On Being Christian

There is a big difference between hearing the words that someone is speaking, and listening to the message they are attempting to convey. Listening to the message takes what we are going to call a “hearing heart”; that desire to truly understand vs. the idea of just waiting to respond. That’s what this episode is about - truly listening to God, and not just waiting for him to listen to you.

The On Being Christian Podcast is a ministry of Wasatch Front Baptist Church in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Authored and hosted by Pastor Nolan...

Only in the affairs of men has status been allowed to become as “important” as it has. We judge and accept or reject each other based on nothing more than the subjective theoretical ideas of who is less or more important, a concept itself grounded in nothing more than temporary situations. What if we flipped the whole nonsensical notion of “status” on its head, and just treated people like they are worth our best no matter what? That’s the content of this episode; I hope you enjoy it.

The On Being Christian Podcast is a ministry of Wasatch...

Humanity seems to be as good at finding value where we want, as we are at finding fault where we desire. The issue seems to be that we always seem to find value in ourselves and what we think, and we find fault in others and what they think. What do you suppose would change if we found value and fault in accordance with Biblical guidelines as opposed to our own subjective views? This episode is all about the correct perspective of what is valuable, as well as, what is faulty.

The On Being Christian Podcast is...

The notion of coming to Christ is not a new one for most people, but sometimes, why we come to Christ has more to do with whether or not we actually have a relationship with him. As is the case for most things, why we do something is often more important than how we do it or just the fact that we did it. This episode is all about the proper doctrinal reasons the Bible gives for coming to Jesus Christ.

The On Being Christian Podcast is a ministry of Wasatch Front Baptist Church in Salt Lake...

Repentance may be perhaps one of the most misunderstood aspects of Biblical Doctrine within Christianity today. It has been defined incorrectly as "a work" for many years by most "scholars", which has led to a lot of confusion with respect to genuine Salvation. This episode aims at understanding from true Biblical Doctrine what repentance to God looks like and what one must repent from. Episode #120 ties in very purposefully with last week's episode (#119), which was about the role of faith in Salvation.

The On Being Christian Podcast is a ministry of Wasatch Front Baptist Church in Salt...

This episode is an important one, although regrettably, not a new subject of debate within Christianity. I have recently beeb brought into a conversation with respect to the idea of whether or not an individual in their "natural state" (a lost individual or an individual who has not accepted the forgiveness of their sins available in Jesus Christ our Savior), can even have the faith required to put their trust in Christ for their Salvation. This is one of the false tenants of Calvinistic philosophy known as "limited atonement", due to what is called "the total depravity of man"...

In life we are asked to focus on many things, not all of it is helpful, and very little of it is necessary (or at least not as necessary as we may think). How do we have the "correct" focus? Is there even such a thing as correct focus? There is focus that benefits and focus that hinders, and that is what this episode is all about.

The On Being Christian Podcast is a ministry of Wasatch Front Baptist Church in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Authored and hosted by Pastor Nolan G. Ruby.

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There’s two things that you can do with doctrinal correction - you can accept it or you can reject it. The acceptance of doctrinal correction (done with love and compassion) will lead to personal blessings and fulfillment in your life, not to mention that God can then use you for the purpose in which He designed you to be used. Rejection of doctrinal correction will lead you to being stuck and unusable concerning the intent for which God designed you. So being a Christian is about accepting correction; whether you accept it or reject it, correction is coming.

God will always forgive, when we seek that forgiveness by repentance through faith. There's no question about that, by the study of God's Word. However, at times, even though we have received forgiveness, we're still left dealing with the consequences of our disobedience toward God. This episode is about a story that shows us what it looks like when it takes us too long to obey.

The On Being Christian Podcast is a ministry of Wasatch Front Baptist Church in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Authored and hosted by Pastor Nolan G. Ruby.

Contrary to what many may believe, there are only really two desires in this world. The desire of the Lord God (the Designer), and the desire of Satan (the Deceiver). The Deceiver keeps you from the Designer by many methods, but none are more effective than comfort and complacency. This episode is about choosing the correct desire.

The On Being Christian Podcast is a ministry of Wasatch Front Baptist Church in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Authored and hosted by Pastor Nolan G. Ruby.

