Relentless Truth with John Warren

John Warren

John extracts the truth from a wide range of topics revealing who God is, who we are and how we relate to each other.

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270 episodes
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Episodes270

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April 4 · 42 min
Inclusion and Fear of Rejection
Subscribe ▼ Show Notes You might not have heard much, if anything, about the church in Thyatira. It is referenced in a section in Revelation 2, but it isn’t commonly discussed in evangelicalism. Thyatira is like us. Their culture resembles our culture today. Jesus calls out this church for its immorality in Revelation 2. Peer Pressure Peer pressure, the desire for inclusion, and the fear of rejection are common to many of us. We want to have significance. We want to be included, and we are generally afraid of rejection. The trade guilds in Thyatira provide some valuable lessons for us. Membership in these guilds, which were engaged in immorality, was essential for economic prosperity in Thyatira. Christians were placed in the difficult position of capitulating or risking their employment. Power and economic prosperity were marks of these trade guilds. Thyatira was known for its cloth and design industries. If wealth could achieve true prosperity, Thyatira would have been most prosperous. Sadly, they tolerated and even promoted heinous sin in their culture. Thyatira Our culture, like Thyatira, is in dire need of repentance. Romans 11:33-36 explains that God is our sufficiency. It is knowing who God is and knowing God that prompts us to turn to Him. We can’t do this on our own with our best efforts apart from Jesus Christ. This passage prompts us to evaluate our careers and every aspect of our lives. Are we allowing peer pressure or fear of rejection to dictate our morality? Or are we relying on Jesus Christ our Lord and appropriately prioritizing our relationship with Him? I spent a few decades of my life answering these questions rather poorly. My prayer is that you are encouraged by this weighty section of Revelation. Thank you for listening to Relentless Truth. Please share this episode with your friends and family. Please share our work on social media. Your endorsements have been incredible in expanding our reach worldwide. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at john@johnwarrenmedia.com, and please visit our website for more information about our work at johnwarrenmedia.com. #theology #christian worldview “In Revelation 2, the church in Thyatira resembles our culture today. Peer pressure, the desire for inclusion, and the fear of rejection are common to many of us. These were issues this church struggled with also.” John Warren
March 28 · 48 min
We Can Experience Renewal
Subscribe ▼ Show Notes My hope is that the beauty of Revelation becomes clear as we make our way through this important book. The Revelation is about Jesus Christ. Yes, there are mysteries, and yes, this is apocalyptic literature, but reading this book carefully reveals that it points to Christ at every turn. Pergamum Pergamum was a prominent city in the Roman Empire. Their error includes worshipping power. Religion and politics were blended in Pergamum during this time. They lived with the temptation to compromise their Christian values for political gain. The parallels between Pergamum and our environment today are explored in this episode of Relentless Truth. Power tends to corrupt religion. Power against religion is persecution. We see examples of both throughout the world today. Mike Winger has recently exposed corruption in the church and has faced persecution for doing so. Living Lives of Repentance Viewing life from a countercultural way is the example we see in Scripture. Living life with integrity is also required. Christian faith isn’t just about taking the right positions on doctrine, although it is about that. In this episode, we discuss living lives of repentance. It is the sufficiency of Jesus Christ that prompts us to repent. We explain exactly what real repentance looks like in this weighty episode of Relentless Truth. Be encouraged! You can experience renewal in Christ! Thank you for listening to Relentless Truth. Please share this episode with your friends and family. Please share our work on social media. Your endorsements have been incredible in expanding our reach worldwide. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at john@johnwarrenmedia.com, and please visit our website for more information about our work at johnwarrenmedia.com. #theology #christian worldview “Today, we continue our study in Revelation, and look at the church in Pergamum. We explore the parallels between Pergamum and our environment today. “ John Warren
March 21 · 1 hr 4 min
Dr. Sarah Gothard Discusses AI
