Thanks to everyone who filled out the ivory sheet this past weekend and expressed a problem with God. We continue to receive lots of great responses! Robyn will be back this weekend. In the meantime the Leader’s Team is fielding the questions.
Week 2 – July 26 & 27
Maybe I’m the Problem!
Why is There Suffering?
These were two of our most frequently asked topics last week, and this week as well. Seems lots of us struggle with questions about how faithfully we respond to God’s call on us… and how to make sense of the hatred, violence and suffering in the world. If you read further down, to last week’s post, you’ll find our response to these questions.
Organized Religion
My problem is with certain aspects of organized religion. Can’t I love God, and be a good person, without organized worship? We need to return to the roots of Christian worship and away from ‘traditions of man’.
God has problems with certain aspects of organized religion too! Recall the New Testament scriptures where Christ rebukes the Pharisees for their shallow, outward pretenses of religion and their adherence to the letter, and not the spirit, of the law. The Apostle Paul wrote to the different churches and to different people for various reasons. He wrote to some churches to commend them for their good faith and efforts; he wrote to others to correct them on subjects that they had strayed on.
God, through His son Jesus, is pretty straight-forward and unambiguous about His expectations of us – The Great Commandment and The Great Compassion - and the purpose for His church – The Great Commission.
Suicide & Doubt
How can God let people reach levels of hopelessness that they feel death is the only way out? People say ‘God never gives us more than we can handle’, so, if that’s true, how do people reach such despair? Knowing He is holding me in His arms… but wondering if one day He’ll let go… and praying He doesn’t.
We feel compelled to say this up front – If anyone in our congregation feels that they are at an unmanageable level of hopelessness – please call one of our pastors right away. The emergency contact number is 636-328-3132.
God’s promise to us is His presence. Sometimes His presence is in the form of stamina, or perseverance, or wisdom, or discernment. Sometimes His presence is mercy or comfort. When we (all of us) find ourselves in situations where we just can’t handle it by ourselves, sometimes the hardest thing to do is to let go, give up control, and trust God. Trusting God is the essence of faith.
Separating Science from Belief
For example, how science says dinosaurs lived thousands of years before man. What about the Theory of Evolution?
This would be a great topic for a small group discussion! The Bible and science are not mutually exclusive and don’t have to be incompatible. A website you might enjoy is http://www.godandscience.org/ to see how one person’s questions led them to faith. Another website that speaks to the question of dinosaurs and the Bible is http://www.answersingenesis.org/.
There is a lot of ‘black and white’ thinking in the area of evolution. Pure evolutionists believe that evolution lays claim to no God, implying human life is the result of random mutation and that beings evolve and adapt, over time, to their surroundings with no creator & without purpose. Some Creation scientists can’t seem to get past a very literal reading of Genesis. In “Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White”, Adam Hamilton sees evolution as an elegant explanation of the God; His creation of us and the intelligent design for beings to adapt and change, over time, to their surroundings. Another great topic for small groups!
Where does GOD come from?
Robyn will be back next week… punt!
Osama Bin Laden
Why doesn’t God perform a miracle & convert a major terrorist like Osama Bin Laden to Christianity like He did with Paul?
To a large extent, the life and letters of Paul the Apostle shape and define the Christian life. Paul's "Damascus road experience" is seen one example of Christian conversion. Paul’s testimony reveals that he… was confronted by the risen Christ, believed that the experience was genuine, and changed his life from his (Paul’s) purpose God’s purpose. All three elements - hearing Christ, believing Christ, obeying Christ – were integral to his conversion.
We believe Christ’s grace (love) is ever-present and always calling all of us into relationship with Him. Osama, Adolph, you, me. In his book, Dinner with a Perfect Stranger, David Gregory describes the concept of ‘all have sinned and all fall short’ in an interesting way. His imagery depicts God’s grace as tall as the Sears Tower in Chicago, and that the difference between the best of us (Mother Theresa) and the worst of us (Adolph Hitler) is the difference between two business cards laying one on the other at the base of the building. Powerful. The key is that Paul chose to believe and obey Christ. It would be great if Osama did the same thing. Here’s a harder question – what could the world be like if WE heard, believed and obeyed like Paul did?
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Week 1: My Problem with God is...
Thanks to everyone who filled out the blue sheet this past weekend and expressed a problem with God. We received lots of great responses! Robyn is taking a few well-deserved days off. In her absence the Leader’s Team is fielding the questions.
Maybe I’m the Problem!
