Theological Exploration Episodes

Is it possible to be a Christian and stay out of politics? Former Missouri State Representative and pastor Doug Richey — now with Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) — joins Jonathan and David to make the case that political engagement isn't optional for believers. Because every law has a moral element. Every budget is a moral document. And Christians are called to be salt and light — not just in the pew, but in the public square. Doug breaks down ADF's work defending religious liberty (18 Supreme ...

Ep. 59 — The Names of God & the Heart of Salvation Does it matter if you call Him Jesus, Yeshua, or Yahusha? Some voices in the body of Christ insist that using the "wrong" name means you're worshiping a different God — even that your salvation is at stake. In this episode, we go straight to the Word and ask: does language limit God, or does He respond to the heart? Drawing from Scripture and the testimony of believers across every tongue and nation, we explore what the names of God reveal about...

Can love of country become an idol? In this episode, Jonathan and David tackle one of the most uncomfortable questions in American Christianity — where's the line between patriotism and Christian nationalism? The American flag in the sanctuary. The merging of faith and politics. The rise of Christian nationalism in the church. What does the Bible actually say about loving your country? Using Philippians 3, Romans 13, 1 Timothy 2, and Colossians 3, they lay out what a biblical, redeemed patriotis...

Nephilim? Giants? Book of Enoch? Fallen Angels? In Missouri?? In 1934, a man named Sterling Price Newberry unearthed a seven-foot skeleton buried in a Missouri mound near the James River — surrounded by seven normal-sized skeletons arranged in a cross-shaped formation. That same burial pattern has since been found in Sardinia, where researchers uncovered eight-foot skeletons in the identical arrangement. Coincidence? Or evidence of something far older than American history? In this episode, Jon...

Are UFOs real? Are aliens demons? With the White House releasing UAP footage and the world buzzing about disclosure, Christians need a biblical framework — not fear. In this episode, Jonathan and David break down what scripture actually says about aliens, UAPs, and cryptids, and whether these phenomena are demonic deception, advanced technology, or something else entirely. We explore:• The 2004 Tic Tac video and what the Bible says about "heavens plural"• Ezekiel's wheels, Elijah's chariot of fi...

What happens when reformed theology meets heavy music? We sat down with Plead the Widow's Cause — a spirit-filled post-hardcore band — to talk idolatry, Isaiah, and why one Old Testament story might just be the most metal moment in the entire Bible. In this episode of Deformed Theology (Ep. 53), Jonathan and David sit down with the full band — Ian, Bill, Brett, and Mitch — for an honest, theologically rich conversation about faith, the music they make, and what it means to stand up for those wit...

Is there really a sin God won't forgive? In this episode, we dig into Matthew 12:22-32 — the only place Jesus explicitly talks about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit and why it's called unforgivable. We break down exactly what Jesus meant when He told the Pharisees they had committed blasphemy against the Holy Spirit — and why it's not what most people think. This isn't about a careless word or a moment of doubt. It's about something far deeper: a positional rejection of the Holy Spirit's conv...

Can a Christian lose their salvation — or are they eternally secure no matter what? In this engaging episode, Jonathan and David tackle one of the most debated doctrines in Christianity: eternal security and OSAS (Once Saved, Always Saved). This isn't a fight — it's a conversation. We dig into what Scripture actually says about remaining in Christ, and why contingent language throughout the Bible matters more than most Christians realize. In this episode: What Romans 11:22-23 reveals about God'...

Is AI the Antichrist — or just a tool? Christians need to answer this question now. In this episode of Deformed Theology, we explore the biblical, spiritual, and cultural dimensions of artificial intelligence — and what it means for your faith. AI is no longer coming. It's here. And the Church needs a biblical response. We tackle the questions many Christians are asking: Should believers use AI at all? Is AI a neutral tool — like a gun or a car — or something spiritually darker? Could demonic wi...

Are spiritual gifts still for the church today — or did they end with the apostles? In this episode, we sit down with Adam Parker to work through 1 Corinthians 12, 13, and 14 in full — and the answer might surprise you. We dig into one of the most debated passages in all of Scripture: what does Paul actually mean when he says "when the perfect comes"? Is he talking about the completed Bible — or the return of Jesus Christ? And what does love have to do with speaking in tongues and prophecy? In ...

What should spiritual gifts actually look like in the Church today? In Episode 46 of Deformed Theology, we continue our deep dive into spiritual gifts, continuationism, and biblical church order, breaking down what Scripture really teaches in 1 Corinthians 12–14. In a world where charismatic culture can feel either chaotic or completely absent, this conversation is all about bringing balance back to the body of Christ. Joined again by Adam from the Bold Apology Podcast, we explore the true pur...

Do spiritual gifts still exist today? Are miracles, prophecy, healing, and speaking in tongues still active in the church—or did they end with the apostles? In Episode 44 of Deformed Theology, Jonathan and David welcome Adam Parker back to continue the conversation on one of the most debated topics in modern Christianity: the gifts of the Holy Spirit. After examining abuses in the charismatic movement in the previous episode, this discussion shifts toward a more foundational question: What sho...

