Real Bible Rob for Teens - Inclusive and Affirming Christianity Minister Rob Christ Podcast

Rob Christ - Affirming Christianity Minister Rob Christ | PCUSA Ministry and Inclusive Christianity
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Teens form their own faith as they grow. Engaging with the Bible is often confusing and frightening. This podcast helps young people approach the Bible with fascination and humor, allowing them to question and grow in faith. Harmful teaching is challenged, and young people are encouraged to move to an inclusive and affirming faith. 

  1. 3d ago

    Jesus lost. Was the cross a defeat or a triumph? Philippians 2:5-11

    Send us Fan Mail When I said “Jesus lost!” a few years ago thousands of people on social media got very angry and they told me so in the comments. But it’s true. It is the central part of what Jesus came to do. I like to say that the cross couldn’t be emptied until after Jesus had been emptied. We learn that any strength comes from weakness. That any honor comes from humiliation. Philippians 2 tells us why. And it can give you great comfort in Christ if you let yourself be emptied too. I know this isn’t what you’ve been told by so many people, but in this episode I explain why it’s the single most important lesson you can learn in life.  5Adopt the attitude that was in Christ Jesus: 6Though he was in the form of God, he did not consider being equal with God something to exploit. 7But he emptied himself by taking the form of a slave and by becoming like human beings. When he found himself in the form of a human, 8he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9Therefore, God highly honored him and gave him a name above all names, 10so that at the name of Jesus everyone in heaven, on earth, and under the earth might bow 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

  2. Sep 9

    Don’t be pressured to evangelize. What being born again really means.

    Send us Fan Mail You don't have to accept the pressure that many Christians put on other people to evangelize. They will say "You must be born again to go to heaven!" or "if you aren't born again, you are going to hell!" The Bible in John 3:3 does not say that at all. In the same way, people will say "you must separate from the world!" using Romans 12:2. These are used to pressure you into aggressive evangelism and to separate you from your friends and the people you love. Instead, you should know what these really mean and that the best way to evangelize is to do good and be good in the face of evil. It is not to manipulate and threaten people like it is usually done.  I am very interested how evangelical Christians use language to signal conformity. A major goal of my online ministry is to point out these code words, often based on the misuse of scripture, and to debunk their common usage. "Born Again" is certainly one of the more sneaky cult code words. It is seems biblical in John 3:3 and 3:7 but when it is pulled out for cult signaling about who is saved and who is not saved, it is particularly pernicious. I have posted several times about John 3:3. I also posted about the cult-like use of Romans 12:2 to separate Christians from "the world." Both verses require considerable nuance to understand in context, which unfortunately makes them perfect candidates for appropriation and misuse. In this episode, I discuss how these verses are used for signaling evangelical separation and why most mainline Christians and Catholics don't use these phrases. I discuss how this is a used for the larger project of Christian dominance.  NRSVue John 3:3  Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above. NIV Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” Living Bible  Jesus replied, “With all the earnestness I possess I tell you this: Unless you are born again, you can never get into the Kingdom of God.” NRSVue Romans 12:2   Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect. NIV Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. ESV  Do not be conformed to this world,[a] but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. My recent social media post: "To my John 3:3 “having been born from above” often translated as “born again” video, I have often been asked “have you been saved?” or “are you born again?” Which are very weird questions to ask a mainline pastor who regularly professes my faith online. Where does this come from? It is the exclusionary tribal language that has been drilled to the heads of evangelicals, Your in or your out, that's it. John 3:3 has nothing do with heaven or being saved. Jesus told Nicodemus to be spiritually awakened. In context, Jesus never said Nicodemus or the Pharisees were not saved. He said they were spiritually blind, relying on their special status to be right with God. It's ironic when mod xians use these verses for separation & exclusion. They are constantly worried who’s saved or not. They are being as spiritually blind as Nicodemus was."