Subscribe ▼ Show Notes Sarah Gothard provides thoughtful, practical insights on AI from a Christian worldview. She begins with the history of AI, which actually began long before anyone called it AI. Sarah discusses God as the creator and the implications of having dominion over the earth. She explains the history of AI from its early beginnings through the past couple of decades. The History of AI Dr. Gothard explains “predictive text.” She walks through its limitations in an easy-to-understand discussion. She compares computer intelligence with human intelligence. Sarah Gothard is uniquely capable of providing relatable insights that are technically accurate and biblically profound. She says about AI, “it doesn’t really know things.” She goes on to explain that the models are trained to sound confident and friendly, and she finds that one of the more dangerous characteristics of current AI models. AI offers speed and dissemination, but it doesn’t really have any information that a human can’t find through publicly available sources. Safeguards When Using AI Dr. Gothard addresses parents about safeguards with AI. She says, “Any AI use that causes you to pull away from people is not biblical.” She explains that AI is too affirming for young people. She talks about the risk of limiting the development of reading comprehension by the overuse of AI. She explains the biblical truth that all labor is profitable, and she cautions that AI doing the work can undermine the true value of doing it Among the positive uses for personal AI, Sarah cites programming, language translation, and other uses. But the caveat she mentions is the need to understand and test the AI output. She cites clerical tasks and formatting as among the duties AI can perform efficiently and in a healthy way. She cautions Pastors and Bible teachers against using AI to provide sermons and lesson outlines. The power of the Word of God and the work of the Holy Spirit are among the reasons for this. She states that Pastors and teachers can use AI for efficiency but not for content. My hope is that this conversation with Sarah Gothard will stimulate more learning. I hope you will prayerfully work through AI’s value for yourself and your family. The information Sarah shared in this episode goes beyond the typical guardrails and provides well-considered perspectives from a distinctly Christian worldview. You have probably wondered how these AI systems respond in such human ways. Sarah explains this in a way that will change the listeners’ perspective. She discusses the financial viability of the current consumer AI industry. She describes it as less than financially sustainable. Thank you for listening to Relentless Truth. Please share this episode with your friends and family. Please share our work on social media. Your endorsements have been incredible in expanding our reach worldwide. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at john@johnwarrenmedia.com, and please visit our website for more information about our work at johnwarrenmedia.com. #theology #christian worldview “Dr. Sarah Gothard provides thoughtful, practical insights on AI from a Christian worldview.” John Warren
March 14 · 44 min
Is God Punishing Us When We Suffer
Subscribe ▼ Show Notes Our church for today’s episode is the church at Smyrna. This church and the instructive words of our Lord about it are not as commonly studied by most Christians. This church in Smyrna was suffering, and we can learn much from them. The Church at Smyrna There are various ways in which Christians are beginning to suffer more aggressively throughout the world. Our attitude toward suffering is important. I often ask the question, “Why…have I done something to deserve this?” Or “what did I do wrong?” We often make serious errors in judgment when reacting to suffering and difficulty. Job and the congregation at the church at Smyrna teach some valuable lessons. God is sovereign and his ways are not always understood by us. Our tendency to rely on ourselves often causes us to treat God like a cosmic vending machine. Similar to karma, we sometimes think that we put in inputs and the machine produces an outcome for us. Suffering This flawed way of thinking is the cause of despair and emotional disorders. Learning to see the world from God’s perspective is comforting, but we must know who God is and know God relationally if we are to process suffering in a constructive, healthy way. God’s nature includes His love. His attributes are fully included in one another. Therefore, God’s love is in each of his other attributes. Even His wrath is loving. His love can permeate and even characterize our lives. The God who loved in Scripture is our God! My prayer is that this episode will help us to see suffering and challenges more clearly in the context of God’s purposes for us. Thank you for listening to Relentless Truth. Please share this episode with your friends and family. Please share our work on social media. Your endorsements have been incredible in expanding our reach worldwide. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at john@johnwarrenmedia.com, and please visit our website for more information about our work at johnwarrenmedia.com. #theology #christian worldview “Today’s episode is the church at Smyrna. The church was suffering, and we can learn much from them.” John Warren
March 10 · 16 min
Relentless Truth Extra-2-The Gospel Explained in Clear Terms
