Prioritizing FAT Christians: A Practical Theology for Pastors

Apologetics, Christianity, Church, discipleship, Faithful Available Teachable, FreeThinkingMinistries.com, Gospel, Great Commission, Pastoral Care, Paul Rasor, practical theology, Theology and Christian Apologetics
Several weeks ago, I was listening to the podcast “Wise Disciple” with Nate Salah ( “Is Voddie Wrong about Churches?”). He was discussing the need for pastors to focus on finding FAT Christians in their congregations. (Don’t worry. FAT is an acrostic.) This is to say, pastors need to prioritize their time and efforts upon Christians who are Faithful, Available and Teachable. There are multiple reasons why this principle ought to be followed by pastors. But before addressing those reasons, we need to understand what exactly a FAT Christian is.[i] What are F.A.T. Christians? FAT Christians are not just interested in Jesus but are committed to him as true disciples. Specifically, these are believers who are faithful in many things in the local church, such as attendance to Sunday worship, small group studies, and Sunday school. They are…
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Were the Gospel Accounts Reliably Recorded?

4. Is the NT True?, : Telephone Game, Al Serrato, Apologetics, Bible, Christianity, Gospel, manuscripts, NT Reliability, Oral Tradition, Uncategorized
A common challenge to believers is the contention that the gospel accounts we read today are not particularly reliable. Referring to the “telephone game,” the skeptic will claim that since the gospel accounts were penned three to five decades after the life of Christ, the accounts they portray are probably much different than the original accounts, just as the tenth telling of what was said in the “telephone game” is much different than the first. This analogy resonates with many people, who realize how hard it is to memorize in exact order a string of words that are spoken once. By the time the sentence is repeated to that tenth person, it will indeed bear little resemblance to its original form. But does this analogy aptly describe what occurred with…
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Navigating the American Political Landscape

Apologetics, Christianity, Culture and Politics, Democrat, election, Gospel, Heaven Not Harvard, How should Christians vote, Jennifer Defrates, Law, MamaBearApologetics.com, Politics, Republican
Surviving political landscapes as a Christian has always been challenging (ancient Rome was harsh, y’all!). However, this U.S. presidential election cycle feels like the most difficult in recent history, and the American political landscape seems to grow more contentious every year. So, how do we navigate this minefield with truth, love, and joy? It’s not easy, but it can be simple. [If you know how to coopt this “click-to-tweet” function so it redirects to the CE article go ahead, otherwise, let’s Block Quote these] So, how do we navigate this minefield with truth, love, and joy? It’s not easy, but it can be simple. Let’s talk about how. Click To Tweet Should we get Political at all? First, let’s address the elephant (and donkey) in the room. Should Christians even get…
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How The After Party Curriculum Is Sowing Political Confusion in the Church

After Party Curriculum, Apologetics, Christianity, Curtis Chang, David French, Democrat, freedom of religion, Gospel, Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, Natasha Crain, NatashaCrain.com, Politics, Progressivism, RINO, Russel Moore, separation of church and state
For those who haven’t heard of it, The After Party (TAP) is a small group curriculum and corresponding book that is being heavily promoted this election year to individuals, churches, and Christian institutions (such as colleges) to counter the “dangerous trend” of evangelicals having their political identity formed by “partisan forces, not by true Biblical faith.” What is The After Party Curriculum? The curriculum was developed by David French (New York Times columnist), Russell Moore (Editor-in-Chief of Christianity Today), and Curtis Chang. Fewer people are familiar with Chang than with French and Moore, but for context, his most notable project was called “Christians and the Vaccine,” through which he led a national effort to convince Covid vaccine-resistant evangelicals that their “anxiety, distrust of institutions, and political polarization” was threatening the vaccine’s potential for “healing…
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Three Bad Arguments for Euthanasia

Apologetics, assisted suicide, bioethics, ChristianConcern.com, euthanasia, Gospel, imago Dei, Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, mercy killing, Sanctity of Life, Sean Redfearn
Polling sometimes suggests that the UK public is in favor of ‘assisted dying.’ This is an illusion, caused in many cases by people not knowing what ‘assisted dying is.’ A recent poll showed that only 42% of the public understood what ‘assisted dying’ refers to, with 10% thinking it meant hospice-type care and 42% believing it meant stopping treatment. There is no legal or ethical mandate that a terminally ill person must be kept alive “at all costs.” There is, however, a major difference between withdrawing medical treatment and thereby allowing a patient to die of his or her own medical condition and intentionally ending a patient’s life. What Is Euthanasia? Euthanasia (as well as assisted suicide) is most basically understood as the lethal dose of drugs to deliberately end…
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Open Borders: What Could Possibly Go Wrong? | with Hedieh Mirahmadi

