Christian Questions Bible Podcast

We make choices every day.  Some are easy choices that we don’t even need to think much about and there are others that require some on-the-fly time and attention.  Then there are the choices that can be difficult and even agonizing.  These are the choices that can make or break a life or shape a destiny, or at the very least, alter the near future.  These are the biggest choices we face, but they may not necessarily be the most important ones.  We probably don’t think about how often our really big decisions end up being a sum total of many small and seemingly irrelevant choices we have made without much thought.  The point is that all of our choices carry a measure of importance!   So, what guides us in the choices we make?  Are we most often influenced by how we feel about things or by what our friends or family will think?  What are the most important factors in successful Christian decision making? The whole process of making choices is very much a matter of subconscious thinking.  It has been said that 95% of our mental processes regarding our choices are “below the surface” and this can be alarming.  Think about it – this means our everyday choices are substantially based upon how we feel about things rather than what we think about things.  So, our emotional interpretations of our past experiences (which you and I both know can be highly skewed) can easily carry much more weight in our decisions than sound thought and reasoning.  Understanding this as a Christian who is supposed to be following in Jesus’ own footsteps should prompt us to want to know how to reframe the whole decision making process. We would like to suggest to you that there are four key elements we can employ in our decision making.  For Christians, being aware of these elements makes it possible to not only use them but to direct them as well.  The first and most difficult of our key elements of choice is that of principle.  For a Christian, principles are the external fixed points of reference that are built upon integrity, morality and godly righteousness.  Abiding by principles in decision making is difficult because to do so is an intellectual decision.  By definition, our thinking, no matter how sound it is, does not carry the same decision making weight as our feelings.  This creates a real dilemma because God-based principles are often unnatural, require strong effort to follow and are contrary to our emotions. How do we plow through such a dilemma and grab hold of these most important principles?  We define them with simplicity and rehearse them regularly so they become a part of our very fabric instead of just being some ideas that we visit on Sundays.  As we go through this process it is also imperative that we define and understand the other three key elements of our choices.  What are they and how do we master them?  Check out our April 3, 2017 podcast, “So, What are My Choices?” and follow along with us as we take on clarify and attempt to maximize these important and emotional aspects of our life choices.  

When you think of compassion, what do you picture?  Perhaps you see Jesus healing the multitudes or volunteers caring for victims of some natural disaster.  Perhaps you see an individual patiently working with a disabled person or a soldier protecting children in a war torn region.  Perhaps compassion makes you think of Doctors Without Borders or food drives for the hungry.  Whatever it is, thinking about compassion probably makes you think about the best of humanity – it probably makes you think about that glimmer of hope that says we can get along.  Now, when you think about compassion do you ever see yourself in the role of the compassionate?  Wouldn’t you like to be in that role?  Just what does it take to become a truly compassionate person and most importantly, what are the limits of compassion?   Are there times when compassion is NOT appropriate? To have compassion is a three-part experience.  It is to be aware of the misfortune or disadvantage of another, to deeply feel the pain or suffering of that misfortune or disadvantage and to have a genuine personal desire to help.  These three elements make for a powerful and compelling experience since, as humans, we can have compassion not only towards those we know but toward total strangers, animals and the entire world.  While our compassion can be a powerful catalyst for positive action, it can also be a powerful catalyst for anxiety and frustration.  You see, compassion in and of itself does not solve anything, and just because you or I have compassion for another does not mean we are miraculously endowed with the power to solve that person’s misfortune or disadvantage.  This sounds depressing, so let me explain... First, the best of compassion:  Jesus was an extraordinary example of compassion in action.  Every single time the Bible tells us “he had compassion” on a person or persons or a crowd – every single time he had compassion - he changed their circumstances – he healed or taught or fed the recipients of his personal compassion.  Because of his compassion, Jesus always lifted others to a better place.  This is not only comforting but  thoroughly inspiring as well.  If Jesus could achieve such totally positive results as a result of his compassion and we are Christians, footstep followers of Jesus, then surely we can look forward to achieving a measure of his results with our compassion! While that is a nice thought, it is not reality-  so here comes the rest of compassion.  The fact is, the Bible describes our compassion toward others in an entirely different way than it describes Jesus’ compassion.  It uses different words and comes to different conclusions as to the power and reach of our compassion.  What this means is that our compassion for one another has clearly defined limits and needs to be observed and understood for what it is...as well as for what it is not. Check out our March 27, 2017 podcast, “When is Compassion Wrong?” and fill in the gaps on how our compassion for one another works, what its limitations are and how we can maximize it for the betterment of all both now and in the future.  Compassion can be a powerful and principled tool of godliness – learn to use it!