Several folks said “I have NO problem with God; maybe He has a problem with me!” or “I’m the problem”
OK, let’s get this straight up front – God doesn’t have a problem with any of us! His ever-present Grace (Love) is constantly inviting us into relationship with Him just as we are. But “just as we are” does not mean “just as we intend to always be”. God intends for His presence in our lives to change us to love Him, love others and go bring more to Him! Steve probably answered the question best on his sheet “My problem with God is me. It’s my willingness to turn everything in my life over to Him. To accept His love, joy & peace into every moment of my life”. You got it Steve! Here’s the question – are you going to do it?
Why is There Suffering?
Why does He allow… families and children to suffer... some governments to starve, enslave and kill people… innocents to be abused and tortured?
We’re guessing a lot more people have this question on their hearts than shared in on the sheets. And this is a tough one. There was a time on this earth when suffering and sorrow did not exist. When God first created us, everything was perfect. There was no sickness, no pain; no sorrow of any kind. It was God's plan for man to live in peace and harmony never having to experience sorrow. God created us as perfect beings… and gave us the free will to choose Him. Many of us have heard about ‘original sin’, that Adam and Eve were tempted in the garden, gave in and, poof, all of us are destined to know pain and suffering because of their lack of obedience. It would be easy to blame it all on them. Truth is… we still have free will and we still make bad choices sometimes. Here’s an example: A cancer patient questioned why God would allow him to suffer. The patient had been a smoker for 20 years. Perhaps the question would have better been asked of a tobacco company, or himself, and not of God. God does not promise us perfection in this life; He promises His presence to be with us no matter what we face. The joy we can know in this life is for the presence of God with us… and not the absence of adversity in our lives or in the lives of others. The Bible tells us in Revelation 21:4 that there is coming a time when all sorrow, tears, pain and death will pass away. There's coming a wonderful day when God will wipe away all tears from the eyes of His children, and our sorrow will end forever.
Answered Prayer
How do I know if God hears my prayers? Why doesn’t he give me easily recognized signs so that I know His plan for me? He doesn’t answer my prayers the way I want them answered!
Does that last point sound familiar? It did to us! Sometimes we find ourselves thinking about God as a manning the Holy Concierge Desk in heaven; our personal Customer Service Rep who’s job it is to ‘fix’ everything. If you’ve ever felt this way, even a little, you are not alone! We believe in an all-powerful God and hey, if He could make the universe then He could certainly take care of my issues. God hears our prayers. We know this because sometimes we experience miracles in our lives and in the lives of those around us that could have only come from God. So why don’t we get everything we ask for in a way that is clear and unambiguous? I know a woman who actually said this – “I prayed to God to give me patience so I could have kids. What He gave me were two of the most challenging kids I’ve ever met! I had to learn patience to be a great mother to them. In the end, God answered my prayer but not the way I planned. Looking back… His way, and not mine, was the better way!” It all happens in God’s time and sometimes God’s way is not our way. What God does promise is his ever-presence in our lives, that He will abide in us if we abide in Him.
Evil in the World
Why is there so much evil in the world? I see evil things in the world all around me. Where’s God in this?
Part of the answer to this question relates back to the discussion about suffering. God gives us the freedom to make choices, good or bad. All of us know that we’ve made at least a few bad choices along the way. As Christians we accept that we all have sinned and also accept God’s unconditional love for us. All have sinned a little. But some have sinned a lot. There are folks in the world who we could describe as ‘eaten up with sin’. We can feel the presence of evil in them. I bet you’ve felt it. Well, just as we understand that the ‘good’ in us is from God, we need to understand that the ‘evil’ in them is from Satan. We don’t talk much about Hell, Satan, etc in our church. Maybe we should talk about it more because the idea of ‘spiritual warfare’ – a struggle between right and wrong, good and evil, compassion and disregard goes on in our lives, in our relationships and in our world. The good news is this… in the end we’re on the winning team… God prevails!
Is the Bible the Word of God?
How do you know that the Bible is not just a story book?
