Shows
Restitutio622. Heroes of Faith: Hagar, Abigail, Jehoshabeath (Sean Finnegan)Today we’re going to consider a triplet of three heroes of faith: Hagar, Abigail, and Jehoshabeath. Originally this sermon was called “Women of Integrity,” but I think it fits our current series on heroes of faith nicely. I find their examples inspiring because they went through serious hardships and yet they chose to do the right thing. Anyone can pursue righteousness when the sky is blue, the birds are singing, and all is right with the world. However, when the wheels fall off, that’s when you find out what you’re made of. Hagar, Abigail, and Jehoshabeath show us th...
2025-10-1748 min
Restitutio621. Heroes of Faith: Elisha (Sean Finnegan)Are you selling yourself short? Have you settled for the status quo? Is your faith too small? These are important questions to ask yourself from time to time. Is God calling to change something, move somewhere, or do something new? Today in our Heroes of Faith series we’ll look at the example of Elisha. He was a bold prophet who did extraordinary things for God in his lifetime. I find his example inspiring and I hope you will as well.
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2025-10-1345 min
Restitutio620. Heroes of Faith: Hannah (Sean Finnegan)With Hannah, we aren’t told what the cause was of her barrenness. We just know that it was a heavy load to bear in her time. Although in our time, many of us use contraceptives or go through procedures to ensure we don’t keep having children, Hannah’s time was different. Children were understood to be blessings from God that were absolutely essential for carrying on the family into the next generation. Join me as we learn from the life of Hannah to see how she navigated such a difficult situation. I think you’ll come away inspired...
2025-10-0353 min
Restitutio619. Heroes of Faith: Ruth (Sean Finnegan)Ruth was an extraordinarily courageous and loyal woman of God. In our society of disposable relationships, cancel culture, and cutting off parents, Ruth presents us with a challenge to stick with family even when calamity strikes and hope seems lost. As a Moabite, Ruth was unlikely to be accepted in Israelite society. Even the Torah itself codified exclusion of all Moabites. Even though she was likely to face unfair prejudice and racism, she still chose loyalty to her mother-in-law, Naomi, over her own comfort and security. In the end, she found the love of her life.
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2025-09-2555 min
Restitutio618. Heroes of Faith: Noah (Sean Finnegan)Today we’re beginning a new series called “Heroes of Faith.” For each of these episodes we’ll focus on someone who stood for God. My aim with this series is to inspire and encourage you in your faith. Today we’re looking at Noah. Although often relegated to children’s stories, his story is rather macabre. Living in a time of spiritual and human rebellion, Noah pursued righteousness. Although he had none of the advantages that Christians enjoy because of the accomplishments of Christ, still, even back then, he could stand for God amidst incredibly strong social pressures.
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2025-09-1946 min
Restitutio617. Focus on Hope (Sean Finnegan)I’d like to dedicate this episode to my mother, Mimi Finnegan who fell asleep in death yesterday. It was such a surreal experience, standing by that hospital bed with my brothers and sisters and dad. We had so much confusion regarding her prognosis, but eventually it became clear that she had very little time left. We prayed for her, read scripture to her, played some of her favorite Christian songs, and said goodbye to her. But what really grabbed my attention was her smile. She kept smiling as she knew she was dying.
She was quite al...
2025-09-1246 min
Restitutio616. Herod Antipas vs. Simon Peter (Sean Finnegan, Victor Gluckin)Quick question: “If you lived in the Roman Empire who would you want to be?” Most of us answering this question would immediately think, “the emperor” or “a wealthy person of importance.” Herod Antipas was just such a person. A son of Herod the Great and ruler of Galilee and Perea, Antipas was an influential and powerful person in the time of Christ. He was part of the tiny percentage of people with wealth and access to the life of the Roman elite. He was a competent and clever person, but he was also the victim of circumstances. By contrast Sim...
