In this episode, the Laymen have a discussion about the Reformation. The Reformation was an event that focussed around three men in the 16th Century, Martin Luther, John Calvin and Huldrych Zwingli. Through several events, these men attempted to reform the church of the day, but instead, changed the world as we know it.
During the 16th Century the Catholic Church became corrupt. They began to sell indulgences. These were certificates that guaranteed entrance into Heaven. How did you receive one of these certificates? You purchased them. It was a way the church was attempting to raise money. The Reformers realized there was a problem with this and then Martin Luther nailed his 95 Thesis to the door of a church, and history changed forever.
What does the Reformation have to do with us today? Out of the Reformation came an idea of five Solas. They are Scripture Alone, Faith Alone, Grace Alone, Christ Alone, and Glory to God Alone. As Christians, we believe that the Bible is the ultimate authority. We believe that we are saved through Faith in Christ alone, by His Grace and for His Glory. While all of these ideas are found in the Bible, the Reformation helped us understand them.
Thank you for listening. Make sure you follow us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/laymenscup and on twitter and instagram @laymenscup. When you and follow us, please share our page. While you are here reading our show notes, please sign up and subscribe to “The Barista,” our monthly newsletter.
We love when we hear from you. Please leave a review on iTunes, or whichever podcast app you use. You can also leave a review here on our page. If you would like to try the coffee the Laymen drank on the episode you can get it here at Shaun’s Coffeeshop. Proceeds from the coffee sales go to support his adoption.
Thank you for listening! Pray for us as we pray for you.
The Laymen
In this Friday Preview we discuss the next episode, why is the reformation important today. One of our own goes overseas to serve, and most importantly we lay down the Gospel.
1st Peter 3:15 tells us to "honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to give a defense." The Greek term used here is "apologia," this is where we get the word "Apologetics." This is a study in Christian theology that defends the faith. A champion in Apologetics is Dr. Alex McFarland.
Alex has spoken at over 1,500 churches throughout the years. A quick search on Youtube will show the many times he has appeared on Fox News and other programs debating Atheists. He has written several books on Apologetics, including his newest book, "21 Toughest Questions Your Kids Will Ask about Christianity: & How to Answer Them Confidently."
Alex attended The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He received his Master's Degree in Christian Thought/Apologetics at Liberty University and received his Doctorate from Southern Evangelical Seminary, where he has also served as President.
It was a true honor to sit down with Alex and discuss some of the basic ideas of Apologetics. Every Christian, at some point in their walk, will use Apologetics. When you are asked the question "why do you believe in the Bible," how will you answer? This is why Apologetics is so important. In the culture we are living in today it becomes increasingly more important.
Thank you for listening. If you are interested in getting one of Alex's books you can get it here at the Laymen's Cup Bookstore.
You can always email the show at laymenscup@gmail.com. Please make sure you subscribe on iTunes and leave a review. The more subscribers we get, the more iTunes advertises for us.
We are also selling shirts. You can purchase them at our Shop.
If you would like to buy the coffee we are drinking, and believe me you want to get some of it, go to our support page and follow the link. There are several other ways you can support our show there as well.
Thank you for listening. We are praying for you, as we hope you are praying for us.
The Laymen
In this preview we discuss Monday very special guest Alex McFarland. He is an evangelist and a Christian Apologetic. He has spoken over 1,500 church in the U.S. We are very excited for you guys to hear the interview on Monday.
Technology is a part of all of our lives. How do we know? You are either reading this on your phone or your computer. If you listen to the show, you probably listen to us on your smart phone. In this episode we interview the author of "God, Technology, and Us" by Marcus Hammonds.
Marcus was born in Detroit, MI, and went to school at Prairie View A&M University at Prairie View, Tx, were he received his degree in Mechanical Engineering. He later received his Masters Degree in the same field of study. He worked for Pepsi Co where he developed many different innovations in the beverage industry. All this leads us to say, that Marcus knows a thing or two about Technology in our lives. Later in his career he started http://bytesandbelief.com, a blog that discusses how we deal with technology in our lives.