Did you ever notice that there never seems to be enough time?  For some reason or other, we are always rushing around to do the things we need to do and we seem to scarcely be able to even take a breath in between this and that.  Our lives are often harried, and as a result we tend to feel unfulfilled and empty at the end of a day.  So, how are we spending our time?  What are we doing – or not doing - with that precious commodity of time to either fulfill or fritter away our lives? As Christians, are there different and specific guidelines for spending and investing our time than for others?  Are there ways to simply and efficiently reorder and reclaim our time?  Where do we start? What do we do? One way to figure out this issue (what I am about to suggest is done with a massive dose of sarcasm) is to put the question of time management out on your Facebook page, text it to your friends, Tweet it out to whomever is following and perhaps Instagram and Snapchat it as well.  See what responses you get, then re-tweet, update, chat, post, smiley face and archive accordingly…  By doing so you will have accomplished one very important thing – that is, you will have personally demonstrated some of the very basic reasons we feel like we have no time!  All of these methods of “getting the word out” are often (not always) disguised as important communication, but in reality they are mindless chatter that feels good, is fascinating and fun.  Unfortunately, our end result is probably a whole lot of time wasted without a whole lot of benefit. While it can be encouraging to hear from others on better managing our time, the most important thing that needs to be established is the answer to the very personal question of WHY.  Why do I as, a Christian, need to have a better handle on my time?  If we are sincere in the asking, then answering this question should bring us to the very core of our entire belief system.  What is it that I believe is truly most important in my life – where is it that my life should go based on that belief and what am I actually doing about it?  All of these questions and thoughts circle around defining what the vision is that we have for our life and whether or not that vision is powerful enough to make us want to take the next steps in reclaiming our time. This is the beginning, for our time can be used to serve our vision for life or our time can be allowed to mindlessly drain away.  To choose having time serve what is most important, we next need to establish priorities.  Priorities are the necessary ordering of our life details.  This again requires thought and action, but the upside of a clear vision and implemented priorities is immense and sets the table for the next practical and valuable steps. What are the next steps?  Check out our March 20, 2017 podcast, “Is MY Christianity a Waste of Time?” and not only find out what the next steps are, find out how and why to make them your own.  I promise you that your time invested in this podcast will open up a whole new and practical way to appreciate and use the precious time that you have been given!  

Raising children is different than it used to be. Somehow or other, the lines between parents and children have become blurred. Somehow or other, the very idea of firm discipline has become associated with beatings and abuse. Somehow or other, our children’s feelings have become the foundation for our parental actions and responses. What happened to parents unequivocally “ruling the roost?” Is that now wrong? What happened to parents being authoritative and firm? Is that now wrong? What happened to the clear lines of right and wrong being the solid foundation for parental decision making? Is that now wrong? Have we begun to approach the point where we assign so many rights to children that we as parents are inherently wrong? What do children need and how are we supposed to know what they need and how to give it to them? It’s really easy to find information and suggestions on raising kids.  What is not easy is finding information and suggestions that are really trustworthy and proven.  Think about it, you go online and read about a recent study that tells us how to approach our children when they do wrong.  The study flashes information about the potential damage from telling a child the word “no” and concludes that the use of that word should really be avoided.  This sounds easy and even attractive.  My issue with such a thing is simple.  Where is the generational proof that this anti-“no” approach is so much better than confronting a child with the truth of their actions and giving them consequences as tools of learning?  While it might feel more harmonious to avoid “no,” is it a provably healthy and viable alternative to the more uncomfortable approach of a firm and loving hand of guidance? Another way of finding child rearing information is to rely on the good ol’ fashioned ways of disciplining from generations past, and this is not without issues either.  If you look at the Bible for guidance in raising children, you will inevitably find what is perhaps the most famously-quoted child rearing verse in all of Scripture.  It is from the Proverbs 23:13: “Withhold not correction from the child; for if you beat him with a rod he will not die.”  To some, this verse seems to give unbridled permission to beat and abuse children as a way to “correct” them and this could not be further from the truth!  To others this verse is unequivocal proof that the Bible is old, worn out and irrelevant to our present day child raising challenges and this could not be further from the truth, either!  So, if both extremes are untrue then what is the Bible’s message on raising children? We firmly believe that the Bible - when taken in its proper context - offers us a balanced, firm, loving and just solution to raising children.  How do we know?  Check out our March 13, 2017 podcast, “Do Children Really Need Discipline?” and see how the Bible fashions our earthly family hierarchy after our relationship with God as our Father.  Follow along with us as we reveal the many pearls of child rearing wisdom that the Bible holds.  This old book might just give you the new approach to raising your children that you are looking for!    

