Gateway Podcast: Episode 59

You can listen to or watch Gateway Podcast Episode 59 here.

Questions/topics addressed in this episode:

(NOTE: Timestamps are for video version only.) 

Book Giveaway! In a future podcast, we will be discussing the book The Dangerous Duty of Delight by John Piper. We have free copies to give away to the first 3 people to submit questions to the podcast, with the hope that if you receive a free book, you will read it (it’s a super quick read!) and submit questions/comments by Feb. 13. Regardless of whether you win a copy or not, we encourage you to order the book, read it and send us your thoughts! (4:10)

Q & A

On recent podcast episodes, we’ve heard from Gateway staff who had initially begun careers in the business world before coming to Gateway. Pastor Josh has talked in brief snippets of his time in the military. Could you share this story of how you went from serving in the military to pastoring a church? (5:50)

I really enjoyed the sermons on handling disagreement and appreciate the timeliness of those messages. I completely understand that we must have agreement on the foundations of our faith and there is room for disagreement on issues that aren’t related to salvation. I have been thinking about the issue of abortion and wondering if that is an area where disagreement is allowable. I am passionately pro-life, and I have seen many Christian friends over the last few years/ months claim to be pro choice. I don’t understand how abortion is an area where there can be room allowed for disagreement in the church. Should this be the case? And how could I go about sharing with my Christian friends who don’t see eye to eye with me on this, about the importance of legislation on abortion in our current political climate without idolizing one political party? To be clear - I definitely don’t think the government is any type of savior. I think abortion, like all other injustices plaguing our society right now is a sin issue, and the gospel is the primary answer. But abortion is one injustice that is actually legal right now and I do believe that is worth fighting. (13:35)

I notice that some authors capitalize pronouns that refer to God and other authors don’t. Why is this and is there a reason to capitalize or not? (29:40)

Why We Should Stop Capitalizing Pronouns Referring to God
Should All Pronouns Referring to God be Capitalized?

I’ve been asked a couple times now about the end times around COVID quarantining/government overreach and some variation of the vaccine being the mark of the beast or desensitizing us to get it when it comes. If I’ve had to answer those questions a few times now, perhaps others in our congregation have wondered the same. “Could you please speak to the COVID vaccine and any connection it might have with the mark of the beast? What is the balance between trusting God to take care of us in the future vs. using God-given wisdom to prepare for the difficult days of the end times scripture speaks of?” (34:35)

COVID-19 and the Mark of the Beast
The COVID Vaccine has 666 Written All Over It...And Why that Doesn’t Matter According to Revelation

Final Thought (52:30)