Categories
Quote Box
“For no matter how much all the earth’s gold hidden in covetousness may amount to, is it not infinitely less than the smallest mite hidden in the contentment of the poor!”
— Soren Kierkegaard
Recent Comments
Loading ...God’s Love: The Story of the Prodigal Son
Posted on March 9th, 2010 by uberlumen.
Categories: Apologetics, Bible Study, Evil and Suffering, Love, Men on the Path, Parenting, Sermons, Spiritual Growth, Vital Signs of Healing, marriage.
Mike Erre gives us a special glimpse into what the parable of the prodigal son truly meant to a 1st century audience. It was an incredible picture of God’s outrageous love for us.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
What if…we have it all wrong? What if there is…
Posted on January 8th, 2010 by uberlumen.
Categories: Apologetics, Book Reviews, Healing, Love, Spiritual Growth, Vital Signs of Healing, doctrine, marriage.
What if….we have it all wrong? What if there is a God that loves and adores YOU? What if there are angels? What if there is a heaven? What if there is a celebration filled with dancing, rejoicing, singing in heaven? What if there is a celebration right NOW over YOU?
Sally Beth Roe, a character in Piercing the Darkness by Frank Peretti, becomes a Christian, but Peretti provides us with a glimpse of what is occurring in heaven during the very moment that Sally Roe becomes a Christian. It is a remarkable moment of angels celebrating and the lamb of God embracing her. We have NO idea.
“Above, as if another sun had just risen, the darkness opened, and pure, white rays broke through the treetops, flooding Sally Beth Roe with a heavenly light, shining through to her heart, her innermost spirit, obscuring her form with a blinding fire of holiness. Slowly, without sensation, without sound, she settled forward, her face to the ground, her spirit awash with the presence of God…All around her, like spokes of a wondrous wheel, like beams of light emanating from a sun, angelic blades lay flat upon the ground, their tips turned toward her, their handles extending outward, held in the strong fists of hundreds of noble warriors who knelt in perfect, concentric circles of glory, light, and worship, their heads to the ground, their wings stretching skyward like a flourishing, animated garden of flames. They were silent, their hearts filled with holy dread…As in countless times past, in countless places, with marvelous, inscrutable wonder, the Lamb of God stood among them, the Word of God, and more: the final Word, the end of all discussion and challenge, the Creator and the Truth that holds all creation together–most wondrous of all, and most inscrutable of all, the Savior, a title the angels would always behold and marvel about, but which only mankind could know and understand. He had come to be the Savior of this woman. He knew her by name; and speaking her name, He touched her. And her sins were gone…”-pg 321, Piercing the Darkness by Peretti
Edwin Abbot in his book Flatland shares with us, through parable, mathematics, and physics, the very real possibility of dimensions and realities so very close to us, but we remain unaware of them. What if string theory is true? What if there are dimensions just beyond our reach? What if God and the heavenly realm is all around us, surrounding us, embracing us?
What would it be like to get a glimpse into heaven uninhibited, over joyed, overwhelmed in celebration? Here is a brief video of a wedding that brought laughter and joy to my heart as I imagined….dancing and rejoicing in heaven over US!
The Christmas Story: Then and Now Luke 2:1-20
Posted on December 27th, 2009 by uberlumen.
Categories: Apologetics, Bible Study, Book Reviews.
Now:
- Jesus birth was a late night, imminent, delivery
- Joseph and Mary had a hard time finding a place
- Jesus was born in a ‘manger’
- There was no room at the ‘inn’
Then:
- Joseph and Mary were not in a rush, and there was no late night, emergent delivery.
- Joseph was of the royal line of David (in fact, Bethlehem was known as ‘the city of David’). Joseph’s arrival would be welcomed and he would have been shown the respect of someone from the royal line of David. Mary had relatives in a neighboring town, and in the middle eastern culture at the time, a pregnant women would have been shown respect and utmost care. Mary would have been welcomed with open arms.
- Jesus was born in a family room of a friend or relative’s home. A manger was a cut out in the floor of the family room. In the Middle East in the 1st century, the home was structured in such a way that the animals were placed inside the home at night to provide warmth and protect them from robbers. There were several mangers in the family room for the animals. Jesus would have been wrapped in warm clothes and placed in comfort in a manger in the family room of the home.
- The Greek word for ‘inn’ (katalyma) used by Luke was also used by him in Luke 22:10-12 and was translated more accurately there as ‘guest room’. If Luke meant a commercial inn or hotel, he would have used the Greek word: pandocheion. Many families would have a main living area (with a manger) and a guest room attached. The attached guest room was occupied to the home of the family that Joseph and Mary were staying with so that is what is meant by ‘no room in the guest room’ in the Biblical text.
reference: Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes by Kenneth E. Bailey
Part 3: Non-Church Goers Giving Records
Posted on November 11th, 2009 by uberlumen.
