I continue to answer questions submitted by FSBCA members, and I must admit that I’ve received many good questions, far more than can be answered in Sunday morning sermons this month. (I’m glad to pastor a church of curious-I-want-to-know-the-truth kind of people!) Many of these questions will be answered in...
I believe in religious freedom. I also believe in serving people and loving people regardless of their background, their morality, and their faith. So if I’m a baker of cakes, and someone wants me to bake them a cake, I would do so. I would bake them a cake if...
On the night Jesus was born, according to the traditional reading of the Christmas story, the angels said to the shepherds, “ Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” “On earth, peace . . .” We have yet to experience that peace on...
I received another good questions this week on a Connection Card. Are there still prophets today? This was submitted by someone with many friends who are Mormons, who call their leaders Prophets. It is a good question that requires some thinking and definition of terms. In general terms, a prophet...
I received a good question regarding my sermon on October 26 on prayer. The series of questions on prayer included, “Can prayer change God’s mind?” and “If we pray for someone’s salvation or a revival of the nation, don’t people still have free will?” The questions concluded with the...
Our staff has been busy thinking, studying, and praying about how to reach the unchurched. As part of that study, we read the book, “The Rise of the Nones,” by James Emory White, which stimulated my thinking and contributed to these thoughts, as did a conference by Lifeway Researcher Ed...
FSBCA is in a neighborhood of increasing poverty. Sometimes, people are poor due to circumstances totally beyond their control. Sickness or injury hits and destroys earning potential. Medical bills destroy savings and lead to debt. Layoffs hit and new jobs are hard to come by. But many times (maybe even...
Last Sunday, I preached a message on, “What Happens When a Believer Dies?” It was based on 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, an excellent and encouraging passage. I want to further explain my thoughts from Sunday which are based on both the passage in Thessalonians and others. There are a few passages...
What does the Bible say, if anything, about cremation? That was the question I received this week. The truth is that the Bible has very little to say about cremation. Burial was the common practice in both the Old and New Testament era, though nowhere is burial specifically commanded nor...
I received another excellent question, “What does the Bible say about suicide?” The suicide of comedian Robin Williams shocked the nation and has brought both depression and suicide back into the public eye. Unfortunately, there has been a lot of misinformation, as well as a lot of careless words thrown...
