Episode 48: Avoiding Heresy at Christmas (Todd Miles)

We’re releasing this episode a few weeks before Advent in order to help youth workers prepare well for Advent and Christmas… I think it goes without saying that it’s absolutely essential for us to teach rightly about both the Person and the Work of Jesus Christ.  Who is Jesus? Christians confess that Jesus is the Son of God. But what does that mean about his humanity? It’s important for youth workers to call students to faith in Jesus, and to lead them into conversations about who (and what) Jesus is… fully God and fully human. This conversation with Dr. Todd Miles will help youth workers proclaim the nature of Christ in a way that teenagers can understand.    Discussion Questions:  What is Christology, how does good biblical Christology articulate the Person of Christ, and why is it important for teenagers?  In your book, Superheroes Can’t Save You, you explain some of the major heretical teachings about Christ by using different superheroes as representatives. Could you share a few examples with us…  What’s at stake when someone accidentally holds to one of these heretical interpretations? Is it really that big of a deal?  As you look around today, what are some of the more common Christological heresies that can sneak into our churches without us noticing, and how can youth workers guard against those?  As we approach Advent and Christmas, what recommendations do you have for youth workers about teaching the incarnation simply and with theological depth?  Todd Miles is a Professor of Theology at Western Seminary and on pastoral staff at Gresham Bible Church, and is the author of some of my most-recommended books for youth pastors - Superheroes Can’t Save You: Epic Examples of Historic Heresies, A God of Many Understandings? The Gospel and Theology of Religions, and most recently, Cannabis and the Christian: What the Bible says about Marijuana.  Order Todd’s books (and read them!) Superheroes Can’t Save You: Epic Examples of Historic Heresies Cannabis and the Christian: What the Bible says about Marijuana A God of Many Understandings? The Gospel and Theology of Religions Follow Todd on Twitter/X: @TL_Miles Join YPT's Facebook group: @youththeologian (make sure you answer the membership questions) Follow YPT on Twitter/X: @youththeologian Follow YPT on Instagram: @youththeologian YPT has published an ebook that's a free download for subscribers. Youth Ministry is Theological Ministry collects ten articles from the YPT archives to help new readers catch the heartbeat of Youth Pastor Theologian is written by six different contributors from across America, Mexico, and the UK.