Jesus loves you! This is a true, simple and potentially life-changing statement. Once we accept what that three-word sentence actually means, it can become a steering mechanism for everyday of our lives, pointing us to righteousness, godliness and self-sacrifice. Jesus loves you. Pointed and refreshing, but what does it really mean? Does Jesus’ love for us guide us in our everyday experiences? Yes! Does his love for us mean that he wants the best for us? Of course! Okay, so if he wants the best for us does that refer to comfort and abundance in our lives? Does Jesus’ love for us bring us to better living conditions, more financial stability, a much better present and a brighter future? The answers to these questions will vary wildly depending on whose brand of Christianity you look at and this just confuses the matter. Instead of asking different Christians about the role of comfort and abundance in a Christian’s life, let’s find the answer from Jesus’ own teachings and the Apostle’s own words. First of all, let me be crystal clear...we believe Jesus wants his disciples to live full lives of great abundance! Now the really big question is what does “great abundance” mean? Once we establish its meaning, it stands to reason we can begin to settle in to find and apply that abundance in our everyday existence. To find the meaning we have to look at what Jesus stood for – not what we would like for him to have stood for, but what his ministry was actually about. When you look at the body of what Jesus taught what you find is the vast majority of his teachings were in place to bring hope to the average person. He focused on love, on personal sacrifice and on putting God first. Much of his ministry was spent building the foundations for his kingdom, and those foundations were revealed in the words “Follow me.” Okay, “follow me” to where, through what kind of experiences and to what end result? Again, looking at what Jesus stood for we see that he was an itinerant preacher – he had no real earthly possessions and no place that he called home. Yet, this man who might be described in this light as a poverty-stricken soul by some, had the power to heal sickness in others, the power to talk down the religious leaders of his time and the power to speak godly hope and direction to the masses of people. So, is this the “abundance” that Jesus wants for our lives? Not exactly. The abundance Jesus wants for us is actually bigger, broader and eternal. The abundance he wants for us stands in stark contrast with what we would consider abundance by worldly standards. This fact flies directly in the face of what so many preachers of Christianity talk about today. It truly exposes their money-based ministries as not being about the Gospel of Jesus Christ but being about their own personal worldly abundance. Spiritual abundance and worldly abundance are simply contrary and must be revealed as so. Check out our March 6th, 2017 podcast, “Is Christianity a Greedy Religion?” and follow along with us as we, according to Jesus’ own words, separate worldly abundance from spiritual abundance and learn how to seek that which is eternal. It just might make your life fuller and happier!

Fear is a life dominator.  When fear wells up within us we are often physically paralyzed, speechless or at a loss for cogent thought.  When fear strikes we run, we hide or we cower before it as our new and merciless master.  When we see fear in others we can easily be drawn into its overwhelming grip and become hapless and helpless in our ability to see clearly and find our way.  Because fear is such a powerful dominating emotion, it has always been a preferred tool of Satan.  What better way to gain control of the masses of humanity than to instill fear?  While fear can occasionally save us, fear is most often a pathway to dysfunction, a weapon of despair and a tool of defeat.  So, what do we do to conquer fear?  How can we learn to feel fear but not be afraid? You have probably heard or seen motivational speakers who talk about fear and illustrate how to overcome it. They are powerful, logical and inspirational in their delivery, and what they suggest can actually work towards overcoming our fears. The problem for most of us is that we get all juiced when we hear the speaker and when we see the real life examples, and we begin to feel like we can do this. Then it happens. Some time goes by and we forget what we learned or we rationalize our way out of applying what we learned and our fears again well up and we face them – not to defeat them but to be instructed by them as we again cower before their power. Kinda depressing, isn’t it! To make matters worse, we can be afraid of so many different kinds of things, ranging from the likes of failure, vulnerability and disappointment to success, acceptance and love. All in all we can clearly conclude that the fears in our lives may easily become the overwhelming dictators of our futures. Ouch! Okay, enough of the depressing talk already! Let’s move on to finding the tools attitudes and methodologies to overcome this debilitating emotion. The Bible is a brilliant help for us to be able to grasp and manage fear. It tells us there are things we should rightfully have fear of (in a positive and healthy way) for our own protection – the power of angels – sin – and God himself. The Bible also shows us that there are many very justifiable fears we may encounter. Think about those people in life who have great power for darkness and who would oppose us. They provoke justifiable fear. Here is the key. Having a justifiable fear does not mean that it is acceptable to crumble before its feet. Justifiable fears are actually seeds of opportunity if we are willing to learn to see them in such light. Is it really possible to go from being afraid to being excited? Check out our February 27, 2017 podcast, “Does Fear Torment Your Life?” Follow along with us as we talk about three specific Christian characteristics that have the power to deal with, replace and evict fear as a motivator from our lives. Why let fear continue to push you around when you can learn to, by God’s grace, face it and use its power for good?

