Christ the Center

Reformed Forum
  • 4.9 (139)
  • Christianity
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Christ the Center is an audio program centered on Christian reformed theology. In each episode a group of informed panelists discuss important issues and stimulate listeners to critical thinking and a better understanding of reformed doctrine designed to yield godly living.

  1. 16h ago ·  Bonus

    Grace and Grace: The One Covenant and the Logic of Hebrews’ Warning | Marcus A. Mininger

    Hebrews never pits the covenants against one another as law versus gospel; it presents them as grace and grace—the same house, the same people, the same promise. Yet the old was always preparatory: shadow giving way to substance, promise to fulfillment. Marcus A. Mininger traces that organic development and shows why the unity of the one covenant is precisely what makes Hebrews’ warning so urgent. The address closes where the letter does—on persevering within the covenant and resting in the sole sufficiency of Christ. Dr. Marcus A. Mininger is professor of New Testament at Mid-America Reformed Seminary, with research on Paul and the General Epistles—including a forthcoming study of the warning passages in Hebrews. Delivered at the 2026 Reformed Forum Theology Conference, “The Covenant of Grace: One Savior, One People, One Purpose,” at Lakeland Church in Gurnee, Illinois, on September 26, 2026. Watch this address: https://youtu.be/DMhQflaD8PM Watch the full conference: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJykAlOwqPCA reformedforum.org Mentioned in this episode: Christ the Center 1000 Christ the Center 1000

    Grace and Grace: The One Covenant and the Logic of Hebrews’ Warning | Marcus A. Mininger

  2. 22h ago ·  Bonus

    Impossible to Be Restored? What Hebrews Really Warns Against | Marcus A. Mininger

    Few passages have unsettled readers like Hebrews’ warning that it is “impossible … to restore again to repentance” those who fall away. Does it teach a sin beyond forgiveness? Marcus A. Mininger clears away the common misreadings and names the real danger the author confronts: the temptation to abandon Christ and re-lay a foundation in the old covenant alone. The warning, rightly heard, is not about a sin too great to forgive but about the impossibility of going back—and it sets up the covenant question taken up in the session that follows. Dr. Marcus A. Mininger is professor of New Testament at Mid-America Reformed Seminary, with research on Paul and the General Epistles—including a forthcoming study of the warning passages in Hebrews. Delivered at the 2026 Reformed Forum Theology Conference, “The Covenant of Grace: One Savior, One People, One Purpose,” at Lakeland Church in Gurnee, Illinois, on September 26, 2026. Watch this address: https://youtu.be/9B4fCp9fems Watch the full conference: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJykAlOwqPCA reformedforum.org Mentioned in this episode: Christ the Center 1000 Christ the Center 1000

    Impossible to Be Restored? What Hebrews Really Warns Against | Marcus A. Mininger

  3. 1d ago ·  Bonus

    A Greater Joshua, a Greater Conquest: Another Look at Jesus’s Exorcisms | Benjamin L. Gladd

    A greater Joshua has come. Benjamin L. Gladd takes another look at Jesus’s exorcisms, reading them against the Old Testament backdrop of Israel’s conquest. Where Joshua led a people into an earthly rest by the sword, Christ leads his people into a greater rest by the Spirit and the word, defeating the powers that held them captive. The kingdom does not advance by force but by the triumph of the one Savior who gathers one people to himself, and the exorcisms are a preview of that greater conquest. Dr. Benjamin L. Gladd is executive director of the Carson Center for Theological Renewal and formerly professor of New Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson. He edits the Essential Studies in Biblical Theology series and has written widely on the use of the Old Testament in the New, including works co-authored with G. K. Beale. Delivered at the 2026 Reformed Forum Theology Conference, “The Covenant of Grace: One Savior, One People, One Purpose,” at Lakeland Church in Gurnee, Illinois, on September 26, 2026. Watch this address: https://youtu.be/UeBRopgfpmI Watch the full conference: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJykAlOwqPCA reformedforum.org Mentioned in this episode: Christ the Center 1000 Christ the Center 1000

    A Greater Joshua, a Greater Conquest: Another Look at Jesus’s Exorcisms | Benjamin L. Gladd

