God’s Blueprint for Community: How the Church Should Lead the Way (Ep. 214)

When you consider the fact that God calls those He has called out front the world, a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and His own special people, it should be obvious that He intended the church to be the ideal form of community. What group could have more in common and closeness than one made alive by His Spirit and called for His purposes into His family and household?
But when we look at the world, we can see a different picture. While the church has a greater sense of community than the world, it does not seem to be a light to the nations in this regard. In fact, over the last sixty years, the American sense of community has been breaking down. And while some people want to accuse technology of causing this breakdown, in most cases, technology only facilitates the things we already desired.
One of the things that has happened in the church is that we have shifted our focus from God saving the church as one body to be his bride, and instead have almost exclusively focused on God saving each of us as individuals. And because a strong sense of community requires one to focus, not on himself but on the group and what they hold in common, this singular focus wars against the sense of community that God desires for the church.
In this episode, we want to look at the ways that God has designed the church to be the model community for the world, and how the practices He instituted and called the church to should strengthen rather than weaken this sense of community. Please join us as we discuss this very necessary topic.

Listen to the audio version here: https://theconqueringtruth.com/2025/04/gods-blueprint-for-community-how-the-church-should-lead-the-way-ep-214-audio/

Thumbnail image by Thomas Hawk on Flickr under CC BY-NC 2.0

Timecodes
00:00:00 What Is Community
00:03:09 The Church’s Example
00:10:43 Small Groups
00:13:58 Our Mission
00:26:05 Authority
00:34:53 Shared Vision
00:45:36 Disasters
00:56:33 One Body
01:06:05 Hospitality
01:14:29 Impacting the Community

Production of Reformation Baptist Church of Youngsville, NC
Permanent Hosts – Dan Horn, Charles Churchill and Joshua Horn
Technical Director – Timothy Kaiser
Theme Music – Gabriel Hudelson

God’s Blueprint for Community: How the Church Should Lead the Way (Ep. 214 Audio)

When you consider the fact that God calls those He has called out front the world, a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and His own special people, it should be obvious that He intended the church to be the ideal form of community. What group could have more in common and closeness than one made alive by His Spirit and called for His purposes into His family and household?
But when we look at the world, we can see a different picture. While the church has a greater sense of community than the world, it does not seem to be a light to the nations in this regard. In fact, over the last sixty years, the American sense of community has been breaking down. And while some people want to accuse technology of causing this breakdown, in most cases, technology only facilitates the things we already desired.

One of the things that has happened in the church is that we have shifted our focus from God saving the church as one body to be his bride, and instead have almost exclusively focused on God saving each of us as individuals. And because a strong sense of community requires one to focus, not on himself but on the group and what they hold in common, this singular focus wars against the sense of community that God desires for the church.

In this episode, we want to look at the ways that God has designed the church to be the model community for the world, and how the practices He instituted and called the church to should strengthen rather than weaken this sense of community. Please join us as we discuss this very necessary topic.

Production of Reformation Baptist Church of Youngsville, NC
Permanent Hosts – Dan Horn, Charles Churchill and Joshua Horn
Technical Director – Timothy Kaiser
Theme Music – Gabriel Hudelson

What Stops Christians from Sharing the Gospel? (Ep. 213)

Sharing the gospel is central to the Great Commission. But doing so on a day-to-day basis is more complicated than we often want to admit. It’s definitely more complex than just memorizing the Romans Road or learning a three-step approach for door-to-door witnessing.
So in this episode, we want to ask two different questions about sharing the gospel: first, we want to ask why don’t we do it, and second, how should we change the way we think about sharing the gospel?