Categories: Apologetics, Evil and Suffering, Sermon Notes, Spiritual Growth.
I heard recently that there was an article in USA Today that pointed out the stats on giving/helping/volunteerism between church goers vs. non-church goers.
As I have posted in the past, one of the most common complaints from non-Christians against Christians is: Those Christians are such hypocrites.
This recent article stated (I have not found the exact numbers but the article was quoted as saying this) that 70% of regular church goers give back their time to help others and that they have INCREASED (by 8%) their volunteerism since the economic downturn to help the poor and needy. On the other hand, only 30% or less of non-church goers give back with their charitable time, and this group has DECREASED (by 8%) their volunteerism since the economic downturn. (please leave comment or email us if you know the exact reference)
Part 2: Atheists claim that they are MORE moral than Christians.
Posted on November 10th, 2009 by uberlumen.
Categories: Apologetics, Evil and Suffering.
I agree with the comment posted in Part 1 that these stats need to be taken with a grain of salt, and Christians probably don’t report as openly their bad behaviors. This 3 part series of posts is pointing out that playing the hypocrite card is not entirely fair. A KEY point and pleading would be to not look at the Christian but look at Christ. Don’t let a Christian hypocrite get in the way of your relationship with God.
Here is another very interesting Barna poll. This poll suggests that atheists have different moral values than Christians.
A survey of 1,600 Canadians asked them what were their beliefs about God and what moral values they considered to be “very important.” The results of the survey are shown below:
| Moral Value | Theists | Atheists |
|---|---|---|
| Honesty | 94% | 89% |
| Kindness | 88 | 75 |
| Family life | 88 | 65 |
| Being loved | 86 | 70 |
| Friendship | 85 | 74 |
| Courtesy | 81 | 71 |
| Concern for others | 82 | 63 |
| Forgiveness | 84 | 52 |
| Politeness | 77 | 65 |
| Friendliness | 79 | 66 |
| Patience | 72 | 39 |
| Generosity | 67 | 37 |
Although the differences between theists and atheists in the importance of values such as honesty, politeness, and friendliness are generally small, moral values emphasized by religious beliefs, such as Christianity, including patience, forgiveness, and generosity exhibit major differences in attitudes (30%+ differences between theists and atheists).
What really concerns me is that only half of atheists think that forgiveness is very important. Either these people have not been married or maybe married multiple times, since a lack of forgiveness in a marriage is a sure recipe for disaster. Couple that moral belief with a perception that neither patience nor generosity are very important, and it seems that the divorce rates are likely to go up significantly in the near future.
According to Professor Bibby, Grandma is the “symbolic saintly person in the clan. So valuing Grandma also means valuing many of the things important to her. In successive generations you have a lingering effect of morality. But further down the road generations get further removed from the sources of those values. That’s where it gets tricky.”2
Part 1: Atheists claim that they are MORE moral than Christians.
Posted on November 9th, 2009 by uberlumen.
Categories: Apologetics, Evil and Suffering.
Atheists claim that they are more moral than their Christian counterparts? Our first question may be: Yes, but why? But our second question might be: Is this claim true?
A a random sample of 1003 adults were surveyed in May, 2008 by The Barna Group for their participation in a number of negative behaviors within the previous week. The results showed that there were vast differences in the behaviors of evangelicals compared to agnostics/atheists.
| Sin | Evangelicals | Atheists |
|---|---|---|
| Viewing pornography | 12% | 50% |
| Profanity in public | 16 | 60 |
| Gambling | 2 | ?7 |
| Gossiping | 4 | 34 |
| Sex with non-spouse | 3 | ?7 |
| Retaliation | ?7 | 11 |
| Drunkenness | 0.5 | 33 |
| Lying | 1 | ?7 |
| Average | 6 | 29 |
These results show that atheists/agnostics participate in morally questionable behaviors to a much greater degree than evangelical Christians – an average of nearly five times the frequency! The data calls into question the atheists’ claim that moral choices are deterministic and the people do not have the ability to exercise free will. If human behavior were merely a combination of genes and biochemistry, then beliefs would have no effect on moral choices. Obviously, this is a failed hypothesis, since beliefs do influence behavior. Another study, published in 2008, showed that increasing belief in determinism negatively impacted moral behavior (cheating).8
Francis Collins Discussion, Part 2
Posted on October 13th, 2009 by uberlumen.
Categories: Apologetics.
Did you ‘find waldo’ in the previous post? The problem/irony that I found is that in what is supposed to be an objective, scientific Journal this article points to intolerance and injustice.
