To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.” — Thomas Aquinas Choosing one's Faith I started last week’s post with the statement, “A Faith that is not growing will wither and die.” That is a true statement, but it presupposes that one has a Faith to … Continue reading “…guided by faith…we are full of confidence…” 2 Corinthians 5:7 Choosing our Faith
Category: Theology
Exploration of thoughts and ideas that either have or are influincing Christian theology.
“Only faith can… prove the existence of realities…unseen.” Hebrews 11:1 Building our Faith
Building Our Faith Introduction Last week we talked about the need to choose a faith, and the reasons to have a faith. This week I’d like us to discuss the purpose of the Faith we’ve chosen and an important benefit of that Faith. But first, there are a couple of things I’d like to clarify. … Continue reading “Only faith can… prove the existence of realities…unseen.” Hebrews 11:1 Building our Faith
“…except a man be…born of the spirit…” John 3:5 Born Again
What do Christians mean by being “Born Again?” One of the hallmark tenets of Christianity is the necessity for a Christian to be “born again.” This phrase was first used by Christ when He expressed its importance to Nicodemus as they were talking. “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he … Continue reading “…except a man be…born of the spirit…” John 3:5 Born Again
“The nearer you go to God the nearer God will come to you.” James 4:8 Born Again II
How do we know when we’ve been born again? Last week, we attempted to answer the question, “What do Christians mean by being Born Again?” The concise answer to that question is, “…to have one’s spirit renewed in the image of Jesus.” That sounds pretty simple, but leaves the question, “How do we know that … Continue reading “The nearer you go to God the nearer God will come to you.” James 4:8 Born Again II
“They claim to know God but by their works they deny Him…” Titus 1:16 / Losing Faith Conclusion
Recap. To quickly recap, in Posts 23-27 we dealt with a believer’s loss of faith and reasons commonly given for their loss. These included “The believer becoming mad at or disappointed by God,” and “The believer becoming mad at or disappointed by the Church.” This week we conclude our series on Losing Faith by examining … Continue reading “They claim to know God but by their works they deny Him…” Titus 1:16 / Losing Faith Conclusion
“…on the outside you appear… as righteous but on the inside, you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.” Matthew 23:28 // Modern Day Pharisees and Sadducees
We’ve been exploring the Pharisees and the Sadducees we’ve all heard about from the Bible. This week, I’d like to take the information we learned about these two ancient religious sects and see what lessons we can derive from them for our Christian lives today. To help with that, I offer three observations and some … Continue reading “…on the outside you appear… as righteous but on the inside, you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.” Matthew 23:28 // Modern Day Pharisees and Sadducees
“…whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.” Mark 10:44 // Christ the Servant
Christ’s focus on being in service to others. Much of our theology and religious thought revolves around Christ as our Savior. And, it’s true that His primary purpose in coming to Earth was to be just that person, our Savior. His selfless sacrifice allowed the reconciliation of Man to God, thereby restoring the opportunity for … Continue reading “…whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.” Mark 10:44 // Christ the Servant
“For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” Matthew 18:20 // Worship
Setting the Stage. This week, we begin to examine worship and the various forms it can assume. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines worship first as, “to honor or show reverence for a divine being or supernatural power.” This definition applies when we intentionally spend time with God (or any other deity the worshiping person is addressing); … Continue reading “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” Matthew 18:20 // Worship
“Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.” Jeremiah 29:12 / Prayer as Worship
Continuing the series on Worship, this week we explore how Prayer is Worship. We consider some aspects of Prayer. And we offer some ideas for how to deal with our perception that our prayers seem frequently to be unanswered.
“…Go and do likewise.” / Luke 10:30-37 // The Good Samaritan (a radical story)
A Wonderful Story. Most people have at least heard of the Good Samaritan and his story, but let’s do a quick review: “… Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest … Continue reading “…Go and do likewise.” / Luke 10:30-37 // The Good Samaritan (a radical story)