2025-09-0551 min
Restitutio615. Who Is the Real King of the Jews? (Sean Finnegan)Peering into the very late first century BC we find the briefest overlap of two individuals, both of whom would claim to be the king of the Jews. On the one hand we see Herod the Great, a capable and fierce man, full of ambition and paranoia. On the other hand, we see Jesus of Nazareth, who taught love, sacrifice, and humility. I wonder, which do you consider to be the real king of the Jews? Of course, if you’re a Christian, you’ll say “Jesus,” but do you really believe his approach to life is effective? Let’s take a m...
2025-08-3053 min
Restitutio614. God Is Moving in Our Time (Sean Finnegan)Do you ever feel discouraged? Do you ever think, “Why has God allowed so many to get off track?” Has someone challenged you with the question, “If you’re right about Christian theology, then why in the world would God allow the majority of Christians to be deceived for so many centuries?” Join me as we look to Isaiah 41 to see how God worked with ancient Israel to encourage them when they were tiny minority of true worshipers living in a world brimming with idolatry. Even though Israel was an island of truth in a sea of error, God told them...
2025-08-2148 min
Restitutio612. Colossians 1.16: Old Creation or New Creation? (Sean Finnegan)How should we understand the words, “in him all things were created” in Col 1.16? Although commonly taken to mean Christ created the universe, this view has contextual, structural, and exegetical problems. In what follows I’ll name six problems with old-creation readings before laying out why a new creation approach makes sense. I presented this talk at the 2025 Unitarian Christian Alliance (UCA) conference in Uxbridge, England. Scroll down to see the full-length paper.
For those listening to the audio, here’s a quick reference to Colossians 1.15-20
Strophe 1 (Col 1.15-18a)
15a who is (the) ima...
2025-08-0854 min
Restitutio611. The Gospel of the Kingdom, Cross, and Resurrection (Sean Finnegan)Today is part three of our summer mini-series on evangelism. We started two weeks ago with a focus on God’s heart for the lost. Then last week we heard how simple it is to find opportunities to speak to people. Still, we need to cover what the message is that we ultimately want to share with the lost. Today you’ll learn about the rich, threefold message of the kingdom, the cross, and the resurrection. Today’s sermon will equip you with what you need to know to share the full gospel with those you encounter.
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2025-08-0153 min
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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2025-07-041h 12
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
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
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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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2025-03-131h 02
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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2025-02-1350 min
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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2024-12-2758 min
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.
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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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2024-11-1458 min
Restitutio569 The Cost of Truth (Seneca Harbin)Seneca Harbin became a Christian later in life through reading the Bible. However, when he was attending a megachurch in Indianapolis, he starting hearing the pastor preach about Christ in a way that seemed bizarre and unbiblical. To his surprise Seneca discovered that the vast majority of Christians held to these extra-biblical speculations about multiple persons in the godhead and dual natures of Christ. This set him on a quest to find others who, like him, preferred to stop where scripture stops and understand Jesus as the Messiah not a God man.
After relating his own spiritual...
2024-10-111h 16
Restitutio568 The Witch of Endor and the Rich Man and Lazarus Parable (Dustin Smith, Sam Tideman)Last week Dustin Smith and Sam Tideman discussed the intermediate state--what happens after death but before resurrection on the last day. Although most Christians affirm the folk idea of going immediately to heaven or hell at death, Smith and Tideman argue that the Bible teaches the dead are in Sheol or Hades. However they disagree on what's happening there. Smith holds to soul-sleep while Tideman believes the dead are conscious. We went through many scriptures last time, but today we'll discuss two critical texts on this subject: the witch of Endor and the parable of the rich man and...
2024-10-031h 02
Restitutio567 Are the Dead Conscious? (Dustin Smith, Sam Tideman)Dustin Smith and Sam Tideman discuss whether people are conscious in the intermediate state (between death and resurrection). Interestingly, neither of them think the deceased are currently in heaven or hell. Smith affirms the sleep of the dead, seeing all the dead, whether good or bad, as unconscious and unaware of the passage of time. Tideman puts forward the idea that the souls of the dead are in a semi-conscious dreamlike state in a chamber called Sheol or Hades. Today is part one of their discussion in which both lay out their positions and then discuss Ecclesiastes 9.10 and Isaiah 14.9...