I have never heard of someone’s religious beliefs or lack there of being a contention in their being elected Director of the NIH. I never read an article voicing the concerns that a president elected a scientist to lead the NIH who was an atheist. Isn’t there a concern with an atheists belief’s clouding their judgment and agenda? I would be MORE concerned about an atheist in the post of NIH director if we were to truly embrace the cold, hard truth about atheism–namely that the conclusions to the atheist worldview are that there is no morality (unless you consider subjective morality a type of morality) and there is no meaning–now someone who follows THOSE beliefs and dictates NIH agenda’s based on survival of the fittest–that is someone I would NOT want heading up the NIH.
I was also concerned and discouraged that this journal would allow such a non-objective commentary that states: “Some observers expressed concern that his personal religious beliefs would affect his judgments as NIH director.” Now who are the ’some’??? It turns out that it is one VERY militant atheist editorial comments from the New York Times!!!
If you want find more ‘waldo’s’ (please leave your list of problems found in this op-ed piece from the NY Times in the comments section of this post) then enjoy the editorial that started all this:
Op-Ed Contributor
By SAM HARRIS
Published: July 26, 2009
PRESIDENT OBAMA has nominated Francis Collins to be the next director of the National Institutes of Health. It would seem a brilliant choice. Dr. Collins’s credentials are impeccable: he is a physical chemist, a medical geneticist and the former head of the Human Genome Project. He is also, by his own account, living proof that there is no conflict between science and religion. In 2006, he published “The Language of God,” in which he claimed to demonstrate “a consistent and profoundly satisfying harmony” between 21st-century science and evangelical Christianity.
Dr. Collins is regularly praised by secular scientists for what he is not: he is not a “young earth creationist,” nor is he a proponent of “intelligent design.” Given the state of the evidence for evolution, these are both very good things for a scientist not to be.
But as director of the institutes, Dr. Collins will have more responsibility for biomedical and health-related research than any person on earth, controlling an annual budget of more than $30 billion. He will also be one of the foremost representatives of science in the United States. For this reason, it is important that we understand Dr. Collins and his faith as they relate to scientific inquiry.
What follows are a series of slides, presented in order, from a lecture on science and belief that Dr. Collins gave at the University of California, Berkeley, in 2008:
Slide 1: “Almighty God, who is not limited in space or time, created a universe 13.7 billion years ago with its parameters precisely tuned to allow the development of complexity over long periods of time.”
Slide 2: “God’s plan included the mechanism of evolution to create the marvelous diversity of living things on our planet. Most especially, that creative plan included human beings.”
Slide 3: “After evolution had prepared a sufficiently advanced ‘house’ (the human brain), God gifted humanity with the knowledge of good and evil (the moral law), with free will, and with an immortal soul.”
Slide 4: “We humans used our free will to break the moral law, leading to our estrangement from God. For Christians, Jesus is the solution to that estrangement.”
Slide 5: “If the moral law is just a side effect of evolution, then there is no such thing as good or evil. It’s all an illusion. We’ve been hoodwinked. Are any of us, especially the strong atheists, really prepared to live our lives within that worldview?”
Why should Dr. Collins’s beliefs be of concern?
There is an epidemic of scientific ignorance in the United States. This isn’t surprising, as very few scientific truths are self-evident, and many are counterintuitive. It is by no means obvious that empty space has structure or that we share a common ancestor with both the housefly and the banana. It can be difficult to think like a scientist. But few things make thinking like a scientist more difficult than religion.
Dr. Collins has written that science makes belief in God “intensely plausible” — the Big Bang, the fine-tuning of nature’s constants, the emergence of complex life, the effectiveness of mathematics, all suggest the existence of a “loving, logical and consistent” God.
But when challenged with alternative accounts of these phenomena — or with evidence that suggests that God might be unloving, illogical, inconsistent or, indeed, absent — Dr. Collins will say that God stands outside of Nature, and thus science cannot address the question of his existence at all.
Similarly, Dr. Collins insists that our moral intuitions attest to God’s existence, to his perfectly moral character and to his desire to have fellowship with every member of our species. But when our moral intuitions recoil at the casual destruction of innocents by, say, a tidal wave or earthquake, Dr. Collins assures us that our time-bound notions of good and evil can’t be trusted and that God’s will is a mystery.
Most scientists who study the human mind are convinced that minds are the products of brains, and brains are the products of evolution. Dr. Collins takes a different approach: he insists that at some moment in the development of our species God inserted crucial components — including an immortal soul, free will, the moral law, spiritual hunger, genuine altruism, etc.
As someone who believes that our understanding of human nature can be derived from neuroscience, psychology, cognitive science and behavioral economics, among others, I am troubled by Dr. Collins’s line of thinking. I also believe it would seriously undercut fields like neuroscience and our growing understanding of the human mind. If we must look to religion to explain our moral sense, what should we make of the deficits of moral reasoning associated with conditions like frontal lobe syndrome and psychopathy? Are these disorders best addressed by theology?
