Who Let the Dogma Out?

5 Make or Break Issues for the Church's Future

Focus Press — Wed, 09 Aug 2023 14:51:08 +0000

We close out Season 2 with a look at 5 issues that will determine if the church continues its slide into irrelevance in the West, or if we'll reverse course and march forward with the Gospel stronger than ever before.

Our Wisest Episode Yet

Focus Press — Wed, 02 Aug 2023 10:04:00 +0000

We discuss why the Proverbs are so essential.

What it means to fear God, how the Proverbs cure theological minimalism, how Jesus figures into the Proverbs, and more are covered in this episode.

The Top 150 Christian Songs

Focus Press — Wed, 26 Jul 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Most Christians know the Psalms as a book full of comforting poems. But beyond that, we're often unsure of just what to do with them.

Should we sing them? Should we learn doctrine from them? Based in the Old Testament, are they even for Christians?

We discuss why the Psalms have as much relevance as ever and what the church can do to restore them to their proper place in our work and worship.

What the Holy Spirit Does

Focus Press — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 10:04:00 +0000

We continue on from last week's discussion on the Trinity with a closer look at the work of the Holy Spirit.

- The Holy Spirit's relationship to the Bible

- How the Holy Spirit gives us much-needed assurance of salvation

- What He does for your growth as a Christian

and more!

The Trinity Episode

Focus Press — Wed, 12 Jul 2023 10:36:00 +0000

Christians believe in a God of 3 persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

But does it matter that we include all 3? And do we have to understand their roles properly in order to relate to God?

We discuss why the doctrine of the Trinity is so vital to the Christian's walk with God. Topics include

- Why most analogies fall flat

- Can we pray to Jesus? Can we worship the Spirit?

- What role each plays

- How all 3 were at work throughout the Bible

How Hyper-Individualism Rules the Day

Focus Press — Wed, 05 Jul 2023 10:54:00 +0000

This week we talk about the curse of hyper-individualism, including:

- Its origins

- Why it makes us miserable

- How it affects the home, the church, and the society

- What the Bible teaches about the "self"

and more

Unity, Division, and Matters of Opinion

Focus Press — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 11:00:00 +0000

We know Christ wanted unity for His church. But we also know we are not to pursue unity at the expense of truth.

How do we build our fences in the proper place to not exclude true Christians and not include those in error?

How do we apply Romans 14?

What does it mean to be the weaker brother and the stronger brother?

We explore these questions and more in this week's episode.

Stuck in the First Century

Focus Press — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Was the church always meant to resemble the church of the first century? Or were we to grow into something more as time passed and maturity developed?

What would it mean for the church to successfully carry out the Great Commission?

Is there a difference between the kingdom and the church? If so, what is it and how does it apply?

Was the church to always have an "us against the world, ragtag minority" sense, or were we to grow into something bigger and more influential?

Was the move from houses to cathedrals right, altogether wrong, or a necessary growth taken too far?

We explore these questions and more in this week's Who Let the Dogma Out?

Down with the Matriarchy

Focus Press — Wed, 14 Jun 2023 12:54:00 +0000

The West has turned into a matriarchal society marked by safe spaces, cancel culture, safetyism, and the dominance of feelings rather than facts.

This was not God's design, of course.

For the home, the church, and society, there's only one solution: returning to God's design for the sexes and their roles.

Why Jesus' Humanity Matters More Than You Think

Focus Press — Wed, 07 Jun 2023 12:59:00 +0000

Why did my Savior come to earth?

To die for us, yes. But He also came to LIVE for us.

The doctrine of Jesus' simultaneous humanity and deity is little-discussed and oft-misunderstood, but it carries serious implications for our understanding of what it means to be human, why this life matters, and what eternity will look like.

Like Who Let the Dogma Out? on Facebook for all the latest!

The "No Creed But Christ" Conundrum

Focus Press — Wed, 31 May 2023 12:48:00 +0000

"No creed but Christ" has long been one of the rallying cries of the churches of Christ.

But is it accurate? Is it helpful? Have we truly denied credalism?

We discuss creeds, confessions, and catechisms, along with ways they can be useful and ways they can be a hindrance to truth.

Hosted by Titus Anderson, Daniel Mayfield, and Jack Wilkie.

Yoga, Manifesting, and "The Universe" - New Age Religion

Focus Press — Wed, 24 May 2023 12:41:00 +0000

We're back with a new season!

We kick off this summer's slate with a look at New Age religion and how it has quietly infiltrated the church through seemingly harmless practices and terms.

Yoga, "Manifesting," and other such related items are examined as we evaluate the Scriptural value of the ideology.

Hosted by Titus Anderson, Daniel Mayfield, and Jack Wilkie

"Red Letter Christianity" isn't True Christianity

Focus Press — Wed, 07 Dec 2022 12:00:00 +0000

There's been a growing trend in recent years to pit the words and works of Jesus in the 4 Gospels against the rest of the Bible.

"Jesus never said anything about homosexuality."

"Paul said women can't teach, not Jesus."

"God may have condoned violence or strong words in the New Testament, but Jesus calls us to a different standard."

