"A closer look at preferences and precepts"Welcome to the Truthxchange Podcast: This is a weekly program with Dr Jeffery J Ventrella where he answers questions from subscribers around the globe, addressing issues about worldview, cultural apologetics, and other miscellaneous items. I am your host Joshua Gielow, and this is another edition of the director's bag. Does holding to doctrinal distinctives count as preference or precepts? At what point does precepts/preferences become preferences and not precepts? At what point do we break fellowship with those who are in this idolatry? And a  question about retrievalism and the 5th commandment.

"Reparations as atonement and Flesh bad/Spirit good."Welcome to the TruthXchange Podcast: This is a weekly program with Dr Jeffery J Ventrella where he answers questions from subscribers around the globe, addressing issues about worldview, cultural apologetics, and other miscellaneous items. I am your host Joshua Gielow, and this is another edition of the director's bag. Anonymous Hey friends, I have been reading a book on CRT adjacent called Reparations by Duke Kwon and Gregory Thompson. One of the factors I am considering helpful in CRT is that society needs to take ownership for their past mistakes, specifically with white Americans who live off of the momentum gained by slavery in the US. Wouldn't it be more Christian of us to own our mistakes and sins and take of communities that have been made disadvantaged by slave ownership?   Greenville, SC Mr. Ventrella, I have been enjoying your weekly dictas and they have become the highlight in my Monday inbox, thank you! Your dicta, Embodied, made me think about dualism. I have been following TruthXchange for several years, and I have recalled a number of speakers in the past talks about dualism as always a bad thing. Are there any types of dualism where this is not the case?   Jackson, MS Dr. Ventrella, you quoted Andrew Sandlin in your dicta today, "The conflict is never between non physical and physical..." What about flesh and spirit? Aren't Christian encouraged to walk in the Spirit, not the flesh? In the end won't the world be burnt away, and just the spirit be left?

"Eating Edibles and Having Pride, to the Glory of God?"Welcome to the TruthXchange Podcast: This is a weekly program with Dr Jeffery J Ventrella where he answers questions from subscribers around the globe, addressing issues about worldview, cultural apologetics, and other miscellaneous items. I am your host Joshua Gielow, and this is another edition of the director's bag. Rachel, from NM Hi Dr. Ventrella, I wondered if you could talk a bit more about psychedelics and perhaps medicinal marijuana from a Christian worldview. Jordan Peterson has indicated that psychedelics may have been what Moses experienced in the desert with the burning bush, or what was kept in the Ark of the Covenant. You, along with others like Albert Mohler, seem to draw a conclusion that it is never good. I can think of a few scenarios where it can be of aid like a glass of wine, or for those who suffer from cancer. Is there a way to steward them well for God's glory?   Victor, San Bernardino, CA  Hey Joshua and Dr. Ventrella, I love the new Director's Bag podcast set up. I wish you had more released throughout the week. Keep' em coming. This month is pride month, and I admit I am not very charitable or eloquent in talking to believers or non-believers who are stuck in the lgbtq lifestyle. Do you have any advice for how you engage personally with the lgbtq community? Please keep me in prayer as I think through how I should engage them.

"Hey! Who Gave You the Power?"In this episode, Dr. Jeffery Ventrella addresses questions concerning: God as the Ultimate evil in a CRT worldview, Christian obedience to tyrannical power, and how should Caesar rule?Welcome to the TruthXchange Podcast: This is a weekly program with Dr Jeffery J Ventrella where he answers questions from subscribers around the globe, addressing issues about worldview, cultural apologetics, and other miscellaneous items. I am your host Joshua Gielow, and this is another edition of the director's bag."Dear Jeff, I have been reflecting on your series of dictas on CRT, and it occurred to me that if Christians make use of CRT as a tool in understanding worldview, would not that also apply to God, especially since we believe that He is God almighty? As the ultimate source of power, wouldn't that make him evil, or is that a straw man understanding of CRT?"   "Dear Dr. Ventrella, in your recent dicta, you call the State a servant and minister to the Lord. If I am not mistaken, that is also how scripture refers to the government in Romans 13, and maybe other places as well. What are your thoughts on how Christians are to respond to tyrannical governments today, and could those same thoughts and rules be applied to Christians in the first couple of centuries?"   "I don't see in scripture anywhere a command for how the government is to operate. You mentioned they are servants, where is the manual  for Nero or Titus on how to operate?"

