Shows
Restitutio610. Everyday Evangelism Encounters (David Sowers)Last week we began our summer mini-series on evangelism with a focus on why we should reach the lost. Today I’ve got a real treat for you. In this powerful message, David Sowers challenges believers to move beyond their comfort zones and share the gospel with the lost. His stories of everyday evangelism encounters will demystify the whole idea of telling people about Jesus. You don’t need to be exceptionally well-studied, full of charisma, or educated in psychology. All you need to do is open your eyes and step out in faith in little ways as God lead...2025-07-251h 00
Restitutio609. Do You Care about the Lost? (Vince Finnegan)Many of us are annoyed by non-Christians. They mock our beliefs, criticize our way of life, and undermine us at every turn. If you’re honest with yourself, you probably would be happy to have a world with only Christians–real Christians–in it, right? However, this is not God’s heart–at least not right now. In today’s episode, my father, Vince Finnegan, reveals God’s deep, active loving compassion for humanity. No better example of God’s heart for the lost can be found than looking to his son. Jesus embodied that compassion, tirelessly ministering to the hurting, the...2025-07-1849 min
Restitutio608. Six Quick Points on the Genuine Jesus (Brandon Duke)This is a follow up to our 5-part response series on The Incarnate Christ and His Critics.
Have you ever found yourself in a conversation with a coworker, acquaintance, or family member trying to explain who Jesus is? Every wish there was a simple acrostic that could guide you through a brief yet thoughtful presentation of who Jesus is? Well, friend, you need look no further. After spending five weeks responding to arguments for the deity of Christ, Brandon Duke and I are going to do an entire episode focused on a positive case for the genuine...2025-07-111h 06
Restitutio607. Did Jesus Really Sit on God’s Throne? (Brandon Duke)This is part 5 of our response series on The Incarnate Christ and His Critics.
Today in our fifth episode in this series critiquing the book, The Incarnate Christ and His Critics, we broach the topic of thrones. If Jesus sits on God’s throne, does that make him God too? If so, isn’t that two Gods? We’ll deal with these kinds of questions while examining throne texts, including Daniel 7.13-14; Psalm 110.1; Revelation 3.21; and Hebrews 1.3. In each case we’ll see how incredibly subordinationist the throne texts are.
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Restitutio606. Did Jesus Really Do What Only God Can Do? (Brandon Duke)This is part 4 of our response series on The Incarnate Christ and His Critics.
Only God has power over nature. Jesus walked on water. Therefore Jesus must be God. Right? Does that line of reasoning convince you? How about this one. Only God has power over nature. Elijah called down fire from heaven. Therefore Elijah must be God. Or how about this one? Only God has power over nature. Moses split the Red Sea. Therefore Moses must be God. Listen in to today’s episode to find out why this kind of argument doesn’t hold water as w...2025-06-271h 40
Restitutio605. Does the Bible Really Give Jesus Divine Titles? (Brandon Duke)This is part 3 of our response series on The Incarnate Christ and His Critics.
Today we get to the heart of the case for the deity of Christ to see if it holds up to scrutiny. In addition to considering whether the name “Jesus” and the title “son of God” implies divinity, we look at the 8 major texts in which the New Testament allegedly applies the title “God” to Jesus, including John 1.1, 18; 20.28; Romans 9.5; Hebrews 1.8; Titus 2.13; 2 Peter 1.1; and 1 John 5.20. In each we briefly explain why evangelicals take the passage to teach the deity of Christ and then show what it real...2025-06-221h 48
Restitutio604. Did Jesus Really Have All the Divine Attributes? (Brandon Duke)This is part 2 of our response series on The Incarnate Christ and His Critics.
Most of us understand of what deity means. Generally we think to be God is to be eternal, uncaused, and indestructible. This gets at the word aseity, which is a fancy philosophical term for a being that doesn’t depend on anyone or anything else for existence. To be a se (from the Latin a = from, and se = self) is to be uncaused and non-contingent. This cuts to the very essence of what it means to be God in the proper sense of th...2025-06-131h 54
Restitutio603. Did Jesus Really Receive Divine Honors? (Brandon Duke)This is part 1 of our response series on The Incarnate Christ and His Critics.
Today we’re shifting gears. We’ve had an eighteen-episode class delving into biblical and contextual study of 1 Corinthians. Then last time we had an interview with someone struggling with mental health. For the next several weeks we’re going deep into Christology. This is going to be a five-part series of interviews with Brandon Duke reviewing an important book that came out last November defending the deity of Christ from a trinitarian perspective. In what follows Brandon and I discuss the arguments they m...2025-06-061h 36
Restitutio602. Abused, Kidnapped, and Suicidal—Finding Hope After a Lifetime of Trauma (Sheila Kalpakidis)Suicide is such a sad part of our world today. The latest stats from the CDC indicate someone dies of suicide every eleven minutes in the United States. 30 times more people attempt suicide than die from it annually. And a staggering 12.8 million seriously think about it. Sheila is one of these people who has attempted it and seriously thinks about it from time to time. But, here’s the thing, she doesn’t want to. She’s not trying to attract attention or crying for help. She’s broken from an abusive childhood, bad relationships with men, and a conman w...2025-05-301h 31
Restitutio601. 1 Corinthians in Context 18: Concluding ThoughtsWe’ll begin by reviewing what we’ve covered in this class before asking the question, “What happened after Paul sent 1 Corinthians?” Did the church receive his instruction? Did they reject it? How does 2 Corinthians fit in? We’ll take a look at the timeline to understand Paul’s three visits to Corinth and the three epistles he wrote them: 1 Corinthians, the severe letter (now lost), and 2 Corinthians. Then we’ll move through time to see how the church at Corinth continued to develop over the next one hundred years. Lastly, I’ll share some insights I’ve gained as I’ve come to ap...2025-05-221h 09
Restitutio600. 1 Corinthians in Context 17: Eschatology and the AfterlifeWe’ll begin by surveying what 1 Corinthians tells us about the end times. Then we’ll consider why Paul spent so much time in chapter fifteen making a case for the resurrection of the saints when Christ returns. By examining tomb inscriptions and literary sources you’ll learn about the four major options for the afterlife in the Greco-Roman world: (1) non-existence, (2) ascension to the stars, (3) the Hades myth, and (4) reincarnation. My hope is you’ll come to see how radical and fresh the Judaeo-Christian idea of resurrection was to the people of Corinth and understand why Paul felt the need to...2025-05-161h 08
Restitutio599. 1 Corinthians in Context 16: Love and Edification in the AssemblyToday we’re going to look at chapters 12, 13, and 14 of 1 Corinthians as a unit. We’ll see that the body analogy in 12, the love poem in 13, and the repeated concern for upbuilding in 14 are all slightly different angles of approach to the same goal. When the Corinthian Christians were getting together to worship, it was chaos. People were talking over each other, eager to manifest the holy spirit. Rather than telling them to cease from divine speech in the assembly, Paul instead focused their attention on the priority for being considerate of one another. Actually, he was way more radi...2025-05-091h 03
Restitutio598 1 Corinthians in Context 15: Speaking in TonguesLast time we looked at how Greco-Roman people talked about inspired speech. Today we turn to 1 Corinthians and the book of Acts to focus on speaking in tongues. We’ll consider the idea that tongues are angelic languages, how tongues relates to prayer, and how tongues differs from ecstatic speech. Lastly, we’ll dip our toes into the debate over whether tongues ceased with the apostles or not. Whether you personally speak in tongues or not, I think you’ll find the information in this episode helpful.