Marcus felt called to write the book "God, Technology, and US." Here he puts his thoughts down on how we, as Christians, should deal with technology in our lives. How can we deal with technology in a way that glorifies God and doesn't control us?
We hope you enjoy this episode. If you would like to get a copy of the book we have placed it in the Laymen's Cup Book store. Make sure you follow us on all the social media platforms, www.facebook.com/laymenscup, and on Instagram and Twitter @laymenscup. You can email the show at laymenscup@gmail.com. If you are listening to us on iTunes, please leave a review. The more five star reviews we receive, the more we get promoted. Make sure you check out our Support page as well. That will give you information on how you can support the show, as well as Shaun's adoption. There is also a link there to get the coffee we are drinking this week.
Lastly, before you leave us today, please sign up for "The Barista." We are introducing a monthly news letter. We want you to know what is coming and about the great coffee we are drinking. Please subscribe today.
Pray for us, as we are praying for you.
The Laymen
In this Friday Preview, we discuss the upcoming episode where we interview Marcus Hammonds. Also we introduce our Newsletter that is coming out. Please go onto our website at www.laymenscup.com and sign up. Have a great weekend, can't wait to sit down and have a cup with you on Monday.
We want to share with you for just a few minutes what is coming up on the The Laymen's Cup. On Monday, October 5th our new show "Can Christians Drink?" is coming out. We know you have an opinion on this subject, so please share with us what you think about the show.
You can email the show at Laymenscup@gmail.com. We are on all the social media sites. Thank you for your support.
Can Christians drink alcohol? Everyone has an opinion for this question. There are two camps that people fit in. One is the John the Baptist camp. John made an oath not to drink. Jesus, on the other hand, did drink. This is obvious from the Wedding in Cana where Jesus turned water into wine. Jesus said that John was the greatest man to ever live, and Jesus is the Savior of the World, so either camp would be good to be in.
The question that is left is: what is the motive for being in the camp you are in? There are some who are in the John camp because of their past. It would be a sin for the person to take a drink because it would lead him down a path of destruction. There are others that would not have a problem sitting down and drinking a beer. The Laymen discuss these camps and the motives that lead people to be in each of them in this episode. Whichever camp you are in, listen and let us know what you think.
Thank you for listening. We are having a blast and we hope you are enjoying it. Please, however you are listening, subscribe and leave a comment. There is a good chance we will read it on the show. If you would like to support the show please check out our support page. We are also starting a book store. There will be more to come on that during later episodes. If you would like a shirt, email us at Laymenscup@gmail.com and we will let you know how to order one.
Lastly, Shaun is selling coffee to raise money for his adoption. If you would like to try the coffee that the guys drank on the show, you can order some here at Shaun's Coffee Shop.
Thank you again. Pray for us, as we pray for you.
The Laymen
The Laymen continue our discussion with Dr. Chris Griggs. This is a discussion on the type of "gates" that determines what a preacher's speaks about. A good question is raised in the discussion. When you leave church on Sunday morning, what are thinking about, other than food? Are you thinking about how to apply the steps of how to be a better father or mother, are you thinking about how to apply the seven steps to financial freedom, or are you think about Jesus' grace and mercy. Are you focused on the cross?
They Laymen would like to thank you for your support. We are continuing to grow every week. It is our mission to glorify Christ in all that we do, and present the Gospel in a way that it engages you. That being said, please send us your comments and questions. You can do it several ways. First, you can leave a comment here, or you can email us at Laymenscup@gmail.com. You can also leave a comment on iTunes. There, the more 5 star reviews we have the better, and we will start getting more exposure on iTunes.
On the show Shaun discussed his fundraiser. He is selling Just Love Coffee to raise money for the legal fees for his adoption. The coffee the Laymen drank on show is Ethiopian Sidamo. It says on the back that is has Blueberry notes in it. It is a unique coffee with a full body flavor. If you would like to get some, you can go here. Shaun's Coffee Shop.