Dr. Collins has written that “science offers no answers to the most pressing questions of human existence” and that “the claims of atheistic materialism must be steadfastly resisted.”
One can only hope that these convictions will not affect his judgment at the institutes of health. After all, understanding human well-being at the level of the brain might very well offer some “answers to the most pressing questions of human existence” — questions like, Why do we suffer? Or, indeed, is it possible to love one’s neighbor as oneself? And wouldn’t any effort to explain human nature without reference to a soul, and to explain morality without reference to God, necessarily constitute “atheistic materialism”?
Francis Collins is an accomplished scientist and a man who is sincere in his beliefs. And that is precisely what makes me so uncomfortable about his nomination. Must we really entrust the future of biomedical research in the United States to a man who sincerely believes that a scientific understanding of human nature is impossible?
Francis Collins, Part 1 & ‘finding waldo’
Posted on October 10th, 2009 by uberlumen.
Categories: Apologetics, medicine.
Have you ever played the book game ‘finding waldo’? I thought I would share this brief article and see if anyone wants to post a comment sharing with us what they find ironic/problematic with this article that was the lead article in medicine’s premier journal-The New England Journal of Medicine. I will share what I found in a follow up post.
Opportunities and Challenges for the NIH — An Interview with Francis Collins
Robert Steinbrook, M.D.
Francis Collins, the physician and geneticist who was sworn in as the 16th director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in August 2009, anticipates scientific opportunities and budgetary challenges. Although the NIH received $10.4 billion in new funding under the American Recovery and ReinvestmentAct, the money must be spent by September 2010 and the institutes’budget has otherwise been relatively flat since 2003 (see graph).1 Fiscal year 2011 begins on October 1, 2010, and prospects are uncertain.
Collins, 59, has led the Human Genome Project and directed the National Human Genome Research Institute at NIH; his laboratory has identified many important genes. He also established the BioLogos Foundation, which addresses the interface between science and faith, and wrote a best-selling 2006 book, The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief. Some observers expressed concern that his personal religious beliefs would affect his judgments as NIH director.2 When he became director, Collins resigned from the foundation, ended his involvement in public discussions about science and faith, and provided reassurances that his agenda for the institutes is scientific, not religious.
(vol 361:1321-1323 October 1, 2009)
Global Media Outreach
Posted on September 18th, 2009 by uberlumen.
Categories: Apologetics, Evil and Suffering, Spiritual Growth.
C.S. Lewis Society introduces Tyler & Family to France
Posted on September 17th, 2009 by uberlumen.
Categories: Apologetics, Spiritual Growth.
I have had the privledge to get to know Tyler over the last few years. He has a passion to reach those who have not met God’s love. He is taking the adventure of a life time by going to France for the C.S. Lewis Society to spread God’s message of love to Europe.
He recently sent me this email to invite anyone who is interested in learning more of this great adventure (please read and check it out!):
“Lisa and I want to invite you and your family to attend an evening event at RockHarbor Church on the 24th of September (next Thursday). As you know we are about to leave for France to spread the good news of Jesus as the European Field Directors for the C.S. Lewis Society. RockHarbor has offered to host a night for us to share our passion and heart for the least evangelized continent on the globe. I really hope to see you there.
Also, would you be willing to forward this invitation to 3 to 5 christian brothers or sisters whom you think would be blessed by attending as well? I realize I am competing with things like back to school nights and bible studies, but with your help it could really make a difference in having this be a great event.
For Christ’s glory,
Lisa and Tyler Geffeney
RESPONDING TO THE CALL TO “GO”
“The Geffeney’s journey to Evangelize Europe”
3080 Airway Suite 100, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
In the Lab: **Child Care Provided**
September 24, 2009 6:45 P.M.
(please RSVP # of kids to lisageff@yahoo.com)
Coffee and desserts will be served
First Importance Part 2: 1 Corinthians 15
Posted on September 14th, 2009 by uberlumen.
Categories: Apologetics, Sermons, Spiritual Growth, doctrine.
This is the 2nd of Mike Erre’s sermons on 1 Corinthians 15–a pivotal section of scripture regarding the first importance of the resurrection.
The last part of 1 Corinthians 15 is confusing to our modern reading because we miss the cultural context, and we lack back 1st century knowledge of the Old Testament. Mike does a great job of walking us through the what Paul is saying.
We have to remember that Paul was a famous preacher/communicator so when he said these words to a crowd of 1st century people, they must of understood it as clearly as we understand the newspaper.
Mike ends with a magical time of helping us to picture the grandeur and excitement of heaven. Enjoy!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Cornerstone: Christ is ALL & without Him there is NOTHING!
Posted on September 14th, 2009 by uberlumen.
Categories: Apologetics, Bible Study, Evil and Suffering, Sermons, Spiritual Growth.
