It’s finally Truthspresso Express time again!I combined three commute talks into one packed episode to share my thoughts about the President’s State of the Union address.
Before You Say “I Do”
Chelsea and I went to a marriage retreat this last weekend. Some of what we heard makes it way into our discussion.We direct this episode mostly toward engaged couples to prepare Biblically for marriage.We encourage premarital counseling, but show the difference between secular and Biblical questions.If you’re getting close to that wedding day, understand how being married is very different from the single dating stage.We wrap up by looking at marriage advice from older veterans of the craft.Sources Referenced:Sarah Hanlon, “This Was the Most Popular Day to Get Engaged Last Year,” The Knot, June 14, 2020.Maddy Sims, “Here’s the Average Length of Engagement for Couples,” The Know, Updated June 14, 2020.“What to Know About Premarital Counseling,” The Knot, Updated Nov
“The Cave: When Ministry Becomes Misery” with Pastor Scott Distler
Scott Distler, pastor of Gaylord E-Free Church joins me to talk about his book The Cave: When Ministry Becomes Misery.Pastor Scott shares his testimony of how his apparent ministry success quickly turned into misery through betrayal.After the prophet Elijah scored a miraculous victory against the prophets of Baal, he soon found himself hiding in a cave asking God to end his life.This “cave” experience is what Pastor Scott wants to help us recognize and endure with humility and faith.Scott DistlerScott Distler is the lead pastor at Gaylord E-Free Church (a multi-campus church with campuses in Gaylord and Sault, Michigan). He holds a Pastoral Ministries degree and a Masters in Religion from Liberty University. Scott has served a role of pastor
What Is Love?
My wife Chelsea returns to co-host with me for this Valentines Day episode.What is love?Dictionaries describe it as a “feeling,” “affection,” “passion,” or “desire.”These are all well and good, but do they fully describe what love is?The Bible has a lot to say about love that doesn’t quite fit these terms.We see how the Bible defines love asCommandedSacrificialSelflessUnconditionalThe world often gets the cart before the horse. Feelings aren’t necessarily the source of commitment. Rather, commitment properly produces feelings.Sources Cited:Merriam-Webster, s.v. “love,” accessed February 12, 2022, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/love.Dictionary.com, s.v. “love,” accessed February 12, 2022, https://www.dictionary.com/browse/love.Scriptures Cited:Matthew 22:35-401 John 4:10-11Ephesians 5:2,25,32John 15:131 Corinthians 13:4-7Romans 5:8Luke 6:27Proverbs 10:12
Is Jesus Like Doctor Octopus? (part 3)
We are continuing and finally concluding a series of episodes comparing Jesus to superheroes. This series will tackle wrong ideas about Jesus from church history in chronological order. A superhero (in this case a super villain) will represent each of these ideas.This is part 3 of 3 of “Is Jesus Like Doctor Octopus?”In this episode we cover two takeaways from the monothelite controversy that matter to us today:Monothelitism compromises substitutionary atonement (Heb 2:14-18; 4:15; 5:7-9).The barrage of anathemas against Pope Honorius I who was complicit in the error refutes the Roman Catholic dogma of papal infallibility.Sources Consulted:“Third Council of Constantinople,” New Advent, Accessed February 6, 2022.Philip Schaff, ed., “The Sentence Against the Monothelites.” Christian Classics Ethereal Library, Accessed February 6,
Is Jesus Like Doctor Octopus (part 2)
We are continuing a series of episodes comparing Jesus to superheroes. This series will tackle wrong ideas about Jesus from church history in chronological order. A superhero will represent each of these ideas.This is part 2 of 2 3 of “Is Jesus Like Doctor Octopus?”After a bit of review of our superheroes and the issues, we look at the intricate history of this conflict over monothelitism in the seventh century.Monothelitism was political position that was intentionally constructed to reconcile the orthodox with the monophysites to unite and strengthen the Byzantine empire.Some of the orthodox who opposed this compromise doctrine suffered tremendously for the truth. We owe them a debt of gratitude rather than let them slip through the cracks of
With Me in Paradise: A Problem for Jehovah’s Witnesses
In this episode of Truthspresso Express I talk about the Jehovah’s Witnesses contention over what Jesus told the thief on the cross: “Today, you will be with me in paradise.”We can observe several points:The word today is unnecessary if it isn’t part of the message.The word paradise is also what Paul observed as the “third heaven.”According to Jehovah’s Witness teaching, Jesus couldn’t even be with the thief in paradise.Scriptures Referenced:Luke 23:42-432 Corinthians 12:2-4
Is Jesus Like Doctor Octopus? (part 1)
We are continuing a series of episodes comparing Jesus to superheroes. This series will tackle wrong ideas about Jesus from church history in chronological order. A superhero will represent each of these ideas.This is part 1 of 2 of “Is Jesus Like Doctor Octopus?”Who is Doctor Octopus?How are Jesus and Doctor Octopus similar?They both seemingly have a distinct human and “divine” nature.They are both a single person.How are Jesus and Doctor Octopus different?Doctor Octopus has only one active will: the will of the super arms.Jesus has both an active human will and an active divine will.Are there Scriptures that show the two wills of Jesus?Jesus had the same divine will with the Father (Joh 5:17-23, see v.19)Jesus had a distinct
The Contradictory Secular Gospel of the V
At long last another episode of Truthspresso Express!After studying a barrage of articles showing contradictory and gaping holes in the narrative to push the V, I present the case for sanity and truth.How do we reconcile firing tens of thousands of healthy workers for not taking a V with expecting others to work even while symptomatic from the very contagion that the V is supposed to prevent? Our society has seriously jumped the shark. “The Science” has become a secular gospel of conformity, not actual health care.Sources Consulted:Adriana Gomez Licon and Jennifer McDermott, “US hospitals letting staff members infected with COVID stay on the job,” Stars and Stripes, January 10, 2022.Andrew Miller, “Hospitals across the U.S. turning to foreign nurses
Talking Jehovah’s Witnesses on Quest For Truth
Keith Heltsley, co-host of the Quest For Truth podcast, interviewed me and my brother John to talk about Jehovah’s Witnesses and our book When the Watchtower Knocks: Discussing an Encounter With Jehovah’s Witnesses.The interview was originally recorded on November 10, 2021 and was aired on Quest For Truth on November 15.Quest For Truth and Truthspresso are both member podcasts of the Christian Podcast Community, a part of Striving For Eternity ministries.Also check out these resources!Life Truth Network with Keith Heltsley and Nathan CaldwellQuest For Truth episode 345: Discussing Jehovah’s Witnesses with Daniel and John MynykQuest For Truth episode 309: Superblian and Superhero, Daniel MynykWhen the Watchtower Knocks: Discussing an Encounter with Jehovah’s Witnesses by Daniel and John Mynyk