Listen to the audio version here: https://theconqueringtruth.com/2025/04/what-stops-christians-from-sharing-the-gospel-ep-213-audio/

Timecodes
00:00:00 Failure to Evangelize
00:08:36 False Fears
00:11:33 Belief in Hell
00:14:53 Disobedience
00:19:59 Gifting vs Practice
00:26:48 Different Venues
00:35:36 Hospitality
00:40:04 Ready to Give an Answer
00:49:28 Listening
00:58:17 Answer a Fool
01:21:59 Using God’s Word

Production of Reformation Baptist Church of Youngsville, NC
Permanent Hosts – Dan Horn, Charles Churchill and Joshua Horn
Technical Director – Timothy Kaiser
Theme Music – Gabriel Hudelson

What Stops Christians from Sharing the Gospel? (Ep. 213 Audio)

Sharing the gospel is central to the Great Commission. But doing so on a day-to-day basis is more complicated than we often want to admit. It’s definitely more complex than just memorizing the Romans Road or learning a three-step approach for door-to-door witnessing.
So in this episode, we want to ask two different questions about sharing the gospel: first, we want to ask why don’t we do it, and second, how should we change the way we think about sharing the gospel?

Production of Reformation Baptist Church of Youngsville, NC
Permanent Hosts – Dan Horn, Charles Churchill and Joshua Horn
Technical Director – Timothy Kaiser
Theme Music – Gabriel Hudelson

Can God Be Just and Merciful? (Ep. 211)

Many Christians would describe justice and mercy as being at odds with one another, but most confessions of the faith, such as the SLBC and the Westminster Confession, say that God is most just and He is most merciful. But if they are in opposition to one another, how can God be both merciful and just?

Listen to the audio version here: https://theconqueringtruth.com/2025/04/can-god-be-just-and-merciful-ep-211-audio/

Thumbnail image by Manu_H on Flickr under CC-BY 2.0

Timecodes
00:00:00 Intro
00:02:57 Sproul
00:10:50 Definition of Justice
00:15:52 Definition of Mercy
00:24:51 Overlooking Sin
00:37:02 Vengeance vs Justice
00:46:08 Justice in Man’s Law
00:49:14 Importance of Justice
01:00:51 Mercy in the Law

Production of Reformation Baptist Church of Youngsville, NC
Permanent Hosts – Dan Horn, Charles Churchill and Joshua Horn
Technical Director – Timothy Kaiser
Theme Music – Gabriel Hudelson

Can God Be Just and Merciful? (Ep. 211 Audio)

Many Christians would describe justice and mercy as being at odds with one another, but most confessions of the faith, such as the SLBC and the Westminster Confession, say that God is most just and He is most merciful. But if they are in opposition to one another, how can God be both merciful and just?

Production of Reformation Baptist Church of Youngsville, NC
Permanent Hosts – Dan Horn, Charles Churchill and Joshua Horn
Technical Director – Timothy Kaiser
Theme Music – Gabriel Hudelson

When Does Matthew 18 Apply? (Ep. 211)

Many churches teach that Matthew 18 is the generally applicable text about church discipline and it should be followed in all circumstances. But Matthew 18 is primarily about forgiveness between brothers and when you look at other cases of discipline, such as when a man has his father’s wife, there is no hint that Matthew 18 should be followed.
So when is Matthew 18 appropriate? And why is this passage so often misunderstood?
In this episode, we start out by laying out the differences between personal offenses and offenses against God. Matthew 18 is about dealing with personal offenses and because the person who believes he has been wronged has no greater authority than the brother he is confronting the process is structured to minimize slandering and false accusations. We also discuss how this is not just for brothers who go to the same church, how that works and what it looks like. After laying this groundwork, we then walk through the passage verse by verse discussing how each step is rooted in God’s desire for justice and forgiveness.
Matthew 18 is an incredibly important passage for us to understand. When we do not understand what it is intended to accomplish or how we should go about the process, we cause the church to be filled with a lack of forgiveness and injustice.

Production of Reformation Baptist Church of Youngsville, NC
Permanent Hosts – Dan Horn, Charles Churchill and Joshua Horn
Technical Director – Timothy Kaiser
Theme Music – Gabriel Hudelson

When Does Matthew 18 Apply? (Ep. 211 Audio)

Many churches teach that Matthew 18 is the generally applicable text about church discipline and it should be followed in all circumstances. But Matthew 18 is primarily about forgiveness between brothers and when you look at other cases of discipline, such as when a man has his father’s wife, there is no hint that Matthew 18 should be followed.
So when is Matthew 18 appropriate? And why is this passage so often misunderstood?
In this episode, we start out by laying out the differences between personal offenses and offenses against God. Matthew 18 is about dealing with personal offenses and because the person who believes he has been wronged has no greater authority than the brother he is confronting the process is structured to minimize slandering and false accusations. We also discuss how this is not just for brothers who go to the same church, how that works and what it looks like. After laying this groundwork, we then walk through the passage verse by verse discussing how each step is rooted in God’s desire for justice and forgiveness.
Matthew 18 is an incredibly important passage for us to understand. When we do not understand what it is intended to accomplish or how we should go about the process, we cause the church to be filled with a lack of forgiveness and injustice.