This is a powerful sermon by Greg Boyd about the Messianic prophecy regarding Christ being the cornerstone. He points out the emptiness, void, and nothingness that we have without Him. Without Christ, we try to fill the void and despair of our meaningless existence by so many fleeting and worthless endeavors.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
The GREAT Adventure, Part 3: Your Story
Posted on September 9th, 2009 by uberlumen.
Categories: Apologetics, Sermons, Spiritual Growth, doctrine.
What is your story? Join us in this 3rd part of 4 sermons on God’s love and grace.
There is a great website that walks you through the process of creating your story to share: www.5clicks.com
THE UNEXPECTED ADVENTURE
Taking everyday risks to extend the grace of God
THE HOPE THAT IS WITHIN US
15But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect-1Peter 3:15
WE ALL HAVE A STORY TO SHARE
-Our friends are interested
-Our friends can relate
-It is hard to argue with
PAUL’S GRACE STORY-ACTS 26
9“I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth…On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. 11Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. In my obsession against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them. 12“On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. 14We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 15“Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ ” ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied. 16‘Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you. 17I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 18to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ 19“So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. 20First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds. 21That is why the Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me. 22But I have had God’s help to this very day, and so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen— 23that the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and to the Gentiles.”
_________-vv. 9-11
_________-vv. 12-18
_________-vv. 19-23
STORY TIPS
Theme
-The central issue in our lives that shows the_______ in our spiritual outlook before and after knowing Christ.
Middle Handle
-we need to keep it simple, clear, and __________
Conclusion
-End with a question that requires a ____________
Scripture
-Think of one key verse that relates to your story.
Language
-avoid religious clichés and insider language
Length
-Be_________ and to the point
Put others first
-keep focus on your friend
-Emphasize those aspects of your story that will relate
PRAY FOR AN OPEN DOOR
And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.-col. 4:3
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
The GREAT Adventure, Part 4: The Bridges
Posted on September 9th, 2009 by uberlumen.
Categories: Apologetics, Sermons, Spiritual Growth, doctrine.
This is the 4th and final part of our sermon series on grace, love, and God.
THE UNEXPECTED ADVENTURE
Taking everyday risks to extend the grace of God
HELPING SPIRITUAL EXPLORES FIND THE GRACE OF GOD
So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” -2 Cor. 5:20
REMEMBER THIS IS A ___________ AND NOT AN EVENT
What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 6I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. 7So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. 9For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field-1Corinthians 3:5-9
-Process oriented
-Team based
-Spirit driven
BRIDGE ONE: __________ RELATIONSHIPS
As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, 7but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. 8We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. 9Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. 10You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. 11For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory. -1 Thessalonians 2:7-12
-Genuine
-Grace filled
-Authentic
BRIDGE TWO-THE ______________
1Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you…… 3For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,-1Cor. 15:1-3
The bridge illustration
THE UNEXPECTED ADVENTURE
3And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.-Col. 4:3-6
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
First Importance Part 1: The Resurrection 1 Corinthians 15
Posted on September 5th, 2009 by uberlumen.
Categories: Apologetics, Sermons, Spiritual Growth, doctrine.
Mike Erre at Rockharbor Church has been doing a series on 1 Corinthians. I have attatched for your listening interest the 1st of his sermons concerning 1 Corinthians 15 which is a pivotal section of Scripture describing the importance of the Resurrection of Jesus.
Mike points out:
- without the resurrection our faith is worthless
- the word used in this passage and throughout the New Testament means trust in something that you know to be true
- 1 Corinthians 15 is a creedal statement dated to approx 36 A.D. (only 3 years after Christ’s death)
- there is substantial historical and testimonial evidence for the resurrection: crucifixion=death, empty tomb=skeptics need to ’show me the body’, appearances=many and so convincing that cowards became martyrs, tranformed lives=Saul to Paul, doubting Thomas, and James the younger brother of Jesus…cumulative evidence–what event best explains all of this? A: The resurrection
- gospel accounts: women first to see Him (only way women would be first witnesses would be that it really happened this way); non embelished, simple accounts (not enough time for legend & very real, down to earth accounts), etc…
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
The GREAT Adventure, Part 2: God’s Story
Posted on August 25th, 2009 by uberlumen.
Categories: Apologetics, Sermons, Spiritual Growth, doctrine.
This is the 2nd of 4 parts to a sermon series about grace, adventure, and God’s love. Enjoy!
The Gospel Message
The Unexpected Adventure
Pastor Bucky Dennis
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.” Romans 1:16-18
- _________________________
- God is _________
“…God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in god, and God in him.” 1 John 4:16b
- God is _________ (absolutely pure)
“But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’” 1 Peter 1:16
- God is _________ (a good judge)
“God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you.” 2 Thessalonians 1:16
- _________________________
- We were created good, but became _________.