  3. Sep 2

    Talking to people you disagree with: Redeemed Zoomer on YouTube

    Send us Fan Mail I spoke with Richard Ackerman, also known as the Redeemed Zoomer on YouTube, to the podcast. I really disagree with him, even though he is in the same kind of church that I am. He believes things in a way that I think are harmful. In this episoide, I tell you about what I learned about him that made me appreciate his point of view more. I also learned a lesson about maturity and how you should become less judgmental as you get older. I hope this is helpful for you when you talk to people who don't share your politics, your religion, or your point of view.  Richard is currently a seminary student at Dubuque Theological Seminary. But he is mostly known for his big presence on social media, especially YouTube, and his Operation Reconquista, now labeled Operation Reformation movement while he was a student. He then co-founded Presbyterians for the Kingdom. He seeks to support theologically conservative churches in the mainline denominations. As a PCUSA minister who is very active on social media, I come across his content and his supporters frequently. I wanted to speak with Richard to find to understand his point of view.

  4. Aug 26

    Should you worry about your non-Christian friends going to hell?

    Send us Fan Mail Salvation is the major concern of Christian teens. They look at all the people they love. Their family and friends are not all Christians, at least in the way they are told that they should be. It causes extreme worry. You might think, "What if my friend or my brother doesn't confess Jesus is Lord, will they go to hell?" In Romans 10:9, the Bible says that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. You feel responsible if they don't do this and you feel guilty and frankly terrified. In this comforting episode, I show you why you should not worry about their salvation. You should worry instead about their welfare and their happiness, but salvation is not what we have been taught by many pastors. I describe how the bible describes the security of salvation and even what some people call universal. Which one you believe should put you mind at ease. Salvation is in God's hands not yours.  Fire insurance. Is that a God you want to follow. 100% fear mongering. What most deconstructioning evangelicals say. History of control and coercion.  1 Timothy 2:3–4: God "desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth". Colossians 1:19–20: God was pleased through Christ "to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven". 1 Corinthians 15:22: "As in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive" Romans 5:18: One act of righteousness leads to "justification and life for all". 1 John 2:2: Jesus is the propitiation "for the sins of the whole world". Philippians 2:10–11: "Every knee should bow" and "every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord" People use the parable of the Sheep and the Goats in Matthew 25:31-46 for the final judgment, but I goes the opposite way that we have been taught.

  5. Aug 19

    Why did Jesus yell at Peter “Get behind me Satan" in Matthew 16:23?

    Send us Fan Mail It seems like Jesus is crazy. Jesus yelled out his angriest rebuke against Peter when he said "Get behind me Satan!" in Matthew 16:23 We are used to Jesus saying rough things to Pharisees and Scribes who were intolerable religious bullies. But Peter, his most trusted disciple? We must take time to understand why Jesus was so frustrated and what the word "Satan" really means before we think Peter sprung horns on his head. Jesus bore our sins, but also our frustrations with huge reserves of love. These stories show us the human side of Jesus along with his mission.  Things change quickly, don't they? Last week we heard Peter say, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God!" to which Jesus said, "Blessed are you Peter! God the Father reveal this to you!" Then only a few verses later Jesus yelled Peter, "Get behind me Satan!" This is one of the most bipolar passages in all of the Bible. It can leave you wondering: Was Peter possessed? Or was Jesus just a bad boss? Well, it's possible that it was neither.  This whipsawing of emotions in Jesus can tell us a lot about the person and character of Jesus. But the story also tells us about the person and character of Peter. Both Jesus and Peter are humanized in this story, and that is not a bad thing.  Every time we see the divinity of Jesus in the Gospels, we also see glimpses of his humanity. That is if we let ourselves see it. Every time we see the strength of character in Peter, it doesn't take long for Peter to step on it. His zeal and passion comes with a big dose of clumsiness.  This is a common feature in the Gospel of Matthew.  In their human moments, the characters come alive. Jesus is a little angrier in Matthew than the other Gospels. And Peter is a little clumsier. Whenwe read it well, it can be a lot more relatable for us. Jesus as the great "I AM" gets frustrated. He sometimes seems a little bipolar: at turns being deeply compassionate and other times casually dismissive. We can see ourselves in Jesus and understand what he is thinking. On the other hand, Peter is like an impulsive Golden Retriever. He is always ready to go anywhere, do anything, but then he's also too zealous and too protective. Again, we have no trouble seeing ourselves in Peter.

