Any believer attempting to share his or her faith will eventually be confronted with the cliched "gotcha" verses often cited by unbelievers. Often, they will bring up ritual purity laws from the Old Testament which may indeed appear strange to modern Western eyes. Others, however, hit very close to home in today's world and how … Continue reading Troubling Bible Passages 3: The Death Penalty
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Troubling Bible Passages 2: Genocide
"Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” (Genesis 18:23-25) In Part One of this series on Troubling Bible Passages, we looked at the Bible's teaching about Slavery and the common misconceptions about it. For Part Two, we will ponder the question "Why doesn't God do anything about the evil in … Continue reading Troubling Bible Passages 2: Genocide
The Calvinist/Arminian Controversy
Calvinism or Arminianism?The debate between Arminianism and Calvinism, which concerns God's sovereignty and man's free will, is one of the most divisive in the church today. Rather than being an honest, respectful dialogue among brethren, this debate has led to an unhealthy compartmentalization within the Body of Christ. Sadly, this has resulted in much vital … Continue reading The Calvinist/Arminian Controversy
Troubling Bible Passages 1: Slavery
Those who use slavery in an attempt to discredit the Bible overlook a number of important facts.
Snakes and Scripture
Boop! My daughter Ember and I are reptile enthusiasts. We currently have two pet snakes, a ball python named Hershey and a Saharan sand boa named Pumpkin. Hershey Pumpkin Both species are nonvenomous, small to moderately sized and are usually very docile (although Pumpkin does occasionally have his sassy moments). In fact, ball pythons are … Continue reading Snakes and Scripture
Are You SURE You Believe In Christ’s Teachings?
The above quote is often used to reprimand "un-Christlike" Christians. Ghandi had first hand experience with this. For example, he was once turned away from a church service because he was not white. Certainly, we Christians have often failed to live up to the ideals of our Savior. I make no excuses for that either … Continue reading Are You SURE You Believe In Christ’s Teachings?
Doctrine and the Christian Life
Originally published on James and Dave's Bible Page Jesus answered them and said "My doctrine is not mine, but His that sent me." (John 7:16) But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine. (Titus 2:1) Mention the word "doctrine" among church circles, and you will get a variety of different responses. On one hand, … Continue reading Doctrine and the Christian Life
First, the Bad News
Originally published on James and Dave's Bible Page Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard once observed that "Most of us read the Bible the way a mouse tries to remove the cheese from the trap without getting caught." (1) Certainly, the Bible can be approached from a number of angles. Each day, it is read by millions … Continue reading First, the Bad News
The Word of Faith Controversy
I come from a Word of Faith background and this is a transcript of a sermon I preached during that time. While I no longer actively identify with the Word of Faith label, I have also been careful not to go too far in the opposite direction. In spite of some excesses, the movement has … Continue reading The Word of Faith Controversy
Receiving God’s Forgiveness
Transcript of a Sermon Preached at Morgan County Correctional Facility in Wartburg, TN Friends, the great equalizer in all of our lives is our desperate need for God's grace, mercy and forgiveness. If someone forgives you a $100 debt, that means they have to cover that debt with $100 of their own money. I want … Continue reading Receiving God’s Forgiveness