Subscribe ▼ Show Notes Perhaps you have never quite understood the Gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ. Or perhaps you understand it but struggle to articulate it in conversation. Or perhaps you struggle when you’re faced with a question about the Gospel. This special episode is brief and is for you. The beauty of the Gospel and its sufficiency are clear in Scripture, but its depth necessitates some level of synthesis in conversation. My sincere hope is that you will share this episode with friends and family who don’t know our Lord, and that you will further use it to initiate your own study of the Gospel as explained in Scripture. You might be like me and struggle to initiate a Gospel conversation with a friend or family member who desperately needs to hear it. I have recorded this episode so you can simply send a text or email saying, “Listen to this and tell me what you think.” I hope you will share it broadly and contact me if I can be of help. Thank you for listening to Relentless Truth. Please share this episode with your friends and family. Please share our work on social media. Your endorsements have been incredible in expanding our reach worldwide. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at john@johnwarrenmedia.com, and please visit our website for more information about our work at johnwarrenmedia.com. #theology #christian worldview
March 7 · 50 min
Can We Be Right Without Being Loving
Subscribe ▼ Show Notes We continue to discuss the incredible truths of the Revelation in today’s episode. This beautiful, last book of the Bible is about Jesus Christ, our Lord. The lessons to the seven churches in Revelation are addressed to specific churches in first-century Asia Minor. God uses His Word to address problems and challenges today by drawing on similar circumstances from the first century. The Church in Ephesus The church in Ephesus is addressed in Revelation 2. This church abandoned the love they had at first. Jesus is calling them to be strong in the face of trials, and he’s telling them not to forget the love that they had at first. The love referenced here provides an application with close parallels to Paul’s instructions to the church at Ephesus in his letter to them. Paul tells this church that he has heard of their love; of their being loving. Isn’t this what we want our lives, our families, our churches, to be characterized this way? Shouldn’t our goal be to be known, to be famous, for being loving above everything else? Love The supremacy of Jesus Christ is a theme of Ephesians. Paul describes who we are in Christ and who we were prior to knowing Him. God’s rich mercy and His love for us made us alive together with Christ. This humble love that began in Ephesus is rooted in Jesus, and Jesus urges this church to refocus on it in Revelation 2. Our obedience as Christians is always prompted by knowledge. May these truths bless you as we continue to study Revelation together. Thank you for listening to Relentless Truth. Please share this episode with your friends and family. Please share our work on social media. Your endorsements have been incredible in expanding our reach worldwide. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at john@johnwarrenmedia.com, and please visit our website for more information about our work at johnwarrenmedia.com. #theology #christian worldview “God’s rich mercy and His love for us made us alive together with Christ. This love is rooted in Jesus, and Jesus urges the Ephesian church to refocus on it in Revelation 2.” John Warren
February 28 · 49 min
John Met Jesus
Subscribe ▼ Show Notes We continue in the Revelation in today’s episode. Much has been written about the date of the writing of this last book of the Bible. While the theories are interesting, we have no clear evidence that this book should be interpreted differently from the rest of Scripture. The Revelation should be interpreted literally where possible. There are certainly symbols and mysteries that we can’t fully interpret. These mysteries are due to God’s transcendence and our human limitations, both from a standpoint of disclosure and of ability to understand. Revelation is About Jesus Why do we choose the captivity of sin? Even Paul calls himself a wretched man in Romans. The human condition causes us to focus on the finished work of Jesus Christ. This is a turning point in the development and the maturity of every true believer. John uses powerful language to describe both God the Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. This book of the Bible is about Jesus. John describes his reaction to meeting Jesus. He says that he fell at the feet of Jesus as if he were dead. Can you imagine a sense of wonder so great that you can’t stand? And then, Jesus comforts John by touching him and assuring him that he doesn’t need to fear. And then Jesus goes further by explaining or interpreting some of the things John has seen. I am struck by the clarity this passage provides on who Jesus is. He is far more powerful, amazing, merciful, gracious, and loving than we comprehend. Psalm 136 Psalm 136 explains that God’s steadfast love endures forever. The Psalmist walks through the history of the world, and he affirms at each step that “His steadfast love endures forever.” The lovingkindness of God is everlasting, and it is demonstrated to us in the person of Jesus Christ. Thank you for listening to Relentless Truth. Please share this episode with your friends and family. Please share our work on social media. Your endorsements have been incredible in expanding our reach worldwide. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at john@johnwarrenmedia.com, and please visit our website for more information about our work at johnwarrenmedia.com. #theology #christian worldview “Jesus is far more powerful, amazing, merciful, gracious, and loving than we can comprehend.” John Warren
