Episode 289: The suicide of Brittany Maynard, 29, has reignited the debate about euthanasia, or physician-assisted suicide. Does God have anything to say concerning this hot-button issue? Tune in as I begin to unpack principles from God’s Word which I believe are applicable to this discussion.
Question of the Day: What about King Saul’s suicide?
Episode 287: “Ask and it shall be given to you.” The Mayor of Houston asked for the sermons of five (5) pastors…and pastors from all over the world sent her sermons! But is this really the “Christian thing to do.” I share my conflicting thoughts over this AND a former homosexual calls “gay marriage” an oxymoron! Tune in as tackle this issue also.
Former Homosexual Calls Gay Marriage an “Oxymoron”
Today in Church History: Henry Dunster Resigns as President of Harvard (1654)
Question of the Day: What must I do to be saved?
Episode 286: It is a question as old as time: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all who are treacherous thrive?” (Jeremiah 12:1, ESV) Or to borrow a more common phrasing of a similar question: “Why do good things happen to bad people?” With so much evil in the world, with the prosperity of groups like ISIL who are grossing $1 million dollars a day and corrupt, dare I say treacherous, politicians succeeding and thriving, this is no doubt a question many people have today: Why? Tune in as I explore this important subject.
Today in Church History: The Unjust Execution of Boethius
Question of the Day: Should we avoid trials and temptations?
Episode 285: No doubt you’ve seen recently in the news the situations in Idaho & Houston. In Idaho, a couple is being threatened with fines and jail time for not performing homosexual weddings based upon their religious convictions. In Houston, pastors from 5 churches have been ordered to hand over all their sermons dealing with homosexuality or gender identity. How should we think about these situations? I offer my Biblically informed view today.
*New Segment* This Day in Church History: Ignatius of Antioch fed to the lions (107)
Question of the Day: Do you think we will see intense in your lifetime?
Episode 284: Paul says, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.” (Ephesians 5:1, ESV) What a lofty calling! But how does one imitate God? Tune in as I unpack this text and the surrounding context to identify what it means to imitate God.
Question of the Day: How many Christians are there in the world?
Episode 283: The Catholic Church has said gays have gifts to offer the Catholic Church…er, uh, wait…No, they don’t. What’s going on and do gays have gifts for the (true) church? Hmm…Tune in as I cover this story and discuss how gays might be given gifts by Christ for the church.
Monday’s Article: Gays Have Gifts to Offer Catholic Church
Tuesday’s Article: Catholic Officials Walk-back Reports
Question of the Day: Did Jesus say anything about homosexuality?
Episode 282: The highly anticipated reboot of the Left Behind series hit theaters this past Friday. Starring Nicholas Cage and based upon the book by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins, it tells the story of a group of people who have survived the rapture, i.e. the faulty belief that when Jesus returns, He will take faithful Christians out of the world but leave behind (hence the title) all the faithless. Tune in as I give two (2) very good reason why you shouldn’t throw your money away to watch this latest movie.
Question of the Day: Who is the Antichrist?
Episode 281: “[God] has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” (2 Timothy 1:9–10, NIV84)
It is still “through the gospel” that we come to know the life and immortality of Christ today. It is still “through the gospel” that we gain access to the promise, body, and inheritance today (Ephesians 3.6). We must believe, accept, and obey “the gospel of your salvation” (1.13) to be incorporated into Christ Jesus. As Christians, we need to value the gospel. In order for the gospel to impact our lives, we must value it as revelation from God. Think of the parable Jesus told about the pearl of great price (Matthew 13.44-46). We have that which is of ultimate value. The gospel was all Paul had. The gospel is all we have. We must pay attention to, be defined by, and solve our problems with the gospel.
The gospel is not merely about getting to heaven; it is about life here and now as well as over yonder. It captures our initial conversion and our daily walk as disciples. It touches on our forgiveness and how we ought to forgive others. It speaks to God’s unfathomable love for us and how we ought to love one another. With so many implications upon life right now, it is no wonder Paul calls it “the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3.8). And then we gather with the saints once or twice a week and think we’ve got it? No! We only start unwrapping the gift here; you take it home and finish the job the rest of the week.
Question of the Day: Are Mormons Christians?
Episode 280: Allah claims to be the same God as the God of the Old & New Testaments. However, when we do a side-by-side comparison…well, really is no comparison. In fact, there is only a sharp contrast. How is the God of the Koran different than the God of the Bible? Tune in as I explore the fundamental differences between the God of Islam and the God of Christianity.
Question of the Day: Are Muslims Christians?
Episode 279: So for the last week the People’s Climate March has been going on around the nation. Of course Leonardo DiCaprio and Al Gore made appearances…before flying off in a jet or driving away in great big Chevy Suburban (true story). Tune in as I air a sermon I preached earlier this year about the truth concerning climate change and what real global warming looks like according to the Bible.
Live from the Pulpit 