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23
- We deserve _________ (physical & spiritual)
“For the wages of sin is death…”Romans 6:23; Hebrews 9:22
- We are spiritually _________ (“morally bankrupt”)
“All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags…” Isaiah 64:6; Ephesians 2:8-9
The Gospel Message
The Unexpected Adventure
Pastor Bucky Dennis
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.” Romans 1:16-18
- _________________________
- God is _________
“…God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in god, and God in him.” 1 John 4:16b
- God is _________ (absolutely pure)
“But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’” 1 Peter 1:16
- God is _________ (a good judge)
“God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you.” 2 Thessalonians 1:16
- _________________________
- We were created good, but became _________.
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23
- We deserve _________ (physical & spiritual)
“For the wages of sin is death…”Romans 6:23; Hebrews 9:22
- We are spiritually _________ (“morally bankrupt”)
“All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags…” Isaiah 64:6; Ephesians 2:8-9
- _________________________
-
- Christ is _________, who also became man.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:1, 14; John 8:24
-
- Christ died as our _________.
“He himself bore our signs in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and life for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Peter 3:18; 2 Corinthians 5:21
-
- Christ offers us salvation as a _________.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 6:23
- _________________________
-
- You and I must _________.
“Yet to all who received him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12
-
- We must trust Christ to be our _________
and _________.
“…because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9
-
- The result is a spiritual _________ by the Holy Spirit.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
- _________________________
-
- Christ is _________, who also became man.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:1, 14; John 8:24
-
- Christ died as our _________.
“He himself bore our signs in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and life for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Peter 3:18; 2 Corinthians 5:21
-
- Christ offers His forgiveness as a _________.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 6:23
- _________________________
-
- You and I must _________.
“Yet to all who received him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12
-
- We must trust Christ to be our _________
and _________.
“…because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9
-
- The result is a spiritual _________ by the Holy Spirit.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
The Man in the Hole: Are all religions the same?
Posted on August 22nd, 2009 by uberlumen.
Categories: Apologetics, doctrine, you tube clips.
The Mercy of God in the Old Testament
Posted on August 12th, 2009 by uberlumen.
Categories: Apologetics, Bible Study, Evil and Suffering, Spiritual Growth, doctrine.
I continue to search for brief articles pointing out the true God of the O.T. A friend and fellow physician who has an AMAZING website has a GREAT article summarizing key points: 1. God of O.T. is merciful; 2. God of O.T. NEVER killed innocent people 3. God of O.T. ALWAYS asked/pleaded with people to repent.
I have also cut and pasted it for you here:
The Mercy of God as Found in the Old Testament
by Rich Deem
Introduction
Jonah and God’s Mercy
Most Christians know Jonah as the reluctant prophet who was swallowed by a whale in order for God to convince him to go to Nineveh. Atheists often get caught up in the whale part of the story, not realizing that the story reveals that the ancients believed that God was merciful, although, at time, they often wished He hadn’t been.
Rich Deem
According to Richard Dawkins, Yahweh, the God of the Bible, is “jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.”1 Absent from any of Dawkins’ description of God is His mercy. People tend to think of the God of the Old Testament as cruel and unforgiving, whereas the God of the New Testament is seen as the God of mercy, who sent Jesus to atone for the sins of the world. The Old Testament prophets were always warning the people about the wrath of God should they stray from the path of righteousness. However, what is usually ignored by atheists is God’s mercy for those who did repent of doing evil. Yes, God judged many people groups, but not before warning them.
Jonah and God’s mercy?
For those of you who only remember the whale part of Jonah’s story, here is a brief synopsis to get you a better background about Jonah. God called Jonah to travel to the city of Nineveh to warn them about their impending judgment, because of their wickedness.2 Jonah had different ideas, and attempted to flee from God by paying for passage on a foreign ship.3 However, God was not amused and sent a violent storm.4 The sailors were terrified and eventually figured out that Jonah was the cause of their endangerment, which he eventually admitted to them.5 Jonah was thrown overboard and God directed a great fish (or whale – the Hebrew is not that specific) to swallow Jonah and take him to the shore.6 Once expelled from the whale, Jonah decided to do what God had originally requested and travelled to Nineveh to preach repentance from their evil.7
A number of Christians assume Jonah was reluctant to go to Nineveh because they were known for their cruelty, and he feared for his life. However, the account gives a different reason why Jonah did not want to go. Jonah actually wanted God to judge the city of Nineveh and kill all their inhabitants. He was disappointed that the king and the people repented of their evil and were spared from God’s judgment.8 In fact, Jonah was so angry with God that he asked God to kill him.9 After that conversation, Jonah left the city and sat outside of it hoping that God would still destroy the city.10 God caused a plant to grow overnight to give Jonah shade during his watch, but then caused the death of the plant the next day. Jonah was furious about the plant.11 God pointed out that Jonah’s priorities were completely messed up, since he was more concerned about a plant that gave him shade than the fate of 120,000 souls in Nineveh:
Then the LORD said, “You had compassion on the plant for which you did not work and which you did not cause to grow, which came up overnight and perished overnight. Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?” (Jonah 4:10-11)
So, it was clear to Jonah that God was merciful and He would reconsider His judgment of evil if the people repented.12 Since Jonah wanted no part in God’s mercy, he tried to avoid following God’s instructions to warn the people.
