All Set Free - Page 2 of 17 - None Are Free Unless All Are Free

Vulnerability and Grace: Two Ingredients for a Successful Relationship

September 4, 2018 By Matthew Distefano

Over the past few months, I’ve been thinking a lot about relationships, specifically those of the romantic variety. Naturally, this has forced me to consider the relationship I have with my wife Lyndsay, which has led to some great conversations here at the Distefano house. And while I don’t typically discuss these sorts of things on this blog, I wanted to open up with y’all and share some of my most recent thoughts on the matter. The first thing I… Read more

Sin: Christianity’s Favorite Three-Letter Word

August 30, 2018 By Matthew Distefano

3 Comments

Christians love talking about sin. Sin this, sin that, sin here, sin there, sin just about everywhere. And while it is, in and of itself, not a bad thing to discuss this issue, our focus always seems to be, not about our own shit, but about the shit of others, the so-called sins of “all those worldly people.” It’s the homosexuals who are sinful. It’s the Muslims who are sinful. It’s the atheists who are sinful. It’s the potheads who… Read more

Prayer, Healing, and a Word About My Absence

August 24, 2018 By Matthew Distefano

5 Comments

Hey everyone. I just wanted to take a moment to let y’all know why this blog has been relatively inactive these past few weeks. You see, I’ve been dealing with this horrific ear infection that has come and gone for the past year and a half. Recently, it flared back up again to new heights and it was only eradicated a short time ago. On top of that, I’ve been dealing with debilitating depression with a healthy dose of anxiety…. Read more

Nationalism is Division of the Body

August 2, 2018 By Guest Contributor

21 Comments

“Nationalism does nothing but teach you to hate people you have never met and take pride in accomplishments you have no part in.” -Doug Stanhope *Note: this is a guest piece by my good friend Danielle Kingstrom. Nationalism is a loyalty and devotion to a nation. In plain text, nationalism isn’t a scary or offensive word. History has shown us that many great leaders, both famous and infamous, were nationalists; they were leaders who believed their country was exceptionally superior… Read more

Homosexuality and the Fruits of the Spirit

July 11, 2018 By Matthew Distefano

8 Comments

The LGBTQ issue has been something I’ve talked about a lot, not only on this blog but in many other places as well. By now, I’m sure you know where I stand on the matter. If you aren’t aware, however, I’ll simply say that it is a non-issue for me. I explain my reasoning here, here, here, and especially here. Agree or disagree, that’s where I’m at with things. That said, in this piece I wanted to take a bit… Read more

Freedom of Religion

July 4, 2018 By Guest Contributor

0 Comments

*This is a guest post by my good friend and pastor Daniel Wysong. “Our relationship with Christ—and any other successful relationship—is based on freedom.” ~ Boundaries, Cloud and Townsend The 4th of July is here again. It’s a day we Americans celebrate liberty: the freedom to choose how we think, act, and express ourselves. Our nation was founded with the idea that as long as one is respecting the rights of others, one should be able to hold a dissenting… Read more

My Approach to Evil and Suffering

June 27, 2018 By Matthew Distefano

21 Comments

Anyone who affirms God has to deal with the age-old question, “What about evil?” No matter what our theology says about the divine—no matter whether we believe that God is nonviolent or full of violence, full of love or full of wrath, a respecter of human volition or a bigger Calvinist than Calvin himself—the problem of evil and suffering is, well, a problem. Majorly. We should all recognize this. In fact, when atheists bring up the problem of evil, when… Read more

A Few Thoughts on Jeff Sessions, the Bible, and Immigration

June 15, 2018 By Matthew Distefano

17 Comments

I’m sure you’ve all heard the latest news about what is going on at our southern border. If you haven’t, please allow me to inform you: At this very moment, our government is ripping immigrant children away from their parents, in part, as a means to “deter mothers from migrating to the United States with their children.” In other words, children are being used as leverage against their parents—roughly 1,358 of them since last October, in fact. This is all… Read more

Some Things to Consider When Discussing the So-Called Sin of Homosexuality

June 7, 2018 By Matthew Distefano

249 Comments

The other day, my friend and colleague Keith Giles engaged in a lively debate with the folks from G220 Radio on the topic of homosexuality and the Bible. The three hosts took the stance that the Bible condemns all non-heterosexual romantic relationships, while Giles argued for full affirmation of the LGBTQ+ community. After listening to the show in its entirety, I wanted to offer some initial thoughts on the topic by providing 10 things for us to remember when confronting… Read more

An Open Letter to Jesse Duplantis

May 31, 2018 By Matthew Distefano

5 Comments

Jesse, C’mon, man! For real? You need another jet? One that costs $54 million? That’s a lot of cheddar, homeboy. Do you know what you could do with $54 million? I don’t, but I’m pretty sure a lot of homeless folks could be fed for a long time with that kind of cash. I’m pretty sure that kind of #ballastatus-money could go a long way in Gaza, or in sub-Saharan Africa. I’m pretty sure a good deal of suffering Syrians… Read more