Why don’t more Christians share the gospel? If we really believe in heaven, hell, salvation, and the saving work of Jesus Christ — why are we so often silent? In this episode of Deformed Theology, Jonathan and David dive deep into the tension every believer feels: the fear of rejection, the fear of offending, and the fear of being misunderstood when it comes to evangelism. Is evangelism supposed to be confrontational? Is it just shouting truth? Is it discipleship? How simple should the gospel...

Is power the true measure of Christian faith — or have we misunderstood what Scripture actually teaches? In this episode of Deformed Theology, we sit down with Adam Parker (Bold Apologia) to examine one of the most pressing questions facing modern Charismatic Christianity: when power, miracles, and supernatural experiences become the benchmark of faith, what happens to the gospel? Using Scripture, church history, and careful theological reasoning, we take a hard but fair look at Bethel theology...

Does baptism save you? Is water baptism required for salvation, or is it a symbolic act of obedience that follows faith in Christ? In this episode of Deformed Theology, Jonathan and David dive deep into one of the most debated and misunderstood topics in Christian theology: baptism. From the Greek word baptizo—meaning to immerse or fully submerge—to the Hebrew concept of mikvah, this conversation traces baptism from Genesis to the New Testament, uncovering its theological, biblical, and histori...

When Emotions Deform Theology: Faith, Feelings, and the Book of Ruth is a deep, Scripture-driven conversation on how emotions—when elevated above God’s Word—can subtly reshape, distort, and even deform Christian theology. In this episode of Deformed Theology, hosts Jonathan and David are joined by pastor and former Army officer Matt Truax to examine one of the most pressing issues facing the modern church: the tension between faith and feelings. While emotions are a God-given part of the human ...

In this compelling episode of Deformed Theology, we sit down with Pastor Shannon Greene of the First United Methodist Church for one of our most honest and wide-ranging conversations yet. Together we explore the foundations of Methodist theology, women in ministry, biblical interpretation, discipleship, and—most importantly—the modern church’s most intense point of tension: how Christians should approach homosexuality, LGBTQ inclusion, and same-sex relationships within the body of Christ. This i...

In this episode of ⁠Deformed Theology⁠, we dive deep into one of the most misunderstood, misapplied, and culturally contested topics in the Christian world today: biblical marriage—specifically the role of wives, submission, respect, strength, and God’s design for the home. After spending last week addressing husbands, we invited our wives, Lacee and April, to join us for a real, unscripted conversation about what biblical womanhood and biblical marriage actually look like according to Scripture...

In this episode of Deformed Theology, David and Jonathan dive deep into one of the most misunderstood and misrepresented topics in Christian living: biblical masculinity and what it truly means to be a godly husband. In a culture drowning in confusion about gender roles, leadership, and marriage, Christians often find themselves caught between toxic caricatures of masculinity and the reactive extremism of modern culture. But Scripture offers clarity—real clarity—on how husbands are called to lea...

What really happens after you die? In this episode of Deformed Theology, we take a deep, Scripture-centered dive into one of humanity’s oldest and most mysterious questions: the afterlife. From Sheol and Hades to Abraham’s Bosom, Paradise, soul sleep, the resurrection, and the intermediate state, this conversation explores the biblical data without sensationalism—just honest theology, humor, and curiosity. We start in the Old Testament with the earliest appearances of Sheol, examining how ancie...

Are the gifts of the Holy Spirit still active today—or did they end with the apostles? In this episode of Deformed Theology, hosts Jonathan and David sit down once again with Pastor Drew Tarwater of Forefront Church in Denver, Colorado, to dive deep into the mystery, beauty, and controversy surrounding the Holy Spirit and His gifts. This is Part 2 of our series on the Holy Spirit, and we’re going even deeper. Together, we explore what Scripture really says about the gifts listed in 1 Corinthian...

What does the Bible really say about the Holy Spirit? In this episode of Deformed Theology, David and Jonathan dive deep into the person, presence, and power of the Holy Spirit — not as an abstract force, not as a mystical energy, but as a person of the Triune God. If you’ve ever wondered who the Holy Spirit is, how He works, or what it means to live “by the Spirit,” this conversation is for you. The hosts explore Scripture with humor, honesty, and humility — wrestling through questions like: ...

Jehovah’s Witnesses say no birthdays, no Christmas, no guns… but is that just quirky legalism, or a full-blown cult? In this episode of Deformed Theology, Jonathan and David dig into the origins, teachings, and contradictions of the JW movement. From false prophecies about the end of the world to denying the divinity of Christ, we ask the tough questions: Are Jehovah’s Witnesses a Christian denomination or something else entirely? What does the Bible actually say about holidays, modesty, and leg...

What happens when a 14-year-old in the woods claims to see God, finds golden plates nobody else can see, and builds an empire with secret handshakes, polygamy, and space-god theology? You get Mormonism. In this episode of Deformed Theology, David and Jonathan dig into the wild origin story of Joseph Smith, the golden plates, the angel Moroni (or was it Pepperoni?), and why South Park may have given the most accurate breakdown of Mormon beliefs. 👉 We explore: Joseph Smith’s visions and the “golde...