Understanding Christianity

Pastor Sean starts a new teaching related to the current state of chaos in our nation and evangelical churches. We are living in times that are changing very quickly. In this first session, he introduces the topics, gives some major players, and then addresses the first key belief that is under attack today. We must believe that God is the Creator and Rule of all things. How does our culture attack this: They say that the autonomous self is the rule of all things where self-expression is the highest value. Learn more about the dangers of Progressive Christianity and other issues facing Bible-believing churches. www.seancole.net

In Luke 6:27-36, Jesus commands us to love our enemies, to do good to those who hate us, to bless those who curse us, and to pray for those who abuse us. This is an impossibllity when we think about the radical nature of this kind of love. How can we possibly do it? The answer lies in the character of the Most High God---He is merciful to the ungrateful and wicked. Because God first loved us, we can, in turn, love others. www.seancole.net

Is God’s grace merely an “offer” that can be accepted or rejected. . . or is God’s grace His active, sovereign, and unconditional favor that is actually conferred or granted upon the elect? Is God’s grace effectual and irresistible or merely a prevenient or enabling grace? I understand the Bible to teach that because of man’s deadness in sin and total inability, God must actually overcome that spiritual condition with sovereign, efficacious grace that is more than just the gospel appeal. There must be a mysterious, instantaneous, internal work of the Holy Spirit directly on the soul of fallen man. The mind, will, and emotions must be changed inwardly by sovereign means in order to make a person willing to come to faith in Christ. In other words, the grace that is both necessary and sufficient is an irresistible, conquering grace—not a mere offer or simply the presentation of the fact of the gospel. Provisionists affirm that the gospel appeal or the preached Word is sufficient to do what it’s supposed to do

Are you an impatient person? Patience is one of the aspects of the Fruit of the Spirit. How can you have patience this Christmas and every day of your life? Listen and find out. www.seancole.net

In this final teaching, Pastor Sean addresses two issues related to the Second Coming: (1) The Great White Throne Judgment in Revelation 19 and (2) The New Heavens and New Earth in Revelation 20-21. Check out Sean's book "Your Identity in the Trinity" at amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Your-Identity-Trinity-Discovering-Gospel-ebook/dp/B07RWTJK9K/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Sean+Cole+Trinity&qid=1608311130&sr=8-1

2020 has been an unprecedented year of lockdowns, COVID, rioting in the streets of many cities, and a hotly contested Presidential election. Many people have experienced frustration, disappointment, loneliness, and even despair. Pastor Sean preaches an encouraging sermon on hope. He asks three questions: (1) Where do we often go to find false hope to give us security? (2) Where should we go to find true and lasting hope? (3) How do we live out our hope on a daily basis? www.seancole.net

Pastor Sean continues the study on the Second Coming of Christ. He compares the order of events in Matthew 24 with 2 Thessalonians 2. He then addresses Jesus' return in judgment as the Warrior-King on the white horse in Revelation 19. For a good Christmas gift idea, consider Sean's book "Your Identity in the Trinity." You can find here on amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Your-Identity-Trinity-Discovering-Gospel-ebook/dp/B07RWTJK9K/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2IR9DD8Q8AIXX&keywords=sean+cole+trinity&qid=1607538866&sprefix=Sean+COle+Trin%2Caps%2C202&sr=8-1

In the fourth Beatitude in Luke 6, Jesus gives the shocking blessing of being persecuted. In this timely message, Pastor Sean answers three questions. (1) What is the exact nature of the persecution? (2) What is the root reason for the persecution? (3) Why is it a joy to be persecuted? He addresses some controversial current issues of how our Christian liberties have been suppressed in our culture. Listen and be encouraged. For more teaching on suffering, check out the last chapter of Sean's book "Your Identity in the Trinity." You can find it here on amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Your-Identity-Trinity-Discovering-Gospel-ebook/dp/B07RWTJK9K/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2IR9DD8Q8AIXX&keywords=sean+cole+trinity&qid=1607538866&sprefix=Sean+COle+Trin%2Caps%2C202&sr=8-1

