Question: I recently read the book, The Da Vinci Code. I know that it is fiction, but it has caused me to question everything that I’ve always believed about Jesus. How do we know that Jesus is God in the flesh and not simply a good teacher? Answer: For two thousand years, critics have chipped […]
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Living with a Kingdom Mentality
Of all the places in all the world, when God chose to establish His kingdom on earth He chose a thin sliver of land hugging the deep blue waters of the Mediterranean. In that ancient land of Israel, God sent His Son. When Jesus began His earthly ministry, He preached a simple but profound message: […]
Read MoreMorality Is Still Not the Point
The best questions to ask often have surprising answers. This is especially true in the Christian life. Much of Christianity is counterintuitive, even upside down from “common sense.” For instance, God’s Word states that it is better for one “to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). This idea is not one that any of us […]
Read MoreSpiritual Orienteering
Navigating life in the 21st century can be a complex and confusing game. Crucial decisions must be made as to which direction to take, and often the pace of the race leaves little time to stop and look at the map. The sport of orienteering began in Sweden about a hundred years ago. Orienteering involves […]
Read MoreHidden Heroes
Up-front heroes are often seen as being larger than life. Overstated. That’s unfortunate. Because they are public figures, folks think of them as broad-shouldered giants who can leap tall buildings in a single bound. They are thought of as superpeople possessing endless strength, limitless vision, relentless determination, effortless skills, and matchless charisma. Their courage is […]
Read MoreThis Should Be Me
The sound of bleating lambs and shuffling footsteps filled the temple. With three trumpet blasts, the priests announced the start of the Passover sacrifices. Worshipers responded to the priests’ psalms with “Hallelujahs” as each man offered his household’s sacrifice to God. As the disciple John raised the knife to the throat of the lamb he’d […]
Read MoreHow to Begin a Relationship with God
The world is filled with competing theories about God, religion, and salvation. Alternate views of Jesus vie for our attention at every turn. Different paths to different gods market themselves in the ever-changing desert of ideas. Yet in the midst of this world of contradictory claims, Jesus Christ made a bold assertion: “I am the […]
Read MoreThe Devil Made Me Do It?
More than thirty years ago Flip Wilson kept America in stitches with his television characters “Reverend Leroy,” the friendly, pompous pastor of the “Church of What’s Happening Now,” and “Geraldine Jones,” the sassy African-American woman in a miniskirt. Whenever Geraldine would impulsively buy a dress—or do anything she shouldn’t—she excused her urge by uttering the […]
Read MoreHow Does the Death of Jesus Save Me?
Question: I’ve been told that Jesus died for my sins. What does that mean exactly? How could the death of Jesus help me get to heaven? What does the death of Christ save me from? Answer: One way to understand the meaning of the death of Jesus is to imagine a courtroom scene in which […]
Read MoreHope Beyond Failure
Rarely will one of God’s heroes show up in the Scriptures having lived a life free of failure. Take Peter, for example. As soon as you read the name, you remember his story. Peter experienced the extreme highs and lows of life—from days spent in blessed fellowship with Christ . . . to the heart-wrenching […]
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