I've noticed a trend in which we are increasingly being told that we need to surrender what we think to the will of those who have more "expertise" than we do. Except when it comes to serving the Lord and living in accordance to the Doctrine of the Bible, we are commanded to walk by faith and not by sight; we are commanded to accept what the Lord says, even if the "experts" don't agree with the Lord.

The On Being Christian Podcast is a ministry of Wasatch Front Baptist Church in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Each one of us will have a final hour. Our final hour is inevitable, but where we will be after that, by God’s grace, is changeable now. Those who wait to deal with their final hour until it comes, will find that they waited too long. Whereas those who allow the sacrifice of Jesus Christ to deal with their final hour now, can begin their life in Christ now and look forward to their final hour.

The On Being Christian Podcast is a ministry of Wasatch Front Baptist Church in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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My Grandfather used to tell me, "the world is full of things that men have started, however it's not so full of things that men have finished." As a Christian, to run your course with confidence, requires an established life; to have an established life, you must possess an established heart, and an established heart is the product of humility and mentorship, which is what this episode is all about. God Bless.

The On Being Christian Podcast is a ministry of Wasatch Front Baptist Church in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Authored and hosted by Pastor...

There are a lot of concepts within ministerial leadership in today’s culture that are implemented with the justification that the vulnerable are being helped. However, what you’ll find from the Word of God is that when you attempt to do the work of the Lord differently than how the Word of God instructs, the resulting affect can be more of a curse to the vulnerable than a blessing.

The On Being Christian Podcast is a ministry of Wasatch Front Baptist Church in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Authored and hosted by Pastor Nolan G. Ruby...

This episode is about the God of the living, and how He can only be understood by faith. We tend to attempt to place God into categories, which we then attempt to control. But understanding God has always had more to do with accepting what He says than it has had to do with logically attempting to control what He says. He is the God of the living, and we are dead without Him.

The On Being Christian Podcast is a ministry of Wasatch Front Baptist Church in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Authored and hosted...

Many times we like to think ourselves capable of accomplishing the things we intend to do, without actually making any plans to do them. In the same way, we tend to think declaring ourselves to be Christian is all it takes to “live” as a Christian, when in reality, there are some procedural steps that are needed. This episode is all about those procedural steps you need to take to stay faithful to the house of God.

The On Being Christian Podcast is a ministry of Wasatch Front Baptist Church in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Auth...

There are very few things in life that can affect you for the better or for the worse, like relationships. There are beneficial relationships and there are destructive relationships; there are very few relationships that don’t lean towards one of these two extremes. This episode is about the Biblical doctrine of being able to differentiate between the two.

The On Being Christian Podcast is a ministry of Wasatch Front Baptist Church in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Authored and hosted by Pastor Nolan G. Ruby.

If you would like to support this ministry, yo...

So much of cultural Christianity today revolves around the question of “what can God do for me?”, or “what can church do for me?”. What if being a Christian had less to do with what our desire from God is, and more to do what God’s desire from us is? This episode attempts to answer from God’s Word what God’s desire is for His people.

The On Being Christian Podcast is a ministry of Wasatch Front Baptist Church in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Authored and hosted by Pastor Nolan G. Ruby.

If you woul...

There are very few decisions in life that will affect you as much as the decision you make concerning who’s in charge of your life. For Christians, the decision of who is in charge (who your captain is), should be clear, but as I look at our Christian culture today it seems to me that we may have forgotten that the Lord Jesus Christ should be more than just an “advisor”, but rather He should be in complete control.

The On Being Christian Podcast is a ministry of Wasatch Front Baptist Church in Salt Lake City, Utah.<...

There's a certain level of reverant attention that folks seem to give to men who speak with clarity and purpose (as long as that clarity and purpose comes from a place of correct understanding). However, when the Lord speaks, we seem to have developed a culture that says it's ok to form committees to discuss whether or not the Lord knows what He's talking about. I believe this to be incorrect, unhelpful to the Christian walk and in need of correction, because God does not speak without reason.

