I was sitting on a cold, hard, wooden pew of a small brick and mortar baptist church, somewhere in the Midwestern United States, asking myself why the people in the choir wanted to wear funny robes and sing in unison in front of a crowd? Why did the man in charge come out and dunk […]
SAVING SEX FOR MARRIAGE
Most people have a viewpoint or opinion on premarital sex, abstinence or “waiting to have sex after marriage.” Christians are no different. The generally accepted Christian viewpoint is that premarital sex is a sin. But why? As one of the Ten Commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” drops from Moses’ lips in Exodus 20:14, the […]
SIN
I don’t know about you but all the English grammar that I learned in elementary school has leaked out of my brain. The English language is so complex. Some words in English can be verbs and nouns. Take for instance the word sleep. You can sleep the night away and someone can ask you if […]
WOMEN IN CHURCH LEADERSHIP
If you want to get a group of Christian women — or men, for that matter — talking, then just bring up the question of whether or not women should be allowed in church leadership. The opinions on this matter are as diverse as the people who hold them, but the importance of their consequences […]
WHAT IS THE KINGDOM OF GOD?
I remember watching Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome for the first time at the age of seven and being totally freaked out. If that is what the future will look like then I do not want to keep living. Nuclear holocaust, anarchy, and limited resources are definitely not great motivators for long-term planning. Most of us have […]
WHAT IS PRAYER?
Flying, just the thought of it, had given me anxiety attacks throughout my life. So how in the world did I go from being terrified of flying to becoming a pilot for the best hour of my life? My theory is praying, being patient, and waiting for God’s guidance. I spent numerous months in deep […]
THE INSTABILITY OF FAITH A LA CARTE
Being a Christian can be tough work. It should be, really. We are all incredibly flawed human beings, so fixing anything that broken should take a herculean amount of effort. If it was easy, I’d say something was wrong. Luckily though, we don’t do it alone. Christ is available to us in every way. The […]
REPENTANCE
Have you ever been lost and realized the whole time that you were driving the wrong way? I remember getting up on the morning of my wedding day with my best man and hopping on the freeway. Little did I know that I was in for the most embarrassing driving moment I have ever experienced. […]
CHRISTIANS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Increased droughts, floods, and blizzards are just some of the phenomena making news around the world. It seems like these drastic weather changes are occurring more frequently in areas they previously did not. The cause of these changes in weather patterns is the subject of great debate. Scientists have shown that carbon emissions have a […]
DECIPHERING BIBLE TRANSLATIONS
There are numerous translations of the Bible out there, and finding the best choice for yourself can sometimes be overwhelming. We tried to sum up a few of the most popular versions out there to help you navigate a version to try, whether a more literal or a more interpretive translation. You should try to […]