Theology

Who Can Take the Lord’s Supper?: Understanding Close Communion (with Dallas Vandiver)

Kirk E. Miller

Who ought to be allowed to partake of the Lord’s Supper? Maybe this question has never occurred to you, or you’ve always assumed the answer was obvious! Well, in this episode, Dr. Dallas Vandiver joins me to talk about a historic position known as ‘close communion,’ that the Lord’s Supper ought to be reserved for baptized members in good standing of a gospel-believing church.

Access the episode here. (Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and more.)

Dallas Vandiver’s book, Who Can Take the Lord’s Supper?: A Biblical-Theological Argument for Close Communion.

Dallas Vandiver’s shorter article summarizing the arguments of the book:

Who Can Take the Lord’s Supper? by Dallas VandiverDownload

The Apostles’ Creed (with Michael Svigel)

Kirk E. Miller

We’re kicking-off a new series on, what are sometimes called, the ecumenical creeds. In today’s episode, we begin with what is known as The Apostles’ Creed. Along the way, we also answer questions like, what is a creed, and why do the creeds matter? Maybe your church recites The Apostles’ Creed. But what does it mean to call Jesus God’s Son? And what about that line about him descending to hell? We hope you will be encouraged as you dive deeper into this historic articulation of the church’s faith!

Access the episode here. (Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and more.)

See all other episodes in this series.

The Theology of the EFCA (with Greg Strand)

Kirk E. Miller

What does the Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA) believe? What are the theological convictions that unite this broad collection of churches? In this episode, Kirk is joined by Greg Strand, executive director of theology and credentialing for the EFCA, to discuss and exposit the EFCA’s Statement of Faith. As we hope you’ll see, this Statement of Faith is an articulation of nothing less than the core elements of gospel itself.

Access the episode here. (Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and more.)

See all other episodes in this series.

Dominion and Dynasty by Stephen Dempster (Book Recommendation)

Kirk E. Miller

Have you ever read a portion of the Old Testament and wondered to yourself, “What does any of this have to do with the larger story of the Bible?” In this book, Stephen Dempster helps us grasp the grand story of the Hebrew Bible by examining the twin themes of genealogy and geography (seed and land). Dempster takes us on a journey through the Old Testament, showing us how it’s not just a random collection of stories but a carefully woven narrative that brings coherence to the Bible’s overall message.

Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper (Book Recommendation)

Kirk E. Miller

The American Dream beckons us to waste our lives on trivial diversions like “success,” pleasure, and comfort. In contrast, in his book Don’t Waste Your Life, pastor John Piper directs us to scripture’s call to live lives that matter for eternity. Piper directs us to live with a single, unifying, all-embracing, all-transforming passion for God’s glory–which also will mean our highest joy.