Scriptures covered: 1 Corinthians 12:7, 10; 13:1, 8-12; 14:2, 4, 6, 11, 13-19, 27-28; Acts 2:1-11; 10:44-46; 11:15-17; 19:6-7...2025-05-021h 09
Restitutio597 1 Corinthians in Context 14: Inspiration and Divine SpeechThis episode is a deep dive into the world of prophetic utterances, frenzied manifestations, divine possession, and all other sorts of inspired speech that I could find in Greco-Roman literature. Honestly, I wasn’t thinking I would find much. I was wrong. This episode is probably the longest of the entire 1 Corinthians in Context class. Still, I wanted to keep it as one episode so you get the full survey of what kinds of divine speech ancient Mediterranean people knew about. Then, after going through all the data, we turn our attention to 1 Corinthians 12-14 to see how Christian sp...2025-04-261h 11
Restitutio596 1 Corinthians in Context 13: CommunionSo much was going on at the communion meal in Corinth. Some people were overdoing it, even getting drunk, while others went hungry. In order to better understand Paul’s instructions in 1 Corinthians 11, we’ll take some time to consider how the Romans did meals. Then we’ll draw on archeological discoveries from Corinth to reconstruct what the meeting space would have been like for Christian gatherings. Lastly, we’ll see how strongly Paul rebuked their lack of unity and concern for those in need and see how he challenged them to think of the meal as a spiritual event wi...2025-04-2150 min
Restitutio595 1 Corinthians in Context 12: WomenWhat was life like for women in the Roman empire? How did Christianity challenge cultural norms about the role of women? In today’s episode we’ll see what life was like for a range of women from wealthy single benefactors to athletes to freedwomen and slaves. We’ll focus our attention on the head-coverings passage in 1 Corinthians 11 and see why men were covering their heads and women were uncovering them. Lastly, we’ll work through the options for interpreting Paul’s instruction for women to remain silent during church services.
Scriptures Covered: 1 Corinthians 11:2-6, 10, 14-15; 14:34-36
Li...2025-04-1255 min
Restitutio594 1 Corinthians in Context 11: Money and Benefaction1 Corinthians 9 is a fascinating chapter. Paul masterfully lays out five arguments for why ministers should be paid for their work before telling the church of Corinth that he has chosen not to make use of this right and that he never would. Why not? What was it about the situation in Corinth that made Paul leery of taking their money? In order to get at this question we’ll consider how benefaction functioned in Greco-Roman cities. We’ll also consider two significant patronesses: Junia Theodora and Phoebe of Cenchreae. My hope is that this episode will open your eyes to s...2025-04-0751 min
Restitutio593 1 Corinthians in Context 10: ChristologyWhat does 1 Corinthians tell us about Christ? After a brief survey of the main ideas about Christ in the epistle, we’ll turn our attention to understanding 1 Corinthians 8.6. This verse has been a lightning rod for speculating about Christ’s relationship to God. Scholars like N. T. Wright and Richard Bauckham have asserted that Paul identified Christ with God, whatever that means. Their idea is that Paul reworked the shema, the core creed of Judaism, in order to bring Christ into the “divine identity.” In this episode, I’ll critique that view and offer in its place a contextual reading th...2025-03-2742 min
Restitutio592 1 Corinthians in Context 9: Food Sacrificed to IdolsAlthough often overlooked today, whether or not to eat food that had been sacrificed to idols was a major issue in first-century Christianity, especially in urban centers like Corinth. The city was teeming with temples, idols, and smaller shrines. Divinities abounded and devotees made offerings regularly from a little wine poured out at a home shrine to full animal sacrifices amid the pomp and circumstance of a city-funded celebration in the main forum. It’s hard for us to imagine the immense social pressure, especially on elite Christians, to attend state sacrifices, eat meals at temple dining rooms, and ac...2025-03-201h 10
Restitutio591 1 Corinthians in Context 8: Marriage, Divorce, and RemmarriageThe Romans looked at families and marriage very differently than most of us do today. In this session we’ll cover arranged marriages, the double standard for adultery, and the new Roman Women who were breaking all the rules. This will put us in a good place to read chapter 7 of 1 Corinthians and see how Christian marriage, divorce, and remarriage differed from how the world lived. We’ll see that not only was Christian marriage incredibly honoring to wives, it also provided a better foundation on which to build intimacy and mutuality.
Scriptures Covered: 1 Corinthians 7:1-16
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Restitutio590 1 Corinthians in Context 7: LawsuitsHow should Christians deal with internal disputes? As with so many other issues, the Christians in Corinth were failing to distinguish between the body of Christ and the world. Today we’ll consider what Paul wrote in the first half of 1 Corinthians chapter six. In order to get a handle on his instructions to the church, we’ll consider the Roman legal system and how litigation worked. We’ll see that Paul wanted them to work out their grievances internally rather than going to court before unbelievers. However, does this mean that Christians should never go to court? Find out in...2025-03-0745 min
Restitutio589 1 Corinthians in Context 6: Homosexuality & SinglenessSo often we default to categories of thought prevalent in our time and without realizing it, read them into the Bible. As it turns out, first-century people living in Corinth did not think about sexuality like we do at all. In today’s episode, I want to begin by focusing rather closely on 1 Corinthians 6.9, which mentions same-sex relationships. This verse has been at the center of major translation disagreements that have sometimes opened the door wide to committed same sex relationships and at other times closed the door so tightly that even celibate men get locked out merely for ex...2025-02-2843 min
Restitutio588 1 Corinthians in Context 5: Sexual ImmoralityDo you know what blows my mind? That with all the permissiveness and sinfulness of the Roman world, what the Corinthian Christians were doing shocked Paul. He said that the sexual immorality of one man among them was so bad that such was not even found among the gentiles. That’s quite an indictment! Today we’re going to cover 1 Corinthians 5 and the second half of chapter 6. Both of these have to do with sexual immorality and, as such, today’s content is not appropriate for children. We’re going to cover the incident where a man was with his fath...2025-02-2147 min
Restitutio587 1 Corinthians in Context 4: Philosophy & WisdomPaul wrote extensively about worldly wisdom in 1 Corinthians. Due to the prevalence and esteem of philosophical schools, Paul probably felt a need to explain how Christianity measured up. In this lecture we’ll survey the five main philosophical options available to first-century Corinthians, including Platonism, Cynicism, Skepticism, Epicureanism and Stoicism. Then once we get a cursory grasp of how each of these worldly approaches worked, we’ll contrast them to Paul’s idea of spiritually discerned truths, which are available only to the mature in Christ.
