How Heresies Saved Christmas
Before the creeds, before the carols, there was confusion. False stories. Twisted gospels. Each lie about Jesus nearly broke the church apart. But in confronting them, the early Christians discovered something deeper— a truth that could never be silenced: The Word became flesh. The light shines in the darkness. And no heresy can overcome it.
This Advent, rediscover how the church’s greatest struggles revealed the glory of Christmas.
Week 1: Marcion: The Man Who Cut the Old Testament Out of His Bible | Leviticus 16
What happens when someone tries to cut the Old Testament out of the Bible? In the second century, a wealthy ship-owner named Marcion did exactly that—literally tearing out every page that didn't fit his vision of a loving God. The early church called him "the firstborn of Satan" and returned his $13 million gift. But his question still haunts us: What does blood and sacrifice have to do with the God of love?
This sermon follows Marcion's story into Leviticus 16—the Day of Atonement—to show how the Old Testament isn't something to escape from, but the key to understanding the cross, the incarnation, and the mystery of Christmas itself.
It's an invitation to wrestle honestly with Scripture's hard parts and discover why the church fathers would rather die than lose the Book of Leviticus.
Week 2: Pelagius: The Ancient Lie We Still Believe
What if the deepest struggle you feel -- the pressure to be enough, do enough, fix yourself -- is a window into what you were truly made for? Enter one of the most important debates in Christian history: Pelagius vs. Augustine. Their clash over sin, free will, and grace are highlighted in:
Do we need better habits, or a new heart?
Does grace make us passive -- or does it actually make us alive?
Why is surrender so much harder than self-improvement?
If you've ever felt stuck, exhausted, spiritually dry, or weighed down by the pressure to be 'enough', this message will challenge, comfort, and reorient you towards the kind of life only grace can create.
Week 3: Arius: "Jesus isn't God."
318 bishops. 3 months of debate. 1 question that would shape Christianity forever: Is Jesus fully God—or just the greatest being God ever made?
In 325 AD, a charismatic pastor named Arius was making waves across the Roman Empire. He wrote catchy songs, drew massive crowds, and had a simple argument: if Jesus is the Son of God, he must have had a beginning. It was logical. It sounded Biblical. It was wildly popular. And it was heresy.
This message takes you inside the Council of Nicaea—the church fathers who showed up bearing scars from persecution, the biblical case both sides made, the slap heard round the church (courtesy of St. Nicholas), and an ending you won't see coming.
But more than history, we wrestle with a question that still matters more than you might know: What kind of Father is God?
Week 4: Valentinus: “Your Body Doesn’t Matter.”
If your faith feels disconnected from real life, your body might be the missing piece.
An early Christian teacher named Valentinus claimed that the physical world didn’t matter and that salvation was escape. That idea didn’t die. It just went underground.
In this message, we'll explore why the church called it heresy, why it still feels believable today, and why Christmas tells a story that refuses to separate God from flesh, bodies, and ordinary life.
