:4) and fully divine (John 1:1, 14; Col. 2:9; Heb. 1:8). When he came down to earth he humbled himself and cooperated with the limitations of being a human (Phil 2:5-8, Heb. 2:9). Jesus the man had someone he would call his God (the Father). Jesus still has a human nature (1 Tim. 2:5; Col. 2:9). Jesus will always have a human nature and will therefore always call the Father God. This does not mean that Jesus doesn’t share the same divine nature as God the Father.
Biblical Unitarianism commits the logical fallacy of equivocation where the meaning of a word changes as it is used. Saying “The Trinity is the teaching that the one God of all existence, consists of three divine persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit” is not the same as “The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God.” The first sentence uses God as a quantitate, dealing with how many gods there are. The second sentence is qualitative, dealing with the nature of divinity. The Unitarians are confusing the qualitative with the quantitative. Jesus is qualitatively stating that the Father is God. He is not quantitatively stating that only the Father is God, and he is not.
Jesus Called the Father the only true God.
True. But Jesus claims that the Father and he are one (John 10:30) which his opponents knew to mean that Jesus was claiming to be God and picked up stones to kill him (John 10:31). He later states the Father is in him, and he is in the Father (John 10:36-38). So, if the Father is the one true God, then so is he. The Triune God is the one true God.The Holy Spirit is simply the Father. False. The Holy Spirit is distinct from the Father. The Father sent the Spirit (John 14:26). The Spirit does the will of the Father (Rom. 8:27). The Holy Spirit is mentioned with the Father and Son (Matt. 28:19). If the Father was the Spirit, none of these would make sense.
Theology for the People 