Arranged Marriage, Courtship, or Dating? What does the Bible Say? (Ep. 261)

There has been a big shift in America in how men and women decide to get married. In early America, parents had a very high level of authority and responsibility over who their children married. This was partly driven by economic and social factors, where the parents were more concerned about continuing the family line and ensuring that their children and grandchildren would not starve to death than whether the two getting married were emotionally compatible with one another. As time went on and America became wealthier, engagement and marriage became less about financial stability and more of a courtship arrangement. The parents were not arranging the marriages as much as they were overseeing the interests of their children. As we lost our understanding of a biblical worldview, and focused on pleasure rather than duty and obligation, the marriage process has become more about the emotional and physical response to the relationship rather than establishing a productive home where both could safely establish their future. And while some may disagree, we would argue strongly that this modern approach to marriage has failed dramatically. In response, many are choosing to never get married or cohabitating for years, but behaving as if they are married to see if the emotions last, but none of this solves the underlying problems. For the last fifty years, about half of marriages end in divorce, people are not happier in their relationships and their families, and marriage rates have declined significantly. So let’s start off with a question: why is dating such a terrible way to establish marriages?

Thumbnail image by Jack Pearce under CC BY-SA 2.0

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

Arranged Marriage, Courtship, or Dating? What does the Bible Say? (Ep. 261 Audio)

There has been a big shift in America in how men and women decide to get married. In early America, parents had a very high level of authority and responsibility over who their children married. This was partly driven by economic and social factors, where the parents were more concerned about continuing the family line and ensuring that their children and grandchildren would not starve to death than whether the two getting married were emotionally compatible with one another. As time went on and America became wealthier, engagement and marriage became less about financial stability and more of a courtship arrangement. The parents were not arranging the marriages as much as they were overseeing the interests of their children. As we lost our understanding of a biblical worldview, and focused on pleasure rather than duty and obligation, the marriage process has become more about the emotional and physical response to the relationship rather than establishing a productive home where both could safely establish their future. And while some may disagree, we would argue strongly that this modern approach to marriage has failed dramatically. In response, many are choosing to never get married or cohabitating for years, but behaving as if they are married to see if the emotions last, but none of this solves the underlying problems. For the last fifty years, about half of marriages end in divorce, people are not happier in their relationships and their families, and marriage rates have declined significantly. So let’s start off with a question: why is dating such a terrible way to establish marriages?

Thumbnail image by Jack Pearce under CC BY-SA 2.0

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

Contumacy: The Reason For Most Excommunications (Ep. 260)

In this episode of The Conquering Truth, we explore “contumacy”—the most common reason for excommunication in faithful churches today. While many assume church discipline is only for overt scandals like adultery, contumacy is a stubborn refusal to submit to the biblically established authority of the church. We discuss why this sin is comparable to the judicial concept of “contempt of court” within the body of Christ and how it manifests as a breach of the membership covenant and ask the following questions: Is it possible to simply “resign” from a local church to avoid the judgment of the elders? Or does this reveal a lack of respect for the universal church and the commands of Matthew 18? And if someone does flee to avoid discipline, is it wrong to excommunicate them for their refusal to recognize the authority of the church? Furthermore, if someone has been excommunicated from a church, is there any way that this can be appealed to other churches, or does scripture require a governing authority for this to happen?

Many people first heard of contumacy because of the 2026 controversy involving Stephen Nichols and St. Andrew’s Chapel, and while we will mention it in passing in the episode, we do not have sufficient information to discuss it in detail. Instead, we examine the normative process and the jurisdictional complexities that arise when members attempt to flee discipline. Many Christians today treat the church as if it has no real authority, as if it is a purely voluntary association that one can walk away from at any time.
Theology impacts every facet of life, including how we resolve conflict and honor God’s structure for His people. Discover why understanding contumacy is essential for the peace and purity of the church today.

