Leaving Calvinism: Video - Former Calvinist Testimonies

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Here is an almost hour-long "Testimonies of Former Calvinists" video from Soteriology 101.  This is a website I highly recommend and one that my family and I have learned from immensely.  (I haven't finished this video yet, but I wanted to link to it anyway before time gets away from me.  If I have comments to add to this post after watching it, I'll add them later.)  

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List of Calvinist Preachers, Authors, Theologians, Websites, etc.

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I  found a lot more names to add to my list of known Calvinists (found in my various  "How to Tell if a Church, Pastor, or Website is Calvinist"  posts).  But instead of adding this huge list to all those posts, I am going to put it here, and I'll just provide a link on those posts to this one.  [FYI: I added a note at the bottom of this post on May 5, 2021.] So here it is, a "master list" of known Calvinists to help you be careful and discerning about who you listen to and where you get your theology from.  There are plenty more Calvinists out there, but these are just the names that I ran across the most.   These are either definite, self-professed Calvinists or "most likely Calvinist," in my estimation.  (I haven't heard of most of them, but it's good to know their theology before I do.)   After finding these names in various places online, I looked up each person to see if they are Calvinist.  If they did not self-identify ...
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The Gospel Project: Calvinist or not?

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Disclaimer: I have never gone through The Gospel Project for myself, and so this post is based on articles I've read about it and - mostly - on my knowledge of Calvinism and how it operates.  And this post doesn't even have to do just with The Gospel Project, but with anything Calvinists write or teach, especially if they claim that they're not trying to teach Calvinism. I had a question come in the other day  on my  "comment corral" blog   from a reader called  MPenny: " The Gospel Project: Do you or anyone here have specific wordage or examples of non-biblical or calvinist material within this Bible study.  I know it was written by mostly calvinists so I would never do this study myself...but would like to warn others with more practical data....and save reading the entire thing myself...has anyone else read through the curriculum and have any thoughts.  Or know of any critical articles on the subject.  Also, THANK YOU HEATHER for making a blog ...
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It's Time To Be Horrified!

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(Published on my other blog in 2015.  And it's only gotten so much worse since then.) As our society seems to be going to “hell in a hand-basket,” do you ever wonder where God is in all of this?   The economy sucks.                Our religious rights are being trimmed away.                Schools are focusing less on academics and more on creating an anti-God worldview and the “morality” and social characteristics that they want.                Laws are being made which are having detrimental impacts on people, families, businesses, and economics.                Morality and modesty are “old-fashioned” concepts.    Flagrant sexuality is rampant, and society encourages it as being “open-minded, progressive, and ...
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Christian Testimony: Gordon - "How I Became a Christian"

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This is Gordon.  He is a new believer in his 40's (I believe).  I love that!  I love to hear when adults come to the Lord.  Children believe and trust much more easily, but adults have so much that gets in the way of believing and trusting.  And so whenever an adult comes to the Lord for the first time, I find it amazing and inspiring.  And I love to hear about where they came from, what drew them to the Lord, and how it changed them. Click here for Gordon's testimony (6 minutes long).   And click here for his view on what's really going wrong in the world today.  He's got it right.  Such great wisdom and insight for a new believer.  If only all Christians had this accurate perspective and focus - about the reality of the spiritual world and the spiritual battle - then maybe we wouldn't be in the mess we are in! Welcome to the Family, Gordon!  And God bless you!
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Giggle Translate #5: Knuckle Enchiladas

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Here is something that happened a couple nights ago.  I'm making it my "Giggle Translate #5."  I'm going to share the original paragraph, and one that got run through several random languages with Google Translate, and then I'm going to show what happens when you run the same paragraph through a string of languages one way and then when you do those same languages in reverse: Original paragraph: "Has this ever happened to anyone else?  I was hand-grating a block of mozzarella today for tonight's chicken enchilada dinner.  And in my zealousness to grate quickly and because of my bad angle, I cheese-grated some skin right off my knuckle.  Thankfully, the strip of skin was still hanging on my knuckle because I doubt we'd have noticed the blood mixed in the salsa or the skin flap mixed in the shredded chicken.  (But honestly, I don't know if I would have told my family about it if I couldn't find the skin.  I know that's bad, but I can't t...
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Giggle Translate #1: Random Facts About Me (Skydiving, Flashlights, and I'm a WHAT!?!)

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I'm bored.  So I've been running some paragraphs I've written through a bunch of randomly-chosen languages in a row with Google Translate and then back into English, just for giggles.  (I'm not serious, uptight, and a deep-thinker all the time.)  It's like a funny, terrible game of "Telephone."  (FYI: Bad word ahead.  Not my fault.  Blame Google Translate.  But I did bleep out a couple letters.)   Here are a few of the first ones I've done so far (the original writing was taken from my post  "Random Facts About Me, Just For Fun" ):
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If They Mated ...

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I think I stumbled upon the perfect "If They Mated ..." scenario for who I look like and how I act.  (You know, when they take two people and morph their faces into one to show what their offspring would look like if they mated.)  I wasn't trying to figure this out or anything; it just came to me as I was watching The Hobbit recently.  And once I saw it in my mind, I couldn't unsee it.  Then after I thought about possibly sharing it with all of you, my mind won't let it go until I do.  And so here it is, much to my chagrin... I kid you not, if you mixed these three characters - their looks and their personalities - you would totally have me.   Frankie Heck from The Middle (Someone once told me I looked like her, when I was a lot younger.  Actually, it was when she was in Everybody Loves Raymond , but we're both a lot older now.  And I was told once I looked like Winona Ryder, for a split second.  Ah, to be young again!) Bard...
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Leaving Calvinism: Steve Jones

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Another long look into Calvinism from a former Calvinist.  But a very good one with lots of biblical points that throw Calvinism into doubt. Calvinism Critiqued By A Former Calvinist I really appreciate people taking the time to write out their stories.  We can learn a lot from them and find encouragement through them. I like this, but do not agree with the "II. Unconditional Election" point.  I do believe that God did indeed foreknow those who would choose Him, and He chose those whom He knew would choose Him.   It's similar to how God chose a remnant in  Romans 11:4-5  when He says that in the past He chose seven thousand people who did not bow the knee to Baal, and that He likewise chose a remnant at the present time.  The people made their choice about worshipping Baal or not, and then God chose those who did not turn to false gods.  He chose those who chose Him.  (But what did He choose the 7000 for?  If you go to  1 K...
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Songs About The Rapture and Heaven

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I'll be doing a short series on the "End Times" during the rest of August.   But how about we start with some music! First things first ... God's Not Dead  (by Newsboys). I assure you, He's not.   And Jesus is coming back again soon In The Sky  (by Bob Carlisle and others) I know that my family and I are ready. Are you? ( I Wish We'd All Been Ready ) My prayer:  Lord, please,  break open the sky   (by Toby Mac) ! I Can Only Imagine  (by MercyMe) what it will be like  on the day that we rise ( I Will Rise  by Chris Tomlin). How I long for that day ... when we finally make it  Home  (by Chris Tomlin)! We can't wait for the day  that we'll be singing Hallelujah  (by Newsboys)! And to all the scoffers:  Are you so sure He's not coming back again!?! Enough to bet your soul on it?   ( People, Get Ready  by Crystal Lewis)  Grab onto God's  Amazing Grace  (by Chris Tomlin)  while there's still...
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