Christian Questions Bible Podcast

Morality. Here in the 21st century, morality has become a moving target. In any given circumstance, its interpretation can be diverted, diminished or even dissolved, depending on what one may feel is right at the time. Is this the way life is supposed to work? Are we all supposed to only follow our own internal barometer or are we designed to follow an external constant? Is human nature a self-directing mechanism that will bring us to higher and higher levels, or is human nature in its present state a sin-directed mechanism that brings us to idolatry? Do we know better, or is there something that we better know?

Satan. The Devil. The Adversary. These are but a few of the names that describe that powerful spiritual being who fell from heaven and opposes God. Many people don’t believe he exists. Still others look at the Bible and point out how Satan is such an infrequent player in the Old Testament and a dominate player the New Testament. They use this observation as proof of the evolution of the idea of Satan. So, is he real or just a convenient fabrication of Christianity to keep people in line? If he is real, what kind of influence does he have? Should we be afraid?

Enemies. For some of us, naming them is easy – we can put a name and a face to them and recite the reasons we have to consider them enemies. For others, the idea of an enemy may be more related to a general group who may have a different ideology, or a different political perspective. Whatever makes someone your enemy, the question remains, how do you treat them? Jesus says to love our enemies, but is that really a practical statement? Doesn’t loving an enemy overlook and minimize the very reasons that they may justifiably be our enemies? Stay with us!

Followers of Jesus today are bombarded on every side with agnostic and atheistic philosophies that erode faith. In science, the theory of Evolution is embraced by many as the best explanation of man’s existence on earth, of course without the necessity of a supposed mythical creator. However, in recent decades the scientific debate over the explanation of origins has taken a turn with the appearance of the theory of Intelligent Design. The result has produced a dramatic and often faith-strengthening debate. For a Christian, this comes at a perfect time, supplying us with additional reasons to accept the Bible narrative of God as Creator. So what’s it about? Stayed tuned for a lively discussion of: Is God Really the Creator?

DUE TO THE GRAPHIC NATURE OF THE EVENTS WE WILL DISCUSS, THIS PROGRAM MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN. Tragedy is a part of life. We all know those who have suffered through it. Many times it gets the best of people, and sometimes people cope, but occasionally you find those who truly overcome it to a point that the tragedy is merely a memory and can serve as a tool of growth and example. Today we will tell such a story. It is true story of bad things happening and how faith in God, perseverance and the right help transformed those bad things into overcoming lives.

Love God. It is a simple enough commandment - easy to say, repeat and remember. But what does it really mean? Are there different ways of expressing love for God and does God look for different results depending on what age of humanity we live in? Most of all, is loving God - no matter when and where we live - enough?

Faith. It is the basis of all religion, for it is faith in something larger than oneself that draws people to a common belief. Faith. It is a necessity in any functional society, for it creates the environment for citizens to rely upon their leadership. Faith. It is a key in any deep and enduring relationship, for it provides the fertile soil that feeds a lifetime of growing together. Faith. It is critical in the bringing together of two at-odds parties, for it provides a bridge that both parties may equally travel upon. Faith. It is a staple of our lives – so how do we make it firm, unshakable and permanent?

There are some things from the days of the earliest Christian church that we read about, find inspiration from but rarely take the time to do ourselves. Fasting and praying are a particular example – these combined activities are sprinkled throughout the Old and New Testaments, yet they receive very little attention from us now. What is there about these activities that provoked such spirituality in so many of our spiritual heroes? Why fast? Why pray? Why combine them?

Sometimes no matter how hard we try, there are just some things in life that we are not capable of seeing. Whether our blind spots are caused by personal prejudice or experience, ignorance, our personality type or the circles with which we associate, we all fall into the trap of blind spots. So, if having blind spots is the disease, what is the cure? While we are not in a position of being able to fix such issues, we are certainly in a position to focus on the godly, scriptural principles that can fix such issues! So, what’s better than that?

Jesus taught us about many things. He taught us how to live, what to focus on, how to be a good neighbor, how to be selfless. He taught us what the most and least important things are. He taught us the simplicity of faith and the magnificence of faith in God. Jesus also taught us about being chosen of God and all that such choosing entails. On this prorgram we will look at what Jesus taught us about the chosen nation of Israel by use of the example of a fig tree. This is a part of his teaching that rarely gets much attention…