Production of Reformation Baptist Church of Youngsville, NC
Permanent Hosts – Dan Horn, Charles Churchill and Joshua Horn
Technical Director – Timothy Kaiser
Theme Music – Gabriel Hudelson

Is the Pope Really THAT Antichrist? (Ep. 210)

Both of the primary Reformed confessions explicitly call the pope that Antichrist. They saw the man of perdition from 2 Thessalonians 2 and that Antichrist from 1 John 2 fulfilled in the office of the pope. So what does it mean for the Pope to be that Antichrist or for the apostasy of the Roman Catholic Church to the falling away that Paul writes about to the Thessalonians and also to Timothy?

One of the dangers of not considering these issues is that we begin to view eschatology as completely separate from doctrine. But Paul says that all scripture is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness. Whether we consider the Pope to be THAT Antichrist or just one Antichrist of many, we should realize that the scope and success of the Roman Catholic Church as a heretical and evil imitator of the true church for almost 1500 years is something that the church must grapple with. At a minimum it should warn us to not grow lax in standing against the heresies of the church even when they are embodied in likable people. At the most, it should help us focus on Christ and the work that He is doing in the world, it should reframe how we view the scope and significance of the Reformation and the work that Christ has for His church in fighting for right doctrines and right practices.

So here’s the question: If you hold to a Reformed tradition have you considered what it means for the Pope to be the Antichrist? And even if you do not, have to considered why the Reformers thought the way they did?

Listen to the audio version here: https://theconqueringtruth.com/2025/03/is-the-pope-really-that-antichrist-ep-210-audio/

Timecodes
00:00:00 An Antichrist vs The Antichrist
00:06:59 Falling Away Comes First
00:23:35 Sits as God in the Temple of God
00:33:57 Mystery of Lawlessness
00:47:55 Unrighteous Deception
00:53:04 Strong Delusion
00:59:11 Later Times Departing
01:06:08 Spirit of the Antichrist
01:10:04 Christ’s Coming
01:13:58 The Confession and Revelation
01:26:38 One Antichrist Shall Come

Production of Reformation Baptist Church of Youngsville, NC
Permanent Hosts – Dan Horn, Charles Churchill and Joshua Horn
Technical Director – Timothy Kaiser
Theme Music – Gabriel Hudelson

Is the Pope Really THAT Antichrist? (Ep. 210 Audio)

Both of the primary Reformed confessions explicitly call the pope that Antichrist. They saw the man of perdition from 2 Thessalonians 2 and that Antichrist from 1 John 2 fulfilled in the office of the pope. So what does it mean for the Pope to be that Antichrist or for the apostasy of the Roman Catholic Church to the falling away that Paul writes about to the Thessalonians and also to Timothy?

One of the dangers of not considering these issues is that we begin to view eschatology as completely separate from doctrine. But Paul says that all scripture is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness. Whether we consider the Pope to be THAT Antichrist or just one Antichrist of many, we should realize that the scope and success of the Roman Catholic Church as a heretical and evil imitator of the true church for almost 1500 years is something that the church must grapple with. At a minimum it should warn us to not grow lax in standing against the heresies of the church even when they are embodied in likable people. At the most, it should help us focus on Christ and the work that He is doing in the world, it should reframe how we view the scope and significance of the Reformation and the work that Christ has for His church in fighting for right doctrines and right practices.

So here’s the question: If you hold to a Reformed tradition have you considered what it means for the Pope to be the Antichrist? And even if you do not, have to considered why the Reformers thought the way they did?

Production of Reformation Baptist Church of Youngsville, NC
Permanent Hosts – Dan Horn, Charles Churchill and Joshua Horn
Technical Director – Timothy Kaiser
Theme Music – Gabriel Hudelson