Please go and check out our Support Page. Again, our mission is to share the Gospel with as many people as possible, but to have fun as we do it as well. It takes a lot of support and time to put this show on every week. If you feel led, this page will tell you the different ways to support us.
Thank you for listening. Please pray for us, as we are praying for you.
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The Laymen are very excited to have Dr. Chris Griggs as our guest. He is pastor of Denver Baptist Church, and is coming to ask the question, what shapes your preaching? Chris attended Wake Forest University and he received his M.Div at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and later received his Doctorate of Ministry from the same school. What makes this even more exciting for the Laymen is that he is our pastor.
By the time a preacher walks behind a pulpit he has walked through many "Gates." These gates determine what perspective that preacher is coming from. Is he coming to glorify Christ? Is he coming to seek the lost? Or is he coming to make others comfortable? All these questions are asked as he is preparing his sermon, and it will determine what is said behind the pulpit.
Dr. Chris Griggs is coming from over twenty years of ministry. He started as a youth pastor and then felt called to Pastor a church. He has been at Denver Baptist for ten years. You will really enjoy hearing some of the stories he tells us, especially about his first sermon.
Thank you for listening. We are humbled each week as we grow more and more. You can always email the show at laymenscup@gmail.com. We are on Facebook and on twitter and Instagram @laymenscup. If you are listening on iTunes please subscribe and leave us a review. Also go and check out our support page. There, if you feel led you can donate to the show, and find other ways to support us. Shaun mentioned on this week show that he selling coffee to raise money for his adoption. You can purchase coffee to support him here at Shaun's Coffeeshop. Shaun opened his online coffee shop in the hopes to raise money for the legal fees for the adoption.
The Laymen
Round 1 went to Patrick, how will round 2 go? In this episode the Laymen finish their discussion on the end times. The purpose of this discussion was not to debate or tell you what to believe, but to challenge you. As Patrick states at the end of the show, this might make you mad or it might make you think we are crazy. What we hope it does, is drive you to the Scripture. If you have never heard of the Post Mil view, and want to learn more, email the show and we will give you resources to learn. Or, if you are Pre-Mill and want to learn more, again we can point to different resources that we used in the show.
We want to think you for supporting the show. Go and check out our support page, also go and check out our sponsor page. If you would like to sponsor the show, please email us at laymenscup@gmail.com. There are several ways to sponsor the show and we will let you know if the options available to you. Lastly, please go and like our Facebook page, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @laymenscup.
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Eschatology is the study of the end times. In this episode we will discuss the end times according to the Laymen. What do we mean by that? We will agree that Jesus will one day come back for his church; this Jesus was clear about. The question remains, in what manner is this event going to happen? For the Laymen, this is what we call an open handed question. The reason this is open handed, is because there are three main views, and these views do not change your salvation.
The three main views are Pre-Millennial, Post-Millennial and Amillennial. The issue within these views is not if Jesus is coming back, or if the rapture will happen, it is the timing of the rapture. In a Pre-Millennial view, it is believed that the rapture will occur before a tribulation, and then the Millenium (meaning the thousand year reign of Christ on Earth) will happen. In a Post-Millennial view, Christianity will spread, and once it has spread throughout the earth, then, Christ will come and reign. The Amillennial view believes that the Millennium explained in Revelation is completely figurative and will not occur.
In this episode we try to give an unbiased view by presenting each of the three views. We will admit, we have a lot of fun debating these views and challenging each other. On this issue we do not all agree, but because it is an open handed issue, we can challenge one another and have fun doing it.
No matter were you stand on Eschatology, we hope this episode challenges you, because then it will drive you the Scripture and force you to study God's word. All four of us has been challenged, and forced to defend what we each believe. There is, and will always be, a mystery to the end times. That is a part of the beauty of God's word. Know what you believe, and be able to give a defense for it.