Did God warn others?
Atheists would like you to believe that the God of the Old Testament just randomly killed people for no good reason and without warning. It turns out that atheists often don’t present the entire stories about God’s judgment. For example, in the greatest story of judgment, God sent a flood to kill all humanity except Noah and his family. However, Noah preached to the people of the coming judgment during the 100 years he was building the ark.13 In another famous example, God destroyed the cites of Sodom and Gomorrah, because of their evil. In fact, all the men of Sodom (including both young and old) attempted to rape the two angels who came to warn Lot of the impending judgment.14 Although warned,15 the men attempted to harm Lot, but were prevented when the angels caused them all to become blind.16 In many lesser known stories, God warned the people prior to executing judgment. Some of these warnings were heeded17 and others not,18 with the expected consequences. God’s own people were often recipients of God’s judgment, when they refused to heed His warnings.19 Here is a short list from the writings of the prophets:
| Prophet | Warning to | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah | Judah | Judgment |
| Jeremiah | Judah | Judgment |
| Lamentations | Jerusalem | Judgment |
| Ezekiel | Jerusalem, Tyre, Egypt | Captivity in Babylon |
| Hosea | Israel | Judgment |
| Joel | Tyre, Sidon, Philistia | Judgment |
| Amos | Israel | Judgment |
| Obadiah | Edom | Judgment |
| Jonah | Nineveh | Repentance |
| Micah | Israel | Judgment |
| Nahum | Nineveh | Judgment |
| Habakkuk | Judah | Judgment |
| Zephaniah | Judah | Judgment |
| Zechariah | Tyre, and other cities | Judgment |
It is a well known principle that God regularly warned people of impending judgment and He personally indicated that He would relent if they changed their ways.12 So, the atheists’ idea that God killed people without warning is false.
Does God kill the innocent?
Did God kill any innocent people along with the evil ones? In the two most famous examples of God’s judgment discussed above, the text clearly says that all the people God killed were evil.20 When God was about to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham asked God if He would destroy the cities if there were 50 righteous people in them.21 God said no. Then Abraham asked the same question if there were 45 righteous people. Every time he dropped the number and got the same answer. The fact is that God would not have destroyed those cities if there were any righteous people in them. The few righteous who were in those cities He warned ahead of time to get out.22 In another example, Abimelech, king of Gerar, took Abraham’s wife because he lied saying that she was his sister.23 However, God prevented Abimelech from sleeping with her and warned him in a dream. Abimelech heeded God’s warning and was spared from death.23 Eliphaz the Temanite, in his discussions with Job, acknowledged that God did not judge the innocent with the guilty, but that those who act sinfully will incur God’s judgment.24 So, God does not destroy the righteous along with the evil.
Conclusion 
In numerous instances, atheists cite the Old Testament for examples of where God killed “innocent” people. However, the texts show that the innocent are not judged, but only the guilty. In addition, virtually always, the guilty individuals were warned ahead of time about their sin. Jonah is often known as the reluctant prophet, although the reason for his hesitation was not due to the cruelty of Nineveh, but because he feared its people might repent and God might spare them. Jonah wanted God to kill all the people of Nineveh, but feared His mercy. So, Christians are not the only people who often seem to want to see God judge people for their evil, rather than praying for their reconciliation with God. Jonah reveals that God was known for His mercy even in Old Testament times. Even though God is merciful, His mercy extends only to those who heed His words of warning. There is no toleration for evil in God’s kingdom, so those who insist on testing God’s resolve toward sin will find themselves judged, and incarcerated in God’s jail.
The GREAT adventure, Part 1: Grace & Love
Posted on August 11th, 2009 by uberlumen.
Categories: Apologetics, Sermons, Spiritual Growth.