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Most of the time we tend to think of being faithful as that attribute which we portray when everything is going just right. The reality, however, is that the attribute of faithfulness becomes most valuable when everything is going wrong. This episode is about a few realities from the Bible that I pray will help you stay faithful, not just when things are going good, but especially when they’re not.

The On Being Christian Podcast is a ministry of Wasatch Front Baptist Church in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Authored and hosted by Pastor Nolan G...

I think it's fair to say that part of the reality of life is that there will be times when we feel alone. This episode is about the fact that that reality does not need to occur perhaps as much as it does. The truth is, as Christians, (regardless of how we feel) we are never alone according to God's Word. I pray this episode finds you well. God bless.

The On Being Christian Podcast is a ministry of Wasatch Front Baptist Church in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Authored and hosted by Pastor Nolan G...

The idea that serving the Lord will be a free and easy endeavor without any resistance seems to be popular in today's "Christian" culture. However, the Word of God knows nothing of easy Christianity, and you might find that God asks you to be more than a "one-trick pony".

The On Being Christian Podcast is a ministry of Wasatch Front Baptist Church in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Authored and hosted by Pastor Nolan G. Ruby.

If you would like to support this ministry, you can give here. Thank You!

This episode is indeed about the fact that God is looking for qualified individuals to serve Him. However, what may not always be understood is that the qualifications that God is interested in are not based off who you are or what you can produce, but rather they are based off who Christ is and what you allow Him to produce through you. God doesn't make the qualified faithful, He makes the faithful qualified.

The On Being Christian Podcast is a ministry of Wasatch Front Baptist Church in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Authored and hosted...

The majority of us seem to have no real issue accepting acknowledgment and praise for our strengths. However, a majority of us also seem to not be so readily accepting of the criticism and corrections of our weaknesses. It is however, the awareness and acceptance of our weaknesses that adds to our strength, if we allow it.

The On Being Christian Podcast is a ministry of Wasatch Front Baptist Church in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Authored and hosted by Pastor Nolan G. Ruby.

If you would like to support this ministry, you can...

The calling to speak for the Lord is not a small thing. Nor is it (as we have attempted to make it) a definable thing within the perimeters of any specific religion. Speaking for God can only be done when speaking from the Word of God and by the power of God. The duty is ours, the method and results are His.

The On Being Christian Podcast is a ministry of Wasatch Front Baptist Church in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Authored and hosted by Pastor Nolan G. Ruby.

If you would like to...

I have a very close friend who once said - “the reason Christians are having an identity crisis, is because they were never meant to have one (an identity outside of Christ, that is).” This episode is about that the fact that the help of His countenance (Ps.42:5) is the health of my countenance (Ps.42:11). Might is be that we are not healthy Christians, because we are not accepting the help of Christ?

The On Being Christian Podcast is a ministry of Wasatch Front Baptist Church in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Authored and hosted by Past...

In many situations, we find ourselves acting much too quickly on things we should be taking our time on, and procrastinating or taking way too much time on things we should be moving swiftly on. The Bible does have a little bit to say about what proper behavior should look like concerning swift and slow action.

The On Being Christian Podcast is a ministry of Wasatch Front Baptist Church in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Authored and hosted by Pastor Nolan G. Ruby.

If you would like to support this ministry, you can give...

I'm sure you've heard a version of the phrase- Hard Men make Good Times, Good Times make Soft Men, Soft Men make Bad Times, Bad Times make Hard Men... and so the cycle continues. What may not be realized, is that this same cycle can play itself out in the course of one man's life. You can succeed and you can fail, but you can find grace and succeed again. Which is what episode #96 is all about.

The On Being Christian Podcast is a ministry of Wasatch Front Baptist Church in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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Many times, in trying situations, we tend to seek the comfort which we've been conditioned by society to think will be helpful to us. However, many times the "comfort" we seek in all reality just introduces a different form of crisis. The worth is in the work, not the reward, and that's what this episode is all about - the value of having purpose over comfort.

The On Being Christian Podcast is a ministry of Wasatch Front Baptist Church in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Authored and hosted by Pastor Nolan G. Ruby.

If...