Welcome to the TruthXchange Podcast: This is a weekly program with Dr Jeffery J Ventrella where he answers questions from subscribers around the globe, addressing issues about worldview, cultural apologetics, and other miscellaneous items. I am your host Joshua Gielow, and this is another edition of the director's bag.Abigail from Kentucky- 5 years old Mr. Ventrella, when I go to heaven will I still be a girl? Gary from California writes- Re: “Lies that Live” – Part 4 Embryos, IVF, and Means/Ends Confusion While reading the article, it struck me that the arguments you cited that are used to justify IVF mortality are essentially the same ones used to justify elective abortion.  When pro-life Christians (or non-Christians) argue against the justifications for abortion but then accept the identical justifications for IVF, they completely neutralize their argument and testimony.   Wilson from South Carolina writes- Dr. Ventrella, You wrote "How then should Christians conceptualize the State in a way which dispels the lies we live?  Has the Lord instructed us in such things?  Indeed, because Christ is Lord, His divine power has in fact “granted us all things that pertain to life and godliness.”[19]  This includes life and godliness in the public square including a theology of the State." Much of the New Testament seems to have an understanding that the Kingdom of God is not of this world and that we are pilgrims passing through, but here in the dicta you seem to imply that we should be involved, even to take the nation for God. How does this not lead to a type of Christian Nationalism? Is Christian Nationalism bad?

Welcome to the TruthXchange Podcast: This is a weekly program with Dr Jeffery J Ventrella where he answers questions from subscribers around the globe, answering questions about worldview, cultural apologetics, and other miscellaneous items. I am your host Joshua Gielow, and this is another edition of the director's bag. Thomas writes- "Dear TruthXchange, I am a freshman in High School and my mom makes me read your weekly dictas. I am struggling with some of the issues involving CRT. Some of it I understand is clearly wrong and against the Bible, but some of it makes sense. One of those is the area of the power aspect, oppressed and oppressor. I see some of those themes in the bible and it seems helpful to understand some of my friends' perspectives. I don't want to be a bad witness to my friends but I feel stuck when I talk to them about Jesus and that Christianity has been oppressive to many minorities."   Jay from North Carolina writes- "How should we understand the issue of abortion according to the bible? Doesn't God call for the killing of Canaanite children, and in the psalms for the psalmist enemies' children's teeth to be grounded upon the rocks?" For more resources, please visit us at www.truthxchange.com To have your question answered on the Director's Bag, email [email protected]

Welcome to the TruthXchange Podcast: This is a weekly program with Dr Jeffery J Ventrella where he answers questions from subscribers around the globe, answering questions about worldview, cultural apologetics, and other miscellaneous items. I am your host Joshua Gielow, and this is another edition of the director's bag.Upcoming Symposium: "Every Square Inch: Taking Christ's Sovereignty to the streets." August 30-31, 2024 at Providence Christian College. Keith from San Diego California writes- There are various types of apologetics out there and a lot of discussion and even fighting about which ones are the most faithful to the scripture when witnessing. What method do you prefer, and is there a way forward out of the in-house fighting?   Sabrina from Spain writes- Dr. Ventrella thank you for your weekly Dictas, they have been so helpful to me in thinking about issues that are happening in the news in America and even here in Spain. I wondered if some of the trans issues could be resolved if we just did away with gender stereotypes, or gender specific games, toys, jobs... Some of these things seem only cultural and I have wondered if it just adds to the confusion for young boys and girls growing up? Thanks for your help.