Enjoy this teaching time about God’s amazing grace and love for us. Here is the outline:
THE UNEXPECTED ADVENTURE
Taking everyday risks to extend the grace of God
AMBUSHED BY GRACE
4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.-Eph. 2:4-9
FALLING INTO THE HEART OF GOD-Luke 15
Now the tax collectors and “sinners” were all gathering around to hear him. 2But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”-Luke 15:1
People matter to God
-the loss of connection
-a heart that seeks and finds
-the celebration of heaven
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 21“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. –Luke 15:
HELPING SPIRITUAL EXPLORERS FIND THE GRACE OF GOD
-Lead with love
Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.-1 John 3:18
-live an authentic faith
“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.14 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.-Matt. 5:13-16
-pray for opportunities
3And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.-col. 4:3
-take every day risks for God
5Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.-Col. 4:5-6
20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” -2 Cor. 5:20
PRAYING FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO EXTEND GOD’S GRACE
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
“You should take your kids to see the tolerance museum.”
Posted on July 30th, 2009 by uberlumen.
Categories: Apologetics, Spiritual Growth.
We were told a party the other night that we should take our kids to the tolerance museum. I was dying to ask: What is tolerance? But I got distracted and let the opportunity slip away.
The best and briefest summary of the tolerance issue that I have found is written by Koukl:
Gregory Koukl
There’s one word that can stop you in your track. That word is “tolerance.”
Let’s take a look at the confusing and mistaken ways tolerance is used in our culture today.
Using the modern definition of tolerance, you will see that no one is tolerant, or ever can be. It’s what my friend Frank Beckwith calls the “passive aggressive tolerance trick.” Let’s start with a real life example.
I had the privilege of speaking to seniors at a Christian high school in Des Moines. I wanted to alert them to this “tolerance trick,” but I also wanted to learn how much they had already been taken in by it. I began by writing two sentences on the board
“All views have equal merit and none should be considered better than another.”
“Jesus is the Messiah and Judaism is wrong for rejecting that.”
They all nodded in agreement as I wrote the first sentence. As soon as I finished writing the second, though, hands flew up. “You can’t say that,” a coed challenged, clearly annoyed. “That’s disrespectful. How would you like it if someone said you were wrong?”
“In fact, that happens to me all the time,” I pointed out, “including right now with you. But why should it bother me that someone thinks I’m wrong?”
“It’s intolerant,” she said, noting that the second statement violated the first statement. What she didn’t see was that the first statement also violated itself.
I pointed to the first statement and asked, “Is this a view, the idea that all views have equal merit and none should be considered better than another?” They agreed.
Then I pointed to the second statement—the “intolerant” one—and asked the same question: “Is this a view?” They studied the sentence for a moment. Slowly my point began to dawn on them. They’d been taken in by the tolerance trick.
If all views have equal merit, then the view that Christians have a better view on Jesus than Jews is just as true as the idea that Jews have a better view on Jesus than Christians. But this is hopelessly contradictory. If the first statement is what tolerance amounts to, then no one can be tolerant because “tolerance” turns out to be gibberish.
“Would you like to know how to get out of this dilemma?” I asked. They nodded. “Return to the classic view of tolerance and reject this modern distortion.” Then I wrote these two principles on the board:
“Be egalitarian regarding persons.”
“Be elitist regarding ideas.”[1]
The first principle is true tolerance, what might be called “civility.” It can loosely be equated with the word “respect.” Tolerance applies to how we treat people we disagree with, not how we treat ideas we think false. Tolerance requires that every person is treated courteously, no matter what her view, not that all views have equal worth, merit, or truth.
Don’t let this new notion of tolerance intimidate you. Treat all people with respect, but be willing to show them where their ideas have gone wrong. The modern notion of tolerance actually turns this value on its head. It’s one of the first responses deployed when you take exception with what someone has said. “You’re intolerant.”
To say I’m intolerant because I disagree with someone’s ideas is confused. The view that one person’s ideas are no better or truer than another’s is simply absurd and contradictory. To argue that some views are false, immoral, or just plain silly does not violate any meaningful definition or standard of tolerance.
The irony is that according to the classical notion of tolerance, you can’t tolerate someone unlessyou disagree with him. We don’t “tolerate” people who share our views. They’re on our side. There’s nothing to “put up” with. Tolerance is reserved for those who we think are wrong, yet we still choose to treat them decently and with respect.
This essential element of classical tolerance—elitism regarding ideas—has been completely lost in the modern distortion of the concept. Nowadays if you think someone is wrong, you’re called intolerant no matter how you treat them.
Whenever you’re charged with intolerance, always ask for a definition, then point out the contradiction built in to this new view.
Most of what passes for tolerance today is intellectual cowardice, a fear of intelligent engagement. Those who brandish the word “intolerant” are unwilling to be challenged by other views, to grapple with contrary opinions, or even to consider them. It’s easier to hurl an insult—“you intolerant bigot”—than to confront the idea and either refute it or be changed by it. In the modern era, “tolerance” has become intolerance.
As ambassadors for Christ, however, we choose the more courageous path. In Paul’s words, “We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God” (2 Corinthians 10:5). In a gracious and artful way, we accurately speak the truth, and then trust God to transform minds.