Understanding Christianity

Sean D Cole
  • 4.6 (18)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Daily

Listen to Dr. Sean Cole, lead pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Sterling, CO, to help you understand Christianity. This podcast includes sermons, lectures, and discussions on leading issues in the Reformed evangelical tradition. If you want to learn more about Christianity from a Baptistic and Calvinistic perspective, this podcast is for you.

  1. Jul 9

    Who Exaclty Were the...NEPHILIM?

    In this episode, Dr. Sean Cole presents the two historical views of the identity of the Nephilim and argues for the Reformed interpretation of Genesis 6:1-4. Genesis Chapter Six has sparked some of the most contested and controversial interpretations concerning the identity of the Nephilim. Were these “mighty men” in fact giants? Were they the offspring of fallen angels who procreated with human women? How do we understand this very difficult passage of Scripture? There are two predominant views on this, and history has split right down the middle on which side to take. The first is the historic Reformed view, held by Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Matthew Henry, Bavinck, Berkhof, and R. C. Sproul. The first view holds that the sons of God are those in the lineage of Seth, the godly line that intermarried with the ungodly line of Cain. Intermarriage between the Israelites and pagans was strictly prohibited by God throughout the Old Testament. So this view holds that Seth’s line—the godly line—did the unthinkable, and instead of marrying within the godly line of Seth, they went outside it and found the daughters of Cain attractive and took them as their wives. The second view was held by the early church fathers, who were influenced by the Book of Enoch and Second Temple Judaism. In addition, many within Dispensationalism hold this view. The Book of Enoch (particularly 1 Enoch 6–16) interprets the “sons of God” as angels (the Watchers) who married women and fathered giant offspring (200 BC-100 AD). According to this understanding of Genesis 6, the sons of God are fallen angels who come to earth, have sexual relationships with human women, and produce an ungodly, demonic offspring called the Nephilim. Sean has released a new book on prayer called 30 Days of Praying the Scriptures, and you can purchase it here: https://bit.ly/49XaYQN Sean has published three other books: Compassionate Calvinism: Defending the Doctrines of Grace Without Being a Jerk   You can purchase it here: https://www.amazon.com/Compassionate-Calvinism-Defending-Doctrines-Without-ebook/dp/B0FZDNLGK4/ref=sr_1_1   https://shop.g3min.org/products/compassionate-calvinism-defending-the-doctrines-of-grace-without-being-a-jerk   You can purchase Sean’s two books here:   40 Days in Philippians: Finding Joy in Jesus:   https://g3min.org/shop/books/g3press/40-days-in-philippians-finding-joy-in-jesus-sean-cole/   Your Identity in the Trinity: Discovering God’s Grace in the Gospel:  https://rb.gy/yoa223   VISIT OUR WEBSITE:   www.seancole.net   FOLLOW on:   Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/understanding-christianity/id979729949   Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5F5IniTefWZPu2DjaazxPc?si=c37f71675a6e4321   FOLLOW US ON OUR SOCIALS:   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@emmanuelbaptistchurch-ster4705   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sean.cole.16144   Twitter/X: https://x.com/sdcole