  4. 1d ago ·  Bonus

    When Does the Restoration of Israel Take Place? | G. K. Beale - Reformed Academy

    When does the long-promised restoration of Israel take place? G. K. Beale gives particular attention to Acts 1:8 and its use of the Old Testament and argues that the restoration is already under way in the church's Spirit-empowered witness to the nations. God fulfills his covenant promises to Israel in Christ and carries them to the ends of the earth, as the one Savior gathers one people to himself. The answer has direct consequences for how we understand the church, the nations, and the promises of the covenant. Dr. Gregory K. Beale teaches at Reformed Theological Seminary, Dallas. He is a leading New Testament scholar known for his work on biblical theology, the use of the Old Testament in the New, and the temple theme across Scripture. Delivered at the 2026 Reformed Forum Theology Conference, "The Covenant of Grace: One Savior, One People, One Purpose," at Lakeland Church in Gurnee, Illinois, on September 26, 2026. Watch the full conference: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJykAlOwqPCA https://reformedforum.org Mentioned in this episode: Christ the Center 1000 Christ the Center 1000

    When Does the Restoration of Israel Take Place? | G. K. Beale - Reformed Academy

  5. 2d ago

    Roman Catholicism and Christian Unity

    Mark Gilbert joins Camden Bucey to examine what Protestants and Roman Catholics mean when they speak of Christian unity. Drawing on Gilbert’s conversion from Roman Catholicism, they contrast a unity grounded in the Spirit’s work through the Word with Rome’s institutional claim to mediate grace and gather humanity into one visible communion. The conversation turns to Vatican II and Karl Rahner’s doctrine of the “anonymous Christian.” Camden and Mark consider Rahner’s anthropology, his account of God’s self-communication, and the influence of this framework on Roman Catholic inclusivism. They conclude with a pastoral call to speak with clarity and charity and to offer the assurance found only in the finished work of Christ. ResourcesTalking with Catholics About JesusThe Nicene CreedThe Nicene Creed and the Nature of Christian Unity Chapters00:00 Introduction03:48 Mark Gilbert’s journey from Roman Catholicism10:50 The Rome Scholars and Leaders Network15:04 Catholic inclusivity after Vatican II20:36 Institutional and spiritual views of unity26:43 The church as a continuing incarnation28:58 Vatican II and Karl Rahner35:36 Van Til, Rahner, and the image of God45:18 The “anonymous Christian”47:30 Roman Catholicism in a pluralistic world52:06 Inclusivity, gender, and doctrinal development58:19 Rahner, Ratzinger, and competing Catholic trajectories61:28 The Roman Catholic Church as a “sacrament of unity”65:33 Unity in truth and evangelizing Roman Catholics70:14 Resources for churches and small groups72:59 Conclusion Mentioned in this episode: Christ the Center 1000 Live in Austin, TX Christ the Center 1000 Summit Christ the Center 1000 Christ the Center 1000 Summit

  6. 2d ago ·  Bonus

    Before the Foundation of the World: The Covenant of Redemption and the Covenant of Grace | Camden M. Bucey - Reformed Academy

    The covenant of grace has its source in eternity, in the covenant of redemption: the eternal agreement of Father, Son, and Spirit to save a people. In "Before the Foundation of the World," Camden Bucey traces the historical covenant of grace back to that eternal counsel. Following Herman Bavinck, he shows that the covenant revealed in time rests on an unchanging foundation in the counsel of the triune God. Before creation and before the fall, God purposed one redemption with one Savior at its center, and the unity and certainty of the covenant of grace rest on that purpose. This opening address gathers up the first two conferences in the trilogy and lays the foundation for the addresses that follow. Download the handout (PDF) Dr. Camden M. Bucey is executive director of Reformed Forum and host of Christ the Center. He is the author of Karl Rahner in P&R’s Great Thinkers series and Defending Our Hope: An Introduction to Christian Apologetics. Delivered at the 2026 Reformed Forum Theology Conference, “The Covenant of Grace: One Savior, One People, One Purpose,” at Lakeland Church in Gurnee, Illinois, on September 26, 2026. Watch the full conference reformedforum.org Mentioned in this episode: Christ the Center 1000 Christ the Center 1000