Mark your calendar for September 26th through the 30th, TruthXChange’s 2022 Online Symposium. “Stolen Identity: The Theft of the Binary in Contemporary Society.” “What are your pronouns?” “How do you identify?” These current cultural questions are a restatement of one of the oldest questions of the human race: “Who am I?” Today’s answers carry a beguiling temptation to define ourselves by looking within, whereas the older version implies that we should look outside ourselves, asking our Creator to tell us what we need to know. Whether in the Church or the White House, at home or in our nation’s schools, many in our culture, including Christians, are facing an identity crisis. If we fall prey to the deceptive influences that tear us away from our ties to our Maker, Creator and Savior. At TruthXchange we are excited to present our latest symposium, “Stolen Identity: The Theft of the Binary in Contemporary Society,” will remind Christians that the only place we can safely ground our identity is in God, in the binary truth of Twoism, where God and the creation are distinct and where distinction is a good thing for our identity. Speakers: Stephen Chavura - Identity and The Modern Self Pamela Frost – “The Enneagram and Identity” Peter Jones – “Sexual Identity” Emilio Ramos- "The Spirituality of the Meta-universe and Personal Identity” Mark Robinson – "Contemporary Education and the Shaping of Identity” Samuel Sey - "Identity and Intersectionality" Eowyn Stoddard - "The Stolen Identity of the Modern Woman " Carl Teichrib – “The Rising Global Spirituality and the Search for Personal Identity” Mary Weller – “Transgenderism Movement” Andrea Williams – “Law and Personhood”

Mary and Joshua team up to discuss the outline of Mary's talk for the upcoming sympossium. The discussion covers grooming, pronouns, education, and more!Mark your calendar for September 26th through the 30th, TruthXChange’s 2022 Online Symposium. “Stolen Identity: The Theft of the Binary in Contemporary Society.” “What are your pronouns?” “How do you identify?” These current cultural questions are a restatement of one of the oldest questions of the human race: “Who am I?” Today’s answers carry a beguiling temptation to define ourselves by looking within, whereas the older version implies that we should look outside ourselves, asking our Creator to tell us what we need to know. Whether in the Church or the White House, at home or in our nation’s schools, many in our culture, including Christians, are facing an identity crisis. If we fall prey to the deceptive influences that tear us away from our ties to our Maker, Creator and Savior. At TruthXchange we are excited to present our latest symposium, “Stolen Identity: The Theft of the Binary in Contemporary Society,” will remind Christians that the only place we can safely ground our identity is in God, in the binary truth of Twoism, where God and the creation are distinct and where distinction is a good thing for our identity. Speakers: Stephen Chavura - Identity and The Modern Self Pamela Frost – “The Enneagram and Identity” Peter Jones – “Sexual Identity” Emilio Ramos- "The Spirituality of the Meta-universe and Personal Identity” Mark Robinson – "Contemporary Education and the Shaping of Identity” Samuel Sey - "Identity and Intersectionality" Eowyn Stoddard - "The Stolen Identity of the Modern Woman " Carl Teichrib – “The Rising Global Spirituality and the Search for Personal Identity” Mary Weller – “Transgenderism Movement” Andrea Williams – “Law and Personhood”

Mark your calendar for September 26th through the 30th, TruthXChange’s 2022 Online Symposium. “Stolen Identity: The Theft of the Binary in Contemporary Society.” “What are your pronouns?” “How do you identify?” These current cultural questions are a restatement of one of the oldest questions of the human race: “Who am I?” Today’s answers carry a beguiling temptation to define ourselves by looking within, whereas the older version implies that we should look outside ourselves, asking our Creator to tell us what we need to know. Whether in the Church or the White House, at home or in our nation’s schools, many in our culture, including Christians, are facing an identity crisis. If we fall prey to the deceptive influences that tear us away from our ties to our Maker, Creator and Savior. At TruthXchange we are excited to present our latest symposium, “Stolen Identity: The Theft of the Binary in Contemporary Society,” will remind Christians that the only place we can safely ground our identity is in God, in the binary truth of Twoism, where God and the creation are distinct and where distinction is a good thing for our identity. Speakers: Stephen Chavura - Identity and The Modern Self Pamela Frost – “The Enneagram and Identity” Peter Jones – “Sexual Identity” Emilio Ramos- "The Spirituality of the Meta-universe and Personal Identity” Mark Robinson – "Contemporary Education and the Shaping of Identity” Samuel Sey - "Identity and Intersectionality" Eowyn Stoddard - "The Stolen Identity of the Modern Woman " Carl Teichrib – “The Rising Global Spirituality and the Search for Personal Identity” Mary Weller – “Transgenderism Movement” Andrea Williams – “Law and Personhood”