Relentless Truth with John Warren

Subscribe ▼ Show Notes You might not have heard much, if anything, about the church in Thyatira. It is referenced in a section in Revelation 2, but it isn’t commonly discussed in evangelicalism. Thyatira is like us. Their culture resembles our culture today. Jesus calls out this church for its immorality in Revelation 2. Peer Pressure Peer pressure, the desire for inclusion, and the fear of rejection are common to many of us. We want to have significance. We want to be included, and we are generally afraid of rejection. The trade guilds in Thyatira provide some valuable lessons for us. Membership in these guilds, which were engaged in immorality, was essential for economic prosperity in Thyatira. Christians were placed in the difficult position of capitulating or risking their employment. Power and economic prosperity were marks of these trade guilds. Thyatira was known for its cloth and design industries. If wealth could achieve true prosperity, Thyatira would have been most prosperous. Sadly, they tolerated and even promoted heinous sin in their culture. Thyatira Our culture, like Thyatira, is in dire need of repentance. Romans 11:33-36 explains that God is our sufficiency. It is knowing who God is and knowing God that prompts us to turn to Him. We can’t do this on our own with our best efforts apart from Jesus Christ. This passage prompts us to evaluate our careers and every aspect of our lives. Are we allowing peer pressure or fear of rejection to dictate our morality? Or are we relying on Jesus Christ our Lord and appropriately prioritizing our relationship with Him? I spent a few decades of my life answering these questions rather poorly. My prayer is that you are encouraged by this weighty section of Revelation. Thank you for listening to Relentless Truth. Please share this episode with your friends and family. Please share our work on social media. Your endorsements have been incredible in expanding our reach worldwide. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at [email protected], and please visit our website for more information about our work at johnwarrenmedia.com. #theology #christian worldview “In Revelation 2, the church in Thyatira resembles our culture today.  Peer pressure, the desire for inclusion, and the fear of rejection are common to many of us.  These were issues this church struggled with also.” John Warren

Subscribe ▼ Show Notes Paul’s ministry involved regularly battling false teaching. He did this in various settings throughout the world, and he did so with ideologies that were harmful to the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Gospel Stories are valuable sources of instruction for us. The Apostle Paul tells the story of his life in his epistles. Luke tells much of the story of Paul’s life in Acts. In this episode, we discuss Paul’s perspective in Galatians on the story of his preaching the Gospel. Paul’s Conversion Paul’s conversion informs us on the significance of his conversion to Christ. Our conversion is as dramatic and valuable. This episode focuses on the sufficiency of God’s grace for us. Paul blends the divine and the human as he tells his story. God uses people in our lives to impact us for His Kingdom. Be encouraged by Paul’s story and his example for us. Thank you for listening to Relentless Truth. Please share this episode with your friends and family. Please share our work on social media. Your endorsements have been incredible in spreading our reach across the world. Please contact me at [email protected], and please visit our website for more information about our work at johnwarrenmedia.com. #theology #christian worldview “This episode focuses on the sufficiency of God’s grace for us.  The apostle Paul blends the divine and the human as he tells his story.” John Warren

Subscribe ▼ Show Notes Is there a reliable version of the Bible? Are there some translations and paraphrases of the Bible that are inaccurate and even heretical? Biblical Accuracy In this episode, I discuss the translation process and theory, and the authenticity and reliability of Scripture. The Bible is foundational to the Christian faith; thus, it is important that we understand it and rely on it as our source of truth. Please share this important information with your friends and your Pastor. And please don’t hesitate to contact me with questions on this important topic. Thank you for listening to Relentless Truth. Please share this episode with your friends and family. Please share our work on social media. Your endorsements have been incredible in spreading our reach across the world. Please contact me at [email protected], and please visit our website for more information about our work at johnwarrenmedia.com. #theology #christian worldview “The Bible is foundational to the Christian faith; thus, it is important that we understand it and rely on it as our source of truth.” John Warren