  6. Aug 12

    Biggest Problem in Christianity: “I’m better than you” thinking. How and when to pick fights.

    Send us Fan Mail When I said the American church must repent of its white supremacy & its colonialism, I got howls of resistance of two kinds. First was the individual  response, They said, "Should I be responsible 4 what my ancestors did?" My answer was tough was tough, it was simply yes. As long as you are pushing ignorance & avoidance then you part of the problem. So yes in this case you must repent. The other thing was people saying, "Why do you talk about white supremacy and slavery so much? I'm not a racist," they say. I say we don’t talk about it enough. Because at its core is the idea when Christians think, “I’m better than you” that is so built into American culture.  When they hear this they say, "Well, we are all sinners!" But this is just an excuse and it masks what they are really thinking. Because people will say "I'm saved and those other people aren't." They will say, "I have the blood of Jesus and those non-believers don’t."  In this helpful episode, I explain the problems with this kind of thinking. I tell a personal story of opposition and pain. Then I explain 1 Peter 3:18 and how it can get us out of this thinking. Finally, I give some wise advice on when to pick fights and when to be silent. Choosing wisely will really help you with your Christian witness.  1 Peter 3:13 Who will harm you if you are zealous for good? 14 But happy are you, even if you suffer because of righteousness! Don’t be terrified or upset by them. 15 Instead, regard Christ the Lord as holy in your hearts. Whenever anyone asks you to speak of your hope, be ready to defend it. 16 Yet do this with respectful humility, maintaining a good conscience. Act in this way so that those who malign your good lifestyle in Christ may be ashamed when they slander you. 17 It is better to suffer for doing good (if this could possibly be God’s will) than for doing evil. 18 Christ himself suffered on account of sins, once for all, the righteous one on behalf of the unrighteous. He did this in order to bring you into the presence of God. Christ was put to death as a human, but made alive by the Spirit.

  7. Aug 5

    Nice and Gentle Paul. Really? Yes. Romans 12 and 13.

    Send us Fan Mail This is unexpected. Paul is done ranting and his urging becomes much more gentle in last chapters of Romans. If this seems weird to you, these chapters are also misused by Christians for some pretty aggressive things that Paul never intended. Paul urges unity and understanding, but people often use Romans 12:2 for exclusion and separation and Romans 13:1-7 for bullying. Knowing what they really say and how some people use them can show you how people use the Bible badly to support their ideas. In this helpful episode, I celebrate the beauty of these chapters while showing you the pit falls. It’s important to be a skeptical reader, especially when something doesn’t sound right. If you do it well, you can really enjoy and feel uplifted by Paul is really saying in these chapters.

  8. Jul 29

    Is Sin always about just you? Sins of the community. Sins of the nation.

    Send us Fan Mail You are told about your sin all the time by preachers and the church. It is really easy to get stuck into thinking that everything is personal. Your personal relationship with God. Your personal morality. Your personal sin. It is all on you. But the Bible actually says very little about individual sin. By far most of the Bible talks about the sins of the nation, sins of the community, sins of the church. So why is there so much about your sin and so little about the sins of society? There is a very important reason. It is all about the power. Personal sins are very important and can separate you from God, but many more people are hurt by the sins of society. In this episode, I talk about the main parts of the Bible that talk about sin and why it is so important for you to know the difference.  I will talk about the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Amos, Jeremiah in the Old Testament. Romans and Revelation in the New Testament.

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Teens form their own faith as they grow. Engaging with the Bible is often confusing and frightening. This podcast helps young people approach the Bible with fascination and humor, allowing them to question and grow in faith. Harmful teaching is challenged, and young people are encouraged to move to an inclusive and affirming faith. 

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