EFCA Theology Podcast

“We believe that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, fully God and fully man, one Person in two natures. Jesus—Israel's promised Messiah—was conceived through the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father as our High Priest and Advocate.” Article 4, EFCA Statement of FaithThere is a vital, unbreakable connection between the Old Testament and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our movement affirms this connection when we confess that Jesus is “Israel’s Promised Messiah.” However, most of us would admit that our 21st century ears do not fully grasp the significance of these three powerful words. On this episode of the podcast, we discuss the belief that Jesus is “Israel’s Promised Messiah” with Dr. David Talley.Dave serves as Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies and chair of the Old Testament Department at Biola University. For many years he also served as a teaching pastor at Grace EFC in La Mirada, CA.

Christian Leaders often ask, “What is the mission of the Church?” On this episode of the podcast we share a message from our 2013 EFCA One Conference by Kevin DeYoung titled, “The Ministry of Jesus and the Mission of God.”Kevin is the pastor of University Reformed Church in East Lansing, MI.

For more than four decades Dr. John Woodbridge has been helping EFCA pastors and church leaders understand and apply the lessons of church history. On today’s episode, we share his conference message from the 2015 EFCA Theology Conference, entitled, “The History of Biblical Authority: Nine Pointers.”Dr. Woodbridge serves as Research Professor of Church History and the History of Christian Thought at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, IL.You can find more from the 2015 EFCA Theology Conference here.

"We believe that the Holy Spirit, in all that He does, glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ. He convicts the world of its guilt. He regenerates sinners, and in Him they are baptized into union with Christ and adopted as heirs in the family of God." -from Article 6, EFCA Statement of FaithThe Bible teaches that anyone who has put their faith in Jesus Christ is now in “union with Christ.” What does this really mean? Where and how does the Bible teach this vital truth? What difference does it make in life and ministry? On this episode of the podcast we share a discussion with Dr. Erik Thoennes on the important, beautiful, biblical doctrine of “union with Christ.”Erik teaches the Bible at Talbot School of Theology and also serves as one of the pastors of Grace Evangelical Free Church in La Mirada, CA.

Historically, the EFCA has made an intentional decision not to divide over secondary issues. We often refer to this deeply held value as “the significance of silence.” In 2015, the EFCA Theology Conference wrestled with “the significance of silence” as it relates to our inclusion of Calvinist, Arminian and Lutheran understandings of the doctrine of salvation. On this episode of the podcast, we share Dr. Tom McCall’s conference message on the Arminian/Wesleyan understanding of salvation.You can read more about "the significance of silence" on Greg Strand’s blog.You can find more (including DA Carson’s message on Calvinism and David Luy’s message on Lutheranism) from the 2015 EFCA Theology Conference here.

In 2013, EFCA Pastor Matt Mitchell wrote a helpful book called Resisting Gossip: Winning the War of the Wagging Tongue. On this episode of the podcast, we share Mark Mellinger’s Gospel Coalition interview with Matt on the book.Matt Mitchell is the Pastor of Lanse Evangelical Free Church in Lanse, Pennsylvania.We want to thank Mark and Matt for graciously giving us permission to share this interview.

Recently Greg Strand, director of Biblical Theology and Credentialing, was invited to give the Founders' Day lecture at Trinity Evangelical Divintiy School. On this episode of the podcast we share his address on the history and heritage of the Evangelical Free Church of America and Trinity International University.You can find more information on the EFCA here and on Trinity International University here.

In 2015, the EFCA Theology Conference focused on the doctrine of the Scriptures. On this episode of the podcast, we share a message from the conference by D.A. Carson entitled, "An Introduction to the Present-Day Discussion." Dr. Carson serves as Research Professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, IL.You can find more resources from our 2015 EFCA Theology Conference here.

Most would agree that we find ourselves in the midst of a cultural sea-change in the area of human sexuality. In light of this, our 2013 EFCA Theology Conference focused on this topic. On this episode of the podcast, we share a conference message by Dr. Wesley Hill in which he shares his personal testimony as well as his theological and ecclesial reflections on this important topic. The episode includes an introduction and Q&A with EFCA’s Greg Strand.Dr. Hill serves as Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies at Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge, PA.You can find more from our 2013 EFCA Theology Conference on Human Sexuality here.

The 2016 EFCA Theology Conference challenged us to think deeply about the doctrine of the church. On this episode we share a conference message by Dr. Bill Kynes titled "Shepherding God's Church: The Privilege of Being a Pastor." Dr. Kynes serves as the Senior Pastor of Cornerstone Evangelical Free Church in Annandale, Virginia.You can find more resources from our 2014 EFCA Theology Conference here.