February 21 · 45 min
Do Your Wailing Now
Subscribe ▼ Show Notes Revelation contains a pronouncement that we are blessed if we read this book. Imagine that! We are blessed if we read The Revelation. In the introduction, John makes it clear that he is writing to the seven churches. I believe there are seven literal churches in Asia Minor. The Seven Churches We can look at this disclosure of the future as revealing the nature of God. The past, present, and future of the earth, of the universe, point us to the nature of God. That nature is consistent, unchanging, and magnificent. There is mystery in Revelation. Interestingly, our desire to know the future can be unhealthy if taken to extremes. I can’t imagine knowing the future and being able to function today. Think of the challenges you have faced and what your life might have been like if you had known about them in advance. I believe the reason there are prophetic mysteries in the Bible is that we aren’t equipped to handle specific knowledge of the future, given our human limitations. Jesus Christ is the Subject Jesus Christ is the subject of the book of The Revelation. Christ is central to every paragraph in this book. His love for us is evident here. All tribes of earth wailing gives me pause. This is a significant warning in Scripture. He discusses His love for us and the wailing in this section. Those thoughts aren’t contradictory. Our just God is a loving God, but those who reject Him will wail. Thank you for listening to Relentless Truth. Please share this episode with your friends and family. Please share our work on social media. Your endorsements have been incredible in expanding our reach worldwide. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at john@johnwarrenmedia.com, and please visit our website for more information about our work at johnwarrenmedia.com. #theology #christian worldview “Revelation contains a pronouncement that we are blessed if we read this book.” John Warren
February 16 · 12 min
Relentless Truth Extra-Living A Life That Matters
Subscribe ▼ Show Notes Welcome to our first shorter, midweek episode of Relentless Truth. You will notice that the introduction has been updated to make our content more efficient. Please share this Relentless Truth Extra podcast episode with friends. Everyone wants to live a life that matters, and yet, we struggle for significance and meaning. We look to career goals, financial achievement, and gaining more time for ourselves as barometers, but we often still find ourselves in this struggle for contentment. This episode has some insights into what might be holding us back. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at john@johnwarrenmedia.com, and please visit our website for more information about our work at johnwarrenmedia.com. #theology #christian worldview
February 14 · 47 min
What is Revealed in the Revelation
Subscribe ▼ Show Notes I have admittedly avoided diligent study of the book of The Revelation. It is the divergent opinions among theologians I respect about its contents that have developed my hesitation. I have studied the theories extensively now, and I would recommend a literal interpretation of this book, as we would do with the rest of Scripture. There are symbols that are unclear in The Revelation, and there are certainly mysteries. However, I believe John, as inspired by the Holy Spirit, gives us valuable, literal truth in this last book of the New Testament. Some History The youngest of the Apostles, John, is exiled to Patmos – an island that might have been otherwise uninhabited. We don’t know much about the end of his life, but we think he might have returned to Ephesus. John apparently died around AD 100 in Ephesus, we believe. This is the same John who wrote the Gospel According to John and the three epistles in his name. John’s writing gives us a clear view that God and Jesus are of the same substance. We see that Jesus is eternal and that He is creator, redeemer, and fully God. Prophecy Regarding the Future We struggle to grasp prophecy about the future. John explains, in relatively direct terms, a series of events that will unfold. It is the timing of this unfolding that has become the subject of much speculation and debate. I’m reminded of Paul’s instructions to look forward rather than back, to look at what lies ahead. So, this study will be most valuable in our efforts to live the Christian life well. We can see God’s faithfulness from the beginning of the world in Genesis through the end of Revelation. The God who created the world out of nothing is the God who will fulfill all the prophecies in Scripture. This God is our God. He is unchanging and able to do what He says He will do. The book of Revelation applies prophetic truth to our lives today. This is a beautiful, helpful book of the Bible that informs the way we live today! Thank you for listening to Relentless Truth. Please share this episode with your friends and family. Please share our work on social media. Your endorsements have been incredible in expanding our reach worldwide. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at john@johnwarrenmedia.com, and please visit our website for more information about our work at johnwarrenmedia.com. #theology #christian worldview “I believe John, as inspired by the Holy Spirit, gives us valuable, literal truth in this last book of the New Testament.” John Warren