2024-09-261h 03
Restitutio566 Kingdom Seminar 5: Kingdom AmbassadorsThis is part 5 of the Kingdom Seminar, based on the book Kingdom Journey.
This episode begins by delving into the history of how the theologians of the third and fourth centuries rejected the kingdom since they thought it was too crude, too hedonic, and too Jewish. Next I briefly cover three rediscovery movements, including the Anabaptists of the 16th century, the Adventists of the 19th century, and the New Testament scholars of the 20th century. Still, the majority of Christendom lies in the shadow of heaven-at-death mythology, hidden from the light of God's grand vision for our...
2024-09-201h 03
Restitutio565 Kingdom Seminar 4: Kingdom AllegianceThis is part 4 of the Kingdom Seminar, based on the book Kingdom Journey.
Jesus didn't just believe in a future kingdom that didn't affect the present. His entire ministry was saturated with kingdom symbology and activity. Wherever he went, he brought a bubble of the kingdom with him. As Christ-followers, we too, are called to prophesy the kingdom in how we live. This should include adopting the kingdom's culture, as well as pledging allegiance to the kingdom.
https://youtu.be/xsynGDjUjP0
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2024-09-1246 min
Restitutio564 Kingdom Seminar 3: Defining the KingdomThis is part 3 of the Kingdom Seminar, based on the book Kingdom Journey.
The kingdom of God is the golden thread running throughout the whole Bible from beginning to end. In this presentation, we'll consider some of the key texts from the Old and New Testaments that define what the kingdom is. In contrast to many who think the goal of Christian salvation is to go home to be with the Lord in heaven, the Bible offers a consistent vision of God's children living forever on a restored world. Rather than leaving the planet or physicality, the...
2024-09-0558 min
Restitutio563 Kingdom Seminar 2: Defining HeavenThis is part 2 of the Kingdom Seminar, based on the book Kingdom Journey.
What is heaven? Although it is not the place where the dead go when they die, it is, still, a real place. Today we'll survey different ways in which the Bible talks about heaven, including the sky, God's throne, the storehouse, and the heaven of heavens. Next we'll consider what other religions teach about the afterlife. Finally, we'll conclude by seeing how the Biblical authors courageously took a radically unpopular view about life after death.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fryp8...
2024-08-3045 min
Restitutio562 Kingdom Seminar 1: Why Should You CareLast December, my first ever published book came out, called Kingdom Journey. Recently I recorded a seminar on the kingdom at a church in South Carolina based on the book that I will be playing out over the next 5 weeks. In this seminar I highlight some of the key points in my book and also add in some new content. Today we're going to start by asking the question, "Why should I care about the kingdom of God?" In what follows I make the case that we should care because Jesus said to prioritize the kingdom and because he...
2024-08-2241 min
Restitutio561 United Kingdom UCA Conference Review (Daisy Jones, Mark Cain)Last month the Unitarian Christian Alliance put on the first conference in Europe. A mixture of British and American speakers presented on various aspects of unitarian Christianity. In today's episode I speak with Daisy Jones, one of the main coordinators of the event as well as Mark Cain who assisted in planning and in recording the presentations. They share some highlights from this year's conference as well as what they are planning for next year.
Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
https://youtu.be/bG62n-JyEv8
—— Links ——
Find out more abo...
2024-08-1536 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
Restitutio559 Youth Ministry Matters (Joshua Michael Smith)Last week Joshua Michael Smith began sharing his testimony from childhood to his college years when he changed his mind about Jesus's identity. In part two he talks about cage stage unitarianism--where one seeks to confront everyone about this important truth regardless of their interested or antagonism. Smith shares how he matured while continuing to work within Assemblies of God and Baptist churches in Tennessee. Then we broach the topic of youth ministry. Smith explains why it is so important and what he hopes to accomplish as the new youth ministry coordinator at Living Hope.
Listen to...
2024-08-0241 min
Restitutio558 Courageous Baptist Seeks Biblical Truth (Joshua Michael Smith)Joshua Michael Smith grew up in northern Florida in a Baptist church. In this interview he shares his journey of faith, including how came to Christ as well as how he ended up in ministry training at Word of Life before earning a bachelors at Tennessee Temple University in Chattanooga. While there, he began questioning his received doctrinal package based on the Bible. As a result, he came to discover the human Messiah of scripture and courageously embraced this new understanding despite the consequences. This is part one of his story.
