In this episode of Equipping You in Grace, Dave Jenkins explores the biblical foundation of identity and explains why Christians must find their identity in Christ rather than in their desires, experiences, or cultural labels. Drawing from 1 Corinthians 6:9–11, Romans 6, Romans 8, and 2 Corinthians 5:17, Dave discusses the relationship between identity, repentance, sanctification, and the transforming power of the gospel. This episode emphasizes that Christians are not defined by their past sins, ongoing struggles, or strongest desires, but by their union with Christ. It also highlights the importance of speaking biblical truth with compassion while pointing people to the hope and freedom found in Jesus Christ. Key Topics: • Identity in Christ • Repentance and sanctification • Union with Christ • The hope of the gospel • Christian discipleship • Biblical sexuality and identity • Truth and compassion in Christian witness Key Scripture: 1 Corinthians 6:9–11 The gospel does more than forgive sinners. Through Christ, believers are washed, sanctified, justified, and given a new identity rooted in Him. As God continues His work of sanctification, Christians learn to anchor their lives in Christ and walk in the hope of the gospel. For more from Equipping You in Grace, visit: https://servantsofgrace.org/equipping-you-in-grace-2/

One of the most common messages in our culture today is this: look within to discover who you are. Scripture teaches something very different. In this episode of Equipping You in Grace, Dave Jenkins explains why our identity is not ultimately rooted in our desires, feelings, or experiences, but in Jesus Christ alone. Through the gospel, believers receive a new identity as children of God, citizens of His kingdom, and members of Christ's body. In this episode, Dave discusses: • The cultural confusion surrounding identity • The relationship between creation and redemption • Why desires cannot define identity • Union with Christ and the new creation • Temptation, repentance, and holiness • The hope and security found in the gospel • Speaking truth with compassion and clarity Whether you are wrestling with questions about identity, helping others think biblically about sexuality, or seeking to understand what it means to be united to Christ, this episode will help you anchor your identity in the finished work of Jesus Christ. For more from Equipping You in Grace, visit: https://servantsofgrace.org/equipping-you-in-grace-2/

How should Christians speak with LGBTQ friends in a way that reflects both biblical truth and genuine compassion? In this episode, "Speaking Truth and Love to LGBTQ Friends," Dave Jenkins explains why Christians must hold truth and love together when discussing sexuality, identity, repentance, and the gospel. Dave addresses questions about same-sex attraction, "gay Christianity," continuing in sin, and how believers can faithfully engage difficult conversations while pointing people to Christ. He also explains why the gospel—not moral improvement—is the true hope for every sinner. This episode will help Christians think biblically about sexuality while learning how to engage others with compassion, humility, conviction, and gospel hope. For more episodes of Equipping You in Grace, visit: https://servantsofgrace.org/equipping-you-in-grace-2/

In this episode of Equipping You in Grace, Dave Jenkins explains why conversations about sexuality must begin with creation itself. Drawing from Genesis 1–2, Matthew 19, Romans 1, and 2 Corinthians 5, Dave explores humanity as God's image-bearers, male and female as part of God's design, marriage as covenant, and how the gospel restores what sin has distorted. Through this biblical foundation, listeners will discover why God's design for sexuality, identity, marriage, and human flourishing remains good, wise, and relevant today. For more from Equipping You in Grace, visit: https://servantsofgrace.org/equipping-you-in-grace-2/

In this episode of Equipping You in Grace, Dave Jenkins concludes a month-long worldview series examining secularism, scientism, progressive Christianity, deconstruction, mysticism, New Age spirituality, and critical race theory. While these movements appear very different on the surface, they all press the same foundational question: Who has the authority to define reality? Dave explains why every worldview must answer four unavoidable categories: • Authority • Identity • Sin • Salvation This episode shows why biblical Christianity alone holds these categories together coherently because it begins with the revelation of God in His Word rather than human autonomy, cultural pressure, social consensus, or power structures. In this episode, Dave discusses: • Why authority belongs to God and not the self • Why identity is received from the Creator rather than constructed by culture • Why sin is rebellion against a holy God • Why salvation comes only through the substitutionary work of Christ • Why rival worldviews fracture when these categories shift • Why Christian exclusivity is rooted in truth rather than arrogance Christianity is not simply one worldview option among many. It is reality rightly understood under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. For more from Equipping You in Grace, please visit: https://servantsofgrace.org/equipping-you-in-grace-2/

In this episode of Equipping You in Grace, Dave Jenkins examines critical race theory not as a political issue, but as a theological framework that must be evaluated under the authority of God's Word. Every worldview answers four foundational questions: • What is wrong with the world? • Who is guilty? • What does justice require? • How is redemption achieved? This episode contrasts biblical teaching with modern frameworks, explaining: • Why sin is personal rebellion against God, not merely structural imbalance • Why guilt before God is individual, even while Scripture acknowledges corporate consequences • Why justice flows from God's character, not from power redistribution • Why redemption comes through atonement, not activism Drawing on the insights of J. Gresham Machen and the historic critique of the social gospel, this episode warns that when sin, guilt, justice, and redemption are redefined, the gospel itself is at stake. Christians must care deeply about justice because Scripture commands it. But justice must be defined by God, not by cultural pressure or ideological systems. For more from Equipping You in Grace, visit: https://servantsofgrace.org/equipping-you-in-grace-2/