February 7 · 52 min
Economic Warning Signs
Subscribe ▼ Show Notes We wrapped up our survey of Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians last week, and next week we begin our detailed study of the Revelation. This week, I discuss our economy and the current warning signs that should concern us. Thankfully, we trust God and can rest in and rely on Him. It is important that we remain vigilant and prepared, and this discussion is intended to provide a helpful perspective to that end. U.S. National Debt and GDP I discuss the national debt, GDP, and the historical and current relationship between them. Today’s discussion also includes Social Security and its forecast inability to meet its obligations in about eight years. U.S. Economic Posture with Other Countries Our economic posture with other countries is the final economic topic I address in this episode. The parallels to the 1920s are concerning, but we know that God is faithful and His steadfast love endures forever. Our Christian worldview gives us confidence in Scripture and its rich, comforting promises. Thank you for listening to Relentless Truth. Please share this episode with your friends and family. Please share our work on social media. Your endorsements have been incredible in expanding our reach worldwide. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at john@johnwarrenmedia.com, and please visit our website for more information about our work at johnwarrenmedia.com. #theology #christian worldview “I discuss our economy and the current warning signs that should concern us. Thankfully, we trust God and can rest in and rely on Him.” John Warren
January 31 · 50 min
Engage and Stand
Subscribe ▼ Show Notes It is too easy to hide or otherwise hunker down and let others carry on in standing for the truth. The Apostle Paul addresses challenges in his letter to the Ephesians. And in doing this, he gives us some tools to use in our lives today. Engage Paul tells us to work as to the Lord. That means we perform to God’s standard regardless of the work that we do. Work is a calling by God, and He expects us to do it well, as unto Him. Our motivation is to work as unto the Lord because He first loved us. Paul says that God doesn’t have partiality. That means that we aren’t better than those whom society judges as inferior to us. What a different world we would live in if we treated every human as equal. This would be life changing. Stand Paul addresses several points of application in Ephesians 6. He tells us that Satan schemes against us, and our only defense is the armor of God. We tend to put on our own armor rather than God’s. We discuss what it means to put on God’s armor in this very practical, powerful episode. Thank you for listening to Relentless Truth. Please share this episode with your friends and family. Please share our work on social media. Your endorsements have been incredible in expanding our reach worldwide. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at john@johnwarrenmedia.com, and please visit our website for more information about our work at johnwarrenmedia.com. #theology #christian worldview “It is too easy to hide and let others carry on in standing for the truth. Paul addresses this challenge in Ephesians and gives us some tools to use in our lives today.” John Warren
January 24 · 57 min
She Doesn’t Have Fingerprints
Subscribe ▼ Show Notes Our unity in Christ is often undervalued. We rarely think about the full implications of our unity in Christ. This is a truth that Paul is communicating in Ephesians. Good Lives Humility, gentleness, patience, love, and unity are themes in Ephesians 4. We discuss these themes and their implications in this episode. Paul says we should live good lives the right way. God’s grace to us compels us. Hardness of heart is the enemy of unity and quality of life. Paul urges the reader to stop lying, stealing, and other forms of sin, and to be kind. He tells us to be kind and tender-hearted rather than stirring up sin in ourselves and others. Imitators of God Paul goes on to instruct us to imitate God in Ephesians 5. His practical advice here includes walking in love as Christ loved us. Paul describes the elements of worship in this important chapter in Ephesians. We tend to approach these verses with selfish attitudes. Paul explains that these relationships involve giving and grace. Submitting to one another is an imperative for caring for or deferring to each other. Paul gives clear instructions to husbands and wives in this section of Ephesians. He is explaining what submitting to one another in unity in Christ looks like in a family. These instructions aren’t harsh. Paul explains the beauty of God’s design here. I don’t typically share personal stories on the podcast, but I hope my reference to my wife as a Godly example in this episode is helpful as we think about God’s design for the family. The sacrifices she made for our family overwhelm me as I think about the instructions in Ephesians for the family. Paul explains Christ’s relationship with the church as our guide for family relationships. What beautiful truth! Thank you for listening to Relentless Truth. Please share this episode with your friends and family. Please share our work on social media. Your endorsements have been incredible in expanding our reach worldwide. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at john@johnwarrenmedia.com, and please visit our website for more information about our work at johnwarrenmedia.com. #theology #christian worldview “God’s grace to us compels us to live good lives the right way.” John Warren
