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...
I received another good question in the offering plate this week, “Who do we pray to? Do we pray to the Heavenly Father, to God, or to Jesus? Or does it matter, because of the trinity? I’ve noticed Christians vary in their prayers.” My answer starts with the Lord’s...
I received another good question this week. This question is particularly timely considering the news that Arizona executed a man last week by lethal injection. The two hours it took for the man to die has caused a lot of argument, finger-pointing, and rethinking of the death penalty. The question...
I encouraged our members to submit questions, and this excellent-but-tough question came in anonymously, “Why do believers endure constant pain?” Before I answer, let me share my sympathy and my prayers with this anonymous person in pain. And then let me add that this is not an easy question to...
In my sermon series on “Questions: A Study of 1 Thessalonians,” I encouraged our members to submit Biblical questions to me. The first question I received was a good one. The question was worded, “We pick and choose sections from the Bible to live by (i.e. we don’t follow Leviticus)....