We are so shortsighted.  Most of us can only see as far as the next phone, tablet or computer screen and we really don’t think much about we are seeing – we just want to see it, to have our minds toyed with and occupied, never giving thought to what is beyond and what is lasting.  In our obsession with the occupation of our moments, we have completely lost one of the greatest things that we could ever personally bring to our world. We have lost the value of LEGACY.  Legacy by one definition is “something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor or from the past.”  You see, we have the ability to leave a lasting and positive impression on our world, if we would only realize that potential and act on it.  Elijah is a great example of legacy.  In fact, Elijah left one of the most unique and powerful legacies of any Bible hero.  What legacy did he leave?  How did he do it? There are two important points that need stating as we begin.  First, when we think of leaving a legacy we often think about money – large sums of money - left behind for some specific purpose through which the donor is recognized and honored.  The legacy we are talking about today has nothing to do with dollars and cents but everything to do with a life-changing example.  Elijah left behind a legacy of courage and humility that money can’t buy and THAT is what makes it priceless and even eternal.  Second, in leaving his legacy Elijah didn’t think about or plan his legacy to be one way or another.  No, Elijah simply lived his life and his calling to serve God in a way that others could not.  Though far from perfect, he was bold relentless and faithful and thus created a powerful legacy by simply living for God. One of the happy or sad facts of life is that we all leave a legacy.  We will all be remembered for the things we did or said.  The question is, will those memories of you spark happiness or inspiration or courage in those left behind or will those memories of you spark relief or anger or forgetfulness in those left behind?  Either way, it’s your legacy so you might want to give it some thought, then perhaps you might want to consider what you are saying to the world around you with the statement of your everyday life. Elijah’s everyday life produced remarkable long-term results.  Did you know that the last two verses of the Old Testament were about him and the first event of the New Testament which happened over four hundred years later was about him as well?  Why would that be?  Did you know the work of Elijah was prophesied to be repeated when Jesus came over 2,000 years ago, and that Jesus himself said the work of Elijah would continue at his second coming?  Why would that be? Find out!  Check out our February 20, 2017 podcast, “Elijah (Part III) – The Power of Legacy” and see the stunning significance of Elijah through the ages.  Realizing his amazing impact on the world just might inspire you to be more aware of your own impact on the world.  After all, it is your legacy…      

