White Horse Inn Blog

In the second chapter of Acts we find the apostles gathered together at the Feast of Pentecost, receiving the promised gift of the Holy Spirit. But what did the Spirit enable them to do? What was the result of this supernatural outpouring? The result was a sermon. Peter, a man who had recently denied even knowing Jesus, began to proclaim Christ as the fulfillment of the Old Testament with boldness and conviction. The hosts are continuing their series through the Book of Acts on this edition of White Horse Inn.

Are heaven and hell subjective states of mind or real objective places? That’s the focus of this special BONUS edition of the White Horse Inn as the hosts talk with Kevin DeYoung, author of The Good News We Almost Forgot, and What is the Mission of the Church? The interview primarily centers on Kevin’s recent review of the controversial new release, Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived by Rob Bell.

UPDATE: Given the renewed controversy over heaven and hell, Zondervan has given us permission to give away “The Last Battle and Life Everlasting” (chapter 29 from Michael Horton’s new book, The Christian Faith: A Systematic Theology for Pilgrims on the Way). Feel free to download this PDF and forward! For more information about this new release visit Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com.

In the Great Commission, Jesus told his followers to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” But what did this commission look like on the ground? What kinds of things did the apostles actually do in order make disciples of all nations? That’s what’s on tap this week on White Horse Inn as the hosts begin a new mini-series through the Book of Acts.

Take a visit to your local Christian bookstore and you’ll likely find numerous books on discipleship that encourage spiritual disciplines such as journaling, solitude, silence, or fasting. You’re also likely to find books that focus on discipleship at home, or work, in financial decision making, or in the area of personal relationships. But you will probably be hard-pressed to find books on becoming a disciple through learning the Christian faith in all of its dramatic and doctrinal splendor. What are the keys of effective disciple making? That’s the focus of this edition of White Horse Inn.

Jesus tells his followers to “make disciples of all nations.” But what does it mean to become a disciple, and what are today’s churches doing to fulfill this mission? Is this something for new converts only, or is it something we all participate in and pass on to our children? On this edition of White Horse Inn, the hosts will interact with these question and more as they discuss “The Lost Tools of discipleship.”

In the Great Commission, Jesus did not merely tell his followers to “go into all the world,” he also gave us specific instructions for the mission of the church. He said we are to preach, baptize, and make disciples. Sounds pretty simple, but are these elements high on the priority of the average Christian church? How about in your own Christian life? White Horse Inn: know what you believe and why you believe it!

What is the relationship between Christianity and other “Abrahamic faith traditions”? Is Abraham really the father of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity, and if so, does this mean that each of these religions are legitimate ways to God? What are we to do with Abraham himself and with the other Old Testament patriarchs? Since they didn’t have explicit faith in Christ, how can Jesus be the only way of salvation? White Horse Inn: know what you believe and why you believe it!

According to a recent Pew study, 70% of Americans agreed with the idea that “many religions can lead to eternal life.” What’s more striking is that when this same question was put to self-identified evangelical Christians, 57% agreed. So is this view correct, or is faith in Christ the only way to heaven? That’s the focus of this edition of White Horse Inn as the hosts continue their series through the Great Commission.

The Great Commission is both deep in its intensity (making disciples, not just converts) and wide in its extensiveness (“into all the world”). But even where it was once strongly preached and professed, the Gospel’s light seems today to be a flickering candle. How do we take the message of the gospel into all the world? On this edition of the program the hosts discuss the meaning of Christ’s mission statement in the context of today’s religious pluralism.

Starting with Matthew’s Gospel is like walking into the middle of a movie. We have to go back to the Old Testament in order to see the unfolding plot of which Jesus Christ is the main character. On this program the hosts will explore the themes of exile, exodus and conquest showing how they each culminate in the great announcement that Jesus Christ has been given “all authority in heaven and earth” to judge, to save, and to reign forever.