Christian Questions Bible Podcast

Theme Scripture: Romans 8:25
Hope is a critical part of the human experience. Without it, our lives would be overrun with despair, doubt and difficulty. It's intertwined in every part of any experience that contains even the smallest measure of doubt. Without it, we would end up meeting the uncertainties of each day with our own internal and unanswerable uncertainties. The results would be disastrous! The fact is there are different interpretations of what this kind of optimism really is. If we place our expectations in seriously-questionable ideas, circumstances or people, we will undoubtedly end up with high levels of disappointment. So, how do we keep true hope alive? For Christians, it all begins with striving to understand what biblical hope really is. Once we grasp this, we begin to see that hope in its most complete form is absolutely transformational.

Theme Scripture: Lamentations 3:22-23
As Christians, we all fail. We all think, say or do things that are out of harmony with God’s will and way, and this can be really frustrating. So, what can change those failures? Will focusing on having more faith make a difference? The answer to this is both yes and no. Having more faith can only make a difference if we understand what faith really is. For many, having Christian faith is professing a belief. It is looking towards Jesus and choosing to be his follower. While this is appropriate and necessary, it's only a beginning. True faith is far deeper. When we look at both the Old and New Testaments together, we see a very different description of faith. This description shows us how we can use true and genuine faith to help take us from failure to victory. So, how does faith work?

Theme Scripture: James 1:17
Part I of this important topic focused in on some harsh Old Testament accounts that featured God pronouncing death and destruction to those who perpetrated great evil. Bible skeptics parade these accounts as proof that God is merciless, evil and even sadistic. While the Old Testament does put these kinds of judgments into perspective, the ability to draw a full conclusion regarding God’s purposes is not complete. We need the rest of the story. We need to understand how the New Testament is built on top of - but does not replace - the Old Testament. Today, we continue looking into the whole Bible to accurately measure God’s love against His wrath. What we will find is the rest of the story as we apply the role Jesus played as a man to all those who suffered and died before his earthly mission.

Theme Scripture: Deuteronomy 7:2
There are MANY things in the Bible that are easily misunderstood and therefore easily misrepresented. Perhaps the most singularly misrepresented subject in the entire Bible is the nature of God Himself. There are many who accuse God of being angry, vengeful, cruel and unjust, especially because of the Old Testament. They write Him off as unworthy of respect, and laugh when the New Testament presents Him as just, loving and merciful. The contradiction, they say, is untenable and glaring. When we read certain Old Testament verses without explanation or context, we can begin to identify their perspective. What we know based on the study of scripture and history, is that they are wrong. God DOES show anger, wrath and harshness in the Bible, but there is a plan behind it if we are willing to search it out!

Theme Scripture: 1 Timothy 4:14
In the 2,000 years since Jesus walked the earth, Christianity has in some ways developed and in many ways fragmented. Depending on the doctrine or ritual you are looking at, you can find groups with a laser focus on it or a minimized approach to it. The early Christian ritual of the “laying on of hands” is a good example of this discrepancy. Some of us centralize its importance while others of us see it as a thing of the past. If laying on of hands was central, why was it NOT used consistently? If it was of little significance, then why was it used at all? The fact is, the act of laying on of hands was clearly present in the Old Testament. The apostles did plainly use this ritual several times. So, what is the bottom-line application of laying on of hands for Christians living now?

Theme Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:14
When it comes to understanding your marriage relationship, there may not be a more revealing question to ask than, “What do I say  when I talk to my spouse?” It’s funny…well, actually it’s sad. We make a life-altering decision to marry, and the passion behind it is clear and solid. We see it as a forever passion. Time passes and this passionate decision can become a commonplace part of life, one we don’t give much thought to. Then kind of like putting on your most comfortable pair of shoes or sitting in your favorite chair, your marriage becomes just another element of life you absentmindedly rely on to provide you comfort. As you talk to your spouse, your words perhaps subtly at first begin to reflect reaffirming your own comfort instead of being interested in their experience. So sad and too often, so true!

Theme Scripture: Matthew 25:14
As Christians, we are truly blessed. Having given our lives to Jesus, we are assured that all of our experiences are overruled for our best benefit. This is not to imply we can just coast along as though we were given a ticket for some magical ride to heaven riding on fluffy clouds of comfort. On the contrary. Being a Christian is hard. We are expected to work in the service of God through Jesus on a regular daily basis. We are also expected to be accountable for what we do or don’t do. In the Parable of the Talents, Jesus shows us that we are given specific work to do for him, and that we have exactly what we need to get the job done. So, the question is, how am I doing? What godly things have I been given to do, and am I daily working at accomplishing them?

Theme Scripture: Matthew 5:1-2
When Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount, he changed everything. All that the people of Israel had ever heard before this was related to the Jewish Law and much of that teaching had been corrupted by their religious leadership. Jesus sat on a hillside teaching his disciples, allowing anyone to listen in who had a mind to, as he unfolded transformational instructions for becoming a true disciple of his. The import of the simple statements he began his sermon with which are now known as the Beatitudes, is eternal. Last week we began to unpack these Beatitudes and covered the first three of the seven. As we proceed this week we will cover the final four. Our attempt will be to relay many of the deep lessons and instructions that Jesus laid out for us as he described his own character as a model for ours.

Theme Scripture: Matthew 5:1-2
Arguably, the most well-known sermon in the world is the Sermon on the Mount, delivered by Jesus over 2,000 years ago on a mountainside near the Lake of Gennesaret and Capernaum. It was his longest recorded sermon, covering important topics like loving your enemies, anger and murder, adultery and divorce, how to fast and laying up treasures in heaven. His audience was his disciples plus a curious crowd, attracted by his ability to perform wondrous miracles. The sermon began with several deceptively simple “blessed” statements called the Beatitudes. These statements are actually a profound foundation for all of Jesus’ teachings. They show us not only how to frame our view of life, they also show us how we are to treat those around us with godly grace.

Theme Scripture: Ephesians 4:31
It is easy to live with bitterness. I am not suggesting that it’s comfortable, but I am suggesting that being bitter towards one or many people or circumstances is considered acceptable. We know it’s acceptable because if we pay attention, we will see that the harsh and angry results of a bitter temperament are widely encouraged. Bitterness can enter at every turn and enters easily and stealthily. Once in, it quietly takes root, masked as what we might consider justifiable anger or a justifiable reaction to wrong, or simply a justifiable defense of one’s own self. Then it grows – quietly and under the surface at first so we are comfortable with it, until one day we wake up and it rules our life.