Ep. 46 | Rethinking Predestination: Predestined to Become Like Christ | Romans 8:29–30
Predestination may be one of the most misunderstood words in the Bible — and in this episode of the Glorify & Grow podcast, Pastor Thomas Kulp of Horizon Church in Bosque Farms, New Mexico, shares why he spent more time in prayer over this message than almost any other he can remember.
Opening with the personal story of a daughter who walked away from church after a hard sermon on predestination, Pastor Thomas turns to Romans 8:29–30 and the five weighty words Paul packs into it: foreknowledge, predestination, calling, justification, and glorification. He challenges a view he himself held for decades — that predestination is simply God deciding in advance who goes to heaven and who goes to hell — and the quiet danger of that view: labeling people “in” or “out” instead of loving them.
What if, he asks, predestination means something richer? What if you were predestined to become like Christ — and what if the “calling” in these verses isn’t reserved for pastors and missionaries, but is the God-given purpose on every single believer? Along the way he reflects on why our finite minds struggle to grasp a God with no beginning and no end, and how God’s plan spans from eternity past to eternity future. The message lands on a simple, familiar call: trust and obey.
In this episode:
– Why a sermon on predestination can wound — and why it must be handled with care
– The five big words of Romans 8:29–30
– Rethinking predestination: destined for heaven, or destined to be like Christ?
– Why “calling” belongs to every believer, not just ministers
– God’s plan from eternity past to eternity future
Key verse: “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.” (Romans 8:29)
If something spoke to you, share this episode with someone who needs to hear it. To connect with our community, visit Horizon Church online. Until next time — keep glorifying God and keep growing.
Glorify & Grow is the podcast of Horizon Church, Bosque Farms, New Mexico, hosted by Pastor Thomas Kulp.