January 17 · 47 min
Unity, Truth, and Forgiveness
Subscribe ▼ Show Notes Paul often wrote about the complex tension between Jews and Gentiles. This gives us the opportunity to learn relationship and conflict-resolution skills, as we have discussed. We can sometimes read about these conflicts in antiquity in the abstract, but they have application for us. God’s Character Paul gives the Ephesians instructions on how to live. He specifically refers to living according to the standard God has communicated. Paul explains that we do this only as we focus on who God is. God’s character, including His grace, equips us for the lives we are to live. When we struggle to apply biblical truth to our lives, Paul’s instructions to the Ephesians provide the link for us. Simply put, speaking the truth in love and living a life of forgiveness are keys, according to Ephesians 4. Living Life Well If, like me, you have felt that your life is going nowhere, Ephesians 4 offers important guidance. These truths Paul shares are counterintuitive to our culture. They were counterintuitive in Paul’s day. But God is unchanging, and Paul gives us the critical keys for living life well. As simple as it sounds, the careful study of God’s Word is the starting point for living the sort of life Paul describes here and in Romans 12:2. In this important episode, I share the implications of lying, anger, unforgiveness, and selfish living. The truth in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians provides granular guidance that will transform our lives and equip us for success in accordance with God’s imperatives. Thank you for listening to Relentless Truth. Please share this episode with your friends and family. Please share our work on social media. Your endorsements have been incredible in expanding our reach worldwide. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at john@johnwarrenmedia.com, and please visit our website for more information about our work at johnwarrenmedia.com. #theology #christian worldview “When we struggle to apply biblical truth to our lives, Paul’s instructions to the Ephesians provide the link for us.” John Warren
January 10 · 45 min
Relationship Relief in Christ
Subscribe ▼ Show Notes We struggle to place ourselves in the position of the readers of Paul’s letters. We need to do this as we study the book of Ephesians. This letter was written for specific reasons, and our understanding of it is enhanced by understanding the environment in which it was written. Conflict Today, we look at our relationship with conflict. How should we address conflict? What is our source of real unity? I grew up, probably like some of you, learning to avoid conflict at all costs. I meandered into adulthood with weak conflict-resolution skills. Paul says that Jesus Christ is our peace. This truth is powerful and life-changing. Our peace is in Christ. He is our source of comfort, peace, and calm. Unity in Christ We are members of the household of God. Our unity is in Christ. Conflict is resolved in Him. Our eternal inclusion as members of the household of God is the basis for our unity, and it informs our conflict resolution. We are being built together, and God is dwelling in us. We can encourage each other with these truths. It is our focus in Christ that equips us for healthy relationships. Being “fellow heirs” is encouraging and reduces relationship anxiety. My prayer is that we focus together on the one whose name is above every name as we glorify Him together. Thank you for listening to Relentless Truth. Please share this episode with your friends and family. Please share our work on social media. Your endorsements have been incredible in expanding our reach worldwide. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at john@johnwarrenmedia.com, and please visit our website for more information about our work at johnwarrenmedia.com. #theology #christian worldview “Today, we look at our relationship with conflict and our real source of unity.” John Warren
January 3 · 1 hr
A Conversation with Brandon Showalter