  2. Jul 7

    Judge Not! Matthew 7:1-6

    You hear non-Christians using this phrase all the time: "Don’t be judgmental. Don’t judge. You have no right to judge what I’m doing." You’ve probably met someone who has told you that the reason they don’t come to church or that they are not a Christian is because they think Christians are judgmental. We are hypocritical. We are intolerant and unaccepting of other views. This puts us in a tough spot because nobody wants to come off as judgmental, intolerant, or hypocritical. We who are Bible-believing Christians who want to remain faithful to Jesus and yet love our neighbors, HOW do we share the gospel and live the Christian life without coming across as jerks or intolerant or hateful bigots who are judgmental? Jesus’ words here in Matthew 7:1-6 have been misunderstood and misapplied, so we need to understand exactly what He’s commanding us to do. Dr. Sean Cole preaches four truths from this passage.   Sean has released a new book on prayer called 30 Days of Praying the Scriptures, and you can purchase it here: https://bit.ly/49XaYQN Sean has published three other books: Compassionate Calvinism: Defending the Doctrines of Grace Without Being a Jerk   You can purchase it here: https://www.amazon.com/Compassionate-Calvinism-Defending-Doctrines-Without-ebook/dp/B0FZDNLGK4/ref=sr_1_1   https://shop.g3min.org/products/compassionate-calvinism-defending-the-doctrines-of-grace-without-being-a-jerk   You can purchase Sean’s two books here:   40 Days in Philippians: Finding Joy in Jesus:   https://g3min.org/shop/books/g3press/40-days-in-philippians-finding-joy-in-jesus-sean-cole/   Your Identity in the Trinity: Discovering God’s Grace in the Gospel:  https://rb.gy/yoa223   VISIT OUR WEBSITE:   www.seancole.net   FOLLOW on:   Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/understanding-christianity/id979729949   Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5F5IniTefWZPu2DjaazxPc?si=c37f71675a6e4321   FOLLOW US ON OUR SOCIALS:   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@emmanuelbaptistchurch-ster4705   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sean.cole.16144   Twitter/X: https://x.com/sdcole

  3. Jul 6

    The Greatest Cure for ANXIETY: Matthew 6:24-35

    Since God, instead of money, is your master, you should never be anxious. It’s, in fact, disobedient to you, Master, to be anxious about what He will provide for all your needs. Jesus gets right at the heart of anxiety, which is a natural response when we struggle with finances, or we struggle to make ends meet. In fact, the word “anxious” appears SIX times in this passage. Here is the main point or big idea of this text: The greatest cure for anxiety is to seek God's reign and righteousness above all else.   Sean has released a new book on prayer called 30 Days of Praying the Scriptures, and you can purchase it here: https://bit.ly/49XaYQN Sean has published three other books: Compassionate Calvinism: Defending the Doctrines of Grace Without Being a Jerk   You can purchase it here: https://www.amazon.com/Compassionate-Calvinism-Defending-Doctrines-Without-ebook/dp/B0FZDNLGK4/ref=sr_1_1   https://shop.g3min.org/products/compassionate-calvinism-defending-the-doctrines-of-grace-without-being-a-jerk   You can purchase Sean’s two books here:   40 Days in Philippians: Finding Joy in Jesus:   https://g3min.org/shop/books/g3press/40-days-in-philippians-finding-joy-in-jesus-sean-cole/   Your Identity in the Trinity: Discovering God’s Grace in the Gospel:  https://rb.gy/yoa223   VISIT OUR WEBSITE:   www.seancole.net   FOLLOW on:   Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/understanding-christianity/id979729949   Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5F5IniTefWZPu2DjaazxPc?si=c37f71675a6e4321   FOLLOW US ON OUR SOCIALS:   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@emmanuelbaptistchurch-ster4705   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sean.cole.16144   Twitter/X: https://x.com/sdcole

  4. Jul 5

    The Heart of Biblical FASTING: Matthew 6:16-18

    First, fasting is often neglected as a regular practice for spiritual growth. Second, fasting is not mandated as a regular practice for spiritual growth. Since fasting is not practiced very often by evangelical Christians, and there may be some confusion or questions about this topic, Dr. Sean Cole answers FOUR questions to help us grow in our understanding of fasting. Question One: What is a fast?  Question Two: What are the types of fasts? Question Three: What are the wrong ways to fast? Question Four: What are the proper purposes for Biblical fasting? Sean has released a new book on prayer called 30 Days of Praying the Scriptures, and you can purchase it here: https://bit.ly/49XaYQN Sean has published three other books: Compassionate Calvinism: Defending the Doctrines of Grace Without Being a Jerk   You can purchase it here: https://www.amazon.com/Compassionate-Calvinism-Defending-Doctrines-Without-ebook/dp/B0FZDNLGK4/ref=sr_1_1   https://shop.g3min.org/products/compassionate-calvinism-defending-the-doctrines-of-grace-without-being-a-jerk   You can purchase Sean’s two books here:   40 Days in Philippians: Finding Joy in Jesus:   https://g3min.org/shop/books/g3press/40-days-in-philippians-finding-joy-in-jesus-sean-cole/   Your Identity in the Trinity: Discovering God’s Grace in the Gospel:  https://rb.gy/yoa223   VISIT OUR WEBSITE:   www.seancole.net   FOLLOW on:   Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/understanding-christianity/id979729949   Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5F5IniTefWZPu2DjaazxPc?si=c37f71675a6e4321   FOLLOW US ON OUR SOCIALS:   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@emmanuelbaptistchurch-ster4705   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sean.cole.16144   Twitter/X: https://x.com/sdcole