This belief brings with it an insistence that doctrine matters little and the only real push of Christianity is to "be a nice person." We discuss all the doctrinal error this exposes us to and how the church can guard against this insidious heresy.

Why We Aren't "Souls with Bodies"

Focus Press — Wed, 30 Nov 2022 12:00:00 +0000

Gnosticism was one of the biggest false doctrines faced by the early church. Nearly 2,000 years later many Christians still wrestle with the gnostic urge to view the physical as bad and the spiritual as good.

This week's episode digs into why this explicitly anti-Biblical belief has major implications on the way we live our lives.

The False Gospels of Liberalism and Legalism

Focus Press — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 12:00:00 +0000

Liberalism vs. legalism, religion vs. relationship, head vs. heart, law vs. grace.

We're all drawn to one side of this spectrum or the other, but neither side understands God rightly. In fact, both present a false view of the Gospel.

In this episode:

- What legalism IS and what it ISN'T
- How the two sides have more in common than you might think
- Should we strive for balance between the two, or should we reject both and start afresh?

Individualized, Privatized, Overly-Spiritualized Christianity

Focus Press — Wed, 09 Nov 2022 12:00:00 +0000

Christianity must be a religion of the heart... but it's not intended to stay there.

Many Christians today believe we are not to engage in the culture or the political system. Our private walk with God and evangelism are all that matter, in their understanding.

We break down why this pietistic view of the world is inconsistent with God's Word and forfeits ground God has sent us to shape in Christ's image.

The Consequences of Downplaying the Old Testament

Focus Press — Wed, 02 Nov 2022 11:00:00 +0000

Marcion the Heretic was removed from the early church for teaching that the God of the Old Testament was a different being than the God of the New Testament.

While his heresies were rejected long ago, many Christians have adopted a soft Marcionism, downplaying the Old Testament and implying Jesus' arrival erased much of what the OT shows us about God.

In this episode:

- Why it's good that the Old Testament narratives often make us uncomfortable
- How the New Testament's and Old Testament's depictions of God are incomplete without the other
- Why relegating our OT studies to moralizing children's Bible class stories has caused harm to the church

The Question of Man's Sinful Nature

Focus Press — Tue, 25 Oct 2022 14:00:00 +0000

Humanists see man as a blank slate, starting off as basically good.

Calvinists see man as totally depraved, sinful from conception.

What does the Bible teach? Why is it wrong to say man is "basically good?" How does our understanding of sin and nature affect our evangelism, our churches, and our view of the world?

We discuss all this and more in this week's Who Let the Dogma Out?

How Weak Doctrine Enables Gender Confusion

Focus Press — Wed, 12 Oct 2022 14:00:00 +0000

What is a man? What is a woman?

The world is quickly losing the ability to answer these questions. But can the church give an answer?

If we don't know God's reasons for creating man and woman - or if we are too cowardly to say them - we will be unable to push back against the world's descent into madness.

Darwin's Sway Over the Church

Focus Press — Wed, 05 Oct 2022 14:36:00 +0000

It's really not a big deal if Christians don't believe Genesis 1-11 are literal, right?

Wrong.

Ceding ground on this crucial territory opens the door for all kinds of compromise.

1.4 - Science, TV, and the Priesthood of Today's Secular Religion

Focus Press — Wed, 28 Sep 2022 13:00:00 +0000

Our society thinks it has unshackled itself from the authority of God and religion. In reality, all they've done is traded infallible truths for the word of fallible man.

Scientists, the news media, internet "gurus," and other major voices have become the new priesthood of our secular society. As the stand-in for God's authority, they certainly aren't there to speak the truth.

It's time for Christians to discern carefully regarding who they listen to.

God Gets the Last Word: The Sufficiency of Scripture

Focus Press — Wed, 21 Sep 2022 14:55:00 +0000

Influences like Critical Race Theory, gender studies,the world of psychotherapy, and countless other voices in our culture want to have say over how we think and act.

It's common for Christians compartmentalize the Lordship of Christ to only the spiritual parts of their lives, leading them to seek out such worldly influences in all other matters.

We must regain our belief in the sufficiency of scripture. God has not left us in the dark, nor has He told us we are free to choose for ourselves. He has given us His Word, and we must shape every part of our lives around its teachings.

Flawless and Faithful: On Inerrancy

Focus Press — Wed, 14 Sep 2022 15:00:00 +0000

The Bible is not a book riddled with errors. It's God's fully-inspired Word.

Many Christians are willing to compromise on this position, though. Is it really a big deal if the Bible is mostly right with a few flaws? Yes, actually.

In this episode we discuss why inerrancy is a key pillar on which the entire faith stands.

Topics include:

- Why we can't concede Genesis as myth

- The idea of Jesus and Paul's disagreement

- How even the most conservative Christians often treat the Bible as contradictory

1.1 - Why You Need to Be Dogmatic

Focus Press — Mon, 05 Sep 2022 13:30:00 +0000

Welcome to Who Let the Dogma Out?, with Daniel Mayfield, Jacob Rutledge, and Jack Wilkie.

In our pilot episode we introduce the concept of this season - an appeal for the church to take dogmatic stands on Biblical truth. What we believe drives everything we do, but many Christians don't know what they really believe or why they believe it.

It's time we rediscover our theological foundations.