Our lives fill up quickly, don’t they? It always seems there is more to be done than can fit into our packed schedules. And somehow our days vanish as though they were hardly more than a moment. Because of the busyness of our lives here on earth and the pattern of this age to always be doing more, it seems wise that we consider the main purpose for which we are living. There is a reason that we have been made and there is a task that we have been given...

Would we rather be a mature church or a growing church? While we would hope to be both, the reality is that growing as a congregation is going to involve welcoming in some individuals who are still very spiritually immature. A growing church is going to be producing newborn Christians. Some of these new converts may still be dealing with a lot of baggage from their past lives. Growing is going to involve patiently working through ignorance, weakness, worldly attitudes, and fleshly struggles...

Why are there so many who claim to be Christians, but have little idea what the Bible actually says? Thousands of religious people have never read the Bible for themselves. Yet they are confident they have a strong relationship with God. They go to church regularly and financially contribute to its work. Many of them are very active in their church’s youth groups and benevolent programs. However, when it comes to knowledge of God’s word they are surprisingly ignorant. What has caused this widespread trend? I want to observe three dangerous ideas that keep people from investigating God’s word for themselves...

The lights began to dim and the low murmur of the crowd slowly died down. In the stillness, the soft sounds of a piano emerged. The gentle strumming of a guitar joined in as lights began to illuminate the stage. A stylishly dressed female stepped forward and drew a microphone to her lips. With closed eyes she started to sing in serene passionate tones. Quiet at first, the melody began to grow louder, progressing higher and swelling with each word. The piano and guitar joined in this crescendo. At its highest point the drums suddenly burst into action with an explosion of light and sound. A new rhythm transformed the song from peaceful to powerful ushering in an atmosphere of unreserved emotion and drawing in the crowd. The spotlights were now at their full brightness revealing several musicians who had been waiting for this moment. The audience swayed to the music, enraptured in the feelings created by their masterful performance.

Where am I? The fact that this description could equally apply to a modern worship service or a Taylor Swift concert should be great cause for concern...

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt 28:19-20).

Thus began the greatest religious movement the world has ever seen. God’s church was built upon this mission statement. It is our prime directive. The church exists today to carry on Jesus’ work of “seeking and saving the lost” (Luke 19:10). Spreading the message of salvation was the single greatest passion of Christians in the New Testament. Even in the face of persecution “those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word” (Acts 8:4). From city to city and house to house they were announcing the power of Jesus’ death and resurrection to save a lost and dying world...

“Christianity began in Palestine as a relationship, moved to Greece and became an idea, went to Rome and became an institution, then came to America and became an enterprise” (Richard Halverson).

A 2016 Georgetown University study revealed that religious institutions in America take in around 378 billion dollars in annual revenue – that’s more revenue than Apple and Microsoft combined[1]. Churches in America have found their way into nearly every market of the private sector – healthcare, education, music, film, and apparel just to name a few. And while it is good and right for the influence of Christ to reach out and touch every segment of our society, it is challenging to stop and ask ourselves - Is this really what it means to “be about our Father’s business?” (Luke 2:49, KJV)...

Churches come in all different shapes and sizes. Are you looking for fellowship, friendship, and a sense of belonging? There’s a church for that. Do you want to be moved emotionally by passionate and contemporary worship? There’s a church for that. Do you want to hear a dynamic and uplifting message of grace and hope? There’s a church for that. Do you want donuts and coffee in a relaxed come-as-you-are atmosphere? There’s a church for that. The church you join says a lot about who you are and what you are looking for...

...Now, as we bring our series to a close, we must address God’s greatest act of judgment—How could a loving God condemn anyone to an eternal hell? Many who struggle with this question feel there are only two solutions: reject God or reject the doctrine of hell. Yet the Bible teaches us about both, and we would have to flagrantly twist the scriptures to remove one from the other. And so, with the guidance of scripture, we must come to terms with this question...

...God’s acts of judgment in the Old Testament are often pictured as cruel, excessive, and indiscriminate... How does the Christian come to terms with these objections? Does man really have a more refined sense of morality and justice than God does? Or are we missing the bigger picture? There are 3 factors I believe will help us view God’s acts of judgment in the correct light...

...Yet, why did God allow such a malevolent being to infiltrate His creation in the first place? Where did Satan come from? Admittedly, the scriptures do not give us a complete answer to these questions, but neither does it leave us completely in the dark. Let’s take a moment to examine what can be known about Satan’s origin...

...Was it not man’s sin that first introduced suffering and death into the world? (Gen 3:17-19). By being loyal to the bidding of Satan instead of the command of God, we forfeited our position of authority over to the devil. Thus all suffering is either the consequence of our own sins, someone else’s sins, or the consequence of being born into a world stained by sin...

...Yet, how could evil arise in a world that was completely perfect and good? God at least had to create the potential for evil in the world. We concede that is true. God created two good and perfect things that made evil a distinct possibility: free-will and law.

Was God malevolent to have created these things? Not at all. Whereas evil may not be possible without free-will and law, neither would love, obedience, holiness, or righteousness. If man was going to reflect God’s image and character in his life, like God, he had to have the ability to choose...

...Many see faith as either the absence of doubt or the suppression of doubt, but biblical faith is neither. It is the conquering of doubt. Faith doesn’t mean we fully comprehend the answers to all the hard questions, but neither does it mean we refuse to ask them...

...These are not easy questions to answer. We may struggle comprehending God’s operation in many areas for the rest of our lives. But the scriptures do not sweep these questions under the rug or hide from them. By revealing to us the truth about God and this world in which we live, they can help us properly come to terms with these doubts and questions. Over the next few weeks I want to explore what the Bible says about these issues in a series of articles. I hope they will help you develop deeper convictions about both the sovereignty and compassion of God...