Theology Project | The Podcast

Why does Christianity sometimes seem to have so little effect on the lives of Christians? Why hasn’t it had a greater effect on the world?

John Wesley asked that question more than two centuries ago. In his sermon “Causes of the Inefficacy of Christianity,” Wesley wrestled with a troubling reality: if Christianity is true and the gospel has the power to transform people, why do so many Christians seem largely unchanged?

In this episode of Theology Project, I’m joined by Dr. Chris Bounds to explore Wesley’s answer. We discuss what Wesley believed was keeping Christianity from having its intended effect, the role of Christian doctrine and discipline, the importance of holiness, and number one problem that minimizes the effectiveness of the church.

Along the way, we consider whether Wesley’s diagnosis still applies to the church today, and what he might say needs to change if Christianity is going to produce the kind of people the Bible envisions.

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* Read the sermon: “Causes of the Inefficacy of Christianity”

* Get Holiness: A Biblical, Historical, and Systematic Theology co-authored by Chris Bounds

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Theme music: “Steps” by Anno Domini Beats. Used with permission.

What role do doctrinal standards play in the life of the church? In this episode, Dr. Joel Chopp explains why confessions matter, how the proposed Articles of Faith would function in the Global Methodist Church, and what faithful Wesleyan confessionalism looks like.

The discussion develops from Joel’s brand new article “Wesleyan Confessionalism and Theological Education,” which was just published in the most recent edition of the Asbury Herald. We discuss:

* What doctrinal standards are

* Who doctrinal standards are for

* Why some Methodists reject confessionalism

* Why other Methodists are committed to normative doctrines

* What we can learn about confessions from other Protestants

* Why not all the articles in the proposed Articles of faith should not be distinctly Wesleyan

* The guardrail function of doctrine

* How we know what Scripture affirms

* And more!

At the end of our conversation, Joel recommended two books for anyone who wants to dig in deeper to the way doctrine functions in the church. Here they are:

* Doctrine, Spirit, and Discipline: A History of the Wesleyan Tradition in the United States by Kevin Watson

* Doctrinal Standards in the Wesleyan Tradition by Thomas Oden

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Every subscription, share, and recommendation helps more people rediscover the Bible they didn’t know they had.

Theme music: “Steps” by Anno Domini Beats. Used with permission.

The Global Methodist Church is considering adopting a new doctrinal statement called the Articles of Faith. In this conversation, Dr. David Watson sits down with Dr. Matt O'Reilly to discuss WHY we're looking at this, how we got to this point, and where things go from here. We answer some of the questions that have come up in the last few weeks and reflect on the purpose of this confessional statement.

Jason Vickers compares the EUB Confession with the Articles of Religion: https://archives.gcah.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/d695ad25-f74a-4934-a569-04b4163e6e6f/content

Dr. David Watson is President of Asbury Theological Seminary and Chair of the Discipleship, Doctrine, and Just Ministry Commission. He is the author of Scripture and the Life of God (https://amzn.to/48XaRE4) and Faith and Fire (https://amzn.to/488gAH2) coauthored with Kevin Watson.

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MATT'S BRAND NEW BOOKS Free to Be Holy: A Biblical Theology of Sanctification https://amzn.to/4gOn4gN (print)

https://amzn.to/47pttuz (Kindle)

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Reconstructing Methodism: Crucial Issues Facing the Global Methodist Church https://amzn.to/3TnkYKS

MATT'S OTHER BOOKS

Paul and the Resurrected Body: Social Identity and Ethical Practice https://amzn.to/2xOJmyj

The Letters to the Thessalonians (w/ videos) https://amzn.to/3B0m6su

Bless the Nations https://amzn.to/3eEpiiF

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Music: "Steps" by Anno Domini Beats - Used with permission.

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In this clip, Dr. Matt O'Reilly explains the difference between "going to heaven when you die" and the biblical teaching of future bodily resurrection. If you've ever wondered what the Bible says about life after death, this episode is for you. 

MATT'S BRAND NEW BOOKS

Free to Be Holy: A Biblical Theology of Sanctification

https://amzn.to/4gOn4gN (print)

https://amzn.to/47pttuz (Kindle)

Reconstructing Methodism: Crucial Issues Facing the Global Methodist Church

https://amzn.to/3TnkYKS

MATT'S OTHER BOOKS

Paul and the Resurrected Body: Social Identity and Ethical Practice

https://amzn.to/2xOJmyj

The Letters to the Thessalonians (w/ videos)

https://amzn.to/3B0m6su

Bless the Nations

https://amzn.to/3eEpiiF

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Is Christianity True?