Scriptures Covered: 1 Corinthians 1:17-25; 2:1-16; 3:1-4
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Restitutio586 1 Corinthians in Context 3: Factions & Status at CorinthNow that we’ve familiarized ourselves with the city of Corinth and Paul’s missionary activity there, we’re ready to dive into 1 Corinthians. As I mentioned previously, my strategy for this class is to focus on the major themes rather than covering every verse. Our first theme is the issue of divisiveness among the Christians at Corinth, which spans the first four chapters of the letter. In this episode we’ll look at the factions in the church in light of two major contributing background forces: imperial celebrity culture and competition for status among Corinth’s elite. By situating...2025-02-0649 min
Restitutio585 1 Corinthians in Context 2: Paul Founds the Church at CorinthHow did Christianity come to Corinth in the first place? Although many times we are left speculating about how an ancient church got started, we have definitive knowledge about the Corinthian church from Luke, Paul’s traveling companion. In what follows we’ll work through Acts chapter 18 to see how Paul initially founded the church in Corinth. We’ll also take time to consider what life was like for Paul as a tentmaker, how he broke from the synagogue, and how we date Paul’s time there using the Gallio inscription from Delphi.
Scriptures Covered: Acts 18.1-19; 1 Thessalo...2025-01-3049 min
Restitutio584 1 Corinthians in Context 1: Corinth as the ContextToday we’re beginning something new. I’ve been working on this class on 1 Corinthians for months and months. I had taken classes on 1 Corinthians at Boston University twice. The first time we just read through the entire epistle in Greek. The second time was when we learned about what modern scholars said about Corinth. I’ve taught this epistle in the past both in a home bible study (in Rhode Island) and at the college level (in Georgia). Then, last April I had the opportunity to visit many ancient cities in both Turkey and Greece, including Corinth, which gave m...2025-01-2346 min
Restitutio583 Not Alone Anymore (Vaughn Madsen)As we left things last time, Vaughn Madsen of New Zealand had been on a quest for biblical truth that resulted in repeated rejection from churches and Bible studies. Apart from his kids, Vaughn was alone. He met a couple of random people in street evangelism who agreed with him about Jesus, but that was it… for years. Even his wife, Sharon, didn’t agree with him. No matter how much he tried, he couldn’t manage to convince her otherwise. He prayed and prayed. He waited. He was patient. Then in the last two years something changed. Today you’ll...2025-01-1648 min
Restitutio582 Kiwi Farmer Pursues Biblical Truth (Vaughn Madsen)Vaughn Madsen was a simple kiwi farmer who subscribed to evangelical Christianity in New Zealand. No, he wasn’t farming kiwis. A kiwi is what you call someone from New Zealand. Anyhow, like I said, he was a devout member of his local church when he came across a presentation by Warren Prestige about the state of the dead. Although he had always believed his deceased loved ones were in heaven, this presentation provided extensive biblical evidence that the dead–both righteous and unrighteous–are asleep until the resurrection happens at the coming of Christ. Sometime later his brother prompt...2025-01-1049 min
Restitutio581 Stand Strong in the Lord (Jerry Wierwille)Happy New Year everyone! Have you started to think about what you want to change in this coming year? Today we’re going to listen to a powerful message by Dr. Jerry Wierwille about standing strong in the Lord. The world is always pressing on us, squeezing us into its mold. How can we resist? What can we do? In this sermon Wierwille explains how putting on the armor of God will empower you to withstand the darts that come your way. Turning to God as your protector and refuge will help you stand strong today and throughout the co...2025-01-0338 min
Restitutio580 An Honest Evaluation of the Evidence for the Deity of Christ (Sean Finnegan)Does the New Testament refer to Jesus as God? Though this is an important question, it’s only a starting point for wrestling with who Jesus is. In what follows we’ll consider the evidence from five scholars on what texts they say attribute deity to Christ. Then we’ll examine the biblical evidence that pulls in the opposite direction, suggesting that Jesus was not God. Lastly, we’ll examine five major possibilities for interpreting this data, including trinitarianism, modalism, Arianism, Greco-Roman polytheism, and biblical unitarianism.
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Restitutio578 Applying Old Testament YHWH Passages to Jesus (Jerry Wierwille)Have you ever noticed that the New Testament authors love to quote the Old Testament? This happens hundreds of times. Sometimes the quotation is direct, other times it is a paraphrase, still others a New Testament author will allude to the Old Testament. In today’s episode, we’re going to hear Dr. Jerry Wierwille explaining what Paul did in Romans 10.13 when he quoted Joel’s prophecy and applied it to Jesus.
Not only will this presentation help you to understand Romans 10.13 better, it will open your eyes to the various interpretive methods that first-century Jews used when q...2024-12-1254 min
Restitutio577 Nothing Mere about a Man Made in the Image of God (Anna Brown)Has anyone ever said to you, “Oh, you believe Jesus is just a mere man.” How do you respond when someone says that? Do you just go along with it and say, “Yep, that’s what I believe–Jesus is just another guy”? I hope not.
Jesus is not just another guy. He’s the virginally-conceived son of God who lived righteously without sin, healed dozens (maybe hundreds) of people, preached tirelessly about the kingdom, taught the Bible and how to live, performed many miracles and exorcisms, voluntarily died for our sins as a perfect sacrifice. Then God raised him...2024-12-051h 00
Restitutio576 Thank God (Sean Finnegan)Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Now I realize many of you are listening from other countries outside the USA, so you may not have this holiday where you live. That’s fine. Still, I do appreciate how we set aside a day each year in this country to practice gratitude. In what follows we’ll consider a great biblical example of thankfulness: Hannah. My hope is that by considering her amazing story, you will be inspired to give God thanks for your blessings. And this message about gratitude is relevant any day of the year.
Listen to this episode on S...2024-11-2847 min
Restitutio574 Pursue Your Blessing (Sean Finnegan)It’s easy for complacency to set in our walk with God. It’s easy to settle into apathy with respect to spiritual growth. It’s easy to stop dreaming about what God can do in our lives. Today we’ll hear another message from Revive earlier this year–this one from yours truly. We’ll consider three examples of people who pursued blessing from God: Jabez, Rahab, and Jacob. This episode should nicely round out our four-part series on walking with God.
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Get the transcript of th...2024-11-1458 min
Restitutio560 Pentecost Reversing Babel (Sean Finnegan)Pentecost, as described in Acts 2, was a strange event. We read about unusual miraculous signs such as the sound of a great wind and tongues of fire. Still, the most interesting moment is when the apostles of our Lord began speaking in foreign languages that they didn't know. Such divine utterance is called speaking in tongues and everyone, it seems, has an opinion about it. But, have you ever asked yourself why?