Subscribe ▼ Show Notes How do we see God? Do we actually trust God? What we think of when we think about God’s nature or essence is important, as it informs our objective view of God. Our conversation today is about how we are to live in Christian community. How do we relate to the way God works in the world today? The Story of the Prodigal The story of the prodigal is helpful as it informs us about who God is and who man is. We sometimes ignore the older brother, but he provides a powerful look into our depravity as it surfaces in our relationships. The way we feel and express empathy is telling. The older brother in the parable of the prodigal lacked empathy. Jesus gives us informative examples and models the empathy we are to emulate. Our lack of empathy is emblematic of a problem in our hearts. Empathy Our view of the world, our view of ourselves, and our view of God inform our sense of empathy. We deny God’s work in other people’s lives when we don’t value them. The older brother denies God’s work in the prodigal. We often conclude that the other person doesn’t deserve God’s grace, but we see ourselves as entitled to His grace. As we become informed by Scripture, we understand that God works in the lives of His people. We come to the end of ourselves and recognize God’s amazing grace in our lives when we see the world clearly according to Scripture. Thank you for listening to Relentless Truth. Please share this episode with your friends and family. Please share our work on social media. Your endorsements have been incredible in spreading our reach across the world. Please contact me at [email protected], and please visit our website for more information about our work at johnwarrenmedia.com. #theology #christian worldview “How we view God’s nature or essence is important, as it informs our objective view of God.  Today, we will discuss how we are to live in Christian community, and how do we relate to the way God works in the world.” John Warren

Subscribe ▼ Show Notes Why does the Apostle Paul caution us that there is no other Gospel than the one he preaches and teaches? Why does a false Gospel invade the church? What is it about humans that makes us vulnerable to false teaching? Why do otherwise intelligent, strong critical thinkers embrace false teaching that isn’t consistent with Scripture? We discuss these issues in this crucial episode of Relentless Truth. No Other Gospel I often wonder where teachers who embrace a distorted gospel go wrong – what is it about their motivation or thought process that gets them off track? Counterfeiting truth seems to be a thriving business in America today. How do we guard ourselves, protect ourselves, from this heresy? How do we avoid the failures experienced in the first-century Church? Biblical Truth My hope is that this episode prompts us to contemplate these questions and strengthen our hold on biblical truth. The Gospel is central to Christian life, and it is important that we understand, cling to, and see our lives from the perspective of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Thank you for listening to Relentless Truth. Please share this episode with your friends and family. Please share our work on social media. Your endorsements have been incredible in spreading our reach across the world. Please contact me at [email protected], and please visit our website for more information about our work at johnwarrenmedia.com. #theology #christian worldview “I often wonder where teachers who embrace a distorted gospel go wrong-what is it about their motivation or thought process that gets them off track?” John Warren

Subscribe ▼ Show Notes Why do we embrace ideas that are bad – that are not going to end well? This week we explore the world of bad ideas. Mark 11:15 begins a section of Scripture familiar to most Christians. Jesus purges the Temple. Animals are sold, money changes hands, and the demand for this activity is the animal sacrifice system. In a sense, the Temple was profaned by those who practiced a false religion. Greed and bad ideas that begin with greed cause the leveraging of religion for personal gain. The World of Bad Ideas Bad ideas often begin with an impulse that is followed – an impulse that is not based on truth or righteousness. These bad ideas usually seem rational when we don’t pause or when we don’t see the world from the perspective of Scripture. In fact, most bad ideas begin with a sinful desire that comes from a weak or even heretical view of God and His power. The “Inoculation Theory” Most of our challenges with respect to bad ideas come from not knowing the Bible. The study of Scripture equips us to function well in the world of bad ideas. This episode includes a discussion of the “inoculation theory” of ideas. Enjoy these powerful truths, and please send an email with your thoughts about these important truths this week. Thank you for listening to Relentless Truth. Please share this episode with your friends and family. Please share our work on social media. Your endorsements have been incredible in spreading our reach across the world. Please contact me at [email protected], and please visit our website for more information about our work at johnwarrenmedia.com. #theology #christian worldview “Bad ideas often begin with an impulse that is followed-an impulse that is not based on truth or righteousness.” John Warren