Thank you, as always, for listening. We are excited that we now have shirts. If you would like to support the show and buy one, email the show at laymenscup@gmail.com and we will tell you how to get one. Also, leave us a review on iTunes, the more we get - the more the show gets out to the people. Follow us on twitter @laymenscup and Instagram as well. We also have a Facebook page. If you would like to support the show you can donate to us as well, check out our support page to learn how.
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For what seems like eons, every time you turn on the news there seems to be an issue with race. Baltimore, Ferguson, New York, even in our own back yard of Charlotte. It seems as a society we are not moving in the right direction when it comes to racial issues. How do we as Christians deal with racial issues?
In this episode, the Laymen discuss how to we reconcile this issue of race. In our own backyard, South Carolina, they took down the Confederate Flag that flew over the capitol for years. What does that flag mean? For many it is a symbol of heritage, but do people truly get the meaning of that heritage? It means something different for all people. Ultimately, what is the perspective of that symbol to the Christian?
Another issue that is discussed in this episode is: is the church a model of racial reconciliation? When we look down the street, is the church as diverse as the culture it is placed in? In most cases, there are white churches and then black churches as you look down that street. How do we as Christians breakdown down those walls that we put up years ago?
Thank you for listening. We are excited that each week we grow more and more. Last week, we broke 1,000 downloads. The Laymen are very excited about that. If you have not done so yet, please subscribe. Also, go tell someone about our show. If each of our listeners tells one person about us, we will double in size. That means more people who will hear the Gospel each week.
If you have any questions you would like us to address on the show, please email us at laymenscup@gmail.com. Also, go on to iTunes and leave a 5 star review. The more we get, the more we move up on iTunes list. Thank you for listening and thank you for helping us grow. Check out our Facebook page, twitter @laymenscup and Instagram @laymenscup.
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The Laymen want to start off by letting you know that we are not afraid to discuss tough issues facing society. Seven videos have come out now showing the behind the scenes activity of Planned Parenthood. The question that is brought up is: how do we, as Christians Preserve Life? In this show, the Laymen discuss this tough issue and how we as Christians deal with this heavy topic.
The Laymen believe unapologetically that life begins at the moment of conception. Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you." Even before conception, God knew you. Can you be a Christian and support abortion at the same time? This is a tough stance that people wrestle with. There are some who claim to be Christians and say that abortion is not murder. What stance do that Laymen take on this?
Is abortion wrong in every situation? We discuss some worst case scenarios and how we would deal with these situations in the light of the Gospel. One question that was brought up, how would we deal if our wives were faced with a life or death situation?
Another question that we raise is, how do we, as Christians, deal with the information given in Planned Parenthood videos? Are we justified in being angry over how children are being treated in these videos, and how can we compare Scripture with what is going on?
One point that is made in this show, is that if you are woman who finds herself at a moment of crisis. We want you to know that there is help. If you are in the Lake Norman area, here is a link to a pregnancy center where you can find help, East Lincoln Pregnancy Center. If you are not in our area, please email us and will help you find the help you need in your area. There is hope and grace in the Gospel.
One of our own is going through the Adoption process. We believe that is a viable option for any woman who is at a moment of crisis. This is an option that saves lives. If you would like to support his adoption you can follow this link to donate. Whichever One Fits
Thank you for listening, please go and check out our support page. You can email us at laymenscup@gmail.com. We are on Facebook at Laymen's Cup Podcast, Twitter @Laymenscup, and Instagram @laymenscup. Please follow and subscribe. You can leave a comment here as well.
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In this Episode, number 5, we are still discussing how to raise Godly children in a culture that teaches them differently. This is the second part of an interview with Ken and Joye Furches. Ken is the Community Pastor at Denver Baptist Church, and has worked as a youth minister for many years.
Several questions were raised in the second installment of this interview. First, how do we discipline our children? Ken has a confession to make in his answer, he obviously treated his girls differently than he did his oldest son.
Another question raised was, how young is too young for children to come to Christ? It was a privilege to hear how each child came to Christ, and the moment when one of his children faced a moment of crisis in their faith.