God is launching the church to go into Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Christ pours out the spirit to enable them...2024-08-0900 min
NFCC's Guide Through the Seasons of Mental WellnessManaging Our Kid's Big EmotionsThere are many challenges when it comes to parenting but one thing that makes it easier is understanding your child's emotions and even more, helping them understand them! Sometimes feelings can feel bigger, when you're smaller. What may seem unimportant to an adult can feel monumental for a child. Let's help you, help them... help you! Haha. About our GuestJulie Duong (yeung) is a native Houstonian who is passionate about the intersection of education, mental health, and equity. She is currently a licensed professional counselor at Nick Finnegan Counseling Center who works with adults a...2024-05-2637 minNFCC's Guide Through the Seasons of Mental WellnessSubstance Abuse and RecoveryFinding gratitude on your journey to sobriety may seem impossible when you are facing the challenges of being a substance user. But you are not alone. Family support, treatment, counseling, and a recovery community have been key in the successful journey to sobriety that today's guest, Jay, talks about in this episode. About our GuestJay Magness struggled with substance abuse in his teens and early twenties. After hitting a huge milestone of being sober for a little over a decade, Jay openly shares about his journey, knowing that his story can help others. As...2024-05-1348 min
Restitutio540 Dustin Smith’s Take on the Tuggy-White DebateAs the dust continues to settle from last week's debate between Dale Tuggy and James White, reviewers are coalescing on a rather exciting conclusion. Tuggy handedly won the debate! Rumor has it that James White has even requested a rematch! We'll have to wait and see if anything happens on that front, but requesting a rematch is not something the winner typically does.
In today's episode, I bring on Dr. Dustin Smith of the biblical unitarian podcast to respond to James White's arguments, not only in his opening statement, but also in his rebuttal, cross-examination time, and...2024-03-221h 36
Restitutio521 The Deity of Christ from a Greco-Roman Perspective (Sean Finnegan)Let’s face it the New Testament probably calls Jesus God (or god) a couple of times and so do early Christian authors in the second century. However, no one offers much of an explanation for what they mean by the title. Did early Christians think Jesus was God because he represented Yahweh? Did they think he was God because he shared the same eternal being as the Father? Did they think he was a god because that’s just what they would call any immortalized human who lived in heaven? In this presentation I focus on the question from...2023-11-0956 min
Restitutio516 Sean Finnegan on Restoring Authentic Christianity (Tom Huszti)Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
Recently Tom Huszti interviewed me for his YouTube channel, the Unitarian Anabaptist. We talked about the importance of geography, archeology, and Greco-Roman history for interpreting the bible, especially the New Testament. Next we delved into early church history, starting with the earliest forms of Jewish Christianity in the first and second centuries. We talked about the Jerusalem church, the Nazarenes, and the Ebionites. Next we considered the persecution many Christians faced at the hands of the Romans for their unwillingness to give their ultimate allegiance to Caesar. The...2023-10-061h 50
Restitutio510 Hospitality Evangelism (Sean Finnegan)Do you struggle with evangelism? Do you feel like you should tell others about the gospel and yet, you can't seem to find a way to do that? If so, then this episode is for you. Part of our aim here at Restitutio is not just exploring the bible and church history to recover authentic Christianity, but also figuring out how to live your faith today. This means we sometimes have practical episodes. In this presentation, you'll learn about hospitality evangelism. The idea is simple: invite neighbors or coworkers over for dinner. Rosaria Butterfield put it this way: make...2023-08-2450 min
The Happy EditEpisode 3 - Meet the Husbands Part 2 with Conor FinneganOne of the things that brings us both lots of joy and happiness is our families. So we thought we’d do a 2-part series called “Meet the Husbands” so you can gain a little more insight into our family life. In this episode we’ll continue with Conor Finnegan, Sarah’s husband and Tess’ brother-in-law.
Main points about what we discussed in this episode:
Happiness can come from sharing experiences and reflecting on experiences you’re having at the moment.
Having kids can change our perception of happiness by helping us realize that it's the...2023-05-1527 minNFCC's Guide Through the Seasons of Mental WellnessHealing Through GriefSeason 3 is all about healing... In this episode, we discuss the different ways we experience grief and loss; not just through death but in changes in our day to day routine. We also discuss healthy coping mechanisms that people can lean into as they grieve.About our Guest Amy Gready is a Licensed Professional Counselor based in Houston, Texas where she was born and raised. Amy earned a master’s degree in Communications from Texas State University as well as a master’s degree in Education/Counseling from Our Lady of the Lake University. After working i...2023-05-0532 min
Restitutio475 Scripture & Science 14: What Are Miracles? (Will Barlow)What is a miracle? Does it mean God breaks the laws of physics or merely that he intervenes within the system? After considering several definitions of miracles from Christian thinkers, Will Barlow interacts with a number of biblical incidents to explain what a miracle is and is not. He examines the parting of the Red Sea, Moses getting water from the rock, the collapse of Jericho’s walls, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fire, and Daniel in the lions’ den. For each Barlow looks at how God performed the miracle, shedding light on how science and scripture interact.
2022-12-2444 min
Restitutio474 Scripture & Science 13: Noah’s Flood (Will Barlow)Having looked at the basics of earth science last time, we are now ready to consider Noah's Flood. As always you'll learn the major options for interpreting this biblical event. Some Christians understand the flood to have been a local event, largely limited to the region of Mesopotamia. Others hold to the notion that this flood covered the entire planet, rising above even the highest mountains. No matter which position you take, you'll have to answer key biblical and scientific questions.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v...2022-12-1642 min
Restitutio473 Scripture & Science 12: What Is Earth Science? (Will Barlow)So far we've considered physics and biology in our exploration of scripture and science. Today we begin to consider how earth science and the bible fit together. This becomes particularly significant when considering interpretations for Noah's flood. We'll get to that next time. But, for today, our teacher will lay out the basics of geology and earth science to give us a good overview. He'll also cover radiometric dating, which has a bearing on how scientists determine the age of the earth.
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https://www.youtube.com...2022-12-0849 min
Restitutio472 Why I (Still) Don’t Believe in Evolution (Sean Finnegan)I’d like to take an opportunity to interrupt this Scripture and Science class. We’ve just done three episodes on evolution. The first one covered the basics of what evolution is. Our second teaching evolution covered biblical problems and the third surveyed some scientific problems. Then Will interviewed Sam about his beliefs in both Christianity and evolution. I figured we’d just leave it there and move on to hear what Will had to say about geology. But after seeing various comments coming in, I decided it would be good to interject some of my own thoughts both defend...2022-12-0237 min
Restitutio471 Scripture & Science 11: Scientific Objections to Evolution (Will Barlow)Since it's inception, evolutionary theory has remained controversial for many. Although one might think only uneducated laypeople find the idea unpalatable, quite a sizeable minority of scientists too struggle to come to terms with Darwinism. In today's episode, Will Barlow explores a number of major scientific objections to evolution, including the Cambrian explosion, mutations as an insufficient mechanism, irreducible complexity, and the fossil record itself. Additionally, he briefly explores the issue of abiogenesis--the presumed starting point for any evolutionary development.
Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v...2022-11-2337 min
Restitutio470 Scripture & Science 10: Biblical Objections to Evolution (Will Barlow)Having looked at what the theory of evolution teaches last time, today we're going to think through how well evolution fits with the bible. Will Barlow covers two main scriptural objections that young earth creationists bring against evolution before exploring three more issues that arise from the perspective of old earth creationism. How does Genesis 1 fit with evolution?
Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZysp0JF3CA&feature=emb_imp_woyt
See below for notes.
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We are doing follow-up discussions to these...2022-11-1839 min
Restitutio469 Scripture & Science 9: What Is Evolution? (Will Barlow)Having taken a short break from our Scripture & Science series, we are back. Today begins a series of three episodes exploring evolution. Whether you believe in evolution or not, it's important to understand what the theory claims and how evolutionists reason. In this episode, Will Barlow briefly explains how evolutionists explain the gradual change from one species to another. He dispels four common misconceptions and delves into the genetic insights popularized by Francis Collins who is both an evolutionist and a Christian.
Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
https://www.youtube.com...2022-11-1135 min
Restitutio468 Touching the Supernatural (Dale Allison)Renowned Historical Jesus Scholar and Princeton Theological Seminary Professor, Dale Allison's life changed forever when he was just sixteen years old. In fact, he has chronicled nine profound spiritual experiences throughout his life. These extraordinary moments of transcendence led him to a comparative study to learn more about what is happening to people all around the world in our time. The result? A book that catalogues and describes weird encounters with angels in white, sudden terminal lucidity, near death experiences, and even encounters with evil spiritual entities. This is not the typical sort of book written by someone who...2022-11-031h 00
Restitutio467 Parenting Wayward Adult Children (Mary DeMuth)Today we’re taking a little break from our Scripture and Science class for an author interview. I’m talking with Mary DeMuth who wrote, Love, Pray, Listen, which is about parenting wayward adult kids with joy. Because faith is not genetic, our children get to decide for themselves whether or not they will follow Jesus. Some believe in the home and then stand strong a lifetime. Others, have to go over fool’s hill and after a period of rebellion, come back to the faith with a powerful testimony. Still others, leave and never come back. What’s more, yo...2022-10-2843 min
Restitutio466 Scripture & Science 8: Fine-Tuning (Will Barlow)This episode rounds out three sessions focused on physics. Today we're learning about the incredibly precise conditions required for life to exist in our universe. From the strength of gravity to the properties of carbon or water to the beauty of math and the stars, Pastor Will Barlow enumerates several key ways in which the cosmos is finely-tuned to support life. Next he covers several of the common responses atheists put forward to explain this incredible precision. Barlow briefly responds to each before concluding that the God hypothesis fits the best.
Listen to this episode on Spotify...2022-10-2143 min
Restitutio465 Scripture & Science 7: Genesis and the Big BangBuilding on last week, Will Barlow continues to describe and analyze issues with the Big Bang Theory. He considers standard biblical and scientific objections brought forward by young earth creationists. After responding to these objections, he shows how each of the main Christian views of origins deals with the Big Bang.
Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yonfcv5mf6I&feature=emb_imp_woyt
See below for notes.
—— Links ——
We are doing follow-up discussions to these episodes on YouTube. Check them out!
See...2022-10-1337 min
Restitutio464 Scripture & Science 6: Physics and Astronomy (Will Barlow)Now that we've considered a bunch of the options for interpreting creation in Genesis, we are moving to look at astronomy. In today's episode Will Barlow moves into his home territory--physics. You'll learn about the weird nature of light, how particles do strange things at the quantum scale, and how the big bang model actually leads to belief in God. If you've ever been curious how to talk to science-minded friends and relatives about belief in God, today's episode should help!
Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
https://www.youtube.com/watch...2022-10-0736 min
Restitutio463 Scripture & Science 5: Reading Genesis One, Part 3 (Will Barlow)Today we are going to cover gap theories and John Walton’s temple idea. Will Barlow explains how gap theories work, including the classic idea that there’s a gap of billions of years between Genesis 1.1 and 1.2 as well as the modified version. After explaining the pros and cons for these views, he briefly explains John Walton’s theory that Genesis 1 solely focuses on function not physical creation.
Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
See below for notes.
—— Links ——
We are doing follow-up discussions to these episodes on YouTube. Check them out...2022-09-3039 min
Restitutio462 Scripture & Science 4: Reading Genesis One, Part 2 (Will Barlow)We've been considering the various options for interpreting the creation account in Genesis. Last time we looked at two young earth theories and today we'll survey three old earth perspectives, including the day age theory, modified day-age theory, and a non-literal approach. For each Will Barlow explains the basics and offers a gentle critique.
Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2y2H1PrJ34&list=PLN9jFDsS3QV1Etu1jXO3jbUQ6CFI-2k6W&index=4&t=180s
See below for notes.
—— Links ——
We a...2022-09-2344 min
Restitutio461 The Gospel and the Gospels (Simon Gathercole)Have you heard of the Gospel of Thomas? What about the Gospel of Philip or Judas? Although most Christians are only familiar with the four Gospels contained in the Bible, ancient Christians wrote quite a few other Gospels as well. How do we know which Gospels are to be trusted? My guest today is Dr. Simon Gathercole, professor of New Testament and early Christianity at the University of Cambridge. His new book, The Gospel and the Gospels, puts forward a commonsense historical methodology to determine which Gospels are most reliable.
Listen to this episode on Spotify or...2022-09-1650 min
Restitutio460 Scripture & Science 3: Reading Genesis One, Part 1 (Will Barlow)Today we'll begin to consider interpretive options for the first chapter of Genesis. We'll see three main groupings of theories, including those that propose a young earth of only thousands of years, those that see the earth as old (billions of years), and those that are compatible with either. After introducing the main options, Will Barlow goes on to explore young-earth creationism. He presents the advantages and disadvantages of this approach. Lastly, he shows why the "appearance of age" hypothesis fails to convince him.
Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
https://www...2022-09-0934 min
Restitutio459 Scripture & Science 2: Background on Genesis 1 (Will Barlow)Who was the original audience for the book of Genesis? Although we might be tempted to think we are, Genesis was written a long time ago in a different language and culture. Thinking through who the audience was, will help us approach the first chapter of Genesis on its own terms. In this episode, Will Barlow labors to put Genesis in its own context. He reminds us of what Israel had just been through in Egypt as well as other creation accounts from the ancient Near East. His goal is simply to contextualize Genesis within it's own time and...2022-09-0331 min
Restitutio458 Scripture & Science 1: What Is a Belief System? (Will Barlow)Today we're starting a new class called Scripture & Science. As a college student, studying engineering, I remember a particular day at the school library when I had the thought: "Well, I guess I'm going to have to look into scientific objections to the bible." I had been raised a Christian and believed the bible was God-inspired and infallible. However, I was now taking lots of science and engineering courses and it seemed like all my professors were atheists. (I learned later that the smartest physics professor was actually a devout Christian.)