  5. Jun 11

    Are Your Prayers Thoroughly God-Centered of Self-Centered? Matthew 6:9-10

    In this sermon, Dr. Sean Cole preaches the first three petitions in the Lord's Prayer. Here’s the main focus of the first three requests: Our prayers must be thoroughly God-centered instead of self-centered. Request Number One: We passionately ask that Your name be hallowed! Request Number Two: We passionately ask that Your kingdom come! Request Number Three: We passionately ask that Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven!   Sean has released a new book on prayer called 30 Days of Praying the Scriptures, and you can purchase it here: https://bit.ly/49XaYQN Sean has published three other books: Compassionate Calvinism: Defending the Doctrines of Grace Without Being a Jerk   You can purchase it here: https://www.amazon.com/Compassionate-Calvinism-Defending-Doctrines-Without-ebook/dp/B0FZDNLGK4/ref=sr_1_1   https://shop.g3min.org/products/compassionate-calvinism-defending-the-doctrines-of-grace-without-being-a-jerk   You can purchase Sean’s two books here:   40 Days in Philippians: Finding Joy in Jesus:   https://g3min.org/shop/books/g3press/40-days-in-philippians-finding-joy-in-jesus-sean-cole/   Your Identity in the Trinity: Discovering God’s Grace in the Gospel:  https://rb.gy/yoa223   VISIT OUR WEBSITE:   www.seancole.net   FOLLOW on:   Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/understanding-christianity/id979729949   Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5F5IniTefWZPu2DjaazxPc?si=c37f71675a6e4321   FOLLOW US ON OUR SOCIALS:   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@emmanuelbaptistchurch-ster4705   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sean.cole.16144   Twitter/X: https://x.com/sdcole

  6. Jun 8

    Prayer: The Life Blood of All True Believers: Matthew 6:7-13

    Dr. Sean Cole preaches an overview of the Lord's Prayer. He addresses the following topics: The prayer's brevity, God's sovereignty, and it's strategy. The Lord's Prayer serves as a template for not only WHAT to pray for but also HOW to pray. The address to our Father in heaven shows us that we can approach God with boldness, reverence, and togetherness. Do you need to be taught to pray? Is your prayer life weak, dry, and lifeless? Do you need some major encouragement in both how to pray and what to pray for?  Can you truly say that prayer is your lifeblood?  The chief exercise of your faith? The primary way you live out your Christianity?  Scottish Preacher Robert Murray M'Cheyne said this, “What a man is on his knees before God, that he is, and nothing more.”   Sean has released a new book on prayer called 30 Days of Praying the Scriptures, and you can purchase it here: https://bit.ly/49XaYQN   Sean's book, Compassionate Calvinism: Defending the Doctrines of Grace Without Being a Jerk, has been released.   You can purchase it here: https://www.amazon.com/Compassionate-Calvinism-Defending-Doctrines-Without-ebook/dp/B0FZDNLGK4/ref=sr_1_1   https://shop.g3min.org/products/compassionate-calvinism-defending-the-doctrines-of-grace-without-being-a-jerk   You can purchase Sean’s two books here:   40 Days in Philippians: Finding Joy in Jesus:   https://g3min.org/shop/books/g3press/40-days-in-philippians-finding-joy-in-jesus-sean-cole/   Your Identity in the Trinity: Discovering God’s Grace in the Gospel:  https://rb.gy/yoa223   VISIT OUR WEBSITE:   www.seancole.net   FOLLOW on:   Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/understanding-christianity/id979729949   Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5F5IniTefWZPu2DjaazxPc?si=c37f71675a6e4321   FOLLOW US ON OUR SOCIALS:   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@emmanuelbaptistchurch-ster4705   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sean.cole.16144   Twitter/X: https://x.com/sdcole