Thumbnail image by www.quotecatalog.com

Timecodes
00:00:00 What is it?
00:07:00 Church Authority
00:17:15 Our Experience
00:25:00 Respecting Discipline
00:28:15 Loving Your Neighbor
00:32:40 Honoring Other’s Excommunication
00:52:40 Cult Behavior?
01:01:05 Causing Division

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

Contumacy: The Reason For Most Excommunications (Ep. 260 Audio)

In this episode of The Conquering Truth, we explore “contumacy”—the most common reason for excommunication in faithful churches today. While many assume church discipline is only for overt scandals like adultery, contumacy is a stubborn refusal to submit to the biblically established authority of the church. We discuss why this sin is comparable to the judicial concept of “contempt of court” within the body of Christ and how it manifests as a breach of the membership covenant and ask the following questions: Is it possible to simply “resign” from a local church to avoid the judgment of the elders? Or does this reveal a lack of respect for the universal church and the commands of Matthew 18? And if someone does flee to avoid discipline, is it wrong to excommunicate them for their refusal to recognize the authority of the church? Furthermore, if someone has been excommunicated from a church, is there any way that this can be appealed to other churches, or does scripture require a governing authority for this to happen?

Many people first heard of contumacy because of the 2026 controversy involving Stephen Nichols and St. Andrew’s Chapel, and while we will mention it in passing in the episode, we do not have sufficient information to discuss it in detail. Instead, we examine the normative process and the jurisdictional complexities that arise when members attempt to flee discipline. Many Christians today treat the church as if it has no real authority, as if it is a purely voluntary association that one can walk away from at any time.
Theology impacts every facet of life, including how we resolve conflict and honor God’s structure for His people. Discover why understanding contumacy is essential for the peace and purity of the church today.

Thumbnail image by www.quotecatalog.com

Timecodes
00:00:00 What is it?
00:07:00 Church Authority
00:17:15 Our Experience
00:25:00 Respecting Discipline
00:28:15 Loving Your Neighbor
00:32:40 Honoring Other’s Excommunication
00:52:40 Cult Behavior?
01:01:05 Causing Division

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 Arminianism Actually a Heresy? (Ep. 259)

Most professing Christians today hold to Arminian views, often assuming the debate between Calvinism and Arminianism is merely a secondary issue or a sort of “family squabble.” But is it much more serious than that? In this episode of The Conquering Truth, we explore why the Reformers saw the doctrines of Arminianism not just as a mistake, but as a fundamental rejection of the biblical Gospel.

When Martin Luther debated Erasmus, the core issue wasn’t the corruption of the papacy—it was the nature of God’s election and the bondage of the will. Does God choose man, or does man choose God? We dive into the outline of Arminianism to show how it changes the very nature of God, turning the Creator into a “slave” to man’s choices and stripping Him of His glory.

We also want to be very clear that this does not mean that everyone who has been taught or who holds to some form of Arminian doctrine is an unsaved heretic. But it does not help anyone to treat these doctrinal differences as if they are minor. There are wolves in and among the church who use these heresies to divide the church and to weaken the gospel. While our desire should always be unity, it should always be unity through truth, with the expectation that the spirit of Truth will guide those whom He indwells.

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 Arminianism Actually a Heresy? (Ep. 259 Audio)

Most professing Christians today hold to Arminian views, often assuming the debate between Calvinism and Arminianism is merely a secondary issue or a sort of “family squabble.” But is it much more serious than that? In this episode of The Conquering Truth, we explore why the Reformers saw the doctrines of Arminianism not just as a mistake, but as a fundamental rejection of the biblical Gospel.

When Martin Luther debated Erasmus, the core issue wasn’t the corruption of the papacy—it was the nature of God’s election and the bondage of the will. Does God choose man, or does man choose God? We dive into the outline of Arminianism to show how it changes the very nature of God, turning the Creator into a “slave” to man’s choices and stripping Him of His glory.

We also want to be very clear that this does not mean that everyone who has been taught or who holds to some form of Arminian doctrine is an unsaved heretic. But it does not help anyone to treat these doctrinal differences as if they are minor. There are wolves in and among the church who use these heresies to divide the church and to weaken the gospel. While our desire should always be unity, it should always be unity through truth, with the expectation that the spirit of Truth will guide those whom He indwells.