I was faced with a dilemma...2022-08-2634 min
Restitutio457 From Oneness to One (J. Dan Gill)Have you heard of oneness theology? Also called "Jesus only," this is the idea that Jesus is all there is. Jesus is the Father; Jesus is the Holy Spirit. Jesus has manifested himself in many ways over the years, but there is only one individual or self who is God. Although not exclusive to the Pentecostal movement, most oneness believers belong to charismatic (or apostolic) groups today. This is a classic message given by Pastor J. Dan Gill in the early 2000s. I remember sitting there in the audience listening to him share about his community's journey of faith...2022-08-2145 min
Restitutio456 Why Christianity Is Awesome (Sean Finnegan)Why is Christianity awesome? Answering this question is a good exercise for us. So often we hear about why Christianity is terrible, especially in the eyes of the world. Many of these critiques are important and we should be humble enough to listen to problems, both real and perceived. However, my goal today is to focus on the positive. I'd like to spend some time just thinking about the goodness of our faith. I hope you will find it encouraging.
Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
—— Notes ——
Christianity makes sense of reali...2022-08-1243 min
Restitutio455 Is God on the Throne in Your Heart? (Sean Finnegan)A couple of weeks ago I got to speak at the Church of God's annual youth camp at Manchester University in rural Indiana. The week focused on all the different passions that we too easily allow to take God's spot in our hearts. Timypaul Lupe gave the message before mine in which he urged the listeners to smash their idols, demonstrating this by taking out a sledge hammer and breaking a jar on stage. My goal for this sermon was to encourage the audience to put God on the throne in their hearts. This is not something done once...2022-08-0528 min
Restitutio454 Amazing Grace (Sean Finnegan)Last Sunday, I shared this message about God's amazing grace. Instead of focusing on how gracious, merciful, and forgiving God is, I labored to explain why we don't deserve God's grace. I've observed this not only in my own journey, but also with many others who grow up in the church. We hear a thousand times how much God loves us and forgives us, but we easily overlook his wrath and holiness. God's grace is not amazing at all but an entitlement if you don't know in your bones that you deserve his wrath. In what follows I draw...2022-07-2947 min
Restitutio453 Dale Tuggy Comments on Debate with William Lane CraigLast week Dale Tuggy discussed William Lane Craig's theory about the Trinity for an hour. In one sense this was a momentous occasion when two heavy-hitting philosophers got into the ring to duke it out. In another sense, the limited constraint of one hour barely gave either much time to warm up or process the other's position, much less land any serious blows. Still, it was a worthwhile exchange and it has already received over 5,000 views in its first week on YouTube. In this followup interview, I ask Dr. Tuggy about his impression of the exchange, his further thoughts...2022-07-2140 min
Restitutio452 What Is the Gospel We Preach? (Victor Gluckin)What is the gospel? No, I’m not talking about the biographies of Jesus or catchy music. I mean, what is the message of salvation that Jesus commissioned us to preach? Pastor Victor Gluckin of Living Faith Christian Church in Rhode Island masterfully explains what the gospel is and does. The gospel is not good advice but good news that something has changed, is changing, and will change. The gospel is that Christ died, Christ rose, and Christ is coming again. Although most gospel presentations today only focus on the first component, Gluckin is careful to present a full go...2022-07-1546 min
Restitutio451 Wisdom Christology in Hebrews 1.10-12 (Jerry Wierwille)Whereas last time we examined 6 interpretations people hold for Hebrews 1.10-12, today we look at just one--the 7th. Jerry Wierwille is my guest again and in this episode he explains his take on Hebrews 1.10-12. He delves into wisdom christology to show how these verses speak of Jesus protologically as wisdom that created the heavens and the earth.
Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
—— Recommended Reading ——
"Intertextuality and Interpretation of Hebrews 1:10-12" by Jerry Wierwille
Jesus the Sage by Ben Witherington III
The New Testament Age, Vol 1
—— Links ——
Check out th...2022-07-0854 min
Restitutio450 Seven Interpretive Options for Hebrews 1.10-12 (Jerry Wierwille)In our last episode, Dr. Jerry Wierwille led us through a contextual overview of Hebrews 1 and 2 in order to situate Hebrews 1.10-12. Today, we’ll consider seven interpretations of Hebrews 1.10-12, including:
Father as referent, doxology
Jesus as creator of Genesis creation
Jesus as creator of figurative heaven and earth (referring to people and political institutions)
Jesus as creator of figurative heaven and earth (referring to Mosaic order)
Jesus as creator of heaven and earth for millennial kingdom
Jesus as creator of new creation
Jesus as the embodiment of God’s wisdom
This survey should help shed ligh...2022-07-0146 min
Restitutio447 God Is Compassionate (Sean Finnegan)Power and kindness rarely go together. I don't know about you, but I'm so thankful the most powerful being in the universe is also exceedingly compassionate! In fact, when he revealed himself to Moses, compassion was the first attribute he declared about himself. We see the outworking of God's compassion in the laws he provided Israel in the Torah, especially the provisions he made for those who were vulnerable or suffering. These serve as examples for how we should think about those in difficult life circumstances. Scripture calls us to imitate our Father as dear children. Let's be a...2022-06-111h 04NFCC's Guide Through the Seasons of Mental WellnessCommunication in the Workplace with Mary Elizabeth HandResearch has shown inter-office relationships with managers impacts self-confidence, self efficacy, and overall mental and physical health. Yet, many in management positions have little to no focused skills or incentive to practice building positive work dynamics. So, how do we help teams, no matter the size, move forward towards collaboration? We'll talk about how to develop the necessary skills needed to create an environment that supports everyone’s needs and strengths to create a stronger, more successful work environment in today's episode with Nick Finnegan Counseling Center’s Executive Director, Mary Elizabeth Hand.About our GuestMa...2022-05-261h 14
The BrightSpot PodcastIntegration After Isolation--BrightSpots Edition with Lindsay FinneganSpinoff show! But hopefully, this spinoff fares better than most spinoffs... Mata flies solo in these spinoff episodes. These episodes will feature people who're succeeding in life! We attempt to better understand what they're doing that makes them succeed and share that in hopes of fortifying families. This episode features someone we all know and love, Lindsay Finnegan! Hear what life has been like as a new mom during COVID, her beliefs about what families are currently struggling with and practical tools for addressing those struggles. Enjoy!2022-03-1038 min
Restitutio428 Looking for the Historical Jesus between Evangelical and Liberal Scholarship (Sean Finnegan)Did you know that scholars who work on Jesus divide starkly into two major camps? On the one hand, the evangelicals do such great work on the existence of God, the historicity of the resurrection, and the reliability of Scripture. But, then they read the Gospels through the filter of their theological commitments, always coming away with a Jesus that looks suspiciously like the second person of the Trinity. On the other hand, liberal scholars tend to get the message of Jesus about the kingdom right, but then due to their anti-supernatural presuppositions, deny the resurrection and end up...2022-01-2856 min
Restitutio427 Why Did Jesus Die? Exploring Atonement Theories (Sean Finnegan)Why did Jesus die? Why couldn't God just forgive all our sins? How did Jesus' death pay for sin? How can someone else die for my sins? Questions like these are what atonement theories strive to answer. Throughout the history of Christianity a half dozen prominent theories have vied for adherents. In what follows I begin by surveying what the bible says about atonement before moving to briefly cover seven atonement theories. I originally released this presentation as two separate talks a while back (Theology 17 and Theology 18), but due to continued interest and inquires about this subject, I thought...2022-01-2159 min
Restitutio426 The Father Is Greater Than I: Exploring Biblical Subordination (Sean Finnegan)Is the Son equal with the Father or is he subordinate? Thinking Christians have struggled over the tension between the traditional doctrine of coequality between Father and Son, on the one hand, and the dozens upon dozens of scriptures that either imply our explicitly teach the Father's supremacy over his Son. Two ways of solving this problem include the idea of the economic Trinity and eternal functional subordination. In what follows I overview the biblical evidence for the Son's subordination to the Father before critiquing both of these reigning trinitarian solutions to the problem. Last of all, I consider...2022-01-1455 min
Restitutio425 Hell Is the Fire That Consumes (Edward Fudge)What does the bible say about hell? Though many Christians believe hell is where the wicked suffer eternal conscious torment, this view contradicts dozens of scriptures about the fate of the wicked. In this masterful presentation, hell expert, Edward Fudge, works through not only the bible, but also intertestamental literature and church history to show the original view of hell and how it changed over time. He explains that the destiny of the lost is to face God’s terrifying wrath leaving them ultimately annihilated rather than tortured without end.
