Jesus in a Pluralistic World (Slides)
This presentation (delivered to the Beth Haven Apologetics Conference, June 2, 2018) examines some underlying principles contrasting Jesus' brand of exclusivism and various forms of pluralism and universalism, and looks at Biblical case studies for presenting Jesus in...
Examining the Reliability of the New Testament (Slides)
This presentation (delivered to the Beth Haven Apologetics Conference, June 2, 2018) considers four major issues of Biblical criticism: (1) Contradictions and discrepancies, (2) errors, (3) lack of originals and questionable copies, and (4) canonicity issues. [gview...
Renovation Podcast Episode 8 – “Think on These Things”
Dr. Christopher Cone and John Oglesby explore practical aspects of the Christian life – wrestling with tough theological issues and talking about why the questions and answers are relevant. Cone and Oglesby challenge themselves and their listeners to enjoy the...
“The most effective leadership, management, and efficiency models share traits common with each other, and traits that are ultimately traceable to the pages of the Bible. While these models are often not intentionally rooted in Biblical concepts by those that promote the models, the models illustrate how applying Biblical principles can set a trajectory of success in enterprise and in life. Led By a Lion is designed to introduce some of these leadership, management, and efficiency models, but goes a step further in identifying the Biblical genesis of many of the core traits that fuel the success of these models.”
What is Your Identity – 1 John 4:7-21
Dr. Christopher Cone addresses the current identity crises related to race, gender identity, and cultural peer pressure, suggesting that 1 John 4:7-21 provides the solution.
Renovation Podcast Episode 7 – “The Pursuit of Truth”
Dr. Christopher Cone and John Oglesby explore practical aspects of the Christian life – wrestling with tough theological issues and talking about why the questions and answers are relevant. Cone and Oglesby challenge themselves and their listeners to enjoy the...
California Bill AB-2943 Harms Civil Rights of LGBT Community, Legislates: “Questionable” Science is Fraud
California Bill AB-2943 is a remarkable piece of legislation, in that it legislates “questionable” science as fraud. AB-2943 affirms LGBT identity as natural: “(a) Contemporary science recognizes that being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender is part of the natural...
“This approach has the advantage of seeking to view all knowledge through the lens of Scripture, and to subject all knowledge to the authority of Scripture. It encourages science and research within the field of psychology. It offers a Biblical balance of description and prescription. Of course, if the Bible is unreliable, then the refractive power of Scripture is distortive rather than corrective, but the epistemological premise of this approach is that God’s word is authoritative and sufficient for our understanding, for our equipping, and for our practice. There are many extra-biblical resources that we can employ, but in seeking out how and when to do that, we mustn’t lose sight of the one reliable constant that God has provided for us – the Bible.” –Chapter 9
Renovation Podcast Episode 6 – “Life for the Glory of God”
Dr. Christopher Cone and John Oglesby explore practical aspects of the Christian life – wrestling with tough theological issues and talking about why the questions and answers are relevant. Cone and Oglesby challenge themselves and their listeners to enjoy the...
Overcoming Obstacles in Organizational Development (Slides)
Every organization faces three major obstacles to development: the potential for mission drift, difficulty in finding paths to mission fulfillment, and leadership challenges in developing people. This presentation, delivered to the ANAM 2018 National Forum, addresses...
Communicating Good News to Millennials and iGens (Slides)
Millennials (Generation Y) and iGens (Generation Z) have some positive similarities to which we can appeal in communicating the good news of Jesus Christ. If we don't recognize some of those traits and follow Peter's and Paul's examples of understanding the culture,...
“The Green Tree is an exceptional work…provides a vital tool for every Bible interpreter…Just as the root system is the foundation of a tree and directly impacts the health of a tree, hermeneutic method is at the root of one’s worldview. This illustration demonstrates that the hermeneutic method that an interpreter of the Bible employs will significantly affect the outcome. The tree will either be healthy, or it will not be healthy…The authors provide a unique examination of Revelation, Genesis, and Job that demonstrates that the LGH hermeneutic is derived from within Scripture, something that other hermeneutical methods fail to demonstrate. This is perhaps the most crucial principle demonstrated in The Green Tree, and it effectively demonstrates that the LGH hermeneutic is also the Biblical hermeneutic.” – Andrew Friend (Amazon Review)
What is Hermeneutics, and Why it Matters (Slides)
At the Jansen Bible Conference in Jansen, Nebraska, Dr. Cone discusses some basic principles of hermeneutics and why those principles are so important. All communication involves interpretation, and how we interpret the Bible sets the tone for our entire lives. Will...
Renovation Podcast Episode 4
Dr. Christopher Cone and John Oglesby explore practical aspects of the Christian life – wrestling with tough theological issues and talking about why the questions and answers are relevant. Cone and Oglesby challenge themselves and their listeners to enjoy the...
Does the Pope Believe Hell Exists? Should We?
Does the Pope believe in hell? An interesting controversy has arisen as Pope Francis has allegedly denied the existence of hell in an interview with Eugenio Scalfari in La Repubblica. Francis is quoted as saying, “Bad souls are not punished. Those who do not...
Renovation Podcast Episode 3
Dr. Christopher Cone and John Oglesby explore practical aspects of the Christian life – wrestling with tough theological issues and talking about why the questions and answers are relevant. Cone and Oglesby challenge themselves and their listeners to enjoy the...
#MeToo Invites Us To Consider More Than Just Behavior
The #MeToo movement brought needed light to the darkness of sexual abuse and assault, and underscored a dark principle of human nature: people will often try to get away with whatever they think they can. The public unveiling of sexual selfishness and other evils that...
What is God’s Will for My Life?
What is God's will for my life? The answer isn't as complicated as you might think. Part if it has to do with recognizing whose life it actually is!
Do I Really Need to Know the Bible?
Why everyone needs to know the Bible, and how it impacts life.
When Does Eternal Life Begin?
John 6:47 tells us about the timing of eternal life, and helps us think about two very important implications.
A Philosophy of Biblical Counseling
Dr. Cone discusses different approaches to counseling and discusses Calvary University's model for Biblical counseling and direction for the program at Calvary.
God Doesn’t Play Dice…But He Does Play Hide and Seek
On the one hand, we have Paul telling us how unfathomable and unsearchable are the ways of God (Rom 11:33), and on the other, he prays that believers will grow in their understanding, and that they will be receptive to the breadth, length, height, and depth of His...