What is contemplative spirituality, and why has it become so influential in many churches today? In this episode of Equipping You in Grace, Dave Jenkins and Marcia Montenegro examine contemplative spirituality through the lens of Scripture and explain why mystical experience must never replace the authority and sufficiency of God's Word. Together they discuss: • contemplative prayer and silence practices • biblical meditation vs Eastern meditation • spiritual formation movements • mystical spirituality • the misuse of Scripture • the sufficiency and clarity of Scripture • discernment and spiritual deception This conversation calls Christians to test every teaching by God's Word and to remain anchored in the truth of Scripture rather than subjective spiritual experience. 🔗 Resources Mentioned: The Means of Grace — Theology for Life https://servantsofgrace.org/theology-for-lifepage/oct-2025-means-of-grace/ Contemplative Spirituality and Biblical Discernment https://servantsofgrace.org/contemplative-spirituality-biblical-discernment/ Christian Answers for the New Age https://www.christiananswersnewage.com/?s=contemplative+spirituality For more from Equipping You in Grace, visit: https://servantsofgrace.org/equipping-you-in-grace-2/

The New Age movement continues to grow rapidly in modern culture through practices such as manifestation, Reiki, astrology, crystals, energy healing, and self-centered spirituality. In this episode of Equipping You in Grace, Dave Jenkins is joined by former New Age teacher Doreen Virtue to examine how New Age spirituality redefines authority, identity, sin, and salvation while opposing the gospel of Jesus Christ. This discussion explains: • Why New Age spirituality appeals to so many people • The danger of "trust yourself" spirituality • How biblical illiteracy fuels deception • Why Scripture must remain the Christian's final authority • How believers can minister compassionately to those caught in deception Christians are reminded that spiritual language alone does not make something true. Every worldview and every spiritual claim must be tested through the authority of God's Word. Pick up Doreen's book, Counterfeit to Christ: https://amzn.to/42C3Cy6 For more from Equipping You in Grace: https://servantsofgrace.org/equipping-you-in-grace-2/ Pick up Dave Jenkins' new book, The War of the Worldviews: https://servantsofgrace.org/product/war-of-worldviews-book/

n this episode of Equipping You in Grace, Dave Jenkins addresses one of the most pressing and emotionally charged issues in the church today: deconstruction. What happens when authority doesn't just relocate—but destabilizes altogether? Not all questioning is wrong. Scripture itself commends careful examination (Acts 17:11), and the Reformers modeled the importance of testing traditions against the Word of God. But there is a critical difference between healthy refinement under Scripture and a form of deconstruction that replaces God's Word with the self as the final authority. In this episode, Dave explains: • Why deconstruction always assumes a standard of authority • The difference between biblical reformation and destabilizing relativism • How pain, church hurt, and cultural pressure can shape belief • Why the gospel cannot remain intact if the authority of Scripture is abandoned • A better path: anchored reform without collapse This episode calls Christians to examine their beliefs honestly while remaining firmly grounded in the authority, sufficiency, and clarity of Scripture. Key takeaway: Faith does not fear examination—but it cannot survive the collapse of its foundation. For more from Equipping You in Grace, visit: https://servantsofgrace.org/equipping-you-in-grace-2/

What happens when the authority of Scripture is replaced by experience, cultural narratives, or personal identity? In this episode of Equipping You in Grace, Dave Jenkins examines the deeper theological issue beneath progressive Christianity: the relocation of authority. When authority shifts, everything else shifts with it. This episode explores four critical doctrinal shifts that occur when Scripture is no longer treated as the final authority: Authority shifts from Scripture to experience Identity shifts from transformation to self-expression Sin shifts from holiness to harm Salvation shifts from redemption to affirmation Dave explains why these shifts are not merely differences in tone or emphasis, but represent a fundamental redefinition of the gospel itself. Drawing from passages such as Galatians 1, Romans 3, and John 3, this episode shows why redefining sin inevitably reshapes salvation — and why the biblical gospel cannot remain intact when authority relocates. At the same time, this episode calls Christians to respond with biblical clarity and pastoral care: speaking truth without harshness, holding conviction without fear, and engaging others with both courage and compassion. This is not merely an academic issue. It is ultimately a question of authority — and a question of the gospel itself. For more episodes and biblical resources from Equipping You in Grace, visit: https://servantsofgrace.org/equipping-you-in-grace-2/ Pick up Dave's latest book here: https://servantsofgrace.org/product/war-of-worldviews-book/