This understanding of judgment has been steadily gr...2022-01-101h 06
Restitutio352 Bible 23 – Spirit Who or Spirit Which? (Translating the Holy Spirit)This is our fifth and final example of bias in translation. After this episode, we’ll have one more to conclude our class on How We Got the Bible. Today our focus is God’s spirit. Should it have an uppercase ‘S’ or a lowercase ‘s?’ Should pronouns referring back to spirit be masculine (like “he”) or neuter (like “it”)? Is the spirit a “who” or a “which?” In this episode we’ll get into the grammar of holy spirit in an attempt to show how translation bias steers unsuspecting readers in the direction of the traditional teaching about the personality of the spirit.
...2020-08-1935 min
Restitutio328 Parenting 4 – Anxiety, Depression, and Screens (Ruth Finnegan)In part 4 of our parenting class, Ruth Finnegan tackles the issue of screen time for children. Although technology itself is neutral, much of what our children spend their time doing with screens is self-destructive and worldly. As parents our responsibility is to bring God and his scriptures into the family and curtail exposure to worldly entertainment. Doing so may help prevent adolescent anxiety and depression.
—— Links ——
For more Ruth Finnegan, check out this episode on consumerism
If you prefer, you can watch the unedited videos here
See other episodes in this parenting series
Check out Greg Lu...2020-05-2139 min
On The Corner Sports Talk With Jack FinneganDeep Dives with Nick FinneganSpecial Guest, Nick Finnegan and I discuss all the hottest topics across sports in new segment Deep Dives2020-05-0944 min
Restitutio151 God of Wonder (Sean Finnegan)Do you ever stop and marvel at God’s creation? Are you in wonder at what he has made? Too often we take God’s masterful creations for granted, instead of seeing them as pointers back to God’s ingenuity, generosity, and artistry. Although we can’t always take time out to praise God for plums, palm trees, and panthers, when we can it’s helpful to meditate on his handiwork.
Here’s the video from this message that shows the relative sizes of our solar system’s planets and sun with other much bigger stars:
Here are a coup...2018-10-1242 min
Continuously RxPT3 Exam 1 DiabetesThis is all of the notes for 6095 PT3 Exam 1 in one place. If you have anything that you think would be helpful in these podcasts email them to timothy.finnegan@ucdenver.edu. Hope you all do well.
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Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/tim-finnegan/support2018-10-012h 02
Restitutio112 God’s Not Done with You Yet (Sean Finnegan)We all get beaten down in life. Whether it’s catastrophes like hurricanes, shootings, or economic meltdowns, or just dealing with the day to day demands and responsibilities of life, we all go through periods of dryness, feeling like we aren’t making a difference. This is where Elijah’s example is particularly pertinent. Having reached the peak of his influence and achieved a mighty victory over the prophets of Baal and Ashera, Elijah still found himself on the run from the government, hunted like an animal. In the deepest time of despair and discouragement, we encounter a message that c...2017-10-0657 min
RestitutioPodcast 79: Proud of Our God (Victor Gluckin)Are you embarrassed of your non-traditional beliefs about God? Victor Gluckin says that it’s time to stand up for what we believe. Believing God is one (instead of three-in-one) is not some sort of fringe doctrine; it’s at the very heart of biblical faith. After all, Jesus himself identified the Jewish “shema” as the most important command. He said:
The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and wit...2017-04-0759 min
RestitutioPodcast 73: Relating to the Government (Vince Finnegan)How should Christians relate to the government? In this sermon, Vince Finnegan works through Romans 13 to show how we should relate to the powers that be. Ultimately God is in charge of raising up and tearing down regimes and nations over the course of human history. Our goal is to love one another as examples of genuine faith rather than get overwhelmed with political concerns.
Notes:
Romans 13:1 – In order to stay constantly living for God, we must have the right mindset and proper behavior in relationship to the kingdoms of this world.
Subjection is ve...2017-02-2346 min
RestitutioPodcast 44: The Immutable Shema (Sean Finnegan)by Sean Finnegan
The Shema has been the core creed of Judaism from the time of Moses to today. It stands as an immovable witness to God’s identity as well as our proper relation to him. Even though Jesus confessed the Shema, most Christians today aren’t familiar with it. This is because after the New Testament age, under the influence of Greek philosophy Christian thinking metastasized into Trinitarian dogma, scorning its native Hebrew context in the process. Eventually, “Yahweh” became “Lord” and “one” became “three in one” and the church became estranged from the bible’s legacy of unitarianism. ...2016-08-1246 min
RestitutioPodcast 43: Identity Theft (Vince Finnegan)by Vince Finnegan
From Exodus and Deuteronomy, God makes clear who he is and how he wants his chosen people to worship him. He is Yahweh, the one God of Israel, the only one. His identity does not change. Sadly, later on God became the victim of identity theft, as Christians developed the dogma of the Trinity and substituted three for one. Now is the time to repent of this egregious act of hubris and return to how God defines himself. He is the only one who is truly God who reigns supreme over all, even Jesus. Join V...2016-08-0552 min
RestitutioPodcast 42: My Testimony (Sean Finnegan)Last week I attended a youth camp in Indiana called FUEL. They assigned me the text on the Prodigal Son (Luke 15). As I pondered and prayed how I should approach this powerful parable, I sensed God wanted me to interweave my own story in with the prodigal. As a result, I decided to share my testimony in an honest and raw way. The next day, John Guthrie wrote this summary, which I felt well-encapsulated my message:
Pastor Sean Finnegan used the Parable of the Prodigal Son as a jumping off point to tell his personal “prodigal son story...2016-07-2936 min
RestitutioOff Script 6: ConsumerismIs consumerism a force for good or ill in our society today? How should Christians think about the ubiquity of advertising, our innate desire for novelty, and the allure of finding a deal? For this episode Ruth Finnegan joins in with Daniel Fitzsimmons, Rose Rider, and Sean Finnegan to consider the pros and cons of consumerism as well as discuss what wisdom the bible has to share on this important subject.