  7. Jun 7

    Man's Praise or God's Glory? Matthew 6:1-6

    In Matthew 6:1-6, Jesus teaches us to beware of seeking man’s praise instead of God’s glory. Verse 1 is Jesus’s main point in this section of the Sermon on the Mount, and he will give three areas of personal worship or devotion: giving to the needy, prayer, and fasting. The idea of practicing righteousness is a good thing. This is not legalism or working FOR our salvation, but being a devoted follower of Christ who seeks to glorify Him through how we live. What kind of righteousness should we practice? A righteousness that is greater than the Pharisees, which means that it is not external show or doing things to impress others, but the secret things of the heart, where only God sees, and you can’t fake it.  We should give to the needy. We should pray. We should fast. These are practices that we, as believers, should incorporate into our lives as we grow in maturity. The problem is when we do these things to “be seen” by others. Sean's new book, Compassionate Calvinism: Defending the Doctrines of Grace Without Being a Jerk, has been released.   You can purchase it here: https://www.amazon.com/Compassionate-Calvinism-Defending-Doctrines-Without-ebook/dp/B0FZDNLGK4/ref=sr_1_1   https://shop.g3min.org/products/compassionate-calvinism-defending-the-doctrines-of-grace-without-being-a-jerk   You can purchase Sean’s two books here:   40 Days in Philippians: Finding Joy in Jesus:   https://g3min.org/shop/books/g3press/40-days-in-philippians-finding-joy-in-jesus-sean-cole/   Your Identity in the Trinity: Discovering God’s Grace in the Gospel:  https://rb.gy/yoa223   VISIT OUR WEBSITE:   www.seancole.net   FOLLOW on:   Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/understanding-christianity/id979729949   Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5F5IniTefWZPu2DjaazxPc?si=c37f71675a6e4321   FOLLOW US ON OUR SOCIALS:   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@emmanuelbaptistchurch-ster4705   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sean.cole.16144   Twitter/X: https://x.com/sdcole

  8. May 14

    STUMP THE PASTOR!!!

    Dr. Sean Cole answers questions spontaneously from the class, without notes or preparation, during "Stump the Pastor" night. The questions asked ranged from the scapegoat legend from the Talmud to the identity of Melchizedek. Pastor Sean answered the question about whether John 8's account of the women caught in adultery should be included in the Bible. This led to a discussion on textual variants and the ending of Mark's gospel. Another question was asked about the Book of Enoch. Sean's new book, Compassionate Calvinism: Defending the Doctrines of Grace Without Being a Jerk, has been released.   You can purchase it here:   https://www.amazon.com/Compassionate-Calvinism-Defending-Doctrines-Without-ebook/dp/B0FZDNLGK4/ref=sr_1_1   https://shop.g3min.org/products/compassionate-calvinism-defending-the-doctrines-of-grace-without-being-a-jerk     You can purchase Sean’s two books here:   40 Days in Philippians: Finding Joy in Jesus:   https://g3min.org/shop/books/g3press/40-days-in-philippians-finding-joy-in-jesus-sean-cole/   Your Identity in the Trinity: Discovering God’s Grace in the Gospel:  https://rb.gy/yoa223     VISIT OUR WEBSITE:   www.seancole.net     FOLLOW on:   Apple:   https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/understanding-christianity/id979729949   Spotify:   https://open.spotify.com/show/5F5IniTefWZPu2DjaazxPc?si=c37f71675a6e4321     FOLLOW US ON OUR SOCIALS:   YouTube:   https://www.youtube.com/@emmanuelbaptistchurch-ster4705   Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/sean.cole.16144   Twitter/X:   https://x.com/sdcole

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4.6
out of 5
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About

Listen to Dr. Sean Cole, lead pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Sterling, CO, to help you understand Christianity. This podcast includes sermons, lectures, and discussions on leading issues in the Reformed evangelical tradition. If you want to learn more about Christianity from a Baptistic and Calvinistic perspective, this podcast is for you.

Information

  • Creator
    Sean D Cole
  • Years Active
    2015 - 2026
  • Episodes
    858
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    ℗ & © 2026 Sean D Cole
  • Show Website
    Understanding Christianity

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