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

Why the First Pentecost Led to Death (and the Last Led to Life) (Ep. 258)

Why did the first Pentecost lead to death while the last led to life? Most Christians celebrate Pentecost as the “birthday of the church,” but its roots go back much further—to the foot of Mount Sinai. In this episode of The Conquering Truth, we explore the profound biblical connection between the first giving of the Law in Exodus and the second giving of the Law through the Holy Spirit in Acts.
While the Law on tablets of stone was a “ministry of death” (2 Corinthians 3), the Law written on fleshly tables of the heart was a ministry unto life. We dive deep into Covenant Theology, the promise vs. fulfillment of the New Covenant, and why the feast of weeks was always pointing us toward the substance of Jesus Christ.

Thumbnail image by John Biody under CC BY 2.0

Timecodes
00:00 Pentecost
05:17 Giving of the Law
17:47 Promise vs Fulfillment
25:11 Sin vs Righteousness Abounding
48:29 Death to Life

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

Why the First Pentecost Led to Death (and the Last Led to Life) (Ep. 258 Audio)

Why did the first Pentecost lead to death while the last led to life? Most Christians celebrate Pentecost as the “birthday of the church,” but its roots go back much further—to the foot of Mount Sinai. In this episode of The Conquering Truth, we explore the profound biblical connection between the first giving of the Law in Exodus and the second giving of the Law through the Holy Spirit in Acts.
While the Law on tablets of stone was a “ministry of death” (2 Corinthians 3), the Law written on fleshly tables of the heart was a ministry unto life. We dive deep into Covenant Theology, the promise vs. fulfillment of the New Covenant, and why the feast of weeks was always pointing us toward the substance of Jesus Christ.

Thumbnail image by John Biody under CC BY 2.0

Timecodes
00:00 Pentecost
05:17 Giving of the Law
17:47 Promise vs Fulfillment
25:11 Sin vs Righteousness Abounding
48:29 Death to Life

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

Should Christians Eat Dogs? (Ep. 257)

Why is a dog a “best friend” but a pig is “breakfast”? As Western Christians, we often mistake our cultural taboos for biblical mandates. We recoil at the idea of eating horses or cats, yet we enjoy bacon and shellfish without a second thought—all while claiming our standards are rooted in Scripture. But is our “culinary morality” truly biblical, or just a product of our zip code? Even worse, our rules and taboos often oppress the poor by forcing them to live according to our standard of wealth and “morality”.

In this episode, we look at how the Old Testament ceremonial food laws intersect with New Covenant freedoms and practices. We move beyond the common misconception that those laws were about hygiene or health, exploring instead how they served as a “tutor,” using the animals as types or pictures to paint a vivid picture of holiness and the separation of God’s people.

Link to Mike Rowe TED Talk: https://youtu.be/IRVdiHu1VCc

Timecodes
00:00 Animal Cruelty
05:32 Cultural Superiority
09:28 Food Law Symbolism
20:07 Clean Meat Healthier?
31:29 Hypocrisy
41:03 Gratefulness
45:30 Haitians Eating Dogs
49:34 Oppression of Poor

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

Should Christians Eat Dogs? (Ep. 257 Audio)

Why is a dog a “best friend” but a pig is “breakfast”? As Western Christians, we often mistake our cultural taboos for biblical mandates. We recoil at the idea of eating horses or cats, yet we enjoy bacon and shellfish without a second thought—all while claiming our standards are rooted in Scripture. But is our “culinary morality” truly biblical, or just a product of our zip code? Even worse, our rules and taboos often oppress the poor by forcing them to live according to our standard of wealth and “morality”.

In this episode, we look at how the Old Testament ceremonial food laws intersect with New Covenant freedoms and practices. We move beyond the common misconception that those laws were about hygiene or health, exploring instead how they served as a “tutor,” using the animals as types or pictures to paint a vivid picture of holiness and the separation of God’s people.

Link to Mike Rowe TED Talk: https://youtu.be/IRVdiHu1VCc

Timecodes
00:00 Animal Cruelty
05:32 Cultural Superiority
09:28 Food Law Symbolism
20:07 Clean Meat Healthier?
31:29 Hypocrisy
41:03 Gratefulness
45:30 Haitians Eating Dogs
49:34 Oppression of Poor

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