Read a detailed article on Consumerism here.2016-07-1039 min
RestitutioPodcast 23: Let Us Make Man (Sean Finnegan)by Sean Finnegan
In Genesis 1.26, God says, “Let us make man in our image.” Since this is the creation of humanity, he couldn’t have been speaking to any humans. So whom was God speaking to? One common interpretation is to say he was speaking to another person within his being–God the Son. But, this is quite a strange idea. Honestly, it sounds like a multiple personality disorder. In any other literature, when we encounter the word “us” we know it means the speaker and whomever he or she is speaking to. Why do we suddenly, go into theology la...2016-03-1944 min
RestitutioPodcast 19: Death Then What? (Sean Finnegan)by Sean Finnegan
What happens when people die? In this sermon I mention show the biblical “evidence” for heaven, hell, purgatory, ghosts, and reincarnation before revealing the overwhelming number of texts supporting the sleep of the dead. Focusing on John’s Gospel, I establish that (1) the dead are in their tombs asleep until they hear Christ’s voice to awaken in resurrection, (2) that resurrection will not occur until the last day, (3) that Jesus called Lazarus “asleep” when he was really talking about him being dead, and (4) that Mary was looking for Jesus not merely his body when she discovered...2016-02-1946 min
RestitutioPodcast 17: Follow (Sean Finnegan)by Sean Finnegan
According to Jesus no one should call him “Lord” if he or she does not do what he says. In other words, Christ says he wants followers not merely believers. Although hippie Jesus, one-and-done Jesus, American Jesus, prosperity Jesus, poverty Jesus, and part-time Jesus all vie for all attention, we encounter the real Jesus in the Gospels, which have confidence in today because of the massive number of manuscripts that have survived from antiquity. Following Jesus has massive benefits as well, including eternal life, forgiveness of sins, life transformation, and ultimate meaning for your life. ...2016-02-0544 min
RestitutioPodcast 13: What’s Your Script? (Sean Finnegan)by Sean Finnegan
According to Hebrew bible expert, Walter Bruegemann, all of us live by a script. He contends that our society is constantly scripting us with technological, therapeutic, consumer militarism. In the words of the Apostle Paul, we must fight this tendency by refusing to conform to this world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds. The gospel message itself offers us a whole new script. It’s hopeful rather than pessimistic, motivated by love rather than fear, characterized by abundance rather than scarcity, provides us an anchor to weather the storms of this life...2016-01-0846 min
RestitutioPodcast 11: Wrestling against Spiritual Forces (Sean Finnegan)by Sean Finnegan
Ephesians 6.12 tells us our struggle is not really against other humans but against spiritual forces. Learn how malignant powers influence people both directly (through demon possession) and indirectly (through the culture). Hopefully, this message will open your eyes to what is happening behind the scenes as Satan works to keep people from believing the gospel message as well as take out those who already follow Christ. At the end, I offer 7 specific examples of how the devil gains a foothold in our lives. Even so, through the power of God we are able to shut...2015-12-2550 min
RestitutioPodcast 9: God and Jesus: An Overview (Sean Finnegan)by Sean Finnegan
What’s the difference between God and Jesus. Many Christians believe they are mysteriously one in being, but what do the scriptures teach? It turns out the bible clearly distinguishes between these two individuals and their attributes preclude their metaphysical oneness. Listen in to hear the evidence for why Jesus is the son of God not God the son.
This lecture was part of a class called “Exploring Scripture.” To access more of this class, Exploring Scripture Class.
Who is God?
The people meet their God (Deuteronomy 4.32-39; 5.1-10, 22-26)
The S...2015-12-1148 min
RestitutioPodcast 7: The Secret Messiah & the Triumphal Entry (Sean Finnegan)by Sean Finnegan
Why did Jesus so often tell people to be quiet when they discovered he was the messiah? Christianity is all about telling the world this truth. In fact, Jesus’ last words–the Great Commission–include the mandate to spread the gospel around the world. So, why was it that in his own ministry he was so reticent about who he was? Was it because of humility or did he have another reason? Listen to this message to find out about the messianic secret and the glorious moment when Jesus publicly announced his messianic claim during his...2015-11-2738 min
RestitutioPodcast 5: Miracles & Messiahs: How Jesus Best Fits Prophecy (Sean Finnegan)by Sean Finnegan
Why do we believe that Jesus is the Jewish messiah? What is our evidence? Taking a look at contemporary miracle workers like Honi the Circle Drawer and Hanina ben Dosa, Jesus of Nazareth stands out as an exceptional healer and exorcist. Taking our cue from ancient Jewish interpretations of Isaiah 53, we can see how Jesus of Nazareth best fits the prophesied suffering servant. These two lines of inquiry intertwine in the historical Jesus to produce a compelling case that he really is the long-awaited Jewish messiah.
Miracles
Isaiah 35: The prophet envi...2015-11-1351 min
RestitutioPodcast 3: Between the Testaments (Sean Finnegan)by Sean Finnegan
Have you ever wondered what happened between the Old Testament and the New Testament? When the Old Testament closes the people have returned to their land after the 70 year captivity and are living under the Persian empire, though they have significant freedoms, including the right to worship God in the rebuilt temple. However, when we begin reading the New Testament, the whole scene is different. Now the Romans are in power and we encounter these new religious groups likes Sadducees and Pharisees. Where did they come from? What happened in between? Though you might assume...2015-10-3055 min
RestitutioPodcast 1: Keys to a Meaningful Life (Sean Finnegan)by Sean Finnegan
What is the meaning of life? What is the reason to live? Why are you here? What are you living for? In what ways does your life make a difference? How do you lead a meaningful life? Listen to this message to discover not only what happiness experts says, but, more importantly, what Jesus’ purpose statements were and how that can affect your purpose today.
Rick Warren’s Three Levels of Living
survival
success
significance
Martin Seligman’s Three Levels of Happiness
pleasant life
good life
meaningful ilfe
Both pu...2015-10-2552 min
Finnegan Intellectual Property Law PodcastsAdriana Burgy Previews Finnegan’s eBook The Chemical and Pharmaceutical Innovation Report 2013Finnegan just released a new eBook, The Chemical and Pharmaceutical Innovation Report 2013. Available on Finnegan.com and edited by Finnegan partner Adriana Burgy, the eBook provides a practical summary of patent filing and litigation trends in the chemical, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology industries that may help inform patent strategy. In this podcast, Burgy provides a preview of the report.
Download a complimentary copy of The Report 2013 eBook here.2013-12-0204 min