Not trying to cop out on the answer, but this is a question best answered on your own by spending some quality time reading the Bible. You can read it from two perspectives. You could start with the premise that it’s true; taking it on faith that the Bible is the inspired word of God. As you read it you’ll discover the fulfillment of Old Testament prophesies in the accounts of the life of Christ in the New Testament. You’ll find consistencies in the Gospels written by different individuals, in different lands and at different times. Or you could read it as a skeptic; starting with the premise that it’s written by people and that it’s not the word of God. That’s exactly what Lee Strobel did. Strobel earned a journalism degree from the University of Missouri and a Master of Studies in Law degree from Yale Law School. He was a journalist for fourteen years, at The Chicago Tribune and other newspapers. He set out to find evidence, in the Bible and other ancient records, to disprove the existence of Jesus Christ. In his book, The Case for Christ, Strobel chronicals how his study of God’s Word led him from skeptic to believer. Our best advice – pick a perspective, from faith or skeptism, and find out for yourself!
Fearing God
If God is a loving god why should I fear Him?
In the Biblical sense, to fear God is to stand in awe of Him and to respect Him. It does not mean to be afraid or frightened of Him. The Greek word for fear is eulabeia which means reverence.
Many Religions
Why are there so many different choices in religions? Most believe in a ‘higher power’, but why so many?
Religion is a very broad term. There are some religions that seem like they might be ‘of God’; others feel more like cults and contrivances of man. Let’s set the ones like Scientology, a body of beliefs and related practices initially created in the 1970’s by American science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard aside for the moment. We believe in an infinite God and can’t know all the ways that He might reveal himself to people. This view of God is the foundation for our tolerance of views and beliefs that may be different from our own. For us, however, as Christians we believe that God reveals Himself to us through Jesus Christ. This firm knowledge is the rock on which our faith is built.
Sin in the Bible
It seems like a lot of things are sins in the Bible.
It sure does! The Old and New Testaments of the Bible are filled with accounts of choices and behaviors that we clearly recognize as sin. The purpose of Leviticus, for example, is to provide instruction and laws to guide a redeemed people in their relationship with a holy God. The emphasis of sin in the New Testament centers on those decisions and behaviors in our life when we break relationship with God and others. Sin is all around us; in the Bible, in our present day culture, in our own lives. Sin is exposed in the Bible to distinguish sinful choices and behavior that keep us from reflecting the true Character of Christ, and making Godly choices in how we live. The Bible is our instruction guide, complete with illustrations in how to grow closer and deeper in a relationship with God that is full of faith, trust and obedience. Sin is talked about a lot in the Bible because it’s THE THING we deal with the most in our lives.
Maybe I’m the Problem!
Several folks said “I have NO problem with God; maybe He has a problem with me!” or “I’m the problem”
OK, let’s get this straight up front – God doesn’t have a problem with any of us! His ever-present Grace (Love) is constantly inviting us into relationship with Him just as we are. But “just as we are” does not mean “just as we intend to always be”. God intends for His presence in our lives to change us to love Him, love others and go bring more to Him! Steve probably answered the question best on his sheet “My problem with God is me. It’s my willingness to turn everything in my life over to Him. To accept His love, joy & peace into every moment of my life”. You got it Steve! Here’s the question – are you going to do it?
Why is There Suffering?
Why does He allow… families and children to suffer... some governments to starve, enslave and kill people… innocents to be abused and tortured?
We’re guessing a lot more people have this question on their hearts than shared in on the sheets. And this is a tough one. There was a time on this earth when suffering and sorrow did not exist. When God first created us, everything was perfect. There was no sickness, no pain; no sorrow of any kind. It was God's plan for man to live in peace and harmony never having to experience sorrow. God created us as perfect beings… and gave us the free will to choose Him. Many of us have heard about ‘original sin’, that Adam and Eve were tempted in the garden, gave in and, poof, all of us are destined to know pain and suffering because of their lack of obedience. It would be easy to blame it all on them. Truth is… we still have free will and we still make bad choices sometimes. Here’s an example: A cancer patient questioned why God would allow him to suffer. The patient had been a smoker for 20 years. Perhaps the question would have better been asked of a tobacco company, or himself, and not of God. God does not promise us perfection in this life; He promises His presence to be with us no matter what we face. The joy we can know in this life is for the presence of God with us… and not the absence of adversity in our lives or in the lives of others. The Bible tells us in Revelation 21:4 that there is coming a time when all sorrow, tears, pain and death will pass away. There's coming a wonderful day when God will wipe away all tears from the eyes of His children, and our sorrow will end forever.
Answered Prayer
How do I know if God hears my prayers? Why doesn’t he give me easily recognized signs so that I know His plan for me? He doesn’t answer my prayers the way I want them answered!