AFR, Apologetics, app, Bible, Christianity, cross examined, faith, google play, Hedieh Miramadi, Islam, Jesus Christ, philosophy, Podcast, Politics, Radio, Spotify, stitcher
How do you express concerns about illegal immigration without sounding like a racist? And is it irrational to be Islamophobic? Speaking out against open border policies can get you canceled, but should that fear outweigh the risks of unvetted, undocumented immigrants flooding into the country? Is the real goal of unchecked immigration to weaken Christianity? If so, can Christians and Conservatives do anything in an attempt to sustain the infrastructure of America before it’s too late? Picking up right where they left off in the last podcast, Frank and Hedieh Mirahmadi continue their discussion about the potential destruction that the West is facing in light of mass immigration and the rise of radical Islam. How could America do a better job of vetting people from Muslim countries? Why is the far…
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Former Undercover Counter-Terrorism Agent Speaks Out | with Hedieh Mirahmadi

AFR, Apologetics, app, Bible, Christianity, cross examined, faith, google play, Hedieh Miramadi, Islam, Jesus Christ, philosophy, Podcast, Politics, Radio, Spotify, stitcher
With the encroaching geopolitical movement of Islam and the influx of immigrants from all over the world through our open borders, what future lies ahead for the West, and where are we when it comes to national security? Are we more vulnerable to terrorism today than we were before 9/11? Have we learned from the past, or is America on the verge of repeating history? Buckle up for an eye-opening discussion with Dr. Hedieh Mirahmadi, a former Muslim and undercover counterterrorism operative who has served five presidents and worked with the U.S. government for over 20 years. Hedieh will share her unique insights into the U.S. efforts to combat Islamic jihadist extremism in Muslim nations along with her concerns surrounding the shift in focus from Islamic terrorism to domestic terrorism. During their…
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Key Tenets of Marxism VS America’s Philosophical Foundations

Apologetics, Christianity, Free Thinking Ministries, government, Karl Marx, Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, Marxism, Politics, Tim Stratton
I’ve been fascinated by Marxism since my parents first told me about the Cold War we were living in when I was almost 10-years-old (1983). I remember asking them why the Soviet Union had nuclear weapons aimed at us. After my parents reassured me that we had just as many nuclear missiles aimed back at them — ensuring that they will not use these weapons against us (peace through strength) — they explained it to me like I was 10-years-old (because I was). While not using these exact words, my parents basically told me that the Soviet Union was based upon a philosophy called Marxism which is logically incompatible with America’s theological and philosophical foundations. This sparked a desire to learn more about our fundamental disagreements. I wanted to know…
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Where Do Democrats Stand on Major Issues? | with Wintery Knight and Desert Rose

AFR, Apologetics, app, Bible, Christianity, cross examined, Desert Rose, faith, google play, Jesus Christ, philosophy, Podcast, Politics, Radio, Spotify, stitcher, Wintery Knight
Christian apologists Wintery Knight and Desert Rose return to the program to continue their conversation on ‘How to Love Your Neighbor Through Politics.’ On the last episode, Knight and Rose discussed socialism, abortion, and the past voting record of Kamala Harris. Today, they cover in rapid-fire-succession where the Democratic platform stands on other “important matters of the law” (Mt. 23:23) that will affect the lives of people and the wellbeing of our country. What is the Equality Act and what will be its negative implications on Christians and religious freedom? Why won’t price controls work? Where does the Harris administration stand when it comes to law enforcement and public safety? Is being compassionate the purpose of government? What does the current data say about immigration, sex trafficking, and open borders?…
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Witchcraft on Campus? Dr. Owen Anderson Exposes ASU’s Anti-Christian Agenda

AFR, Apologetics, app, Bible, Christianity, cross examined, faith, google play, Jesus Christ, Owen Anderson, philosophy, Podcast, Politics, Radio, Spotify, stitcher
For this special edition midweek podcast episode, Dr. Owen Anderson returns to expose more of what’s going on at Arizona State University and how it’s specifically singling out Christian and conservative faculty members. Last week, they talked about how Owen became the target of ASU when he was ordered to accept their DEI training and change the course syllabus for his introduction to Christianity course. In this episode, they discuss the infiltration of Marxism (and witchcraft!) that Dr. Anderson has personally witnessed during his time at the largest state college in the United States. How is the Honors College at ASU promoting witchcraft? How is Christianity the real enemy of people promoting this on campus? Why is cultural Marxism attractive to a lot of Christians and why is philosophy so important these…
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