Although I typically don’t get into many theological discussions or arguments on social media these days, I still like to mix it up from time to time. Not that I really feel the need to change people’s minds per se, I just want to get people to think about stuff a little deeper than they currently are. You see, Christians, by and large, aren’t really all that known for thinking outside the box. Instead, they seem to be pretty content… Read more
September 19, 2018
7 Things I Wish More Christians Considered
September 19, 2018 By Matthew Distefano
17 Comments
September 12, 2018
Why I’m Considering Dropping the Term “Christian”
September 12, 2018 By Matthew Distefano
30 Comments
Last night my friend Carlos and I were chatting over some drinks about how we have become increasingly hostile toward self-identifying as “Christian.” Not because we don’t love Christ, and not because we don’t find value in the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, but for the simple reason that Christianity seems to want nothing to do with those who approach the faith different than they do. And sometimes, when one feels as unwelcomed as I currently do, when one is… Read more
September 7, 2018
Vulnerability and God
September 7, 2018 By Guest Contributor
4 Comments
*Note: this is a guest piece by my good friend Danielle Kingstrom, and is a follow-up to my most recent post entitled “Vulnerability and Grace: Two Ingredients for a Successful Relationship.” Vulnerability is the buzz word as of late, at least in my circles of influence and social interactions. Yet, vulnerability is not a new word or phrase. It has often been viewed as either an indifferent experience we don’t talk about or it is tied to shame… Read more
September 4, 2018
Vulnerability and Grace: Two Ingredients for a Successful Relationship
September 4, 2018 By Matthew Distefano
1 Comment
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
August 30, 2018
Sin: Christianity’s Favorite Three-Letter Word
August 30, 2018 By Matthew Distefano
4 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
August 24, 2018
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
August 2, 2018
Nationalism is Division of the Body
August 2, 2018 By Guest Contributor
22 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
July 11, 2018
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
July 4, 2018
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
June 27, 2018
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
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