Does that last point sound familiar? It did to us! Sometimes we find ourselves thinking about God as a manning the Holy Concierge Desk in heaven; our personal Customer Service Rep who’s job it is to ‘fix’ everything. If you’ve ever felt this way, even a little, you are not alone! We believe in an all-powerful God and hey, if He could make the universe then He could certainly take care of my issues. God hears our prayers. We know this because sometimes we experience miracles in our lives and in the lives of those around us that could have only come from God. So why don’t we get everything we ask for in a way that is clear and unambiguous? I know a woman who actually said this – “I prayed to God to give me patience so I could have kids. What He gave me were two of the most challenging kids I’ve ever met! I had to learn patience to be a great mother to them. In the end, God answered my prayer but not the way I planned. Looking back… His way, and not mine, was the better way!” It all happens in God’s time and sometimes God’s way is not our way. What God does promise is his ever-presence in our lives, that He will abide in us if we abide in Him.
Evil in the World
Why is there so much evil in the world? I see evil things in the world all around me. Where’s God in this?
Part of the answer to this question relates back to the discussion about suffering. God gives us the freedom to make choices, good or bad. All of us know that we’ve made at least a few bad choices along the way. As Christians we accept that we all have sinned and also accept God’s unconditional love for us. All have sinned a little. But some have sinned a lot. There are folks in the world who we could describe as ‘eaten up with sin’. We can feel the presence of evil in them. I bet you’ve felt it. Well, just as we understand that the ‘good’ in us is from God, we need to understand that the ‘evil’ in them is from Satan. We don’t talk much about Hell, Satan, etc in our church. Maybe we should talk about it more because the idea of ‘spiritual warfare’ – a struggle between right and wrong, good and evil, compassion and disregard goes on in our lives, in our relationships and in our world. The good news is this… in the end we’re on the winning team… God prevails!
Is the Bible the Word of God?
How do you know that the Bible is not just a story book?
Not trying to cop out on the answer, but this is a question best answered on your own by spending some quality time reading the Bible. You can read it from two perspectives. You could start with the premise that it’s true; taking it on faith that the Bible is the inspired word of God. As you read it you’ll discover the fulfillment of Old Testament prophesies in the accounts of the life of Christ in the New Testament. You’ll find consistencies in the Gospels written by different individuals, in different lands and at different times. Or you could read it as a skeptic; starting with the premise that it’s written by people and that it’s not the word of God. That’s exactly what Lee Strobel did. Strobel earned a journalism degree from the University of Missouri and a Master of Studies in Law degree from Yale Law School. He was a journalist for fourteen years, at The Chicago Tribune and other newspapers. He set out to find evidence, in the Bible and other ancient records, to disprove the existence of Jesus Christ. In his book, The Case for Christ, Strobel chronicals how his study of God’s Word led him from skeptic to believer. Our best advice – pick a perspective, from faith or skeptism, and find out for yourself!
Fearing God
If God is a loving god why should I fear Him?
In the Biblical sense, to fear God is to stand in awe of Him and to respect Him. It does not mean to be afraid or frightened of Him. The Greek word for fear is eulabeia which means reverence.
Many Religions
Why are there so many different choices in religions? Most believe in a ‘higher power’, but why so many?
Religion is a very broad term. There are some religions that seem like they might be ‘of God’; others feel more like cults and contrivances of man. Let’s set the ones like Scientology, a body of beliefs and related practices initially created in the 1970’s by American science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard aside for the moment. We believe in an infinite God and can’t know all the ways that He might reveal himself to people. This view of God is the foundation for our tolerance of views and beliefs that may be different from our own. For us, however, as Christians we believe that God reveals Himself to us through Jesus Christ. This firm knowledge is the rock on which our faith is built.
Sin in the Bible
It seems like a lot of things are sins in the Bible.
It sure does! The Old and New Testaments of the Bible are filled with accounts of choices and behaviors that we clearly recognize as sin. The purpose of Leviticus, for example, is to provide instruction and laws to guide a redeemed people in their relationship with a holy God. The emphasis of sin in the New Testament centers on those decisions and behaviors in our life when we break relationship with God and others. Sin is all around us; in the Bible, in our present day culture, in our own lives. Sin is exposed in the Bible to distinguish sinful choices and behavior that keep us from reflecting the true Character of Christ, and making Godly choices in how we live. The Bible is our instruction guide, complete with illustrations in how to grow closer and deeper in a relationship with God that is full of faith, trust and obedience. Sin is talked about a lot in the Bible because it’s THE THING we deal with the most in our lives.
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