A lot of Christians in the 21st century, it seems, have lost touch with the ancient, New Testament idea of the resurrection. Many Christians are mystified by the teaching of the New Testament about resurrection, assuming that arriving in spirit in heaven is the end of blessed existence.However, ancient Judaism (Jesus and the apostles and much of the earliest church … Read More
21 Myths: Jesus is Almost as Good as His Father
OK. This is a little tricky. Whenever we start talking Holy Trinity, we’re starting to step somewhere beyond the bounds of human logic or rational categories. We’re stepping into the supra-rational. Nonetheless, a good percentage of Christians end up repeating and reinforcing some version of this myth, one way or another. “Jesus was created by his Father.” “Jesus is less … Read More
Q Sunday is Superbowl Sunday, February 1!
That’s right, Q Sunday, the Sunday morning Q&A event, is returning by popular demand! We’ll switch up the format of our Sunday morning services that day to handle questions about just about anything! Bible questions, theological quandaries–you name it! We’ll also be switching up the format in some fun ways that will make this event something you won’t want to … Read More
Why Universalism isn’t a Christian Position
Here is #24 of 31 Questions in 31 Days! To learn more about this 31 Day series, just search “31 Questions” in the search bar above or click here! Q #24: Won’t God really save everyone in the end?A: The idea expressed in the question above that Christians have asked for about as long as there has been a Church. It’s called Universalism.It’s … Read More
Did Jews Born before Jesus go to Heaven?
Here is #18 of 31 Questions in 31 Days! To learn more about this 31 Day series, just search “31 Questions” in the search bar above or click here! Q: Did Jews born before Jesus go to heaven? The question above rightly assumes that no one has ever been “saved” through observance of the law of Moses. The scriptures say almost the … Read More
31 QUESTIONS
For the next 31 days, I’ll be posting a question a day I’ve received from someone from the congregation at First Assembly Community Ministries. Feel free to send me questions at this email address! This is all in preparation for what will happen on Super Bowl Sunday morning, February 1, 2015 at First Assembly. During the 9 and 11AM services, … Read More
Easter Sunday 2014–All Things New
I can’t remember a more moving moment in my own ministry. It really was an extraordinary day. In total, there were 65 people who were baptized, 47 of whom took the plunge spontaneously as a way to give witness to the fact that they believe in the risen Christ! Easter 2014 2nd Service from First Assembly Comm. Ministries on Vimeo.
Grand Distractions
The beautiful picture of this volcanic eruption is an image that might be instructive to us about the grand distractions that have entered our society through the political process. Recently, in presidential politics and the statements of one of the owners of Chick-Fil-A who made public statements about his beliefs that he stated he upheld traditional views of marriage. This … Read More
Bonhoeffer on Advent
Advent, it becomes a time of self-examination. “Put the desires of your heart in order, O human beings!” as the old song sings…. God wants us to always be with us, wherever we may be — in our sin, in our suffering and death. We are no longer alone; God is with us. We are no longer homeless; a bit of … Read More
Bill Maher and Biblical Relevance
Bill Maher, host of HBO’s “Real Time”, is one of the harshest critics of Christianity on the popular scene today. He often spouts off about the Bible and Jesus. He even said this about the scriptures, ““The Bible was not meant to be history; it was not meant to be literal. They were parables; people read it back then and … Read More
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