Subscribe ▼ Show Notes Brandon Showalter is a journalist and podcaster with The Christian Post. He has reported extensively on topics of theological interest in the Church. Brandon graciously spent some time with me discussing gender identity and transgender ideology in the context of the Gospel. Core Challenges Brandon is well known for his work on the essential issues of our day. His love for our Lord, knowledge of Scripture, and ability to apply Biblical truth to the problems our culture faces are clearly communicated in this powerful episode. My conversation with Brandon is crucial because it addresses the core challenges our culture faces. Brandon wisely and logically addresses root causes with a loving, measured style grounded in Scripture. Encouragement Brandon stands firmly for truth, doing so humbly and lovingly. His work can be found at https://www.christianpost.com/ . In a world full of division and harshness, it is rare to find a truth-teller who is both articulate and full of grace and love. Victims, families, friends, and those who desire to engage from a Christian worldview perspective on these timely issues will be encouraged by this robust conversation. Thank you for listening to Relentless Truth. Please share this episode with your friends and family. Please share our work on social media. Your endorsements have been incredible in expanding our reach worldwide. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at john@johnwarrenmedia.com, and please visit our website for more information about our work at johnwarrenmedia.com. #theology #christian worldview “Brandon Showalter is a journalist and podcaster with The Christian Post. Today, we will be discussing gender identity and transgender ideology in the context of the gospel.” John Warren
Dec 27, 2025 · 46 min
Unity in Relationships
Subscribe ▼ Show Notes We naturally desire unity in our lives. But why do we struggle with relationships? Why is does unity seem to be so challenging for us? There are imperatives about unity in Scripture, but how are we to achieve it? Are we to avoid conflict at all costs? Does Scripture help us in our desire to have healthy relationships? Conflicts and Disunity Unity in relationships is a weighty, important matter. Paul addresses conflicts and disunity in Ephesians 2:11-22. In Christ, we are reconciled to God and to each other! Our focus often drifts away from Christ. We act like Bible scholars while worshipping and studying Scripture, but we live like secularists in our relationships. Jesus Christ has reconciled both Jews and Gentiles to God. He has “killed” the hostility that existed – not that the world today reveals this in practice. Paul repeatedly explains that in Christ and Christ alone we have unity. This lesson is powerful in salvation; in the Gospel itself; in our reconciliation to God. And it also equips us powerfully for our personal relationships. We are built up as a dwelling place for God! Healthy Relationships We settle for the lesser world of comparison to others for our superficial satisfaction. We even insert ourselves in our justification. This battle we have with self infects our ability to have healthy relationships. Paul gives us helpful instructions on how to alter our focus and correct these challenges. In short, the key to this unity is our unity in Christ. God’s actuality and potentiality are helpful doctrines that can guide our framework for relationships. I explain this in today’s important episode. Thank you for listening to Relentless Truth. Please share this episode with your friends and family. Please share our work on social media. Your endorsements have been incredible in expanding our reach worldwide. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at john@johnwarrenmedia.com, and please visit our website for more information about our work at johnwarrenmedia.com. #theology #christian worldview “Unity in relationships is a weighty, important matter. In Christ we are reconciled to God and to each other! We act like Bible scholars while worshipping and studying Scripture, but we live like secularists in our relationships.” John Warren
Dec 20, 2025 · 49 min
We Were Born Dead
Subscribe ▼ Show Notes In today’s episode, I discuss essential Biblical truth and some of the labels we tend to attach to theological systems. When are these truths or even labels worth dividing over, and when are we too divisive in our approach? Ephesians 2 A key question for our consideration today is specifically the “why” behind eternal damnation. Why are people eternally damned? We look at Ephesians 2 today and at our being dead in our sin. Just how dead are we? Everyone who has been born on this earth is born in sin. We are all born sinners, and we all sin. God loves us while we are dead. And yet, the reason a person is consigned to eternal damnation is unbelief. Romans 2:5-8, John 12:48, and John 3:18 point us to this truth. Salvation Does God offer salvation to everyone? Who does God quicken? Is grace irresistible to both the willing and the unwilling? Is forced love or coerced love possible? Does whoever mean whoever in Scripture, or does it mean something else? Does accepting a free gift work toward salvation? In this important episode, I discuss some of the challenging passages in Scripture that are used to defend various theological positions. While these truths are complex, there is beauty in all of Scripture that we shouldn’t miss. The beautiful nature of God is found in these truths, and I discuss them in this episode of Relentless Truth. Thank you for listening to Relentless Truth. Please share this episode with your friends and family. Please share our work on social media. Your endorsements have been incredible in expanding our reach worldwide. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at john@johnwarrenmedia.com, and please visit our website for more information about our work at johnwarrenmedia.com. #theology #christian worldview “Today, I discuss essential Biblical truth and some of the labels we tend to attach to theological systems.” John Warren
