Christian Questions Bible Podcast

The Apostle Peter began his second letter to all Christians by addressing the very formation of our Christian lives. He proceeded to lay out a deep and profound series of character development steps to show us how to completely and wholly grow into mature disciples of Christ. In Part I of this series, we covered the first four verses of 2 Peter chapter 1. These verses laid out a broad foundation for the development of ou...

The Apostle Peter began his second letter to all Christians by addressing the very formation of our Christian lives. He proceeded to lay out a deep and profound series of character development steps to show us how to completely and wholly grow into mature disciples of Christ. To begin this process, his clear message in the first four verses of Chapter 1 verifies that we have been given EVERYTHING we need to be faithful to our call....

In Part I of this two-part series, we focused on the magnificent gift that we as Christians are given when we accept the redemption for our sins available through Jesus’ sacrifice. We talked about the magnitude of this gift and how true disciples of Jesus are also required to give back as a result of receiving this gift. According to Scripture, the action of “giving back” is accomplished through our responsibility to reverently car...

As Christians, we love Jesus. All who claim that Jesus is their Lord and Savior do so because they have acknowledged their own sinful state and have realized the power of forgiveness that comes from Jesus’ sacrifice. It is easy for us to fellowship regarding what we have been freely given. What may not be as easy for us to define is what we are giving. A true disciple of Jesus receives redemption. That same true disciple is also re...

We all love to tell the story of Jesus’ birth. We love the vulnerability behind God’s choice of Mary, the young woman who was engaged to Joseph to be Jesus’ mother. We love the humility of his being born in a stable because there was no room at the inn. We love the magnificence of the angel announcing his birth to shepherds and then having the heavenly host of angels praising and glorifying God. We love the reverential sobriety of ...

So, what is the real mission of Christianity? Are we tasked with converting the world? Are we responsible to preach the good news of the gospel wherever we go, to anyone and everyone? Is the eternal destiny of those we come in contact with heavily dependent upon our delivering the message of salvation? All Christians would agree that at his ascension, Jesus commanded us to be part of preaching the gospel throughout the world. Where...

As Christians, we deeply appreciate the price Jesus paid for us to be released from the grip of the sin of Adam. To say that this has given us a new opportunity for life is a dramatic understatement. All we can really do is be profoundly thankful as we diligently follow in his footsteps. One question many Christians find uncomfortable to face is the question of the “everybody else.” According to the Bible, what really happens to th...

Reading the Bible can be confusing. After all, it is an ancient book of a collection of writings by about 40 people over a 1500-year span that details the plan of God through history, prophecy, parables, laws, observations and life guidance teachings. Some of the accounts of specific individuals featured in the Bible can come across as shrouded in mystery. Such is the case with the ending of the lives of Enoch, Moses and Elijah. Th...

If you haven’t noticed, our world in a very big way has lost its grip on the value of gratitude. Instead of having a thankful heart for whatever our opportunities we may have and what we may receive, we seem to double down on living with a sense of entitlement. We can look at this and wonder where we went wrong! The fact is this issue is the result of human imperfection and has been around for a very long time. The story of the Ten...

It is said that when Benjamin Franklin was an American Minister in Paris, he spent an evening with a group of intellectuals at a time when literary circles were known for being agnostic or even atheistic. He was called on to contribute to the entertainment and read from what he called a “charming bit of literature.” He proceeded to read the entire Book of Ruth. The normally skeptical audience was delighted and wanted to know where ...

From what the Bible tells us about Enoch, he was an amazingly holy man who lived long before the Flood. To be described as one who “walked with God” is a true testimony of a life well lived. Further, a few lines of the Book of Enoch are actually quoted in the New Testament. With such credentials, we would have to wonder why the Book of Enoch is not a part of the Bible itself. Why wouldn’t you include the writings of a man who walke...

“People should get what they deserve.” I’m guessing that most of us would see this as a general statement of fairness and equity. Of course, for this statement to ring true, we need to agree on who or what ultimately determines what people deserve. On a very basic level, this may sound like karma. So, what is karma? Basically, karma is the idea that what you do, especially your choices and intentions, shapes what happens to you lat...

In our last episode, we spent some time defining exactly what Christian liberty is and what it is not. What we found is that Christian liberty has little to do with the kinds of freedoms that are reflected in a social status kind of way and everything to do with being given spiritual freedom that is to be exercised with great humility and responsibility. We also uncovered how the gift of Christian liberty can be easily misrepresent...

The freedom, the liberty we obtain when we have been called to be disciples of Jesus is so much more than just a feeling of relief and joy. The fact is, having liberty in Christ actually defines a state of being, as it describes our freedom from whatever previously held us captive in our lives. It’s no wonder we feel the thrill of liberation! Here are the practical questions: What does it mean on a practical daily level to have thi...

The Apostle Paul wrote a significant portion of the New Testament. There are 27 different books in the New Testament, and Paul is credited with writing about half of them. For the vast majority of Christians, his writings provide extremely practical teachings and examples for us to build upon the single and solid foundation of Jesus Christ. That being said, there are some Christians who believe Paul was an imposter, a self-appointe...

If we are serious about our Christianity, then we know that the bottom line of everything in our lives is to be more like Jesus. If we call ourselves disciples of Christ, if we call ourselves his footstep followers, then any and every other objective in life must by definition become secondary. Our last seven episodes have been examining several of Paul’s pointed statements regarding our separateness from the world in 1 Thessalonia...

All upbuilding and spiritually mature Christian thought and action inevitably have their foundation in Scripture. The Bible gives us clear truth. Just as importantly, it gives us clear direction as to how to apply those clear truths to our lives in practical ways. In 1 Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul teaches us to NOT despise “prophetic utterances.” Why would we make light of any teachings given for our benefit? As we s...

God’s spirit—His power and influence—is a power we can’t even begin to comprehend. His spirit was introduced to us as the mighty power of His will in Genesis 1:1-3 as His creative process began with “Let there be light.” This same power and influence is described as taking root in us in Ephesians 1:13 where it says we were sealed with God’s spirit through the salvation of Jesus. With all of the marvel of this mighty pow...

One of the hallmark attitudes of a focused Christian life is being thankful. The very foundation of our Christian beliefs is the fact that being redeemed from sin and death by the love and sacrifice of Jesus is a gift that is in every case beyond our ability to earn or deserve. We are freely given life in Christ, and therefore we have great motivation to live in a state of gratefulness. That being said, how far should this grateful...