In a world filled with questions, doubts, and competing truth claims, many people wonder whether Christianity can still be trusted.

In this sermon, Matt O’Reilly explores one of the most common and pressing questions people ask about faith: Is Christianity true? Along the way, he names the real objections people raise—about science, suffering, hypocrisy in the church, the reliability of the Bible, and the fear that faith requires blind belief.

Rather than dismissing these questions or offering quick intellectual fixes, this message invites listeners to step back and consider a deeper question that the Gospel itself raises: Can Jesus be trusted?

Drawing from the scene of Jesus’ trial—where Pilate famously asks, “What is truth?”—this sermon shows that Christianity does not ultimately present truth as a mere argument or proposition, but as a person. And that person reveals the truth not by coercion or force, but through self-giving love.

You don’t have to have all the answers to experience love.

You can trust someone who is willing to bleed for you.

This message is especially for:

• 
  

  Those who are skeptical, curious, or questioning Christianity

  
  


• 
  

  Those who feel torn between faith and doubt

  
  


• 
  

  Those who have been hurt or disillusioned by the church

  
  


• 
  

  Christians who want a more humble, patient, and loving way to engage hard questions

  
  

If you’ve ever wondered whether Jesus can be trusted, this sermon invites you to consider the truth revealed in love, and to explore your questions within a community shaped by grace.

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MATT'S BRAND NEW BOOK

Free to Be Holy: A Biblical Theology of Sanctification

https://amzn.to/4gOn4gN

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A lot of people assume Romans 9 obviously teaches the Calvinist doctrine of unconditional election. They think it means that God selected a set and unchangeable number of people to save and passed over the rest. If you're among the chosen, congratulations. If you're not, well...

In this episode, Dr. Matt O'Reilly explains why Romans 9 does not, in fact, teach unconditional individual election. Rather, the apostle Paul sets forth in Romans 9 a vision of corporate election (the group as a whole is chosen) in which individuals may move into and out of the elect group.

MATT'S BRAND NEW BOOKS

Free to Be Holy: A Biblical Theology of Sanctification

https://amzn.to/4gOn4gN (print)

https://amzn.to/47pttuz (Kindle)

Reconstructing Methodism: Crucial Issues Facing the Global Methodist Church

https://amzn.to/3TnkYKS

MATT'S OTHER BOOKS

Paul and the Resurrected Body: Social Identity and Ethical Practice

https://amzn.to/2xOJmyj

The Letters to the Thessalonians (w/ videos)

https://amzn.to/3B0m6su

Bless the Nations

https://amzn.to/3eEpiiF

GET UPDATES FROM THEOLOGY PROJECT

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Music used with permission - "Steps" by Anno Domini Beats

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Who is Jesus—and what did he come to do?

Luke 2 doesn’t answer those questions with abstract theology or lofty claims. It answers them with a story.

In this episode, we slow down and listen carefully to Luke’s Christmas narrative—not as sentimental background music for the season, but as a bold theological proclamation. In a world ordered by emperors, censuses, power, and prestige, Luke introduces Jesus in a radically different key: born in obscurity, laid in a manger, announced not to elites but to shepherds on the margins.

So who is Jesus, really?

And what kind of mission begins this way?

Drawing on the Jesus' birth narrative in the Gospel of Luke, we explore how Luke presents Jesus as the true Lord whose identity stands in quiet but profound contrast to the rulers of his age. And we ask what Jesus came to do—not merely to offer private comfort or future escape, but to inaugurate God’s saving reign through humility, peace, and faithfulness.

This episode invites you to hear Luke 2 with fresh ears and deeper attention—to see how the identity and mission of Jesus are woven together from the very beginning, and why that still matters for how we understand the gospel today.

Merry Christmas!