“The best things in life are free.” That certainly can be true, but as always there is more to the story. Take love - the love that is between a husband and a wife as a for instance. While this love certainly should be free – freely given and freely received, it does have a maintenance schedule attached to it. Funny thing is, we never hear much about love’s maintenance schedule as it can be difficult, demanding and even daunting. The good news is that if we stick with the schedule, the results will literally last a lifetime and the love that we were freely given will have become a most valuable admired and cherished part of our lives! So, how do we get there? How do we learn what to do and how to do it so our love will last a lifetime? The answers to these questions are priceless, so when we began to look for sources that would show us the answers, we found some guidelines for love written by some of the staff at eHarmony.com.  Now for a podcast that goes by the name of Christian Questions, sourcing eHarmony sounds a bit weird and to be honest, it feels a bit weird.  Just know that the reason we followed through with that source is their advice was all clearly backed up (though I think not knowingly) by biblical principles. To begin, with we need to understand the word “love” in the English language has a very broad meaning.  I love mint chocolate chip ice cream, I love my job and I love my wife.  Does this mean my wife is in the same category as ice cream? Not even remotely close, for my wife is THE greatest earthly gift of my entire life!  (By the way, if you had to stop and think about how to answer that question, then I believe we have already begun to identify some of your love and relationship issues!)  Romantic love (which often borders on infatuation), family love, fraternal love and selfless love are all ways of connecting to others and are all fulfilling in their own way.  Making love last a lifetime means we need to consciously work on and maintain the romantic, family AND selfless kinds of love.  Yes, I did say "work on," and I did say "maintain."  No magic, just work. The first eHarmony suggestion was listening...really listening.  This probably requires more effort than you would think, for our world is one massive, shiny technological distraction.  Try this – when your spouse is talking to you about something important, put down your phone or your fork or your tablet, turn off the voices in your head from work or the kids or your sports team and focus your eyes, your mind and your heart on your spouse.  That is listening.  The best part of this approach is actually two-fold:  First, you will actually hear what your spouse is saying and you will open the door to being engaged in his or her story.  Second, your spouse WILL NOTICE you are truly listening and that will give them confidence and trust in you.  Listen!! There is so much more to this!  Please check out our February 13, 2017 podcast, “Can Love Last a Lifetime?” and learn what you can do to make your marriage all that it can be.

Two weeks ago we talked about Elijah and the incredible courage he had toward accomplishing God’s will. We saw him prophesy, take responsibility, wait, perform miracles, wait some more, appear before his greatest enemy and overwhelmingly conquer in a challenge to prove that God is in fact God over all. The next thing we knew, Elijah was running for his life – afraid and feeling alone. Turns out that all his heroics got him was more threats on his life. So, what happens to that courageous prophet of God now? He still must fight but in a different way, for in this next stage of his life God is going to teach him submission. Submission – it does not sound like a characteristic that belongs with courage, but as we will see courage will burn you without submission and submission will burden you without courage.

As Christians, we pin all of our hopes on the belief that Jesus was crucified and died for our sins. This is the bottom line core reason for our coming to Christ for it speaks of him doing something for us out of pure love that we in no way could do for ourselves. To us the sacrifice of Jesus represents the ultimate gift. Those outside of Christianity often look at this belief with disdain and even sarcasm for to them it is foolishness and evidence of a blood thirsty god. One question that is probably not talked about much is about the breadth of Jesus’ sacrifice – who did it cover and how do we know? In the present conditions of our world, the Muslim faith is often thought about and referenced. What do Muslims think of Jesus? While they do believe in him, they don’t see him as a redeemer. Does this mean that they are not covered by his sacrifice? This is obviously a touchy subject, because like it or not, discussing Islam even in the brightest and most positive way can easily lead a variety of emotional responses from upbeat and accepting right down to angry and condemning.  So, to try and avoid the emotional rollercoaster, we laid a foundation. We said from the very beginning that: Our representations of Islam would only be done through the words of Muslims themselves or from third party reporting that we deemed objective. We would view Islam in a positive light and therefore make no room to entertain the interpretations of the minority radical and hateful sects that seem to get all of the attention. We have no plan or desire to attempt to translate the meaning of the Quran – we leave that to those who have studied it and believe in it. Our beliefs regarding Islam are straightforward. We believe that it is not an accurate representation of the God of the Universe or his plans and purposes – but – we do not discount the positive examples of moral living and principles that are shown to us by so many upstanding moral and peaceful Muslims. With the previous foundation in place, our objective was to compare how Muslims view God, Jesus and the Scriptures of the Bible with our own take on these matters as those who believe in that the Bible is the inspired word of God.  As we approached the similarities and differences, we began to be able to clearly view not only perceptions of Jesus’ role but the scripturally-explicit guidelines of his role.  One glaring reality we discussed was the absolute inability to  have both perspectives “be right.”  In the case of these two belief systems, one really does have to choose which perspective (if any) they see worthy of following. In short, we attempted to have a frank conversation about differing beliefs without going down the road of condemning or insulting.  We would encourage you to check out our January 30, 2017 podcast, “Did Jesus Die for Muslims?” and see for yourself why we gave an answer that some may consider surprising to that question.  Hopefully you will listen and tell us what you think!