While Ken honestly admits they do not have it all figured out, they did raise three God loving adults who serve Christ in different ways.
We hope you are enjoying listening.
Thank you for all of your support. If you would leave a review and a comment on iTunes we will read it on the air.
Make sure to check out our support page. There are different ways you can support the show including visiting our shop, or subscribing to our YouTube Channel.
The Laymen
In this Episode the Laymen discuss children and how to raise them in a culture that reflects the Biblical worldview. To help in this discussion, the guys are honored to bring on two friends of the show, Ken and Joye Furches.
Ken is the Community Pastor of Denver Baptist Church. Ken received degrees from Liberty Baptist University were he received a B.S. in Religion and M.A. in Christian Leadership. He married Joye in 1984. They did not receive Christ until they were in their twenties. After Ken became a Christian he was called in to the ministry. Ken and Joye have been on several overseas mission trips to Peru, China, Sudan, Belgium, Armenia, South Africa and dozens of stateside trips.
Ken and Joye have raised three amazing children who all serve the Lord. Their oldest is on the foreign mission field, their middle child serves in Cleveland, OH, and their youngest works with youth while she is attending college. They also have three grandchildren, or as Joye explains, they are Ken's grandchildren.
The question that was raised is how do we, as Christian fathers, raise children that glorify the Lord? It seems that the world is teaching our children what is opposite to what the Bible says. How do we protect our children as they go in the the locker rooms and are exposed to what the world has to offer them? We know we need to raise kids that are counter culture to the word. "I taught my son to be a leader in the locker room" Ken explains. This is one of the many reason it was nice to have Ken and Joye on. Not only have they raised children that glorify Him, they also remind us that we do not have to have it all figured out.
Thank you for listening and subscribing. Do not forget to check our Support Page. You can also check out our Youtube Channel
In Episode 4, the Laymen had the amazing opportunity to interview Dr. Michael Brown about the family. This is a continuation of the family series that the Laymen are discussing.
Dr. Brown is a noted Hebrew and Old Testament scholar. He has written several books including "Can you be Gay and Christian?", "A Queer thing happened to America," and "Jeremiah" in the Expositor's Commentary Series. He is host to the live radio show "The Line of Fire" and started the Fire School of Ministry.
On this show we discussed the family. A couple of points to take away from the show are that God created man, then the family, so it obvious that the family is important to God. Next, if the family is right, meaning a Godly husband who leads his wife, then the family will thrive. The questions lead us to discuss what the Bible truly says about "Do not judge" and how we share the Gospel with those who disagree with us.
Don't miss this episode! You will get to see how the Laymen thrive under pressure. As we were preparing to interview Dr. Brown, the equipment decided not to work properly. We had to change course on the fly to get this interview you. It took a some creative minds to get this recorded, so, we hope you enjoy it.
As always, if you have a comment, you can leave it on iTunes or email us at laymenscup@gmail.com. We will discuss your questions or comments on the air. Please go to our support page. There you can donate to the show, or check out the items in our shop. Please subscribe to the show on iTunes or any other podcast app you may use. We are now on Stitcher Radio as well. Lastly, go check out our Youtube channel for a new Laymen's Jam coming this week. Thank you for all your love and support.
The Laymen
In Episode 2 we continue to discuss what the Laymen Believe. We discuss the state of man. Each person is a sinner seperated from the God. Then we discuss how they can be reconcilled back to God, through the work of Jesus on the cross.
Thank you for Listen.
The Laymen
In this first episode the Laymen are sharing their testimonies of how they came to know the Lord. We want you to know who we are and where we came from. We begin the journey of walking through what we believe. This are closed handed issue that we will stand on.
1. Scripture - God word is true and perfect.
2. Who is God - we believe in one God who is a live in the Holy Trinity.
You can check our website at Laymenscup.com, we are on Facebook at www.facebook.com/laymenscup, twitter @laymenscup. Thank you for listening and please subscribe.
The Laymen