Hello Grace Family! It's time for our next Resource of the Month. It's a podcast from Dr. Gavin Ortlund called Truth Unites.

Gavin Ortlund is a pastor, author, speaker, and apologist with a PhD in historical theology. He creates and hosts the Truth Unites podcast, which presents thoughtful, accessible, biblical, and charitable analysis of a wide range of theological topics which tend to divide the church in the modern day. As his podcast title suggests, his goal is to unite the church around the true teachings of the Bible.

In addition, he specializes in breaking down how the church has understood various theological positions throughout church history. He is especially good at breaking down various misconceptions and tropes held by one side or the other. So, if you've ever heard someone say "ALL Christians believed ____________ until ____________ came along," and wondered where you can turn for unbiased truth, you will find Gavin Ortund extremely helpful.

For example, if you've heard: "All Christians believed in infant baptism until recent history." See his video here.

Or: "All Christians believed in the Pope until Martin Luther." See his video here.

Or: "All Christians believed the authority of church tradition until the Reformation." See his video here.   

He also comments on a variety of topics, including the fracturing of modern evangelicalism, the degredation of contemporary worship music, the need to reclaim historic creeds and confessions, and how to engage thoughtful non-believers with truth and grace. 

It is this last point which really makes him stand out. In every interaction with an opponent, he is charitable, gracious, and just. He affirms was is true in his opponents' positions, even while diasgreeing with any viewpoint he can disprove. He is a model of speaking the truth in love, and we can all learn a lot from him. 

So whether you are exploring the true roots of our Protestant Evangelical faith, or fostering unity with someone from another tradition (Catholicism, Orthodoxy, Pentecostalism), or ministering to someone who is not yet a believer, I trust you will find Dr. Ortlund's content and style to be enlightening, encouraging, and edifying. 

You can find him on YouTube, Spotify, and other platforms. Enjoy!

I would love to hear from you! What questions do you have about Protestant beliefs vs. those of other traditions? Which topics are you looking forward to learning about through Truth Unites? Who is someone you are praying will come to faith in Jesus? 

Email me: tom@gracestamford.org

Thank you for reading the Resource of the Month email! If you have any questions about these resources, please reach out. Look for our next recommended resource in a few weeks.

Sincerely, your brother in Christ,

Tom Hansen, Senior Pastor