Center Grace Church Podcast

Today Matt and Nathaniel discuss questions on how modern western culture has shifted from viewing nature as a given design to an oppressive obstacle, what Jesus would say to someone with gender dysphoria, and why Genesis 1 is likely talking about heavenly (as opposed to earthly) chronology.

Text: Genesis 1:1-27, 31
Preacher: Nathaniel Lee
 

Today Matt and Nathaniel sit down to discuss the authorship, transmission and reliability of Genesis (and the rest of the Bible). They then discuss practical ways to approach wrestling with reliability and deepening trust in God's Word.

Text: Genesis 1:1-5
Preacher: Nathaniel Lee

Today Pastor Nathaniel gives a five step argument for infant baptism and five things we should all agree on about baptism, even if we disagree on whether we should administer it to infants.Here are the five steps to the argument:1. The church of the Old Testament and the church of the New Testament are, in essence, the same church2. God includes the children of believers as members of this church3. In the Old Testament era, children of believers, because they were church members, were given the sign of circumcision4. In the New Testament era, God has taken the sign of circumcision and changed it to baptism5. Therefore, in the New Testament era, children of believers, because they are church members, are to be given the sign of baptism.Here are the five things we should all agree on:1. Everyone is only baptized once. "Re-baptism" is an oxymoron since there is only "one baptism". Do not get re-baptized and discourage others (including churches) from doing so. 2. Churches should not require people who were baptized in the Triune name to be re-baptized ads adults in order to be members and take the Lord's Supper.3. Baptism is primarily God's sign to you, and your reception of it--not your proclamation of faith4. Baptism is effectual--it is the means by which God gives his salvific grace, even if it is not tied to the moment of administration, and one can still be saved without it.5. Children of believers are a part of the covenant community, so teach them the faith as disciples (do not see them as pagans to be evangelized).Other resources: https://opc.org/cce/tracts/WhyInfantBaptism.html#:~:text=God%20has%20initiated%2C%20God%20has,you%20and%20for%20your%20children 

Text: Matthew 7:24-29Preacher: Derek Baker

Pastors Derek and Nathaniel discuss the following questions: what is the point of prayer if God has already determined everything? Why does he answer some prayers and not others? Why did God put the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in Eden? Why create Satan? And how does A.I. affect pastoral ministry?

Text: Matthew 7:13-23
Preacher: Derek Baker

Today Pastor Nathaniel discusses two questions about the sermon on Matthew 7:1-12. Nathaniel first responds to the question about what to do when someone is resistant to our attempts to remove the speck from their eye. The second question deals with whether or not we would really pray God's plan to happen if we knew everything he knew.

Text: Matthew 7:1-12
Preacher: Nathaniel Lee