Jesus the Legend

Hey everyone, welcome back to Jesus the Legend! Today, I want to dive into a topic that came up in my recent interview with David Artman. When I asked him what the biggest push-back he gets against Christian Universalism is, he said it’s the idea that it takes away free choice. That really got me thinking, because I wrestled with that same question a few years ago as well… plus I’ve heard that same concern from others myself. The idea is if everyone ultimately chooses God, then somehow, human freedom is being violated—that real love requires the option to reject Him forever, even if that means eternal separation or torment. But is that actually true? Is that how freedom really works?I believe it’s time to take a closer look at what freedom actually is. Because when we talk about free will, we tend to assume that every person is making fully rational, unbiased, and independent choices. But in reality, our choices are shaped by so many things—our upbringing, our wounds, our fears, the lies we’ve believed, and the cultural and religious systems we’ve been part of. If a person rejects God, are they doing so with full clarity and understanding? Or is that rejection coming from a place of pain, confusion, or deception?If we believe that God is truly a loving Father, does He stand back and simply allow His children to remain in their blindness and brokenness forever? Or does He, in His relentless love, continue drawing them—pulling them toward healing, toward truth, and ultimately, toward Himself?Today, we’re going to explore what real freedom looks like, whether our choices are as “free” as we assume, and what it means when Jesus says in John 12:32, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” What does it mean for God to draw us? Does it override our will, or does it restore it?

Part 3 of 3 with David Artman - Welcome to Jesus the Legend! I am so excited to have had the chance to chat with David Artman.David is a husband, banjo player, and minister who believes God will ultimately redeem everyone by grace. After over 30 years in pastoral ministry, he loves to engage in today’s spiritual conversations.His journey has led him to embrace Christian universalism—not as a break from Scripture, but as its deepest truth. His book, Grace Saves All – The Necessity of Christian Universalism, argues that ultimate redemption is both possible and necessary within the Christian faith.Through his podcast, Grace Saves All – Christianity and Universal Salvation, David explores God’s endless mercy in conversations with theologians, pastors, and seekers. With a heart for Jesus, he desires to share a message of hope, healing, and God’s radical love.Whether playing music or diving into deep discussions, David is passionate about spreading the good news that grace truly does save all.

Part 2 of 3 with David Artman - Welcome to Jesus the Legend! I am so excited to continue my chat with David Artman.David is a husband, banjo player, and minister who believes God will ultimately redeem everyone by grace. After over 30 years in pastoral ministry, he loves to engage in today’s spiritual conversations.His journey has led him to embrace Christian universalism—not as a break from Scripture, but as its deepest truth. His book, Grace Saves All – The Necessity of Christian Universalism, argues that ultimate redemption is both possible and necessary within the Christian faith.Through his podcast, Grace Saves All – Christianity and Universal Salvation, David explores God’s endless mercy in conversations with theologians, pastors, and seekers. With a heart for Jesus, he desires to share a message of hope, healing, and God’s radical love.Whether playing music or diving into deep discussions, David is passionate about spreading the good news that grace truly does save all.

Part 1 of 3 with David Artman - Welcome to Jesus the Legend! I am so excited to have a very special guest joining me today - David Artman.David is a husband, banjo player, and minister who believes God will ultimately redeem everyone by grace. After over 30 years in pastoral ministry, he loves to engage in today’s spiritual conversations.His journey has led him to embrace Christian universalism—not as a break from Scripture, but as its deepest truth. His book, Grace Saves All – The Necessity of Christian Universalism, argues that ultimate redemption is both possible and necessary within the Christian faith.Through his podcast, Grace Saves All – Christianity and Universal Salvation, David explores God’s endless mercy in conversations with theologians, pastors, and seekers. With a heart for Jesus, he desires to share a message of hope, healing, and God’s radical love.Whether playing music or diving into deep discussions, David is passionate about spreading the good news that grace truly does save all.

Welcome to Jesus the Legend… today we’re diving deep into another fun parable -  Matthew 25: 31-46 - “The Sheep and the Goats”. This passage has been a cornerstone of thought on judgment, mercy, and eternal destiny. But what does it really mean? Does it teach eternal conscious torment, or is there something deeper happening? Today, we’ll touch on a few different ways of how this passage has been understood, the significance of the Greek words used, and what this parable reveals about God’s justice and restoration.

