#25: Christology Practical

#27 -The Age of the Spirit: Why Pentecost changes everything

In this episode of You Are Here, Dr. Mark Masucci and Nathan Hughes begin a new series on Pneumatology — the theology of the Holy Spirit — by asking a foundational question: What is unique about the age we now live in between Christ’s first and second coming? Beginning in Ezekiel 36–37 and moving through Pentecost in Acts 2, this conversation explores the biblical expectation of the “age of the Spirit.” Israel’s deepest problem was never merely exile or oppression, but spiritual deadness and disobedience. The prophets anticipated a day when God Himself would breathe life into His people, give them new hearts, and place His Spirit within them. Pentecost marks the beginning of that reality. The Holy Spirit is not simply an addition to the Christian life, but the very presence of the new creation breaking into the present age. Christians are not people moving between two modes of existence, but those who have been brought into a fundamentally new reality “in Christ.” Stay tuned through the end for guided reflection questions designed for personal study, discipleship, or small group discussion.

#26- Why it Matters: Christology in a Secular World

Stay Tuned to the End for Guided Reflection Questions! Great to do individually or in a small group. In this last episode of the Christology Series Dr. Mark Masucci and Nathan Hughes recap what we have covered so far, asking, ‘Who Jesus is’ and wrestling with what the church fought hard to protect. Now the final question brings us to why this all matters today. In a world shaped by secularism, we are told: - create your own meaning - trust what you can see - your body is just biology And yet, many of us feel: Fragmented Anxious disconnected Philosopher Charles Taylor describes this as the “fractured self”—a life disconnected from transcendence, where meaning is something we must construct on our own. But the Gospel tells a different story. God didn’t stay distant. He became human. And that changes everything. Jesus doesn’t just inform the mind He restores the whole person Body. Mind. Will. Emotion. As Gregory of Nazianzus wrote: “What is not assumed cannot be redeemed.” In Christ, nothing is left untouched. This episode explores: Why secularism leaves us fragmented Why information alone doesn’t transform us How our loves and desires shape our lives How Christ restores the whole person Why ordinary life—and even suffering—now has meaning Because Jesus didn’t come to remove us from life— He entered into it. This is the invitation: Not just to understand Christ— but to become whole in Him.

#25: Christology Practical

Get Christ wrong. Get the Gospel wrong.

#24 - When We Get Jesus Wrong: Why Heresies Still Matter

If who Jesus is determines our salvation…then getting Jesus wrong isn’t a small mistake. It changes everything. In this episode of You Are Here, we continue our conversation on Christology by stepping into the real debates of the early Church—exploring the heresies that forced Christians to clarify what they truly believed about Jesus. Because these weren’t abstract disagreements.They were questions about salvation itself. * Was Jesus really human?  * Was He just a man empowered by God? * Was He created?  * Was He somehow split into two persons? * Or blended into something entirely new?  At the center of it all is this conviction: “What is not assumed cannot be healed.” — Gregory of Nazianzus If Jesus is not fully God and fully human,then humanity cannot be fully restored. From the road to Emmaus to the formation of the Creeds,the Church came to see that: The incarnation is not optional. It is necessary. Because the story of salvation is this:God bringing life out of death. And the only way to do that…was to come near. This isn’t just about avoiding error.It’s about seeing the beauty of what is true.

#23. Getting Jesus Right: Why Christology Matters

Who is Jesus—and why does it matter? After asking who God is in the Trinity, we now ask a question that sits at the very center of our faith: In this episode of You Are Here, we step into the heart of Christology—the study of Christ—and why getting Jesus right is not just theological… it’s essential. Because our understanding of Jesus shapes our understanding of salvation. The early Church wrestled deeply with this: How can Jesus be both fully God and fully human? Why does the incarnation matter? And what they discovered still shapes us today: -Jesus did not become less God to become human. -He became fully human without ceasing to be fully God. “He emptied Himself… not by subtracting—but by adding.” From forgiving sins, to touching the unclean, to calming storms— Jesus doesn’t just represent God. He reveals Him. This is the mystery and beauty of the Gospel: The Creator became the created— so that human life might be restored, redeemed, and made whole. This isn’t abstract theology. This is God coming near.