Christian Questions Bible Podcast

Theme Scripture: 1 Corinthians 4:16-17
It seems like it would be a no-brainer to say that following Christ and following Christianity today are synonymous. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Imperfect human beings have always been very adept at creating alternative interpretations and approaches to most everything. Christianity is no exception. In Part I of our 2-part series, we began looking at some specific teachings of Jesus. We began holding Christianity up to the light of Jesus’ words and asked how we were doing with this. We continue the process in Part II. Even though we are asking about Christianity, the resounding question that begs for an answer is this: Am I personally choosing to follow Christ and his original teaching, or am I personally settling for some form of watered-down Christianity instead?

Theme Scripture: 1 Corinthians 4:16-17
When someone says they are a Christian, their claim can be easily interpreted in a variety of ways. Unfortunately, following the name of Christ has been a dramatically devalued description of religion over many centuries. Think back to the Dark Ages when the church mercilessly hunted, tortured and killed non-believers for the sake of “saving souls” in the name of Christ. Think about the smorgasbord of choices one now has available. We can choose a brand of Christianity that suits our lifestyle and fulfills our preferences. Being a disciple of Jesus Christ was not always this way. In the time of Jesus and the apostles, it meant something higher and had an eternal purpose. The question we all need to ask ourselves is simple. Is my chosen brand of Christianity in complete accord with Jesus’ original teachings?

Theme Scripture: Philippians 4:8
As a Christian, taking the time to understand what we think about is a worthy and necessary investment of our time and effort. When you look at anyone who is truly successful at any endeavor, you will always find that one of the common denominators of their success is controlling their minds. In Part I of this two-part series, we spent considerable time piecing together the groundwork that the Apostle Paul laid out in Philippians 4 as a basis for productive Christian thinking. He understood the demands of Christianity and cared enough about his fellow disciples to teach us not only what he knew, but how to apply that knowledge. One major result of his spiritual wisdom was the letter he wrote to the Philippians.

Theme Scripture: Philippians 4:8
Most of us don’t realize just much of our lives come down to our own personal choices. We have far more power over how we handle our everyday experiences than we give ourselves credit for. Why wouldn’t we claim this power so we can better influence our path? Because we subtly and regularly fall into habits of thinking that lull us into a lukewarm and compliant attitude of submission. The Apostle Paul was all about helping us, as his fellow disciples of Christ, challenge the status quo and reset our minds so we can daily think and choose with spiritual clarity. Much of the letter he wrote to the Philippian Christians focused in on the adverse conditions in life and how to think through them. Examining this letter is the first step to better focusing our thinking!

Theme Scripture: Psalm 145:8
The thought that God is a God of anger - especially in the Old Testament - is alive and well. It’s a very convenient thought. All one has to do is select from the many passages in the Old Testament that show God commanding the destruction of this or that people. It’s easy to say He has anger issues and therefore should not be worshipped. The only problem is that this conclusion is in direct opposition to the truth. To grasp the correct thought, we need to begin by focusing on putting God’s anger into its proper context. This basic exercise opens up a perspective on God’s anger that redefines it. Simply stated, God’s anger is an occasionally used tool of His overwhelmingly just, loving, wise and powerful character. He is SO much bigger than He is given credit for.

Theme Scripture: Hebrews 10:24
We all know someone who has been in some kind of altercation that didn’t end well. When we go back and look at the events, we always want to know who started it. What we are looking for is who initially provoked the other party to cause the chain of events that led to someone on some level being hurt. The point is, provoking one another is not usually looked at as a good thing as we think of things like sibling rivalries or having someone “push your buttons.” However, with an appropriate approach, provoking others can be a powerful tool as it can stimulate them to positive action and conflict resolution. So, how do we do that? How do we provoke others toward everything good and avoid provoking them toward anything bad?

Theme Scripture: James 1:2-3
Christian faith is a big deal. The Bible tells us that faith is a gift from God. It tells us the just live by faith. It tells us that faith without works is dead and that without faith, it is impossible to please God. It tells us that we can be of little faith needing more and then it tells us that if we have faith like the grain of a tiny mustard seed, we can move mountains. With all of these varied and important applications of faith, it is surprising that defining faith and how it really works can be difficult tasks. Faith is far too often described as a feeling or a pathway to believing in something that has no substance. When it comes to biblically defined faith, nothing could be further from the truth!

Theme Scripture: Revelation 21:4
In all of recorded history since Adam, there has never been a time when humanity did not know pain, sorrow, trauma and death. Never. These things are so ingrained into the fabric of our lives that the very idea of not knowing pain and suffering is a pipe dream. And death? It’s a given. Everybody has death touch those around them, as we all eventually will be swallowed up by it. If we try and have someone imagine a world without these things, the thought is often met with the classic response, “That would be great, but it sounds too good to be true!” Why do we bring up this hope that sounds like a fairy tale happy ending? We bring it up because the Bible explains it through many prophecies. We bring it up because we believe it is the true conclusion of the stated plan of God.

Theme Scripture: John 19:30
“It is finished.” When Jesus said these three words, he signaled an ending. He proclaimed to those who were gazing upon his beaten and crucified body that he had completed a specific set of tasks successfully. He had done what he had set out to do. Looking back on this event, some may wonder, what did he really accomplish? If we are living God’s plan, it sure seems disjointed, broken and worthless. But all they can see are the tragedies of human choices and experiences. As we look more deeply into the final moments of Jesus’ earthly life, we will see how they were a catalyst to change the downward sin and death-ridden course that Satan had begun so long before. We will see that Jesus proclaiming, “It is finished” was also a victorious proclamation of what was to begin!

Theme Scripture: John 12:12-13
The last week of Jesus’ earthly life was both eventful and tumultuous. His riding triumphantly into Jerusalem four days before his crucifixion was a dramatic and unmistakable display of hope and respect by the hundreds of thousands who honored him as he rode. The events that would take place after his kingly entrance into the city would also be dramatic, as the wheels of betrayal and murder would furiously spin towards their grisly end. Through all of this, Jesus never faltered in his character or objectives. Today we will focus on the powerful messages and prophetic fulfillments that came from his inspiring ride into Jerusalem, as its meaning is far deeper than many realize.