Welcome back to Jesus the Legend, where we’re doing our best to explore the radical goodness of God and how He’s better than we could ever imagine. Today, we’re going to chat about a big question: "Who is a child of God?" And, "Why does so much of Evangelical Christianity insist that you're either in or out?"I want to invite you into a deeper, broader, and more beautiful vision of God’s love and belonging. Because when we take a step back and look at the full sweep of Scripture, we find a much bigger story unfolding. One where God’s fatherhood extends beyond rigid categories, where His love reaches further than we may have been taught to imagine, and where the dividing lines some have drawn may not be as fixed as we think. What if the Gospel isn’t about who's in and who’s out—but rather, about awakening to the reality that we have always belonged?

Hey everyone, welcome back to Jesus the Legend! I’m so glad you’re here. Today, I want to talk about something that may bring some of us a deep sense of relief: The Gospel is simple. And yet, for some reason, we sometimes tend to make it way harder than it needs to be. All too often we struggle, overthink, and stress about doing it "right," when all along, Jesus is saying, "Trust me. Rest in me. Let me carry you." Now, don’t get me wrong—I love theology. Some of the episodes on here I’m going to try to dive into atonement theories, eternity, and the rich, beautiful truths about who God is. And those things matter. They shape how we see the world, how we read Scripture, and how we understand our relationship with God. But let’s be clear: Understanding every tiny detail is not a prerequisite for enjoying Him. If it were, none of us would make the cut… especially me! Thankfully, Jesus didn’t come to create a complicated system of beliefs that only the intellectually elite could navigate. He came to bring life. He came to bring freedom.

Hey everyone, and welcome back to Jesus the Legend. I’m so excited for today’s episode because we’re diving into a passage that, for most of my Christian life, I thought was one of the clearest texts for a hell of eternal conscious torment. At least that was how I had always read it and always been taught. Like many others— I thought the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus was rock-solid evidence that once a person dies, their fate is permanently sealed. No second chances and no hope of redemption. You either experience eternal bliss in heaven or eternal agony in hell—no crossing over, no possibility of change. That was the framework I had been given, and so I read this passage assuming that’s exactly what it was saying.But here’s the thing—I now see that’s not what this parable is about at all. I’ve come to realize that I've been reading something into this text that simply isn’t there. I was bringing a set of assumptions to the passage rather than letting the passage speak for itself. And when I started looking at it with fresh eyes and through the lens of Jesus - I realized this story is about something much different than I had thought.

Today, we’re going to take a look at a topic that has the power to shift our perspective, renew our minds, and even help transform our hearts: gratitude. And I’m not just talking about saying “thank you” when things are going well—I mean living with a deep, daily awareness of God’s goodness, even in the ordinary moments of life.We live in a world that constantly pulls our attention toward what’s wrong. Turn on the TV, and it’s filled with crisis after crisis. Scroll through social media, and it’s a flood of arguments, complaints, and bad news. Negativity surrounds us, and if we’re not careful, it can shape the way we see everything. But what if we flipped the script? What if we made a conscious decision to train our eyes and hearts to recognize the blessings God places in our lives every single day?Gratitude isn’t about pretending life is perfect. It doesn’t mean ignoring pain, hardship, or injustice. But it does mean choosing to see the bigger picture—to acknowledge that even in the midst of struggles, God is still present, still faithful, and still working for our good. It’s about learning to trust Him enough to say, “Lord, I see Your hand, even here.”

Today, we’re diving into something that calls us to rethink everything—the overwhelming vastness of God’s love. I believe if we truly understood it—if we could even glimpse how high, how deep, how unshakable it is—we wouldn’t hesitate. We wouldn’t hold back. We’d run straight into His embrace without fear, without doubt, without second-guessing.When I talk about God’s love, I’m NOT talking about shallow sentimentality or fleeting emotion. This isn’t some feel-good, fairy-tale romance that fades when things get tough. It’s not the kind of love that makes grand promises one minute and walks away the next. The world is full of love that is conditional, love that changes based on feelings, circumstances, or convenience. But God’s love? It’s in an entirely different category.This is real love I’m talking about. The kind that sacrifices. The kind that endures. The kind that never gives up, never backs down and never stops pursuing. It’s not just words—it’s action. It’s not just a feeling—it’s a commitment.