Many times in the process of gathering information to make good decisions, we analyze what works and try to recreate it. However in many instances, if we took the time to learn what not to do from situations that went sideways, we might learn more quickly and throughly how to have a more effective outcome.

The On Being Christian Podcast is a ministry of Wasatch Front Baptist Church in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Authored and hosted by Pastor Nolan G. Ruby.

If you would like to support this ministry, you can give here...

The question of whether or not God is a fair God is often one of the most asked questions that I encounter when talking with people who are considering Christianity. In this episode, my desire is to first show the Biblical Doctrine that God is absolutely fair, but then perhaps more importantly, to show from the Bible WHY He is fair. I hope you enjoy episode #93!

The On Being Christian Podcast is a ministry of Wasatch Front Baptist Church in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Authored and hosted by Pastor Nolan G. Ruby.

If...

At times if we're not careful, we tend to use Biblical phrases for secular purposes. The term "a good man", is objectively defined by the Word of God, but we may have swapped out that definition for a more subjective one in keeping with our own opinions. This episode is about what it means to be a good man, specifically from the objective doctrine of God's Word. Episode #92 is Part 2 of 2.

The On Being Christian Podcast is a ministry of Wasatch Front Baptist Church in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Authored and hosted by Pastor Nolan...

At times if we're not careful, we tend to use Biblical phrases for secular purposes. The term "a good man", is objectively defined by the Word of God, but we may have swapped out that definition for a more subjective one in keeping with our own opinions. This episode is about what it means to be a good man, specifically from the objective doctrine of God's Word. Episode #91 is Part 1 of 2.

The On Being Christian Podcast is a ministry of Wasatch Front Baptist Church in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Authored and hosted by Pastor Nolan...

The idea of trouble, as we experience it ourselves and/or see others experiencing times of trouble, is interesting because it's never as hard to understand that you're in trouble as perhaps it is to understand how you got into trouble, or more importantly, how to get out of it. Knowing that there is a problem is not nearly as valuable as understanding how to resolve the problem. Which is what we're going to look at today - resolving problems or getting out of trouble. I pray this is helpful to you.

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I think it's safe to assume that most of us would like to have "significant" lives and make "meaningful" contributions, to know that who we are and what we do matters. However, many times we do this by comparing what we can see, understand, and accept as valuable to what we define as invaluable, again based off what we can see, understand, and accept. If our definition of value/significance changed to be more in keeping with the doctrine of God's Word, do you think we the things we pursue from the desire to be significant would change? This...

Across "religious" beliefs there is a general acceptance as to who God is, however there is widespread debate and confusion as to who Jesus Christ is. This episode makes very clear, from the perspective of Biblical Doctrine, exactly who the Christ of God is.

The On Being Christian Podcast is a ministry of Wasatch Front Baptist Church in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Authored and hosted by Pastor Nolan G. Ruby.

If you would like to support this ministry, you can give here. Thank You!

Fear is a powerful emotion. When fear manifests itself as reverence (fear) towards God, it becomes very appropriate and useful in the Christian life. However when fear is misplaced, it becomes a disease. Fear, as a disease, causes us to make inappropriate and unhelpful decisions with respect to being a Christian. This episode is about what not to fear.

The On Being Christian Podcast is a ministry of Wasatch Front Baptist Church in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Authored and hosted by Pastor Nolan G. Ruby.

If you would like to support this ministry...

The word religion has become a term we use to define almost any position that anyone might take on any issue. Pure Religion however, is actually definable by the Doctrine of the Word of God. The Bible says that Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith, so I'm not sure when we decided that we could change definitions defined in His Word. This episode is about the simplicity of definable Pure Religion (Spoiler Alert - it's very different from Denomination).

The On Being Christian Podcast is a ministry of Wasatch Front Baptist Church in Salt...

Somehow being a Christian has been allowed to become about culture, status and experience, when in reality being a Christian is really just about being obedient to the Word of God. In fact, culture, status and experience can get in the way of being just simply obedient. This episode is about the human qualities that make obedience needlessly difficult.

The On Being Christian Podcast is a ministry of Wasatch Front Baptist Church in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Authored and hosted by Pastor Nolan G. Ruby.

If you would like to support this ministry...