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Author: Tom Fuerst

Tom Fuerst ~ I'm Not a Worthless Sinner

Worm Theology is probably a good moniker for such belief. It imprisons humanity in this notion that our sin has made us worthless. It fetters us to the falsity that the evil within us has so completely broken us that we literally have no value.

It sounds pious. It sounds like a good understanding of the holy character of God lies behind it. It sounds like something Christians should say. But is this at all what the scriptures teach? Or is this just a leftover from the shame-laden sermons we heard in our youth?

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May 18, 2015

Tom Fuerst ~ Terms and Conditions Do Apply – Genesis 15:6, 17:9-14

The central question for Abraham was never, “Are you circumcised?” The central question was, “Is your circumcision a reflection of walking blamelessly and faithfully before God?” The central question for the church, then, is, “In doing these things [baptism, accepting Jesus, or taking Communion] are they expressions of faithfulness and an awareness and a pursuit of the terms and conditions of a covenant relationship with God?” It is not, “Do you call yourself a Christian?” It is, “Do you live a life worthy of that name?”

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August 16, 2014

Tom Fuerst ~ It's Always Abuse, Not Just When It Involves a Child

But what we also fail to realize and consistently communicate is that anytime a clergy member has sex with a parishioner who is not their spouse, it is abuse. The emotional, spiritual, and even societal power granted to a pastor is intertwined and inseparable from all their relations within the church. We cannot, therefore, pretend that infidelity between pastors and their parishioners is anything less than an abuse of that power, and therefore, an abuse of the parishioner.

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June 23, 2014

Thomas Fuerst ~ Jesus' Family Tree ~ Matthew 1

When I was in 8th grade, my family lived for a bit in some low income apartments. The apartment complex was formed in a square with a decent sized courtyard in the middle. In the courtyard was where all the dramatic action was – this is where kids got in fistfights with each other, where drug deals happened after dark, and where about once a week there would be a screaming match between two random people. Sometimes it would be spouses, sometimes neighbors, sometimes just two drunk people who had nothing better to do.

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December 7, 2013

Heresy and Homiletics, Part 2

Last week we ran Part 1 of Heresy and Homiletics. Today’s post continues this mini series. 4. Preacher, does your sermon invite participation? While the Triune God’s participation is a necessary ingredient, I also cannot

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October 22, 2012

Heresy and Homiletics, Part 1

My confession of practical heresy led me to assess my own approach to preaching, and as a result I came up with six questions to ask of every sermon—questions designed to assist me in avoiding Gnostic preaching practices.

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October 15, 2012

Heresy and Homiletics, Part 1

I’m a heretic. There. Now I’ve confessed. It’s not that I’m unable to unveil at least some of the mysteries of God’s tri-unity, and I’m certainly not acquiescing to arguments of Arias or the musings

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October 15, 2012
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