Listen to this episode on Spotify...
2024-07-261h 06
Restitutio557 Bridging the Testaments (George Athas)Many believe there is 400 years of silence between the Old and New Testament. My guest today is Professor George Athas, director of research and senior lecturer in Hebrew, Old Testament, and Early Church History at Moore Theological College in Sydney, Australia. He's the author of Bridging the Testaments, which covers four major periods, including Persian, Hellenistic, Hasmonean, and Roman. By studying the four centuries before Christ you can gain key insights to help you understand both the Old and New Testaments. You will discover that God was still speaking all the while.
Listen to this episode on...
2024-07-1957 min
Restitutio556 Recruiting Ancients for the Creation Debate (Andrew Brown)Christians have approached the first chapter of Genesis differently over the centuries. There are those who hold to young earth creationism, day-age theory, gap theory, and progressive creationism, just to name a few. Oftentimes defenders of a particular view will provide biblical, scientific, and historical evidence for their position. Our focus today is on the use of church history to find witnesses for this or that view. Rather than cherry picking a quote here and quote there, it's better to read ancient Christians in their own context to be sure we are interpreting them correctly.
My guest t...
2024-07-1251 min
Restitutio555 Was Paul Really Subverting Caesar? (Clint Burnett)Scholars and pastors regularly point to specialized "technical" language in Paul's epistles to make the case that Paul was intentionally subverting Roman power by applying to Jesus terms that the ancients commonly applied to the Caesars. My guest today has done the hard work of analyzing the inscriptions, coins, and material remains of several key ancient cities to see how they talked about the Roman emperors in the New Testament period. In our conversation he shares his own journey to become an independent scholar as well as how his research offers a corrective to what many are saying about...
2024-07-041h 09
Restitutio554 Biblical Unitarian Christians in New Zealand (Zach Mayo)Something is going on in New Zealand...and I'm excited to tell you about it. In today's interview I speak with Zach Mayo who along with his wife, Kayla, were serving as youth pastors at an evangelical church when they came to change their minds on the doctrine of the Trinity. Now they're organizing a conference to unite one-God believers in New Zealand and invite folks from Australia and beyond to come.
Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
https://youtu.be/U27POf3dKnI
—— Links ——
To register for the upcoming...
2024-06-2850 min
Restitutio553 Pro Golfer Turned Christologist Tells All (Kermit Zarley)Kermit Zarley was a professional golfer who had an interest in studying the Bible about the end times when he came across a disturbing verse. Reading Jesus's words in the Olivet Discourse, he noticed that only the Father knew the day and hour of the end. Neither the angels nor the son of God were privy to it. As a good trinitarian evangelical, Zarley was familiar with the dual natures idea, but just couldn't square that with the scripture. If Jesus was God in his being, he knew everything. Why did he say he didn't know the time of...
2024-06-201h 16
Restitutio552 Seminary Convinced Me the Trinity Is Wrong (Susanne Lakin)From her childhood in a Jewish family to a 7-year stint with the Jehovah's Witnesses to attending evangelical churches, Susanne Lakin never felt comfortable with the doctrine of the Trinity. She signed up to attend Phoenix Seminary, a conservative evangelical school, thinking they would help her finally get to the bottom of it. She was willing to agree to the idea, thinking, surely, studying with scholars like Wayne Grudem, the prince of evangelical systematic theology, would answer her questions and settle the issue for her once and for all. Amazingly, the opposite happened. This is her story.
...
2024-06-141h 06
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
Restitutio531 Read the Bible for Yourself 1: Why Should You Read the Bible for Yourself?This is part 1 of the Read the Bible For Yourself.
Today we are beginning a new class called Read the Bible for Yourself. Whether you are new to scripture, or you’ve been reading it for years, this class will empower you to read and understand the bible like never before. You’ll gain key insights into the context, content, and application of scripture so you can take your reading and understanding to the next level.Today I want to begin with the question, "Why should you read the bible for yourself?" Why is this book even wort...