Dec 13, 2025 · 38 min
I Am Not Charlie Kirk
Subscribe ▼ Show Notes Many well-intended people on social media are proclaiming “I am Charlie Kirk” after his death last year. He impacted young people in particular in significant numbers. Young people know whether a person is relatable, and Charlie Kirk was. Across all media, the two views are that Charlie Kirk is either perfect or despicable. There are personalities, even athletes, coaches, and leaders of all kinds, who are not replaceable. I grew up hearing, “everyone is replaceable,” but I have learned over the years that that is not true. God uniquely designed and gives gifts to all of us. We sometimes find that we share much in common, but we should also acknowledge that some people are spectacularly gifted. Apologetics When we think about the lessons we can learn from the life of Charlie Kirk, I believe we should think about our apologetic – our defense of the faith. Our equipping and our understanding of truth are the purpose of this podcast and of all my teaching ministry. The Apostle Paul’s writing is among the specific inspirations for my work. Paul honored and glorified God while writing to correct problems in the first-century church. I believe this principle also motivated Charlie Kirk’s work and life. Engage Another lesson we can learn from Charlie Kirk’s life is to engage. His dream was to help people. I have observed that this motivation is a key to success for people across all disciplines. A love for people and a plan to engage are requisite for success in life. There are certainly some cautions that we can recognize based on the work of Charlie Kirk and TP-USA. I talk about those issues near the end of this powerful episode. We can thank God for Charlie Kirk’s work while also acknowledging some of the challenges it presents. We can support TP-USA and Charlie Kirk’s efforts. Charlie’s work demonstrated grace, love, boldness, and discernment. Those are the biblically informed truths I want to consider as I reflect on the remarkable life of Charlie Kirk. Thank you for listening to Relentless Truth. Please share this episode with your friends and family. Please share our work on social media. Your endorsements have been incredible in expanding our reach worldwide. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at john@johnwarrenmedia.com, and please visit our website for more information about our work at johnwarrenmedia.com. #theology #christian worldview “When we think about the lessons we can learn from the life of Charlie Kirk I believe we should think about our apologetic-our defense of the faith.” John Warren
Dec 6, 2025 · 42 min
Jesus is Our Sufficiency
Subscribe ▼ Show Notes With all of the uncertainty we face in this world, we can rest in the truth of Scripture. Preeminent among those truths is the fact that Jesus Christ our Lord is entirely our sufficiency. In this episode, we discuss what this amazing truth means to us. God’s Sovereignty God is entirely sovereign. God is sovereign over salvation. No one is consigned to eternal damnation for any reason other than rejection of Jesus Christ. Salvation is offered to everyone, without limitation. Salvation is by faith alone in Christ alone. God gave man volition. God can’t do anything – He can’t do things that are inconsistent with His character. God is sovereign, man has free will, and man is entirely accountable before God for his sin. God can’t change. God doesn’t need to, nor will he ever, adjust along the way because of being surprised. He is immutable – unchanging. His character is consistent. Forced freedom is a contradiction in terms. God can and will only save the willing. God is the first cause. God knows all future free actions. God is eternal, and He knows eternally. God’s knowledge is not limited whatsoever by time. God sees future events in His eternal present. God’s perfect knowledge includes the knowledge of all future free events. Our Will We are finite. We are bound by time. We are entirely subject to God. We don’t get to, nor should we try to, evaluate God. But He gave us a will. He grants volition to us. And we are accountable to Him. Jesus Christ is our sufficiency. Period. The Holy Spirit is the guarantee of our eternal inheritance. He is our guarantor. We can rest in the entire godhead. God can be trusted. He can be relied on. We have an eternal inheritance that is immeasurable because of God and His work through Christ. He is above all else, and we can rest in Him. Thank you for listening to Relentless Truth. Please share this episode with your friends and family. Please share our work on social media. Your endorsements have been incredible in expanding our reach worldwide. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at john@johnwarrenmedia.com, and please visit our website for more information about our work at johnwarrenmedia.com. #theology #christian worldview “With all the uncertainty we face in this world, we can rest in the truth of Scripture. Preeminent among those truths is the fact Jesus Christ our Lord is entirely our sufficiency.” John Warren