Why do some people find the message of the gospel offensive and others accept it as truthful? Why do some people come to faith in Christ and others do not? The Reformed answer is that God has a sovereign decree whereby He predestined a fixed number of people before the creation of the world to be saved. In time, those people are effectually called and regenerated by the Holy Spirit who overcomes their deadness in sin and moral inability. Once they’ve been made willing by grace, these exercise faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord. So our answer is the golden chain from Romans 8:30: And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. How do our Provisionist non-Calvinist friends answer this same question: Why do some people find the cross offensive and others do not? Their answer: They freely chose to accept the wisdom of the world versus choosing to accept the wisdom of God. From Paul’s argument in 1 Corinthians 1 and 2,

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, Pastor Sean has been asked many times if we are living in the end times. Is Jesus coming back soon? In Part One of this series, he unpacks Paul's purpose in providing comfort for grieving Christians in 1 Thessalonians 4 and 5. What are the sequence of events for the Second Coming? Is it a secret pre-tribulation rapture? What is the Day of the Lord for unbelievers? How should we prepare for the Second Coming? Listen and enjoy. Check out Sean's book "Your Identity in the Trinity" at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Your-Identity-Trinity-Discovering-Gospel-ebook/dp/B07RWTJK9K/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1607034388&sr=8-2

In Luke 6:21, we find the counter intuitive words of Jesus about the blessing of weeping. In this sermon, Pastor Sean asks two questions: (1) What causes us to weep? (2) When will we laugh and be comforted? Check out Sean's book "Your identity in the Trinity" at Amazon as a Christmas gift idea: https://www.amazon.com/Your-Identity-Trinity-Discovering-Gospel-ebook/dp/B07RWTJK9K/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Sean+cole+trinity&qid=1606698930&sr=8-1

We ask three questions of this Beatitude. (1) What is this righteousness to which Jesus is referring? (2) What does it mean to hunger and thirst? (3) How does Jesus satisfy us? Listen and find out! www.seancole.net

What is goodness? How does it relate to generosity and integrity? What is faithfulness and how does it relate to perseverance of the saints? Pastor Sean unpacks these two aspects of the fruit of the Spirit. www.seancole.net

What is gentleness? How can we be gentle toward God? How can we display gentleness toward others? What is self-control? We explore two Old Testament examples: (1) Joseph who exercised self-control with Potiphar's wife, and (2) King David who did NOT exercise self-control with Bathsheba. Listen as we explore these last two aspects of the fruit of the Spirit. www.seancole.net

Dr. Sean Cole introduces Luke's record of Jesus' sermon on the plain which begins with the Beatitudes. In this sermon, we explore three questions concerning the first: (1) What does it mean to be blessed? (2) What does it mean to be poor? (3) What does it mean to possess the kingdom of God? Pastor Sean also provides some introductory issues regarding how to interpret or understand the Beatitudes. www.seancole.net

We see two truths in Jesus calling His Twelve apostles: (1) Jesus placed a priority on prayer. (2) Jesus shows us the power of the call. If Jesus depended on His heavenly Father in prayer, how much more should we. Jesus has called you in three powerful ways. Listen and find out. www.seancole.net

Jesus angers the Pharisees by "breaking" the Sabbath on two occasions. Are you in danger of becoming a legalistic Pharisee? Dr. Sean Cole gives two warnings about legalism and then gives a third warning about how we may be in danger of dishonoring the Sabbath. What is the Sabbath? Are Christians supposed to observe the Sabbath today? Listen and find out. www.seancole.net

Reformed theology understands the Bible to teach two types of callings: (1) an outward, external call that goes to all people, and (2) an internal, effectual call that goes solely to the elect which ensures that they will infallibly come to faith in Jesus? Is this distinction Biblical? Our Provisionist and non-Calvinist friends deny the need for two types of calls because they deny total inability. If you deny total inabillty, there really is no need for an internal effectual call because sinners have the libertarian free will to either reject or accept the gospel call. Listen as Dr. Cole unpacks this doctrine. www.seancole.net

Jesus refers to Himself as the Bride Groom and gives three parables to describe His mission and identity. Jesus has come to give you fullness of joy, newness of life, and eternal satisfaction in the New Covenant. www.seancole.net

Before we can practice kindness to others, we must understand the kindness of God. The OT word for "kindness" is "hesed"--that tenactious, covenant love the LORD shows His people. We see two examples of kindness in the OT: (1) Ruth and Boaz, and (2) David to Mephibosheth. We also see Jesus' kindness to the woman with the issue of blood. After studying the kindness of our Lord, Pastor Sean gives ways we can be kind to others in demonstrating the fruit of the Spirit