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Free to Be Holy: A Biblical Theology of Sanctification
https://amzn.to/4gOn4gN (print)
https://amzn.to/47pttuz (Kindle)

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Music used with permission - "Steps" by Anno Domini Beats

People frequently wonder whether they should be rebaptized. Usually, it's for one of two reasons. Either they were baptized as an infant, and they ask if they should be baptized as part of their profession of faith. Or they were baptized before they got serious about following Jesus and, having later committed to serious discipleship, wonder if they should rebatized

In this video, Dr. Jonathan Powers (Asbury Seminary) and Dr. Matt O'Reilly explain WHY pastors should not rebaptize people and HOW to shepherd people through the questions

MATT'S BRAND NEW BOOK

Free to Be Holy: A Biblical Theology of Sanctification
https://amzn.to/4gOn4gN (print)
https://amzn.to/47pttuz (Kindle)

GET THE VIDEOS

https://my.seedbed.com/product/free-to-be-holy/

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In Scripture, holiness is never just about rule-keeping — it’s about participating in the character of God, living love perfected in Christ, and flourishing as a whole person in relationship with God and neighbor. Too often in the wider church, though, holiness gets misunderstood as legalistic rule observance. That understanding leads to burdens, shame, and a distorted picture of the gospel.

In this video, I unpack how the Bible, and the Wesleyan tradition in particular, reframes holiness not as legalism but as human flourishing. We walk through how holiness:

• reflects God’s character toward us


• calls us into life-giving love for God and neighbor


• aligns with deep, true happiness as envisioned in Scripture

Whether you grew up hearing holiness taught as legalistic rule-keeping or you’re seeking a richer, more biblical vision of discipleship, this conversation will help you think differently about what it means to be holy.

📖 Holiness isn’t about following a checklist — it’s about becoming like Jesus and flourishing as his people.

READ "The New Birth" by John Wesley

https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-sermons-of-john-wesley-1872-edition/sermon-45-the-new-birth/

MATT'S BRAND NEW BOOK

Free to Be Holy: A Biblical Theology of Sanctification
https://amzn.to/4gOn4gN (print)
https://amzn.to/47pttuz (Kindle)

GET THE VIDEOS

https://my.seedbed.com/product/free-to-be-holy/

GET UPDATES FROM THEOLOGY PROJECT

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Music used with permission - "Steps" by Anno Domini Beats

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In this episode of Theology Project, Dr. Matt O’Reilly sits down with Dr. Andy Miller III, President of Wesley Biblical Seminary, for an honest and forward-looking conversation about pastoral education in the Global Methodist Church.

We explore the value of the MDiv, options for the future of the Course of Study, and how robust theological training shapes healthier leaders, stronger churches, and more faithful ministry.

Dr. Miller brings clarity to current debates around seminary education, offers practical wisdom for pastors considering further study, and shares WBS’s vision for forming leaders who can preach the gospel, shepherd the church, and engage culture with confidence and conviction.

If you care about clergy preparation, the future of Methodist ministry, or the theological integrity of the church, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.

Help pastors finish seminary DEBT-FREE: Check out the Global Methodist Foundation of North Alabama: https://www.gmfna.org

Hear more from Andy Miller - Check out his podcast: More to the Story - https://www.youtube.com/@andymilleriii

Here's a link to the BRAND NEW BOOK from the WBS faculty - Sanctitas et Scriptura: https://amzn.to/3MpBrxz

Apply to STUDY at WBS: https://www.wbs.edu

GET UPDATES FROM THEOLOGY PROJECT https://www.theologyproject.online/subscribe

MATT'S BRAND NEW BOOK

Free to Be Holy: A Biblical Theology of Sanctification https://amzn.to/4gOn4gN(print)

https://amzn.to/47pttuz (Kindle)

📬 Subscribe to Theology Project for more:

https://www.theologyproject.online/subscribe

MATT'S BRAND NEW BOOKS

Free to Be Holy: A Biblical Theology of Sanctification

https://amzn.to/4gOn4gN (print)
https://amzn.to/47pttuz (Kindle)

Reconstructing Methodism: Crucial Issues Facing the Global Methodist Church https://amzn.to/3TnkYKS

MATT'S OTHER BOOKS

Paul and the Resurrected Body: Social Identity and Ethical Practice https://amzn.to/2xOJmyj

The Letters to the Thessalonians (w/ videos) https://amzn.to/3B0m6su

Bless the Nations https://amzn.to/3eEpiiF

Music used with permission - "Steps" by Anno Domini Beats

This page contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.