2024-01-1936 min
Restitutio530 God’s Heart for ShalomAlthough most often defined as "peace," the Hebrew word "shalom" is much bigger than that. It refers to not only the absence of war, but also the presence of wholeness and safety. In this sermon you'll gain a better understanding of this important biblical word as well as what God's heart is for shalom in the world and in your life. At times we all go through periods of crisis in which we lose our shalom, but thankfully we can return to God over and over and he can cause his face to shine upon us and give us...
2024-01-1142 min
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
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
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
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 04
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
Restitutio389 Why Christianity 2: Lay of the Land (Sean Finnegan)Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
This is part 2 of the Why Christianity class.
It’s so easy to universalize our own local context. For example, I (Sean) live in a secular, post-Catholic part of New York state. It would be easy for me to think that most of the state or country or world is just like my area. However, this ethnocentric perspective will not do justice to the data we have about Christians in the world today. Sociologists have long held to the “secularization thesis”–the idea that world religions die out as s...
2021-04-2934 min
Restitutio329 Parenting 5 – Balancing Oversight with IndependenceThis is the fifth and final part of our parenting class. Today you’ll learn about striking the balance between oversight and independence. Although many parents today think their children are at risk of kidnapping and other terrible crimes, our society is actually much safer than it has been in decades. The tendency to protect our children at all times has resulted in a culture of “safteyism” that leads to ill-preparedness when children grow up and move out of the house. On the opposite side chronic neglect or toxic stressors result in adults who are likewise unable to cope with and o...
2020-05-2852 minRestitutio328 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
Restitutio308 Foreknowledge and Free Will 6 (Sean Cole Defending Calvinism)
This is part 6 of our Foreknowledge and Free Will series. Last time Dr. Sean Cole introduced the Calvinist understanding of God’s foreknowledge and the limitations on our freedom as a result of our fallen nature. This time I ask Cole about unconditional election and how that compares to a lottery. After all, if God has no conditions by which he decides whom he elects to salvation, then isn’t randomness all we have left? Also, I ask Cole to respond to a number of texts including John 3.16, 1 Timothy 2.4, 2 Peter 3.9, and Luke 7.30.
—— Books ——
Divine Sovereignty and...
2020-01-101h 04Restitutio307 Foreknowledge and Free Will 5 (Sean Cole Introducing Calvinism)
This is part 5 of our Foreknowledge and Free Will series. We’ve considered Open Theism and Arminianism and now we are going to begin thinking about Calvinism. This way of conceiving of God’s foreknowledge argues for both exhaustive foreknowledge and meticulous providence. Thus, no one comes to Christ apart from God’s predestination since our natures are so corrupted that we do not have the ability to choose God.
I’m happy to have Dr. Sean Cole as my guest today. He is the lead pastor at Emanuel Baptist Church in Sterling, Colorado. He is the host...
2020-01-0355 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
Restitutio135 The Fate of the Apostles (Sean McDowell)Have you ever heard the martyrdom argument for the resurrection of Jesus? It goes something like this. Jesus’ apostles faced persecution and martyrdom for their confession that God raised Jesus from the dead, sealing their witness with their blood. Why would they die for a lie? Their martyrdom unequivocally proves that they sincerely believed in Christ’s resurrection. Since they were in a position to know if it was true or not, we have every reason to trust their testimony.
However, if I asked you to prove to me that these apostles suffered martyrdom, how would you do it? H...
2018-03-021h 03
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
RestitutioInterview 25: Studying the Trinity, Discovering God Is One (Sean Holbrook)Sean Holbrook was attending a typical evangelical church when he heard a series of sermons teaching the Trinity. Ironically, these very messages, designed to bolster faith in the doctrine, ended up inspiring Holbrook to question the age old dogma. As a result, he set out to study the topic more and watched James White debates and read his book The Forgotten Trinity. Once again, what was meant to convince Holbrook of the Trinity opened his eyes to more flaws and shaky logic that spurred him on to study the subject even further. After much investigation and careful consideration, he conc...
2017-08-0640 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
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