    Before the Foundation of the World: The Covenant of Redemption and the Covenant of Grace | Camden M. Bucey - Reformed Academy

  7. Sep 25

    YouTube as the Modern Day Areopagus

    We welcome Eli Ayala, host of Revealed Apologetics, to discuss Christian apologetics in the digital public square. Drawing an analogy to the Areopagus of Acts 17, Camden Bucey and Ayala consider YouTube’s remarkable reach, its dangers, the spiritual dimension of apologetics, the union of biblical content and method, current movements in online apologetics, and the pastoral task of guiding young people who encounter theology online. Ayala recounts his path from a Spanish Pentecostal upbringing to Reformed theology and presuppositional apologetics, including the decisive influence of the Greg Bahnsen–Gordon Stein debate. He also explains the origins of Revealed Apologetics and reflects on the opportunities and distortions created by algorithmic media. Links Episode pageRevealed ApologeticsRevealed Apologetics on YouTubeDefending Our Hope Chapters 0:00 Introduction2:03 YouTube as the Modern Areopagus3:43 Eli Ayala’s Background and Work8:39 Spiritual Warfare and Apologetics12:47 An Apologetic Awakening17:06 The Bahnsen–Stein Debate and Presuppositionalism20:42 The Origins of Revealed Apologetics25:35 YouTube’s Promise and Peril36:31 Biblical Content, Method, and Character43:13 The Online Apologetics Landscape47:33 Eastern Orthodoxy and Presuppositionalism49:32 Islam and Christian Apologetics Online50:52 Roman Catholic Apologetics Online54:11 Guiding Young People through Online Theology1:01:13 Conclusion Mentioned in this episode: Christ the Center 1000 Christ the Center 1000 Summit Christ the Center 1000 Live in Austin, TX Christ the Center 1000 Summit

  8. Sep 18

    The Fall and Redemption of Conscience

    We welcome Andrea Ferrari to discuss his book The Fall and Redemption of Conscience: A Reformed Biblical Theology. Ferrari, pastor of the Chiesa Riformata di Perugia in Italy, explains why conscience has received comparatively little attention in modern Protestant theology and considers the influence of psychology, Karl Barth, John Webster, and John Calvin on contemporary accounts of conscience. The conversation develops a biblical and theological account of conscience from creation to new creation. Ferrari addresses whether Adam possessed a conscience before the fall, the Old Testament vocabulary of heart, kidneys, and clean hands, Calvin’s sensus divini judicii, the Trinitarian basis of human self-awareness, and the effects of justification and sanctification upon a guilty conscience. The episode concludes with practical implications for preaching, counseling, and the Christian life, along with an update on Ferrari’s ministry in Perugia. Links Episode pageThe Fall and Redemption of ConscienceChiesa Riformata di Perugia Chapters 00:00 Introduction03:12 Andrea Ferrari’s Ministry in Perugia12:43 A New Study Center near the University19:11 The Fall and Redemption of Conscience24:33 Why Conscience Disappeared from Modern Theology28:41 Karl Barth and General Revelation32:12 Did Adam Have a Conscience before the Fall?49:27 Conscience in the Old Testament58:53 Defining Conscience as Perceptual Awareness64:23 Calvin’s Sensus Divini Judicii65:27 The Trinitarian Context of Conscience74:23 The Fallen Conscience and the Imagination80:10 Training the Senses in Hebrews 5:1481:47 The Justified Conscience86:43 Sanctification and the Healing of Conscience93:23 Pastoral Counseling and Preaching to the Conscience100:02 Ministry Reflections and Conclusion Mentioned in this episode: Christ the Center 1000 Live in Austin, TX Christ the Center 1000 Summit Christ the Center 1000 Christ the Center 1000 Summit

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4.9
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About

Christ the Center is an audio program centered on Christian reformed theology. In each episode a group of informed panelists discuss important issues and stimulate listeners to critical thinking and a better understanding of reformed doctrine designed to yield godly living.

Information

  • Creator
    Reformed Forum
  • Years Active
    2008 - 2026
  • Episodes
    985
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Reformed Forum
  • Show Website
    Christ the Center

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