A topic for Filter...
Is what we know as church today really what Jesus had in mind when he sent out the disciples almost 2000 years ago? Are we doing a disservice to the work of Jesus and the disciples by commercializing church and making it into a business (if that is in fact what we are doing)? What say you internet world?
Showing posts with label filter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label filter. Show all posts
Monday, November 27, 2006
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
It's Not Fair
Even though we are not meeting tomorrow for Filter, I wanted to put out a question to think about until next week. As a Christian, do you find it unfair that those who are non-believers get to have "all the fun?" Do you find that sometimes God seems to not be watching everything that is going on and He is not justly taking care of this world?
Friday, September 22, 2006
Christian Values Found Lacking
Check out this guy's view of Christianity... (good discussion for Filter)
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/letters/story.jsp?story=707308
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/letters/story.jsp?story=707308
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Great Discussion
Just got back from our Filter session. Talk about some interesting discussions. We talked about issues such as...
- Is going to a strip club bad?
- Is temptation bad or good?
- What makes cussing bad? Is it bad?
- Is it ok to sin if it is protecting another?
There were some good topics. If you have any questions you've been pondering, go ahead and comment on here and we'll talk about them at our next Filter session.
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Filter Question
We have started a new small group study at church for the high school and middle school. I will post a question once a week to ponder and then discuss at our study. This week's question...
Is temptation bad? Are we tempted by good or bad things? (feel free to answer here if you would like)
Is temptation bad? Are we tempted by good or bad things? (feel free to answer here if you would like)
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Up Late Again
Honestly, I'm not sure why I'm up at 12:30am, but I am. So I thought I'd post somethng. I'll ask a question and see what kind of answers I get.
If you could go back in time and change something about your past, would you?
If you could go back in time and change something about your past, would you?
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
A Kind Comment / Something to Think About
Take a look at the comment left by anonymous in my last post. Thanks to whoever wrote that.
Tonight I am doing a lesson for my middle school students on assurance of salvation. Honestly, I have struggled with putting this lesson together for a few reasons.
One - is there really such a thing as total 100% assurance of our own salvation? Ultimately God is the only one who truly knows our eternal destination. Now having said that, I do believe beyond a doubt that our salvation is guaranteed if we accept and believe that Jesus is the Son of God and died for my sin, your sin, and all humankind's sin. He is our Savior. No question. That is the assurance that I have. But even so, doesn't God make the call our final bus stop?
Two - I guess the reason I started to question individual assurance of salvation is from John 10:27-28 (My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.) This scripture passage is many times quoted as showing that once we are saved, we are always saved. But it does appear in vs. 28 that Jesus is talking specifically about those who "follow me." So doesn't that indicate that we are to actively follow Jesus once we believe in him? Is this where we "prove" that we believe in him? The outward sign of our inner faith. But then we get into the whole deeds vs. faith debate.
I'm not saying that assurance of salvation is incorrect or impossible. I'm just asking some questions and trying to "work out my salvation with fear and trembling." (Philippians 2:12)
p.s. - wouldn't this be a great topic for my roomate and my radio talk show? I'm sure we'd get a few calls on this one.
Tonight I am doing a lesson for my middle school students on assurance of salvation. Honestly, I have struggled with putting this lesson together for a few reasons.
One - is there really such a thing as total 100% assurance of our own salvation? Ultimately God is the only one who truly knows our eternal destination. Now having said that, I do believe beyond a doubt that our salvation is guaranteed if we accept and believe that Jesus is the Son of God and died for my sin, your sin, and all humankind's sin. He is our Savior. No question. That is the assurance that I have. But even so, doesn't God make the call our final bus stop?
Two - I guess the reason I started to question individual assurance of salvation is from John 10:27-28 (My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.) This scripture passage is many times quoted as showing that once we are saved, we are always saved. But it does appear in vs. 28 that Jesus is talking specifically about those who "follow me." So doesn't that indicate that we are to actively follow Jesus once we believe in him? Is this where we "prove" that we believe in him? The outward sign of our inner faith. But then we get into the whole deeds vs. faith debate.
I'm not saying that assurance of salvation is incorrect or impossible. I'm just asking some questions and trying to "work out my salvation with fear and trembling." (Philippians 2:12)
p.s. - wouldn't this be a great topic for my roomate and my radio talk show? I'm sure we'd get a few calls on this one.
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Matthew 26:41
"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." - Matthew 26:41
Don't you ever wish that temptation never existed and we could just go on living the way we know we are supposed to? And why is it that the devil knows exactly how weak we really are in certain places? We all have our weaknesses and it just seems that when we think we've got something conquered, Satan rallies his merry men together and creates a plan to make us fail.
If we ("we" meaning "I") could take this passage to heart and really prepare ourselves for what Satan will throw at us, would things be easier? Would we be able to fend him off completely or for just a short while. There is no statement as true as "the spirit is willing, but the body is weak." Don't I know that!?
Don't you ever wish that temptation never existed and we could just go on living the way we know we are supposed to? And why is it that the devil knows exactly how weak we really are in certain places? We all have our weaknesses and it just seems that when we think we've got something conquered, Satan rallies his merry men together and creates a plan to make us fail.
If we ("we" meaning "I") could take this passage to heart and really prepare ourselves for what Satan will throw at us, would things be easier? Would we be able to fend him off completely or for just a short while. There is no statement as true as "the spirit is willing, but the body is weak." Don't I know that!?
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