Subscribe ▼ Show Notes Today’s episode is about concepts that aren’t often considered together. Faith, fear, and intuitive human thinking are our topics today. Is being “woke” intuitive to us? What does it mean to be “woke?” Should we guard against this or embrace it? How Do We Deal with Fear? How do we deal with our fear? What do you and I do when we are afraid? Do we trust God immediately, or are we more likely to panic or fret? Do we become self-reliant under the stress of life events? Fear is a normal human response, and yet it can be crippling if not accompanied by the firm foundation of faith. As our faith grows, our fear reduces. Faith overcomes fear. In this week’s helpful episode, we explore these truths by looking at several New Testament events. Intuitive human thinking has led to woke ideology. The false teachers referenced in Paul’s writing help us understand the challenges with intuitive human thinking. It is counterintuitive to understand the peace we gain as our faith grows. What Does it Mean to be “Woke”? Justification by faith is lost in our dialogue today. Our intuitive discourse obscures the Gospel. We have redefined what it means to be loving. This episode provides important clarity based on Scripture. Thank you for listening to Relentless Truth. Please share this episode with your friends and family. Please share our work on social media. Your endorsements have been incredible in spreading our reach across the world. Please contact me at [email protected], and please visit our website for more information about our work at johnwarrenmedia.com. #theology #christian worldview “Today’s episode is about concepts that aren’t often considered together.  Faith, fear, and intuitive human thinking are our topics today.” John Warren 

Subscribe ▼ Show Notes Understanding the way forgiveness really works is a key to life that we often fail to focus on. In today’s episode, I explain the importance of forgiveness, the process of forgiveness, the need for forgiveness, and the biblical mandate for forgiveness. Matthew 18 I discuss the principles of Matthew 18 and the tools for relationship reconciliation in this important episode. The world would be a changed place if we all embraced the principle of forgiveness well. Initiating forgiveness, real forgiveness that is genuine, is a life-changing process. Learning to do this well is liberating in ways that aren’t intuitive. Employing Forgiveness Forgiveness is a healthy way to let go of ourselves and focus on others. This is a biblical truth that should be clear from a study of Jesus Christ’s life on earth. Walking by faith involves generously employing forgiveness. May God richly bless these truths from His Word. Thank you for listening to Relentless Truth. Please share this episode with your friends and family. Please share our work on social media. Your endorsements have been incredible in spreading our reach across the world. Please contact me at [email protected], and please visit our website for more information about our work at johnwarrenmedia.com. #theology #christian worldvie “Understanding the way forgiveness really works is a key to life that we often fail to focus on.” John Warren

Subscribe ▼ Show Notes Iran seems to have caused myriad issues that impact the security interests of the U.S. and our allies. Iran is an Islamic state. In this episode, I discuss their particular type of Islam and its nuances. Islam’s History After an overview of Islam’s history, I explain Sunni and Shia Islam. Iran is a theocracy, which means that the religious leader runs the government. Allah and the government are united in Iran. Iranian Culture Iranians are generally smart, industrious people who value Western culture. I explain some of the confusion over Israel and our appropriate view of this country. There is much confusion about Israel in Scripture and much strife between Israel and Iran (and other Islamic governments). In this episode, we look at these critical matters. It is important for us to be biblically informed on Islam, Israel, and eschatology and to be able to relate this information to recent events. Thank you for listening to Relentless Truth. Please share this episode with your friends and family. Please share our work on social media. Your endorsements have been incredible in spreading our reach across the world. Please contact me at [email protected], and please visit our website for more information about our work at johnwarrenmedia.com. #theology #christian worldview “It is important for us to be biblically informed on Islam, Israel and eschatology and to be able to relate this information to recent events.” John Warren

Subscribe ▼ Show Notes I am sometimes frustrated by outcomes that seem natural but are less than optimal. When good people, and by that I mean Christ followers, do battle over issues, it hurts me deeply to see an outcome that could have been avoided. Recovery and Reconciliation Sometimes, we treat these matters like recovery and reconciliation are impossible. That isn’t consistent with Scripture’s teaching, but it is sadly a function of human nature. The Central Florida Presbytery In this episode, I am asking the PCA, particularly the Central Florida Presbytery, to restore and reconcile Dr. Burk Parsons to his ministry as Senior Pastor at Saint Andrew’s Chapel. Too often, I believe, we treat reconciliation as if it is impossible because an aggrieved party just won’t have it. Wise and discerning voices should seek a path that is restorative for all, and I believe that is possible in this case. Thank you for listening to Relentless Truth. Please share this episode with your friends and family. Please share our work on social media. Your endorsements have been incredible in spreading our reach across the world. Please contact me at [email protected], and please visit our website for more information about our work at johnwarrenmedia.com. #theology #christian worldview “When good people, and by that I mean Christ followers, do battle over issues, it hurts me deeply to see an outcome that could have been avoided.” John Warren