Earthen Vessel Publishing

Christian Basics - Introduction, Section 1- Part 1 - Lesson 1 "How God Reveals Himself" - Kent Philpott

Christian Basics is written by a pastor for his congregation. Section One consists of 16 lessons in 3 parts -- The God Who Reveals Himself, The Great Themes of the Bible, and The Church and the Christian Life. Section Two consists of 15 lessons in two parts -- Debates (extramural) and Conversations (Intramural). While not all Christians agree on all doctrines, these are the essentials.

Deliver Us from Evil: How Jesus Casts Out Demons Today - Kent Philpott

Did Jesus cast out demons only when he walked the earth? Did it stop with his disciples? Here is a biblical study of how and why Jesus, the Twelve Disciples, and his followers ever since continue to do so in his name and power. Get the instructions you need to minister to those in need of deliverance.

Here is the Preface

The Soul Journey: How Shamanism, Santeria, Wicca, and Charisma are Connected - Kent and Katie Philpott

Chapters include revised versions of articles found here: "Santería - Slavery to Slavery" and "Wicca - Is It for Real?"

Now read chapter four: "Charisma - A Surprise Indeed!"

Memoirs of a Jesus Freak - Chapter 2: "The Call to the Hippies" - Kent Philpott

One night in February of 1967, while I was driving home from my part time job as shoe salesman at the J.C. Penny store in Corte Madera and while listening to Scott McKenzie’s “When you come to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair,” it was as though God spoke directly and personally to me: “Go to the hippies in San Francisco.” That was it and that was all. The very next day, a rainy Thursday evening, I did just that and the adventure began.

Are You Being Duped?: "Do you think the grave is the end?" - Kent Philpott

How sure are you, if you believe that the grave is the end, that you are right? Oh, you may believe it with all your heart and soul! But how do you know you are right? Do you have anything to prove your position? Are you willing to risk absolutely everything?

For Pastors of Small Churches: "Examine Yourself" - Kent Philpott

We must be sure of our own conversion.
To be engaged in pastoral ministry and yet be unconverted—this is a great tragedy. Many think they are converted on the basis of church membership, baptism, good deeds, holding to orthodox creeds and doctrine, and so on. In fact, some mistakenly believbe they are truly converted because they are ministers.

How to Care for Your Pastor: "The Pastor is Growing" - Kent Philpott

I have known pastors who have changed in some point of theology and have had to resign as a result. Their congregations were not mature enough to work through a very natural and necessary experience or did not have the personal and spiritual security to allow the pastors to work out their salvation with fear and trembling.
People of God, be warned and be sympathetic — your spiritual leader’s sense of self or ego may undergo change. Having a strong sense of personal worth and security is not easily achieved by anyone, and a pastor...

Tales from San Quentin: "First Day of Baseball Tryouts" - Kent Philpott

February 27 turned out to be a cold and rainy day, but we went on with the tryouts anyway. About forty men came out. There were a few guys I cut on that first day—anyone would be able to see that baseball was not their game. There were five of these, older convicts, who wanted to be part of this most elite group in the prison, a team that had received national attention more than a few times. Making cuts is the most unpleasant part of...

If the Devil Wrote a Bible: "Experience as much of life as you can" (Chapter 3) - Kent and Katie Philpott

Devil: Experience as much of life as you can. All that really matters is your happiness anyway. Remember the grave is the end. Therefore I command you, reject religion, which only mires you down in rules and guilt. Explore every choice and live free. 

Christian: The devil offers a few cheap thrills now, thinking that will blind his followers to the greater truth, but it condemns them to a lost and miserable eternity. Not a good trade-off.  

Reforming: "Early Confusion" - Kent Philpott

I slowly began to understand. Grace was not grace if salvation depended upon human action. Were we really dead in our trespasses and sins or not? If there was no free will to enable one to make a decision—what was to be done? And of a significant practical concern, how would I end my sermons?
It was at this point that I began to talk to other evangelical pastors and ask their opinion. Each one I consulted admitted that it was obvious that repeating the sinner’s prayer was no sure fire means of conversion, and these were all pastors holding to an Arminian theology. Anyone who had been a pastor for very long saw it plainly...

The Third Sex? revisited: "Born Homosexual or Not?" - Kent Philpott

I came to the conclusion that being born gay was little more than a cultural myth in the homosexual community. “I was born gay, homosexuality is natural for me” was an identity marker that went with the territory... What counts for me is what God has revealed. Of course, if one does not have a high view of the Scripture, then what I am presenting will be next to meaningless...